Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5
Klips for 1st June
World š | 12 killed in mass shooting by disgruntled employee in Virginia, USA
– The suspect was also shot down by the police
Reuters: https://reut.rs/2QDyRCO
National š®š³ | Amit Shah gets Home Ministry, Sitharaman gets Finance in new Cabinet
– Rajnath Singh allocated Defence while surprise entrant, S Jaishankar, is the External Affairs Minister
– Sitharaman is the first woman FM since Indira Gandhi held it as an additional charge
Complete list of portfolios: http://bit.ly/2I7fiz6
Economy & Business š° | GDP growth at 6 yr low, unemployment at 45 year high
– GDP growth for Q4 was 5.8 while for the full year (2019) was 6.8%
– Unemployment was at 6.1%, which confirms the data leaked before the elections
– On the other hand, Indiaās per capita income rose 10% to ā¹10,534
Livemint: http://bit.ly/2WgRQJC
Union budget to be presented by new government on 5th July
Govt extends cash support programme to another 25mn farmers
– Under the scheme announced in the interim budget, farmers would get ā¹500 pm (ie ā¹6000 a yr), but limited to land upto 2 hectares
– The scheme has now been extended to farmers without this restriction
Reuters: https://reut.rs/2JPpZcZ
Op-Ed š
Opinion: Modiās Key Woman Needs Strongman-Handling Skills
– On what the new FM as well as External Affairs ministers need to focus on
Bloomberg: https://bloom.bg/2Ig2A0P
Interesting: Goodbye BBM
– 31st May marked the last day for the consumer version of the iconic Blackberry Messenger
Techcrunch: https://tcrn.ch/2Wh6UH9
Klips for 3rd June
National š®š³ | Tit-for-tat: Nitish ignores allies in Bihar Cabinet
– This is in repose se to the JD(U) being offered only 1 Cabinet ministry at the centre when its demand was a minimum of 2
– āWe have decided that in future also the JD(U) will never be a part of the BJP-led Union cabinet. This is our final decisionā, said KC Tyagi, the partyās general secretary
Livemint: http://bit.ly/2KowLFV
First flight via Pakistan lands after 3 months
– Both countries had imposed airspace restrictions since the air strikes in Feb
Hindu: http://bit.ly/2Kl01xd
Kejriwal: Plan to make Delhi metro, bus travel free for women
– The Delhi CM made the announcement at a public meeting saying the move is meant to encourage use of public transport
– Delhi elections are due early next year
Hindu: http://bit.ly/2KoxZ3Z
Economy & Business š° | GST collections cross ā¹1L cr in May
– This is the 3rd successive month when collection have crossed ā¹1Lcr
– While the amount was 6.7% higher than last year, itās below the govtās expectations (ā¹1.14L Cr)
Livemint: http://bit.ly/2WAaziN
SpiceJet to hire upto 2000 Jet staff, says Ajay Singh
– SpiceJet has already taken 22 Jet Airways planes and about 1100 staff
Tech š± | Apple likely to discontinue iTunes at developer event
– Apple is likely to announce 3 different MacOS apps to replace iTunes at WWDC
Bloomberg: https://bloom.bg/2WGUZls
Sport ā½ļø | Bangladesh upset SA in high scoring game
– Both sides scored 300 plus runs
UEFA Champions League: Liverpool crowned European champions after beating Tottenham in final
Interesting: One off supercars – Bugattiās $13.5mn La Voiture Noire
– An interview with Bugattiās head of Design on this new strategy
Bloomberg: https://bloom.bg/2WGUZls
Klips for 4th June
National š®š³ | Post backlash from TN, mandatory Hindi our of draft education policy
– However the draft still recommends a 3 language policy from class 1
Hindu: http://bit.ly/2XnfGjx
š£IAF plane with 13 onboard missing over Arunachal Pradesh
Hindu: http://bit.ly/2wCU9r2
Economy & Business š° | After subdued Uber IPO, SoftBank to focus on smaller size investments in India
– SoftBank was known for making large ticket size investments like it did in Flipkart
– However, it has recently come under pressure and hence is said to focus on smaller investments
Livemint: http://bit.ly/2XuKI9e
Fitch downgrades ICICI Bank and Axis Bank
Livemint: http://bit.ly/2wyGZeV
Tech š± | With focus on privacy, Apple introduces āSignin with Appleā option
– The option is meant to help users protect their data as they sign in on web services
– Traditionally users generally choose between FB and Google sign ins
Reuters: https://reut.rs/2JTWdDS
Opinion: Crisis diffused – On Hindi imposition
Hindu: http://bit.ly/2Xo8wLH
Interesting: With monsoonās arriving, Metro barricades add to Mumbaikarās commute woes
Hindu: http://bit.ly/2wBPoy6
Klips for 5th June šāØ
World š | India ranks 95th out of 129 in first SDG āGender Indexā
– The index measures āstrides made in gender commitments against internationally set targetsā
