How quickly the world changes. At the end of August I wrote about a &ldquo;mid-list&rdquo; author &mdash; that is, one with steady but unspectacular sales &mdash; in the UK who was saying, to only a little controversy, that published writers today are unlikely to earn enough money from their books to live on. The reason Ewan Morrison gave was the shift to ebooks. It is very difficult to get customers to pay &ldquo;reasonable&rdquo; sums for digital content, as the music industry long ago discovered.

Author as salesman

Business Standard

There is a word in Great Andamanese, raupuch, that means &ldquo;one who loses his sibling&rdquo;. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think any other language &mdash; English, Hindi &mdash; has a word for this relationship,&rdquo; says linguistics professor Anvita Abbi. When she told her Great Andamanese informants this fact, they were perplexed.

Saving a world

In late October the winter migratory season for birds begins in India. In and around Delhi the lightly forested Ridge and the Yamuna and various water bodies attract birds from Europe and northern Asia. They come to escape the winters of the northern latitudes. Here they find food, a mild climate, and dedicated birdwatchers. Some flocks stay till March.

Going missing

The Aakash, called the world&rsquo;s cheapest tablet, has faced a barrage of recent criticism. Reviewers and others say it is not good enough, but the few who have used it are not so sure. Is it a washout?.

Broken promise?

India and Sweden can deepen their collaboration in innovation and green technology with a focus on addressing global climate challenges through sustainable industrial practices and renewable energy solutions, Swedish officials said.
Officials of the Embassy of Sweden and Business Sweden, during an interaction with PTI, emphasised the shared potential for innovation and large-scale implementation of sustainable practices.
"Sweden is a leader in green technologies while India has unparalleled capacity for large-scale implementation of the same. Together we can explore technologies like green hydrogen, carbon capture and circular economy practices," said Christian Kamill, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Sweden.
He highlighted areas like green hydrogen, carbon capture and circular economy practices as promising avenues for collaboration.
Kamill also pointed to Sweden's strides in renewable energy and transport electrification, noting that over 50 per cent of Sweden's energy already 

Climate change, global warming

The captain has not been in his best touch, particularly while batting at No. 6, raising doubts about his future in Test cricket.

Rohit Sharma

After two weeks of buying, FPIs turned net sellers in Indian equities this week, with a net withdrawal of Rs 976 crore amid a strengthening US dollar and steady rise in US 10-year bond yields, impacting investor sentiment.
Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) began the week on a positive note, investing Rs 3,126 crore in equities during the first two trading sessions (December 16-20).
However, the trend reversed in the latter half of the week, with FPIs offloading equities worth over Rs 4,102 crore in the subsequent three sessions. This resulted in an overall net outflow of Rs 976 crore during the week, data from National Securities Depository Limited showed.
Despite this short-term reversal, the broader December trend remains positive. FPIs have infused Rs 21,789 crore into Indian equities so far this month, reflecting continued confidence in India's economic growth potential and its resilient markets.
FPIs adopted a cautious approach due to the US Fed meeting and uncertainty about 

Foreign portfolio investor exodus: Financial sector bears the brunt, FPI

Reports indicate that three prominent Saudi clubs-Al Ahli, Al Ittihad, and Al Qadsiah-are all vying for the England international's signature in January.

Marcus Rashford

Initially, the petition was filed in the MP-MLA court, where it was dismissed. However, the petitioner pursued the matter by appealing to the District Judge Court

Rahul Gandhi, Gaurav Gogoi

GST Council addresses disaster levy, clarifies tax exemptions, and revises ITC norms, while deferring insurance premium GST cut and key rate rationalisation decisions

GST council meeting

Bihar's Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary said another meeting of the GoM is scheduled for January before the proposal is reintroduced to the GST Council

Amid controversy over Home Minister Amit Shah's remarks on Ambedkar, Kejriwal launches Dr Ambedkar Samman Scholarship, pledging support for Dalit students pursuing studies abroad

Kejriwal, Arvind Kejriwal

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday said that states did not agree on bringing aviation turbine fuel under the ambit of Goods and Services Tax.
"States did not feel comfortable. They didn't want the ATF because they saw it as part of the crude petroleum diesel basket, and therefore they said that it alone cannot be taken out, and therefore that continues to remain where it is today," she said while briefing media on the outcome of 55th GST Council meeting here.
Besides, she said, no decision was taken with regard to reduction in GST on insurance premiums as the Group of Ministers (Go) needed more time to study the issue.
Many inputs are awaited including the one from insurance regulator IRDAI, she said.
She further said that the GST Council has also deferred the decision with regard to rate rationalisation as more time is required by the GoM for a comprehensive study.
However, the Council made suggestions with regard to GST rate revision on various items including ...

Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Finance Minister

The Supreme Court on Friday said the CAG report looking into the financial record of the DND project in 2016 revealed shocking details including distribution of corporate gifts like gold coins to its employees, sub-staff and drivers.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan upheld the Allahabad High Court order of 2016 directing the private firm Noida Toll Bridge Company Ltd (NTBCL) to stop collecting toll from commuters plying the Delhi-Noida-Direct (DND) flyway connecting South Delhi and Noida.
"The CAG report shockingly reveals that the directors of NTBCL, including Pradeep Puri (who it seems was a senior bureaucrat), apparently did not perform any responsibility, yet all their expenses, including high-end remuneration were added in the total project cost," it said.
Referring to the report, the bench said legal fees amounting to Rs 11 crore, travelling expenses amounting to Rs 400 lakh, and the cost of restructuring deep discount bonds at Rs 33 crore, were also added to th

DND flyway

According to the IDF statement, the Houthis "with Iran's guidance and funding" have acted together with Iran-backed militias over the past year to target Israel

Israel attack, Hezbollah

The slowdown in electric vehicle (EV) sales was only partly offset by the growth of hybrid-electric car registrations

Cars

While protesting, Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh targeted the Gandhi family, saying that they have all received Bharat Ratna, but didn't give it to Dr Ambedkar

Amit Shah

Transrail Lighting Ltd has mobilised Rs 246 crore from anchor investors including ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund and Tata Mutual Fund.
Apart from these, Winro Commercial (India) Ltd,  Bengal Finance and Investments, SBI General Insurance Company and LIC Mutual Fund are the top anchor investors, according to a circular uploaded on BSE's website.
As per the circular,  Transrail Lighting has allotted 56.94 lakh shares to 19 funds at Rs 432 apiece, which is also the upper end of the price band. This aggregates the transaction size to Rs 245.97 crore.
The Rs 839-crore IPO is available for public subscription from December 19 to December 23. The price band has been set at Rs 410-432 per share.
The company's proposed IPO is a combination of a fresh issue of shares worth Rs 400 crore and an offer for sale of 1.01 crore equity shares by a promoter Ajanma Holdings Private Ltd.
At present, Ajanma Holdings holds 83.22 per cent stake in the Mumbai-based company.
At the upper end of the price ba

Ashwin's career statistics speak volumes about his impact. Over 106 Test matches, he took 537 wickets, securing his place as the seventh-highest wicket-taker of all time.

Ashwin

Mumbai ferry accident: An FIR was filed at the Colaba police station in south Mumbai under relevant sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against the Navy speedboat driver

Capsize, Mumbai Capsize, Boat Capsize

The Opposition Congress has doubled down on its demand for Home Minister Amit Shah's resignation, citing his comments on B R Ambedkar

Rahul Gandhi, Rahul, Congress leader, Priyanka Gandhi, Priyanka

India, US bond yield spread narrowest in nearly 20-yr; Sensex slips below 80K after 4 days of equity selloff

rupee bond

The official further noted that this year's Budget consultations are particularly significant due to the political outcomes of recent state elections

Nirmala Sitharaman, Nirmala

Shares of SpiceJet rallied up to 7.85 per cent at SpiceJet per share on the BSE in Thursday's intraday deals

Rrishi Raote

Rrishi Raote

Page 4 - Rrishi Raote

Author as salesman

Saving a world

Going missing

Broken promise?

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India, Sweden can strengthen ties in climate solutions: Swedish officials

IND vs AUS: Injury scare for Rohit Sharma ahead of Melbourne Test

FPIs pull out Rs 976 crore from Indian equities amid rising dollar

Marcus Rashford attracts interest from Saudi clubs ahead of January window

Bareilly court issues notice to Rahul Gandhi over caste census remark

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55th GST Council takes key decisions, defers rate cuts on insurance premium

GST Council defers decision to reduce tax on health, life insurance

Kejriwal launches Dr Ambedkar scholarship amid row over Amit Shah's remarks

States not in favour of bringing aviation turbine fuel under GST: FM

CAG report on DND flyway shocking, says SC, NTBCL gave gold coins to staff