Travelers Financial News

Also Read: Putin to visit Saudi, UAE on December 6 after OPEC+ cuts, host Iran President: What's on agenda? Back home, on the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX), crude oil futures due for a December 18 expiry, was last trading lower by 4.75 per cent at ₹5,791 per bbl, having swung between ₹5,784 and ₹6,068 per bbl during the session so far, against a previous close of ₹6,080 per barrel. -Crude inventories fell by 4.6 million barrels, far exceeding the 1.4 million-barrel drop analysts had expected. There is demand destruction coming in from the fuel side.

Visa has unwrapped an overview of payment trends observed during recently concluded ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023. As per Visa’s data, there has been a 12.5% growth in contactless cross border transactions during the World Cup as compared to July 2023, before the festive season began.

By Shivansh Tiwary

Egyptian authorities say a cargo ship broke down in the Suez Canal and crashes into a bridge over the crucial waterway

trade deficit widened more than expected in October as exports declined, likely positioning trade to be a drag on economic growth in the fourth quarter. The trade deficit increased 5.1% to $64.3 billion, the Commerce Department's Census Bureau said on Wednesday. Data for September was revised to show the trade gap rising to $61.2 billion instead of $61.5 billion as previously reported. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast the trade deficit increasing to $64.2 billion in October. Exports of goods and services fell 1.0% to $258.8 billion. Goods exports decreased 1.8% to $173.5 billion.

Angelina Jolie, her six children are her true pals and she doesn't really have a social life anymore. Jolie, they are the people closest to me and my life. We are seven very diverse people, which is what makes us strong. We had to heal, she continued.

A Dubai-based British hedge fund trader sought by Danish authorities for allegedly orchestrating a $1.7 billion tax fraud, considered one of the largest in the Scandinavian country, has been extradited from the United Arab Emirates

Telangana PCC President A Revanth Reddy who is set to take over the reins of the state from Thursday will have a daunting task of making the bleak coffers ring to be able to fulfill the «six guarantees» that the Congress party gave during the run up to the recently concluded assembly polls. Besides, he also has many political challenges to confront. The Congress's robust campaign highlighting the six guarantees is said to have been one of the reasons for the party to mark its victory in the state.

PM Kisan Scheme beneficiaries must complete e-KYC and link their bank account to Aadhaar to directly receive benefits in their bank accounts. It was noticed in a question put to the government in the Lok Sabha that nearly 2.4 lakh farmers enrolled under the PM Kisan scheme are not getting the benefits of this scheme because they are unable to link their Aadhaar Card with Bank Accounts. PM Kisan 16th installment: When will beneficiaries receive next installment amount? As per the government’s reply: Under PM-KISAN, the condition of Aadhaar seeded bank account is mandatory from 13th instalment to ensure that benefits are transferred only to intended beneficiary’s bank account. Further, transferring the benefits in the Aadhaar seeded bank accounts of beneficiaries has inherent advantage in their favor as in case of change of bank accounts, beneficiaries are not required to travel back to the Department to update the same. In order to saturate the Aadhaar seeding of the bank accounts, the beneficiaries are contacted by the State/UT Governments for completing their Aadhaar seeding with their active bank accounts. The Central Government also sends one to one messages to such farmers for taking necessary actions so that benefits can be transferred to them without any hassle.

International Civil Aviation Day is observed every year on December 7 to raise awareness about the significance of international civil aviation in the social and economic development of countries. This day was first celebrated on 7 December 1994 to mark the 50th year of the signing the Convention on International Civil Aviation. The special day also highlights the essential role of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in promoting cooperation among nations and establishing a global transit network for the benefit of all. To mark ICAO anniversaries, the ICAO Council selects a special theme for International Civil Aviation Day. The theme for this year is «Advancing Innovation for Global Aviation Development.» Today, the International Civil Aviation network now carries over four billion passengers annually. This global air transport sector plays a crucial role in supporting 65.5 million jobs while over 10 million individuals work in the industry, according to United Nations data.

global aviation, industry group International Air Transport Association (IATA) said. Willie Walsh, director general of IATA said that due to investments made by the Indian government on airport infrastructure, the potential of growth from the Indian market has increased manifold. IATA counts more than 300 airlines as members. “I think India is the market for the future.