– With a score of 56.2 India ranks amongst the āvery poorā category of countries
– The average score is 65.2 with Denmark, Sweden, Norway leading
Hindu: http://bit.ly/2WglFoT
#SDG: Sustainability Development Goals
Economy & Business š° | DHFL defaults on interest payment
– MFs have an exposure of ā¹5336cr to DHFL
– CARE rating recently downgraded DHFLās borrowings worth ā¹1.13trillion
Livemint: http://bit.ly/2WfGAbo
Base price of 5G spectrum auction too high: telecom body
– The govt is set to hold 5G auctions this year
– A pan India licence would cost $1.42bn, at base prices set by TRAI
– Another complexity will be whether India will follow Americaās steps in banning Huawei network equipment during rollouts
Reuters: https://reut.rs/2JXWHsH
#TRAI: Telecom Regulatory Authority of India
FPI inflows highest in 6 years
– Foreign investors have pumped in $11bn as of May 2019
– This is largely the reason for the stock market rally
Business Standard: http://bit.ly/2WbtIDr
World Bank āretainsā Indiaās earlier growth forecast of 7.5% for
Livemint: http://bit.ly/2Whzd3e
Sport ā½ļø | Cricket: India takes on SA today in first match in World Cup
French Open: Nadal sets up semi-final clash with Federer
Opinion: Low tactics – On Indian embassyās Iftar party in Islamabad
Hindu: http://bit.ly/2WoKow4
š£Interesting: Traffic flow in Mumbai worst in the world, Delhi at 4th
Business Standard: http://bit.ly/2WplRqR
Klips for 6th June
World š | Nepal picks up 11 tonnes of garbage from Mount Everest over 2 months
– The garbage along with 300 bodies are covered under the snow, but become visible in summer
Reuters: https://reut.rs/2K0FX3O
National š®š³ | Monsoon likely to arrive at southern coast around June 8: IMD
– The earlier predicted date was 6th June
Economy & Business š° | PM Modi to head cabinet committees on growth, employment
Hindu: http://bit.ly/2XtVYSW
Crisil, ICRA downgrade DHFL to junk
– They followed CARE rating in downgrading DHFL from A4+/A4 to D, after its default
Livemint: http://bit.ly/2XsujSA
RBI monetary policy review today, rate cut expected
Huawei signs deal with Russia to develop 5G
– The deal was signed with MTS, the largest operator, to upgrade its network to 5G
– The announcement was made in the presence of both Putin and Xi Jinping
Livemint: http://bit.ly/2wDmXjl
Tech š± | Amazon showsoff new itās new delivery drones
Techcrunch: https://tcrn.ch/2Xw1Lro
YouTube: http://bit.ly/2XuEw0D
Sport ā½ļø | India wins World Cup opener with ease, meets Aus next on Sunday (9th June)
Interesting: Whatās in a name? A lot if itās āKhan Marketā
Livemint: http://bit.ly/2wFzvXA
Klips for 7th June
National š®š³ | š£43.4% of India facing drought, per-monsoon rain weakest in 65 years
Scroll: http://bit.ly/2ZcZxO6
Economy & Business š° | Azim Premji to retire from Wipro, son to take over
– Premji has been at the helm for more than 50 years
– Heās Indiaās 2nd richest man and a well known philanthropist
Reuters: https://reut.rs/2MuKb61
RBI cuts rates, changes stance to āaccommodativeā
– This is RBIās 3rd successive rate cut
– However markets ended 1.38% down as RBI did not announce any measures for the NBFC crisis
Livemint: http://bit.ly/2K1mzE0
DHFL shares fall 18% on rating downgrades
A look at its ā¹1trillion exposure: http://bit.ly/2K38KoG
Tech š± | Obamas sign deal with Spotify for podcasts
– The Obamas will ādevelop, produce and lendā their voices to select podcasts distributed globally
Reuters: https://reut.rs/2K1qRLt
FB to launch ācryptocurrencyā on 18th June: Reports
– The stablecoin will carry no charges and will likely be called Libra
Techcrunch: https://tcrn.ch/2K1K1Rr
Opinion: The Fintech Bubble Floats Towards a $64 Billion Pin
– On EUās new 2 factor authentication
Bloomberg: https://bloom.bg/2K0NXSz
Interesting: Traffic Jams Are a Sign of Income Inequality
– Research conducted in Germany shows this trend as people travel to ādowntownā for work
Bloomberg: https://bloom.bg/2MvtaZp
Klips for 8th June
National š®š³ | 26 dead, 50 injured in UP dust storm, lightning
Hindu: http://bit.ly/2MBvTRb
Economy & Business š° | RBI relaxes stressed assets norms
– 30 day window added for creditors to start working on a resolution plan, sign creditor agreement with insolvency proceedings kept voluntary
– 20% provisions to be set aside if plan not implemented in 210 days (35% in 365 days)
– The relaxation will benefit power companies immensely to begin with (review period starts from Jan 2020)
More details: http://bit.ly/2KyZVlT (Livemint)
DHFL pays back ā¹350cr to investors
Tech š± | Snapās stock rises 180% since Dec aided by more teens loving Augmented Reality
Bloomberg: https://bloom.bg/2K12LRj
