The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has been accused of sending over $2 billion in aid to Hamas since the October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel, raising concerns over how U.S. foreign aid is allocated. The claims were presented during a House Committee hearing on USAID’s financial practices, bringing renewed scrutiny to the agency’s funding policies.   Additionally, reports suggest that USAID provided financial assistance to Falah-e-In

The World Bank has advised India to lower import tariffs, ease regulatory restrictions, and simplify trade processes to enhance its global trade competitiveness and attract foreign investment. In a report released on Friday titled the Economic Memorandum on India, the World Bank highlighted that high trade costs caused by import tariffs on intermediate and capital goods, as well as non-tariff barriers, are limiting India's participation in global value chains (GVCs).The report emphasized

The Trump administration has taken a dramatic step in reshaping U.S. foreign aid by terminating 2,000 employees from the U.S. Agency for International Development while placing thousands more on administrative leave around the globe. Following a ruling by a federal judge, the decision affects both domestic and international USAID staff, leaving only those designated as essential for mission-critical functions, leadership, or specific programs in active service. As of 11:59 p.m. EST on

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), in its latest bulletin released on February 19, stated that the tax cuts in the Union Budget 2025, along with moderating inflation, are expected to provide financial relief to the middle class and boost overall household spending. This announcement comes after the February Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting, where the newly appointed RBI Governor, Sanjay Malhotra, emphasized the positive economic impact of the tax relief measur

  The United States Department of Justice has initiated a significant legal challenge by filing a lawsuit against New York’s Green Light Law in the U.S. District Court in Albany. This law, which allows nonresident immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses while restricting federal immigration and border enforcement agencies from accessing the state’s motor vehicle database, has now come under intense scrutiny. The lawsuit seeks both a

Indian stock markets experienced a significant fall in early trade on Monday, even though the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced a rate cut and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged victorious in the Delhi Assembly elections. The benchmark indices opened lower and continued to decline amid growing selling pressure. The BSE Sensex lost over 600 points, while the NSE Nifty dropped nearly 200 points.   The Sensex hit a low of 77,189.04, down from the previous session&

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced a 25 basis points cut in the benchmark interest rate, marking its first reduction in five years. The decision, led by Governor Sanjay Malhotra, aims to boost economic activity but was met with mixed reactions from investors. Despite expectations of a rate cut, the market remained cautious as the RBI maintained a neutral stance without introducing additional liquidity measures. Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) continued outflows amid concerns ove

Minister for Education Nara Lokesh has extended full cooperation from the state government to Google Cloud for their ambitious Data City project in Visakhapatnam. During a meeting in New Delhi on Wednesday, Google Cloud's Managing Director Bikram Singh, Country Director (Public Sector and EdTech) Asish, and their team discussed the project with Lokesh. The Minister assured them that the Andhra Pradesh Economic Development Board (APEDB) was actively working to clear all necessary approvals

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to embark on a two-day visit to the United States starting February 12, where he will engage in extensive talks with US President Donald Trump. The visit will take place shortly after Modi's two-day trip to Paris, marking the prime minister's first bilateral visit to the US since Trump's second term in office. The trip will provide an opportunity to strengthen ties between India and the US and discuss key issues, including trade, security,

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is inviting applications for the position of Medical Consultant (MC) on a contract basis. This is an excellent opportunity for qualified medical professionals to work with RBI. The last date to apply is February 14, 2025, at 4:40 pm.   Vacancy Details: The recruitment is for medical professionals with an MBBS degree, with a preference for those having postgraduate qualifications in General Medicine and at least two years o

DeepSeek's Dataset Exposed in Public Database: A cybersecurity research firm, Wiz Research, has discovered that DeepSeek's sensitive dataset might have been publicly exposed. The dataset was found through an unauthenticated ClickHouse database, which allowed full control over database operations. This data breach potentially risks sensitive information, including chat history, secret keys, log details, and backend data. Discovery of the Unauth

Dr. Michael Debabrata Patra, who served as the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) Deputy Governor, has retired after nearly four decades with the central bank. Known for his strategic role in steering the RBI’s monetary policy, Patra became the face of the RBI during critical press conferences, answering the key questions on interest rates, inflation, and growth. Patra, who headed the monetary policy department for most of his tenure, was a key player in the decisions made by

Bitcoin saw a strong rebound on Wednesday, reaching $98,800, up by 2% after the US Labour Department released the Consumer Price Index (CPI) data for December. The CPI showed a 2.9% increase, which was in line with expectations. The Core CPI, excluding volatile items like food and energy, came in slightly under expectations at 3.2%. This data eased fears of severe inflation, bolstering investor confidence and supporting the bullish outlook for Bitcoin. Crypto prices, including Ether

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken addressed the controversial comments made by President-elect Donald Trump regarding the potential US acquisition of Greenland, stating that such an action is not realistic and urging the world not to waste time discussing it. Speaking in Paris during his farewell tour, Blinken stressed that the Biden administration's foreign policy focuses on maintaining strong alliances, with the belief that the US is more effective when working alongside its allies.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has made a significant change to the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) system by enabling UPI payments between verified digital wallets, also known as Prepaid Payment Instruments (PPIs), and third-party UPI applications. This new directive will allow users of digital wallets to make and receive UPI payments via any third-party UPI app, rather than being limited to the wallet’s own mobile application. The move is aimed at enhancing interoperability within t

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

The Biden administration has introduced important modifications to the H-1B visa program, aimed at facilitating the hiring of highly-skilled foreign workers, particularly in the tech sector. These changes are expected to benefit thousands of Indian professionals seeking to work in the United States. The rule, announced by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), expands the definition of specialty occupations and introduces provisions for nonprofits and governmental research organizations t

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

On Thursday, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) received a bomb threat via email, which was written in Russian. The threat, sent to the RBI's official website, claimed that the bank would be blown up. Following the threat, a case was registered at the Mata Rambai Marg (MRA Marg) police station in Mumbai, and an investigation has been launched. This incident comes after a similar threat was made to the RBI through its customer care number on November 16, with the caller claiming to