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Users should not be forced to sign terms of consent on social media sites: Parliamentary panel
A parliamentary panel looking into the breach of data by Cambridge Analytica today asked the government to ensure that Indian users should not be forced to sign terms of consent on social media platforms. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology headed by BJP MP Anurag Thakur was briefed by the Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba and other senior officials on the subject of citizens' data security and privacy.
Rahul Gandhi has right to say he wants to be PM, no one should make fun of it: Shiv Sena
After Prime Minister Narendra Modi attacked Rahul Gandhi today for publicly declaring his prime ministerial ambition, BJP's bickering ally Shiv Sena said it was the Congress president's democratic right to express his stand and no one should make fun of it. Speaking to reporters here, Sena's Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut also said that his party considers NCP president Sharad Pawar a worthy candidate for the prime minister's post.
ED attaches Rs 14.48 crore assets of Yadav Singh
The Enforcement Directorate has attached assets worth Rs 14.48 crore of Yadav Singh, a former chief engineer of Noida and Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh, in connection with a money laundering case, the probe agency said. The central probe agency issued a provisional order under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and attached assets of the former bureaucrat and his wife Kusum Lata in Gautam Budh Nagar, Nainital, Agra, Delhi and Greater Noida, apart from Rs 29.46 lakh deposits kept in a bank account.
Most significant development for company, Indian users, says Binny Bansal
Flipkart's co-founder Binny Bansal today told his employees that the Walmart deal is the most significant and positive development for the company and the Indian users. Bansal added the financial investment will only impact the shareholding in company and both the firms will continue to operate as distinct brands and maintain their own operating structures.
US set to reimpose sanctions on Iran after Trump junks Nuke deal
With President Donald Trump junking the landmark nuclear deal with Iran, the US will now reimpose the stringent sanctions it placed on Tehran before the 2015 agreement and is considering new penalties, the US media reported today. Trump yesterday argued that the deal struck by the previous Obama administration and world powers was "defective at its core" and that he would pull out and reimpose sanctions on Iran, the world's fifth-biggest oil producer.
CPPIB, Allianz to acquire 55% of units in L&T sponsored trust
Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) and Allianz Capital Partner will pick up 55 percent units in India's first private infrastructure investment trust, sponsored by a subsidiary of Larsen & Toubro. CPPIB and Allianz Capital Partners (ACP), on behalf of Allianz insurance companies, announced that they are acting as anchor investors in the trust, IndInfravit Trust.
ThoughtSpot raises $145 mn to strengthen global biz, research, development
Technology firm ThoughtSpot today said it has raised USD 145 million in Series D funding which will be used for expanding global business and strengthening R&D manpower. The firm, which is player in search and artificial intelligence-driven analytics for enterprises, said it is looking to grow its R&D centres in Palo Alto, Seattle, Dallas and Bengaluru.
Fitbit launches fitness smartwatch Versa
The San Francisco-based wearable manufacturer Fitbit today launched its second smartwatch Fitbit Versa in the domestic market, expanding its offering. Priced at Rs 19,999, Versa will be available in three colour variants from May 13, across Reliance Digital, Croma, Helios and other major offline retailers and online on Amazon, the company said.
India's clean energy capacity touches 70 GW: MNRE
Ministry of New and Renewable Energy today said India's installed clean energy capacity has already touched 70 GW and 38 GW is under implementation as per the data compiled till March 31. The 70 GW installed renewable energy capacity in the country is double of the capacity four year back, a Ministry of New and Renewable Energy statement said. The MNRE also said that around 56,000 solar power pumps were installed in the last financial year, which is highest ever in a single year.
Iran-aligned Houthis in Yemen fire missiles at Saudi capital
Yemen's Houthis fired a salvo of ballistic missiles at Saudi Arabia's capital on Wednesday - an attack Saudi authorities said they intercepted in the skies over Riyadh. The assault took place a day after Saudi Arabia's top Western ally the United States pulled out of a deal with Iran over its disputed nuclear programme and could signal an uptick in tensions between Riyadh and regional rival Tehran.
