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Afternoon briefing: No proposal for additional GST on vehicles says Gadkari, Union Minister's PoK claim; all latest news
A shortlist of the biggest headlines, recommended stories, and a special collection of news items you should check out.
Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday clarified that the Centre has not proposed to impose an additional 10 percent tax on diesel engine vehicles as media reports suggested. Earlier, reports said that Gadkari would be writing a letter to the union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman today evening proposing the additional tax in an attempt to reduce pollution. “There is an urgent need to clarify media reports suggesting an additional 10% GST on the sale of diesel vehicles. It is essential to clarify that there is no such proposal currently under active consideration by the government,” Gadkari wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. Dig Deeper
Union minister and former Indian Army chief VK Singh on Tuesday claimed that the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir or PoK would merge with India on its own. Singh was responding to a question on the demands of Shia Muslims who have been seeking the opening of the Kargil border crossing with India. “PoK will merge with India on its own, wait for some time,” Singh said at a press conference in Rajasthan's Dausa during Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Parivartan Sankalp Yatra programme. PoK has been divided into two parts — Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. PoK has a total population of around 4.5 million, according to BBC. Of them, 97 per cent are Muslims, 3 per cent are from other minorities, including Hindus and Christians. Dig Deeper
The Latest News
‘Narrow mentality’: Jyotiraditya Scindia retorts to Rahul Gandhi's Paris remark. Dig Deeper
Trudeau’s departure likely to be delayed further; replacement aircraft diverted. Dig Deeper. Dig Deeper
Even my corpse will not go to BJP, says Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah. Dig Deeper
India News
Mamata Banerjee on 12-day visit to Spain, UAE from today to woo foreign investors. Dig Deeper
Priyanka visits flood-hit Himachal districts to review relief, restoration. Dig Deeper
Delhi govt to hold consultations for winter pollution action plan. Dig Deeper
Global Matters
What caused devastating Morocco earthquake killing over 2,800. Dig Deeper
Donald Trump seeks recusal of judge presiding in 2020 election subversion case. Dig Deeper
Delta flight to New York lands on an island where passengers say they begged for food, were treated like ‘roaches’. Dig Deeper
One Good Read
The Nagaland assembly on Monday opposed the proposed Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and implementation of the Forest Conservation (Amendment) Act and sought protection under the 16-Point Agreement and Article 371A. All parties including the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP), BJP, NCP, NPP, LJP (Ram Vilas), Naga People’s Front (NPF), RPI (Athawale), JD(U) and Independents discussed the issues on the first day of the monsoon session. NPF MLA Kuzholuzo Nienu said Nagas have special protection under Article 371A and therefore there was a need to discuss the UCC and Forest Conservation Amendment Act. Dig Deeper
Entertainment Focus
Gadar 2 box office collection: Gadar 2, helmed by director Anil Sharma, has witnessed a significant drop in its box office collection a few days after breaking records. As per Sacnilk.com, the film earned just over ₹70 lakh on its fifth Monday. Gadar 2 starred Sunny Deol, Ameesha Patel, and Utkarsh Sharma in lead roles. It released in theatres on August 11. According to Sacnilk.com, Gadar 2 earned ₹75 lakh nett in India on its 32nd day, as per early estimates. In its first week, Gadar 2 minted ₹284.63 crore, in the second week ₹134.47 crore, in the third week ₹63.35 crore and in the fourth week ₹27.55 crore. On its fifth Friday, the film earned ₹90 lakh. The total collection of the film so far stands at ₹514.60 crore. Dig Deeper
Lifestyle and Health
As men age, they experience a gradual decline in hormone levels, particularly testosterone and this natural process is known as andropause or late-onset hypogonadism and often referred to as the male menopause but while not as well-known or universally recognised as menopause in women, andropause can significantly impact a man's physical health and emotional well-being. Unlike menopause in women, andropause occurs more subtly and over a longer period, typically starting around the age of 40 and progressing over decades. Dig Deeper
What's trending
Harsh Goenka, Chairman of RPG Enterprises, took to X (formerly Twitter) to discuss ISRO Chairman S Somanath's salary. He not only asked people if it was a fair monthly income but also stated about S Somanath's passion for science and research. "Chairman of ISRO, Somanath’s salary is ₹2.5 lakhs month. Is it right and fair? Let’s understand people like him are motivated by factors beyond money. They do what they do for their passion and dedication to science and research, for national pride to contribute to their country, and for personal fulfillment in terms of achieving their purpose. I bow my head to dedicated people like him!" wrote Harsh Goenka on X. Dig Deeper
That’s all we have at this hour in our afternoon briefing. Catch you in the evening.
