With New Year's Eve celebrations in full swing, cities across India are taking extra precautions to ensure safety and prevent road accidents. Police in major cities, including Delhi, Mumbai, Noida, and Hyderabad, have issued detailed advisories to discourage drunk driving and manage the heavy traffic expected as partygoers head home late at night. The guidelines aim to ensure a safe and enjoyable evening for everyone, while keeping dangerous driving behaviors in check. In Mumbai

The year 2024 was dramatic for the US, with President Joe Biden abandoning his reelection bid after a poor performance in a debate against Donald Trump. Trump, who had been absent from the White House for four years, made a triumphant return after defeating Kamala Harris in the presidential race. His comeback marks the first time since Grover Cleveland that a president has been evicted from the White House and returned four years later. While the Biden administration exits, the Indi

Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently responded to a discussion about foreign-born tech workers in the U.S., defending their contribution to the industry. The conversation began when Amjad Masad, CEO of Replit, questioned whether foreign workers were truly displacing qualified Americans in the tech sector. Masad pointed out the large number of unfilled tech jobs, expressing skepticism about claims that foreign workers were taking opportunities from native-born Americans. Musk, who is origina

As India prepares for the Union Budget of 2025-26, the finance ministry has highlighted the need for flexibility in fiscal policy, given the ongoing global economic and geopolitical challenges. While the fiscal deficit for FY26 is expected to be below 4.5% of GDP, there are concerns over the ability to accurately project receipts and expenditures in the current uncertain environment. The global situation has worsened, with escalating conflicts, further complicating fiscal planning.

In a significant change to school education, the Centre has scrapped the 'no-detention policy' for classes 5 and 8 in schools under its control. This means that students who fail the year-end exams will no longer automatically be promoted. Instead, they will have the chance to retake the exam after additional coaching within two months of the results. If they still fail, they will be held back in the same grade. This move follows amendments to the Right to Education Act (RTE

On Sunday, US President-elect Donald Trump announced the appointment of Sriram Krishnan, an Indian American entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and author, as the Senior White House Policy Advisor on Artificial Intelligence (AI). Krishnan, who has held leadership roles at major tech companies such as Microsoft, Twitter, Yahoo!, Facebook, and Snap, will work alongside David O. Sacks, who will serve as the White House AI & Crypto Czar. Krishnan's role will involve ensuring that

Ircon International Ltd. has announced the appointment of Alin Roy Choudhury as its Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and key managerial personnel, effective January 1, 2025. Choudhury, who is currently the Chief General Manager of the finance division at the company, will succeed B Mugunthan. Mugunthan will be repatriated to the Ministry of Railways on December 31, 2024. Choudhury, a qualified cost and management accountant, has extensive experience spanning over 30 years in various do

China, the world's second-largest economy, is working to recover from the effects of its three years of pandemic isolation. In a bid to attract more international visitors and boost its economy, China recently announced an expansion of its visa-free transit policy. The new policy, which is effective immediately, allows travelers from 54 countries, including the US, Canada, and several European and Asian nations, to stay in parts of China for up to 10 days. Previously, the visa-f

A New York judge recently denied US President-elect Donald Trump's request to have his conviction for covering up hush money payments to a porn star thrown out on the grounds of presidential immunity. Judge Juan Merchan ruled that the immunity typically granted to presidents for official actions does not apply to the conduct involved in this case, which he deemed as "unofficial." This ruling keeps Trump's felony conviction intact, despite his legal team's attempt to use

The Telangana Assembly was adjourned on Monday after BRS MLAs raised slogans and disrupted the debate on the Telangana State Tourism Policy. The debate, which resumed after a tea break, was halted when opposition members continued to protest against the Congress government. In response to the disruption, Legislative Affairs Minister D. Sridhar Babu criticized the BRS legislators for not adhering to the rules and traditions of the House. Speaker G. Prasad Kumar intervened, directing

