Business
Pak using civil airlines as shield against India’s counter offensive
Pakistan reportedly said that they “will not de-escalate” owing to damages suffered from India’s offensive. Multiple aerial threats coming from Pakistan were reportedly intercepted in Jaisalmer among other spots on Friday evening.
Published on May 9, 2025 Heavy shelling went on at the Line of Control as also on the International Border. “Intermittent sounds of blasts, probably heavy artillery, can now be heard from where I am,” said Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. The Border Security Force foiled an infiltration bid in the Samba sector in Jammu, killing at least seven terrorists and caused extensive damage to Pakistan Rangers at the Dhandhar post.Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and the three service chiefs and the Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan to review the developing situation.“As you have seen, the airspace on the Indian side is absolutely devoid of civil air traffic due to our declared closure. However, there are civil airlines flying, the air route between Karachi and Lahore. Amongst the other civil aircrafts, we have highlighted an aircraft, which is Airbus 320 of Fly Nas aviation, which was originated Damam at 1750 hours and landed later at Lahore at 2110 hours in the night,” both stated.The two women officers along with the Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri explained why India believes that Pakistan is using civilian airliners as shield in the ongoing conflict. They said Pakistan did not close its civil airspace, while it was launching a failed drone and missile attack on May 7 at 8:30 hours in the evening. India had, in the meantime, suspended civilian flight operations from many airports in J&K, Rajasthan, Punjab, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat, among others and closed the airspace. However, Indian officials have so far not officially responded to some reports that Chinese missiles and drones were also used by Pakistan its offensive against India’s right to defend itself against Islamabad’s decades-long proxy war. Other than this, police and security agencies have said that terrorists of Lashkar-e-Taiba offshoot The Resistance Front (TRF) had used Chinese made communication devises for secured conversations at the time of April 22 Pahalgam terrorist attack.
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The Indian Air Force (IAF) demonstrated considerable restraint in its response, ensuring safety of the airlines and passengers, Colonel Sofiya Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh said at a press conference.
“Pakistan is using civil airliners as a shield, knowing fully well that its attack on India would elicit a swift air defence response. This is not safe for the unsuspecting civil airliners, including the international flights, which were flying near IB between India and Pakistan,” Qureshi and Singh said while showing screenshot of flight path data of that day in Punjab sector.Heavy shelling went on at the Line of Control as also on the International Border. “Intermittent sounds of blasts, probably heavy artillery, can now be heard from where I am,” said Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. The Border Security Force foiled an infiltration bid in the Samba sector in Jammu, killing at least seven terrorists and caused extensive damage to Pakistan Rangers at the Dhandhar post.
Considerable restraint
India on Friday accused Pakistan of “using civil airliners as shield”, underlining that while all border airports on the Indian side have been shut down, the Pakistani civil airspace was not closed amidst hostilities.However, Indian officials have so far not officially responded to some reports that Chinese missiles and drones were also used by Pakistan its offensive against India’s right to defend itself against Islamabad’s decades-long proxy war. Other than this, police and security agencies have said that terrorists of Lashkar-e-Taiba offshoot The Resistance Front (TRF) had used Chinese made communication devises for secured conversations at the time of April 22 Pahalgam terrorist attack. Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and the three service chiefs and the Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan to review the developing situation.“As you have seen, the airspace on the Indian side is absolutely devoid of civil air traffic due to our declared closure. However, there are civil airlines flying, the air route between Karachi and Lahore. Amongst the other civil aircrafts, we have highlighted an aircraft, which is Airbus 320 of Fly Nas aviation, which was originated Damam at 1750 hours and landed later at Lahore at 2110 hours in the night,” both stated.The strategy was exposed at an official briefing in Delhi while Pakistan continued its aerial assault in the last 24 hours, sending 300-400 drones in 36 locations from Leh to Sir Creek to target Indian military and civilian installations. The drones were shot down by the Indian military. Responding to Pak’s attack, India launched armed drones at 4 air defence sites in Pak; one drone destroyed an AD radar system. The Indian Air Force (IAF) demonstrated considerable restraint in its response, ensuring safety of the airlines and passengers, Colonel Sofiya Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh said at a press conference.
