Country Financial News

Candidates in France are making their last campaign pushes for the first round of voting in a pivotal and polarizing legislative election

FATF rating obtained by India will enable domestic companies to access overseas investments without going through elaborate background checks and enhanced due diligence process, highly placed sources said. The global crime watchdog, FATF on Friday adopted mutual evaluation report on India and placed the country in «regular follow-up» category. The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) hailed India for achieving high level of technical compliance. It said the country's efforts towards anti-money laundering (AML) and countering of terror financing (CFT) are achieving good results.

Karnataka government on Friday made a pitch to the Centre for establishing a dedicated Central Business District, modelled on the lines of Gujarat’s GIFT City in the state, besides seeking faster clearance for multiple projects across sectors. The demand was part of a ‘wishlist’ IT & BT minister Priyank Kharge sent to Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Union IT minister Ashwini Vaishnav ahead of the Union Budget. Karnataka, he wrote, wanted to set up a Central Business District that would act as a global financial and IT hub. “The state has a vibrant economy with IT, BT, aerospace, automotive, textiles, and heavy industries forming the cream of the investment pie. The state is strategically located, and is well-positioned to replicate a similar business [on the lines of GIFT city] hub in its bosom,” he said.

Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are set to face off once again on the debate stage this September.

Argentina’s lower house has approved President Javier Milei's sweeping economic overhaul bills, sealing a much-needed legislative victory for the libertarian leader after six months of bruising negotiations and raucous protests that had raised question...

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge blaming Prime Minister Narendra Modi for inaugurating the faulty structure, though Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu clarified that the collapsed portion was part of an older structure built in 2009. Mallikarjun Kharge claimed that corruption and criminal negligence were responsible for the canopy collapse and criticized the Prime Minister for failing to create «world-class infrastructure.» He pointed out several past incidents to support his argument. «Corruption and criminal negligence are responsible for the collapse of shoddy infrastructure falling like a deck of cards, in the past 10 years of Modi Govt,» Kharge wrote on X. «Delhi Airport (T1) roof collapse, Jabalpur Airport roof collapse, abysmal condition of Ayodhya's new roads, Ram Mandir leakage, cracks in Mumbai Trans Harbour Link road, 13 new bridges falling in Bihar in 2023 & 2024, Pragati Maidan Tunnel submerging, Morbi bridge collapse tragedy in Gujarat,… are some stark instances which expose the tall claims by Modi ji and BJP of creating 'World Class Infrastructure'! On March 10th, when Modi ji inaugurated the Delhi Airport T1, he called himself 'Doosri mitti ka insaan… All this false bravado and rhetoric was only reserved for quickly indulging in ribbon-cutting ceremonies before elections!»

Indian students (75 females and 71 males) have been awarded the prestigious Erasmus Mundus scholarships for the 2-year master’s programme in Europe under Erasmus+ for the 2024 academic year, making India one of the top recipients of the scholarship. Worldwide, 2603 students from 137 countries have been awarded scholarships this year for the Erasmus Mundus Joint master’s degree, which offers a study programme jointly delivered by an international consortium of higher education institutions. 2024 also marks the 20th anniversary of the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s program, a milestone that underscores the program's positive impact on students, higher education institutions, and countries beyond the EU. India has been the largest beneficiary of the programme, with over 2000 students receiving the Erasmus Mundus Scholarship since its inception in 2004. Overall, more than 6,000 Erasmus+ short and long-term scholarships have been awarded to Indian students since the program opened to international students in 2004, providing access to state-of-the-art education and research facilities, international exposure, and valuable professional networks and thus opened up wider professional opportunities. To mark both these milestones, the Delegation of the European Union to India hosted an event for the grantees, celebrating the growing people-to-people links and mobility between the EU and India. These scholars are set to embark on their international degree programs in Europe starting this September.

Turkey has welcomed a decision by an international watchdog to remove it from a so-called “gray list” of countries that have not fully implemented measures to fight money laundering and terrorism financing

It almost didn't seem to matter that CNN's Dana Bash and Jake Tapper were on stage for the much-awaited presidential debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump

Mexico’s incoming President Claudia Sheinbaum has announced five more members of her future cabinet

Mongolia, where parliamentary elections are being held Friday, is a sparsely populated and landlocked Asian nation known for its bitter winter cold and independent spirit

Impose a wealth tax on the super-rich! The call for a wealth tax on the super-rich arises frequently from citizens around the world, but, unfortunately, it has not yet been addressed by the authorities concerned. This demand resurfaces time and again, only to fade into the background. Over the past two decades, the issue of taxing the ultra-rich has been widely debated and highlighted by the media as well.

