Perhaps the significance of the site where Modi addressed ethnic Indians was missed on his home audience, but the 109,000 strong Indian community in France was blown away by his speech. India may learn a lot from the revitalization of Ile Seguin (French for “Seguin Island”), Europe’s newest multicultural arena on a continental scale, as it works to transform its cities into “smart cities” and mitigate the detrimental effects of slums and other forms of informal settlement.

Redefining Ties

Let’s examine each facet of Modi’s state visit in turn. First, do you think Macron can make India as important to Europe as China has been over the past two decades? After decades of close relations with Russia, Vladimir Putin’s policies have severed those ties. Will this change Europe’s perception of India?

Europeans were among the first to applaud India’s economic reforms after the country was forced to pawn its reserve gold in 1991 and later, when finance minister Manmohan Singh unleashed a wave of liberalisation. Germany, after reunifying with the erstwhile Communist East Germany and regaining its status as Europe’s most powerful country, led the way in building wider relations with India under its visionary Chancellor Helmut Kohl. New Delhi has spent many years travelling to Bonn, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, and Munich in pursuit of cutting-edge technologies, promising business relationships, lucrative investments, sound banking practises, and innovative business strategies. After that, France and the UK came in second and third, although they were still a long way behind. After ten years, when relations between the United States and India improved and the European Union adopted its Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), India’s ties to Europe took a second seat.

It was convenient for Europeans to take use of both Russia’s inexpensive energy and China’s burgeoning market at the same time. It was more challenging to confront the bureaucracy, corruption, and ingrained statist attitudes of India’s post-licensing-permit raj government. The conflict in Ukraine has served as a wake-up call for Europe, teaching it that it can no longer rely on Russia for cheap oil. Europe hopes to reduce its dependency on the Chinese market in light of the lessons it has learned from Putin’s Russia. Europe is now again seeing India as a potential trade partner, much as it did in the 1990s. When it comes to European options, India would like to see more variety. Despite warm words and tributes to longstanding friendships, India’s links to the rest of Europe have weakened, save for the country’s relationship with France.

Also Read : Final day of Utkarsh Small Finance Bank IPO | Issue purchased 18.78 times, retail portion booked 41.82 times

Stepping Stone

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According to a media report citing new polling data, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and 15 of his Cabinet ministers are at risk of losing their seats in a general election “wipeout” in 2024.
Prime Minister Sunak, Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab, and Health Secretary Steve Barclay are all at risk of losing the 2024 election, according to polling data shared with The Independent.

According to the Best for Britain poll conducted by Focaldata, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace, Business Secretary Grant Shapps, Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt, and Environment Secretary Therese Coffey could also lose their seats.

According to the poll, only five Cabinet ministers – Jeremy Hunt, Suella Braverman (of Indian descent), Michael Gove, Nadhim Zawawi, and Kemi Badenoch – would remain in office after the 2024 election.

Rishi Sunak May Lose His Seat In 2024 Elections: Report https://t.co/SRZzsKA2cY pic.twitter.com/VC0RLbzpkk

— NDTV News feed (@ndtvfeed) January 8, 2023

A new analysis shared with The Independent on 10 crucial “bellwether” seats – those that have consistently voted for the winning party over the past few decades – indicates that Labour is on track to win all 10 seats.

“Sunak’s Cabinet deserves nothing less than a clean sweep,” said Naomi Smith, chief executive officer of Best for Britain, a group advocating for internationalist values and closer EU ties. Smith stated that the high proportion of undecided voters still gives the Conservatives a chance to make the election close. Despite the dismal poll numbers for Sunak’s party, Best for Britain’s analysis indicates that Labour’s massive lead over the Conservatives may be more tenuous than previously believed.

Recent polls indicate that Labour has a 20-point lead over the Conservatives as Sunak, age 42, tries to revive the party’s fortunes at the start of 2023. Polling experts said a slight poll bounce after Sunak took over from Liz Truss has now “flatlined”, the report said.

