Latest Developments

Asia
The Hindu BusinessLine

Aarogya Setu 2.0 to drug registry: Govt to launch various digital healthcare initiatives on June 29

The revamped Aarogya Setu 2.0 app is built on the Covid experience and provides a gateway to multiple digital health services through a single platform, Health Ministry said. | Photo Credit: SOMASHEKARA GRN A series of digital initiatives in the health sector, including the Aarogya Setu 2.0 - a personal health record application (PHR) for citizens- will be unveiled on Monday, June 29, by Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare; and Chemicals & Fertilizers, JP Nadda. The initiatives being launched include “citizen-facing applications, provider-focused solutions, interoperability frameworks, registries and data standards,” according to the Health Ministry. And they are expected to “enhance accessibility, efficiency and interoperability across the healthcare ecosystem while benefiting citizens, healthcare providers, insurers, technology innovators and policymakers alike,” it added. The revamped Aarogya Setu 2.0 app is built on the Covid experience and provides a gateway to multiple digital health services through a single platform, the Ministry said. “The application enables creation and management of ABHA (Ayushman Bharat Health Account), access to and sharing of digital health records, consent-based health information exchange, AI-powered health insights and smart health reports, wearable device integration, OPD registration through Scan & Register, hospital payments through Scan & Pay, medication reminders and family health management,” it said. Furthermore, it said, the app would help locate nearby healthcare facilities and doctors, ambulance services, blood banks with blood unit availability, and Jan Aushadhi Kendras. In addition to this, the application provides access to PM-JAY services, including search for PM-JAY empanelled hospitals, access to AB PM-JAY wallet etc, along with access to other healthcare services, the note added. The enhanced Ayushman app will also serve as a one-stop digital platform for beneficiaries of Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) health insurance scheme. “The upgraded application will enable beneficiaries to access essential scheme-related services, including eligibility verification, Ayushman Card services, treatment history, hospital discovery, grievance redressal and beneficiary support,” it said. Also being launched is Ayushman Sarathi, a WhatsApp chatbot for beneficiaries of Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY, to deliver PM-JAY services through a conversational interface. The Ministry also pointed to the National Health Claims Exchange (NHCX), a digital public infrastructure for health claims processing, that would enable standardised exchange of health claims information between providers and payers across public and private health insurance programmes - reducing administrative burden and facilitating faster and more efficient claims processing, it said. A Unified Health Interface (UHI) is also being dedicated to the nation, the note said. It enables digital applications to connect citizens with healthcare service providers through a common framework, facilitating easier discovery and access to healthcare services. The e-Sushrut Clinic will be unveiled “as a plug-and-play clinic management solution that enables healthcare providers to digitise clinical workflows, maintain electronic health records and seamlessly integrate with the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission ecosystem,” it said. A “Drug Registry” will also be launched to standardise medicine-related information across the healthcare ecosystem, it said. “By enabling uniform coding of medicines across digital health applications, the registry will strengthen prescribing, dispensing and healthcare data exchange,” it said.

Aarogya Setu 2.0 to drug registry: Govt to launch various digital healthcare initiatives on June 29
Asia
The Hindu BusinessLine

Ashok Vaswani to step down as Kotak Mahindra’s chief after current term in December 2026

Ashok Vaswani has informed Kotak Mahindra Bank’s board that he does not wish to seek re-appointment as Managing Director & CEO upon completion of his current term on December 31, 2026. Ashok Vaswani has informed Kotak Mahindra Bank’s board that he does not wish to seek re-appointment as Managing Director & CEO upon completion of his current term on December 31, 2026. “The Board has, at its meeting held today, respected his decision and has initiated the process for the appointment of a new Managing Director & CEO. The process will be completed within applicable regulatory timelines,” the private sector bank said in a regulatory filing. Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments. We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of TheHindu Businessline and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.

