Facebook Inc revealed plans on Tuesday to launch a cryptocurrency called Libra, the latest development in its effort to expand beyond social networking and move into e-commerce and global payments.

Facebook has linked with 28 partners in a Geneva-based entity called the Libra Association, which will govern its new digital coin set to launch in the first half of 2020, according to marketing materials and interviews with executives.

Facebook has also created a subsidiary called Calibra, which will offer digital wallets to save, send and spend Libras. Calibra will be connected to Facebook's messaging platforms Messenger and WhatsApp, which already boast more than a billion users.

The Menlo Park, California-based company has big aspirations for Libra, but consumer privacy concerns or regulatory barriers may present significant hurdles.

Facebook hopes it will not only power transactions between established consumers and businesses around the globe, but offer unbanked consumers access to financial services for the first time.

The name "Libra" was inspired by Roman weight measurements, the astrological sign for justice and the French word for freedom, said David Marcus, a former PayPal executive who heads the project for Facebook.

Global rating agency Fitch Ratings on Monday slashed India's gross domestic product (GDP) growth forecast to 6.6 per cent for the current fiscal, from 6.8 per cent projected earlier, citing persistent slowdown in manufacturing and agriculture sectors.

The rating agency, however, retained its GDP growth forecast for FY21 and FY22 at 7.1 per cent and 7 per cent, respectively.

"We see growth for FY 2019-2020 printing at 6.6 per cent, before stepping up to 7.1 per cent in FY 2020-2021 and 7.0 per cent in FY 2021-2022," Fitch said in its latest global economic outlook.

The development came amid mounting evidence of slowing economic growth with GDP growth hitting a 5-year low of 6.8 per cent in 2018-19. The lower GDP growth figures were attributed to weaker domestic consumption, slower global growth and tensions between the United States and China.

E-commerce giant Amazon India is the most attractive employer brand in the country followed by Microsoft India and Sony India, says a survey.

According to the Randstad Employer Brand Research (REBR) 2019, released Monday, Amazon scored high on financial health, utilisation of latest technologies and a strong reputation.

Microsoft India emerged as the runner-up, followed by Sony India.

Others in the top 10 most-attractive employer brands in India for 2019 include Mercedes-Benz at 4th position, IBM (5th), Larsen & Toubro (6th), Nestle (7th), Infosys (8th), Samsung (9th) and Dell (10th).

In line with the REBR philosophy, Google India had been inducted into the Hall of Fame category last year, for winning the coveted title for three consecutive years.

The Randstad Employer Brand Research, covered 75 per cent of the global economy with 32 participating countries and more than 2,00,000 respondents worldwide.

Autistic Pride Day is being observed today. Autistic pride recognises the importance of pride for autistics and understands it not as a disease but as a difference. 

Autism or Autism Spectrum Disability is a range of complex neurodevelopment disorders characterized by social impairments, communication difficulties, restrictive and repetitive pattern of behaviour. 

It is a lifelong condition which usually occurs in the first three years of life. The exact cause of autism is not known but it is known to be associated with genetic and environmental factors.

Autistic Pride Day was initiated by Aspies For Freedom, a group that raises public awareness about autism rights.

Twenty-nine journalists from print and electronic media were Sunday felicitated with Matri Shree Media Awards for their contribution towards journalism.

Apart from media personalities, a social activist has also presented the Bharat Mata shield at the 44th Matri Shree media award ceremony organized.

Working President of Punjab Kesari Delhi Swadesh Bhushan Jain and Chairman of the Committee Ashok Aggarwal, Harish Chopra, Ankush Aggarwal, Chetan Sharma, Ramesh Bajaj, Vishal Rana and Kailash Agrawal presented the shield and a pen to the winners. 

A former mayor of North Delhi Municipal Corporation Adesh Gupta was also felicitated for his contribution to social service. 

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a project worth Rs 1,650 crore to develop infrastructure in seven district headquarter towns of Tripura, a senior official has said.

The ADB will provide Rs 1,650 crore, out of which 80 per cent will be grant-in-aid and the state will have to repay 20 per cent loan in due course of time, he said.

Such an ADB-assisted ambitious infrastructure development project, first of its kind in Tripura, is expected to modernize all the district headquarter towns and boost tourism and trade prospects in the future to realise the vision of Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb of transforming Tripura into a model state," the official told reporters on Sunday.

Till now, there had been no provision of any funding for development of district headquarter towns in Tripura other than Agartala, he said.

The session will continue till 26th of next month. Since it is the first session of the new Lok Sabha, it will mainly be devoted to Oath taking of newly elected MPs, the election of Lok Sabha Speaker, the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address and financial business relating to Union Budget.

The session will have 30 sittings of the Lok Sabha and 27 sittings of the Rajya Sabha. The Election of Speaker will be held on Wednesday while President Ram Nath Kovind will address both the Houses of Parliament on Thursday. 

The Union Budget will be presented on the 5th of next month. 46 Bills have lapsed on the dissolution of 16th Lok Sabha which was in various stages in both the Houses and some of these important bills are likely to be revived and brought before Parliament. 

Ten Ordinances have been promulgated during the inter-session period which is to be replaced by Acts of Parliament. 

Besides Triple Talaq Bill, the legislation set to be introduced in the session is the Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Teachers Cadre) Bill and Aadhaar and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill 2019.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Saturday chair the fifth meeting of the Niti Aayog's Governing Council which will focus on issues like the drought situation, farm distress, rain-water harvesting and preparedness for Kharif crops.

The five-point agenda for the meeting also includes aspirational districts programme, transforming agriculture and security related issues with special focus on left wing extremism (LWE) districts, an official statement said.

The meeting, to be held at Rashtrapati Bhavan, will be attended by chief ministers, lieutenant governors of union territories, several union ministers and senior government officials.

This will be the first governing council meeting under the new Modi government.

The Indian football team remained static at 101st place in the FIFA rankings issued today. India had finished third in the King's Cup in Thailand, which the organizers had said was a FIFA-sanctioned tournament. 

India's ranking points remained the same -- 1219 -- as that of the previous list, issued on 4th April this year.

The Indian team is at 18th spot among the Asian countries led by Iran (20th), Japan (28), Korea (37), Australia (43) and Qatar (55) form the top five in Asia.

Belgium continued to top overall world rankings, followed by France, Brazil, England and Portugal.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh reviewed the progress of research and development activities in the area of defence technologies at DRDO headquarters in New Delhi yesterday. 

Mr. Singh appreciated the commitment and dedication of DRDO scientists. He directed them to focus their energies on flagship programmes of national importance. Chairman DRDO Dr G Satheesh Reddy and other senior scientists gave a detailed presentation to Mr Singh. 

The Defence Minister also met the Army Chief General Bipin Rawat in New Delhi yesterday. Mr Singh complimented Army for ensuring the highest level of professionalism, the continuous readiness against external and internal challenges and their role in nation building.