It wasn&rsquo;t the most subtle idea developed by German diplomats. The suggestion that a special euro zone commissioner might take control of Greece&rsquo;s Budget was met in Athens with predictable outrage. Athens has failed to implement its bailout, and hasn&rsquo;t done anything to combat the scourge of tax fraud. Europeans everywhere are tiring of pouring into Greece the money its citizens are sending abroad. But, the Kommissar proposal&rsquo;s insensitivity is a reminder the new lone German leadership of the euro zone will need some adjusting.

The awkward leader

Business Standard

The Greek parliament has approved yet another austerity package. The governments of the euro zone and investors around the world can just about pretend that all is now well. The agreement on Greek reforms, which opens the way for a package of private creditor concessions and new public money, is supposed to bring the country&rsquo;s debt back to a sustainable level. But, this is little more than wishful thinking. European leaders are sighing with cowardly relief, hoping that they have finally insulated themselves from the Greek problem.

Not over yet

French bankers, traders and hedge fund managers should resist the urge to book a one-way flight out of Paris if Francois Hollande becomes president in May. The French socialist leader has identified the &ldquo;world of finance&rdquo; as his main adversary &ndash; simultaneously discarding outgoing president Nicolas Sarkozy and stealing a theme from his upcoming campaign. Tapping into anti-bank sentiment is a popular political strategy. But, the wrath of blind punitive socialist justice isn&rsquo;t about to descend on French finance. In fact, the serious reforms Hollande proposed aren&rsquo;t particularly scary, and the scary ones he hinted at aren&rsquo;t serious.

Don't book now

The euro zone is turning into a cult whose members think the best way to survive is to chant hymns to austerity to the rhythm of a German tambourine. Having just agreed on the terms of a &lsquo;fiscal compact&rsquo; to reinforce budgetary discipline and avoid another life-or-death experiment, some member governments seem to be eager to implement it without waiting. Spain looks set to become the first victim of deficit target fetishism. Other countries could follow. But insisting on corrective measures and even more austerity just to meet targets will cripple the economy, which in turn will make the targets impossible to meet.

The sect

Rarely has the meaning of an election been so contrary to its official result. Vladimir Putin was elected to a third term as the Russian president on March 4, with around 65 per cent of the recorded votes. But, this apparent crowning is also the beginning of the end. The strong man of the Kremlin now appears so out of touch with his country that he is unlikely to serve his full six-year term.

Nearing end

We will pretend to boost the bailout fund, and they'll pretend to believe us. This seems to be the hope of euro zone finance ministers trying to come up with a formula to boost the monetary union's rescue facility beyond its theoretical 500 billion euros.

Numbers trick

Keep the mystique of the Rothschild name while managing it like a luxury brand: this seems to be the goal of the investment bank&rsquo;s decision to fold its French and British arms into a single, listed entity.

What's in a name?

It may be a good thing that financial markets suddenly seemed to realise this week that the euro zone crisis is far from over. Reforming the sick economies of Europe will take years and there will be setbacks along the way. Renewed tensions in Spanish and Italian government bond markets, and to a lesser extent in the French one, were a helpful reminder that trust is something indebted governments must strive to earn every day.

Stop the folly

Euro zone governments must be secretly wishing IG Metall well. Germany&rsquo;s metalworkers union plans a series of industrial actions this week to back its demand for a 6.5 per cent wage increase. What&rsquo;s good for German workers can&rsquo;t be bad for Europe, at least if they don&rsquo;t save all of the extra money and do spend part of it. And higher German wages would help reduce the competitiveness differences across the euro zone.

Slowly moving

The media expect a drama and markets hope for a plan. Francois Hollande&rsquo;s first European Union summit is unlikely to deliver either. It will not produce a miraculous solution to the euro crisis, or a blueprint for Greece to remain in the euro zone, and it won&rsquo;t agree on a strategy for boosting growth in the region. But it also will not end in a showdown between Paris and Berlin on the question of euro bonds, which France favours and Germany opposes for the time being. The main reason is that it&rsquo;s hard to agree or disagree without a common understanding of what the bonds should be.

Non-binding bonds

The French have chosen a socialist president without any experience of executive power and little taste or knowledge of international matters. When one considers where the certified &ldquo;experienced&rdquo; leaders have led Europe in the last three years, this shouldn&rsquo;t be much of a worry. But if newly-elected Fran&ccedil;ois Hollande thinks he can plan for a few months of learning on the job, the situation in Greece is a pressing reminder that he should cut the training period short.

