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Why It Makes Sense To Invest In Sovereign Gold Bonds As COVID-19 Plays Havoc

Posted by Equitymaster
      

Gold has indeed proven itself as an effective hedge against any downside risk. It has seen a sharp rise in the price rally since the first case of Novel Coronavirus was reported in November 2019.

In the beginning of March, gold prices fell marginally, however it is on the upswing and has retained its level above Rs 40,000 per 10 grams.

Graph: Gold's rising uptrend

Gold started to ascend last year when the US and China trade talks began and escalated in trade war, followed by similar trade wars of the US with other nations.

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These events have proved to be favourable for the momentum of the price of Gold. It played its role of a crucial hedge and store of value when other asset classes had witnessed high volatility and posted marginal returns.

Some of the other factors that have supported gold are...

  • The outbreak of COVID-19 with no evident containment yet
  • Economic uncertainty and fears of a virus-led global recession
  • Global GDP growth revised downwards and for across regions
  • Easy monetary policy action (of reduction in interest rates and stimulus packages) and an accommodative stance adopted by the central banks across the world to support growth
  • A crash in the oil markets due to lack of demand and excess supply with storage problems
  • A record-high global debt-to-GDP of nearly US$ 255 trillion (over 322% of global GDP) - 40 percentage points higher than at the onset of 2008 global financial crisis according to the Institute of International Finance (IIF), as the world is fighting the COVID-19 pandemic
  • The US Presidential elections later this year, in November 2020
  • Increased stock market volatility
  • The potential risk to the inflation trajectory.

[Read: Coronavirus Has No Antidote. Your Bad Investments Could Have.]

Besides, the lockdown brought upon due to COVID-19 pandemic is going to hurt the economy for a couple of quarters badly which will amplify the credit risk. The economic activity will slow grind to full capacity, prompting furloughs and pay cuts, and job losses across sectors, which will affect the credit line as the number of defaulters will rise because cash strapping will be seen.

Recognising the risk stemming from the bottom hit economy, where the growth projections by the IMF are almost 1.9% due to the CoVID-19, the NPAs of banks and NBFCs are expected to increase.

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[Read: How the COVID-19 Extended Lockdown Has Made Investments in 'Banking Funds' Very Risky]

Until the COVID-19 pandemic is contained and economic uncertainty prevails, the spotlight will continue to be on gold owing to the financial uncertainty it brings along. Even the IMF Global Financial Stability report highlights an increase in the level of risk among multiple global metrics and, therefore, the importance of owning gold in one's portfolio.

Hence, in my view, in the current situation consider allocating some portion of your investment portfolio to gold and its equivalents. This year buying gold in a physical form from your preferred jeweller or gold merchant may not be possible amidst the COVID-19 extended lockdown. But you can always consider Gold Exchange Traded Funds, Gold Saving Funds, Sovereign Gold Bonds, and/or Digital Gold, which are smart and unconventional ways of investing in gold.

Recently the Government of India, in consultation with the Reserve Bank of India, decided to issue Sovereign Gold Bonds. The Sovereign Gold Bonds will be issued in six tranches from April 2020 to September 2020 as per the calendar specified below:

S. No. Tranche Date of Subscription Date of Issuance
1 2020-21 Series I April 20-24, 2020 28-Apr-20
2 2020-21 Series II May 11-15, 2020 19-May-20
3 2020-21 Series III June 08-12, 2020 16-Jun-20
4 2020-21 Series IV July 06-10, 2020 14-Jul-20
5 2020-21 Series V August 03-07, 2020 11-Aug-20
6 2020-21 Series VI Aug. 31-Sept.04, 2020 8-Sep-20
(Source: Reserve bank of India)

Each of the tranche is offered for a limited subscription period, having a maturity tenure of 8 years and a lock-in period of 5 years

With an initial investment amount of Rs 20,000, resident individuals, Hindu Undivided Families (HUFs), Trusts, Universities and Charitable Institutions can subscribe to SGBs. The application can be also made by the guardian on behalf of the minor. One can purchase units from the secondary market as well.

