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NoneIndia can set global benchmark for sustainable mobility with EV goals: Report NEW DELHI: With EV sales reaching 1.2 million and achieving 5 per cent market penetration in FY24, the shift toward electric mobility is rapidly gaining momentum in India, a report said on Thursday, adding that right policy support and faster decision-making can help in fostering collaborations across stakeholders. EVs are emerging as a transformative solution, in line with India’s COP26 commitment to transition to 100 per cent zero-emission vehicles by 2040. According to the KPMG in India-CII report, infrastructure and policy are the key to accelerating EV adoption in India’s $5 trillion economy vision. “The electric vehicle revolution marks the dawn of a new era for India — one defined by innovation, economic growth, and environmental stewardship. This is more than just a shift to zero-emission transportation; it’s a systemic transformation of infrastructure, finance, technology, and mindsets,” said Raghavan Vishwanathan, Partner-Automotive, KPMG in India. “By addressing infrastructure gaps, creating affordable pathways for consumers, and building societal trust in EVs, India can set a global benchmark for sustainable mobility, green growth, and inclusive prosperity,” he added. The report identifies four key pillars essential to accelerating EV adoption: physical infrastructure (expanding charging networks and improving battery recycling), power infrastructure (managing demand and integrating renewable energy), economic infrastructure (ensuring affordable financing and optimized taxation), and social infrastructure (raising stakeholder awareness and promoting education). High EV penetration in states like Karnataka, Maharashtra, Delhi, and Kerala with over 1,000 charging stations shows the importance of infrastructure. The World Bank finds infrastructure focus four times more effective than demand incentives. Many factors such as policy support, total cost of ownership parity, startup ecosystem, and technology access are aiding the growth. In addition, India has set the ambitious target of 30 per cent penetration by 2030 as part of EV30@30 campaign. “Right policy support and faster decision-making can help in fostering collaborations across stakeholders in the EV ecosystem including government bodies, private enterprises, and international partners which shall drive innovation and investment, requisite for development of infrastructure that keeps pace with the growing demand for EVs,” according to the report. AgenciesThe business sector is calling for multiple government stimulus measures, especially tax incentives and a household debt reduction scheme, to revive the economy and give the public a New Year's gift. Nath Vongphanich, president of the Thai Retailers Association (TRA), said the group sees public investment as a key driver for economic expansion in 2025. The government should expedite budget disbursement and public spending for 2025 to align with its targets, he said. Efforts should be made to ensure a broad distribution of government funds through investments, procurement and stimulus measures to drive Thailand's economy forward, said Mr Nath. To support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and counter the influx of cheap Chinese goods, the government should facilitate access to low-interest loans or funding sources, expand trade opportunities, and increase marketing channels for Thai product distribution, he said. "Next year, TRA will implement the 'TRA GREAT' initiative by providing spaces within member retailers such as Makro, Lotus's, Central, Go Wholesale and Thai Watsadu for micro-SMEs to sell their products throughout the year," said Mr Nath. Moreover, TRA wants government measures to stimulate consumer spending, such as the "Shop Dee Mee Khuen" programme, Easy e-Receipt, and incentives for private sector investments. The association also proposes the government offer tax incentives for tourists. "We could adopt a tax-free shopping scheme for tourists similar to Japan, which allows tax-free purchases exceeding ¥500,000 per day. In Thailand, we may begin with value-added tax [VAT] exemptions for purchases exceeding 5,000 baht per day in a single store," he said. White paper Sanan Angubolkul, chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, said the chamber submitted a white paper outlining urgent economic stimulus measures to the government. "The government should implement policies aimed at lowering the cost of living for people and expenses for businesses," he said. Key recommendations include controlling the prices of essential goods and services, freezing electricity and diesel prices, and establishing an energy board. In addition, the private sector recommends adjusting the minimum wage through