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There was excitement in the air as and Sir PM made their way to the cathedral. It had become their go-to space this time of the year, what with the spectacularly lit-up façade and the melodies that filled the air, thanks to the choral groups that performed there from time to time. Now, both friends were particularly looking forward to their final session of the year before they bid adieu to 2024 because of their ‘list’. It was a curation of looking forward, as well as looking back at the could-haves and should-haves that can serve as lessons for the future. “My Lady, so this is it...after 365 days of what can be termed as a challenging year for the city, we are on the cusp of a new year. Let’s see what we’ve managed to compile—the good, the bad and the ugly,” smiled . Lady Flora was the master curator, and had been jotting down notes after each of their night strolls across the city. It was going to be an interesting session, she was sure. “Let the games begin,” she laughed as she rolled out a long sheet of paper which included 10 points in her neat handwriting. They looked at it together, and hoped that this forecast would be picked up by the powers-that-be: 1. Metro Line 3 should be fully operational: The much-hyped line will lessen the woes of hassled commuters who have been extremely patient as far as looking forward to some respite in their travel time goes. 2. Less disruption, please: The sightings of JCBs on our roads could outnumber the population of a small Polynesian country. May the city be spared the grief of believing that their commuting route is more an off-roading dirt track. 3. Improved frequency and more AC locals for Central Railway: Despite being the larger , the step-sisterly treatment is inexplicable. We assume that this will be improved in 2025. 4. Bring back our pavements: We hope the civic gods pay heed to the countless pleas about the shrinking and disappearing pavements. The city is as much for pedestrians as it is for motorists, and builders. 5. Green cover concerns: Enough of hacking and overnight vanishing of trees; may the mangroves and water bodies for migrant birds stay protected with stronger policing. 6. Climate change is for real: Perhaps the AQI levels and haze cover act as a scary reminder as the year wraps up, of how this reality has not been seriously addressed, and that we are not looking at the larger picture at all. 7. More cultural venues and events: The city fares poorly when it comes to big and venues. Let’s hope the new year brings in more options, especially in the suburbs. And corporate houses—please don’t forget this key part of your duties towards a city that is your home. 8. Open spaces for the public: When was the last time we could walk freely, without getting jostled in a public park or garden? The city needs more such spaces especially when most of its population is crammed into matchbox-sized homes. 9. Not the Moon, we are Mumbai: Our roads need a thorough health check-up. Pock-marked stretches, bumpy non-roads, sudden speed breakers, and whatnot. Physiotherapy won’t help any more. 10. A cleaner city: When will the city transform into a cleaner, more hygienic version? Look around, it’s a mess everywhere. Uncollected garbage, overloaded dumping grounds, unhygienic public spaces—it’s a collective effort that is the need of the hour. Stricter fines, better civic sense, and tougher policing for serial offenders. Both friends glanced at each other. Had they covered good ground? Was it representative of the city? All they knew was that Bombaywallahs—by far the most hardworking species on this planet—were at the centre of this list. They deserved better, and desperately needed some sunshine to look forward to and get through 2025. Sir PM cleared his throat. “My Lady, I think we’ve done our best as spokespeople. The rest, we hope the universe conspires with us to make happen. To new beginnings,” he smiled broadly as he handed over a cuppa to his friend on a crisp December night. It was also a silent night, perfect to wish and pray for special things for their favourite city.Former US president Jimmy Carter dies aged 100David Axelrod took to Twitter to bemoan his fear Trump may politicize the DOJ. Major Eyeroll! Perhaps he forgets about all the times the Democrats have done just that? Advertisement Lost in the hubbub over the unqualified and morally-deficient Gaetz, his quick and heartening dispatch by the Senate @GOP, and replacement by the more qualified but equally political @PamBondi, is Trump's desire to make the DOJ his personal political instrument, reversing half a... https://t.co/15hinHmLed — David Axelrod (@davidaxelrod) November 22, 2024 Oh, how soon they forget! Here is Eric Holder pictured with who he called, direct quote "His wingman" and "His boy" https://t.co/595AC5heVh pic.twitter.com/mjYwbwA06I — Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) November 22, 2024 Oof! lol do you ever take a minute to reflect on the insanely partisan behavior of Democratic AG's? https://t.co/bREXfNKnFD — Chris Barron 🇺🇸 (@ChrisRBarron) November 22, 2024 They never see... justmindy