The issue price of the SGB will be Rs 50 per gram less than the nominal value when applied online and the payment against the application is made through digital mode.

On maturity, the Gold Bonds shall be redeemed in Indian Rupees and the redemption price shall be based on a simple average of the closing price of gold of 999 purity of previous 3 business days from the date of repayment, published by the India Bullion and Jewellers Association Limited.

In order to encourage passive but direct gold investment, as an alternative to purchasing physical gold, Modi led Government sanctioned a Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme in November 2015. Under this scheme, investors have to pay the issue price in cash and the bonds will be redeemed in cash on maturity. The Bond is issued by the Reserve Bank on behalf of Government of India.

With the Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme, the risks and costs of physical storage are eliminated. Plus, it is free from issues like the costs of making charges and purity, as in the case of gold in jewellery form. But these bonds are held in the books of the RBI, or in demat form to eliminate even the risk of loss of scrip, etc.

Sovereign Gold Bonds will generate market returns linked to the price of gold, so there may be a risk of capital loss if the market price of gold declines. Moreover, these bonds will provide interest income at the rate of 2.50 per cent (fixed rate) per annum on the amount of initial investment to investors and will be redeemable.

The minimum investment allowed is 1 gram, while the maximum buying limit is a subscription of 4 kg for individuals, 4 kg for Hindu Undivided Family (HUF), and 20 kg for trusts and similar entities notified by the government from time to time per fiscal year (April - March).

These bonds are sold through offices or branches of Nationalised Banks, Scheduled Private Banks, Scheduled Foreign Banks, designated Post Offices, Stock Holding Corporation of India Ltd. (SHCIL), and the authorised stock exchanges, either directly or through their agents.

Do note, that the interest on the bonds is taxed as per the provisions of the Income-tax Act, 1961. If you hold the SGB till maturity the capital gains tax on redemption of SGB is exempted. But if you sold the bond in the secondary market after three years, long term capital gains (LTCGs) tax is applicable and it will be taxed at 20 per cent with indexation. And if sold before three years, a short-term capital gains (STCGs) tax will be applicable according to the income tax slab.

What should the investors do?

Defeating the Coronavirus and surviving is everyone's core focus and having liquidity, those who have an adequate contingency fund are looking for investments.

Equity and debt markets are yet to see any signs of revival despite the stimulating relief measures provided to uplift the slowing of economy but investing in gold can prove to be worthy for your portfolio.

[Read: What Could Be the Potential Impact of a Lockdown on Your Mutual Fund Portfolio? Know Here...]

Even the bond prices were at all-time lows, which are inversely proportional to gold as well. In my view allocate at least 10-15% of your entire investment portfolio to gold and hold it with a long-term investment horizon.

Remember gold offers an effective hedge during global uncertainty and a shield against inflation. Most importantly in your portfolio, it serves as a diversifier.



PersonalFN is a Mumbai based personal finance firm offering Financial Planning and Mutual Fund Research services.

Disclaimer:
The views mentioned above are of the author only. Data and charts, if used, in the article have been sourced from available information and have not been authenticated by any statutory authority. The author and Equitymaster do not claim it to be accurate nor accept any responsibility for the same. The views constitute only the opinions and do not constitute any guidelines or recommendation on any course of action to be followed by the reader. Please read the detailed Terms of Use of the web site.




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1,200-year-old Buddhist carvings found in Tibet

Representational picture

Lhasa: Newly discovered cliff carvings in eastern Tibet may offer a glimpse into Buddhist art and local history from 1,200 years ago.

According to the regional cultural relics protection research institute, the discoveries dating back to the Tibetan Tubo Kingdom were found in Acur township of Qamdo city, Xinhua news agency reported.

The relics of the Buddha figure carvings were first found by construction workers who were mining for stones. The carvings are inscribed on cliffs that stretch some 10 metres in total.

Experts believe that the carvings were created in the 9th century, based on their style.

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Good friends circle in old age may boost brain functioning

New York: Maintaining strong social networks with positive, warm and trusting friendships in old age might be key to slowing down age-related decline in memory and brain functioning, researchers say.