the tripartite wage committee. The chamber said the second phase of the 10,000-baht handout next year may be insufficient to stimulate the economy. The group proposed a "multiplier measure" that could double the circulation of funds in the economy. Initiatives such as the Easy e-Receipt programme could inject an estimated 30-50 billion baht into the economy via roughly 1 million participants, without burdening the state budget, according to the chamber. Addressing the debt overhang among individuals and SMEs is also critical. The government should adopt integrated monetary and fiscal policies alongside income redistribution to reduce inequality, said the group. Proposed measures include debt moratoriums and extensions for housing, vehicles and SMEs, especially to ensure work-related vehicles like pickups are not repossessed. There is also an urgent need to reduce interest rates and improve access to credit, said Mr Sanan. He emphasised the importance of enhancing the competitiveness of Thai businesses to better compete with imported goods. Essential strategies include ensuring fair trade practices, preventing market-damaging practices such as dumping, and maintaining product quality standards. The chamber called on the government to attract both domestic and foreign investments. One suggestion is to designate Prachin Buri as part of the Eastern Economic Corridor, which could significantly boost investment in that area. This initiative would bolster the competitiveness of key sectors such as food, tourism and wellness, said Mr Sanan, while also increasing the potential to become a hub for logistics and connectivity as well as education. As Thailand enters its peak tourism season, the chamber sees a prime opportunity to leverage major festivals such as New Year's Eve, Chinese New Year and Songkran. "If the government can promote Thailand's soft power by organising various events and ensuring that Thai festivals are included in the global calendar, it will enhance awareness among foreign tourists and attract high-potential visitors to travel to and reside in Thailand. This would generate substantial income for the economy," he said. CONSUMPTION BOOST Rakpong Chaisuparakul, senior vice-president at KGI Securities (Thailand), said the government is expected to announce a consumption package as a New Year's gift on Dec 12. "In our view, the New Year package may include a 38-billion-baht cash handout for farmers, a 40-billion-baht cash handout for the elderly, and an Easy e-Receipt programme effective for the first quarter of next year," he said. In addition, the market is keen to hear details of the Bank of Thailand's plans to ease nationwide household debt, which is due to be announced on Dec 11, said Mr Rakpong. According to KGI, the measures are expected to cover 2.3 million loan accounts with a combined value of 1.3 billion baht, mainly in housing and consumer loans. The assistance package will set a payment timeline of three years to allow debtors to waive interest rates and pay monthly instalments of 50% in the first year, 70% in the second year, and 90% in the third, noted the brokerage. The government expects the measures to require a budget of 80 billion baht, of which 40 billion is funded by reducing the Financial Institutions Development Fund (FIDF) fee for banks to 0.23% of deposits, with the balance coming from money injected by banks. Under these measures, banks can reduce their FIDF costs, but may need to contribute more money to raise the 80 billion baht needed for the assistance measures. "We remain positive on Thai consumer plays, which entered their high earnings season in the fourth quarter, as well as the non-bank finance sector, which could benefit from the household debt bailout plan," said Mr Rakpong. CAR TRADE-IN The state plan to launch a car trade-in programme to stimulate purchases in the auto market is a good initiative, but will be difficult to translate into action, said Surapong Paisitpatanapong, vice-chairman of the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) and the spokesman for the FTI's Automotive Industry Club. The government must devise other new stimulus measures that can increase people's income, which is a crucial factor in their vehicle purchasing decisions, he said. Mr Surapong said he wants to learn more details about the trade-in programme, recently announced by Industry Minister Akanat Promphan to deal with months of sluggish car sales in the country. Authorities must clarify the car types, the age of used cars and price issues for the scheme, he said. "This measure still depends on loans being granted by banks and car financing companies. If they don't want to participate, the scheme will not work," said Mr Surapong. Banks' strict auto loan criteria amid high levels of household debt is a key factor causing the plunge