Rupee tumbles 3% in 2024; turbulence to ebb in slow motion in next year PTI Updated: December 29th, 2024, 17:01 IST in Business , Feature 0 Pic- IANS Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on WhatsApp Share on Linkedin Mumbai: The Indian rupee tumbled 3 per cent in 2024 as concerns over slower economic growth and the green buck’s global strength weighed, but it was among the least volatile currencies in the world and the headwinds may be less intense in the coming year. Rupee settled at new lows as the year closed as dollar’s resurgence weighed on emerging-market currencies. Also Read Mcap of 6 of top-10 most valued firms climbs Rs 86,847.88 cr; HDFC Bank, RIL biggest gainers 56 mins ago Horoscope December 29: Forecast for all zodiac signs from Aries to Pisces 9 hours ago The action-packed 2024 continued to impact the rupee’s exchange rate against major currencies throughout, with a series of geopolitical events ranging from the Russia-Ukraine war and crisis in the Middle East to trade disruptions in the Red Sea and elections across several major economies. Global factors, including measures taken by major central banks, have hit not only the rupee-dollar dynamics but also disrupted the exchange rates of currencies across all emerging economies. In fact, the rupee’s fall with respect to the dollar has been less than its depreciation in terms of other currencies. And it has ended up with gains compared to euro and the Japanese yen. Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) ex-governor Shaktikanta Das also said in the central bank’s December bi-monthly monetary policy that the Indian rupee has remained less volatile compared to its peers in emerging markets. Yet, the RBI has been more active in its efforts towards stabilising the rupee-dollar rate, thanks to increased demand for the greenback due to India’s dependence on oil imports and the widening trade deficit. “RBI was also seen intervening actively in NDF (non-deliverable forward) markets to prevent sharp depreciation of the rupee,” said Naveen Mathur, Director – Commodities & Currencies, Anand Rathi Shares and Stock Brokers. This was evident in foreign exchange reserves, which declined from the record high of USD 704.89 billion in late September to USD to USD 644.39 billion as of December 20, 2024, the lowest level in nearly six months. The foreign currency assets also include the effect of appreciation or depreciation of non-US units like the euro, pound and yen held in the foreign exchange reserves. India’s external challenges intensified as China’s GDP growth slowed to 4.8 per cent, reducing demand for Indian exports. Besides, supply chain disruptions due to tensions in the Middle East and escalated crisis in the Red Sea hit the trade balance of several countries, including India. The RBI’s log of the daily exchange rate movement of rupee versus major currencies showed the domestic unit has depreciated against the greenback by almost 3 per cent from 83.19 level on January 1 to 85.59 on December 27 this year, with a record decline of Re 2 in the past two months. It breached the crucial 84 level on October 10, surpassed Rs 85-a-dollar mark on December 19 and even touched the life-time low of 85.80 during intra-day December 27, recording the steepest single-day fall in nearly two years. However, the local unit has witnessed a gain of 8.7 per cent against yen rising from the rate of Rs 58.99 per 100 yen on January 1 to Rs 54.26 on December 27. And the gain was even increased to almost 9 per cent since September 17, when the rate hit the peak of Rs 59.63 per 100 units of the Japanese currency. Similarly, in terms of euro, the rupee registered a gain of over 5 per cent since its lowest level of Rs 93.75 a euro on August 27 to Rs 89.11 on December 27. Experts attributed the trend to the unprecedented rise in dollar strength due to improved macroeconomic factors in the US, which prompted the Federal Reserve to move slower towards easing monetary policy, and the outcome of the Presidential election in the world’s largest economy. President-elect Donald Trump’s declared intention to raise tariffs on Chinese imports spooked currency traders worldwide, triggering an unabated chase for the greenback, leading to the mass exodus of foreign capital from Indian equity markets. “The US dollar outperformed the market with 6.9 per cent gain in 2024. Improvement in the US economy, weakness in Europe and geopolitical concerns led to a surge in the US dollar, said Anuj