Representational picture

The findings showed that superagers -- who are 80 years and older -- who have the cognitive ability at least as good as people in their 50s or 60s can have more satisfying, high-quality relationships compared to their cognitively average, same-age peers.

"This study supports the theory that maintaining strong social networks seems to be linked to slower cognitive decline," said Emily Rogalski, Associate Professor at the Northwestern University in the US.

"The study is particularly exciting as a step toward understanding what factors underlie the preservation of cognitive ability in advanced age, particularly those that may be modifiable," added Amanda Cook, doctoral student at the varsity.

Previous studies have shown psychological well-being in older age to be associated with reduced risk of developing Alzheimer's dementia.

"It's not as simple as saying if you have a strong social network, you'll never get Alzheimer's disease," Rogalski said.

"But if there is a list of healthy choices one can make, such as eating a certain diet and not smoking, maintaining strong social networks may be an important one on that list," Rogalski noted.

For the study, published in the journal PLOS ONE, the participants answered a 42-item questionnaire called the Ryff Psychological Well-Being Scale, which is a widely used to measure of psychological well-being.

The scale examines six aspects of psychological well-being: autonomy, positive relations with others, environmental mastery, personal growth, purpose in life and self-acceptance.

Superagers scored a median overall score of 40 in positive relations with others while the control group scored 36 -- a significant difference, Rogalski said.





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Tax-News.com: Russia Clarifies Tax Treaty Access Rules For Non-Res Holding Companies

In a letter dated August 8, 2019, the Russian Federal Tax Service amended the rules for non-resident holding companies to be considered as the beneficial owner of Russia-sourced income.




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Some Brokerages offer zero brokerage while some old brokerages charge 0.5% and above. Is it wise to open account with zero brokerage company? (SHEIK)

Can I Open account with zero brokerage company for share buy/sell.Whether it is safe? Please clarify..




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How the YES Bank Collapse Unfolded - 10 Points

Posted by Equitymaster
      

In under 3 years, Yes Bank has gone from being a darling of investors to a pariah. Here's a look at the events that led to the crisis in 10 points.

  1. 2017: RBI forces Yes Bank to disclose that there is big divergence in its non-performing loans of Rs 42 billion reported in the company's audited accounts for the year ended March 2016. The divergence further widened to almost Rs 64 billion a year later. To put this in perspective, the RBI audit had pegged its total gross non-performing assets (NPAs) at 5% for FY16, against the bank's own assessment of only 0.8% for the same year.
  2. September 19, 2018: Not surprisingly, a year later, RBI refuses to give Yes Bank CEO Rana Kapoor an extension to his term as MD. The apex bank asks Kapoor to step down by end of January 2019. Kapoor fights back...but it always seemed like a battle he was set to lose.
  3. November 27, 2018: Rating agency Moody's cuts bank's rating outlook to 'negative' from 'stable' citing concerns over corporate governance. This is a big whammy...for a bank, its credit rating is everything.
  4. January 24, 2019: Yes Bank hires the head of Deutsche Bank India, Ravneet Gill, as its new CEO. There's hope...even though Gill has not run a bank of this size before. The stock price rallies 66% in the days following the appointment.
  5. May 14, 2019: RBI appoints former central bank Deputy Governor R. Gandhi as additional director to Yes Bank's board - a rare move signaling an increased level of scrutiny on the lender.

    Yes Bank reports 91% drop in profit in 1QFY20, provisions surge and gross NPA ratio stands at 5%.
  6. October 3, 2019: CEO Gill says bank is in talks with private equity firms, strategic investors and family offices to raise additional capital. Again, this appears to be good news.
  7. October 31, 2019: Yes Bank gets binding investment offer of US$ 1.2 billion from a global investor. But this does not go down well as credibility of the likely largest investor is questioned in the media.
  8. November 1, 2019: Yes Bank reports bigger-than-expected loss for 2QFY20, NPA to loans ratio swells to 7.4% and provisions swell to Rs 13.4 billion.
  9. March 6, 2020: It's been months now and there is little progress on capital raising (other than rumours floating around). RBI takes over Yes Bank's board and imposes a month-long moratorium, imposing a limit of Rs 50,000 on withdrawals.
  10. March 7, 2020: Stock price of Yes Bank crashes by nearly 60%. At it's worse the stock was down at Rs 5.7 that day. RBI shares a restructuring plan for Yes Bank...basically a bailout by SBI.

