Top Stories on 15th November in a capsule
INDIA
Delhi smog: Kejriwal meets Haryana CM
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal met his Haryana counterpart Manohar Lal Khattar on Wednesday to discuss the issue of stubble burning and air pollution. Haryana has pledged its assistance to Delhi in fighting the toxic smog that has covered the city for over a week, leading doctors to declare a public health crisis. Punjab, the other state whose actions impact the filthy air, has so far ignored Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's entreaty for a meeting to discuss possible solutions. The levels of poisonous airborne particles, known as PM 2.5, have been off the charts in Delhi, often crossing 500, whereas the ‘upper limit’ of good air quality is 50.
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Kerala’s Transport Minister Thomas Chandy submitted his resignation on Wednesday, 15 November, after facing land encroachment allegations. The NCP executive meet held on 14 November had discussed the matter and decided to inform the national leadership about its decision on the issue. Chandy, a three-time MLA from Kuttanad, had joined the Pinarayi cabinet in April after party nominee AK Saseendran resigned after a sleaze audio with a woman went viral. The politician was under attack from the past month over charges that the luxury resort at Kuttanad owned by him had allegedly encroached backwaters and violated land rules.
A two-month national postal survey in Australia came out in support of same sex marriage on Wednesday. After the vote was announced, a bill to legalise same sex marriage was introduced in the senate. Results released Wednesday by the Australian Bureau of Statistics revealed 61% of the population voted to allow same-sex marriage, with 38% voting against. Rainbow-colored smoke, confetti and cheers erupted in the center of Melbourne following the announcement, where hundreds of people had gathered to hear the result. Speaking after the result, Australia Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said it had been an "overwhelming" response in favor of "yes" and called for same-sex marriage to be legalized before Christmas.
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Zimbabwe's military leaders on Wednesday seized control of the South African nation, placing veteran leader Robert Mugabe under house arrest and deploying tanks to the streets of the capital, Harare. Mugabe, who is the world’s oldest living leader, could not leave his home on Wednesday morning. The military said it had seized power in a targeted assault on “criminals” around President Robert Mugabe, who were causing social and economic suffering, but came out with an assurance that the 93-year-old leader and his family were “safe and sound". Zimbabwean soldiers and armoured vehicles blocked roads to the main government offices, Parliament and the courts in central Harare.
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In a bid to compete against rival Flipkart, e-commerce giant on Wednesday had announced a 2,900 crore investment in its Indian markets, its second investment in a month.
The fresh investment is part of Amazon's commitment to put in 5 billion dollars into the Indian market. Amazon's investments this year takes its total investment in India to almost double of Flipkart's Rs 8,349 crore. The company had invested Rs 1,680 crore into its India unit in June and Rs 1,620 crore last month, surpassing its investment of Rs 2,010 crore last year.
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More than 200 items will be cheaper from Wednesday as the government’s amendments on the Goods and Service tax (GST) will come into effect. Several daily-use products, such as chocolates, detergents, personal cosmetics such as shampoos and deodorants as well as furniture will cost less. Eating out may get cheaper too, as the government has reduced rates from 18% to 5% in the case of all A/C and non A/C restaurants. The GST Council has been meeting every month since the new tax regime came into effect on July 1. It is headed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.
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Indian companies have created more than 113,000 jobs in the US and invested nearly $18 billion in the country in one year. A report titled 'Indian Roots, American Soil', which was released by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) on Tuesday, states that Indian companies have also contributed $147 million towards corporate social responsibility and $588 million as research and development expenditures in US. Together, 100 Indian companies employ 113,423 people across 50 states. As many as 87 per cent of the companies plan to hire more employees locally in the next five years. New Jersey, Texas, California, New York and Georgia are home to the most number of workers in America directly employed by Indian companies.
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A Sharp fall in merchandise exports have resulted in a 1.2 per cent decline (year-on-year) in exports of goods in October to $23.09 billion. The fall, the first after 14 consecutive months of positive growth, was understood to be due to the impact of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) on the export segment. Imports during October went up by 7.6% to $37.1 billion. This widened the trade deficit to $14.01 billion, the highest since $14.08 billion in May 2017. India’s exports had risen 25.67% to $28.61 billion in September, logging its highest growth in the last six months.