Ashok Vaswani to step down as Kotak Mahindra’s chief after current term in December 2026
North America
CNBC Finance

The brands winning with World Cup advertising may not be the sponsors

As people around the world tune into this summer's World Cup, some of the brands generating the most buzz aren't even official sponsors of the tournament. The list of official sponsors for this year's World Cup, hosted in cities across the U.S., Canada and Mexico, include global household names like Adidas, Coca-Cola and Qatar Airways. But even before the tournament began, the spotlight fell on companies like Levi Strauss & Co., Taco Bell and Texas-based convenience store chain Buc-ee's. Some have garnered traction on social media for their creative marketing strategies, while others have benefited from organic customer response with the influx of international players and fans. McDonald's celebrated the tournament with limited-time menu items and cups. Taco Bell leaned into a new campaign to support fans in celebration or support depending on the outcome of a match. According to marketing research firm WARC Media, advertising spending on this year's World Cup tournament is expected to reach $10.5 billion. That's just below spending for the 2018 World Cup, hosted by Russia, which totaled roughly $12.6 billion. Market intelligence firm Sensor Tower told CNBC that World Cup advertising spend increased 42% week over week in the days leading up to the first game. The firm tracked that Taco Bell and Duracell have both increased their advertising spend in the past few weeks, though the top 10 World Cup advertisers by spend over the past three months have been sponsors or broadcast partners of the event. According to market research firm Meltwater, in the ramp-up to the World Cup, non-sponsor brand collaborations generated nearly double the engagement of official sponsors, reaching roughly 61 million engagements versus just 33 million. The firm told CNBC that while sponsored advertisements led in volume, distribution and creative quality helped propel non-sponsors to higher engagement, with the most social media engagement coming from TikTok. Since the tournament began, non-sponsor brands have surpassed 57,000 mentions on social media versus just over 43,000 for official sponsors, the company said. "A big takeaway from this World Cup is that you don't need an official sponsorship to own the cultural moment anymore," Meltwater CEO John Box told CNBC. "The brands that will win the next tournament aren't necessarily the ones with the biggest budgets, but instead the ones who are set up to see what's trending in real time, the creativity to connect it back to your brand, and the speed to act before the moment passes." According to Meltwater, Coca-Cola and Adidas accounted for half of all sponsor mentions in the buildup to the tournament. But in the final 11 days before the first match on June 11, McDonald's became the clear winner, with engagement share rising from 2.6% to 23%. Of the non-sponsors, Lego accounted for 82% of the top 50 most engaging non-sponsor posts across social media platforms, Meltwater said. The construction toy company's World Cup campaign delivered 12 times the sponsor average in the days leading up to the tournament.

The brands winning with World Cup advertising may not be the sponsors
Asia
The Hindu BusinessLine

Nifty and Nifty Bank Prediction for the week 29 Jun’26 to 03 Jul’26 by BL GURU

Nifty is holding well above its support. The nifty bank index is stuck inside a range. Both are in line with our expectation. Overall, the bias remains positive. We expect the Nifty to break its resistance and go higher. The Nifty Bank index can also make a bullish breakout of its range and rise in the coming weeks. Nifty can rise to 24,750-24,850 on a break above 24,250. Support is around 23,800 The Nifty bank index can make a bullish breakout of its 56,500-58,800 range and rise to 60,500-61,500. Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments. We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of TheHindu Businessline and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.

Nifty and Nifty Bank Prediction for the week 29 Jun’26 to 03 Jul’26 by BL GURU
North America
CNBC Finance