Well, then...that's the Yes Bank timeline. At the time of writing, stock price of Yes Bank was trading up by 31%.

Next time, when you think of buying a banking share...or making a deposit...be sure you understand the risk.



This article (How the YES Bank Collapse Unfolded - 10 Points) is authored by Equitymaster.

Equitymaster is a leading 'independent' equity research initiative focused on providing well-researched and unbiased opinions on stocks listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange.




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Michael Holding picks his 'fab 4' fast bowlers across generations

The great Michael Holding has picked South African Dale Steyn among his top-four fast bowlers across generations and his list includes fellow West Indians Malcolm Marshall and Andy Roberts besides Australian Denis Lillee. In a Sky Sports podcast, the 66-year-old said he would pay to watch Steyn, who retired from Tests last year.

"I have experience with those three guys (Marshall, Roberts and Lillee, but just watching, you can't go Dale Steyn outside of photography. He has been one of the great fast bowlers in an era. You'd pay to see it," said Holding, who picked 249 wickets in 60 Tests at 23.68. Steyn picked 439 Test wickets at a stellar average of 22.95 and has one of the smoothest actions in the game. Talking about Lillee, Holding said he was a complete package. "Lillee had it all: rhythm, aggression control. He was extremely fast when he started, but he had to completely reshape his action after a back injury and find different ways to get hitters out after losing a lot of rhythm.

"When you see that someone can adapt in that way, you have to rate him highly, as many players are not as effective when they miss a beat," said Holding, who was nicknamed 'Whispering Death' for his smooth and silent run-up. On fellow West Indians Marshall and Roberts, Holding said: "Malcolm started with a good rhythm, but as time went on he learned a lot about fast bowling. He could evaluate opposition hitters so quickly and so easily.

"In those days you didn't have many tapes or computers, it was all in his head. He understood how to deal with hitters." On Roberts, he added: "Andy was someone I learned a lot from. He hardly ever spoke, he used to walk around the field with a sullen face and people thought he looked aggressive and must be a miserable guy. But that wasn't Andy. "He was my roommate for most of my career and we used to talk about cricket almost every night. A lot of times, we would order food, we would stay in our room and talk about cricket. You would never believe how much this guy knows."

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Michael Holding, Alan Donald divided over legalising ball tampering

Michael Holding feels legalising ball tampering in the post COVID-19 world is a bit "self contradictory" while Proteas great Allan Donald is completely on the opposite end of the spectrum on a subject that has divided opinions. The International Cricket Council (ICC), during its recent CEC meeting, considered the use of artificial substances on the ball instead of saliva.

"I have read that ICC is contemplating preventing people from using saliva on the ball due to COVID-19 and allowing them to use foreign substances on the ball to keep the shine on but in front of the umpire. I don't understand the logic behind that," Holding told ESPNCricinfo. The West Indies great also questioned the ICC for shifting its stand on the issue by allowing foreign substance instead of saliva or sweat. "Before they got to that point they said if they restart cricket it has to be played in a bio-secure environment.

"They were saying cricketers for instance would have to isolate themselves for two weeks to make sure that everything was fine for when they got to the venue before the match started. And everyone involved (with the match) will have to do the same thing," he said. What Holding can't fathom is that if people quarantine themselves and then start playing, why saliva can't be used then.

"Now, if you are saying everyone is in the bio-secure environment, you are staying in the same hotel, you are not moving for the length of time you are playing the matches, if that is the case why are you worried about someone's saliva? "That person according to what you are doing should be free of Covid-19. If the ICC thinks that the two-week period to prove that you are free of Covid-19 is not foolproof, then that means you are putting everyone in that environment in jeopardy?

