Author: Team Admin

New Delhi: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said that the much-debated “popcorn example” highlights why a reclassification of goods and services under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime was necessary. In an exclusive interview with CNN-News18, Sitharaman said that the GST Council’s recent decision to move to a simplified two-slab structure — scrapping the 12% and 28% rates — was aimed at addressing long-standing classification issues that had led to litigation and revenue losses for states. “Even as we were talking about GST simplification, we had to address classification. I, without hesitation, will bring the example of popcorn. Why…

New Delhi: The Indian Air Force (IAF) is expected to induct the first two Tejas Mark-1A fighter jets as early as October, significantly boosting its combat capabilities and advancing India’s goal of defence self-reliance. The induction will take place after successful weapon firing trials scheduled for later this month. According to sources, the Tejas Mk-1A will undergo live firing tests for the Astra Beyond Visual Range (BVR) missile, Advanced Short-Range Air-to-Air Missile (ASRAAM), and precision laser-guided bombs. These trials will verify whether the new weapons have been seamlessly integrated with the Israeli-origin Elta ELM-2052 radar and fire-control system. The upgrades…

New Delhi: In a significant step towards securing the return of high-profile fugitives from the United Kingdom, a team from Britain’s Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) visited Delhi’s Tihar Jail earlier this year to evaluate prison conditions, sources revealed. The visit took place in July. The four-member team, comprising two CPS experts and two officials from the British High Commission, inspected the high-security ward, reviewed facilities available to inmates, and interacted with some prisoners. According to sources, the team was generally satisfied with what they saw, describing the prison system as “good” and “close to international standards.” Indian authorities assured them…

Noida: A man who threatened to carry out large-scale bombings in Mumbai on Anant Chaturdashi has been arrested by Noida Police. The accused, identified as Ashwini, is originally from Bihar and has been residing in Noida for the past five years. Ashwini was nabbed in Sector-113, Noida, and later handed over to Mumbai Police. On Thursday, he had sent a message to Mumbai Police’s official WhatsApp number, claiming that 34 vehicles loaded with explosives had been planted across the city, warning of blasts that would “kill one crore people.” The threat message claimed that 34 “human bombs” had been deployed…

Mumbai: Mumbai Police will deploy over 21,000 personnel across the city to ensure smooth and safe Ganesh idol immersions on Anant Chaturdashi, the final day of the festival, officials announced on Friday. For the first time, artificial intelligence (AI) will be used for route management and real-time traffic updates. An AI-powered control room has been set up at Girgaon Chowpatty, and QR codes have been issued to major Ganpati mandals along with vehicle stickers to help police track immersion vehicles and monitor congestion. This will enable quick traffic diversions and better crowd management. Drones equipped with cameras, public address systems,…

New Delhi: Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi on Friday reaffirmed that theaterisation – the integration of the Army, Navy, and Air Force under unified theatre commands – is inevitable and will take place sooner or later. Speaking after the launch of the book Operation Sindoor: The Untold Story of India’s Deep Strikes Inside Pakistan at the Manekshaw Centre in New Delhi, he said, “Theaterisation will come, today or tomorrow. We just have to see how long it will take. Several steps such as jointness and integration have to be completed first, and a lot of discussion is still required.” Explaining…

New Delhi: The Indian football team will take on Oman in the third-place playoff of the CAFA Nations Cup 2025 at the Hisor Central Stadium in Tajikistan on Monday. Oman finished second in Group A behind Uzbekistan on Friday, despite having the same number of points, and will look to end their campaign on a high by maintaining their unbeaten run. Uzbekistan, meanwhile, will face Group B leaders Iran in the final. India secured their spot in the third-place match following a 0-0 draw against Afghanistan in their final group game on Thursday. Their qualification was confirmed after Iran and…