Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday will present the Union Budget 2021-2022 that is expected to provide relief to the pandemic-hit common man as well as focus more on driving the economic recovery through higher spending on healthcare, infrastructure and defence amid rising tensions with neighbours.
As India emerges from the Covid-19 crisis, the ninth budget under the Modi government, including an interim one, is widely expected to focus on boosting spending on job creation and rural development, generous allocations for development schemes, putting more money in the hands of the average taxpayer and easing rules to attract foreign investments.
In this exclusive interview with India Today’s Bhavna Agarwal (@filmybugB), bestselling author Shelby Van Pelt opens up about writing her debut novel Remarkably Bright Creatures, the inspiration behind Marcellus the octopus, and how her Swedish grandmother inspired the beloved character Tova.
Veteran human rights activist and Kathak dancer Sheema Kermani was detained by Pakistani police outside Karachi Press Club ahead of the Aurat March.
The UK Defence Ministry released dramatic footage of a British paratrooper dropping onto the remote South Atlantic island of Tristan da Cunha to aid a man suspected of contracting hantavirus after leaving the cruise ship MV Hondius.
In an exclusive interview with India Today TV, Esmaeil Baghaei, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran, discussed Tehran's response to US President Donald Trump's threats. He detailed the history of Tehran's diplomatic engagement with Washington, highlighting the US withdrawal from the JCPOA and the assassination of IRGC Commander Qassem Soleimani. He explained Iran's recent proposal to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which the US rejected. Baghaei stated, "Blockade itself is a declaration of an act of war," attributing the current international maritime and energy crises, including those affecting India, to actions by the US and Israel. He also questioned why the disarmament of Israel's nuclear weapons is not part of global demands, noting Iran's compliance with the NPT. Addressing the possibility of a ground invasion by the US, Baghaei affirmed Iran's military readiness, warning, "We have no other choice other than fighting back ferociously." He emphasised that Iran is defending its homeland and international law against aggression.
