India thwarts lobbying by China, Pakistan at UN Security Council

• Ahead of the UNSC meeting, the thinking was that India would have the support of key members
• What critically strengthened the view in favour of India within the UNSC were the steps announced earlier in the day to restore normalcy in Kashmir

IPOs likely to dry up as uncertainty rules Indian equity market

• Only 11 companies have gone public so far this year
• The number of IPOs more than halved in the first six months of 2019

BJP to make Article 370 poll plank in state polls due this year

• The first glimpse of the plan was visible on Friday in Jind, Haryana, where BJP president Amit Shah had gone to launch the election campaign
• Assembly elections are likely to take place in Haryana, Maharashtra and Jharkhand later this year

Why gold prices may remain overvalued in relation to oil for long

• The two key commodities -- oil and gold -- demand are taken generally taken into account to understand vivid economic scenarios
• Both gold and silver exchange traded funds (ETFs) have entered a sustained period of accumulation

Govt raises limit for raising funds without diluting voting rights

• Promotors can retain control even as they raise capital from global investors
• The changes are expected to benefit India Inc., particularly startups, which will be able to attract more capital, but without ceding control

Kashmir inches towards normalcy, phone lines made operational

• The Centre on Friday announced that landline services would be resumed in the region by Sunday, while schools are expected to reopen on Monday
• Jammu and Kashmir Principal Secretary (Planning Commission) Rohit Kansal said, 'There has been no untoward incident reported so far'

M&M sets up first car assembly plant in Sri Lanka with Ideal Motors

• The Indian carmaker has set up a joint venture with Ideal Motors, its dealer partner in Sri Lanka for 10 years
• The 65:35 JV between Ideal Motors and M&M is christened Mahindra Ideal Lanka Private Limited, which will operate the assembly plant at Welipenna, about 60 km from Colombo

Ontario Teachers joins Canadian pension funds

• This marks the pension fund joining the marquee names such as CPPIB and CDPQ
• This comes in the backdrop of Canadian pension funds being uniquely positioned to invest directly into the infrastructure space

Trump shows interest in buying Greenland, but Denmark won’t sell

• Trump has reportedly even asked his White House counsel to explore the idea of purchasing the island
• The island receives an annual subsidy of about $500 million from Denmark

FinMin in talks with PMO over steps for revival of the economy

• Sitharaman refused to say if the government is planning to come out with a stimulus package to arrest the deepening slowdown in the economy
• The FM since Monday has met five different groups representing banks and financial institutions, SMEs, industries and automobiles and listened to their problems

Govt panel gets time till Monday to submit direct tax code report

• The panel, led by CBDT member Akhilesh Ranjan, was earlier required to submit its recommendations on Friday
• The new direct tax code will try to simplify tax law provisions, improve certainty and predictability of the law and reduce litigation

Trai starts consultation for bigger play by infrastructure providers

• Infrastructure creation by standalone companies, who do not directly compete with telecom operators, needs to be promoted, Trai has suggested
• At present, passive infrastructure can be created and shared by infrastructure providers category-I (IP-I) as well as telecom operators

Sebi imposes restrictions on mutual fund investments in short-term bank deposits

• Sebi has issued a clarification regarding 'parking of funds in short-term deposits of scheduled commercial banks by mutual funds -- pending deployment'
• As per regulations, a mutual fund may invest funds in short-term deposits of schedule commercial banks, subject to certain conditions

India’s export basket skews towards services, pulls down trade deficit

• The performance of the services sector is getting reflected in other economic barometers too
• Latest official trade data released on Wednesday showed how export of services is growing at a robust pace

Car makers line up festive season launches to draw buyers

• Maruti Suzuki will launch its new multi-utility vehicle XL 6, to be sold from the Nexa chain of dealerships
• Hyundai will launch its hatchback Grand I 10 Nios next week and this will be the third launch of the company in the current calendar year

PIL in Delhi HC on different minimum marrying age for men, women

• The petitioner claims that more than 125 countries in the world have a uniform age of marriage for men and women
• The petitioner calls the distinction 'unscientific' and a patriarchal stereotype

'The great gold bull market has begun'

• A bull market is defined by a condition in a financial market where a commodity, stock, currency or bond prices are rising or are expected to rise
• Gold prices have surged over 20% since January 1 and touched a life-time high of $1,546.10 per troy ounce amid multiple headwinds