"Why would you want to play cricket under those circumstances? It's either safe or it's not. No guessing, please," one of the most respected voices in world cricket said. Pakistan legend Waqar Younis made it clear that use of saliva is a must and can't be done away with when competitive cricket resumes. "As a fast bowler, I reject this because this (using saliva and sweat) is a natural process. A ball exchanges hands all day, you run in, huffing and puffing, you sweat and using saliva is natural rather than on intent. It's a habit and you just can't control this aspect," Waqar said.

He felt that all these kind of ideas show desperation to start proceedings. "I don't know how this discussion came up but I feel people who want the game to be played are frustrated with the lockdown. They are overthinking about it. I doubt this new idea of using (artificial) substance instead of saliva is a solution.

"You can make a bowler use a predefined substance on the ball, but at the same time practically it's not possible to prevent a bowler using his sweat or saliva," Pakistan's current bowling coach said. Donald, however, is open to the idea. "I absolutely agree with legalising ball-tampering. I said so in an article sometime in the 2000s. It happens anyway, we see guys throwing the ball on the ground and umpires say to throw it up and it's pretty obvious what they are doing. It could work if it is well-monitored."

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Michael Holding: Let's pause, look within the game

Looking to suck out every dollar available, cricket was suffering from an overkill and the Coronavirus-forced break should be used to introspect whether the game is heading in the right direction, says West Indies fast bowling great Michael Holding. The cricketer-turned-commentator personally believes hitting the pause button for a while was necessary amid excessive commercialisation of the sport. "Just use the pause to look within the game, to look at what has been happening with the administrators, with the players, and think: Are we heading in the right direction? Is everything okay with our game? Personally, I don't think so," Holding told ESPNcricinfo.

"Everybody has just been head-over-heels charging down the hill, looking for every dollar available. But can we just pause a bit, hit a plateau for a bit and sit down and look and see if everything is fine? There is too much cricket being played, for one." The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the world to a standstill with sporting events around the globe have been postponed or cancelled. The hugely-popular IPL has been postponed indefinitely and the T20 World Cup, to be held later this year in Australia, is also under doubt.

The deadly disease has so far claimed around 2,18,000 lives with India accounting for more than 1000 deaths. Holding, nicknamed 'whispering death' for his quiet approach, said sooner or later the administrators will have to resume cricketing action and if needed, behind the closed doors.

"A lot of administrations figure that they have to play some form of the game to satisfy their broadcasters. Because if the broadcasters don't get what they pay for, they are going to demand their money back," said the Jamaican, who is an avid fan of horse racing and is currently locked down at Cayman Island. "So they have to try and play cricket behind closed doors, or whatever form they can get to play. I can't fault them for trying to do that."

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18-year-old gets stuck inside washing machine while playing hide-and-seek, fire fighters rescue her

An innocent game of hide-and-seek ended in a teenager getting stuck inside the washing machine, only to be rescued by fire-fighters. 18-year-old Amari Dancy was playing the game with her cousins when she thought of the washing machine as a good place to hide.

Little did she know that she would end up getting stuck there. One of the cousins saw her stuck in the washing machine, alerted others and called the emergency services for help. The teenager was quoted by NBC News as saying, "We already had hid underneath the bed, in the closet, and we couldn't go down into the basement...So, I was like 'Oh, ok, let's just hide in the washer machine."

Dancy also said that she was relieved after being rescued, "I was really worried to see if they were going to get me out or not. Once they figured out what to do... I just felt relieved. I just wanted to be out of there."

The ordeal faced by Dancy was shared on Instagram by her aunt Naomi Elizabeth, with videos of firefighters wearing masks and rescuing the girl by removing the top of the washing machine to make enough space to pull her out.

The post shared on Monday garnered 6,087 likes on Instagram with hilarious reactions pouring in the comments.

A user said, "I'm dying over here.. thanks for the laughs." Another user said, "I am glad her hair was did!!!" Third user asked, "Are you okay???? It’s funny and all but still want to make sure you are doing okay....." One user said, "Didnt ya mama teach you not to play with washing machines?"

