Barun Jha And K J Bennychan

Stories by Barun Jha And K J Bennychan

War has to end: Trump to Putin after meeting Zelenskyy

War has to end: Trump to Putin after meeting Zelenskyy

Rediff.com   22 Jan 2026

United States President Donald Trump on Thursday said he had a good meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and his message to Russian President Vladimir Putin is that 'war has to end'.

Reasonably close to deal on Ukraine war: Trump at Davos

Reasonably close to deal on Ukraine war: Trump at Davos

Rediff.com   21 Jan 2026

Trump says Putin and Zelenskyy would be stupid if they don't end the war now, and that he knows they are not stupid.

At Davos, Trump rules out force to take Greenland, but warns allies

At Davos, Trump rules out force to take Greenland, but warns allies

Rediff.com   21 Jan 2026

Trump called for immediate negotiations for the US to acquire Greenland from Denmark, describing the country as ungrateful, during his speech at Davos.

India, EU near 'mother of all deals' amid US tariff threat

India, EU near 'mother of all deals' amid US tariff threat

Rediff.com   20 Jan 2026

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen says India and the EU are close to a 'historic trade agreement' that could create a market of two billion people and account for almost a quarter of the global GDP.

If speaking on Article 370, UCC is religion-based campaign, then...: Shah

If speaking on Article 370, UCC is religion-based campaign, then...: Shah

Rediff.com   26 May 2024

'If we get 399 seats and you say we have not crossed 400, then it is your wisdom. But the '400 paar' slogan is based on calculation and considered opinion'

'Follow zero tolerance': Health minister on cough syrup deaths

'Follow zero tolerance': Health minister on cough syrup deaths

Rediff.com   20 Jun 2023

In an exclusive interview with PTI video, the minister also said an extensive risk-based analysis is done continuously to ensure the production of quality medicines in the country, and the government and regulators are always alert to ensure that no one dies due to spurious medicines.

Centre remains on high-alert for new Covid variants

Centre remains on high-alert for new Covid variants

Rediff.com   20 Jun 2023

COVID-19 is on the verge of becoming endemic but Indian scientists are keeping a close watch on each new variant and the government would continue to maintain a high alert, Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya has said, underlining that the virus has managed to survive and is going to stay.

For Pak, Modi isn't a partner for talks, but did see it in Manmohan, Vajpayee

For Pak, Modi isn't a partner for talks, but did see it in Manmohan, Vajpayee

Rediff.com   20 Jan 2023

Her comments come days after Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif sought "serious" and "sincere" talks with his Indian counterpart for the resolution of the "burning" issues, including Kashmir.

Premature to think India will replace China: Rajan

Premature to think India will replace China: Rajan

Rediff.com   17 Jan 2023

Former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan on Tuesday said it is too premature to think that India will replace China when it comes to influencing global economic growth. However, the situation may change going forward as India is already the world's fifth largest economy, it is growing and has the potential to keep expanding. At a World Economic Forum (WEF) press briefing on the recently released Chief Economists Outlook that saw majority of them expecting a global recession in 2023, Rajan said any recovery in the Chinese economy would definitely boost the global growth prospects.

Most Indian CEOs plan to cut operating costs

Most Indian CEOs plan to cut operating costs

Rediff.com   17 Jan 2023

Amid rising geopolitical risks, a vast majority of Indian CEOs have indicated in a survey that they are reducing or planning to reduce operating costs, even as they are more upbeat than their global peers on their country's economic prospects. However, most of the companies do not plan to cut their headcount or salaries, found the annual Global CEO Survey released by consultancy giant PwC here on the first day of the World Economic Forum meeting on Monday. The survey also found that about four in ten CEOs (40 per cent of global and 41 per cent of India respondents) do not expect their companies to be economically viable in 10 years if they continue on their current path.

How the wealth of India's richest can make a difference

How the wealth of India's richest can make a difference

Rediff.com   16 Jan 2023

The richest one per cent in India now own more than 40 per cent of the country's total wealth, while the bottom half of the population together share just 3 per cent of wealth, a new study showed on Monday. Releasing the India supplement of its annual inequality report on the first day of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, rights group Oxfam International said that taxing India's ten-richest at 5 per cent can fetch entire money to bring children back to school. "A one-off tax on unrealized gains from 2017-2021 on just one billionaire, Gautam Adani, could have raised Rs 1.79 lakh crore, enough to employ more than five million Indian primary school teachers for a year," it added.