ITC Hotels brand portfolio, out of which 24 are managed properties, as per excerpts from ITC's annual report 2023-24. As per ITC’s annual report, the hotels business continues to leverage its ‘asset-right’ strategy to be amongst the fastest growing hospitality chains in the country with over 130 properties and 12,000 rooms under distinctive brands such as ‘ITC Hotels’ in the luxury segment, ‘Mementos’ in the luxury lifestyle segment, ‘Welcomhotel’ in the upscale segment, ‘Storii’ in the boutique premium segment, ‘Fortune’ in the mid-market to upscale segment and ‘WelcomHeritage’ in the leisure and heritage segment. As per the report, the business is witnessing 'growing interest' amongst property owners to partner with its brands resulting in a healthy generation of leads and pipeline of management contracts.

In an exclusive episode of ETMarkets World View, Abhishek Banerjee ofLotusDew Wealth opens up about Indian sectors with potential, the RBI governor's stance on GDP growth, and much more. Recently, India recorded a current account surplus of $5.7 billion. What does it say? India was also included in the JPMorgan bond index recently. What key changes should we be aware of? Abhishek Banerjee: India's current account surplus is noteworthy because historically, India has been a current account deficit country, importing more than exporting. This deficit typically keeps the currency weaker to make exports more attractive and imports more expensive, which supports export-driven sectors like pharma and IT services.

Global money laundering body FATF on Friday said it added Monaco and Venezuela on its so-called grey list with countries under special scrutiny. Both countries now made high-level political commitments to work with the body and implement an action plan to strengthen the effectiveness of their regulation, the FATF said.

Indian rupee ended stronger on Friday, aided by inflows spurred by the inclusion of the country's bonds into the JPMorgan emerging market debt index. The rupee closed at 83.3825 against the U.S. dollar on Friday, up nearly 0.1% from its close at 83.46 in the previous session.

more sustainable future. A key element of this strategy is the implementation of extended producer responsibility (EPR) policies. Recent events highlight the tightrope walk companies must perform to balance environmental responsibility with business interests.

₹599, each drink is priced at nearly ₹900. In a city like Guwahati, this is expensive, but Maroon Room draws about 4,000 people a month with its line-up of musicians from across the country. “We had the iconic Lou Majaw from Shillong perform here when we opened," says Brahma.

carbon emissions should come forward and own the responsibility of providing finance to developing countries to address the climate crisis, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said on Friday. Climate finance will be at the centre of the UN climate conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, where the world will reach the deadline to agree on the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) — the new amount developed nations must mobilise every year starting in 2025 to support climate action in developing countries. «Temperature rise is a global problem. IPCC reports clearly say the increase in carbon emissions is driving average global temperatures up. Countries have prepared their Nationally Determined Contributions. India has achieved its climate targets, be it in the renewable energy sector or reducing carbon emissions,» Yadav said at the India Climate Summit. «Developed countries are required to provide finance and technological support to developing countries if we need equal growth in the world. Unfortunately, this could not happen but the New Collective Quantified Goal will be the central point of the COP29 in Baku. Countries historically responsible for maximum carbon emissions should come forward,» he said.

Around 61 million Iranians are eligible to vote in the polls where reformist Masoud Pezeshkian, 69, hopes for a breakthrough win against a divided conservative camp.

Banarasi saris are creative works of art that are definitely appropriate for any occasion. Nita Ambani, the founder and chairperson of the Reliance Foundation, travelled to Varanasi ahead of her son Anant Ambani's wedding to buy for saris. In Varanasi, she visited loom owners and weavers and bought between fifty and sixty saris. She selected saris and brought a number of Banarasi craftsmen and merchants to the hotel. She ordered from multiple weavers, demonstrating her sincere appreciation for their skill. Since many guests from Bollywood, Hollywood, and other countries will be attending Anant Ambani's wedding, the Banarasi sari will see an increase in demand in the global market.