in domestic car sales. The slowdown caused the club to downgrade Thailand's total car manufacturing target for 2024 to 1.5 million vehicles, dipping from 1.7 million, which is the lowest target since 2021. From January to October, vehicle manufacturing fell by 19.2% year-on-year to 1.24 million units, the club reported. He called on the government to craft appropriate solutions to debt problems so that banks and financing companies will relax their lending criteria. "We want people to have more money and job security. This will lift their confidence, giving them more courage to spend money to buy cars," said Mr Surapong. "Many people want new cars, but they have to save money in a stagnant economy." Wallop Treererkngam, executive vice-president of Suzuki Motor (Thailand), agreed with Mr Surapong on the need for measures to deal with household debt. "If the government can ease debt problems, including non-performing loans among SMEs, banks will certainly grant auto loans," he said. "The result would be car and auto parts businesses would recover from the slowdown." LASTING MEASURES Chaiyaporn Nompitakcharoen, managing director of the research department at Bualuang Securities, said the government should support the installation of solar rooftops for individuals and SMEs. Thailand relies on imported oil for use in transport and electricity production, both of which are critical for the economy. When the oil price rises, the business and household sectors are stunted, he said. Mr Chaiyaporn said the government should also offer soft loans for new businesses in trendy fields, such as those focused on the environment, social and governance issues, or sustainable development. He added there should be state support for products from local communities, such as beverages and other items that are deemed outstanding, assisting in the development of brands to enable growth. "These measures can increase the potential of SMEs, which are an important foundation for future growth. Lowering electricity costs by installing solar rooftops will help the government to reduce its support for Oil Fund subsidies," said Mr Chaiyaporn. However, long-term solutions often lack political will from government officials, he said. The government should prioritise easing loan problems in the household and SME sectors, said Mr Chaiyaporn. "Commercial banks have acted on their own to address debt concerns, such as lowering interest rates and extending debt repayment periods. I would like to see government measures," he said. In addition, it is vital to help people laid off because of the economic slowdown, the impact of the US-China trade war, and production relocation away from Thailand, especially in the automotive industry, said Mr Chaiyaporn. Singapore organised free training courses for employees in many professions to upgrade their skills, enabling them to have more stable jobs, he said. Somchai Sittichaisrichart, managing director of SIS Distribution Plc, said the government should offer tax expense exemptions to corporations that bought solar systems and IT systems to support sustainability and digital transformation. Tax incentives can spur spending without a government cash injection, he said. The VAT needs to be raised from 7% to 10% to increase state revenue, as VAT rates in neighbouring nations are 9-10%, said Mr Somchai.
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Representative image Singapore High Commissioner to India Simon Wong shared what he called an "impossible" Chai experience in India. Sharing his experience on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, HC Wong wrote how he was not very pleased with the tea he had at a tea outlet in Gurgaon. Though he didn't name the outlet, he shared the photo of a Chai Kulhad and the place he had the tea at (Chaayos outlet). The tweet got him not only a reply from Chaayos founder but also a flood of Chai invitations from people on Twitter. The Twitter handle Simon Wong posted from is "Singapore in India." What Singapore HC wrote, and the replies "The impossible happened. I just had a cup of tasteless #Chai in Gurgaon. Rs 169 with tax.🤦♂️🤦♂️HC Wong," wrote Wong. Replying to Wong's tweet, Chayos founder Nitin Saluja wrote, "Hon’ble Mr Wong, I am Nitin, founder of Chaayos! In the name of deep India SG friendship, I invite you for a cup of Chai at a Chaayos near you! And as we enjoy our chai, i will share our commitment to get every chai right, including our no questions asked chai replacement policy!" Wong thanked Nitin and clarified that the intention of his Twitter post was not to criticise Chaayos. "Dear Mr @Salujanitin, It is very gracious of you. I was in sector 59 looking at factory land. I googled best chai near me and found the shop. No shade intended.