Sport ā½ļø | Nadal beats Federer in straight sets, enters final
Op-Ed š
Interesting: NASA to open up Space Station for tourists at $35000/night
– The whole trip would cost $50mn
– Food, storage and communication are extra
Reuters: https://reut.rs/2Mvbmxs
š£Opinion: Elon Muskās Hyperloop Has Taken a Detour, and Is Now Borrowing Ideas From the Past
– The reality of Hyperloop and itās encounter with practical implementation
Wire: http://bit.ly/2K0ikII
Klips for 10th June š„³
World š | Huge protests in Hong Kong against extradition law
– More than 1mn people are said to have taken to the streets in the protest
Reuters: https://reut.rs/2MQI0Kn
IAAF extends ban on Russiaās athletic federation for doping
– The ban has been in place since 2015
– The issue is the focus of Oscar winning documentary āIcarusā
Reuters: https://reut.rs/2MyTIJe
National š®š³ | Two more journalists arrested for ādefamingā Adityanath
Hindu: http://bit.ly/2MxysU3
Monsoon hits Kerala, delayed by a week
Economy & Business š° | RBI to monitor NBFCs, take action if needed: Shantikanta Das
Reuters: https://reut.rs/2K5Pcjk
Sport ā½ļø | India beat Aus by 36 runs
Nadal wins 12th French Open title
– Australiaās Barry won the womenās crown on Sat
Op-Ed š
Opinion: NITI Aayog: Old Wine in new bottle?
– A call to review what the think-tank has achieved rather than discussions on bringing back the Planning Commission
Hindu: http://bit.ly/2K4OVND
š£Interesting: Niki Tasha changed Indian kitchens ā from a dingy corner to a sleek, modern way of cooking
Print: http://bit.ly/2MCr9e9
Klips for 11th June
World š | Despite massive protest, Hong Kong pushes through extradition bill
Reuters:https://reut.rs/2K6yCQw
Trump āthreatensā to raise China tariffs again if Xi doesnāt meet at G-20
National š®š³ | 3 sentenced to life in Kathua rape case
– Also 3 policemen received jail terms of 5 years for destruction of evidence
– 1 of the 8 accused was found not guilty while a juvenile faces trial
Reuters: https://reut.rs/2MEBdTJ
Economy & Business š° | End of the road for Jet as Etihad, Hindujas pull out of talks
– The airline now looks set for insolvency proceedings
Livemint: http://bit.ly/2ZnVYVn
Deloitte, BSR likely to be banned for 5yrs from audits after alleged IL&FS lapses
– The application was made by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs to NCLT
– BSR is a KPMG associate company
Livemint: http://bit.ly/2F2qoVf
Indiabulls Housing Finance accused of siphoning off ā¹98000cr of public money
– A petition was filed in the SC against its chairman Sameer Gehlaut and its directors
– Itās alleged that they created shell companies to which Indiabulls provided loans
BQ: http://bit.ly/2F267iK
Tech š± | Saleforce to buy Tableau for $15.3bn
– Tableau is an analytics company that helps visualisation of large data sets
Techcrunch: https://tcrn.ch/2ZhLJ4I
Sport ā½ļø | Yuvraj retires from international cricket
Opinion: Salesforce Dreams of Being Microsoft or Oracle
Bloomberg: https://bloom.bg/2ZiJvCk
Klips for 12th June
National š®š³ | Massive evacuation underway as storm (Vayu) set to hit Gujarat on Thursday
– More than 300,000 people are being evacuated
Reuters: https://reut.rs/2KbPci2
SC orders release of journalist held for Twitter post on Adityanath
– The SC said: āWe can understand that the tweets should not be made. But arresting?ā
Wreckage of missing AN-32 plane located
– Status of occupants to be ascertained
Economy & Business š° | Auto sales continue to tumble, down 21% in May
– Major automakers including Maruti, Hyundai have announced production cuts
Livemint: http://bit.ly/2Iaj5wT
Former CEA says growth rate āover-estimatedā by 2.5%
– Arvind Subramaniam said in a research paper that the GDP growth was overestimated from 2011-12 to 17-18
Livemint: http://bit.ly/2IaBrOb
#CEA: Chief Economic Advisor
Opinion: The playwright against the Right: Girish Karnad
– A nice summary of Karnadās best works and contributions
Hindu: http://bit.ly/2IBcTwK
Interesting: Mary Mayerās 2019 Internet Trends report
Bondcap: https://www.bondcap.com/report/itr19/
Klips for 13th June
National š®š³ | Chandrayaan-2 set to launch on 15 July, land on moon on Sept 7
– With this India will attempt to land a rover on moon for the very first time
– It will have 3 modules, the Orbiter, Lander (Vikram) and Rover (Pragyan)
Livemint: http://bit.ly/2XglEpD
Presidentās rule extended by 6 months in J&K
– It has been in place since June of last year
Hindu: http://bit.ly/2KLjsQ2
5 CRPF jawans killed, 4 injured in terrorist attack in Anantnag, J&K
– Two terrorists on a motorcycle attacked a CRPF patrol on a busy road with automatic rifles & grenades
– One of them was gunned down