Rise in memory chip costs puts pressure on retailers of laptops and smartphones

As the global artificial intelligence race accelerates, memory chips are getting more expensive. As a result, costs of some consumer electronics are beginning to rise for retailers and consumers alike. Memory storage, known as RAM, is crucial for all computing devices, including phones, tablets and laptops. The cost of chips has been rising due to a supply shortage driven largely by massive demand for AI data centers. Companies such as Nvidia, Advanced Micro Devices and Google have been scrambling to secure RAM for their chips. Apple on Thursday announced it's raising its prices on MacBooks and iPads — passing along the rising cost of memory to consumers — with the potential for more price hikes down the road. The memory shortage is an "unprecedented challenge," the company said in a statement. Incoming Best Buy CEO Jason Bonfig said on a call with reporters earlier this month that the company expects its computing division will be the most affected by price hikes. "We did see some staggered price increases in Q1, so moving to Q2, we do expect [average sale prices] to increase and units from an elasticity perspective to be impacted," Bonfig said. "We did bring in more inventory in Q1, which you can see on our balance sheet, which does help us to mitigate it." Soaring memory costs are expected to reduce global personal computer shipments by 10.4% and smartphone shipments by 8.4% in 2026, according to Ranjit Atwal, a senior director analyst at Gartner, citing February research. Gartner also projected that PC prices will increase by 17% and smartphone prices will grow by 13%, compared with 2025 levels. "What's happening this time around, compared to previous times that memory prices have gone up, is the extent with which prices of memory is increasing," Atwal said. "Secondly is the length of time that we think prices will remain high. ... This one is looking like it won't be until the end of 2027 before we get to any type of regional pricing." While the price increases may not be immediately apparent in stores, Atwal said, it's inevitable that the demand will outpace the supply. Some retailers pulled forward inventory in the first quarter in anticipation of the rising prices, he added, but that cushion can only last so long. "It will catch up with everyone," he said. "You end up in a point where you just have no control over what you can do. You have to pass it on, and that's the difference now versus where we were before. The market's more mature as well, so there's an expectation that people are going to buy up anyway." Consumers might not even be aware of the price hikes, Atwal said. Most people upgrade their laptops after four or five years and may not even remember what they previously paid or what the specifications of their old models were, he said. That gap may lead to a somewhat "delayed impact" on consumer behavior, Atwal said, but the eventual effect is bound to hit them soon. So far, Bonfig said, Best Buy isn't seeing any indication that consumers are pulling forward purchases or even that the rising memory costs are affecting their budgets.

Rise in memory chip costs puts pressure on retailers of laptops and smartphones
Europe
BBC Business

Could you handle a 20-plus hour flight? This airline is banking on it

On a stage at the Airbus headquarters in Toulouse, the chief executive of Australian airline Qantas declares: "The tyranny of distance has finally been conquered". Vanessa Hudson was in the French city last week to announce the world's first 20-plus hour flight route. The airline first flew what it named the Kangaroo route between London and Sydney in 1947. At the time, it was an odyssey spanning seven stops and four days. Those stops have been gradually reduced, with Qantas now stopping only once, in Singapore, on the way through. But 80 years after that 1940s venture, the first non-stop flight between the two cities is set to take off from October 2027. Using specially designed ultra-long-haul Airbus planes, Qantas expects to shave about four hours off the current journey time. It is expected to last around 22 hours. The much anticipated - and delayed - breakthrough comes after a turbulent few years in the airline's history, and bosses are banking on customers embracing the premium but marathon flight. "We feel really confident that this is going to be a success," Hudson tells the BBC. Some analysts say it is a major milestone in aviation history. But is it really what people want? The flight will save money on landing fees by eliminating a stop, but Hudson admits the longer flight has a higher relative fuel bill. There are also fewer seats, nearly half of which (40%) will be premium economy, business, or first class. To counter the increased risk of issues such as deep vein thrombosis which can occur from flying for such long periods, Qantas has increased the legroom in economy and also created a dedicated "wellness" space where passengers can follow stretching exercises on a screen and have a little more room to move about.