🙏🙏so much. HC Wong." "Google is right on Chai" To this, Nitin said that Google is indeed right and that Chaayos is the Best Chai place. But he accepted that they may have messed up their Chai today. "Hon’ble Mr Wong, google is right. we are the best chai near you! however, looks like we messed up with your chai today! the weather calls for multiple chais a day, so i certainly look forward to having a chai together, so that you can conclude the same about our chai 💚," wrote Nitin. Singapore HC 'thanks' people for Chai invitations Singapore HC Simon Wong also thanked people for all the Chai invites he received from them. "The true beauty of India lies in her people. I am overwhelmed by the torrent of invitations to have a cup of the best homemade #chai. I humbly thank you all. 🙏🙏HC Wong," wrote Wong.‘Really awful’: Kamala Harris’ election post-mortem video widely mocked
'It could have been prevented' | Third Texas woman dies after being denied abortion-related careDiffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma | Image Credit: © Свет Лана – stock.adobe.com Data from a retrospective medical chart review shared during the 2024 ASH Annual Meeting confirmed the real-world effectiveness of tafasitamab-cxix (Monjuvi) use in US patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and shed light on certain factors associated with survival. 1 At a median follow-up time of 14.7 months (range, 8.5-17.1) from tafasitamab initiation, the real-world progression-free survival (PFS) with tafasitamab was 11.3 months (95% CI, 9.8-13.6) in the overall population (n = 181), and the real-world overall survival (OS) was 24.8 months (95% CI, 17.8-not evaluable [NE]). The real-world overall response rate (ORR) to the agent was 73.5%, which comprised a complete response (CR) rate of 23.2% and a partial response (PR) rate of 50.3%. In the patients who achieved a real-world CR or PR with the agent (n = 133), the real-world duration of response (DOR) was 9.6 months (95% CI, 8.3-13.3). A multivariable analysis showed that factors significantly linked with increased risk of progression included receiving the agent in the third to fifth line (n = 51) vs the second line (n = 130; HR, 1.79; 95% CI, 1.20-2.66; P = .004), having Ann Arbor stage III to IV disease (n = 169) vs stage I to II (n = 10; HR, 0.30; 95% CI, 0.10-0.95; P = .041), increasing Charlson Comorbidity Index scores (n = 181; HR, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.03-1.97; P = .033), and bulky (n = 36) vs non-bulky (n = 145) disease (HR, 1.96; 95% CI, 1.26-3.05; P = .003). To overcome violation of proportional hazards assumption caused by the variable of ECOG performance status, coefficients had been adjusted for status of 2 or higher vs under 2 through stratifying the model on performance status. Moreover, a cox proportional hazards model showed that factors significantly associated with increased risk of mortality included receiving tafasitamab in the third to fifth line vs the second line (HR, 2.39; 95% CI, 1.46-3.93; P < .001), increasing age (HR, 1.06; 95% CI, 1.03-1.09; P < .001), ECOG performance status of 2 or higher (n = 86) vs below 2 (n = 95; HR, 3.57; 95% CI, 2.13-5.97; P < .001), and bulky vs non-bulky disease (HR, 2.22; 95% CI, 1.27-3.87; P = .005). “The additional follow-up from the initial data collection allowed for a more robust evaluation of the real-world effectiveness of tafasitamab in patients with relapsed or refractory DLBCL, predominantly in the community practice setting,” lead study author Kim Saverno, PhD, of Incyte Corporation, in Wilmington, Delaware, said in a poster presentation of the data. “These results support a real-world clinical benefit for tafasitamab, with the greatest benefit observed when [the agent] was received in second vs later lines of therapy.” The CD19-targeted immunotherapy, tafasitamab, was approved by the FDA in July 2020 for use in combination with lenalidomide (Revlimid) in adult patients with relapsed or refractory DLBCL not otherwise specified, including DLBCL arising from low-grade lymphoma, and who are not candidates to undergo autologous stem cell transplant. 2 To date, few studies have evaluated the agent in a US real-world setting, according to Saverno. 1 She added that data from a real-world study were previously shared, but had a limited follow-up time of 6.5 months, which “precluded robust evaluations of the clinical effectiveness” of the agent. 3 For the current retrospective, multisite, medical chart review, 23 physicians from Cardinal Health’s Oncology Provider Extended Network abstracted data from 181 eligible patients’ medical records into electronic case report forms. Notably, 83% of these physicians practiced in the community. 