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The two women officers along with the Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri explained why India believes that Pakistan is using civilian airliners as shield in the ongoing conflict. They said Pakistan did not close its civil airspace, while it was launching a failed drone and missile attack on May 7 at 8:30 hours in the evening. India had, in the meantime, suspended civilian flight operations from many airports in J&K, Rajasthan, Punjab, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat, among others and closed the airspace.
Business
Fed holds rates steady, flags rising risks of inflation and unemployment
Economic picture
With unemployment still low and demand steady, Fed officials have said they are comfortable keeping rates unchanged until they have a better understanding of where the economy is headed. Trump, however, has repeatedly said the central bank should lower borrowing costs.Trump, meanwhile, has ramped up his criticism of Powell in recent weeks. At one point, Trump said in a social media post that “Powell’s termination cannot come fast enough!” Federal Reserve officials held interest rates steady for a third-straight meeting and emphasised they see a growing risk of both higher inflation and rising unemployment.Companies scrambled in the first quarter to import merchandise ahead of the tariffs, and a surge in consumer spending in March suggested households also sought to frontload purchases. Key inflation gauges cooled in the month.Chair Jerome Powell will hold a press conference with reporters at 2:30 p.m. in Washington.Powell and his colleagues are determined to keep tariffs from sparking a persistent rise in inflation, and several officials have signaled they would not support lowering interest rates preemptively to protect against a slowing economy.The S&P 500 index of US stocks and Treasury yields fell following the announcement, while the dollar pared gains.“Uncertainty about the economic outlook has increased further,” the Federal Open Market Committee said in a statement Wednesday at the conclusion of a two-day meeting in Washington. “The committee is attentive to the risks to both sides of its dual mandate and judges that the risks of higher unemployment and higher inflation have risen.”
Published on May 8, 2025
Economic picture
The central bank announced Tuesday that Kansas City Fed President Jeff Schmid would miss the May meeting due to the recent death of his wife. Kansas City was represented by First Vice President Kim Robbins. Schmid’s vote passed to alternate member Neel Kashkari, president of the Minneapolis Fed.“Although swings in net exports have affected the data, recent indicators suggest that economic activity has continued to expand at a solid pace,” the statement said.President Donald Trump‘s trade policy has unleashed a wave of uncertainty across the economy. While the levies are still being negotiated, economists widely expect the expansive tariffs to boost inflation and weigh on growth. That would pit policymakers’ two goals – price stability and maximum employment – against one another.Trump, meanwhile, has ramped up his criticism of Powell in recent weeks. At one point, Trump said in a social media post that “Powell’s termination cannot come fast enough!” Companies scrambled in the first quarter to import merchandise ahead of the tariffs, and a surge in consumer spending in March suggested households also sought to frontload purchases. Key inflation gauges cooled in the month.Officials voted unanimously to keep the benchmark federal funds rate in a range of 4.25 per cent to 4.5 per cent, where it has been since December.
Economists say it will take time for the full effect of the new tariffs to work through the economy. So far, the impact has mainly included a sharp decline in sentiment and a surge in imports. The US economy contracted at the start of the year for the first time since 2022, but a gauge of underlying demand stayed firm.The S&P 500 index of US stocks and Treasury yields fell following the announcement, while the dollar pared gains.But the president has since insisted that he does not intend to fire Powell.
Business
Amazon India bets big on Tier-2, Tier-3 cities
Perhaps the most ambitious target revealed by Kumar is Amazon’s goal to enable billion in exports from India by 2030 through its Global Selling programme, which already supports 150,000 Indian sellers reaching international markets.After returning to helm Amazon’s India operations, Country Manager Samir Kumar revealed that 70 per cent of Amazon’s new customers now come from Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities.The move comes as part of Amazon’s renewed push in India, backed by a massive billion investment commitment to be deployed by 2030, on top of the billion it has already invested in the country over the past decade.