No queries from RBI on Kochhar-Videocon row: ICICI Bank
ICICI Bank has said it has not received any communication from the Reserve Bank with regard to allegations of impropriety faced by its managing director and chief executive Chanda Kochhar. "No communication to us, that is what we can say now," executive director NS Kannan told analysts over the customary post-earnings call on Monday, transcripts of which were posted on its website by the bank this evening.
CBI books SAIL official for amassing disproportionate assets
A security department official of the state-owned SAIL along with his wife and son has been booked for allegedly amassing assets worth Rs 1.38 crore which were above his legitimate sources of income, officials said today. Kapil Mondal, attendant-cum-assistant (technical), security department in SAIL, Burnpur (West Bengal) has been named in the FIR for amassing these assets during his tenure between April 2009 and January 2017, they said.
Iraqi foreign ministry says Trump's decision on Iran 'hasty and rash'
US President Donald Trump's decision to pull out from the international nuclear deal with Iran is "hasty and rash", Iraq's foreign ministry said in a statement on Wednesday. The ministry said it was following with "deep concern the dangerous developments" resulting from Trump's decision.
Google to ban all ads related to Irish abortion referendum
Google is to suspend all advertisements related to Ireland's May 25 abortion referendum from Thursday amid worries about election integrity, the US firm said in an emailed statement.
Cipla partners MannKind for marketing, distribution of Afrezza in India
Drug firm Cipla today said it has entered into an exclusive marketing and distribution agreement with US-based MannKind Corporation for inhaled insulin Afrezza in India. Afrezza is the only United States Food and Drug Administraion (USFDA) approved inhaled insulin available for patients suffering from diabetes, Cipla said in a statement.
Congress chief Rahul Gandhi day-dreaming, no PM vacancy till 2024: BJP
Terming Congress President Rahul Gandhi's Prime Ministerial aspirations as day-dreaming, senior BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain today asserted that there was no vacancy for the top post till 2024 as Narendra Modi would again assume it after next year's general elections.
eBay plans to relaunch its website in India after it makes $1.1bn in Walmart-Flipkart deal
The e-commerce firm eBay is reportedly planning to relaunch its wesite in India using the USD 1.1 billion that it will make after selling its stake in Flipkart to Walmart. The firm plans to focus on cross-border sales — selling into India from abroad, and from India to other markets — and not on domestic sales as it had done previously.
Reliance Infra to consider fund raising plans next week
Reliance Infrastructure today said its board will meet next week to consider raising long-term funds by issuing equity shares by way of rights issue and QIPin a BSE filing
Karnataka polls: 1.5 lakh security personnel to be deployed
Nearly 1.5 lakh security personnel, including more than 50,000 from the central paramilitary forces, will be deployed during the Assembly elections in Karnataka on May 12 to ensure free and fair polls, officials said today. The Union Home Ministry has earmarked around 520 companies drawn from various paramilitary forces like the CRPF, BSF and ITBP to keep strict vigil and ensure peace during the polling process in the southern state.
Oil hits 3.5 year high after US quits Iran deal
Oil prices rose more than 3 percent on Wednesday to three and a half year high, after the US President Donald Trump abandoned a nuclear deal with Iran and announced the 'highest level' of sanctions against the OPEC member.
Rupee drops 15p to fresh 15-month low on rising crude, capital flight
The rupee today tumbled to a low of 67.48 before closing at fresh 15-month low of 67.27, down by 15 paise against the US currency, due to growing concerns over surging crude prices and foreign capital outflows. This is the lowest closing for the rupee since February 7, 2017 when it had settled at 67.41 against the dollar.
Iraq president regrets Trump decision to quit Iran accord
Iraqi President Fuad Masum expressed regret on Wednesday over the decision by President Donald Trump to pull the United States out of an international accord that aims to curb Iran's nuclear programme. Masum also welcomed the decision of the other signatories of the agreement, including Iran and European nations, to stick with the 2015 deal despite the USpullout.