India's richest 1% own more than 40% of total wealth: Oxfam

India's richest 1% own more than 40% of total wealth: Oxfam

Rediff.com   16 Jan 2023

The richest one per cent in India now own more than 40 per cent of the country's total wealth, while the bottom half of the population together share just 3 per cent of wealth, a new study showed on Monday.

Advanced economies to be back on track by 2024: IMF's Gita Gopinath

Advanced economies to be back on track by 2024: IMF's Gita Gopinath

Rediff.com   25 May 2022

Advanced economies will be back on track by 2024, but developing economies will be 5 per cent below where they would have been otherwise, IMF's Gita Gopinath said on Wednesday. Economies worldwide have been adversely impacted by the coronavirus pandemic and are slowly coming back into the recovery path. The First Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund said the war in Ukraine has been a major setback to the global recovery.

'Profiting from Pain': Covid created new billionaire every 30 hrs

'Profiting from Pain': Covid created new billionaire every 30 hrs

Rediff.com   23 May 2022

Releasing a report titled 'Profiting from Pain' in Davos, the rights group further said as the cost of essential goods rises faster than it has in decades, billionaires in the food and energy sectors are increasing their fortunes by $1 billion every two days.

NSE co-location case: Probe shifts towards money trail, illicit gains

NSE co-location case: Probe shifts towards money trail, illicit gains

Rediff.com   21 Feb 2022

As a multi-agency probe into the NSE case gathers pace, the grant of preferential server and data access to select brokers and their suspected misuse are being investigated threadbare to unveil all quid pro quo arrangements in a highly-sophisticated scheme that worked like a cricket betting scandal, officials said on Monday. While the bourse has said it has taken several steps over the years to strengthen its technology infrastructure, including as per regulatory orders, the officials said certain fresh disclosures call for a detailed probe into whether a select group of individuals in high positions had banded together to make illicit gains by facilitating the preferential trading slots, beginning over a decade ago. Even a split-second faster access is said to result in huge gains for a trader.

More trouble brews for Zee's Subhash Chandra & family

More trouble brews for Zee's Subhash Chandra & family

Rediff.com   21 Sep 2021

Zee Entertainment last week witnessed shareholder activism that saw an open call for the ouster of promoters and the incumbent management led by Punit Goenka. Besides, Dish TV also faced a similar call earlier this month. The trouble at Zee Entertainment can be gauged from the fact that this is a unique company wherein the promoters own just 3.99 per cent, but fully control the firm.

GST systematically flawed, there is lot of tax leakage: Kerala FM

GST systematically flawed, there is lot of tax leakage: Kerala FM

Rediff.com   4 Aug 2021

Kerala Finance Minister K N Balagopal has sought systemic changes in the GST structure, saying every state and consumer has lost because of its basically flawed architecture that has also led to rampant revenue leakage for the states. The Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime came into force in July 2017. Even though the framework is focused on having a one-nation-one-tax model, quite a few items, including petroleum products and liquor are still out of the GST purview.

It's raining IPOs! 40-odd issues to mop up Rs 80K cr

It's raining IPOs! 40-odd issues to mop up Rs 80K cr

Rediff.com   7 Jul 2021

The primary market is set for a bumper Rs 80,000-crore bonanza with 30 companies already filing IPO papers to raise Rs 55,000 crore, while around 10 more are lined up for this month itself, seeking to mop up another Rs 25,000 crore, say investment bankers. The market has been on a non-stop rally, hitting new records almost every week, on the back of an influx of investors -- a vast majority of them first-timers -- coupled with a flood of liquidity. Foreign funds alone had pumped in a record $35 billion into the market in FY21, while the trend has continued this fiscal as well. Domestic institutions led by LIC have also infused trillions of rupees, helping woo retail investors in troves -- the year saw over 20 million new investors coming to the market.

Delhi blast could be a 'terror attack': Israeli envoy

Delhi blast could be a 'terror attack': Israeli envoy

Rediff.com   30 Jan 2021

'All options are there on the table. Yesterday when this terror attack was conducted, we celebrated the 29th anniversary of the full establishment of diplomatic relations between Israel and India, exactly yesterday. So, it may not be a coincidence but all options are being investigated'

India's new farm laws will empower farmers: Israeli envoy

India's new farm laws will empower farmers: Israeli envoy

Rediff.com   11 Oct 2020

The Israeli ambassador said the efficiency of the agriculture sector as a whole will increase with the new legislations and consumers will also enjoy better and fresh crops.