Morning Digest | Centre releases ₹1.16 lakh crore to States to boost spending; Last-minute flights likely to get cheaper, and more
The Hindu
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Centre releases ₹1.16 lakh crore to States to boost spending
The Centre on Wednesday released over ₹1.16 lakh crore to States, equivalent to two monthly instalments of tax devolution, to help front-load State governments’ capital spending abilities in this financial year.
Centre says buying flag is voluntary
The Union Culture Ministry had asked States to use all possible channels of delivery to make Indian flags available as a part of the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign, but buying a flag was “purely voluntary”, a senior Ministry official said on Wednesday, a day after the video of customers at a fair price shop in Haryana being forced to buy flags went viral.
‘Freebies’ can be lifesavers during dire times: Election Commission
What is considered “freebies” in normal times can be lifesavers during a disaster or a pandemic, the Election Commission of India (ECI) told the Supreme Court. The top poll body was giving the apex court its take on a petition filed by advocate Ashwini Upadhyay to ban the practice of political parties promising “irrational freebies”, especially during election time to garner votes.
Donald Trump says he took Fifth Amendment in New York attorney general probe
India monitors U.S.-Iran tensions as Trump pauses attacks, leading to a significant drop in oil prices.
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw launches three initiatives to enhance India's creative economy through AI training, citizen platforms, and advanced tech access.
Two Indian-flagged LPG tankers approach the Strait of Hormuz, navigating safely amidst regional tensions to reach Indian ports.
Gold and silver prices plummet over 7% due to West Asia tensions, inflation fears, and a stronger dollar.
Asian shares fall as rising oil prices and escalating Iran conflict diminish hopes for U.S. interest rate cuts.
Japan's SoftBank Group said Saturday it plans to build a huge new gas-fired power plant in the US state of Ohio
Silver prices plunge 9% to ₹2.06 lakh per kg in futures trade amid weak global cues and rising macroeconomic pressures.
OpenAI plans to nearly double its workforce to 8,000 from 4,500 by the end of 2026, the Financial Times reported on Saturday, citing two people with knowledge
Global equity markets plummet as West Asia tensions rise and oil prices surge, triggering significant investor anxiety.
The rupee hits a record low of 93.94 against the dollar amid foreign fund outflows and a crashing equity market.
The Thane police have arrested two co-founders of cryptocurrency exchange platform CoinDCX in connection with an alleged fraud of Rs 71.6 lakh, officials said
Meta Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg is building a CEO agent to help him do his job, the Wall Street Journal reported
Insurance penetration and density are often misunderstood and do not reveal how many families are insured or whether they would be financially secure if the main earning member were to die. The real issue is not reach but adequacy, as households may have life insurance but not enough cover to replace lost income, leaving them financially vulnerable.