No time to waste

Nicolas Sarkozy&rsquo;s unpopularity was not the only reason that on Sunday made him the first sitting president not to lead in the initial round of a French presidential election. In the five years of his term, which coincided with the financial crisis, voters certainly came to resent Sarko&rsquo;s &ldquo;bling-bling&rdquo; style, his haphazard ways and half-hearted reforms. But the main lesson of the vote is the massive rejection of the European Union and European Central Bank&rsquo;s current prescribed policies of reforms and austerity. Whoever the next president is &mdash; the odds still favour Hollande &mdash; this massive &ldquo;non&rdquo; will weigh on his policies, and open a new phase in the euro zone crisis.

Occupy L'Elysee

Euro zone members won&rsquo;t meet their fiscal targets, but that doesn&rsquo;t mean they should all force themselves to be even more austere. This is the message the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is sending to Europe&rsquo;s troubled economies. Both, disciplinarian central bankers and populist politicians should take note. Austerity remains a must. But too much, too fast will be lethal.

Do's and don't

The case for the Euro zone to step in and help recapitalise Spanish banks should have been a no-brainer. Spain is in a bind of its own making, but the challenge of turning its economy around has been magnified by the crisis. As for the Euro zone, it has the instruments and the money to help Madrid recapitalise the country&rsquo;s banks, leaving the government to tend to its own business.

Misplaced orgullo

To be successful, Spain&rsquo;s bank bailout should be a takeover. Euro zone governments have so far been vague about the exact &ldquo;conditionality&rdquo; they will attach to recapitalising the country&rsquo;s lenders. Nonetheless, that vagueness is indicative of the direction they&rsquo;re heading. There&rsquo;s the classic restructuring of the banking sector, which will be supervised by the European Commission&rsquo;s competition authorities.

Don't drop the money and run

Avoiding the great Greek scare hasn&rsquo;t allowed the Euro zone to breathe a sigh of relief on Spain. Yields on the country&rsquo;s 10-year bonds are now reaching 7.2 per cent. The Spanish government has already done a lot. The extra steps it could take are of marginal importance in the current context.

Grand plan

Euro zone leaders pulled another rabbit out of their collective hat this week by striking yet another deal. They have managed to buy themselves more time &mdash; but buying time is the name of the game since the beginning of the euro crisis, which forces governments to both address the immediate crisis and redress the flawed euro architecture. On the face of it, Germany has made the concessions needed to help Italy and Spain breathe this summer, and sweep the larger French problem under the carpet. But Angela Merkel can always demand its pound of flesh at a later stage.

Stronger levee

Barring a major accident, the euro zone will soon have a new banking regulator. And Mario Draghi will crown a happy summer. The president of the European Central Bank has already shored up the euro and outflanked the Bundesbank&rsquo;s opposition to his new bond-buying policy. He may soon get the last tool he needs to do &ldquo;whatever it takes&rdquo;, as he said, to keep the euro zone together.

Should bite

Mariano Rajoy is running out of excuses. The Spanish prime minister had asked the Euro zone to prove that it stood by him, as he tried to take the country out of its property and banking mess. The European Central Bank has answered Rajoy&rsquo;s call with a plan to buy bonds - and time - for countries that agree to reform. But the Spanish leader keeps dithering. He hopes that after the country&rsquo;s bank bailout, he can avoid requesting a sovereign one. His fears are political: he doesn&rsquo;t want the International Monetary Fund involved in the rescue.

Take the chance

The verdict against the three members of Russian rock group Pussy Riot confirms that Vladimir Putin doesn&rsquo;t get it. The performance artists sat in jail for five months, awaiting trial for staging a politically motivated impromptu concert in an Orthodox church earlier this year. They have now been sentenced to a two-year prison term for hooliganism and &ldquo;insulting believers&rsquo; feelings&rdquo;. This may be the day that Putin&rsquo;s benign autocracy shifted to beginner&rsquo;s despotism. Investors cannot pretend this doesn&rsquo;t matter.

Whither riots?

Free at last. Less than a year after becoming president of the European Central Bank, Mario Draghi can move to the second phase of his term &mdash; his plan for an ambitious sovereign bond-buying programme. He will not meet a unified German opposition at the ECB governing council meeting next week. That will add to the plan&rsquo;s credibility, and in the longer term allow Draghi a freer hand in running the central bank.