This week, Sunak attempted to relaunch his premiership by making five promises to turn the economy around, reduce NHS waiting lists, and “stop the small boats” before the 2024 election.

But the latest MRP poll findings raise questions about Sunak’s leadership ahead of his first real electoral test at the local elections in May. Some within the Conservative party believe that Boris Johnson, the party’s former leader, could be enticed to return if the party suffers a crushing defeat.

A grassroots Tory organisation comprised of Johnson’s allies is planning to launch a “Momentum-style” campaign to give members complete control over candidate selection.

Many of Johnson’s supporters blame Sunak’s resignation in July last year for sparking the downfall of his government.

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Compared to bank fixed deposits, company/corporate fixed deposits offer higher interest rates but carry a greater degree of risk. The Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC) insures bank fixed deposits of up to 5 lakhs, but not corporate fixed deposits; consequently, company FDs are affected in the event of defaults. Corporate FDs are provided by financial institutions such as non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) and others.

Before investing, investors should investigate the credit rating of these company fixed deposits to determine the institution’s legitimacy. A higher AAA rating indicates a lower probability of defaulting on interest and principal payments. Bajaj Finance Fixed Deposit has been rated CRISIL AAA/Stable and [ICRA]AAA(Stable) for AAA rated company fixed deposits (FDs), and the company is now offering annual interest rates ranging from 7.05% to 7.50% for terms ranging from 12 months to 60 months.

popular Company’s FD rate pic.twitter.com/FDbZqoy10z

— Vishal Bandhara (@weesal19840115) November 18, 2022

The Mahindra Finance fixed deposit has interest rates ranging from 6.75 percent to 7.50 percent and a rating of “IND AAA / Stable.” CRISIL has given LIC HFL fixed deposits a rating of AAA/Stable, and the company offers terms ranging from 1 to 5 years at interest rates between 6.75 and 7.50 percent. Sundaram Finance fixed deposits have maintained a AAA rating for the past 30 years, and their interest rates range from 7.20% to 7.50%.

The aforementioned AAA-rated companies offer significantly higher interest rates on fixed deposits than SBI, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, and other prominent banks. However, let’s discuss whether debt investors might consider investing in corporate fixed deposits for higher returns.

Head of Marketing at Epsilon Money Mart, Zubin Daboo, stated, “Investors are captivated by the growing popularity of Corporate FDs and the attractive returns they offer. Many advisors have begun to invest a portion of their clients’ portfolios. However, there are risks involved, as there is no assurance of capital safety. As they hold various forms of paper, default risk exists. If the company whose paper the investor is holding experiences a rough patch or goes out of business, the investor could be in jeopardy, whereas the likelihood of the same happening in the case of a Bank FD is negligible.”

“Corporate FDs may not be the most tax-efficient investment option, particularly if you are in a higher tax bracket. The profit from a Corporate FD is subject to your tax rate. In the event of an early withdrawal, factors such as the lock-in period, penalties, and interest loss are also involved. Corporate FDs may be suitable for investors who do not require emergency liquidity and have a short-term outlook of one to three years, and they should be included in your asset allocation if they fit your risk profile and you’ve consulted with your financial advisor.

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This year, India will no longer be the major economy with the fastest growth rate. This is because growth has slowed due to less demand at home and abroad.

The first official estimate for the fiscal year that ends in March says that the gross domestic product will grow by 7%. This estimate was released by the Statistics Ministry on Friday. This is different from what the Reserve Bank of India and the median estimate of economists in a Bloomberg poll said would happen.

This follows a rate of growth of 8.7% the year before. It will be second only to Saudi Arabia, which is expected to grow by 7.6%, thanks to gains from a rise in energy prices.

The Indian government uses the advance estimate to decide how to spend money in the federal budget that will be released on February 1. This will be Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s last full-year spending plan before elections in 2024.

