Friday, August 07
WASHINGTON, - Kevin Warsh checks a long list of boxes for President Donald Trump as his pick to run the Federal Reserve, with longstanding political and social ties to the president, deep Wall Street connections and a well-tailored demeanor, but how deeply and quickly he will cut interest rates and how aggressively he will pursue his "regime change" at the Fed remain open questions.Trump has called for rate cuts to what amount to crisis levels of perhaps 1%. That's an aim Warsh, an inflation hawk in his prior term as a Fed governor from 2006 to 2011, may find too aggressive, and which economic data and the views of his 18 policymaking colleagues may make impossible. Rate futures remained priced for just two quarter-point rate cuts in 2026 from the current 3.50% to 3.75% rang
The Indian market ended lower on Friday, with benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty retreating from recent highs as investors turned defensive ahead of the Union Budget this weekend.By the end of the session, the benchmarks had pared some losses, with the Sensex down 296.59 points or 0.36% at 82,269.78, while the Nifty fell 98 points or 0.39% to end at 25,320.65.Here's how analysts read the market pulse:Indian equity markets remained volatile ahead of the Union Budget, with benchmark indices dragged lower by weakness in IT and metal stocks, said Vinod Nair, Head of Research at Geojit Investments, adding that the IT sector lagged due to global growth concerns and higher U.S. bond yields, while gold and silver declined amid a stronger dollar and persistent FII selling and continued rupee deprec
Volatility in global markets rarely comes from balance sheets alone; more often it flows from geopolitics, policy shifts and strategic uncertainty. One such overhang today is the ongoing suspense around the India–US trade negotiations. While both nations remain engaged to arrive at a mutually beneficial deal, the possibility of tariff-related disruptions has kept exporters and investors cautious.The United States: India’s Largest Export AnchorThere is no denying the importance of the United States for India’s trade ecosystem. In FY24–25, the US accounted for nearly 20% of India’s total exports, amounting to USD 86.5 billion, making it our single largest export destination. Key sectors such as engineering goods, electronics, pharmaceuticals, gems and jewellery, and textiles have b
North 24 Paraganas (West Bengal): Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday launched a sharp attack on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, alleging that the slogan of "Maa, Maati, Maanush" under which she came to power has lost its meaning as all three are now unsafe in the state.Addressing the BJP Karyakarta Sammelan in North 24 Parganas, Shah criticised the Mamata government over the deteriorating law and order situation, extortion and coercive control exerted by her group and infiltrators in West Bengal, and their impact on national security and electoral integrity. "In the state of Mamata Didi's government, which came to power with the slogan "Ma, Mati, Manush," today all three--Ma, Mati, and Manush--are unsafe. Maa is insecure; there is no solid guarantee for women's safety. M
The recently concluded India–European Union Free Trade Agreement (FTA) marks a strategic inflection point in bilateral commerce, unlocking preferential market access for a broad set of Indian industries. Spanning goods and services, the pact extends across approximately 97% of tariff lines and 99.5% of trade by value, with a majority of tariff concessions taking effect upon ratification.At a macro level, the deal preserves India’s historic trade surplus with the EU and sets the stage for export growth into one of the world’s largest consumer blocs. The structural provisions extend into services as well, with guaranteed access across 144 service sub-sectors, boosting labour- and skill-intensive segments.Capital Goods and Engineering sectors are positioned to benefit materially. Histor