Could you handle a 20-plus hour flight? This airline is banking on it
Europe
BBC Business

Three unusual things about the King's tax bill

Image source, Getty ImagesByMitchell LabiakBusiness reporterPublished4 hours agoKing Charles has made history by revealing his £12.9m tax bill, but the payment is far from ordinary. The announcement comes alongside the Royal Household publishing its annual financial report. Here's what the document tells us – and doesn't tell us – about the King's unique tax situation. King Charles is not legally required to pay income tax, capital gains tax, or inheritance tax. The MoU came about in 1993 following public pressure over the cost of running the Royal Family and is occasionally updated, most recently in 2023 to reflect the change of monarch following Queen Elizabeth II's death. The fact that some of the King's taxes are voluntary is not the case for regular taxpayers, and some argue this means that it is not a tax at all. HMRC defines tax as "money that individual people and businesses are legally required to pay to the government". Dan Neidle, founder of Tax Policy Associates, told the BBC: "If it's voluntary, it's not tax." Meanwhile, the report says King Charles pays VAT, employer taxes, and local rates "in line with requirements". While the Royal Household describes releasing the King's tax bill as part of its "commitment to transparency", it's not clear how it has been figured out. So although we know that the King has agreed to pay tax on personal income, income from the Privy Purse not spent on official duties, and capital gains tax on private property sales, we don't know what proportion of those taxes make up the £12.9m paid. It mostly comprises income from the Duchy of Lancaster, an estate that belongs to whoever is the ruling monarch and owns – among other things – the Savoy Hotel in London.

Three unusual things about the King's tax bill
Europe
The Guardian

US reporter urges supreme court to halt ruling forcing her to reveal sources or pay $800-a-day fine

Catherine Herridge at the White House correspondents’ dinner in Washington in April 2025. The case has concerned press advocates. Photograph: Paul Morigi/Getty ImagesView image in fullscreenCatherine Herridge at the White House correspondents’ dinner in Washington in April 2025. The case has concerned press advocates. Photograph: Paul Morigi/Getty ImagesMediaUS reporter urges supreme court to halt ruling forcing her to reveal sources or pay $800-a-day fineCatherine Herrridge makes final bid to stave off penalty related to series of stories she wrote in 2017 for Fox News More than two years ago, a US district court judge took the extraordinary step of holding the veteran investigative journalist Catherine Herridge in civil contempt, ordering her to pay a steep daily fine of $800 per day unless she reveals her sources for a series of stories she wrote in 2017 for Fox News. Since then, the case has slowly moved through the appeals process, with Herridge dealt a series of defeats. On Tuesday, the US court of appeals for the District of Columbia circuit issued a one-sentence ruling denying Herridge’s plea to stay the February 2024 ruling holding her in contempt, an order made by district court judge Christopher R Cooper. With time running out before the fine might go into effect, Herridge’s legal team is attempting one more legal maneuver to try to stave off the penalty. On Friday, Herridge filed a petition for a stay with the US supreme court. The petition was filed by Paul D Clement, a prominent appellate attorney who has also been retained by Disney to protest the Federal Communications Commission’s investigation of the ABC broadcast The View. John Roberts, the supreme court chief justice, responded to Herridge’s petition by issuing a stay of the appeals court’s rulings to give the other party in the case, Chinese American scientist Yanping Chen, until 1 July to file a response. “We are pleased with the supreme court’s decision to temporarily stay the deeply troubling contempt order,” Fox News said in a statement on Friday. “Fox News stands firmly behind the first amendment and the principle that reporters must be able to do their jobs without the threat of crippling fines or forced exposure of their sources.” Chen’s attorney, Andy Phillips, expressed confidence in his client’s case. “Both the district and circuit courts have now ruled five times over that Ms Herridge has no privilege to continue to shield the identity of a federal official who broke the law and abused his or her position to cause harm to an American citizen by leaking protected materials,” he said in a statement. “We are confident that the supreme court will reach the same result.” Press advocates have long been extremely worried about the convoluted case, which stems from a privacy act lawsuit that was filed by Chen to uncover who might have provided information to Herridge about a US government investigation of her background and an educational program she operated in Virginia. Herridge was not named in the lawsuit, but Chen’s lawyers have argued that their client can only get justice if the journalist is compelled to reveal how she obtained information about the government’s investigation of Chen. Herridge, who worked at CBS News after leaving Fox, has refused to reveal her sources, believing it to be an abdication of her responsibility as a national security journalist – a position that press freedom groups have backed. Because there is no federal shield law protecting journalists from having to reveal their sources, the case shows the vulnerable position facing reporters who cover sensitive stories with national implications. It’s not clear yet whether Herridge would personally be on the hook for the $800 daily fee, or whether her employer at the time, Fox News, could front it. Seth Stern, chief of advocacy for the Freedom of the Press Foundation, expressed optimism that the supreme court would take Herridge’s petition seriously. “The supreme court should use this opportunity to make clear that plaintiffs and prosecutors cannot commandeer the fourth estate to help them build their cases,” he told the Guardian on Friday. “Reporter-source confidentiality is the lifeblood of investigative journalism. Whistleblowers in a position to expose abuses won’t trust journalists to protect them, and won’t come forward, if they believe reporters will be threatened with financial ruin for not outing them in court.”