Aditi Nayar, an economist at ICRA Ltd. in New Delhi, said, “The main numbers are about what we thought they would be.” She also said that strong, but mixed, domestic consumption should be able to ease some of the pain caused by weak exports.

India’s current fiscal year got off to a good start, and people hope that pent-up demand will help Asia’s third-largest economy get better. But the optimism didn’t last long because central banks tightened monetary policy in a way that had never been done before to stop high inflation. This is pushing many developed economies toward recession and slowing growth in others.

So far this fiscal year, the Reserve Bank of India has raised its benchmark rate by 225 basis points, but it’s not done tightening. Most economists think that the central bank will raise interest rates by another quarter point at its next policy review on February 8. Core inflation has stayed steady, so this is what most economists expect.

The #data indicates that despite the geopolitical uncertainty and fear of a #globalgrowth slowdown, the Indian #economy has shown resilience. In fact, the 2QFY23 GDP growth print remains next only to Saudi Arabia. pic.twitter.com/tJAqrCO84a

— International Journal of Banking Economics&Finance (@journal_banking) December 6, 2022

Gross value-added, which is what is left after taxes and subsidies are taken out, is expected to grow by 6.7%. The output of manufacturing is expected to go up 1.6%, the output of mining is expected to go up 2.4%, and the output of agriculture is expected to go up 3.5%.

Gross fixed capital formation, which is a proxy for investment, is expected to go up 11.5%, while government spending is expected to go up 3.1%. 7.68% growth in private consumption is expected.

Sunil Sinha, an economist at India Ratings and Research Pvt., a local branch of Fitch Ratings Ltd., said that a healthy growth in gross fixed capital formation shows that the government is still putting a lot of effort into capital spending and is giving the ongoing recovery the help it needs. But for the Indian economy to grow and get back on its feet in a sustainable way, he said, the private corporate sector capex must come back to life.

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Santosh Iyer is now officially the Managing Director and CEO of Mercedes-Benz India. He talks about how ambitious the German luxury car maker’s plans are for 2023, what new cars are on the way, and what the new year has in store for him.

The luxury market has been growing in India and has seen unprecedented growth in the last couple of years. How do you see 2023 turning out for you?

Mercedes-Benz India had its best year ever in 2022 because we sold a lot of cars. We also got a bigger share of the core market. We also saw a 69 percent increase in the high-end level, which includes cars that cost more than Rs 1 crore. This means that 22 percent of our sales come from our most expensive products. Based on this, we expect growth of more than 10% in 2023.

The strategy for 2023 is built on a few key questions, such as “What else can we do to grow as a luxury brand?” We will do this by putting out 10 new cars in 2023. With our Retail of the Future model, we will make it easier for customers to have a smooth journey. We sold 2,000 cars online last year, and this platform will soon have new features like the ability for a business customer to book online, add GST details, etc. Before, we could only show the inventory of finished products. Now, we can show the inventory for the next 12 months. This platform will also show the customer online when they can expect their order to arrive.We are also focusing on the market for used cars. You can now put in information about your current car and get an estimate of its value.

We will work on stabilising our current electric vehicles, like the EQS and the EQB, by getting them to customers as quickly as possible. Our whole fast-charging network is now up and running, and all 140 touch points are available as of this month. Forty of them are fast DC charging stations with a lot of power.

Mercedes-Benz will launch 10 premium vehicles in India throughout the year. Details in the video! pic.twitter.com/CZ84Mx3bwL

— Newzera (@newzeraapp) January 7, 2023

Mercedes-Benz India manufactures Maybach, AMG and EVS, what next can we expect?

The product line is one of the best things about our plant. We have the biggest selection of CKD kits (Completely Knocked Down) in India. We have the ability to make Maybachs, AMGs, and now EQs, but it’s very important to keep production steady and shorten the time our customers have to wait. Since they come from the US and Germany, the supply chain is an important part of this. We still don’t think that 2023 will be a normal year because there are still questions about Covid and political problems. Yes, the semiconductor has thought about things a little bit more, but the other two problems are still there. We still think that 2023 will be better than 2012.