Three American detainees in North Korea have been released, says Trump
Mild tremors felt in parts of north India, Pakistan
Tremors of an earthquake that had its epicentre in the Afghanistan-Kazakhistan border region were felt in the north Indian states of Punjab, Haryana and Delhi, officials said. The quake was felt at about 4:15 pm today, a MeT Department official said. (PTI)
Walmart to buy 77% stake in Flipkart for $16 billion
Global retail giant Walmart announced on Wednesday that it would buy 77 percent of online retailer Flipkart for USD 16 billion, as it made an elephant-footed entry into India’s exploding e-commerce market.
The remainder of the business will be held by some of Flipkart’s existing shareholders, including Flipkart co-founder Binny Bansal, Tencent Holdings Limited, Tiger Global Management LLC and Microsoft Corp
Walmart’s foray into India’s online retail space set the stage for an American business war against Amazon.com Inc in the world’s fifth largest economy.
IMF expects India to grow at 7.4% in FY'19
The Indian economy is expected to grow at 7.4 percent in the current fiscal and accelerate further to 7.8 per cent as it recovers from the impact of demonetisation and GST roll out, IMF said today.
Stage set for Walmart-Flipkart deal; announcement expected today
Walmart Inc and Flipkart are set to announce the mega deal which will see the US-retailer picking up significant majority stake in the Indian e-commerce major for close to USD 15 billion, sources said.
SC pulls up ASI for failing to take steps to protect Taj Mahal
The Supreme Court today came down heavily on the Archeological Survey of India for its failure to take appropriate steps to protect and preserve of the iconic Taj Mahal.
Sundram Fasteners 4qtr standalone net up 8.62%
Sundram Fasteners Ltd, part of the diversified conglomerate TVS Group, has recorded a 8.62 percent rise in its standalone net profits for the fourth quarter
ending March 31, 2018 at Rs 95.22 crore.
Walmart buys controlling stake in Flipkart, says Softbank CEO
In breakingnews,MasayoshiSon, the CEO ofFlipkart’s largest investor, has confirmed that Walmart has bought a controlling stake in India’s largest ecommerce company. Walmart andFlipkartare yet to make an announcement. The acquisition, India’s largestFDIdeal ever, likely took place at a valuation of $20 billion.
Congress delegation meets EC, submits memorandum
Ahead of the Karnataka elections, Congress leader Anand Sharma says a delegation of the Congress meets the Election Commission to submit a detailed memorandum about the malpractices of the BJP and the subversion of free and fair elections in Karnataka
JLR sales up 11.9% in April
Tata Motors-owned Jaguar Land Rover reports an 11.9 percent rise in retail sales at 45,180 units in April 2018. The company says its sales were driven by the introduction of new models including the Range Rover Velar, Land Rover Discovery and Jaguar E-Pace.
World Bank denies reports that Sharif laundered $4.9 billion to India
The World Bank today described as incorrect media reports in Pakistan about allegations that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif laundered USD 4.9 billion to India.
Crude oil prices continue rise after Trump's Iran deal backout
Crude oil prices continue to rise today after U.S. President Donald Trump pulled out the United States from international nuclear deal with Iran sparking worries about global oil supplies. Brent crude futures rose by 2.2 percent to 76.52 dollars per barrel while WTI crude futures are up 2.1 percent at 70.49 dollars per barrel.
EU 'determined to preserve' Iran nuclear deal: Mogherini
The EU is "determined to preserve" the Iran nuclear deal despite the US withdrawal, the bloc's diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini has said, pledging to "stay true" if Tehran stuck to its commitments.
Narendra Modi among top 10 most powerful people in the world: Forbes
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been ranked among the top 10 most powerful people in the world by Forbes in a list that has been topped for the first time ever by Chinese President Xi Jinping, who dethroned Russian President Vladimir Putin as the most influential person on the planet.
Modi ranks 9th on the Forbes 2018 list of 75 of the World's Most Powerful People who make the world turn.
Suresh Prabhu seeks early operationalisation of 56 new airports under UDAN
Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu today said the early operationalisation of 56 new airports under the regional connectivity scheme would be among his focus areas.His remarks also come at a time when nearly half of the 128 routes awarded to various operators in the first phase of the scheme -- UDAN -- March 2017 are yet to be operational.
