Month: July 2023

India and France agreed to use India’s flagship payment system UPI in France

Manish Kumar

The Prime Minister announced that New Delhi and France have got into an agreement to use India’s flagship payment system in France.  Earlier this year, India’s UPI and Singapore’s PayNow signed an agreement to make seamless, real-time, and secure cross-border transactions in both countries.  UPI services have already been adopted by UAE, Singapore, Nepal, and Bhutan and NPCI is in talks with the US, Europe, and West Asia to extend it.  India has expanded UPI services in more than a dozen countries across the world.  NIPL, has joined hands with…

Ukraine joining NATO will make world ‘more vulnerable,’ says Vladimir Putin

Manish Kumar

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that if Ukraine were to be admitted to NATO, it would make the world more vulnerable, after the bloc vowed closer integration with Kyiv at its summit this week. “I am sure that this will not increase the security of Ukraine itself, and in general will make the world much more vulnerable and lead to additional tension in the international arena,” Putin said. Preventing Kyiv from joining the alliance was one reason President Vladimir Putin gave for launching the military operation in Ukraine. Putin spoke…

Modi sparks political storm with a pitch for common civil code

Manish Kumar

Muslims see common personal laws as interference with religion BJP says Muslim personal code is discriminatory and needs reform Analysts see it as BJP bid to mobilize Hindu voters Nine months before a general election, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have dusted off a potentially divisive plan to enact a common set of personal laws for all, irrespective of religion. Currently, India’s Hindus, Muslims, Christians, and large tribal populations follow their own personal laws and customs, alongside an optional secular code, for…

China invites global investors for Rare meeting as the economy sputters

Manish Kumar

China’s financial regulators have invited some of the world’s biggest investors to a rare symposium next week.  The meeting will focus on the current conditions of U.S. dollar-denominated investment firms in China and the main challenges facing them.  The country’s post-pandemic recovery is quickly losing steam and Sino-U.S. relations are at a low over national security issues.  Such a meeting, with a clear agenda to discuss challenges facing global fund managers investing in China, is rare.  China’s financial regulators have invited some of the world’s biggest investors to a rare…

Indian student ‘brutally beaten’ with iron rod by Khalistan supporters in Sydney: Report

Manish Kumar

An Indian student in Australia’s Sydney was brutally attacked by a mob of Khalistani separatists.  He alleged that the mob was repeatedly raising the slogan “Khalistan Zindabad”.  He alleged that one of the attackers opened the left side door of the vehicle and hit him with an iron road on his cheekbone under his left eye.  Two of them were doing video recording on their phones while 4-5 were hitting me from all sides,” he added.  Indian mission and diplomats have been subject to Khalistan supporters since the beginning of…

Chandrayaan-3 will carry the hopes and dreams of our nation: PM

Manish Kumar

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has underlined the significance of Chandrayaan-3, India’s  third lunar mission. In a tweet thread, the Prime Minister said : “14th July 2023 will always be etched in golden letters as far as India’s space sector is concerned. Chandrayaan-3, our third lunar mission, will embark on its journey. This remarkable mission will carry the hopes and dreams of our nation. Chandrayaan-3 will be inserted into the Lunar Transfer Trajectory after the orbit raising maneuvers. Covering over 300,000 km, it will reach the Moon in the…

Wagner boss ‘dead or in prison says ex-US General; Putin says Wagner boss refused his offer after mutiny

Manish Kumar

A former US military leader has said that the head of Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, is either in jail or dead.  Some reports suggested that Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Prigozhin after the coup.  Prigozhin’s forces quickly seized control of a military base in southern Russia, in the city of Rostov-on-Don.  It was revealed that Putin held a meeting with Prigozhin five days after the revolt.   Putin says Wagner boss refused his offer during Kremlin meeting after mutiny.  A former US military leader has said that the head…

PM Modi in Paris: becomes the first Indian PM to receive ‘Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour’

Manish Kumar

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred with the highest honour of France by French President Emmanuel Macron.  Modi becomes the first Indian PM to receive this honour.  The Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour has been bestowed on select prominent leaders and well-known figures in the past.  Even though only French citizens are eligible for membership in the Legion of Honour, foreign nationals who support France or its ideals may also get this prestigious honour.  King Charles, Nelson Mandela, and Boutros Boutros-Ghali were among the Eminent leaders to get…

UK startups raise $7.2 billion VC funding in H1 2023

Manish Kumar

A total of 706 venture capital (VC) funding deals worth $7.2 billion were announced in the United Kingdom during the first half (H1) of 2023. Both VC funding deals volume and value witnessed a considerable year-on-year (YoY) decline during the period. While the number of VC funding deals declined by 28.6%, the corresponding deal value saw a massive 54.7% drop, reveals GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company. An analysis of GlobalData’s Financial Deals Database reveals that a total of 989 VC funding deals were announced in the UK during H1 2022 while…

Chandrayaan-3: India ready to join the elite moon club;4th nation to land on the moon

Manish Kumar

India’s Chandrayaan-3 will lift off at 2.35 pm today from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh, carrying the hopes of an entire nation. A successful mission will make India the fourth nation to land on the moon. To date, only the Soviet Union, China, and the US have made successful moon landings, whereas only NASA has sent astronauts there. The ISRO is preparing to launch its third lunar mission Chandrayaan-3 to the Moon today (July 14). If the mission is successful, the Chandrayaan-3 will become the world’s first mission to soft-land near…