Going by the luxury car sales trends, are the SUVs still more in demand keeping in mind that your best-selling vehicle continues to be the E-Class?    

SUVs make up 54 percent of our sales, while sedans make up 46 percent. If the C-Class had been on the market for the whole year, its share of the sedan market would have been 50%. We lost the first four months of 2022 because we didn’t start selling the C-Class until May. In 2023, the GLC, our best-selling SUV, will only be available in Q3, so sedans may end up selling more. SUVs and sedans have sold about the same number of cars for us.

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Friday, a six-year-old boy in the eastern US state of Virginia opened fire in an elementary school classroom, police said. The teacher was seriously hurt.
In the incident at Richneck Elementary School, no kids were hurt.

“The person is a student who is six years old. He is in police custody right now,” said the local police chief, Steve Drew, at a news conference. He also said, “This was not an accident.””

Person who shot and injured a teacher at Virginia elementary school turned out to be a 6-year-old boy. pic.twitter.com/UoAbLulP1E

— Daily Loud (@DailyLoud) January 7, 2023

The woman who was hurt was a teacher in her 30s, according to the police, and her injuries were thought to be life-threatening.

George Parker, who is in charge of all the schools in the city, said, “I’m shocked and sad.”

“We need the help of the community to keep guns out of the hands of young people.”

A 6-year-old Virginia boy is in custody after police say he shot and wounded his teacher at an elementary school Friday. The teacher and student allegedly got into an altercation in the first grade classroom.
It's still unclear how the 6-year-old got the gun. pic.twitter.com/OIPqBlLh33

— CBS Saturday Morning (@cbssaturday) January 7, 2023

School shootings are a big problem in the United States. In May, an 18-year-old gunman killed 19 kids and two teachers at a school in Uvalde, Texas.

According to the Gun Violence Archive database, there were about 44,000 gun-related deaths in the United States last year. About half were caused by murder, accidents, or self-defense, and the other half were suicides.

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The Afghan government, which is run by the Taliban, has made a deal with a Chinese company to get oil from the Amu Darya basin and build an oil reserve in the northern province of Sar-e Pul.

Sheikh Shahabuddin Delawar, who is acting Minister of Mines and Petroleum, and an official from Xinjiang Central Asia Petroleum and Gas Co (CAPEIC) signed the contract on Thursday at a ceremony in the capital, Kabul.

It was the first big deal between the Taliban government and a foreign company for extracting public goods since the Taliban took power in 2021.

The #Taliban regime in #Afghanistan has signed an oil extraction agreement with #China’s Xinjiang Central Asia Petroleum and Gas Co, the country’s first major foreign deal since the Taliban seized control in 2021. https://t.co/GPFFvpmCbT

— The Epoch Times – China Insider (@EpochTimesChina) January 7, 2023

State-run Bakhtar News Agency said that acting Deputy Prime Minister Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar and Chinese Ambassador to Afghanistan Wang Yu were also at the signing ceremony.

“Recently, the Economic Commission approved a number of projects, and when they are carried out, important steps will be taken for the country’s prosperity and the public good,” the agency said Baradar said.

“We ask the company to keep going with the process so that it meets international standards and is in the best interest of the people of Sar-e Pul,” he said.

Delawar spoke at the event and said that under the deal, the Chinese company will get oil from an area that is 4,500 square kilometres (1,737 square miles) in size and is spread out over the northern provinces of Sar-e Pul, Jawzjan, and Faryab.

“This project will give jobs to more than 3,000 people in the area,” he said.

The Chinese envoy said that the deal was important for the war-torn country’s economy and a step in the right direction toward better ties between Kabul and Beijing.

Wang Yu said, “The Amu Darya oil contract is a big project between China and Afghanistan.”

