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Alleged kidnapping victim continues testimony during federal court trial in BuffaloPiyush Goyal NEW DELHI: Union commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday said he was confident of growth being back on track by the end of the fiscal year, overcoming global uncertainties. "We had elections in the first quarter and during the polls, obviously policy making and decisions on next steps of growth or infrastructure spending does slow down and there is a lag effect. But from what the initial numbers for this quarter, the third quarter show, the festive spending, the rebound in rural growth, the way banks are now seeing traction back again, the way infrastructure spending has come back on track, I think by the time we close the year in March, we will be back on track," Goyal said at Times Network India Economic Conclave. During July-Sept, GDP growth slowed to a seven quarter low of 5.4%, prompting several agencies, including RBI, to lower the projection for the full year. Govt is, however, confident of the economy expanding at 6.5% this year. Going forward, Goyal said, India's engagement with modern technologies and innovation will define the country's growth story. The minister said that exports would cross the $1 trillion mark over the next couple of years. "Exports will cross $800 billion this year, and about a trillion dollars in the next two, two and a half years. Across the world today, there is a recognition that the best investment opportunity is in India." On the political front, Goyal said the negative and false narratives of the Opposition are not going to hold back the country's economic growth . "We are committed whether it is passing the Waqf (Amendment) Bill so that fairness and sanity comes into this country's policy, whether it is passing the one nation one election bill so that we are rid of this continuous model of conduct holding back the nation's growth and the policy making and governments getting into sleep mode. These are structural changes which are good for India, we stand committed," Goyal added. Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India . Don't miss daily games like Crossword , Sudoku , and Mini Crossword .
By JOSH BOAK WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden said Tuesday he was “stupid” not to put his own name on pandemic relief checks in 2021, noting that Donald Trump had done so in 2020 and likely got credit for helping people out through this simple, effective act of branding. Biden did the second-guessing as he delivered a speech at the Brookings Institution defending his economic record and challenging Trump to preserve Democratic policy ideas when he returns to the White House next month. Related Articles National Politics | Trump names Andrew Ferguson as head of Federal Trade Commission to replace Lina Khan National Politics | Biden issues veto threat on bill expanding federal judiciary as partisan split emerges National Politics | Trump lawyers and aide hit with 10 additional felony charges in Wisconsin over 2020 fake electors National Politics | After withdrawing as attorney general nominee, Matt Gaetz lands a talk show on OANN television National Politics | What will happen to Social Security under Trump’s tax plan? As Biden focused on his legacy with his term ending, he suggested Trump should keep the Democrats’ momentum going and ignore the policies of his allies. The president laid out favorable recent economic data but acknowledged his rare public regret that he had not been more self-promotional in advertising the financial support provided by his administration as the country emerged from the pandemic. “I signed the American Rescue Plan, the most significant economic recovery package in our history, and also learned something from Donald Trump,” Biden said at the Washington-based think tank. “He signed checks for people for 7,400 bucks ... and I didn’t. Stupid.” The decision by the former reality TV star and real estate developer to add his name to the checks sent by the U.S. Treasury to millions of Americans struggling during the coronavirus marked the first time a president’s name appeared on any IRS payments. Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris , who replaced him as the Democratic nominee , largely failed to convince the American public of the strength of the economy. The addition of 16 million jobs, funding for infrastructure, new factories and investments in renewable energy were not enough to overcome public exhaustion over inflation, which spiked in 2022 and left many households coping with elevated grocery, gasoline and housing costs. More than 6 in 10 voters in November’s election described the economy as “poor” or “not so good,” according to AP VoteCast, an extensive survey of the electorate. Trump won nearly 7 in 10 of the voters who felt the economy was in bad shape, paving the way for a second term as president after his 2020 loss to Biden. Biden used his speech to argue that Trump was inheriting a strong economy that is the envy of the world. The inflation rate fell without a recession that many economists had viewed as inevitable, while the unemployment rate is a healthy 4.2% and applications to start new businesses are at record levels. Biden called the numbers under his watch “a new set of benchmarks to measure against the next four years.” “President-elect Trump is receiving the strongest economy in modern history,” said Biden, who warned that Trump’s planned tax cuts could lead to massive deficits or deep spending cuts. He also said that Trump’s promise of broad tariffs on foreign imports would be a mistake, part of a broader push Tuesday by the administration to warn against Trump’s threatened action. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen also issued a word of caution about them at a summit of The Wall Street Journal’s CEO Council. “I think the imposition of broad based tariffs, at least of the type that have been discussed, almost all economists agree this would raise prices on American consumers,” she said. Biden was also critical of Trump allies who have pushed Project 2025 , a policy blueprint from the Heritage Foundation that calls for a complete overhaul of the federal government. Trump has disavowed participation in it, though parts were written by his allies and overlap with his stated views on economics, immigration, education policy and civil rights. “I pray to God the president-elect throws away Project 2025,” Biden said. “I think it would be an economic disaster.” Associated Press writer Fatima Hussein in Washington contributed to this report.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a prominent critic of the food and pharmaceutical industries, discussed his views regarding GLP-1 weight loss drugs in a televised broadcast. Kennedy, who was nominated by President-elect Donald Trump to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), said that lifestyle changes — specifically healthy eating and avoiding obesity — should be the primary approach to weight management. Kennedy said GLP-1 drugs should be limited to a secondary role, in the broadcast. Drugs with a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) classification such as Novo Nordisk 's Wegovy and Ozempic and Eli Lilly 's Zepbound and Mounjaro , help in the regulation of digestion, appetite, and sugar which aid in weight loss . Kennedy's comments about GLP-1 weight loss drugs attracted the attention of Wall Street, especially since he has voiced concerns about the popularity of these drugs and their impact on public health. After his nomination in November, Pfizer, a vaccine maker, stock fell by 2.6%, along with BioNTech (7.1%) and Moderna (5.6%) amid Kennedy's publicized disdain for vaccinations. Kennedy, a staunch vaccine skeptic, once felt the wrath of his famous family members after they "united" against his "dangerous" views on health, said cousin, Caroline Kennedy , the U.S. ambassador to Australia. He previously argued that weight loss drugs, like Ozempic, do not address the root causes of obesity; instead, they solely benefit pharmaceutical companies. Kennedy has also suggested putting a limit on drug prices, which would include medications like Ozempic, and critiqued the influence of " Big Pharma " on healthcare. Kennedy's nomination to head HHS has raised questions about potential policy shifts regarding the regulation and pricing of medications. Investors are closely watching his stance on weight loss drugs like GLP-1s, as some analysts anticipate the market for these medications could exceed $100 billion by 2030. In November, despite slamming the president's diet as "just poison ," RFK Jr. was caught days later in a photo released of him and Elon Musk sharing a McDonald's meal with Trump.