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Twitterati share their cooking fails to cheer nine-year-old girl up after she messed up her dish

If you love to cook or bake, you put your heart and soul into the dish, with a hope that it will turn out to be delicious. But if it does not turn out as expected you would feel disheartened. The young girl went through the same, who tried a hand at baking and messed up the dish. Her mother turned to Twitter and asked users to share their cooking fails that helped her to cheer up.

When author and mother of four Shannon Hale tweeted, “My 9yo is in tears because she tried to bake something new and messed up. She thinks this means she can’t be a baker now”, and asked people to share their cooking experiences that flopped, the twitterati was quick to respond and make the girl feel better.

Hale’s tweet has garnered more than 11,000 likes and was retweeted 667 times. Many users commenting on the posts shared their epic cooking fails alongwith the pictures of their messed-up dishes to cheer the girl up.

What do you think about the post?

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Coronavirus outbreak: Four-year-old Indian girl recovers from COVID-19 in Dubai

A four-year-old Indian girl in Dubai has become one of the youngest in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to have recovered from the novel coronavirus after walking free from hospital last week, it was reported.

The girl, known only as Sivani, was given a fitting send off by medical staff at Al Futtaim Health Hub on April 20, 20 days after being admitted on April 1, the Gulf News report said.

Sivani contracted the virus from her mother - a front line health worker - who fell ill in March.

Both Sivani and father dad were also tested despite not having any symptoms and, unlike her father, Sivani was found to be positive.

The girl and her mother were kept in the same facility, but concern was greater for the minor who had also fought off a rare type of kidney cancer last year called ganglioneuroblastoma.

Being a cancer survivor, doctors made extra precautions.

"Sivani had undergone chemotherapy sessions only last year and hence her immune system was still weak," Gulf News reported citing Tholfkar Al Baaj, group medical director at Al Futtaim Health Hub and the consultant in family medicine who treated Sivani, as saying.

"The doctors were concerned as she was at higher risk of developing a severe form of the disease and therefore, we had put her under close monitoring. Fortunately, she did not develop any complications from the infection," he added.

Sivani remained under treatment for 20 days before two consecutive negative swab tests rendered her all clear. She will now undergo 14-days quarantine at home.

Her mother remains under observation and was expected to be released soon.

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Coronavirus Lockdown: Six-year-old boy's drive-by, walk-by joke stand wins hearts online

A six-year-old boy has been cheering up his neighbours with one joke at a time amid the distressful Coronavirus pandemic and the agonizing lockdown that followed, by putting up a joke stand outside his home in Saanich, a town in Canada's British Colombia.

A picture of Callaghan McLaughlin, sitting at his 'Drive-by, walk-by joke stand' with a wide smile was shared by his mother Kelsea on Instagram, where he has earned praises for his adorable efforts to make people smile. His mother requests in the caption to listen to a joke from him.

According to the CBC, Callaghan only knows 16-17 jokes which he learned from a joke book his mother gave him, and with these jokes, he does the best he can to make people have a hearty laugh.  The mother-son duo missed interacting with their neighbours due to the lockdown and came up with this idea that helps people cheer up.

 
 
 
View this post on Instagram

Please drive by and hear a joke from this kid 🥰 . . . #driveby #walkby #kidhumour #togetheryetapart #cadborobay

A post shared by Kelsea Murray-Roxburgh (@kelseamclaughlin) onApr 14, 2020 at 9:00am PDT

The post shared on Instagram received 188 likes with many users lauding him for his adorable effort to bring a smile on the faces of people. One user said, "What a sweet thing to do. You are a blessing." Another user said, "This is actually amazing! Well done Callaghan." A user commented, "This is so precious."

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Tax-News.com: Indian Banks To Begin Withholding Tax On Large Cash Withdrawals

As of September 1, 2019, India introduced an obligation for tax to be deducted at source at a two percent rate if a taxpayer's cash withdrawals totaled INR10m (USD138,350) or more in the previous year.