Under the contract, CAPEIC will put $150 million a year into Afghanistan, said Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the government run by the Taliban.

He said that over the 25-year contract, the company would have to spend $540 million more in three years.

The government that is run by the Taliban will have a 20% stake in the project, which can be raised to 75%, he said.

In 2012, China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC), a state-owned company, made a deal with Afghanistan’s former government, which was backed by the United States, to get oil from the Amu Darya basin in the northern provinces of Faryab and Sar-e Pul.

At the time, it was thought that Amu Darya held up to 87 million barrels of crude oil. Delawar said that processing the oil in Afghanistan was a part of the deal.

Baradar said at a news conference on Thursday that another Chinese company, which he didn’t name, stopped extracting after the last government fell, so a deal was made with CAPEIC.

Afghanistan is thought to have untapped resources worth more than $1 trillion, which has piqued the interest of some foreign investors. However, decades of conflict have made it hard to use these resources in a big way.

A Chinese company owned by the government is also in talks with the government led by the Taliban about running a copper mine in the eastern part of the province of Logar. This is another deal that was first made with the previous government.

China hasn’t officially recognised the Taliban government, but it has a lot of stakes in a country in the middle of an important region for its Belt and Road infrastructure project.

China has set a new precedent, low & dangerous by signing a deal with a group which isn't a govt, its cabinet is on terror list & more importantly d Amu Darya isn't a constituency of HQN or Talibs.The funds will be used for opression of specfic ppl.https://t.co/XudLWgeNCA

— Amrullah Saleh (@AmrullahSaleh2) January 6, 2023

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Prince Harry is already getting criticism for the leaked parts of his memoir “Spare.” Now, he has said what the last words he said to Queen Elizabeth were. Buckingham Palace, on the other hand, didn’t say anything about the widely leaked contents.
Metro News says that in his explosive autobiography, Harry wrote about how he told Queen Elizabeth that he “hoped she was happy” and that she and her husband, Prince Philip, would get back together.

“I moved forward with doubt and saw her. I didn’t move and kept my eyes on her for a long time. I said to her in a whisper that I hoped she was happy and that she was now with Grandfather “He put words on paper.

Prince Harry has revealed that his late grandmother Queen Elizabeth II was an avid listener of K-pop group NewJeans.

“It’s quite sad she didn’t live to see their comeback,” he writes, “Granny used to play Attention on loop every morning; I just know she would have loved Ditto.” pic.twitter.com/9yvZsimJJs

— THEObr🌞mic (@theobromic_) January 6, 2023

Read also: Nelson Mandela’s Granddaughter Makes a Claim Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are making money off of the legacy of the former leader.

“I told her that I thought it was great that she did her job until the end. The Platinum Jubilee, when the new prime minister was sworn in, “he said.

Prince Harry says that he first heard about the death of his grandmother Queen Elizabeth from the BBC website. The Duke of Sussex says that his father, who was then Prince Charles, called him on the phone to tell him that the Queen’s health was getting worse.

Khaama Press reported on Saturday that the Taliban has openly criticised Prince Harry’s claims that he killed at least 25 of their people during his two military deployments in Afghanistan. He said this in his recently published biography.

Prince Harry’s lovely last words for Queen Elizabeth II are revealed in Duke of Sussex’s controversial book https://t.co/EFW982ypmW

— Usa Jaun News (@UsaJaunNews) January 6, 2023

The memoir, which came out first in Spain, told about Harry’s two tours of duty in Afghanistan. The memoir said that during his time in the country, he killed 25 people because he saw them as “chess pieces” that needed to be taken off the board. He also said, “When I was caught up in the chaos of war, I didn’t think about those 25 people as people.”

The Taliban’s interim government called Harry’s actions “war crimes” and harshly criticised what he said.

