India's political landscape is ablaze with activity! From the ongoing debates surrounding the new farm bills and their impact on rural India, to the upcoming state elections shaping the national narrative, the stakes couldn't be higher. Key political figures are maneuvering strategically, with alliances shifting and power dynamics constantly in flux. The opposition's challenge to the ruling party is intensifying, sparking vigorous debates on crucial policy matters including economic reforms and social justice initiatives. Parliamentary proceedings are filled with heated exchanges, reflecting the deep divisions within the nation. This evolving political climate directly impacts the lives of every Indian citizen, influencing everything from economic opportunities to social welfare programs. Stay informed about the latest developments in Indian politics, from crucial legislative decisions to grassroots movements, by exploring Abtak.com for in-depth analysis and breaking news updates. Understanding the intricacies of our political system is crucial; stay engaged, stay informed, and stay ahead.
New Delhi: Indian expats in the U.S. may soon get some relief on money transfers back home. The final draft of the 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act', backed by former President Donald Trump, now proposes slashing the remittance tax to just 1 per cent. This is a major reduction from earlier versions which suggested a 5 per cent levy, later brought down to 3.5 per cent in the House proposal. The revised proposal is expected to benefit around 2.9 million Indians living in the U.S. -- the second-largest immigrant group in the country, according to the Migration Policy Institute. As per The Economic Times, the Senate's latest draft, released on Friday, limits the 1 per cent remittance tax only to physical transfers like cash, money orders, or cashier's cheques. Transfers made through bank accounts, credit or debit cards, and official financial channels will remain tax-free. Lloyd Pinto, Partner-US Tax at Grant Thornton Bharat, shared that Senate Republicans have released an updated draft of the proposed 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act' and are aiming to get it passed by their self-imposed deadline of July 4. "The updated Senate version significantly changes the remittance transfer provisions that was passed by the House Republicans. In the latest Senate draft, the remittance transfer tax has been reduced to 1 per cent from the erstwhile proposal of 3.5 per cent," he said. Interestingly, the Senate's proposal does not include transfers made through bank accounts or using debit and credit cards issued in the U.S. The 1 per cent remittance tax will apply only to transfers where the sender uses cash, money orders, cashier's checks, or similar physical payment methods. This new rule is set to take effect from January 1, 2026. "This should come as a huge relief for the NRI community in the U.S.," said Pinto, "as they won't have to pay the remittance tax if they send money through accounts with designated U.S. banks or use debit or credit cards issued in the country." (With IANS Inputs)
Air India launched a Black Friday Sale with discounts up to 20% on domestic flights and up to 12% on international flights to various destinations. The sale is available through the airline's website and mobile apps. Additional savings are possible with waived convenience fees and specific payment methods. The airline continues offering student and senior citizen discounts.Air India on Friday launched a limited-time Black Friday Sale offering discounts of up to 20 per cent off base fares for domestic flights within India. The Tata-owned airlines will also offer up to 12 per cent off base fares ...Read More >
Air India is also offering additional discounts through various payment offers, so you can enjoy even more savings. Air India has launched its limited-time Black Friday Sale, offering up to 20 percent off base fares for domestic flights and up to 12 percent off on international flights to destinations like the United States, Europe (including the UK), Australia, Southeast Asia, and South Asia. The sale is available exclusively on Air India's official website and mobile apps for iOS and Android. The sale runs from 00:01 IST on 29 November 2024 to 23:59 IST on 2 December 2024. The travel peri ...Read More >
A question. Which party played identity politics in the 2024 campaign? Donald Trump and the Republicans or Kamala Harris and the Democrats? Left-leaning pundits think they know. Political consultant James Carville blamed Democrats' defeat on their "stupid, Goddamn identitarian mission." CNN anchor and Washington Post columnist Fareed Zakaria argued that one of the big mistakes Harris made was "elevating identity politics." New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd declared that "woke is broke." This one-sided attack on identity politics happens like clockwork when Democrats lose an election, eve ...Read More >
The Reserve Bank of India raised the interest rate caps on Foreign Currency Non-Resident Bank (FCNR-B) deposits to attract more capital inflows, amid pressures on the rupee. Starting December 6, banks can offer higher rates -- up to 400 basis points for 1-3 year deposits and 500 basis points for 3-5 year deposits -- until March 31, 2025. This move comes as the rupee faces volatility.The Reserve Bank of India on Friday announced a raise in the interest rate caps on the Indian diaspora's foreign cu ...Read More >
