Nikita Venkatesh European Commission head Jean Claude Juncker today urged Greece to vote “yes” in a referendum on bailout proposals or leave the euro as a bank shutdown ordered by Athens left the Greeks desperately scrambling for cash.
A visibly emotional Juncker launched a blunt attack on Greek premier Alexis Tsipras, saying he felt “betrayed” by the leftist government’s behaviour and adding it was time for them to tell voters “the truth”.
Greece’s regional neighbours took measures today to protect their banks and economies from the escalating financial crisis there and the possibility of a Greek exit from the euro.
Athens yesterday announced capital controls following a collapse in bailout negotiations with its creditors, which will see banks closed temporarily and international transfers vetted.
In Serbia, the central bank said it had put into place temporary measures on banks with Greek owners.
French authorities took two Uber managers into custody for questioning today over “illicit activity” involving its low-cost service.
The detentions came amid rising tensions between the government and the ride-hailing company, which culminated last week in a violence-marred taxi strike that blocked roads around the country.
French authorities are frustrated that Uber doesn’t pay the same taxes and social charges as traditional taxis, whose drivers have lashed out against what they see as unfair competition.
US President Barack Obama recently sent a private message to Iran’s leadership via Iraq’s prime minister, an Iranian newspaper reported today on the eve of a deadline for a nuclear deal.
Hamshahri, Iran’s highest-circulation daily, citing a lawmaker, said “one of the leaders of a neighbouring country” took the message from Obama to officials in Tehran.
The subject discussed was the nuclear talks between Iran and world powers led by the United States it said, without giving further details on its content.
A man who beheaded his boss in France has denied any religious motivation, investigative sources said today, muddying efforts to pin down the reasons for an attack which bore the hallmarks of a jihadist act.
Yassin Salhi, 35, yesterday confessed to decapitating his employer and pinning his severed head to the fence of a gas factory in eastern France in a macabre display that included two Islamic flags.
However according to a source close to the investigation, Salhi, who was known to security services for radicalisation, “denies any religious motivation to his act”.
Goa would be one of the six centres in the country that are provisionally selected to host forthcoming FIFA U-17 World Cup 2017 matches.
There will be four training grounds and one main stadium where the matches would be held,” Javier Ceppi, Tournament Director, local organisation committee (LOC) FIFA U-17 World Cup told reporters today.
FIFA has provisionally shortlisted other centres like Guwahati, Kochi, Kolkata, Navi Mumbai and New Delhi besides Goa as the venues.
Ceppi said this is for the first time India would host for the football World Cup.
The Indian women’s hockey team needs to plug the gaps in its defensive structure when going into attack, ahead of their quarterfinal clash against reigning World Cup and Olympic champions The Netherlands in the World League Semifinals here tomorrow.
In their enthusiasm, the Indian eves are allowing the defensive structure to fall apart when going into the attack and such lapses could prove terribly expensive against The Netherlands.
India’s Rohan Bopanna and his Romanian partner Florin Mergea began their campaign at the Wimbledon championships with a hard-fought win over over Tim Smyczek and Jiri Vesley in the men’s doubles, here today.
The ninth-seeded Indo-Romanian pair eked out a 6-3 7-6(1) 6-1 win over the unseeded American-Czech team in one hour and 26 minutes at court no. 19.
They next face winner of the first round match between pairs of Radek Stepnek/Mikhail Youzhny and Tomas Bellucci/Guillermo Durn.
Social networking giant Facebook has added 13 million users in six months to take its userbase to 125 million in India, its second-biggest market globally.
The US-based firm, which had 112 million users in India as of December last year, also launched a 2G-friendly mobile app ‘Facebook Lite’ here to cater users with slow internet connectivity.
Globally, it has 1.44 billion monthly active users as of March 31, 2015 with the US as its biggest market.
As e-commerce players battle it out for buyers’ attention, Amazon India has caught up with Flipkart and overtaken Snapdeal in terms of monthly unique visitors in May.
According to data from Internet analytics firm comScoreData, Amazon India had 23.6 million unique visitors in May, edging past Flipkart narrowly.
While Flipkart saw 23.5 million unique visitors, Snapdeal had 17.9 million in May this year.
The first ever robot wedding has taken place in Japan in a glittering ceremony, complete with a wedding cake, a band and even a ‘kiss’ shared by the couple.
About 100 people gathered in Tokyo on June 27 to witness the two robots tie the knot.
The groom was Frois, a robotic creation from company Maywa Denki, and the bride was humanoid Yukirin, an android made in the likeness of a Japanese pop idol Yuki Kashiwagi, and developed by Takayuki Todo.
Frois, a boxy red and silver robot, wore a bow tie while the bride donned a traditional white wedding gown.
Indian stock market was hit on Monday following Greece debacle which forced the banks to remain shut and forced capital controls to prevent withdrawals, after cash machines ran dry. The benchmark BSE Sensex tanked over 535 points and the NSE Nifty slid below the 8,300 mark in opening trade today on across-the-board selling by participants.
A weak trend at other Asian markets was the main trigger for the plunge as investor sentiment was dampened by fears of a possible Greece default.
After tumbling over 602 points in early trade spooked by Greece concerns that may trigger capital outflows, the benchmark BSE Sensex recovered over 435 points, powered by gains in HUL, ITC, L&T, ICICI Bank and Dr Reddy’s, but still closed down over 166 points.