The Indian rupee opened at 84.83 against the US dollar on Monday, a depreciation of 4 paise compared to the previous close of 84.79. The decline in the rupee is largely attributed to the uncertainty following the announcement of a leadership transition at the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Shaktikanta Das will be succeeded by Sanjay Malhotra, sparking initial concerns in the market. However, markets quickly adjusted to the news, with experts noting that the RBI is closely monitoring banking sys

Elon Musk’s Tesla has become one of the top employers of H-1B workers, with over 1,700 H-1B visas approved for Tesla employees in 2020. This marks a significant reliance on skilled foreign workers as Tesla continues to grow. Musk’s early career began with illegal work on a student visa in the U.S., but now Tesla’s future is intertwined with the availability of H-1B workers, a visa program that is crucial for attracting talent to the tech industry. The Trump adminis

Sanjay Malhotra, a 1990-batch IAS officer from Rajasthan, has been appointed as the 26th Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), succeeding Shaktikanta Das. The government announced that Malhotra will take charge from Wednesday for a term of three years. With a background in computer science from IIT Kanpur and a Master's in Public Policy from Princeton University, Malhotra has had a distinguished career spanning over three decades in various sectors, including finance, taxation, pow

The Indian rupee ended the trading session stronger after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) decided to keep the benchmark interest rates unchanged, while unveiling measures aimed at improving liquidity in the banking system. The domestic currency gained 3 paise, closing at 84.70 against the US dollar, compared to 84.73 in the previous session. As part of the monetary policy changes, the RBI raised the interest rate ceiling on one-year Foreign Currency Non-Resident (FCNR) deposits by 200 basis p

Brian Thompson, the CEO of US-based UnitedHealthcare, was fatally shot outside the New York Hilton Midtown hotel on Wednesday morning. Thompson, 50, was walking toward the hotel to deliver a keynote address at an investor conference when a gunman ambushed him. Surveillance footage captured the suspect, a white male wearing a hooded jacket and a black mask, approaching Thompson from behind and firing several shots with a semi-automatic handgun fitted with a silencer. Thompson was str

Oil prices have shown remarkable stability, remaining in a narrow range since mid-October, with West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude fluctuating around $70 per barrel. This rangebound trend has been characterized by a significant drop in volatility, with recent levels at their lowest since August. Despite ongoing geopolitical risks, such as the tensions between Iran and Israel and the potential impacts of a second Donald Trump presidency, traders have remained cautious. The market's curren

In response to growing concerns over liquor shops charging more than the Maximum Retail Price (MRP) for bottled liquor, the Andhra Pradesh government has introduced strict corrective measures. A new Government Order (G.O.) has been released, which imposes a fine of Rs 5 lakh for the first offense if liquor stores are found violating MRP regulations. The government aims to ensure that consumers are not charged unfair prices and that liquor sales are conducted with transparency. The n

The Reserve Bank of India’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is expected to maintain the status quo on the benchmark repo rate at 6.5% in its upcoming meeting from December 4 to 6. Despite India's GDP growth slowing to 5.4% in the July-September quarter, economists suggest that inflation concerns will likely take precedence, making a rate cut unlikely in December. Retail inflation rose to 6.2% in October, exceeding the RBI’s target range of 2-6%. Though a repo rate cu

In a recent initiative to transform Andhra Pradesh into a technology hub, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu introduced a comprehensive new IT policy designed to promote Deep-Tech and Artificial Intelligence. During a review meeting, Naidu revealed plans to build an iconic Deep-Technology structure in Amaravati, aimed at harnessing the latest advancements in technology. The state government also announced a seed funding scheme under the Start-Up Policy to support SCs, STs, BCs, minorities, a

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde tendered his resignation to Governor CP Radhakrishnan on Tuesday following the results of the assembly elections. Despite a significant victory for the Mahayuti coalition, which includes the BJP, Shinde-led Shiv Sena, and Ajit Pawar’s NCP, the decision on who will succeed Shinde as the new CM remains uncertain. Accompanied by Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, Shinde visited the Raj Bhavan to submit his resignation