1 For patients to be considered eligible for the analysis, they must have started treatment with tafasitamab with or without concomitant lenalidomide for relapsed/refractory disease on or following October 21, 2020; be at least 18 years old at the time treatment with the agent was started; and have undergone at least 4 months of follow-up since treatment started. Those who died during this 4-month interval were still permitted. If patients received the agent as part of an interventional clinical trial, they were excluded. A total of 182 patients met the prespecified eligibility criteria; 1 patient who received tafasitamab only as bridge therapy to CAR T-cell therapy was excluded. As such, a total of 181 patients were included in the study; 144 of these patients were still alive at last follow-up of initial data collection which had occurred between February 22, 2023, and March 29, 2023. Of those patients, 137 patients had additional follow-up data available and underwent additional data collection between December 18, 2023, and January 31, 2024. A total of 106 patients were alive at last follow-up. “Data collected at the two time points were merged and descriptive statistics were used to summarize the results,” Saverno explained. “Kaplan-Meier analyses were used to calculate time-to-event end points and multivariable Cox analyses were used to assess factors associated with real-world PFS and OS.” In the 181 total patients, the median age at the time of tafasitamab initiation was 71.1 years (range, 65.0-75.5). Most patients were White (64.1%), and more than half of patients were male (56.4%). Regarding Ann Arbor stage at time of treatment initiation, 5.5% had stage I or II disease, 93.4% had stage III or IV disease; this information was unknown for 1.1% of patients. ECOG performance status at the time of treatment initiation was 0 to 1 for 52.5% of patients and 2 or higher for 47.5% of patients. Revised International Prognostic Index for Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma was 3 to 5 for 80.5% of patients and 1 to 2 for 19.5% of patients. “Over 70% of patients received tafasitamab in the second line, and 71% of patients had discontinued tafasitamab at the last follow-up, mostly due to disease progression,” Saverno noted. “Over half of the patients were still alive at the last follow-up, and among the patients still alive, half [were] still receiving tafasitamab at the time of the most recent follow-up.” Additional treatment outcome data showed that in those who received tafasitamab in the second line (n = 130), the real-world ORR was 78.5%; this was comprised of a CR rate of 27.7% and a PR rate of 50.8%. For this group, the stable disease (SD) rate was 8.5%, the progressive disease (PD) rate was also 8.5%, and 4.6% of patients did not have these data available. In the group of patients who received the immunotherapy in the third line (n = 43), the real-world ORR was 62.8%; this comprised a CR rate of 11.6% and a PR rate of 51.2%. In this subset, the SD and PD rates were 18.6% and 11.6%, respectively; 7.0% of patients did not have these data available. In patients who experienced a real-world CR as a best response to tafasitamab (n = 42), the median real-world DOR was 19.2 months (95% CI, 8.8-NE). In those who achieved a real-world PR as a best response to the agent (n = 91), the median real-world DOR was 8.5 months (95% CI, 6.8-10.0). “This study is impacted by limitations inherent to real-world studies, such as unobserved and missing data,” Saverno concluded. “The number of participating oncologists was small and thus may not reflect the treatment patterns of all US oncologists managing patients with DLBCL.” Disclosures: Dr Saverno cited employment and stock ownership with Incyte Corporation.
Extensive confidential documents in the lead-up to the collapse of Northern Ireland’s institutions in 2002 have been made available to the public as part of annual releases from the Irish National Archives. They reveal that the Irish Government wanted to appeal to the UK side against “manipulating” every scenario for favourable election results in Northern Ireland, in an effort to protect the peace process. In the years after the landmark 1998 Good Friday Agreement, a number of outstanding issues left the political environment fraught with tension and disagreement. Mr Trimble, who won a Nobel Peace Prize with SDLP leader John Hume for their work on the Agreement, was keen to gain wins for the UUP on policing, ceasefire audits and paramilitary disarmament – but also to present his party as firmer on these matters amid swipes from its Unionist rival, the DUP. These issues were at the front of his mind as he tried to steer his party into Assembly elections planned for May 2003 and continue in his role as the Executive’s first minister despite increasing political pressure. The documents reveal the extent to which the British and Irish Governments were trying to delicately resolve the contentious negotiations, conscious that moves seen as concessions to