Gold ETFs: Investors bet big on the safe haven asset

• According to data from the World Gold Council (WGC), globally investors poured about $2.6 billion into gold-backed ETFs in July
• The Gold Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) are simple investment products that combine the flexibility of stock investment and the simplicity of gold investments

Airtel chairman Sunil Mittal can retain excess salary after shareholders nod

• Over 88% of shareholders at the annual general meeting (AGM) held on August 14 voted in favour of the special resolution
• In July, the company had informed that Mittal's remuneration in 2018-19 was ₹21.19 crore more than prescribed limits under the Companies Act

NCLAT orders liquidation of Amtek Auto

• Amtek Auto was among the first list of the 12 companies that were referred by the RBI in 2017 to respective banks for the initiation of insolvency process for default
• The NCLAT also said there was no extraordinary situation in the resolution process of Amtek Auto to exclude the 90-day period

Ravi Shastri reappointed head coach of Indian team

• India have won 13 out of 21 Tests, 43 out of 60 ODIs and 25 T20 Internationals out of 36 on his watch
• Since he came back in July, 2017 replacing Anil Kumble, whose differences with Kohli came out in the open, Shastri's coaching record has been phenomenal

Flat buyers get status of financial creditor. How it impacts you

• The Supreme Court has upheld the ability of homebuyers to take real estate developers into bankruptcy proceedings
• Homebuyers now share equal rights of recovery in the developer’s assets

H&M unveils ad campaign with Bollywood actors to promote Myntra launch

• H&M's flagship affordable clothing brand H&M crossed ₹1,100 crore in sales, three years after entering the India market
• With the H&M launch on Myntra, the brand strengthens its omnichannel strategy by being available in 42 physical stores, hm.com and Myntra

The dreamlife of Bombay

• Gitanjali Rao’s animated feature, ‘Bombay Rose’, opens Venice Critics’ Week
• It's a rare Indian animated film that's painted frame-by-frame and not aimed at children

Martin Margiela’s iconic designs to go under the hammer

• Martin Margiela’s imaginative designs from a privately curated collection are set be auctioned in an online auction by Sotheby’s
• The designer often incorporated found objects in his designs, such as a vest made from old playing cards, which highlight his singular creativity

Apple Watch Series 5 to use OLED display

• Apple Watch 5 is also rumoured to come with sleep tracking, a larger battery and more health features
• In addition, Apple iPhone 11 would reportedly come with the same OLED displays used for Samsung's Galaxy S10 and Note 10

'Sacred Games 2' memes take over social media

• In 'Sacred Games 2', actors Saif Ali Khan and Nawazuddin Siddqui reprise their roles as Inspector Sartaj Singh and Ganesh Gaitonde
• Those disappointed with the 2nd season of the series went on to express the feeling with images of old and torn clothes, broken cars, and stills from 'Games Of Thrones'

Netflix’s reputation for canceling shows too soon is overblown

• Of the English-language scripted programs that debuted on Netflix from 2013 to 2017, about 19% lasted more than three seasons
• The frustration with Netflix illustrates that Hollywood is still coming to grips with the company’s new way of doing business

‘Mission Mangal’ grows on day two, ‘Batla House’ sustains

• Trade website Box Office India said there was only a 40% drop in the collections of Mission Mangal on the second day
• Batla House is trailing behind the trajectory of Abraham’s Satyameva Jayate that released last Independence Day

Rajnath Singh sparks debate on no-first-use nuclear doctrine

• ‘Future adherence’ comment comes amid heightened tensions with Pakistan
• BJP’s manifesto in 2014 said it would ’revise, update India’s nuclear doctrine’. But the 2019 one made no mention of this

Old places provide people with a sense of belonging: Tom Mayes

Tom Mayes, chief legal officer and general counsel at the US-based National Trust for Historic Preservation, in an interview with Mint, talks about the impact of new constructions on the environment and mental health, and the importance of preserving historic homes and studios

Drug ingredients to ship with QR codes

• The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has issued a draft notification mandating the same
• India’s drug regulatory authority also proposes to amend the Drugs and Cosmetics (D&C) Rules, 1945 to implement the newly proposed system

‘Selling shiny stones wasn’t going to do it for me’

• In his new book, Suketu Mehta takes a sharp look at the story of migration the world over
• In an interview in New York City, Mehta says people are moving like never before because the rich countries stole the future of the poor countries through colonialism, war, inequality and climate change