Benchmark indices lost for third consecutive session on Wednesday, with the Nifty falling more than 350 points from its record high hit last week. BSE Sensex closed lower by 181.43 points to 32,760, while the Nifty 50 fell 68 points to close at 10,118. Trade deficit widened to almost a 3-year high of $14 billion last month as imports surged. Bharti Infratel was biggest loser, falling 5 percent followed by Vedanta, Hindalco and Sun Pharma. Asian paints, ICICI bank, Infosys and Asian paints were among the top gainers
Google Pixel 2 XL is now available in India starting Wednesday. The new flagship by Google will be made available online exclusively on Flipkart though it will be also available through offline channels. The Pixel 2 XLprice in India starts at Rs. 73,000 for the 64GB model and 128GB model comes at Rs. 82,000. The Pixel is powered by Snapdragons latest 835 chipset and has the best rated smartphone camera.
Google has mysteriously removed UC Browser from its Play Store. This comes after UC Browser came under the Indian government’s scanner for allegedly sending data to remote servers in China. UC Browser has been accused of sending user data, including IMEI number and location data, to a China-based server. The Centre for Development of Advanced Computing in Hyderabad is investigating the matter. UC Browser, however, is still available for download on Apple Store.
Microsoft’s professional networking platform LinkedIn has launched an update in India which will contain the new ‘Career Advice’ feature. This new feature will help connect members across the LinkedIn network with one another for mentorship opportunities. According to a survey conducted by LinkedIn, youth in the age group 25-33 are experiencing the professional crisis in choosing a right career path and more than 70% professionals are keen on seeking professional advice. The new "Career Advice Hub" will appear on the dashboard of a member's LinkedIn profile. Members can state what advice they are looking for or what advice they can offer.
Christian Eriken’s hattrick sealed Denmark’s spot in next year’s World Cup in Russia. Denmark struck twice before the break and scored three more in the second half after the Republic of Ireland took an early lead. England and Brazil played out a 0-0 draw at Wembley whereas Argentina suffered a shock 4-2 defeat to Nigeria. France and Germany also shared the spoils in an entertaining 2-2 draw.
India will take on Sri Lanka in the 1st Test starting today at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. India have been in sensational form over the past year under the captaincy of Virat Kohli . Coach Ravi Shastri & co would be very keen to ensure that the purple streak continues against Sri Lanka. The Lankans though have an abysmal record in India having not won a single Test in 16 appearances over 35 years.
Kerala Transport minister resigns after land encroachment allegations
Kerala’s Transport Minister Thomas Chandy submitted his resignation on Wednesday, 15 November, after facing land encroachment allegations. The NCP executive meet held on 14 November had discussed the matter and decided to inform the national leadership about its decision on the issue. Chandy, a three-time MLA from Kuttanad, had joined the Pinarayi cabinet in April after party nominee AK Saseendran resigned after a sleaze audio with a woman went viral. The politician was under attack from the past month over charges that the luxury resort at Kuttanad owned by him had allegedly encroached backwaters and violated land rules.
WORLD
Australia votes ‘Yes’ to same sex marriage
A two-month national postal survey in Australia came out in support of same sex marriage on Wednesday. After the vote was announced, a bill to legalise same sex marriage was introduced in the senate. Results released Wednesday by the Australian Bureau of Statistics revealed 61% of the population voted to allow same-sex marriage, with 38% voting against. Rainbow-colored smoke, confetti and cheers erupted in the center of Melbourne following the announcement, where hundreds of people had gathered to hear the result. Speaking after the result, Australia Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said it had been an "overwhelming" response in favor of "yes" and called for same-sex marriage to be legalized before Christmas.
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Zimbabwe military takes over country, Mugabe in house arrest
Zimbabwe's military leaders on Wednesday seized control of the South African nation, placing veteran leader Robert Mugabe under house arrest and deploying tanks to the streets of the capital, Harare. Mugabe, who is the world’s oldest living leader, could not leave his home on Wednesday morning. The military said it had seized power in a targeted assault on “criminals” around President Robert Mugabe, who were causing social and economic suffering, but came out with an assurance that the 93-year-old leader and his family were “safe and sound". Zimbabwean soldiers and armoured vehicles blocked roads to the main government offices, Parliament and the courts in central Harare.
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Amazon pumps 2,900 crore in India
In a bid to compete against rival Flipkart, e-commerce giant on Wednesday had announced a 2,900 crore investment in its Indian markets, its second investment in a month.
The fresh investment is part of Amazon's commitment to put in 5 billion dollars into the Indian market. Amazon's investments this year takes its total investment in India to almost double of Flipkart's Rs 8,349 crore. The company had invested Rs 1,680 crore into its India unit in June and Rs 1,620 crore last month, surpassing its investment of Rs 2,010 crore last year.