US reporter urges supreme court to halt ruling forcing her to reveal sources or pay $800-a-day fine
North America
CNBC Finance

Estrogen patches are hard to find, and it may not be resolved any time soon

Estrogen patches are in short supply as demand for the menopause medications skyrockets, and it could take at least a year for manufacturers to catch up. Prescriptions of estrogen patches have increased 162% over the past two years, according to data from HealthVerity. Already rising demand was turbocharged last fall when the Food and Drug Administration removed a more than 20-year-old black box warning discouraging women from taking hormone replacement therapy. Manufacturers are struggling to keep pace. Three types of patches are in shortage, according to data from the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, which relies on reports from healthcare providers. The FDA, using a different methodology, hasn't declared a shortage of estradiol. "You can get them, but it takes a lot of time and effort when we're all so busy at this time of our lives," said Dr. Susan Loeb-Zeitlin, director of the Women's Midlife Center at Weill Cornell Medicine. Doctors across the country describe the difficulty their patients are experiencing to find hormone replacement therapies, particularly estrogen patches. When asked how much time she spends trying to help people find the medication, Dr. Francesca Turner, a doctor in Iowa, just laughs. "Between my nurse, patients' pharmacists and myself, we are doing this pretty much every day trying to figure out how to navigate this for our patients," Turner said. Doctors prescribe estrogen to treat the symptoms of menopause, including hot flashes and brain fog, which occur when a woman's body produce less of the hormone. Estradiol is the most potent type and is commonly administered through a patch that gradually releases the hormone on the skin to help ease physical and mental symptoms of menopause. Doctors prefer giving estrogen topically because it's considered a safer option than orally, Loeb-Zeitlin said. For more than two decades, the FDA advised women to avoid treating menopause with estrogen because a 2002 study called the Women's Health Initiative suggested it could put women at greater risk of breast cancer and other conditions like dementia. Later analyses found the participants in the study were older than most women starting hormone replacement therapy and the risks of taking it were overstated. The FDA reversed course last fall and said it would work with companies to remove references to the risks in the labels of the medications. By then, interest had already rebounded. Doctors credit prominent voices like Oprah Winfrey and social media users for shining a light on menopause, the life-altering symptoms that some women experience and how hormone replacement therapies can help. "The demand has actually come from more of the community of women saying within their groups or communities that they are still suffering," said Dr. Jessica Shepherd, chief medical officer of Hers. "This was much more brought about by social media, where people are really able to air their voice, and you see a lot of celebrities that were talking about their journey as well." Seeing the momentum, Hers, part of the telehealth provider Hims & Hers that's best known for offering erectile dysfunction drugs and GLP-1s, about a year and a half ago decided to get into the perimenopause and menopause business, Shepherd said. Interest in the program has tripled since the company introduced it in October, the company said. Prescriptions of all types of estrogen have risen 78% over the past two years, according to data from HealthVerity. The patches have proven particularly popular, with prescriptions more than doubling to 1.6 million in May from 594,000 in June of 2024, HealthVerity found. They now account for 44% of all estrogen prescriptions.

Estrogen patches are hard to find, and it may not be resolved any time soon