Hindu: http://bit.ly/31uplqD
Economy & Business š° | April IIP up 3.4%, Inflation at 7 month high in May
– While the numbers are positive, analysts say they do not indicate a recovery
– For example, food inflation was largely the reason for jump in inflation as core inflation was at a 23 month low (4.37%)
Livemint: http://bit.ly/2R94tk8
NSE to remove Jet Airways shares from daily trading
– Jet failed to respond to queries about rumours, prompting the action
– Oddly, Jet Airways continued to trade on both exchanges till now despite having no running operations
Reuters: https://reut.rs/31uYZ7W
Interesting: Patanjali – Dash for growth leads to stumbles
Reuters: https://reut.rs/2KT8Kr1
Interesting: The End of the Polling Booth – On home voting in the US
– Similar to postal ballots but accessible to all. A look at the pros and cons
NYT: https://nyti.ms/2R8gdTS
Klips for 14th June
National š®š³ | Vayu changes course, avoids a direct hit with Gujarat
– The cyclone will skirt Gujaratās coastline
– Vayu had wind speeds of a Category 1 cyclone
Reuters: https://reut.rs/2KdjNM9
No survivors found in AN-32 wreckage
– The transport plane, with 13 onboard, crashed 32 min after take off
Hindu: http://bit.ly/31rvXGx
Economy & Business š° | Indiabulls Housing Fin jumps 8% after case withdrawn
– The petitioner felt the writ was ādefectiveā and withdrew it
– The writ alleged that Indiabulls siphoned off ā¹98000cr
Reuters: https://reut.rs/31tg3eG
Star looks to make ā¹100cr from Ind-Pak WC game
– A 10sec slot is priced at ā¹25L
– With most of the inventory sold off already, Star is charging a premium for remaining slots
Livemint: http://bit.ly/2KPMw8X
Tech š± | Uber launches XS service in Bengaluru with Bajajās āQuteā
– The gas powered, miniature cars can seat 3 and are meant to tackle Bengaluruās traffic
Reuters: https://reut.rs/2KOQsaa
FB to acquire stake in Indian startup Meesho
Reuters: https://reut.rs/31wnkKP
Sport ā½ļø | Ind-NZ match rained out
– This is the 4th match to be abandoned in this WC due to rain, with no reserve day
Interesting: A German 5G auction that lasted 12 weeks and 497 rounds
– Upstart virtual operator 1&1 seems to be the only winner with Deutsche Telekom and Vodafone terming the auction ācatastrophicā
Reuters: https://reut.rs/31wlIRm
Opinion: What Hong Kongās Freedom Means to the World
āFreedom is also about the narratives people live by and the kindĀ of futureĀ they imagine for themselvesā
Bloomberg: https://bloom.bg/2KNoDin
Opinion: Puncturing the myth of Indiaās economy
āThe country wonāt reform without a crisis. Well, according to one of the governmentās own former advisers, itās got oneā
Bloomberg: https://bloom.bg/31x8IuE
Klips for 15th June
National š®š³ | Attack on doctors: IMA calls for nationwide strike on Monday
– The association is demanding better security after 3 doctors were attacked in Kolkatta
Reuters: https://reut.rs/2WL3Kvo
Sreedharan requests PM not to allow āfree travelā on Delhi Metro
– Says that it would set a dangerous precedent for other metros as well
– He suggested that if the Delhi govt wants to promote travel amongst women, it can directly pay them the amount instead
Livemint: http://bit.ly/2MOGmc6
Economy & Business š° | India to go ahead with āretaliatoryā tariffs on US goods
– 29 US products including aluminium and steel product will attract a duty from June 16
– US withdrew GSP benefits to India from June 5
Livemint: http://bit.ly/2WKMjuZ
#GSP: Generalized System of Preferences
SEBI bans NDTV from accessing capital markets for 2 years
– Prannoy Roy has also been banned from holding any managerial position
– SEBI said the matter relates to allegations of fraud by NDTV in securing loans
Reuters: https://reut.rs/2MLPkXq
Interesting: Amazon Flex comes to India
– Amazon will pay individuals ā¹120-140 per hour to deliver packages
Livemint: http://bit.ly/31x7teY
Opinion: YouTubeās Algorithm Incentivises the Wrong Behaviour
NYT: https://nyti.ms/2MMZhE5
Klips for 17th June
World š | Another record protest in HK with 2mn protestors
– HKās Chief Executive Carrie Lam suspended the controversial extradition bill and said āSorryā
– However protestors are demanding a complete withdrawal of the bill
Bloomberg: https://bloom.bg/2IOONi5
National š®š³ | Monsoon proves to be a ādampnerā for now
– Overall rain deficiency in Juneās first half was 43%
– The monsoonās progress has been sluggish due to Cyclone Vayu with the monsoon yet to mark its arrival in AP, Maharashtra, Orissa
Livemint: http://bit.ly/2XmbUda
Sport ā½ļø | India beats Pak to maintain WC record
– India won by 89 runs via D/L in a rain curtailed game
Opinion: Why This Time Was Different for Hong Kong