New Delhi, Dec 14 (IANS) The Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has achieved 15,547 crore transactions worth Rs 223 lakh crore from January to November this year, 'showcasing its transformative impact on financial transactions' in India, the Finance Ministry said on Saturday. The Finance Ministry also said that UPI is now accepted in seven countries including France, UAE, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Bhutan and Nepal. The UPI system provides a cheaper and quicker alternative to the available channels of cross-border remittances. UPI has succeeded in increasing financial inclusion and promot ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jul 9: In line with its vision to become an engine of growth and diverting from an oil-based economy, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has restructured its visa programme to offer renewable residency of up to 10 years for investors, entrepreneurs, scientists, doctors, athletes and students. The UAE's "Golden Visa" programme provides talented and high-net-worth Indians and other nationalities the opportunity of long-term residency in the Gulf nation, UAE officials said. One of the most significant aspects of the government-regulated visa programme is that the applicants do not requir ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jul 15 (PTI) YouTuber Samay Raina appeared before the National Commission for Women (NCW) in Delhi on Tuesday, months after he was summoned in connection with allegedly offensive and sexist content aired during his show "India's Got Latent", officials said. Raina was also among the five social media influencers who appeared before the Supreme Court in a case seeking action against them for ridiculing persons suffering from disabilities. Raina submitted his statement in response to the allegations to NCW officials. Officials said further steps will be considered after reviewing his ...Read More >
Shimla, Jul 3 (PTI) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Thursday directed the Labour and Employment Department to develop a dedicated website and mobile application to empower youths seeking employment opportunities abroad. The digital platform will compile comprehensive data of aspirants, ensuring better transparency, accessibility, and protection while securing overseas jobs, he said and also instructed the department to develop a database of NRIs from the state. He instructed the officials to study the overseas employment models of Kerala and Telangana to draft an ef ...Read More >
Morbi pretium leo et nisl aliquam mollis. Quisque arcu lorem, ultricies quis pellentesque nec, ullamcorper eu odio. Grammy‑winning artist Drake has just put out a new track called What Did I Miss? that makes a clear link between his rocky love life and Bitcoin's wild swings. According to reports, he raps, "I look at this shit like a BTC, could be down this week, then I'm up next week." That line isn't just catchy -- it's another sign of how Bitcoin references are moving past finance blogs into hit songs. Based on reports from River, nearly 5% of the world's population has used or owns Bitc ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: An Enforcement Directorate team undertaking searches in a cyber fraud linked money laundering case was allegedly attacked here on Thursday, officials said. The agency has registered a police FIR about the incident that took place at a farmhouse that was raided by ED officials in the Bijwasan area of southwest Delhi that falls under the Kapashera police station. An Enforcement Officer (EO) suffered minor injuries during the attack. He is continuing with the searches after he was given first aid, officials said. The probe pertains to a case against the PYYPL app. The alleged accus ...Read More >
Srinagar: Before towering cranes and cutting-edge engineering transformed the Himalayan landscape, the monumental dream of connecting "Kashmir to Kanyakumari" by rail began with the plodding footsteps of humble mules. This extraordinary backstory underpins the official realization of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL), inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 6, 2025, a project crowned by the awe-inspiring Chenab Bridge. According to Afcons Infrastructure Limited, the company behind the Chenab Bridge, the earliest and most formidable hurdle wasn't just the design of ...Read More >
June 30 (Reuters) - Futures tracking the S&P 500 and Nasdaq touched record highs on Monday, as optimism over U.S. trade negotiations with its key partners helped support upward momentum in markets. Shares of technology heavyweights rose premarket after Canada scrapped its digital services tax targeting U.S. tech firms, just hours before it was due to take effect, in a bid to advance stalled trade negotiations with the United States. Shares of Amazon (AMZN.O), opens new tab, Meta Platforms (META ...Read More >
India is concerned with a U.S. Senator's proposal to slap a 500% tariff on goods imported in America from countries buying Russian oil, Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said, adding that the world's third-largest crude oil importer has conveyed these concerns to the U.S. lawmakers. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham has proposed a bill to impose a huge tariff on any country buying Russian oil. In an interview with ABC News this weekend, Senator Graham said that President Donald Trump appears to be on board for the bill to be moved forward. "If you're buying products from Russia ...Read More >