Also, the broader NSE Nifty after dipping below the 8,200-point mark, recovered most of losses to close 62.70 points or 0.75 per cent down at 8,318.40. Intra-day, it shuttled between 8,195.65 and 8,329.45.
Transaction service provider Payworld, promoted by Sugal and Damani Group, is eyeing five fold rise in revenues in the country to Rs 10,000 crore by 2018 by strengthening retail outlets and expanding customer base, a top official said.
“Currently, Payworld operates in 18 states with revenues of Rs 2,000 crore. Payworld has set an ambitious target to achieve revenues of Rs 10,000 crore as part of increasing its retail footprint pan India to three lakh outlets,” Payworld Chief Operating Officer, Praveen Dhabhai said.
Yes Bank on Monday preferred to raise money through an ADR issue under its USD 1-billion capital infusion plan next fiscal. The Mid-sized private sector lender stressed that the court order in a case involving its promoters will not impact these plans.
“The aspiration is to do an ADR (American depository receipts) issue. It will be our first such issue. It helps the profile of the bank and more diverse investors can come in,” bank’s president for financial markets Jaideep Iyer told PTI.
Bahrain-based GFH Financial Group has signed an agreement with Indian conglomerate Adani Group for developing an economic development zone in Mumbai.
Under the agreement, the financial group’s unit Energy City Navi Mumbai (ECNM) and Adani Group will work together in creating the master plan for the lands of Phases II and III of the project, which will offer world class business infrastructure for local and international services, IT and energy companies.
In a new initiative, now a standard reporting format for banks will help share investigation-related information. The initiative will be taken up jointly by RBI, other banks and law enforcement agencies who have been working together after central agencies like IB and CBI complained about receiving data in different formats making deciphering difficult.
The intelligence and probe agencies have been raising the issue and emphasising on having a standardised format for sharing of information by the banks, official sources said.
Delhi High Court today asked Lt Governor-appointee Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) chief M K Meena to act in accordance with the law, while refusing to issue directions to restrain him from entering office as sought by the Delhi government.
Justice V P Vaish also declined Delhi government’s pleas to stop Meena from removing the FIR book from ACB headquarter, recording new FIRs and seeking immediate removal of paramilitary personnel posted there.
In tune with its efforts to ensure uniformity in Value Added Tax with neighbouring states, Delhi government on Monday tabled an amendment bill in the Assembly for bringing flexibility in fixing VAT on liquor, tobacco, aerated drinks and certain other items.
The government said the bill will make enabling provisions for levy of VAT in respect of goods enlisted in the Fourth Schedule such as liquor, tobacco, aerated drinks and others – at flexible rates instead of a flat slab of 20 per cent.
Opposition BJP and JDS confronted the Congress government on a host of issues, including farmers’ suicide, as the monsoon session of Karnataka legislature begins here today.
Giving an indication of the shape of things to come, BJP senior leader B S Yeddyurappa, former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar and other state leaders were arrested today as they tried to stage a march here defying prohibitory orders against government over various issues, including payment of dues by sugar mills to sugarcane growers.
Olympic bronze-medallist Vijender Singh, the country’s most celebrated boxer, today bid adieu to his amateur career by turning professional, ruling himself out of next year’s Olympics as he no longer remains eligible to represent India.
The biggest name in Indian boxing by a mile after he became the first to bag an Olympic medal—the 29-year-old today signed a multi-year agreement with Queensberry Promotions through IOS Sports and Entertainment, that will see the middleweight fight a minimum of six times in the first year.
Around 30 people, including three policemen, were injured as Hindu and Muslim mobs clashed here in Ghaziabad over the use of loudspeakers, police said on Monday.
Several vehicles were set on fire and shops looted and gutted in the Sunday night frenzy at Farid Nagar.
According to police officials, the trouble erupted when the two communities quarrelled over the use of loudspeakers in two adjacent places of worship.
As some youths from one community forcibly tried to shut down the loudspeaker of the other community, the quarrel led to widespread clashes.
The Opposition on Monday turned the heat on the Siddaramaiah government on recurring farmers’ suicides in Karnataka, accusing it of being “irresponsible” and “careless” in addressing the issues concerning peasants.
Giving a stormy start to the monsoon session, the opening day was marred by protests by a united opposition over government’s alleged failure, which BJP leader Jagadish Shettar charged had left the farmers with no other option but to commit suicide.
Karnataka government’s ‘Suvarna Gramodaya Yojana’ was a “failure” as the overall development of each village was not achieved, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India has stated.
Suvarna Gramodaya Yojana was launched by the state government in February 2007 with an intention to develop village communities by adopting an intensive and integrated approach to rural development.
The objective of the scheme was development of 1,000 villages every year through the concentrated efforts of government, non-government organizations, partners from private sector and village communities.
In the second case of suicide by a debit-ridden farmer in the district since last week, a 37-year-old man, slapped with a bank notice to repay his farm loan, allegedly ended his life, police said on Monday.
Shivalinge Gowda alias Kumar of Honnanayakanahalli village committed suicide by jumping into a well in his field last night, they said.
This is the second such incident in the district since last week. A distressed debt-ridden sugarcane farmer set afire the crop he had grown and jumped into the blaze at Ganadahosuru village on June 25.