Bloomberg: https://bloom.bg/2ZtXvch
Opinion: Huawei Can Build a Fine Phone Without U.S. Parts
– A breakdown of its latest devices shows hardly any US components
Bloomberg: https://bloom.bg/2XlPZmt
Klips for 18th June
National š®š³ | West Bengal doctors withdraw strike
– The strike was called off after a 2hour meeting with WB CM Mamata Banerjee
Hindu: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/west-bengal-doctors-withdraw-strike/article28022374.ece
97 kids die of encephalitis in a a month in Bihar
– Also called brain fever, it occurs in seasonal outbreaks every summer
Reuters: https://reut.rs/2wYMAv3
Economy & Business š° | Indigo places $20bn order for CFM engines, drops Pratt
– The Pratt & Whitney engines are used in Indigoās Airbus A-320neo fleet, but have consistently faced issues
– CFM is owned by GE and Franceās Safran
Reuters: https://reut.rs/2Ztn5OK
Huawei slashes revenue projections, says US ban impact will wipe out $30bn
– āWe did not expect they would attack us on so many aspectsā said Huaweiās founder Ren Zhengfei
Reuters: https://reut.rs/2ZsDWkL
Banks āgive upā Jet revival, take it to NCLT
– The lenders, led by SBI took the airline to the insolvency court after Etihad and Hinduja Group did not come forward with offers
– Analysts say itās unlikely the lenders will recover anything substantial
Livemint: https://www.livemint.com/companies/news/banks-give-up-on-jet-airways-revival-choose-to-send-it-to-bankruptcy-court-1560773130553.html
š£Interesting: Say goodbye to online discounts. The unstoppable growth of e-commerce sites may be coming to an end
Scroll: https://scroll.in/article/926911/say-goodbye-to-online-discounts-the-unstoppable-growth-of-e-commerce-sites-may-be-coming-to-an-end
Opinion:The litchi Link? – On Bihar encephalitis deaths
– Even though cures are known (and the disease preventable), several lives are being lost largely due to poor awareness
Hindu: https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/the-litchi-link/article28022573.ece
Klips for 19th June
World š | British Airways owner, IAG, shows interest in ordering 200 737-Max planes
– āI am confident in Boeingā, said IAGās CEO Willie Walsh
Reuters: https://reut.rs/2x1o9xh
National š®š³ | Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury is Congressā leader in Lok Sabha
– Chowdhury is a 5 time Member of Parliament
Hindu: http://bit.ly/2Kntw2l
Economy & Business š° | š£HDFC AMC shares down 6% after ā¹500cr lifeline for FMP unitholders
– The FMP has exposure to Essel Group and HDFC should have invoked its pledged shares
– Instead HDFC chose to take the exposure on its own books
BS: http://bit.ly/2RmfGhi
India to review data protection rules
– The RBI last year had mandated that foreign payment firms must store their payment data in India
– The rules had irked major players such as MasterCard as well as the US govt
Reuters: https://reut.rs/2wYpDYW
Sport ā½ļø | Englandās Eoin Morgan creates record, hitting 17 sixes in match against Afghanistan
Opinion: An idea whoās time may not have come
Former CEC SY Quraishi pens his thoughts on the pros and cons of āOne Nation, One Electionā
Hindu: http://bit.ly/2KntW8V
š£Pulwama IED attack: This is the worst January-June period in 14 years for security forces in Kashmir
– A worrying trend of increased terrorism in Kashmir which is evident once you see the charts
Scroll: http://bit.ly/2KoTRNy
Klips for 20th June
World š | Russians, Ukrainian to face murder charges for downing MH17
– 298 people were killed when a Malaysian Airlines flight was downed over Eastern Ukraine in 2014
– The investigation was carried out by a Dutch-led international team
Reuters: https://reut.rs/2Ro3mx3
National š®š³ | Govt proposes no registration fee for EVs
– The proposal includes an exemption for all types of EVs including cars and bikes
Livemint: http://bit.ly/2XYQUXb
Om Birla becomes new Lok Sabha Speaker
– The two time parliamentarian was elected from Kota-Bundi in Raj
– Heās 56 yrs old and was one of the most active Parliamentarians: attendance of 86%, asked twice more questions than average
BQ: http://bit.ly/2J0uf6m
Economy & Business š° | PMās Economic Advisory panel rejects Subramaniamās paper
– The panel said the paper lacked vigour and wonāt stand up to academic scrutiny
Hindu: http://bit.ly/31IosLl
š£Maharashtra govt identifies site for Aramco refinery
– The $44bn refinery will be jointly developed by state firms and ADNOC with Aramco
– The govt faced protests at the earlier site from locals and farmers fearing it would damage yields for Alphonso mangoes
Reuters: https://reut.rs/2WOSj1a
#ADNOC: Abu Dhabi National Oil Co.