New Delhi, July 7 (SocialNews.XYZ) Backing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's firm stance on terrorism at the BRICS Summit, senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Pramod Tiwari on Monday expressed his complete faith that India will fight terrorism with full resolve and determination. His remarks came in response to PM Modi's statement at the global summit, where he called terrorism "the most serious challenge facing humanity" and emphasised that condemning terrorism must be a matter of principle, not convenience. Speaking to IANS, Pramod Tiwari supported the Prime Minister, stating, "At the B ...Read More >
The Supreme Court on Monday stayed further recovery of an outstanding tax demand from news portal NewsClick, directing the company's banker not to release any more money to the tax department based on a 2023 notice, and allowing the portal to use its two bank accounts for daily operations. The order was passed by a bench headed by justice BV Nagarathna on an application moved by PPK Newsclick Studio Limited, which alleged that ICICI Bank was not allowing the company to use its accounts despite a top court order to this effect passed on August 9. The tax department had raised the demand again ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar: Revenue minister Suresh Pujari on Saturday said Odisha would not be allowed to follow the lawless path in sand operations like it is in Bihar and West Bengal, while responding to the recent assault of an additional tehsildar in Kaptipada block, Mayurbhanj district, by the sand mafia. He promised stringent action against the sand mafia regardless of their connections, while speaking to mediapersons here on Saturday."The Kaptipada incident represents a serious escalation in conflict between law enforcement and the sand mafia. The attack on officers performing their enforcement dutie ...Read More >
Mumbai: The rupee rose 22 paise to close at 85.50 against the greenback on Friday on the back of sustained inflow of foreign funds and firm domestic equity markets. Lower level of American currency index also favoured the Indian unit though an uptrend in crude oil prices capped its gain, forex traders said. Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) purchased equities worth Rs 1,397.02 crore on a net basis on Friday, according to exchange data. This inflow came on the heels of a net buying of equities worth Rs 12,594.38 crore on Thursday. At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee opened at 8 ...Read More >
MUMBAI (Reuters) -The Indian rupee is expected to open lower on Wednesday, tracking declines in most other Asian currencies and equities amid renewed worries over U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs. The 1-month non-deliverable forward indicated a open in the 85.62-85.64 range, versus 85.52 on Tuesday. The rupee has been largely range bound in recent sessions, holding between the key support zone at 85.90-86.00 and resistance near 85.30. "Both of these levels are difficult to break," a currency trader at a bank said. "You'll likely have to wait until July 9 for a decisive move, and that's ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: Signalling the government's intent to move ahead with the impeachment motion of Allahabad High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju on Thursday said that main opposition parties have given their in-principle approval to support the motion in the upcoming monsoon session scheduled for July21-August 21. Rijiju said that the government is yet to decide whether the motion would be brought in the Lok Sabha or the Rajya Sabha. For the Lok Sabha, signatures of a minimum 100 MPs is required. The requirement is the support of at least 50 MPs in the Rajya Sabha. H ...Read More >
TIPS Music, one of India's leading music labels, has received a 'Buy' rating from YES Securities as it initiated coverage on the firm, with a target price of Rs 1,050, indicating a potential upside of 18% from the current market price of Rs 888.65. Shares of TIPS Music climbed as much as 1.7% on Tuesday to Rs 888.65 on BSE. Yes Securities has valued TIPS Music at a Price-to-Earnings (P/E) ratio of 47 times based on projected earnings per share (EPS) for September 2026, reinforcing its bullish recommendation. The bullish stance comes as TIPS Music leverages industry tailwinds, such as the rapi ...Read More >
New Delhi [India] January 22 (ANI): Congress MP Randeep Singh Surjewala on Wednesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take a stand in defending the rights of Indian immigrants in the United States. Surjewala also highlighted the contributions of over 20,000 Indian immigrants and expressed concerns over the government's silence on the deportation orders under President Donald Trump's administration. Sharing a detailed post on X Surjewala said, "Dear Prime Minister Modi ji, Pls spare a few moments to watch Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde speaking the truth to President of United States of Amer ...Read More >