Draghi 2.0

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], January 6: Softcell Technologies Global Private Limited, a leading Systems Integrator in India, is proud to announce its successful empanelment by the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) as an official Information Security Auditing Organisation. This significant achievement underscores Softcell's commitment to excellence in cybersecurity and its dedication to ensuring the highest standards of information security for organisations across India.

Softcell Technologies Global Achieves Prestigious Empanelment by CERT-In as an Information Security Auditing Organisation

Delhi-NCR [India], January 6: The year 2024 was remarkable for the Indian real estate market, witnessing an upward growth trajectory in the luxury segment. Affluent buyers, including HNIs and NRIs, dominated the market, propelling the demand and sales. The year ended on a high note in terms of the sector's performance across the top seven cities. As per JLL's report, housing sales have remained healthy and hit a new peak during the January-September period in 2024 with close to 230,000 homes across the top seven cities worth Rs 380,000 crore already sold.

2025 Property Market Outlook: Key Trends Shaping Home Buying Decisions

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], January 6: The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi inaugurated the 13-km section of the Delhi-Meerut Namo Bharat Corridor, being implemented by NCRTC, on Sunday. This event marks a new chapter in enhancing semi-high-speed regional connectivity for the National Capital Region.

Afcons executed part of 13-km section of Delhi-Meerut Namo Bharat Corridor inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], January 6: At 0150 hrs IST on 25 Dec 24, Kaamya Karthikeyan, the 17-year-old mountaineer, successfully completed her most ambitious expedition by summiting Mt. Vinson Massif in Antarctica. This remarkable achievement marks the completion of her Seven Summits Challenge, making her the youngest female climber in the world to conquer the highest peak on all seven continents. Kaamya was supported on this extraordinary journey by Bisleri Vedica Himalayan Spring Water, sourced from the Himalayas, embodying her spirit of being #FullOfAltitude.

17-Year-Old Kaamya Karthikeyan Achieves Historic Seven Summits Milestone, Summits Mt. Vinson Massif with Bisleri Vedica

Bangalore (Karnataka) [India], January 6: Movate, a leading digital technology and customer experience (CX) services company, is pleased to announce the appointment of Srijit Menon as its Executive Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) for Digital Services. In this pivotal role, Srijit will oversee Global Sales and Account Management across Movate's key service lines, including Digital Infrastructure, Digital Engineering, Enterprise Products, and Content  &amp;  Data Services. He will drive transformative growth through a consultative, outcome-based approach that enhances Movate's leadership in the evolving digital services ecosystem by building strategic partnerships with global clients.

Movate Appoints Industry Veteran Srijit Menon as Chief Revenue Officer for Digital Services to Drive Strategic Growth and Transformation

From FII selling to fears around HMPV virus, here's why the Indian markets crashed on Monday, January 7, 2025

bear market, stocks, sensex, nifty, loss, growth, crash, index

Markets Today Highlights: All sectoral indices ended in the red, with Nifty PSU Bank being the worst hit, ending down by 4 per cent, dragged by Union Bank of India, and Bank of Baroda

markets

While HMPV may affect anyone with a weakened immune system, young children and people above the age of 65 are at higher risk

Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV)

Stocks to Buy Today for Upside, Jan 6, 2025: TATAMOTORS has witnessed a steep correction of nearly 40 per cent from its peak of Rs 1,179 in the past five months and has plummeted to oversold terrain

tata motors

Health Min says current data shows no unusual surge in influenza-like respiratory illnesses

Covid, Covid in india, india coronavirus case

5th Test Day 2 | IND vs AUS HIGHLIGHTS: Pant's fiery fifty helped India take their lead past 140 on Day 2 with all to play for on Day 3 now. Sundar and Jadeja are at the crease.

IND vs AUS 5th test Day 2 highlights

With no red-ball cricket lined up before the crucial England tour in June, the question looms large-will Rohit return to the grind of domestic cricket when the Ranji Trophy resumes later this month?

