People living in northern Indian cities such as Noida and Gurugram operate like ‘one would in a first-world economy,’ former Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor Raghuram Rajan has opined. Rajan, who was the RBI's 23rd governor, holding the coveted post from September 2013 to September 2016, said so on YouTuber Akash Banerjee's ‘The Deshbhakt’ channel, on a podcast titled ‘Raghuram Rajan’s Economic Roadmap & Warning for India.' Dig deeper
The Sultan of Oman, Haitham bin Tarik, was accorded a ceremonial reception at the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on Saturday. Tarik arrived in India on a three-day state visit on Friday. He was received by Union minister of state for external affairs V Muraleedharan. The Sultan arrived in India at the invitation of President Droupadi Murmu. Dig deeper
Latest News
‘Not meant for party, it is family money’: Congress MP Sahu on ₹353 crore cash seizure by I-T. Dig deeper
India News
Caller who threatened Ratan Tata with ‘Cyrus Mistry-like fate’ tracked down. Dig deeper
BJP raised ₹341.65 crore during Karnataka polls, spent ₹196.7 crore. Dig deeper
Global Matters
Temple enhances vigilance after complaint against Hanuman statue in Brampton. Dig deeper
{{/usCountry}}Temple enhances vigilance after complaint against Hanuman statue in Brampton. Dig deeper
{{/usCountry}}Rep. María Elvira Salazar vouches for US immigration reform bill. Dig deeper
Entertainment Focus
At the annual day celebration of Dhirubhai Ambani School in Mumbai on Friday, a host of celebrities were spotted in the audience. Many star kids, including AbRam Khan, Yash Johar and Aaradhya Bachchan, performed at their school's annual function. Now a video of their parents – Shah Rukh Khan, Karan Johar, Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan – dancing together at the event has surfaced online. Dig deeper
Lifestyle and Health
The upcoming year is a great opportunity for Indian passport holders. Why, you ask? Well, many countries have recently waived visa requirements for Indian tourists. You can take full advantage of this new rule to travel to your heart's content without the added headache of figuring out visa rules and getting a visa approved for visiting a new nation. While Iran was the most recent country to announce visa-free travel for Indian passport holders, other nations in this list are Thailand, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and Kenya. Therefore, Indians during the holiday season can now travel to several destinations with extended visa-free privileges. Dig deeper
(That’s all we have at this hour in our afternoon briefing. Catch you in the evening.)