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Tax-News.com: EU Court Upholds Commission's Fiat Tax Ruling Decision

The EU General Court has dismissed an appeal brought against the European Commission's decision that a tax ruling granted by Luxembourg to Fiat Chrysler Finance Europe was unlawful.




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Coronavirus: 6-week-old baby dies due to COVID-19 in England

UK COVID-19 news: The death comes as Britain prepares for some easing in the strict lockdown measures in place to curb the spread of the deadly virus as it is believed that Britain is past the peak of the pandemic




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Tax-News.com: Singapore To Give GST Rebate To 880,000 Households

Singapore's Ministry of Finance has announced that about 880,000 Singaporean Housing and Development Board (HDB) households will receive the next installment of the GST Voucher – Utilities-Save (U-Save) rebate in January 2018.




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39 Dengue Cases Reported in Delhi, Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda Holds Meeting

Dengue fever is a vector-borne tropical disease caused by the dengue virus. 39 dengue cases have been reported in Delhi so far, a civic body report said.




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Dengue Prevention: Artificially-infected Mosquitoes may Hold Key to Halting Dengue Spread

Releasing mosquitoes infected with a type of bacteria could wipe out the spread of dengue, thereby reducing global dengue cases by 90 percent, reports a new study.




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Tax-News.com: Canada Told To Sharpen Corporate Tax Competitiveness

The IMF has said that the recent changes to the US tax system could make Canada a less attractive destination for investment.




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Two Existing Drugs Hold Potential to Treat COVID-19

Using repurposed drugs to treat COVID-19 would greatly reduce the time needed to gain FDA approval again. Details of the research on two repurposed drugs




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Study Highlights Drug Usage Pattern From Old to Young

Drug overdose epidemic emerged abruptly among the Baby Boomers, shifted youth-ward for Generation X, and then soared to new heights among the Millennials, says a new study.




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Tax-News.com: USTR Holds Public Hearing On French Digital Tax

On January 6, 2020, the United States Trade Representative (USTR) announced that an on-the-record but off-camera public hearing would be held on January 7 on proposed action against France's digital services tax (DST).




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Tax-News.com: Switzerland To Amend Withholding Tax Act

The Swiss Federal Council has launched a consultation on proposals to close what it says is a loophole in the withholding tax system, in a bid to strengthen the country's debt market.




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Tax-News.com: Switzerland To Amend Withholding Tax Act

The Swiss Federal Council has launched a consultation on proposals to close what it says is a loophole in the withholding tax system, in a bid to strengthen the country's debt market.




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Tax-News.com: Australia To Improve Division 7A Tax Rules For Shareholders

The Australian Government is to simplify taxpayers' compliance with rules designed to prevent shareholders from using private company profits without paying tax at their marginal rates.




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Tax-News.com: Australia May Make Directors Liable For Unpaid GST In Folded Companies

Legislation before Australia's parliament would make company directors liable for a failed company's GST liabilities in certain circumstances.




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Tax-News.com: Malta Told To Amend VAT Rules For Yacht Leasing

The European Commission has again asked Malta to amend its method for calculating VAT on yacht leasing.




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Tax-News.com: USTR Holds Public Hearing On French Digital Tax

On January 6, 2020, the United States Trade Representative (USTR) announced that an on-the-record but off-camera public hearing would be held on January 7 on proposed action against France's digital services tax (DST).




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Menopause Isn't the Only Reason for Low Libido in Older Women: Study

New study reports the various reasons behind the lack of libido among women in their 60s. The findings of the study are published in the journal iMenopause/i.




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Doctors Extract 526 Teeth from 7-year-old Boy's Jaw

In a rare surgery, doctors have extracted an astounding 526 teeth from the mouth of a seven-year-old boy. The surgery was performed at Chennai's Saveetha Dental College and Hospital, doctors said.




