Loan deal

The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has approached the Supreme Court in support of freebies, opposing the petition filed by former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay against the giveaways and election promises. Seeking intervention in the issue, the DMK, in its plea, argued that the scope of freebies is “very wide”. “…the scope of a “freebie” is very wide and there are a lot of aspects which are to be considered. Only a welfare scheme introduced by a State Government cannot be judged to be classified as a freebie. The ruling government at the Union giving tax holidays to foreign companies, waiver of bad loans of influential industrialists, granting crucial contracts to favoured conglomerates etc. also have to be considered and cannot be left untouched,” the DMK said, hitting out at the Centre. It was further argued by the south India-based political party that a welfare scheme providing a free service is introduced with an intent to secure social order … [Read more...] about ‘Scope of Freebies Wide, Tax Holidays, Loan Waivers for Corporates Can’t be Left Out’: DMK Moves SC to Join Case

Kerala’s ‘Year of Enterprises’ drive that aims to start one lakh Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) is well on target with tremendous achievements within the first quarter itself, State Industries Minister P. Rajeev has said. The State has announced financial year 2022-23 as the Year of Enterprises . In the first four months, work on more than 45,000 MSMEs have started, with an investment of ₹2687.91 crore. They are expected to create nearly a lakh jobs, the Minister said. In an exclusive conversation with The Hindu in the national capital, the Minister said Kerala was building on the international reputation it gained with its uniquely successful management of the Covid pandemic to turn the State into an attractive investment destination. Investors and companies conscious of ESG — Environmental, Social, and Governance — factors, a global trend now, will find Kerala extremely attractive, according to the Minister. “Environmental and social consciousness is very high … [Read more...] about Kerala is a brand, investors are coming: State Industries Minister P. Rajeev

While the online video platform Rumble has long taken criticism for amplifying right-wing misinformation and conspiracy theories, the video-hosting service is preparing to head in an even darker direction, hiring one of Alex Jones’ lawyers to draft new content moderation policies that remove an existing ban on material that promotes or incites hate groups. In June, Rumble put one of Jones’ longtime defamation attorneys in charge of overhauling the site’s moderation rules. And he made some unsettling changes. The attorney, Robert Barnes, is a frequent Infowars guest and Jones’ top Sandy Hook defamation attorney for more than three years . But while Barnes wasn’t in the Texas courtroom during the explosive final days of Jones’ recent multimillion-dollar defeat, he did step up to broadcast an “opening statement” to a critical shadow jury: the Infowars audience. Rumble—which has business ties to high-profile Republicans, including former President Donald Trump, billionaire tech … [Read more...] about Alex Jones Lawyer Helps Rumble Change Policy for Hate Groups

A Chinese coronavirus vaccine is set to be rolled out in Turkey later this month, with some Latin American country also in line to receive COVID-19 shots developed in the East Asian nation over the coming months. On Wednesday, Turkish health minister Fahrettin Koca said his country had ordered 50 million doses of the CoronaVac vaccine produced by China's Sinovac Biotech pharmaceutical company, with the first shipment set to arrive on December 11, according to a statement. Turkish labs will assess the safety of the vaccine and initial results from Phase III clinical trials, with an emergency use authorization possible soon, he said. "If developments continue positively as we expect, Turkey would be among the first countries in the world to begin vaccinations in the early phase," Koca said. The vaccine is one of five COVID-19 shots being developed in China that are currently undergoing large-scale, Phase III clinical trials, which are typically required before regulatory … [Read more...] about China’s “vaccine diplomacy” begins as shots to be rolled out in Turkey, Latin America