Harsh Goenka: The creative leader

• The chairman of RPG Enterprises opens up to Mint about his left-leaning youth, his social media handles, and the need for happiness at the workplace
• 'We don’t want to be the largest group in the country—that’s a by-product—but we want to make it the most exciting place to work,' says Goenka

Entry to US slows as customs computer system fails at airports

• Several major airports including those in New York, Los Angeles, Dallas and the Washington, D.C., area confirmed the outage
• Passengers are being held in the international arrivals terminal

Jio Fiber broadband plans: How to apply, installation charges, other details

• Reliance Jio has begun accepting registrations for Jio Fiber broadband service on its website
• During the initial rollout phase of the broadband service, installation is free

Latest FD rates: SBI vs ICICI Bank vs HDFC Bank vs Axis Bank vs Kotak Bank

• Fixed deposits (FDs) are considered among the safest means of investment
• Compare the interest rate offered by different banks on FDs

NEFT money transfer round-the-clock from December. How it is differs from IMPS

• RBI has decided to make NEFT service available on a 24x7 basis from Dec 2019
• The NEFT payment system so far is available for customers from 8 AM to 7 PM on all working days, except banking holidays

From insurance to retirement - How government schemes can help

A little bit of education and hand-holding can go a long way in ensuring they and their families are secured during tough times

Happy new years

• 17 August is Parsi New Year but it is only one of three
• Lounge explores the story through three calendars and millennia of history

Stop terror to start talks: India to Pakistan after UNSC meeting on Article 370

• The outcome of the UNSC meeting will not be a formal pronouncement as the consultations are informal in nature
• India and Pakistan did not attend the meeting, which was open only to the five permanent members and 10 non-permanent members

Film review: ‘Mission Mangal’ orbits its own source material

• This Akshay Kumar-starrer is based on the Mars Orbiter Mission programme
• The film plays up Indian ingenuity without making a convincing case for it

Sembcorp invests ₹521 crore in Indian renewable business

• The funds will be used to expand the Singapore-based company’s renewable energy portfolio in India
• Sembcorp India has announced the commissioning of 200MW wind power projects in Gujarat

Hair oil to motorcycle sales highlight more growth pain ahead for India

• Hero MotoCorp has shut a manufacturing facility for few days
• Emami witnessing slowdown in demand for hair care products

Top 15 banks that offer the lowest home loan rates

A home loan is among the cheapest loans available, and most often, it is the only way a person can buy a house

Financial results for June quarter not yet prepared: Jet Airways’ RP

• The affairs of Jet Airways are now being managed by resolution professional Ashish Chhawchharia under the insolvency law
• Chhawchharia said prior to the commencement of the resolution process, directors, CEO, CFO, company secretary and other top management personnel had resigned from the company

India's economic stimulus decision unlikely before Monday

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday held a meeting with officials to discuss steps to arrest a slowdown
• According to sources, the government was looking into policy issues such as exempting foreign portfolio investor trusts from recently imposed high tax, among others

Over 3,000 temporary jobs cut due to slowdown: Maruti Suzuki

• MSI Chairman RC Bhargava said contracts of the temporary workers were not renewed due to the slowdown
• Commenting on expectations from the upcoming festival season, RC Bhargava said due to the good monsoon, rural sales may pick up

FinMin asks PSBs to seek ideas from branches to streamline banking sector

• The suggestions emanating from a month-long campaign beginning Saturday will be used as inputs to prepare a road map for the future growth of the banking sector
• The consultation process is aimed at aligning the banking sector with national priorities, the Finance Ministry said

Private hospitals write to FM for recovery of government dues

• Govt owes about ₹1,400 crore to hospitals for free treatment under health schemes
• Fortis Healthcare has outstanding dues of ₹60 cr under CGHS and ₹151 crore under ECHS

Job creation growth slowed in FY19, finds CARE Ratings study

• The worst performing sectors included farming, crude oil, telecom, iron and steel, mining and hospitality
• CARE Ratings said that companies studied were relatively larger ones and excluded small and medium enterprises

Donald Trump asks Imran Khan to resolve tensions with India bilaterally

• The White House said Trump spoke with Khan to 'discuss regional developments'
• The phone conversation between Trump and Khan took place before the close-door-consultation of the 15 members of the UNSC