Rohit Sharma

China-based hackers working for Integrity Tech, known to the private sector as Flax Typhoon, were working at the direction of the the China government, targeting critical infrastructure in the US

US China flag, US-China flag

Israeli strikes killed at least 42 people in Gaza, including children, overnight and into Friday, hospital and emergency response workers said, as health workers and Israel's military traded claims over reported evacuation orders for two hospitals in the territory's largely isolated north.
The assertions over Al-Awda and Indonesian hospitals occurred as stalled ceasefire talks to end nearly 15 months of war were set to resume in Qatar.
Staff at the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital said that more than a dozen women and children were killed in strikes in central Gaza, including in Nuseirat, Zawaida, Maghazi and Deir al-Balah. Dozens of people were killed across the enclave the previous day.
We woke up to the missile strike. We found the whole house disintegrated, Abdul Rahman Al-Nabrisi said in the Maghazi refugee camp.
Later Friday, officials at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital said that an airstrike killed three people in a car in Zawaida in central Gaza. And the Civil Defence, first responders ..

Gaza conflict, Hamas, Israel, Palestine

Iran warned Italy on Friday that it risked harming good bilateral relations if it bows to the political and hostile goals of the United States by detaining an Iranian engineer on a US warrant in connection with a drone attack in Jordan last year that killed three American troops.
Tehran issued the warning to the Italian ambassador to Iran, Paola Amadei, who was summoned to the foreign ministry, the official IRNA news agency reported. The meeting took place a day after Italy summoned the Iranian ambassador over the detention of an Italian journalist in Tehran.
The back-to-back diplomatic summonses underscored how a three-nation tangle over the fates of the two prisoners was getting ever more complicated for Italy, which is a historic ally of Washington but maintains traditionally good relations with Tehran.
Mohammad Abedini was arrested by Italian authorities at Milan's Malpensa airport on December 16 on a US warrant.
The US Justice Department accused him and another Iranian of ...

Iran, Iran flag

In smaller Indian cities and towns, where opportunities for advancement are few and dwindling, the nounis emerging as something of a social and cultural phenomenon

Phone, social media, mobile phones

The draft protection rules released by the government create a balance between regulation and innovation while completely protecting citizen rights, Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Saturday.
The government issued draft rules for the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act on Friday for public consultation till February 18.
"Rules have to be within four walls of the Act. It is within the ambit of the Act passed by Parliament. These rules have been framed to ensure a balance between regulation and innovation while completely safeguarding the rights of citizens," Vaishnaw told PTI in an interview.
The minister said earlier there was only one template available to the world -- the European data protection rule with a high level of regulation. However, Indian rules have attempted to balance the regulation with innovation to safeguard the boom in the innovation ecosystem developing among startups in the country.
He said extensive consultations have been held with the industry

Ashwini Vaishnaw, Ashwini, Vaishnaw

As day 2 progressed in Sydney, Bumrah was seen going off the field just before lunch and was seen in training gears.

Jasprit Bumrah

Travel booking major OYO has launched a new check-in policy for partner hotels, starting from Meerut, introducing guidelines effective this year whereby unmarried couples will no longer be welcome to check in.
Under the revised policy, all couples will be asked to present valid proof of relationship at the time of check-in, including for bookings made online. OYO has empowered its partner hotels' discretion to decline couple bookings based on their judgment, aligning with local social sensibility, the company said.
OYO has given the directive to its partner hotels in Meerut to ensure this with immediate effect. Based on ground feedback, the company may expand this to more cities, people familiar with the policy change said.
"OYO has received feedback in the past from civil society groups especially in Meerut urging action to address this issue. Additionally, residents from few other cities have petitioned for disallowing unmarried couples to check-in at OYO hotels," they said.
Pawa

OYO, Oyo rooms, Oyo app, Oyo logo

The police said that Kangpokpi Superintendent of Police Manoj Prabhakar was injured in the attack

Pierre Briancon

Pierre Briancon

Page 3 - Pierre Briancon

The awkward leader

Not over yet

Don't book now

The sect

Nearing end

Numbers trick

What's in a name?

Stop the folly

Slowly moving

Non-binding bonds

No time to waste

Occupy L'Elysee

Do's and don't

Misplaced orgullo

Don't drop the money and run

Grand plan

Stronger levee

Should bite

Take the chance

Whither riots?

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Softcell Technologies Global Achieves Prestigious Empanelment by CERT-In as an Information Security Auditing Organisation

2025 Property Market Outlook: Key Trends Shaping Home Buying Decisions

Afcons executed part of 13-km section of Delhi-Meerut Namo Bharat Corridor inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi

17-Year-Old Kaamya Karthikeyan Achieves Historic Seven Summits Milestone, Summits Mt. Vinson Massif with Bisleri Vedica

Movate Appoints Industry Veteran Srijit Menon as Chief Revenue Officer for Digital Services to Drive Strategic Growth and Transformation

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