Dust storm, light drizzle in Delhi; MeT keeps a watch
Parts of the national capital witnessed a dust storm coupled with light rains in the evening today, with the MeT department keeping an eye on its progression and severity. Heavy rains and thunderstorm were forecast for the national capital tonight by the Meteorological (MeT) department.
Decision to withdraw from Iranian nuclear deal will isolate US: Biden
The decision of US President Donald Trump to withdraw from the Iranian nuclear deal would isolate America, former vice president Joe Biden has said.
"Today's announcement that the United States will withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal is a profound mistake. It will isolate the United States from nearly every major world power. It will weaken our credibility and global leadership. It will allow Iran to garner international sympathy while doing nothing to reduce its harmful activities across the Middle East," Biden said in a statement yesterday.
Rupee plunges 37 paise against US dollar
The rupee plunged by 37 paise to 67.45 against the US dollar in early trade today following surging demand for the greenback as crude oil prices zoomed past USD 76 per barrel level amid foreign capital outflows.
CIC directs Air India to disclose records of bills raised for PM's foreign visits
The CIC has directed the Air India to disclose complete records related to bills raised for the foreign visits of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, underlining that since the expenditure is from the public exchequer it cannot be withheld under the "cloak" of commercial confidence and fiduciary capacity.
Court issues fresh order to attach Vijay Mallya's properties in PMLA case
A Delhi court on Tuesday issued fresh directions to attach the properties of businessman Vijay Mallya, who was declared a proclaimed offender for evading summons in a money laundering case related to FERA violations. The court took Matta’s submission on record and posted the matter for further hearing on July 5.
Asia vulnerable to sudden global tightening, protectionist shift: IMF
The growth outlook for Asian economies remains strong, but the region is vulnerable to sudden tightening in global financial conditions, further market corrections and a shift towards protectionist policies, the IMF said on Wednesday.In its regional economic outlook update, the International Monetary Fund projected Asia to grow 5.6 percent this year and next, up 0.1 percentage point from its last update in October and accounting for about two thirds of global growth.
Karnataka Polls 2018: BJP alleges Congress hand in fake voter ID scam, EC launches probe
In a midnight emergency press conference, the Chief Election Officer (CEO) of Karnataka,Sanjeev Kumar, confirmed that over 9,000 voter IDs were recovered from a flat belonging to a woman. Although he did not accuse the BJP nor Congress of hoarding the cards, the BJP was quick to accuse the Congress of indulging in malpractices ahead of the state polls.
Vijay Mallya loses $1.55 billion assets case in UK court
Embattled liquor tycoon Vijay Mallya, undergoing an extradition trial in a UK court over fraud and money laundering charges by Indian authorities, today lost a lawsuit filed by 13 Indian banks in the UK High Court seeking to collect from him more than USD 1.55 billion. Judge Andrew Henshaw refused to overturn a worldwide order freezing Mallya's assets and upheld an Indian court's ruling that a consortium of 13 Indian banks were entitled to recover funds amounting to nearly USD 1.55 billion (1.145 billion pounds).
India slips to 6th spot in biz optimism index; sentiment weakest since 2014: Thornton
India slipped to the 6th position globally in the business optimism index for the first quarter of this year, says a survey by Grant Thorton, marking it as the "weakest" sentiment in four years. Business optimism is however at an "all-time high" globally with the index at net 61 per cent which is the highest figure recorded in 15 years of research.
Tata Steel Europe to sell 5 non-core units
Tata Steel said on May 8 that its European unit has begun to look for buyers for its non-core units after a review of all its businesses, as it allowsallowing the company to continue to strengthen its focus on strategic strip products and markets,
Oil prices push higher after U.S. walks away from Iran nuclear deal
Crude oil prices jumped back to near 3 1/2-year highs on Wednesday after U.S. President Donald Trump pulled his country out of an international nuclear deal with Iran, sparking worries about global oil supplies.Brent crude futuresrose 1.9 percent to $76.26 per barrel, within a whisker of its 3 1/2-year high of $76.34 set on Monday.WTI crude futures traded at $70.24 per barrel, up 1.7 percent and near Monday's high of $70.84, which was its highest level since November 2014.