Anas Haqqani, a leader of the Taliban, said on Twitter, “Mister Harry! People, not chess pieces, were the ones you killed. Their families were waiting for them to come back. Not many of the people who killed Afghans have your morals and are willing to admit to their war crimes “as he said, he was denying what Harry said.

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Gold Price: If you plan to buy gold, silver, or their ornaments in 2023, read on. If gold’s price rises today, it will surpass 56200, its all-time high. Wednesday, 10 gms of gold cost Rs 56142. Gold is sold just Rs 58 below its all-time high; a price increase today could set a new record.

Gold and silver have been rising for months. Gold prices rose on the third day of the first trading week of 2023. Gold cost Rs 561 per 10 grammes and silver Rs 149 per kg on Wednesday.

Gold surpassed Rs 56000 per 10 grammes on Wednesday. Silver rose to near Rs 70,000 per kg. After the boom, gold costs Rs 58 per 10 grammes and silver over Rs 10,600 per kg. According to bullion market experts, gold and silver prices may continue to rise.

Gold closed Wednesday at Rs 56142 per kg, up Rs 561 per 10 grammes. On Tuesday, gold closed at Rs 55581 per 10 grammes, up Rs 418.

Along with gold, silver rose on Wednesday (Gold Price Update). Silver rose 149 rupees to Rs per kg. On Tuesday, silver rose Rs 878 per kg to Rs 69227 per kg.

सोने-चांदी के भाव में तेजीhttps://t.co/sssT6LikYZ#india #news #anmnews #importentnews #latestnews #todaynews #newsupdate #businessupdate #business #gold #silver #rate #goldpricetoday pic.twitter.com/zS7JM47dUZ

— ANM News (@AnmNews) December 21, 2022

14-24k gold price

On Wednesday, 24 carat gold rose by Rs 561 to Rs 56142, 23 carat by Rs 558 to Rs 55917, 22 carat by Rs 514 to Rs 51426, 18 carat by Rs 421 to Rs 42107, and 14 carat by Rs 328 to Rs 32843 per 10 grammes.

Gold down 58 and silver by 10600 from highs

Gold is Rs 58 per 10 grammes below its all-time high. Gold peaked in August 2020. Gold cost Rs 56200 per ten grammes then. Silver, at Rs 10609 per kg, was cheaper than its peak. Silver peaked at Rs 79980 per kg.

Buy gold now
According to bullion market experts, after Kharmas, the wedding season continues until Makar Sankranti on January 14. Gold and silver prices will rise further in the coming days. People say the price of gold will reach its highest level in 2023. If you have a wedding here, buy gold as soon as possible.

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On Thursday, tremors from an earthquake were felt in Delhi and the surrounding areas. According to Reuters, a magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan, citing the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ).

According to GFZ, the quake struck at a depth of 189 kilometres.

According to reports on social media, earthquake tremors were felt in parts of Afghanistan, Pakistan, and northern India, including New Delhi.

A magnitude 5.8 earthquake took place 44km South of Jurm, Afghanistan at 14:25 UTC. The depth was 189km and was reported by GFZ.
Via: @QuakeAlerts#earthquake #earthquakes #Jurm #Afghanistan pic.twitter.com/E0tQjpA1z4

— Rohullah Hadaf 🌎🌳 (@rohullahhadaf2) January 5, 2023

Strong shaking was felt in Kabul, Afghanistan’s capital, as well as Islamabad, parts of northwestern Pakistan, and New Delhi, according to Reuters witnesses in each location.

There have been no reports of casualties or property damage as of yet.

According to the National Center for Seismology, an earthquake of magnitude 3.8 on the Richter scale struck Delhi-NCR in the early hours of Sunday (NCS).

Tremors were felt across the Delhi-NCR earlier on November 12. The magnitude of the November 12 earthquake in Nepal, which occurred at 7:57 p.m., was 5.4 on the Richter scale, according to the NCS. “The depth of the earthquake was 10 kilometres below ground,” according to NCS.

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