«With this partnership, we aim to bring more convenience and best offers for Vi users. As an introductory offer, there will be zero convenience fees on all flight bookings,» the company said in a statement. «Additionally, the users will soon be entitled to get offers on domestic & International hotels, holidays, buses, activities and cab bookings,» it added.

Bollywood star Aamir Khan, who was recently stranded at Karapakkam, Chennai due to the devastating floods and torrential rain was rescued along with Tamil star Vishnu Vishal and badminton champion Jwala Gutta by the fire and rescue services personnel on December 5. Taking to X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday, Tamil Nadu industries minister TRB Rajaa praised the ‘3 Idiots’ star profusely for being patient and cooperating with the rescue team rather than attempting to pull strings and get saved first. “Astounding that he didn't try to pull any strings to be rescued! Awesome to see him being so grounded and WAITING HIS TURN to be rescued just like any of our fellow citizens. Lessons for those who try to pull strings and drop names!” reads his post.

Uttar Pradesh government has given the green light for a rapid rail corridor that will connect the Noida International Airport (NIA) with Delhi and other areas of the National Capital Region (NCR). The proposed route will extend from the Ghaziabad rapid rail station on the Delhi-Meerut line. While this development is a step forward in establishing connectivity for the new airport, it is important to note that it is a long-term plan.

Investing.com — European stock markets traded higher Wednesday, buoyed by renewed confidence that the major central banks' tightening cycle has peaked. 

visa policies for nearby international destinations have fueled a surge in airfares, impacting travel choices. Popular and easily accessible destinations like Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Malaysia have become visa-free for Indian travelers, leading to a spike in demand and subsequently driving airfares to new highs. Almost all international airlines, with the exception of the United States, have fully resumed connections to India. Indian carriers have also increased flights abroad for the winter season, resulting in more competitive airfares to distant European and North American destinations. According to a TOI report, the Delhi-Phuket economy return this Christmas starts at Rs 50,000, significantly higher than the average of Rs 30,000 a few months ago. In contrast, Delhi-London flights begin at Rs 70,000, a notable reduction from the Rs 90-95,000 range seen during the summer. “In comparison to last year, all international airlines are now operational for routes like Delhi-Dubai, or Saudi and to London, hence airfares for these sectors are down by about 20-25%. On the other hand, airfares for popular Southeast Asian destinations like Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia have more than doubled in comparison to last year for this period,” a spokesperson for travel portal Yatra told TOI. Anil Kalsi, Vice President of the Travel Agents Federation of India, told TOI that there is a «serious» demand for both domestic and international destinations this winter, with Southeast Asia being particularly popular. The visa-free status has made a significant impact, with destinations like Thailand witnessing a doubling of Indian tourist arrivals after granting visa exemption from November 10, 2023.

Saudi Arabia has introduced a 96-hour stopover visa for Indians traveling to the West or the Middle East. This initiative, part of the Saudi Vision 2030 to streamline Umrah visits, was announced by Saudi Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Tawfiq bin Fawzan. During a joint press briefing with India's Minister of Minority Affairs Smriti Irani and Minister of State for External Affairs, V Muraleedharan, Minister Tawfiq bin Fawzan emphasized the nation's commitment to facilitating the religious pilgrimage of Muslims globally.

The stock opened at Rs 717.05 and touched an intraday high and low of Rs 731.45 and Rs 717.05, respectively, in the session so far. The stock of Indian Railway Catering & Tourism Corporation Ltd. quoted a 52-week high of Rs 758.1 and a 52-week low of Rs 557.15.

Israel, the State Department said Tuesday it will impose travel bans on extremist Jewish settlers implicated in a rash of recent attacks on Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the step after warning Israel last week that President Joe Biden's administration would be taking action over the attacks. Blinken did not announce individual visa bans, but department spokesman Matthew Miller said the bans would be implemented starting Tuesday and would cover «dozens» of settlers and their families, with more to come if the settler violence continued. He wouldn't give a number and refused to identify any of those targeted due to confidentiality reasons. The decision comes at a sensitive moment in U.S.-Israeli relations.

By David Shepardson

A high-speed rail line between Las Vegas and the Los Angeles area is getting a Biden administration pledge of $3 billion to help start laying track