Choudhary, Research Analyst at Mirae Asset Sharekhan. The most significant weakness in the rupee was observed in the latter half of 2024, particularly between October and December, driven by substantial Foreign Institutional Investors (FII) outflows, said Jateen Trivedi, VP Research Analyst – Commodity and Currency, LKP Securities. During this period, the Indian stock markets witnessed around Rs 1.70 lakh crore of FII outflows, “which weighed heavily on the rupee’s performance”, he said. However, the outlook for the Indian currency next year is relatively stable and projected to range between 82 and 87 against dollar, said Ajit Mishra, SVP, Research, Religare Broking Ltd. “A potential recovery may be supported by government policy measures and improvements in domestic economic growth,” Mishra said. In 2025, a number of global events are expected to influence the currency market trends. The most significant cues are expected to come from the US Federal Reserve’s interest rate moves and President Donald Trump’s trade measures that are likely to make Chinese imports costlier, fuelling inflation in the world’s largest economy. If the Trump administration adopts an ultra-protectionist stance, such an approach could disrupt global trade and capital flows, fuelling volatility across asset classes and currency markets, said Anindya Banerjee, SVP, Head of Research, Currency, Commodity & Interest Rates, Kotak Securities. India’s economic growth, projected at 6.5-7.5 per cent for 2025, could support the rupee, while monetary easing by the RBI to stimulate growth could hit the currency adversely. “For 2025, we expect the rupee to fall to Rs 87/USD. The upside may be limited to Rs 83,” Choudhary of Mirae Asset Sharekhan, said, adding that China’s much-awaited fiscal stimulus in the first half and expected slowing down in the US economy in the second half will support the rupee later. PTI Tags: currency INR Rupee Share Tweet Send Share Suggest A Correction Enter your email to get our daily news in your inbox. Leave this field empty if you're human:

Listen now and subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS Feed | SoundStack | All Of Our Podcasts Each week Hot off the Wire looks at a variety of stories in business, science, health and more. This week's headlines include: Airports ready for holiday crowds. Starting a small business is hard. Exiting can be even harder, but planning early is the key. McDonald's to expand US value menu as fast food chains battle for bargain seekers. Has a waltz written by composer Frederic Chopin been discovered in an NYC museum. The 'super year' of elections has been super bad for incumbents as voters punish them in droves. Trump has promised again to release the last JFK files. But experts say don’t expect big revelations. Donald Trump's latest branded venture is guitars that cost up to $10,000. Should women be allowed to fight on the front lines Trump’s defense pick reignites the debate. Texas offers Trump land on US-Mexico border for potential mass deportations. About 20% of Americans regularly get their news from influencers on social media, report says. Betty White Forever New stamp will honor the much-beloved Golden Girls actor. Forget driverless cars. One company wants autonomous helicopters to spray crops and fight fires. Volunteers came back to nonprofits in 2023, after the pandemic tanked participation. New Hampshire shelter faces enor-mouse problem after man surrenders nearly 1,000 rodents. NFL issues security alert to teams and the players' union following recent burglaries. NBA memo to players urges increased vigilance regarding home security following break-ins. WNBA corporate sponsorship deals are growing. But not every athlete is getting their due. Today he is a high school football player. Soon he'll be a Buddhist lama in the Himalayas. Denmark will plant 1 billion trees and convert 10% of farmland into forest. $344 for a coffee Scottish farm is selling UK's most expensive cup. Texas weighs Bible-related curriculum for public schools, placement of the Ten Commandments in classrooms faces a legal roadblock, and Ohio religious schools may so. —The Associated Press Listen now and subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS Feed | SoundStack | All Of Our Podcasts About this program Host Terry Lipshetz is managing editor of the national newsroom for Lee Enterprises. Besides producing the daily Hot off the Wire news podcast, Terry conducts periodic interviews for this Behind the Headlines program, co-hosts the Streamed & Screened movies and television program and is the former producer of Across the Sky, a podcast dedicated to weather and climate. Theme music The News Tonight, used under license from Soundstripe. YouTube clearance: ZR2MOTROGI4XAHRXNone

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