When you think of Indian Maharajas of yore what is the one thing that comes to mind? Jewels! And that is exactly what the world will witness at Christie's, New York during its upcoming auction -- "Maharajas and Mughal Magnificence". The "unprecedented group" of objects is from The Al Thani Collection of the royal family of Qatar. It is expected to see competitive bidding from across the globe. As per Christie's, this collection is poised to be the most valuable auction of jewellery and jewelled objects. The current record is held by The Collection of Elizabeth Taylor, which totals $144 million (Rs 1,003 crore). Mughal emperor Shah Jahan's jade hilted dagger, the priceless jewels of the Nizams of Hyderabad, and a string of pearls belonging to Rajmata Gayatri Devi of Jaipur are among the 400 royal artefacts that would be auctioned on Wednesday. Here's a glimpse of the astounding jewels that will be auctioned.
The experts said that climate change is not only raising temperatures and making India's heatwaves hotter, but also changing weather patterns that further drive dangerous weather extremes.
Till Thursday, the country had received 41 per cent less June rainfall than normal - the scantiest in a decade and one of the rarest occasions when the shortfall in the month was more than 30 per cent - private weather forecaster Skymet said in its daily weather forecast on Friday.
Indrani Mazumdar ' Mumbai April 23, 2015 Last Updated at 15:57 IST Stock Tips for Tomorrow Subscribe, Know which stocks to buy Tomorrow only Profitable Stock tips www.live-market-tips.com/Tomorrow Ads by Google Add to My Page Tiny URL RELATED NEWS Markets end flat after paring gains; HDFC Bank down 1.6% Sensex, Nifty extend losses; TCS, L&T down 2% Sensex gains over 100 points; Wipro surges nearly 6% Sensex, Nifty up 1%; bank shares zoom Nifty slips below 8,400 mark; HDFC down over 1% Hiranandani Properties Prices Starting at Just 15 Lacs. An Excellent Opportunity. Visit Nowhouseofhiranandani.com Aviva Term Plan Get 1 Cr Life Cover @Rs 16*/day. High Protection at Minimal Cost!avivaindia.com/Term-Insurance Ads by Google Markets ended lower on Thursday despite the clarification on minimum alternate tax by the government while a weak monsoon forecast raised concerns about an uptick in inflation. Further, investors turned cautious ahead of fourth quarter earnings from Infosys while worries about Greece also dampened sentiment. Meanwhile, rating agency Moody's today said emerging economies in Asia Pacific region, including India, have a high degree of immunity to external shocks, but will face challenges when the US Federal Reserve begins raising interest rates. The 30-share Sensex dropped 155 points to end at 27,735 and the 50-share Nifty shed 31 points to close at 8,398. MARKET VIEW "The last 6 out of 7 days, we have witnessed an extreme bout of selling in the key indices and stocks. Every rise getting sold and Bulls coerced to give in recently, with key supports breached. Today, was no different day, where volatility was extreme. We believe that the approach to the market remains cautious. If the indices break the previous low and close below that (i.e. 8270), then it could trigger a short term correction. Else, this could very well be termed as a bounce off the support levels. However, for a new trend to begin, Banknifty has to break 19000 levels. " said Kunal Bothra, Head -Advisory, LKP. ECONOMY The clarification from the Indian government that it would honor tax treaties while making a demand of Minimum Alternate Tax (MAT) at the effective rate of 20 per cent came as a relief for favorable treaty nations. But, dilemma still hangs over funds from other nations whose treaties do not grant an exemption from capital gains. The first monsoon forecast by the Indian Metrological Department (IMD) has predicted below normal rainfall during the season for the second straight year in 2015 primarily due to the build-up of El Nino conditions in the Pacific Ocean. Disruptions in the normal rainfall is likely to put further pressure on the agriculture sector which is already reeling under the impact of unseasonal rains that have damaged crops in parts of country