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Type 2 Diabetics Should Discontinue Insulin In Older Age

Type 2 diabetics who were in poor health were mostly continuing their insulin intake after age 75 compared to their counterparts in better health./br According




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Oral Health Plays an Essential Role in Overall Health as We Grow Older

Poor oral hygiene can lead to potential health complications in older adults. Therefore, health care professionals need to promote good oral hygiene among older patients, according to a new study.




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Alcohol, Sweets Help Identify High Carbon Footprint Households

High carbon footprint households are identified by confectionery, alcohol, and restaurant food and not by increased meat consumption, stated new study




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Household Chemical Usage Related to Language Delays Among Kids

Kids from low-income homes whose mothers reported regular use of toxic chemicals such as household cleaners were more likely to show language delays by




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Oldest Christmas Traditions Explored

The European holiday traditions that predate - and became an inseparable part of - Christmas have been explored by Maria Kennedy, an instructor of folklore




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Older People with Persistent Insomnia are More Likely to Remain Depressed

Older primary care patients with depression who exhibit worsening or persistent sleep disturbance are at higher risk for persistent depression and suicidal ideation, reports a new study.




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Coronavirus in Tamil Nadu: 14-Day-Old Baby Among 231 New Cases In TN, Total 2,757

In Tamil Nadu, as many as more persons, including a 14-day-old baby in Kancheepuram district and a transgender, had tested positive for coronavirus in




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Trastuzumab Holds Promise in Treating Non-breast/gastric Cancer

HER2-targeted antibody-drug conjugate, fam-trastuzumab deruxtecan-nxki also called Enhertu, found to show signs of clinical activity in multiple non-breast/non-gastric




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New Immunotherapy Delivery System Kills Cold Tumors Effectively

New unique immunotherapy delivery system kills cold tumors by binding to the tumors' collagen, using interleukin 12 (IL-12) protein to inflame the tumor.




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76 Year Old Man Dies, Became India's First Corona Fatality

76-year-old man from Kalaburgi in the Karnataka's northern region died of Coronavirus, confirmed Health Minister B. Sriramulu, on Thursday. "The 76-year-old




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Old Italian Couple Died of Covid-19 Two Hours Apart

Elderly Italian couple died of novel coronavirus (Covid-19) just two hours apart after spending 60 years of their lives together. The couple did not




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Programmed Viruses Could Protect Soldiers, Fight Drug Resistance

Engineered bacteriophages could kill various iE.coli/i strains by making mutations in viral protein, according to the team of researchers at the MIT Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies.




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26-Yr-Old DMD Patient in UP Survives with the Help of Stem Cell Therapy

Stem cell therapy aids a 26-year-old Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) patient in UP to survive. Children suffering from DMD usually die of cardio-respiratory failure.




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Old Human Cells Rejuvenated With Stem Cell Technology: Study

Youthful strength can be regained after the existing muscle stem cells are subjected to the rejuvenating protein treatment, and transplanted back into our bodies, reports a new study.




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Cold-induced Urticarial Rash: A New Hereditary Disease

New, previously unknown form of inflammatory skin disorder known as familial (hereditary) cold urticaria develops when exposed to temperatures below 15




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Liver Transplants From Older Donors Decrease Despite Improved Outcomes In Recipients

Even though recipients who received liver grafts from older donors (70 and older) had improved outcomes with reduced mortality, graft loss and postoperative




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Five-month-old Girl Becomes the Youngest Indian to Get Liver Transplant

Ariana Dey, a Kolkata-based newborn, has become India's youngest liver transplant patient, says the doctors from Max Super Speciality Hospital in New Delhi.




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Mandatory Training for Ultrasound: Indian Supreme Court Has Put High Court's Order on Hold

The Supreme Court of India has put Delhi high court order on hold to allow the MBBS practitioners to access the ultrasound. The stated order has come




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Revolutionizing Smallholder Irrigation in Africa

Intensifying small-scale irrigation is an especially urgent imperative for sub-Saharan Africa, where scarce or variable rainfall severely handicaps agriculture, curbing productivity and resilience. The International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and its partners have taken bold steps to tackle this challenge, developing business models for irrigation technologies and exerting a positive influence on government policies and […]