Tech š± | Slackās public IPO to debut today, priced at $26 a share
– This will value the company at $15.7bn
– Spotify also previously went the direct listing route, which allows early shareholders to sell their shares
Techcrunch: https://tcrn.ch/2x1vH30
š£Explainer: Indiaās monsoon
– A nice explainer on what a ānormalā monsoon means, how accurate IMD is (or isnāt) and the impact it will have on the economy and govt policies
Reuters: https://reut.rs/2x1QO5a
Klips for 21st June
World š | US spy drone shot down by Iran, Trump downplays it, oil prices jump
– Trump called the incident āa new wrinkle … a new fly in the ointment.ā
Reuters: https://reut.rs/2XrFmP4
National š®š³ | 44 dead as bus plunges into valley near Kullu
– There were 78 ppl onboard and the casualties are expected to rise
Reuters: https://reut.rs/2XpUqwH
Economy & Business š° | Clear indication of economy losing traction: RBI Governor
– This was the common theme of the MPC meeting for June which earlier cut rates by 25bps
Livemint: http://bit.ly/2x77vw1
Jet Airways admitted to insolvency by NCLT
– The lenders, led by SBI, said they were forced to exercise the option after exhausting all other options
– Jetās shares spiked 150% just around the time of the announcement
Livemint: http://bit.ly/2IXpnz8
š£Gold prices jump to 5 year high
– This comes on the back of growing US-Iran tensions and USās trade war with China
Livemint: http://bit.ly/2IVhfz0
Tech š± | Slackās stock rallies 48% on debut
Techcrunch: https://tcrn.ch/2x5Li1l
Interesting: This Language-Learning App Aims to Transform Your In-Flight Time
– There are several learning apps but you are likely to see this one on your next international travel
Bloomberg: https://bloom.bg/2x6uFTl
Opinion: As the Iran Crisis Escalates, What Is Trumpās Goal?
– Sending confusing signals has been Trumpās approach and Iranās case is no different
Bloomberg: https://bloom.bg/2J068ol
š£Interesting: The surprising origin story for Starbucksā name
Readerās Digest: http://bit.ly/2Jb6qJt
Klips for 22nd June
National š®š³ | Railways plans a āGive it upā scheme for train ticket subsidies
– Passengers can choose to give up the subsidy that they presently enjoy and buy more expensive tickets
– The scheme is similar to the LPG subsidy scheme
Livemint: http://bit.ly/2Kx1txD
Economy & Business š° | GST Council Meet: Stricter rules for GST evasion
– Penalty changed from flat fee of ā¹25000 to 10% of profiteered amount
– Tenure of National Anti-Profiteering Authority (NAA) extended by 2 years to 2021
– Also Aadhaar based GST registration will be sufficient and GST on EV has been proposed to be reduced to 5% from 10%
Livemint: http://bit.ly/2N32oI1
European Central Banks claim oversight over FBās Libra
– France, UK and German central banks joined the US Fed in saying that they will have regulatory oversight over Libra
– Libra, unlike other crypto currencies, claims it will have reserves to back it
Reuters:https://reut.rs/2Iuko9W
š£World š | Walmart to pay $283mn fine in US for bribery charges in India and other markets
– The issue dates to pre 2011 operations when Walmart had a JV with Bharti in India
Livemint: http://bit.ly/2KxO5ck
Interesting: HK protests – The āscienceā of counting crowds
– One might think that the task of counting crowds is but a trivial issue. Turns out thatās not the case. There is a science for that too. Rather interesting article with nice graphics from Reuters
Reuters: https://tmsnrt.rs/2KvxJ49
Interesting: Bajaj Finance – A Rare Bright Spot in Shadow Banking World
Bloomberg: https://bloom.bg/2Kx6eY4
Klips for 24th June
World š | FedEx āmissesā delivery of Huawei shipment to US