and may lead to higher food inflation making further rate-cuts by Reserve Bank of India less likely. KEY STOCKS On the sectoral front, BSE Healthcare, Auto, Capital Gods, Oil & Gas, Realty and Power indices are trading lower up to 1%. However, BSE Consumer Durables and Metal indices are trading higher by 1% each. Metal stocks ended firm in today's trade after Bank of America-Merrill Lynch said the sector's return on equity will double by FY17 end. The research house reinstated coverage on Indian steel makers, with "buy" ratings on Tata Steel, SAIL, JSW and Jindal Steel and Power. Tata Steel gained 5%. Vedanta (earlier known as Sesa Sterlite) climbed nearly 0.5% and Hindalco was up 0.2%. Coal India advanced 1.3% after Brokerage firm CLSA maintained its 'buy' rating on the stock. YES Bank ended higher by 7% on the National Stock Exchange (NSE) on back of heavy volumes after the private sector lender said that its board approved a proposal to increase foreign institutional investor (FII)/foreign portfolio investors (FPI) limit to 74% from the existing limit of 49% of the paid-up share capital. According to media reports, Maruti Suzuki has plans of launching a series of new cars for the Indian market in 2015. Unveiled at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show, the Maruti Suzuki YRA model will be named as 'Fronx' for the Indian market. The stock was up 1%. TCS ended the session with marginal gains after the company teams up with Solace Systems team to deliver digital Reimagination solutions and services. Select IT shares remained under pressure for the seventh straight session over concerns about quarterly earnings. Infosys shed over 0.7% ahead of the quarterly earnings due tomorrow and Wipro lost nearly 2%. According to reports, M&M is planning to invest Rs 2,500 crore in expaniding its existing auto manufacturing facility in Telangana., which will increase its capacity to 1.5 lakh vehicles per year. The stock slipped over 1%. On the concern of poor monsoons ahead of the June-to-September monsoon season, auto, financials and FMCG stocks ended lower. ITC was down 0.3%, Tata Motors lost over 2%, Hero motocorp shed 1%, HUL slipped 0.6%, SBI dropped 2.4%, Axis Bank and ICICI Bank dipped 0.3% each. HDFC Bank lost 0.4%. HDFC Bank posted a 20.6% rise in net profit in the fourth quarter ended March 31, 2015 due to a higher loan growth. The bank had a net profit to Rs 2806.91 crore for Q4 compared to Rs 2,326.52 crore in same quarter previous fiscal. The number of new launches in residential real estate has come down by 55 per cent in the first quarter this year owing to subdued sales, according to a report. From the realty pack, Unitech, IB Realty, Godrej, Anantraj, HDIL and NBCC were down up to 2%. In the broader market, BSE Midcap index outperformed the peers and was up 0.6%. However, BSE Smallcap index lost 0.2%. Market breadth ended lower with 1,434 declines versus 1,377 advances. Read more on: Nifty ' Sensex ' Nse ' Bse ' Maruti ' Tcs ' Infosys ' Yes Bank ' Hdfc Bank ' Tata Steel Read More Sensex drops 189 points to end below 28,000 Provisionally, the 30-share Sensex ended down 189 points at 27,701 and the 50-share Nifty shed 39 points to close at 8,391 Add to My Page Tiny URL Recommended for you Monthly SIP Investments Invest as low as Rs 1000pm in Top SIPs in just 2mins. Start a ZipSip. www.myuniverse.co.in/ZipSip Luxury 2 & 3 BHK Mumbai Pay 10 lacs now, Rest on Possession 63 Storey Twin Towers in Kandivali lovealpine.com/Special-Offer Ads by Google Advertisements Prof. Mikkel Draebye explains the importance of corporate entrepreneurship. Read More Plan a vacation to unveil the dense wildlife at Tadoba. Buidling a smarter India with our contribution of new automation. Get up to 5 years of onsite warranty & great discounts. Know more Zero Account Opening Fees. Click here to know more $ Daily One Sure Intraday Stock Tip. Get Profit by 11:30 AM @ 0988877963 Leaders should be responsible for organisation and co-workers. "Prof. Massimo Magni" Unveil the marvellous hill stations of Maharashtra Back to Top Quick Links Go LATEST NEWSAll NewsIn This Section Nifty ends shy of 8,400; YES Bank top gainer PDP-BJP