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Revised GST rates come into effect
More than 200 items will be cheaper from Wednesday as the government’s amendments on the Goods and Service tax (GST) will come into effect. Several daily-use products, such as chocolates, detergents, personal cosmetics such as shampoos and deodorants as well as furniture will cost less. Eating out may get cheaper too, as the government has reduced rates from 18% to 5% in the case of all A/C and non A/C restaurants. The GST Council has been meeting every month since the new tax regime came into effect on July 1. It is headed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.
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Indian companies created more than 1 lakh jobs in the US: Report
Indian companies have created more than 113,000 jobs in the US and invested nearly $18 billion in the country in one year. A report titled 'Indian Roots, American Soil', which was released by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) on Tuesday, states that Indian companies have also contributed $147 million towards corporate social responsibility and $588 million as research and development expenditures in US. Together, 100 Indian companies employ 113,423 people across 50 states. As many as 87 per cent of the companies plan to hire more employees locally in the next five years. New Jersey, Texas, California, New York and Georgia are home to the most number of workers in America directly employed by Indian companies.
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Exports fall by 1% in October due to GST concerns
A Sharp fall in merchandise exports have resulted in a 1.2 per cent decline (year-on-year) in exports of goods in October to $23.09 billion. The fall, the first after 14 consecutive months of positive growth, was understood to be due to the impact of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) on the export segment. Imports during October went up by 7.6% to $37.1 billion. This widened the trade deficit to $14.01 billion, the highest since $14.08 billion in May 2017. India’s exports had risen 25.67% to $28.61 billion in September, logging its highest growth in the last six months.
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Sensex, Nifty fall for the third straight day
Benchmark indices lost for third consecutive session on Wednesday, with the Nifty falling more than 350 points from its record high hit last week. BSE Sensex closed lower by 181.43 points to 32,760, while the Nifty 50 fell 68 points to close at 10,118. Trade deficit widened to almost a 3-year high of $14 billion last month as imports surged. Bharti Infratel was biggest loser, falling 5 percent followed by Vedanta, Hindalco and Sun Pharma. Asian paints, ICICI bank, Infosys and Asian paints were among the top gainers
TECH
Google Pixel 2 XL now available in India
Google Pixel 2 XL is now available in India starting Wednesday. The new flagship by Google will be made available online exclusively on Flipkart though it will be also available through offline channels. The Pixel 2 XLprice in India starts at Rs. 73,000 for the 64GB model and 128GB model comes at Rs. 82,000. The Pixel is powered by Snapdragons latest 835 chipset and has the best rated smartphone camera.
Google pulls down UC Browser from Play Store
Google has mysteriously removed UC Browser from its Play Store. This comes after UC Browser came under the Indian government’s scanner for allegedly sending data to remote servers in China. UC Browser has been accused of sending user data, including IMEI number and location data, to a China-based server. The Centre for Development of Advanced Computing in Hyderabad is investigating the matter. UC Browser, however, is still available for download on Apple Store.
LinkedIn rolls out ‘Career Advice’ for members in India
Microsoft’s professional networking platform LinkedIn has launched an update in India which will contain the new ‘Career Advice’ feature. This new feature will help connect members across the LinkedIn network with one another for mentorship opportunities. According to a survey conducted by LinkedIn, youth in the age group 25-33 are experiencing the professional crisis in choosing a right career path and more than 70% professionals are keen on seeking professional advice. The new "Career Advice Hub" will appear on the dashboard of a member's LinkedIn profile. Members can state what advice they are looking for or what advice they can offer.
SPORTS
International Football Roundup
Christian Eriken’s hattrick sealed Denmark’s spot in next year’s World Cup in Russia. Denmark struck twice before the break and scored three more in the second half after the Republic of Ireland took an early lead. England and Brazil played out a 0-0 draw at Wembley whereas Argentina suffered a shock 4-2 defeat to Nigeria. France and Germany also shared the spoils in an entertaining 2-2 draw.
India-Sri Lanka 1st Test to begin today at the Eden Gardens
India will take on Sri Lanka in the 1st Test starting today at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. India have been in sensational form over the past year under the captaincy of Virat Kohli . Coach Ravi Shastri & co would be very keen to ensure that the purple streak continues against Sri Lanka. The Lankans though have an abysmal record in India having not won a single Test in 16 appearances over 35 years.
