NEW DELHI: In one of the largest global tech investment flows into India, American tech giant Amazon on Wednesday committed a mega $35 billion for its operations here, over and above the $40 billion that it has already put into the country.The ecommerce, cloud and media giant said that the investments will be made by 2030 as it goes big on business expansion while focusing on three strategic pillars: AI-driven digitization, export growth and job creation

Announcement comes a day after Microsoft’s $17.5B promise

Amazon’s mega bucks come a day after Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella had announced a $17.5 billion investment in AI and cloud infrastructure in India.“By 2030, Amazon plans to create one million additional job opportunities, boosting cumulative exports to $80 billion, delivering AI benefits to 15 million small businesses, hundreds of millions of shoppers, and providing AI education and career exploration opportunities to 4 million government school students,” the company said.“We are humbled to have been a part of India’s digital transformation journey over the past 15 years, with Amazon’s growth in India perfectly aligned with the vision of an Atmanirbhar and Viksit Bharat. We have invested at scale in growing the physical and digital infrastructure for small businesses in India, creating millions of jobs, and taking Made-in-India global. Looking ahead, we’re excited to continue being a catalyst for India’s growth, as we democratize access to AI for millions of Indians, create 1 million job opportunities, and quadruple cumulative ecommerce exports enabled to $80 billion by 2030,” Amit Agarwal, Senior VP for Emerging Markets at Amazon said.Amazon said it has enabled over $20 billion in exports from India. “The company has now set a goal of enabling $80 billion in cumulative ecommerce exports from India by 2030.”The company launched “Accelerate Exports” — a manufacturing-focused initiative — designed to connect digital entrepreneurs with manufacturers while enabling manufacturers to become successful global sellers. “As part of the program, Amazon will host on-ground onboarding drives in over 10 manufacturing clusters across India, including Tirupur, Kanpur, and Surat. At the Smbhav summit, Amazon announced a key partnership with the Apparel Export Promotion Council of India to grow and scale the program across India,” the company said.

US President Donald Trump addressed America’s affordability concerns at a campaign rally in Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday, saying that the prices have come down “tremendously.” He moved to reassure Americans frustrated by high living costs and dismissed Democrat’s criticism over inflation as a “hoax”. The event was a shift from his usual arguments about affordability, away from White House briefings and social media posts, into a more energetic campaign setting. Trump asserted that consumer prices are falling sharply. “Prices are coming down tremendously from the highest prices in the history of our country.” His remarks followed earlier claims made at the White House a day earlier, when he insisted, “We’re bringing prices way down,” and argued that Democrats had created the affordability crisis while he was “fixing it”.

Low confidence in Trump

The push comes at a difficult moment for Trump. Surveys in recent weeks show a drop in public confidence in his handling of the economy, even as the White House says it expects inflation to ease next year. And although he has promised to bring prices down quickly, only 33% of American adults approve of his economic management, according to a November survey by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Following lacklustre Republican performances in last month’s off-cycle elections, administration officials have been trying to convince voters that the current cost pressures are unrelated to Trump’s policies. But price levels have remained stubborn, rising again after Trump introduced his “Liberation Day” tariffs in April. Businesses had warned that the sweeping import taxes could lead to higher consumer prices and reduced hiring, even as inflation had begun calming after hitting a 40-year peak in 2022. Trump has instead repeatedly blamed his Democratic predecessor, Joe Biden, for the problem. His appearance in Monroe County, a region that backed Biden in 2020 but swung to Trump in 2024, was closely watched for signs of how voters view his claims. The county, anchored by the tourism-driven Pocono Mountains and increasingly attractive to people priced out of New York City, is set to play a key role in next year’s fight for control of the US House. The rally was held indoors, a change from the larger venues Trump used last year. It also placed him squarely inside the district represented by Republican Rob Bresnahan, who won his 2024 House race by only about 1.5 percentage points and is now a key Democratic target. Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti is among those vying to challenge him.

‘A plus plus plus’ economy ?

Trump has continued to boast about economic performance even as many Americans struggle with rising costs. On a Politico podcast, he rated the economy “A-plus”, later amplifying that to “A-plus-plus-plus-plus-plus”. He has pointed to relaxed auto fuel efficiency standards and agreements aimed at lowering list prices for prescription drugs as evidence that he is easing pressures on consumers. He has also argued that significant cuts to the Federal Reserve’s benchmark interest rate would lower mortgage and auto-loan costs, despite concerns from critics that such moves could worsen inflation. National indicators show a mixed picture: the stock market has climbed this year, and economic growth appeared solid in the third quarter. Yet many households say the cost of housing, groceries, electricity, education and other essentials continues to erode their incomes. The administration maintains that inflation will subside next year, partly due to investment in artificial intelligence and manufacturing.Trump has repeatedly argued that concerns about affordability are being exaggerated for political effect. Speaking in the Oval Office earlier, he said “affordability is the greatest con job” by Democrats, insisting that his own past actions show he is the one genuinely addressing the issue.

