Elon Musk has reignited the debate over the H1-B visa system, calling it “broken” and proposing reforms to address its misuse. His suggestions include raising salary thresholds and adding annual costs for employers. President-elect Donald Trump backed Musk’s views, deepening divisions within the MAGA base, where hardliners argue against the programme's exploitation. Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy defended the visa's importance in attracting top talent, while critics raised concerns about its impact on domestic workers and its potential for abuse.
Senores Pharmaceuticals’ shares debuted with over a 50% premium on Indian exchanges, reflecting a robust investor response to the IPO, which was subscribed over 93 times. The company focuses on pharmaceutical products for regulated markets and has strong revenue and profit growth in FY24.
A police case was filed against Prashant Kishore and others for supporting government job aspirants protesting in Patna. The protest was against the Bihar Public Service Commission's decision regarding the Combined Competitive Preliminary Examination. Police clashed with protesters marching toward the chief minister's residence. Several were injured, and some were detained. Gandhi Maidan was later declared a restricted area.
Both contracts rose about 1.4% last week buoyed by a larger-than-expected drawdown from U.S. crude inventories in the week ended Dec. 20 as refiners ramped up activity and the holiday season boosted fuel demand. [EIA/S]
Ind vs Aus 4th Test: Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc reduced India to 33/3 at lunch on day five of the fourth Test in Melbourne. India, led by Rohit Sharma, needs 340 runs for victory. Top batsmen Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, and Virat Kohli fell quickly. Yasashvi Jaiswal remains unbeaten with 14 runs. Jasprit Bumrah registered five wickets in the morning session.
Rescuers in Rajasthan are working to save a girl trapped in a borewell. Authorities are constructing a tunnel to reach her despite solid rock barriers. The operation, involving various rescue teams, has faced challenges including temperature differences. Efforts are ongoing and approximately half of the work is completed. The girl fell into the borewell while playing on December 23.
A coalition of Bangladeshi American Hindus, Buddhists, and Christians has asked President-elect Donald Trump to help protect minority communities in Bangladesh. They urge Trump to secure the release of monk Chinmoy Krishna Das, falsely imprisoned on sedition charges. They suggest linking Bangladesh's UN peacekeeping participation to the cessation of internal persecution through a Minority Protection Act.
Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma criticized Congress for politicizing the funeral of former PM Manmohan Singh. The former PM was given a state funeral with military honors. Congress requested a memorial to honor him, and the government is set to allocate space for it soon. Singh passed away at age 92 due to age-related conditions.
A severe storm system hit the southern U.S. over the weekend, causing tornadoes and killing at least four people. The storm affected Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia. Mississippi had the most power outages with over 40,000 people affected. The storm also caused treacherous road conditions and flight delays across many states.
Former US President Jimmy Carter has passed away at the age of 100. World leaders remember his peace efforts, such as the Camp David Accords, and his contributions through the Carter Center. Tributes highlight his dedication to human rights, democracy, and humanitarian work.
South Korea's acting President Choi Sang-mok ordered an emergency safety inspection of the country's entire airline operation system after a Jeju Air crash killed 179 people. Priority is on identifying victims, supporting families, and treating two survivors. Investigators are examining bird strikes and weather conditions as possible factors in the crash.
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter passed away at the age of 100. Key events during his presidency from 1977 to 1981 included the Camp David Accords, improvement in U.S.-China relations, the Iran hostage crisis, energy crisis, and economic woes. Carter played a significant role in easing international tensions and focused on energy efficiency amid global oil market upheaval.
Several global private equity funds, including Blackstone and Carlyle, have expressed interest in acquiring a majority stake in Access Healthcare. The company, specializing in revenue cycle management services, is expected to be valued at $1.4-1.5 billion. Access Healthcare, founded by Anurag Jain, employs 27,000 people globally.
MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan dipped 0.2%, but is still 16% higher for the year. Japan's Nikkei eased 0.2%, but is sitting on gains of 20% for 2024.
As we step into the new year, auto sales data will be closely monitored for initial market cues. In the absence of any significant events, analysts said attention is likely to shift toward FII flows and currency movement, especially as the rupee continues to weaken against the US dollar.
A record 3.4 million Chinese applied for the civil service exam this year, seeking job security amidst an economic slowdown and high youth unemployment. Despite wage issues and job cuts in the public sector, the allure of stability and benefits drives overwhelming demand from disillusioned graduates.
The Indian arm of UK-headquartered pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca has laid off more than 125 employees from its biopharmaceutical business unit, ET reported.
Jimmy Carter, who passed away at 100, was the first president of TV's maturity in the 1970s. His 'Malaise' speech in 1979 was notably introspective, reflecting the era's mood. Carter's unpretentious image captivated audiences, and his televised address remains a significant cultural document of the time.
If you are confused by personal finance terms, jargon and calculations, here’s a series to simplify and deconstruct these for you. In the 31st part of this series, Riju Mehta explains the difference between the two methods of calculating interest on home loans.
For Indian investors, Ronald Read’s story offers valuable lessons. Just as he stuck to American blue chips, we have our universe of quality companies with long dividend-paying histories. Names like Power Grid, Abbott India, or Cera Sanitaryware might not make for exciting conversations on social media, but they’ve been steady wealth creators for patient investors over decades.
The top 200 companies in India have seen margin expansion of 500 basis points from their lows in 2020. Going forward, given the weakness in macro and no margin expansion, we expect the earnings growth to remain below 10% for 2024-25, Niket Shah, CIO, Motilal Oswal AMC, tells Sanket Dhanorkar in an interview.
Have you received your year-end bonus and are confused about where to spend it? You should first consider your financial situation and prioritise savings rather than splurging the bonus amount.
A contributory pension scheme aimed at providing financial security for minors, the NPS Vatsalya Scheme is regulated by the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority. Read our story to know how you can register for NPS Vatsalya online.
Have you missed your mutual fund SIPs? Three consecutive missed SIP instalments can lead to SIP cancellation. Here is what you can do to avoid such a situation.