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New Delhi: In his latest rant against the administration and the 'Big Beautiful Bill', Tesla CEO Elon Musk on June 5 claimed that US President Donald Trump would have lost the 2024 election without his support. The billionaire further accused Trump of "ingratitude". "Without me, Trump would have lost the election, the Democrats would control the House, and the Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate," he posted on X. This comes after President Trump said that he is disappointed with the former DOGE chief, who recently stepped down as his senior adviser. Now, Musk is going after the administ ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], June 29 (ANI): The world paused on June 13 when Israel targeted major military and nuclear facilities, and crucial personalities in Iran as it launched a series of attacks to disempower the West Asian country. Also Read | Hakham Muhammad Issa Al-Issa Dead: IDF Eliminates Hamas Mastermind Behind October 2023 Attack in Israel. The involvement of the Houthis of Yemen and the US in this high-tension conflict stopped short of a nuclear apocalypse--but this was not entirely unexpected. Some saw this coming. Supporting Israel, the US went ahead and struck three key nuclear sites ...Read More >
New Delhi: After a dramatic all-night session and a nail-biting 50-50 Senate split, President Donald Trump's signature "One Big Beautiful Bill Act", a sweeping package of tax breaks and spending cuts, has cleared the Senate thanks to Vice President JD Vance's tie-breaking vote. The bill, which now heads back to the House, represents the biggest overhaul of tax and social spending policy in years. Here's a detailed look at what will change if the legislation becomes law. The bill makes Trump's 2017 tax cuts, previously set to expire at year's end, permanent, locking in lower rates for individ ...Read More >
New Delhi: U.S. President Donald Trump has backed a new plan to strike hard at countries helping Russia's economy. He gave his nod to a Senate bill that proposes 500% tariffs on nations buying oil and goods from Russia. Senator Lindsey Graham, a longtime Trump ally, confirmed the move during an interview with ABC News. The bill targets India and China - the two biggest importers of Russian crude. Graham said both are fuelling what he called "Putin's war machine" by continuing trade with Moscow. According to him, India and China account for more than 70% of Russia's oil sales. The idea is sim ...Read More >
New Delhi, July 3 (SocialNews.XYZ) Spiritual leader Swami Chidanand Saraswati of Parmarth Niketan Ashram, Rishikesh, has praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi on receiving Ghana's highest civilian honour, drawing a parallel between PM Modi's leadership and that of Lord Ram. Speaking to IANS, he lauded India's foreign policy under PM Modi, stating that just as Lord Ram moved forward by embracing everyone, PM Modi, too, is carrying everyone along in his journey of nation-building. "I have seen many Prime Ministers, but none like Narendra Modi," he said. "He has brought immense respect and new h ...Read More >
Bengaluru: The Karnataka government on Thursday took strong action against the police officers allegedly responsible for the Bengaluru stampede, suspending several high-ranking officials, including the city's police commissioner. Addressing a press conference, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah also announced a one-man commission to probe the lapses that triggered the deadly stampede. "Cubbon Park Police Station police inspector, station house master, station house officer, ACP, Central Division DCP, cricket stadium in-charge, additional commissioner of police, commissioner of police have been susp ...Read More >
New Delhi: Delhi Police has arrested three cyber fraudsters from Jamtara, Jharkhand, for duping a man of Rs 10 lakh under the guise of updating his credit card's KYC details.The accused have been identified as Aftab Ansari (27), Mujaffar Jilani (27) and Mohammad Iqbal Raza (24), all residents of Jamtara.According to police, the victim, a 49-year-old resident of Palam in southwest Delhi, received a phone call from one of the scammers, who falsely claimed to be a bank representative. On April 5, the scammer allegedly coerced him into clicking a malicious link under the pretext of a fake debit of ...Read More >
New Delhi: Zohran Mamdani, the Indian-origin candidate running for mayor of New York City, has responded sharply to US President Donald Trump's deportation threats. Mamdani accused Trump of fueling division and resorting to personal attacks to distract from his administration's failures in addressing the needs of working-class Americans. Mamdani, a 33-year-old Indian-origin politician and Democrat, posted a video on social media rejecting Trump's threats and vowing to continue his campaign undeterred. "It is less so because of who I am, because of where I come from, because of how I look or ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday announced the provisional attachment of assets worth approximately ₹131.45 crore in Spain, including a luxury yacht and immovable properties, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). These assets belong to Pavel Prozorov, a Spanish national and the alleged mastermind behind the unauthorised forex trading platform OctaFX. The attached assets comprise a commercial Italian-model luxury yacht cruising in the Western Mediterranean, a minijet boat, a luxury car, and two residential properties in Spain. The ED's probe was launched ...Read More >