Pandemic Financial News

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said loans of farmers will be waived if his party comes to power at the Centre. Addressing a rally in Sakoli in Maharashtra's Bhandara district, he said the main issues plaguing the people of the country were unemployment and inflation, though these were ignored by the media. «Loans of farmers will be waived if the Congress comes to power. People are distressed due to unemployment and inflation. The situation is such that people earning just thousands and those making crores are paying the same GST,» he said while attacking the NDA government at the Centre. Gandhi said his party would conduct a caste census after attaining power since it is important for the future of the country. Slamming the Centre's Agnipath programme, in which soldiers called 'Agniveers' are recruited for four years, Gandhi said it would be scrapped since «the Army was not in its favour».

S Jaishankar on Friday emphasised that the 20,000 children who came back from Ukraine were "Modi ki Guarantee," adding that foreign policy is not just for diplomats, but has an impact on every person's life. During an interaction with the youths of Pune on the launch of the Marathi translation of his book: «Why Bharat Matters» he discussed about India's global rise and improved opportunities on Friday. «Today's world is globalised, and it means that whether you believe it or not, the world will come to your door. In the last three years, we have seen the Covid pandemic. It started somewhere else; who thought it'd reach India...and will turn our lives,» EAM Jaishankar said.

The Bank of England will place more stress on developments that could upend its expectations for the U.K. economy and future interest rates as part of an overhaul of forecasting and communications recommended by Ben Bernanke, a former chair of the Federal Reserve. Published Friday, the Bernanke review is one of the first steps taken by a leading central bank to understand why it underestimated a surge in prices that began in early 2021 and dented living standards.

Future Group promoter Kishore Biyani has settled dues worth Rs 571 crore to lenders of Bansi Mall Management Company by making a one-time settlement of Rs 476 crore, a recovery of 83% for the creditors. The settlement was backed by realty developer K Raheja Corp., which acquired SOBO Central Mall. Earlier known as Crossroads, SOBO Central is the country’s first mall, having opened in late 1990s in south Mumbai's Haji Ali locality. The recovery from Future Group is a rare success story for banks who had suffered loan write-offs and losses in several cases previously.

Also read: Donald Trump criticised for insulting Jewish & Black supporters of Biden When asked which president did more to help people like them, roughly one-third say Donald Trump and about one-quarter say Joe Biden. Yet 30% of adults said neither Biden nor Trump benefitted them. It's another data point reflecting an electorate that has been largely disappointed with this year's general election choices, generating little enthusiasm among key parts of the Biden and Trump political coalitions.

NEW DELHI : India and Peru concluded the seventh round of negotiations for a free trade agreement (FTA) on Thursday, aiming to deepen economic ties, a senior Indian government official said. The next round of talks is scheduled for the second week of June in Lima, with meetings likely to focus on consensus-building on trade of goods and services, the official added, requesting anonymity. The FTA is strategically important as India seeks access to Peru's lithium reserves, critical for its growing electric vehicle industry.

The head of the International Monetary Fund says strong economic activity in the United States and emerging markets is projected to help drive global growth by about 3% this year

ANI reported. In its latest assessment, Moody's noted that India's stable outlook reflects the likelihood of gradual improvement in the country's fiscal metrics, supported by its robust growth prospects, compared to its peers, as per the report.

Biden administration to stop approving any more flights between the United States and China. This comes as they said due to “anti-competitive" policies that China imposes on the US carriers. On Thursday, the airlines and unions claimed that China closed its market to US carriers at the outbreak of the pandemic.

Canada will loosen the rules on mortgages to allow first-time buyers to take out 30-year loans when they purchase newly-built homes.

Fewer Americans applied for jobless benefits last week as the labor market continues to thrive despite the Federal Reserve’s efforts to cool it

If you daydream about getting a break from stress, you might picture a restful week of vacation or a long weekend away

China has announced rare sanctions against two U.S. defense companies over what it calls their support for arms sales to Taiwan

Consumer inflation rose more than expected in March, boosted by gas, rents, auto insurance and other items, the government said Wednesday

ALSO READ: US stocks sink after inflation data, Treasury yields jump It stood by its forecast of full year earnings between $6 and $7 per share. The airline predicted that second quarter revenue will be 5 per cent to 7 per cent higher than a year ago. Excluding special items, it earned 45 cents per share, said Delta.

India on Wednesday said it is and will remain Colombo's most reliable friend and dependable partner as it underlined that New Delhi was willing to offer modern defence equipment to friendly partner countries like Sri Lanka. Addressing the Second India-Sri Lanka Defence Seminar here, India's High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Santosh Jha, said that like in other areas, India and Sri Lanka were cooperating closely on security and defence matters. «Because of our geography, our security is interlinked and intertwined. And when we speak of security, we must remember that it has acquired a wider meaning than we have traditionally associated with it,» Jha said and added, after the Covid19 pandemic and impact of Russia-Ukraine conflict, it has come to include energy, health, food and even economic security. The various advanced platforms and equipment developed indigenously in India can also become viable, affordable and modern solutions for the Sri Lankan military, he said.

World trade is set to rebound this year and next as cooling inflation eases pressure on household budgets, according to the World Trade Organization, but the recovery may be weakened by growing distrust and fresh barriers between some large economies. Flows of goods and services across national borders have swung wildly over recent years in response to the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent lifting of related restrictions. While trade in goods soared in 2021 and 2022 as households in lockdown were deprived of access to many services, last year saw a decline of 1.2%.

retail investors switched to capital markets from traditional avenues to grow their wealth. In a startling fact revealed by Zerodha's Nithin Kamath, investors on Kite hold as much as Rs 4.5 lakh crore worth of assets in their demat accounts.

Despite a strong job market, there are still thousands of people who have found themselves out of work across industries stretching from tech to retail to media

Hong Kong this month with the first approvals likely to be announced next week, two people familiar with the matter said. That timeline would make Hong Kong Asia's first city to offer the popular ETFs and is much faster than industry expectations of launches sometime this year.

Naad Wellness, a luxury resort firm, said the concept of wellness retreats has gained significant momentum post-pandemic and global health crisis served as a wake-up call, prompting a shift towards prioritizing holistic living and overall well-being. The company that started its operations in 2018, has around 50-60% occupancy at its property in the National Capital Region(Delhi NCR). It is exploring targeted marketing initiatives, strategic partnerships, and innovative wellness programs to further enhance occupancy levels. «The pandemic has brought about profound changes in travel and hospitality trends, with a heightened emphasis on safety, hygiene, and wellness. Travelers are now more discerning, opting for destinations and accommodations that prioritize health and rejuvenation. Additionally, there has been a surge in interest towards secluded, nature-centric retreats, reflecting a desire for solace and introspection amidst the chaos,» said Ramesh Kumar, managing director and co-founder at Naad Wellness.