The Supreme Court clarified that while the Election Commission cannot definitively determine citizenship, it can inquire about it if doubts arise regarding voters. The apex court emphasized that Indian citizenship is a constitutional prerequisite for voting, not merely a matter of residence and age. This ruling supports the EC’s stance on verifying voter eligibility.

The opposition’s stand that EC cannot determine citizenship has been a common thread running through the arguments of a large number of politicians and NGOs represented by advocates Kapil Sibal, A M Singhvi, Prashant Bhushan, Shadan Farasat and Md Nizamuddin Pasha.

If it has doubts, EC can probe person’s citizenship, says SC

EC has no jurisdiction to engage in determination of citizenship of a voter as that is the task of govt or Foreigners Tribunal. All of them argued that according to Representation of the People Act, if a person has proof of residence and is over 18, and gives a self-declaration that he is a citizen of India, then EC has no power to inquire into citizenship and delete him from the voters’ list.On Tuesday, a bench of CJI Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi responded, saying, “EC does not claim that it has the power to determine citizenship of a person or declare him as a foreigner. But, if it has doubts about the citizenship of a person registered as a voter or seeking inclusion of name as a voter, it can surely inquire into it.”“The first and foremost pre-condition for inclusion as a voter is that he/she must be a citizen of India. Given the constitutional and statutory powers conferred on EC, can it not undertake an inquisitorial exercise to find out who are doubtful citizens? That is included in the constitutional task of superintendence of elections,” the bench said, in what marked an endorsement of EC’s own stance on the issue.Farasat argued when a statutory procedure was provided for determination of citizenship, EC had no jurisdiction to usurp that process. SC said, “To argue that a person required only proof of residence and age for inclusion in a voter list without proof of citizenship would be a misnomer. Proof of residence and age are statutory requirements. But citizenship is a constitutional requirement.”“Take a hypothetical example of an illegal migrant residing in India for more than a decade and more than 18 years of age. Will he be counted as a citizen to be included in the voter list? To argue that citizenship is to be presumed when residential and age criteria are met will be wrong …,” it said.Farasat said, “The danger of illegal migrants getting into voters’ lists is far less compared to mass exclusion of voters in the name of identifying non-citizens.” SC said, ” Can it be said that by asking for documentary proof, it is attempting to determine citizenship of a person?”

NEW DELHI: BJP MP Nishikant Dubey on Tuesday took on Rahul Gandhi over his allegation of electoral malpractices against the govt, saying EVMs were introduced by former PM Rajiv Gandhi to curb poll irregularities, and blamed “pro-Muslim” politics of Congress and regional parties for their opposition to SIR, as he cited disproportionate rise in Muslim population in states like West Bengal to back the exercise.Dubey rebutted Gandhi’s allegations – including over “vote chori” and govt’s decisive say in appointment of election commissioners – saying Congress put its favourite bureaucrats in poll bodies and rewarded them with berths and party tickets. As member of the selection committee, the LoP is now part of the process and can file his dissent which was never the case when Congress was in office, he said.Cong involved in ‘vote chori’ since 1952, claim BJP netasIntervening in the discussion on election reforms in the lower House of Parliament, law minister Arjun Ram Meghwal said the special intensive revision of electoral rolls has been held multiple times since 1952 & was necessary to clean up rolls, which change due to migration and rapid urbanisation.Meghwal accused Congress of engaging in “vote chori” since the first LS elections, including in the defeat of B R Ambedkar. He emphasised that the Modi govt did not change the law regarding appointment of the CEC and fellow election commissioners, but created a framework following a 2023 SC ruling. Nishikant Dubey said former CEC TN Sheshan was given a Congress ticket to contest against BJP’s LK Advani, while another CEC, MS Gill, became a minister in the Manmohan Singh govt after “favouring” Sonia Gandhi in the “office of profit” row. “They talk of transparency. Congress worker Batuk Singh was made UPSC chairman,” he said.He said Parliament’s select committees dating back to the 60s and 70s recommended SIR and voting machines for reforming polling process, while a joint committee that included MPs from Jana Sangh, BJP’s forerunner, favoured in 1972 reducing the voting age to 18 from 21. Rajiv Gandhi implemented this in 1988, and Congress is claiming it to be the biggest polls reform, he said.Batting for SIR, he named a number of districts, including Kolkata and Murshidabad, in poll-bound West Bengal and Jharkhand, and cited 2011 Census data to flag disproportionately high rise in the Muslim population compared to their national growth since independence to claim the presence of Bangladeshi infiltrators. BJP MP Sanjay Jaiswal said Congress did “vote chori” by picking Nehru as PM over Sardar Patel, who was favoured by most party units, while Indira Gandhi did it by imposing Emergency.

