Has Indian economic slowdown bottomed out?

India’s economy showed nascent signs that it may be turning a corner after six straight months of anaemic activity. The dashboard measures ‘animal spirits’, a term coined by British economist John Maynard Keynes to refer to investor’s confidence in taking action.   The prolonged slowdown in India may soon fade away as early indicators suggest a revival of growth in manufacturing and services sector. The services output growth accelerated to the second strongest rate in more than a year and employment condition is also improving. On the manufacturing front, rising new…

India under Modi is the 5th biggest geopolitical risk in 2020: Eurasia

India under Narendra Modi is the fifth biggest geopolitical risk of 2020, according to the world’s leading political risk consultancy, Eurasia Group.   The consultancy’s annual ‘Top 10 Risks’ of the year list is considered one of the foremost geopolitical indicators among global investors, multinational firms and various financial and business consultancies.   “Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spent much of his second term promoting controversial social policies at the expense of an economic agenda. The impacts will be felt in 2020, with intensified communal and sectarian instability, as well…

Vinod Khosla sued in a 12-year-long battle by California state

If not for his work, but Vinod Khosla will be remembered in California for his now 12-year-old battle to keep private a stretch of beach in front of an 89-acre property that the billionaire venture capitalist purchased in 2008.   It has exhausted colleagues and associates, who have privately complained over the unwanted attention it has drawn to Khosla’s investment firm, Khosla Ventures. It has infuriated beachgoers, whose access to the beach has been periodically obstructed. It has even landed a handful of surfers in jail. Yet astonishingly, the battle…

Toyota to build 175 acre smart city near Japan’s Mount Fuji

Japanese car maker Toyota has announced its plan to develop a 175 acre smart city in Japan, near Mount Fuji, where it will test driverless cars and artificial intelligence.   The project announced at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, will break ground at the base of Mount Fuji.   The ‘Woven City’ ecosystem would be powered by hydrogen fuel cells, will have zero-emission and fully autonomous transport, sustainable housing with robots assisting residents in daily life and sensor-based AI to monitor their health. It would let scientists…

Court issues death warrant in Nirbhaya case, convicts to be hanged on 22nd Jan

16TH December 2012 was a horrifying black night for every family, when an incident of rape, torture and murder took place. An incident that shook the entire nation, churned the nation, an incident that again brought forth the most crucial question ever – “Are Women really safe?”   A 23 year old intern was beaten, gang raped and tortured by six men in a bus, one being a minor, when she and her friend were returning home in a private bus. The victim Nirbhaya (name given) was thrown out of the bus after the…

Markets roil on Iran attack: Investors urged to be cautious and consistent

Investors should remain “cautious and consistent” as Iran retaliates against the U.S. for killing one of its most revered military generals. The message comes as global financial markets roil on the news that an Iranian rocket attacked U.S. forces based in Iraq.   The Geopolitical tensions are certainly heightening, and this always creates uncertainty – something which markets typically loathe as it becomes more difficult to know where things are headed. In other words, they can’t price uncertainty.   “In many regards, the U.S.-Iran situation has now surpassed the U.S.-China trade…

Will Delhi get to see the Kejriwal wave in 2020 again?

The Election Commission on Monday declared the voting date for Delhi Assembly to be February 8, while the results will be out on February 11.   A survey was conducted regarding the upcoming government for the Delhi constituency. If the opinion poll by C Voter is to be believed, Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is heading towards a landslide win again.   According to the C- Voter survey, AAP could win 54 to 64 Assembly seats – a mean of 59 seats out of a total of 70. This…

Iran fires 15 missiles targeting U.S. forces in Iraq

Early on Wednesday, Iran has launched missiles at U.S.-led forces in Iraq, in retaliation for the U.S. drone strike on Iranian commander, Qassem Soleimani, whose killing last week stoked fears of a new Middle East war.   Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has said the missile attack was a “slap on the face” of the United States and that U.S. troops should leave the region. He was addressing a gathering of Iranians who chanted “Death to America”.   According to Iranian state television, Iran had fired 15 missiles at U.S. targets. The U.S. military said at least two Iraqi facilities…

26 injured in JNU violence led by masked men

According to eyewitnesses, close to 100 masked men wielding sticks, rods and sledgehammers terrorised the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus for close to three hours on Sunday evening. They entered hostels, attacked students & teachers and left 26 injured.   It has been assumed that the attackers were mostly outsiders and belonged to the ABVP — a charge the RSS student outfit denied. Eyewitnesses also accused police of failing to stop the mob from entering the campus or ending the violence sooner, despite calls from frantic JNU students and teachers.   On Sunday around…

Sydney Lights of Christmas: a 10 Year Tradition

For many of those who observe Christmas, the ritual – doing the same thing every year – is an enormous part of the appeal. It’s what we look forward to. Those celebrating Christmas in Sydney, Australia are delighted that, for the tenth year in a row, AGB Events has produced its Lights of Christmas spectacular. It has become a Sydney tradition, and a much-anticipated event for families throughout the city – and beyond. For many, the Christmas season doesn’t start until Lights of Christmas are on.   The first Lights…