one group could provoke anger on the other side. In June 2002, representatives of the SDLP reported to Irish officials on a recent meeting between Mr Hume’s successor Mark Durkan and Prime Minister Tony Blair on policing and security. Mr Blair is said to have suggested that the SDLP and UUP were among those who both supported and took responsibility for the Good Friday Agreement. The confidential report of the meeting says that Mr Durkan, the deputy First Minister, was not sure that Mr Trimble had been correctly categorised. The Prime Minister asked if the SDLP could work more closely with the UUP ahead of the elections. Mr Durkan argued that Mr Trimble was not only not saleable to nationalists, but also not saleable to half of the UUP – to which Mr Blair and Northern Ireland Secretary John Reid are said to have laughed in agreement. The SDLP leader further warned that pursuing a “save David” campaign would ruin all they had worked for. Damien McAteer, an adviser for the SDLP, was recorded as briefing Irish officials on September 10 that it was his view that Mr Trimble was intent on collapsing the institutions in 2003 over expected fallout for Sinn Fein in the wake of the Colombia Three trial, where men linked to the party were charged with training Farc rebels – but predicted the UUP leader would be “in the toilet” by January, when an Ulster Unionist Council (UUC) meeting was due to take place. A week later in mid September, Mr Trimble assured Irish premier Bertie Ahern that the next UUC meeting to take place in two days’ time would be “okay but not great” and insisted he was not planning to play any “big game”. It was at that meeting that he made the bombshell announcement that the UUP would pull out of the Executive if the IRA had not disbanded by January 18. The move came as a surprise to the Irish officials who, along with their UK counterparts, did not see the deadline as realistic. Sinn Fein described the resolution as a “wreckers’ charter”. Doubts were raised that there would be any progress on substantive issues as parties would not be engaged in “pre-election skirmishing”. As that could lead to a UUP walkout and the resulting suspension of the institutions, the prospect of delaying the elections was raised while bringing forward the vote was ruled out. Therefore, the two Governments stressed the need to cooperate as a stabilising force to protect the Agreement – despite not being sure how that process would survive through the January 18 deadline. The Irish officials became worried that the British side did not share their view that Mr Trimble was not “salvageable” and that the fundamental dynamic in the UUP was now Agreement scepticism, the confidential documents state. In a meeting days after the UUC announcements, Mr Reid is recorded in the documents as saying that as infuriating as it was, Mr Trimble was at that moment the “most enlightened Unionist we have”. The Secretary said he would explore what the UUP leader needed to “survive” the period between January 18 and the election, believing a significant prize could avoid him being “massacred”. Such planning went out the window just weeks later, when hundreds of PSNI officers were involved in raids of several buildings – including Sinn Fein’s offices in Stormont. The resulting “Stormontgate” spy-ring scandal accelerated the collapse of powersharing, with the UUP pulling out of the institutions – and the Secretary of State suspending the Assembly and Executive on October 14. For his part, Irish officials were briefed that Mr Reid was said to be “gung ho” about the prospect of exercising direct rule – reportedly making no mention of the Irish Government in a meeting with Mr Trimble and Mr Durkan on that day. The Northern Ireland Secretary was given a new role and Paul Murphy was appointed as his successor. A note on speaking points for a meeting with Mr Murphy in April showed that the Irish side believed the May elections should go ahead: “At a certain stage the political process has to stand on its own feet. “The Governments cannot be manipulating and finessing every scenario to engineer the right result. “We have to start treating the parties and the people as mature and trusting that they have the discernment to make the right choices.” However, the elections planned for May did not materialise, instead delayed until November. Mr Trimble would go on to lose his Westminster seat – and stewardship of the UUP – in 2005. The November election saw the DUP emerge as the largest parties – but direct rule continued as Ian Paisley’s refused to share power with Sinn Fein, which Martin McGuinness’ colleagues. The parties eventually agreed to work together following further elections in 2007. – This article is based on documents in 2024/130/5, 2024/130/6, 2024/130/15
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