Kumar emphasised that the company is still in its early days. “There’s still so much potential we haven’t fully tapped into yet,” he said. “We have a team of innovators constantly exploring new ideas and asking critical questions,” he added.Published on May 6, 2025 He pointed to the one million direct and indirect jobs already created, with a target of reaching two million. “The scale of what we’ve built is enormous, but what hasn’t changed is the energy and focus on transforming how India buys and sells.”The e-commerce giant is poised for an aggressive expansion of its quick commerce service following ‘very encouraging results’ from its Bengaluru pilot.
On job creation
With its massive investment plans, quick commerce expansion, and renewed focus on smaller cities and towns, Amazon is signalling that India remains central to its global ambitions despite mounting regulatory challenges and fierce local competition.“The speed and quality of service they were getting weren’t satisfactory compared to metro cities,” Kumar acknowledged. “So, we’re putting serious investment into fixing that — to improve speed, experience and reliability.”
Central to Amazon’s India strategy is its seller ecosystem, which has grown to 1.6 million businesses nationwide. The marketplace has simultaneously focused on reducing fees for sellers to enable them to offer more affordable selection, particularly for value-conscious customers in smaller towns.
“Stay tuned. We are going to go big,” Kumar told businessline in an exclusive interview, confirming that Amazon is preparing to challenge established players like Blinkit, Zepto, and Swiggy Instamart in the rapidly growing segment despite being seen as a late entrant.Perhaps the most ambitious target revealed by Kumar is Amazon’s goal to enable billion in exports from India by 2030 through its Global Selling programme, which already supports 150,000 Indian sellers reaching international markets.Kumar emphasised that the company is still in its early days. “There’s still so much potential we haven’t fully tapped into yet,” he said. “We have a team of innovators constantly exploring new ideas and asking critical questions,” he added.After returning to helm Amazon’s India operations, Country Manager Samir Kumar revealed that 70 per cent of Amazon’s new customers now come from Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities.“The speed and quality of service they were getting weren’t satisfactory compared to metro cities,” Kumar acknowledged. “So, we’re putting serious investment into fixing that — to improve speed, experience and reliability.”Published on May 6, 2025
On job creation
With its massive investment plans, quick commerce expansion, and renewed focus on smaller cities and towns, Amazon is signalling that India remains central to its global ambitions despite mounting regulatory challenges and fierce local competition.Central to Amazon’s India strategy is its seller ecosystem, which has grown to 1.6 million businesses nationwide. The marketplace has simultaneously focused on reducing fees for sellers to enable them to offer more affordable selection, particularly for value-conscious customers in smaller towns.
When asked about India’s importance in Amazon’s global portfolio, Kumar was unequivocal: “India remains one of Amazon’s largest and most strategic e-commerce markets globally.”
The move comes as part of Amazon’s renewed push in India, backed by a massive billion investment commitment to be deployed by 2030, on top of the billion it has already invested in the country over the past decade.
Business
PM chairs meeting of panel to appoint new CBI director
Sood, a 1986-batch IPS officer of Karnataka cadre, was director general of police (DGP) of the state prior to his appointment. He took over as the Director of the premier investigative agency on May 25, 2023.
Sood, a 1986-batch IPS officer of Karnataka cadre, was director general of police (DGP) of the state prior to his appointment. He took over as the Director of the premier investigative agency on May 25, 2023.Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday chaired a meeting of the committee for the appointment of CBI Director which was also attended by Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna. The appointment of the CBI Director is done by the central government on the recommendation of a three-member appointment committee, which is headed by the Prime Minister and comprises the leader of opposition in Lok Sabha and the Chief Justice of India. Published on May 5, 2025 The meeting was held at the Prime Minister’s Office here on Monday evening.
Pak using civil airlines as shield against India’s counter offensive
Fed holds rates steady, flags rising risks of inflation and unemployment
Amazon India bets big on Tier-2, Tier-3 cities
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