Month: August 2023

A global banking group has put India on the top spot; “Time for foreign investors to re-engage in the Indian market” it says

Manish Kumar

Morgan Stanley, a global banking group, has put India in the top spot from the sixth position marking a significant shift in its assessment.  Its Chief Asia and Emerging Markets Equity Strategist Jonathan Garner said, “It is time for foreign investors to re-engage with the Indian market.”  India has been upgraded by Morgan Stanley for its secular leadership as the banking group sees a secular trend towards sustained superior EPS growth in USD terms compared to other Emerging Markets  “It’s clearly not at any kind of low valuation, but there…

Ukraine gets rid of Soviet symbols on Motherland monument in Kyiv; ‘Mother cannot be renamed’: Russia reacts

Manish Kumar

Workers installed Ukraine’s national trident on an iconic monument depicting the Motherland in Kyiv, replacing old Soviet symbols in one of the most visible examples of breaking away from the past and Moscow’s influence. The monument, a 62-meter-tall (200-foot) steel statue of a female warrior, was built in 1981 on top of a hill on the right bank of the Dnipro River. Gazing sternly east, the figure holds a 16-meter (52-foot) sword in her right hand and an eight-meter-long shield in her left. Originally, the shield bore the Soviet Union’s…

472 Russian soldiers killed for every day of the war: claims Ukraine

Manish Kumar

250,000 Russians killed so far – Ukraine  In February, the UK Ministry of Defence estimated between 40,000 and 60,000 had been killed in the first 12 months of the war.  While it’s unlikely the Russian death toll is anything close to what Ukraine is claiming, Moscow continues deliberately masking the true number.  Ukrainian forces ‘trying to cut off’ Russian forces to set conditions for future counteroffensive operations.  A prominent Wagner-affiliated Russian blogger argued that Ukrainian forces are “methodically trying to cut off the Russian grouping in southern Ukraine and disrupt…

Imran Khan’s life under threat in the “wrong” jail, kept in 9X11 feet room, given B-class facilities: His party alleged

Manish Kumar

Khan was shifted to the “wrong” jail, kept in a ‘9×11 feet cell’ and was given “B-class facilities- his party alleged.  Khan was arrested shortly after an Islamabad trial court declared him guilty of “corrupt practices” in the Toshakhana case and sentenced him to three years in prison.  According to the court orders, he should have been shifted to Adiala jail but instead, he was transferred to Attock jail in Punjab.  PTI Vice Chairman demanded Khan’s immediate release and claimed there were “threats” to his life.  The jail officials rejected…

Nothing will bring India more happiness than solving the Ukraine crisis: Doval

Manish Kumar

National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval, was addressing the NSA conference on Ukraine in Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah.  The NSA meeting was organized to discuss Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s plan for peace.  Mr. Doval said that “nothing will bring India more happiness” than solving the Russia-Ukraine crisis.  India has regularly engaged with Russia and Ukraine since the conflict began, he added. India will remain an active partner in finding a “lasting and comprehensive” solution’- He further said.  NSA stressed that India supports the global order based on principles enshrined in UN…

India engages in talks with France to develop six nuclear-powered submarines

Manish Kumar

To address the increasing prowess of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), India recognizes the significance of nuclear-powered submarines.  This realization has led to reports that India is prioritizing the development of its SSN project.  With the lease of the Russian Akula class nuclear-powered submarine concluding in 2021, the Indian Navy presently lacks any SSNs in its fleet.  SSNs are considered the underwater equivalent of fighter jets, and their integration into the Indian Navy is seen as a critical step to maintaining strategic balance and countering potential threats.  China…

Cambodian king appoints his son Hun Manet as the new Prime Minister

Manish Kumar

In a major development, the eldest son of Cambodia’s long-term ruler Hun Manet has been appointed as the country’s next Prime Minister.  The country’s electoral body announced the final results of the election, sealing a landslide victory for the ruling party of long-serving Prime Minister Hun Sen and a mandate for the next five years.  Hun Manet won his first seat in Parliament in the July election  Sen has been in power for 38 years.  Under Hun Sen, Cambodia was elevated from a low-income country to a lower middle-income status…

Lok Sabha secretariat revokes disqualification, reinstates Rahul Gandhi as MP

Manish Kumar

Rahul Gandhi’s membership was reinstated days after the Supreme Court stayed his conviction in a criminal defamation case filed by a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader.  A notification from the Lok Sabha secretariat read that Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification as a Lok Sabha member stood revoked.  Congress celebrates ‘victory of love against hate’ after Rahul Gandhi’s MP status was restored.  Hitting out at the government, Kharge said, “Whatever time is left of their tenure, BJP and Modi government should utilize that by concentrating on actual governance.  Congress MP Shashi Tharoor also…

Apple, Samsung and HP Stop Laptop Imports After Govt’s Ban

Manish Kumar

Apple, Samsung and HP have started freezing new imports of laptops and tablets to India after the government banned its imports without a licence. The world’s largest PC producers are now engaging with the government on how to obtain the licence quickly, the report said. The restriction on imports comes ahead of the festive season in India when sales usually surge. Regulators on Thursday surprised the world’s biggest PC makers when they made licenses mandatory for import of electronics from small tablets to all-in-one PCs without a license. Laptop makers…

Cabinet approves Rs 1.39 lakh cr for broadband connectivity in 6.4 lakh villages

Manish Kumar

With a vision to  2.5 lakh jobs in the country. The Union Cabinet has approved a last-mile broadband connectivity plan for 6.4 lakh villages across the country under the BharatNet project with an outlay of Rs 1.39 lakh crore, according to sources.     Around 1.94 lakh villages have been connected under the BharatNet project at present, and the balance is likely to be connected in two and a half years, they added.     “The Cabinet in its meeting, held on Friday evening, has approved Rs 1,39,579 crore for providing last…