Country Financial News

Alton Aviation Consultancy. Bullish on aviation prospects in India, Ng said the country, which contributes approximately 10 per cent of Asia Pacific's domestic and international air traffic demand, has already returned to pre-pandemic levels. «Such growing demand in turn supports India's massive aviation development programmes including setting up of 150 airports across the country,» Ng told PTI on Friday. He further noted that «India's passenger traffic is expected to grow at a strong pace of 7 per cent in 2025, supported by an order book of nearly 1,900 aircraft among airlines based in the country.»

Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh it means they could be left with too little food and money for survival. No cuts have happened yet. But the UN World Food Programme said if it is not able to raise funds, it will have no option but to halve food rations to $6 a month from previous $12.50 in the country's southern coastal district of Cox's Bazar, where the Rohingya live in sprawling camps. It was not immediately clear if the WFP's decision was directly related to the Trump administration's action, but during a recent visit to the refugee camps, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres criticized the US and other countries in Europe for halting or reducing their aid budgets. UN food agency says no choice but to reduce rations To be sure, a large portion of funds needed for supporting Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh has come from the US Agency for International Development, but the country's government and dozens of aid organisations also look after their daily needs. Yet, any drop in humanitarian aid could have extreme impact on the lives of Rohingya refugees.

However, Trump indicated that those who choose to leave voluntarily may have a chance to re-enter the country legally in the future. «People in our country illegally can self-deport the easy way, or they can get deported the hard way, and that's not pleasant. The Biden administration exploited the CBP One app to allow more than 1 million aliens to illegally enter the United States. Now my administration is launching the CBP Home app to give people in our country illegally an easy way to leave now and self-deport voluntarily,» he said. He further added, «If they do, they could potentially have the opportunity to return legally at some point in the future. But if they do not avail themselves of this opportunity, then they will be found, they will be deported, and they will never be admitted again to the United States ever, ever again. You're never coming in.» Trump also mentioned that voluntary deportation through the app could help save government resources. He stated that the CBP Home app is now available for free on all mobile app stores.

Facebook and Instagram parent company Meta said Thursday it would launch its generative artificial intelligence assistant Meta AI in the European Union from «this week», more than a year after the service's US release. «It's taken longer than we would have liked to get our AI technology into the hands of people in Europe as we continue to navigate its complex regulatory system — but we're glad we're finally here,» the company said in a statement. «Starting this week, Meta AI will begin rolling out across 41 European countries.»

foreign central banks and others confront the spillovers from President Donald Trump's fast-moving effort to rewire international trade. With analysts in the U.S. noting the stagflationary direction of the U.S. outlook — weaker output and higher prices — central banks globally are parsing what the fallout may mean for them.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Central banks in emerging markets often face the dilemma of whether to quell inflation or spur economic growth, but it’s unusual for the US Federal Reserve to be caught in a cleft. This week, it took the safe option of holding its policy rate steady at 4.25-4.5%, while signalling two possible cuts later this year.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. New Delhi: India's auto parts manufacturers are bracing for an uncertain future, as large automakers boost production of electric vehicles (EVs) at the expense of petrol and diesel models, in a shift that is transforming the requirements for components and increasing the role of technology.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Businesses across the country have five months to adopt stricter norms to reduce their environmental impact, by crafting clear policies, setting sustainability goals, and adopting eco-friendly practices in daily operations. The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has tightened standards for so-called environmental management systems (EMS), internal company systems to minimize impact and improve performance on the environmental front.

Donald Trump Jr.’s surprise visit to Serbia this month has sparked intense scrutiny, intertwining U.S. foreign relations with the Trump family’s business ambitions. Arriving during escalating protests against President Aleksandar Vučić, Trump Jr. met with the embattled leader, later framed by his spokesperson as part of a podcast interview. Critics, however, see the trip as a strategic move to bolster Vučić’s political standing while advancing plans for a Trump International Hotel in Belgrade. The project, spearheaded by Jared Kushner’s Affinity Global Development, aims to transform a NATO-bombed government site into a luxury complex, stirring opposition over its historical significance and alleged conflicts of interest.

Manappuram Finance and become joint owner of the shadow lender that's the country's second-largest gold loan company. The acquisition will take place through a primary infusion and a secondary sale of shares by the current promoter family, led by managing director and chief executive officer VP Nandakumar, the companies said in a press release. He and his family own 34.73% of the non-banking finance company (NBFC). As part of the transaction, Bain Capital entities-BC Asia Investments XXV and BC Asia Investments XIV-will invest ₹4,385 crore to acquire an 18.6% stake via preferential allotments of equity and warrants at ₹236 per share, a premium of about 30% over the six-month average trading price. The transaction will trigger a mandatory open offer for the purchase of an additional 26% stake on an expanded capital basis (excluding warrants).

sports ministry source told PTI on Thursday, confirming a move that has been in the making for several weeks. The last date to submit the 'Expression of Interest' to host the Games is March 31 and India's letter was sent by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) a few days ago. «Yes, it is true, India's bid has been submitted by the IOA and the state of Gujarat,» the ministry source stated. Ahmedabad, the city that has been finalised to organise the 2030 CWG should the event come to India, is also the front-runner to be the Olympic host if the 2036 bid is successful. The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF), which has re-branded itself as Commonwealth Sport will now lead evaluation process and the final appointment of the host will be decided by the CGF General Assembly. The decision to submit the bid comes after sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya recently asserted that the country was interested in hosting the Games.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. A month after Zomato Ltd renamed its parent company as Eternal, CK Birla Group’s flagship company HIL Ltd has rechristened itself as BirlaNu Ltd, joining a growing roster of Indian companies going for cosmetic makeovers. This is not the first time the building materials company has changed its name.