– This comes just weeks after FedEx misdirected another shipment from Huawei
Reuters: https://reut.rs/2RsWDCa
National š®š³ | India rejects US report on attack on Muslims
– The report by the US State Dept said that senior members of BJP made inflammatory remarks against Muslims
– US Secretary of State is set to visit Delhi on Tuesday
Reuters: https://reut.rs/2xc3573
Economy & Business š° | Amazon invests ā¹450cr in India payments unit
– The platform, called Amazon Pay, recently launched a campaign for UPI based payments and cashback on it Android app
– Amazon Pay competes with PhonePe, Paytm and Google Pay amongst others
Livemint: http://bit.ly/2N8G5kf
Sport ā½ļø | Ashleigh Barty becomes first Australian in 43 years to Top WTA rankings
#WTA: Womesās Tennis Association
Interesting: Zara’s Indian Partner Is Building Its Own Cheaper Fashion Chain
Bloomberg: https://bloom.bg/2WWn301
Klips for 25th June
World š | Trump puts sanctions on Iranās leader
– The sanctions āwill deny the Supreme Leader and the Supreme Leaderās office, and those closely affiliated with him and the office, access to key financial resources and supportā
Reuters: https://reut.rs/2xdMBLW
FedEx sues US govt over impossible task of policing exports to China
– In essence the US govt has outsourced the task of āpolicing the contents of millions of packagesā to China
– The matter relates to the āEntity Listā of people and companies that pose a security risk to the US
Reuters: https://reut.rs/2RDyTeI
Economy & Business š° | RBI Deputy Gov Viral Acharya quits
– Acharya was the lone member on the MPC who flagged inflation concerns with rate cuts and higher budget deficits
– His resignation implies the committee will take a more ādovishā stance
– Acharya will return to New York University Stern School of Business
Reuters: https://reut.rs/2xae6G3
House Panel shies away from quantifying black money
– The figures reported from 3 agencies vary from 7-120% of GDP
– It concluded that āreliable estimation of unaccounted income is a difficult taskā
Hindu: http://bit.ly/2Rx9djG
š£Wilful defaulters rises by 14%, increasing state banksā troubles
– The data was shared by the Finance minister with Parliament
– The number of defaulters rose from 7535 to 8582
Print: http://bit.ly/2xdUn8C
Interesting: Amazon Threat to FedEx Is No Longer āFantasticalā
Bloomberg: https://bloom.bg/2xfz1HC
š£Interesting: Make that holiday worth your while and your money
– Some practical advice on how to enjoy your family holiday rather than worry about getting the best of everything by spending more
ET Wealth: http://bit.ly/2xdPGLM
Klips for 26th June
World š | In war of words, Trump threatens Iran with āobliterationā
– He tweeted that if Iran attacked āanything Americanā it would face obliteration
Reuters: https://reut.rs/2xawrTq
National š®š³ | US Secretary of State arrives in India for 3 day state visit
Economy & Business š° |DHFL delays payments again
– It said it is yet to pay ā¹225cr of ā¹375cr commercial paper
– On June 4th, DHFL defaulted on payments worth ā¹850cr
Livemint: http://bit.ly/2FyKhDJ
AbbVie to but Botox maker Allergan in $63bn deal
– AbbVie makes the worldās top selling drug, Humira (for arthritis treatment), which is set to lose its US patent soon
Reuters: https://reut.rs/2xcdxf5
š£Currency in circulation rises 22% in May over pre-Demonetisation level
– Sitharam justified demonetisation as it had āsucceededā in reducing notes in circulation
– Digital transactions have increased from 112L cr to 118L cr
Livemint: http://bit.ly/2FserIP
Opinion: RBIās Autonomy Takes Another Hit
Bloomberg: https://bloom.bg/2ZQgu0P
š£Interesting: How much does India spend on its public libraries?