The US Federal Reserve is widely expected to lower borrowing costs this week, but deep divisions within the policy-making panel suggest further rate cuts will be harder to secure, analysts say.Policymakers are set to meet on December 9–10 amid a complicated economic backdrop, with inflation still running above the Fed’s 2% target even as hiring weakens and unemployment rises. Economists expect Chair Jerome Powell to back a quarter-point cut — the third this year — though dissent is likely to be unusually high, AP reported.Some analysts believe as many as three officials could vote against the cut, marking the most dissenting votes in six years. Only 12 of the Fed’s 19 rate-setting committee members vote on decisions, and several non-voting officials have also expressed opposition to further easing.“It’s just a really tricky time. Perfectly sensible people can reach different answers,” William English, economist at Yale School of Management and former senior Fed staffer, said, highlighting the challenge of building consensus.The debate has been complicated by sparse official data following the prolonged US government shutdown, which delayed employment and inflation readings. Inflation pressures would normally argue against rate cuts, while signs of labour market weakness point in the opposite direction.Most economists now expect a “hawkish cut” — a rate reduction accompanied by guidance suggesting the Fed may pause to assess economic conditions. Financial markets are increasingly focused on the tone of Powell’s commentary rather than the cut itself.Kansas City Fed president Jeffrey Schmid is expected to dissent again in favour of holding rates steady, potentially joined by St. Louis Fed president Alberto Musalem. Fed governor Stephen Miran may oppose the quarter-point move and instead argue for a larger half-point reduction.Expectations of a December cut firmed after New York Fed president John Williams said the recent rise in inflation appeared to be a temporary effect linked to tariffs, and that he still saw “room for a further adjustment” in rates. Market-implied odds of a cut now stand at about 89%, according to CME Fedwatch.Powell’s leadership is also being tested politically, as President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticised the Fed chair and signalled that a new chair will be appointed when Powell’s term ends in May.While concerns about unemployment — which rose to 4.4% in September — are driving support for a December cut, economists caution that additional easing will depend on upcoming data. The Fed will review a backlog of jobs and inflation reports before its next meeting in January, which could either justify further cuts or compel a pause.

Hardik Pandya plays a shot during the first T20 International cricket match between India and South Africa in Cuttack, India, Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025. (AP)

Ace all-rounder Hardik Pandya returned to competitive cricket with a half-century that helped India reach 175/6 in the first T20I against South Africa on Tuesday.Playing his first match after 74 days, Pandya came back following a left quadricep injury that had ruled him out of the Asia Cup. He walked in at No. 6 and changed the pace of the innings.

India lost six wickets across the powerplay and middle overs. Pandya, who had shown his fitness earlier by scoring an unbeaten 77 off 42 balls for Baroda in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, took on the South African bowlers and finished on 59 not out off 28 balls.This was his sixth fifty in T20 internationals.Pandya began by hitting two sixes off Keshav Maharaj after Tilak Varma was dismissed for 26. He then scored 17 runs in an over from Anrich Nortje, including a four off a 149kph delivery. Marco Jansen bowled short balls, but Pandya responded with a pull shot before moving close to his half-century. He later hit a six and a four off Lutho Sipamla, who finished with figures of 2/38, in the 19th over.Pandya reached his fifty in 25 balls with a six over third man off Nortje in the final over. He acknowledged the milestone with a brief raise of the bat.India scored 53 runs in the final five overs. Nortje, playing his first match after injury, gave away 41 runs in four overs, including 12 in the last over.

Pandya becomes fourth Indian to smash 100 T20I sixes

Pandya’s innings included six fours and four sixes. With this knock, he became the fourth Indian batter to hit 100 sixes in T20 internationals.He joined Rohit Sharma (205), Suryakumar Yadav (155), and Virat Kohli (124) on the list. KL Rahul is next with 99 sixes.