Country Financial News

The Brooklyn District Attorney’s office has seized 21 web domains associated with fraudulent cryptocurrency investments and “pig butchering” scams. 

The OPEC+ alliance may be risking a repeat of last year’s oil market boom and bust.

India are expected to rise 66% this year after nearly doubling in 2023 as state subsidies help fuel demand and supporting infrastructure comes up in the country, according to research firm Counterpoint. WHY IT'S IMPORTANT The rapid growth in sales comes at a time when EV growth in other key markets such as the United States and China are slowing.

Russia must remain open despite its attack on Ukraine, Italy's defence minister said on Friday, commenting on recent talks between his French and Russian counterparts. On Wednesday, French Armed Forces Minister Sebastien Lecornu had a phone conversation with Russia's Sergei Shoigu — the first since October 2022 — during the course of which France condemned Russia's «war of aggression» in Ukraine. France later denied Russian claims that it expressed willingness to hold dialogue on Ukraine or discuss possible peace negotiations when the two countries' defence ministers spoke on Wednesday.

option to pay through UPI transactions. It is hard to believe, but this is what happened to a commuter traveling to Chennai. The auto driver had strict rules pasted inside his auto: «Gpay not available. No stop for ATM withdrawal.» A user, identified as No Context Suveeshared her experience on X (formerly Twitter). She posted a picture of the auto's interior with the message displayed, «Gpay not available. No stop for ATM withdrawal.» Alongside the image, she captioned it, «It was nice knowing y'all.» The Unified Payments Interface (UPI), facilitating instant money transfers via mobile devices, has emerged as the fastest-growing payment mode in India. Since its introduction, digital transactions in the country have witnessed exponential growth.

Lok Sabha elections, it appears that the country's youngest eligible voters are displaying a concerning lack of interest in participating in the democratic process. Recent data reveals that fewer than 40% of 18- and 19-year-olds across the nation have registered to vote, with certain states like Bihar, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh recording enrollment rates of less than a quarter, a TOI report stated. According to statistics released by the Election Commission after the announcement of poll dates, only a little over 1.8 crore new voters in the 18- and 19-year-old bracket have been included in the electoral rolls. This figure is considerably lower than the projected population size of this demographic, which stands at just under 4.9 crore. In essence, merely 38% of these first-time voters have successfully registered. Although there is a possibility of this number increasing as various stakeholders intensify their efforts to encourage registration, the current scenario raises questions about the extent to which such initiatives can effectively address the issue. Telangana emerges as a notable exception, with over 8 lakh 18- and 19-year-olds enrolled to vote, constituting approximately 66.7% of its projected population within this age group. Conversely, Bihar, known for its youthful population, reports dismal figures, with only 9.3 lakh enrolled out of a potential 54 lakh (17%). Similar trends are observed in other states like Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Maharashtra, where enrollment rates remain notably low.

Maldives, the government said on Friday, even as ties between Male and New Delhi remained tense amid rising Chinese influence. India, a leading exporter of rice, sugar and onions, has imposed various curbs on exports of these food commodities to keep a lid on local prices ahead of general election. Shipments of these commodities in the 2024/25 finiancial year which started on April 1 to Maldives «will be exempted from any existing or future restriction/prohibition on export,» the government said in a notification.

Norway plans to raise its military spending by an accumulated 600 billion crowns ($56 billion) through 2036 to bolster its defence against Russia and other security challenges, the NATO member country's government said on Friday. Overall military spending for the next 12 years is expected to amount to 1.62 trillion crowns, it said. «This plan represents a historic boost in defence spending, and involves a significant strengthening of all branches of the armed forces,» Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere told a press conference.

One ship is likely to be handed to the Indians in September, with another being delivered early next year. The delivery of the ships are two years behind schedule due to the war in Ukraine, the officials said, asking not to be named because of the sensitivity around the issue. The two frigates are part of a four-ship deal that the Indians signed with the Russians back in 2018. The other two ships are being built in India, in collaboration with Russia, but are also behind schedule due to war-related supply chain issues, the officials said.

«India's export trade expansion has been impressive in spite of global challenges in 2023,» the official said. India's merchandise exports have recorded healthy growth in European nations like Romania, Czech Republic, Montenegro, Finland, the Netherlands, Portugal, Luxemburg, Iceland, Ireland, and Austria.

Cappadocia, Turkey, or savouring a superb cup of kadak chai. Top bosses share one experience that scores a perfect 10 for them.

Congress party, in its Lok Sabha election manifesto released on April 5, brought India's road toll collection policy into sharp focus. Saying that the current road toll rates are seen as excessive and exploitative by common people, the grand old party promised a big revamp of the same. The policy on road tolls will be reviewed, the party's manifesto said.