Scroll: http://bit.ly/2ZKNW99
Interesting: The Worldās Best Restaurant: Mirazur
Bloomberg: https://bloom.bg/2FA9gX8
Klips for 27th June
National š®š³ | Protests across cities over Jharkhand lynching case, Modi says heās āpainedā
– Tabrez Ansari was tied to a pole and beaten mercilessly for several hours by villagers over suspicion of a bike theft
– He was later handed to the police, severely injured, but wasnāt admitted to the hospital and succumbed to his injuries 4 days later, in police custody
– Jharkhand has had 13 cases of lynching in the past 3 years
Reuters: https://reut.rs/2RCKYko
Economy & Business š° | RBI says payment data can be processed abroad, but must be stored in India
– Even the processed data must be deleted and brought back to local storage within 24hrs
Reuters: https://reut.rs/2RFf7zl
SpiceJet got majority of airport slots vacated by Jet
– Indigo was next with 32% followed by GoAir 13%
– This is based on data related to Del-Mum sector which accounts for 60% of domestic traffic
Livemint: http://bit.ly/2ZR6cOi
Tech š± | Google launches auto-delete controls for Location History on iOS and Android
– You can now choose to auto-delete location history that Google stores about you
Techcrunch: https://tcrn.ch/2ZQ0H28
š£Opinion: India wants to speed up its transition to electric vehicles ā so fast that chaos is inevitable
– A no holds barred critique on Indiaās haste to adopt EVs
Scroll: http://bit.ly/2FCvoAa
š£Interesting: Japanese firm ready to pay over ā¹2,200 crore for 3-acre plot in Mumbai’s BKC
– The bid, if accepted, would make it one of the most expensive in India
Livemint: http://bit.ly/2FAPL0B
Klips for 28th June
National š®š³ | Trump demands ‘unacceptableā tariff hike by India to be removed
– India hiked duties on 28 US goods after GSP trade privileges to India were withdrawn
Reuters: https://reut.rs/2RBOrQ5
Economy & Business š° | SEBI tightens rules for pledged shares
– Owners will have to disclose if they have pledged shares as collateral
– Mutual fund holding norms were also tightened with MFs now having to keep atleast 20% assets as liquid assets
– The changes come in light of recent NBFC defaults and subsequent impact on MFs and investors
More details: See image
Livemint: http://bit.ly/2YiiyP0
Finance Ministry asks EPFO to reduce EPF interest rates
– EPFO is offering a rate of 8.65% which is higher than most bank savings rates
– While the Finance Ministry feels the interest offered is not in line with the fundās returns, the larger view is that the move is meant to benefit banks (and other investment instruments)
Livemint: http://bit.ly/2FEwMCr
Indigo hikes cancellation charges to ā¹3500
– This is for cancellations done upto 3 days in advance
– On some sectors this is higher than the flight fare
š£Indiansā money in Swiss banks falls to 2 decade low
– This relates to the official figures declared by Swiss bank and not the much talked about āblack money in Swiss Banksā
– This official figure has fallen from ~ā¹23000cr in 2006 to one tenth the amount by 2018
Hindu: http://bit.ly/2FBuQuA
Tech š± | John Ive leaving Apple to start own firm
– His new project will be called LoveFrom
– Ive has been with Apple for 27 years and considered responsible for Apple iconic designs include the iPhone
Techcruch: https://tcrn.ch/2YrkDrK
Sport ā½ļø | India beat WI comfortably by 125 runs, close in on Semis berth
Opinion: āInterest Ratesā May Be a Thing of the Past
Bloomberg: https://bloom.bg/2YhWrs1
To be read with: A 1.17% Return for a 98-Year Bond Issue? Sign Me Up
https://bloom.bg/2FETgmR
Interesting: Cocaine Is Back. Blame Technology for It.
– An āuberizationā of cocaine trade is underway
Bloomberg: https://bloom.bg/2FxqaWz
Klips for 29th June
World š | France records all time high temperature of 45.8°C
– 2019 will be the hottest year for France
– Temperatures in parts of Spain also likely to hit 40°C
Hindu: http://bit.ly/2IW85mU
National š®š³ | Modi govt āfreezesā ads placed in 3 newspaper groups
– Bennet, Coleman & Co (TOI, ET), ABP Group and The Hindu have seen govt ads plunge
– It is believed this is because of critical reports and unfavourable reporting
– Govt ads contribute 15% to newspaper ad sales
Reuters: https://reut.rs/2RKn7z1
Heavy showers strike Mumbai
– Traffic and local train services were disrupted due to heavy rains
– Heavy showers are likely to continue over the weekend
Hindu: http://bit.ly/2XaeSxa
Economy & Business š° | Google appears to have leveraged Android dominance: CCI
– The order dated April 16 called for a wider probe
– The case is similar to the one faced by Google in Europe where it had to pay a fine of $5bn
Reuters: https://reut.rs/2xl1CeV
Fiscal deficit at 52% of full year target in 2 months
– The figure was 55% for the same period last year
Livemint: http://bit.ly/2IWPmrw
FII inflows at 5yr high in 2019
– FIIs have pumped in $11.41bn in first 6 months and this is the highest since 2014 ($9.91bn) for the corresponding period
– Domestic investors have been net sellers in the first 6 months
Livemint: http://bit.ly/2IVNAqx
Opinion: Chennaiās water crisis
– Chennai hasnāt received rains for nearly 200 days and is facing its worst water crisis in decades
– The article tries to highlight ways in which things can be improved rather than just resorting to āfirefightingā
Hindu: http://bit.ly/2IWVWyr
Interesting: Boeing’s 737 Max Software Outsourced to $9-an-Hour Engineers
– Work was outsourced to Indiaās HCL
Bloomberg: https://bloom.bg/2Xcve8x