coalition govt a change for the worse: Omar Abdullah Arms case: Salman Khan fails to appear in court for recording statement MRF Q2 net surges 95% to Rs 333 crore Banking sector fraud has gone up by more than 10%: Deloitte Building leadership, capabilities in big data labs critical for analytics: Nasscom YES Bank extends intra-day gain on board nod to hike FII/FPI limit to 74% Gammon India to issue Rs 100-crore debentures to promoters Smart maps an $8 bn opportunity for India: Study Exercise financial prudence: Parrikar to Armed Forces News you can use Rss icon Don't reduce PF contribution What is Gratuity? What are NEFT and RTGS? Check your Income Tax Credit credit status form-26AS online Saving capital gain tax on sale of property Calculate tax on your house property income How to Check your EPF Balance & status online Featured Videos Why some of Japan's elderly want to go to jail video The 1341hp electric car beats a Bugatti video The maps that tell you when it's safe to breathe video How to add Michael Jordan's shoes to your portfolio video MOST POPULARReadSharedCommented BK Birla group plans mega recast Samsung to set up $100-mn plant in Hyderabad Rains seen below normal for 2nd straight year Jet Airways puts its wide-body fleet on sale to reduce debt FIIs with tax pact shield may be exempt from MAT Market News Signs of steel prices bottoming out a ray of hope for steel players CNX Metal index that fell to one-year lows of close to 2,293 in mid-March now trading at 2,460 levels Markets under pressure; Sensex slips below 27,800 The auto and capital goods space are exerting pressure on the indices in noon trades. Ashoka Buildcon dips after pricing QIP issue at discount The board has approved issue of 2.84 crore shares to Qualified Institutional Buyers at Rs 175.80 per share Cardamom rises by 0.4% as demand picks up Speculators created fresh positions at prevailing levels, taking positive cues from spot market on pick up in demand Crude palm oil falls by 0.1% on sluggish demand speculators indulged in reducing positions due to subdued demand in spot market The 30-share Sensex dropped 155 points to end at 27,735 and the 50-share Nifty shed 31 points to close at 8,398.
The United States on Friday said China's aggressive posturing over territorial claims in the Pacific and Indian Ocean regions was a matter of concern that America shared with India.
'The Chinese navy is large and expanding both in numbers and capability by the day.' 'India too must take measures to safeguard its own interests, now and in the future.'
The United States, he said, 'desires a new age of ambition' in its relationship with India. Asserting that the US has never been more supportive of India's security, he said New Delhi too, is an important partner and a key pillar of President Trump's foreign policy.
Since 2016, when India was officially recognised in US law as a 'major defence partner', Washington has purposefully upgraded the defence relationship.
'The potential of one such LAC engagement going out of control and leading to heavy casualties cannot be ruled out,' warns Lieutenant General Syed Ata Hasnain (retd).
The reaffirmation from the US comes in the backdrop of the maiden India US Strategic and Commercial Dialogue which was held on Tuesday.
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'India enjoys the maneuverability of a coming big power.' 'It is this possibility that has persuaded Moscow to humour India and stayed Washington from getting punitive about India's neutrality on the Ukraine issue.'
COVID-19 has emerged as an important form of diplomatic currency around the world as nations try to showcase their soft power gains. In this race, India has an edge as India is already a pharmaceutical giant having produced some 60 per cent of global vaccines and now justly seeking to strengthen ties and expand its influence in its neighbourhood and beyond, observes Dr Rajaram Panda.
Exercise Milan, the largest four-day naval war game hosted by India started on Friday with the participation of 12 navies of the Asia-Pacific region within the context of the Indian Navy's 'Look East' policy and naval interactions to this effect.