Mandya in Karnataka Sumalatha Ambareesh on Friday joined the BJP, in a boost to the NDA ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. Terming it an «important and good day» in her political life, the 60-year-old said she is deeply inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, his dream for the country by 2047 and his dedication towards it. «Listening to his (PM) speeches in the parliament, I have been inspired and I have understood things. Considering all these things, I felt joining BJP would be a right choice for me,» she said, as she also thanked several state leaders including former Chief Ministers B S Yediyurappa, Basavaraj Bommai and D V Sadanada Gowda for their cooperation. Veteran BJP leader Yediyurappa, state President B Y Vijayendra, Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly R Ashoka, national General Secretary in-charge of elections in Karnataka Radha Mohan Das Agarwal and Sadananda Gowda were among those who welcomed her into the party fold at its state headquarters here.

Shatrughan Sinha, who was renominated by the ruling TMC from the Asansol Lok Sabha seat, said on Friday he would try to ensure an even bigger margin of victory than what he recorded in the previous bypoll. Being fielded from Asansol for the 2022 bypoll after former Union Minister Babul Supriyo resigned as a two-time MP and joined the TMC, Sinha trounced BJP's Agnimitra Paul by over 3 lakh votes. Speaking to reporters on Thursday, the sitting MP said, «I consider myself to be fortunate (to have been fielded again from Asansol). It's because of your love and affection that I was renominated from this constituency and am still talked about across the country. It was down to my dedication, hard work and frequent visits to my constituency that (Chief Minister) Mamata Banerjee put me on the ticket again from Asansol.»

Sanofi on Friday said it has obtained approval for IMOVAX-Polio, an alternative injectable vaccine, to replace the Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV) ShanIP in India. IMOVAX-Polio is an alternative IPV vaccine that has been used in more than 100 countries for over 40 years, a Sanofi India spokesperson told PTI. The vaccine has the same composition/formulation as ShanIPV, the spokesperson added. «We wish to assure all stakeholders that there will be no shortage of IPV vaccines in India on our account, towards safeguarding the nation's status of remaining polio-free. We remain fully committed to fulfilling our public health mission in India,» the spokesperson noted.

India's Ayurveda product market is projected to reach USD 16.27 billion or Rs 1.2 lakh crore by FY28 from USD 7 billion or Rs 57,450 crore at present, according to a study. Ayurveda product market has experienced significant growth due to rising demand for natural and herbal remedies in local and international markets, increase in ayurvedic medical practitioners, government initiatives, and emergence of new entrepreneurs, Ayurveda tech startup NirogStreet said. Citing a survey, NirogStreet said the Ayurveda product market in India is expected to grow significantly, with projections indicating a substantial increase in market value to Rs 1,20,660 crore (USD 16.27 billion) by FY28. According to NirogStreet survey, the overall market for Ayurveda products and services is expected to grow at a CAGR of 15 per cent from FY23 to FY28, with the product and service sectors growing at a CAGR of 16 per cent and 12.4 per cent, respectively.

Bilquis Mir from Jammu and Kashmir is set to become the first woman from India to represent the country as a jury member at this year's Summer Olympics, which is to be hosted by Paris from July 26 to August 11. Gir's appointment as a jury member for the Paris Games was official conveyed through a letter from the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) to the Jammu and Kashmir administration. «Bilquis Mir, water sports promoter, developer, athlete, jury member of Indian Kayaking and Canoeing association has been nominated as the member of the jury to officiate at the Paris Olympics games. She is the first person from India to be appointed as a jury member at the Paris Olympics,» the IOA stated in the letter to the Jammu and Kashmir administration.

Manish Sisodia, the jailed AAP leader, and addressed to the people of Delhi surfaced in the media on March 5, a day before his bail case is taken up by a Delhi court. In the letter written in Hindi, he said «See you soon outside». Sisodia also expressed gratitude to people of his constituency for taking care of his ailing wife. «My love for you has increased after being in jail. You took great care of my wife. Seema gets emotional while talking about all of you. All of you should take care of yourselves...,» Sisodia wrote.

Shaktikanta Das on Friday called inflation the elephant in the room and said that the animal seems to be returning to the forest, hinting at inflation reaching the favourable target of 4 per cent. The governor said, «The elephant in the room was CPI inflation. The elephant has now gone out for a walk and appears to be returning to forest.» The remark from the governor came while he was announcing the decisions of the first bimonthly Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting of FY25.

geopolitical tensions put a dent in risk sentiment, while traders were also cautious ahead of U.S. jobs data due later in the day. The threat of supply disruptions owing to a prolonged conflict in the Middle East kept Brent futures above $90 a barrel — a level not seen since last October. [O/R]

Anurag Thakur said the Centre has set a target to make India 'Viksit Bharat' by 2047 and slammed the previous UPA government over corruption and scams. Addressing IT professionals here on Thursday, he said, "… IT stands for 'India Tomorrow' and what is the target for India tomorrow? The target is to develop India into Viksit Bharat by 2047." Taking a dig at the Congress, the Union Minister said, «Can you imagine 10 years back our countrymen were finding it even difficult to think about freeing themselves from the clutches of corrupt Congress party and its alliance partners where one after another scam took place.» Referring to the various scams during the UPA regime, he said because we have a short memory, sometimes we forget especially those aged between 18 and 22, they were only eight and 10 years old then. «They are not aware of 2G scam or CWG scam… They didn't know about AgustaWestland, Coal scam and all that...»