New Delhi: There is growing discussion around the introduction of a “vaccine cess” in the Union Budget to fund the rollout of the Covid-19 vaccine at a time when revenues are under strain and there is growing demand for funds, including for higher defence allocation. With the economy showing signs of returning to normalcy, things...
Intro: Despite a growing antitrust scrutiny that poses a big existential threat to technology companies, Big Tech helped millions of workers and children navigate the pandemic with digital tools, virtual meetings, video games and content streaming in 2020 1. Big Tech Technology emerged a winner during the pandemic as cloud and connectivity services thrived in a stay-at-home...
Intro: The Covid-19 pandemic rattles industries after industries as it surged across the world. Here’s a look at the biggest losers in 2020 and a preview of what 2021 may bring 1. Travel and hospitality Going on vacation wasn't an option for most during the pandemic. The cruise industry was battered as Carnival (CCL), Royal Caribbean (RCL)...
Washington: The US Justice Department has sued Walmart, accusing the retail behemoth of allegedly fueling the opioid crisis in the country. In a lawsuit filed on Tuesday, prosecutors from the Justice Department said “Walmart's pharmacies violated the law by filling thousands of prescriptions for controlled substances that Walmart’s pharmacists knew were invalid”. The Justice Department is...
New Delhi: India has suspended all flights to and from the United Kingdom till December 31 in the wake of the new mutant strain of novel coronavirus. The suspension went into effect from December 22 midnight. All flights from India to the UK shall also stand temporarily suspended during the period, said a Ministry tweet. At present,...
By Dr Niranjan Hiranandani No one ever thought of the scale and magnitude of disruption that was caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. In the aftermath, the resurgence would be equally trying especially in a country like ours with a complex economic framework. However, we need to applaud the government for paving the way for an impressive...
New York: Wall Street’s main indexes rose as travel stocks surged on the launch of a nationwide Covid-19 vaccine campaign, while Alexion Pharmaceuticals jumped on a $39 billion buyout offer from AstraZeneca in one of the year’s biggest deals. Shipments of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine fanned out to distribution points across the United States on Sunday,...
New Delhi: Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Tuesday said its partnership with Jio Platforms will help support millions of small businesses in India. Zuckerberg made the remark during a conversation with Mukesh Ambani, Chairman and Managing Director, Reliance Industries at the first Facebook Fuel for India 2020 event. "At Facebook, we are in the business of...
Bengaluru: Apple’s iPhone maker Wistron Corporation has estimated the damage from violence at its Narsapura plant near Bengaluru on the last weekend to be around $7.11 million (Rs 52.4 crore). "Unlike earlier reports stated, the violence did not cause any material damage to major manufacturing equipment and warehouses, with preliminary estimates of damages to be...