Monsoon is likely to be 96 per cent of the long period average
Hydrography (underwater geography) prevents the Indian Navy for opting for an all-conventional, or all-nuclear submarine fleet.
That Australia is ready for a substantive engagement is evident from its 2013 Defence White Paper, which emphasised the need to build stronger defence relations with India, says Ajai Shukla
El Nino is expected to occur in August-September, but it is unlikely to have any major impact on the monsoon, and the weatherman expects a positive Indian Ocean Dipole, which has a strong influence on rainfall in the country.
'Amid the frequent cries that the defence budget falls short of what is needed, we tend to ignore the reality that any enhancement in the allocation is just not possible, and the armed forces have no option but to operate within this constraint.' 'So, unless deadwood -- especially manpower -- is identified and eliminated, we simply cannot have a modern military of the type that India needs,' says Vice Admiral Premvir Das (retd).
Exercise Tiger Triumph -- a full-scale, tri-service beach landing operation -- is a capability India is seeking to build.
'With the recent challenging of the notion of the Indian Ocean Region being India's strategic backyard, China is gradually upping the ante in the maritime realm around India.'
'A strong positive relationship with India is essential to achieving long-term US goals such as regional security and stability, reduced tensions with Pakistan, and wide-ranging cooperation to counter extremism,' Admiral Robert Willard, said in his confirmation hearing for Commander of US Pacific Command.
India, Japan and the US are set to focus on "anti-submarine warfare" by deploying "different machines" during the next round of their marine wargames named the Malabar Exercise, amidst increasing presence of Chinese underwater vessels in the strategic Indian Ocean region.
'Modi and Obama both had agendas that went beyond the nuclear deal. The threat from the chilly Himalayas had to be tackled in the warm waters of the Indian Ocean.'
He said India would continue to actively pursue and promote its geo-political, strategic and economic interests on the seas, in particular the Indian Ocean.
The prime minister also pitched for respecting freedom of navigation against the backdrop of South China sea dispute.
Jaishankar said that the resolution on Kashmir introduced by Jayapal in the House is not a fair characterisation of the situation in J-K. And also said that he has no interest in meeting the Congresswoman.
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The Obama administration has christened his vision of Indo-US ties that has overcome the "hesitations of history" and working for the betterment of the global good as "Modi Doctrine".
A city like Davos in India would give a big boost to tourism, development, jobs and overall economy
According to Skymet Weather, the initial surge in the Monsoon rains can be attributed to the transition of El Nino into the neutral phase.
Modi may take satisfaction from his display of considerable political skill in managing a mercurial, temperamental and unpredictable US president and nudging him into uncharacteristic restraint and even carefully orchestrated remarks. This personal chemistry will come in handy if Trump returns as president in the November elections, says former foreign secretary Shyam Saran.
The 2.3 million strong People's Liberation Army, the world's largest, adopts a more aggressive posture with massive structural revamp.
Huge demand for dry bulk commodities such as iron ore, coal, and grain has helped the Index touch a five year high recently.
Dr Manmohan Singh would be faced with very few choices in Beijing given the Chinese conceived notions of the world today and India's low place in their calculus, says Srikanth Kondapalli.
Beijing should remember the advice of its celebrated military strategist Sun Tzu: 'Fight not unless the position is critical.'
'Stree's allegorical approach doesn't interfere with its need to endear and entertain.' 'Important ideas of empowerment and item songs as well as chills and chuckle coexist to fulfil its objective of thoda hasao, thoda darao,' says Sukanya Verma.
'But, then are we saying that armed forces must prepare for war? No'
China is all set to send on Thursday the first three crew members to its under-construction space station which is expected to be Beijing's eye in the sky and will rival the ageing International Space Station (ISS).
India and Russia have begun their bilateral naval exercise, which is aimed at increasing interoperability between the two Navies and developing common understanding of procedures for maritime security operations.