Pinarayi Vijayan said on Thursday. Hailing the law enacted on Wednesday, the Chief Minister said this new commission would focus on protecting the rights, welfare, and rehabilitation of the elderly. «The LDF government is implementing policies that wholeheartedly embrace senior citizens. Kerala, which ranks first in the country in elderly welfare, is setting another example in this field. »To strengthen the initiatives launched for senior citizens since the previous government's tenure, the state is now establishing the country's first-ever Senior Citizens Commission. As a step towards this, the Kerala Legislative Assembly passed the Kerala State Senior Citizens Commission Bill yesterday (Wednesday)," Vijayan said in a Facebook post. He said that with the establishment of this commission, «we will be able to ensure the rehabilitation, security, and welfare» of senior citizens more effectively. «The commission will prioritise addressing the hardships faced by the elderly, including neglect, exploitation, and loneliness. It will be responsible for providing the necessary guidelines to tackle these issues,» Vijayan said.

Concacaf Nations League semi-finals will get underway on Thursday, March 20, with three-time reigning champion United States (USMNT) looking forward to its fourth consecutive final. The United States is pitted against Panama, while the other match will see Canada eying its first major trophy in nearly 25 years if at all it manages to overcome the challenge of Mexico.

The firm launched its inaugural mandate last month, initially focusing on UK equities. Ben Whitmore's Brickwood AM launches inaugural fund The TM Brickwood Global Value fund will aim to outperform the MSCI All Country World index (ACWI), net of fees, over a rolling five-year period, sticking with the areas of expertise of co-managers Ben Whitmore and Dermot Murphy.  Whitmore left his former firm Jupiter Asset Management after a 17-year career focusing on value investing to set up Brickwood AM last year, with Dermot following suit soon after. The global fund will invest at least ...

World Happiness Report 2025 has delivered troubling news for the United States, placing the country at 24th place, its lowest rank ever. Just last year, the U.S. ranked 23rd, already an alarming position considering it stood at 15th in 2023. This downward trend reflects a growing sense of dissatisfaction, especially among young Americans. According to Gallup data used in the World Happiness Report, one key reason behind the U.S. decline is an increase in social isolation. More Americans are dining alone and reporting weaker social ties, which correlates with declining well-being. Young people under 30 have been particularly affected, with many feeling less supported by friends and family and reporting a lack of optimism about their financial future.

Mounjaro in India on Thursday, beating rival Novo Nordisk for a much-awaited entry into the world's most populous country grappling with increasing rates of obesity and diabetes. U.S.-based Lilly and Danish Novo Nordisk have seen skyrocketing global demand for their innovative weight-loss drugs, with investor interest also boosting the drugmakers' valuations.

TTP outfit were killed by Pakistan police in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in different engagements from January 1 to March 15, official data released on Thursday said. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police lost 26 policemen in the line of duty while fighting against terrorists during the same period, according to the data released by the Central Police Line here. The banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is a militant group having ideological similarities with Afghan Taliban. Pakistan has witnessed an uptick in terror activities recently, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces, after the TTP group ended its ceasefire with the government in November 2022. Giving the break-up of those injured, the Central Police Line data said, 31 were injured in gunbattles. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police faced 29 attacks on their installations in January, 24 in February and 15 till March 15 this year. The number of attacks on police posts made in the same period are 16 while seven police stations were attacked too.

Also read: IndusInd Bank depositors! Here's RBI's opinion on the bank's financial stateIndusInd Bank depositors! Here's RBI's opinion on the bank's financial state However, the Press Information Bureau (PIB) has factchecked this claim stating it as fake news. According to the PIB Factcheck, “A news report by Lokmat Times claims that starting from April, banks across the country would operate 5 days a week, following a new regulation issued by RBI. PIBFactCheck: This claim is Fake. For official information related with Reserve Bank of India, visit: https://rbi.org.in.”

Leader of Opposition in the Upper House Mallikarjun Kharge asked the government the total expenditure incurred by Indian embassies on arrangements for the prime minister's foreign visits in the past three years. He also asked for visit-wise details of expenses under major heads such as hotel arrangements, community receptions, transport arrangements and other miscellaneous expenditures among others. The data on country-wise expenditure on foreign visits by the prime minister, including the expenditure on official, accompanying, security and media delegations, in 2022, 2023 and 2024 was shared in a tabulated form in his response. According to the data, an expenditure of Rs 22,89,68,509 was incurred on the visit of the prime minister to the US in June 2023, while the expenditure incurred was Rs 15,33,76,348 on the September 2024 visit to the same country.