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Congress's Karnataka Cabinet Woes Deepen As Another Minister, KH Muniyappa, Flags 'Seniority' Issue

Muniyappa also stressed that all leaders should be treated equally within the party and suggested that the current allocation was not balanced.

Visakhapatnam’s toxic stormwater drains threaten ecosystem

These drains engineered typically to handle excess rainwater by directing it away from urban areas to prevent flooding, have been compromised, as they also transport untreated or partially treated wastewater, impacting communities and the city’s coastline, reports Paul Nicodemus

Georgia boy treated for congenital heart disease at hospital in A.P.

The child suffering from pulmonary atresia had undergone four major cardiac surgeries and stenting procedures in Georgia before coming to Medstar Hospitals

Iran's Guards deny attack on Kuwait airport

Tehran: Iran's Revolutionary Guards denied responsibility on Wednesday for an attack on Kuwait's international airport that officials said left an Indian national dead and 63 people wounded."Our investigation and review into the Kuwait passenger terminal attack shows that the IRGC Air Force did not fire any shots at this target," said Guards spokesman Hossein Mohebi, according to the IRGC's official Telegram channel.He said that "the destruction of the Kuwait airport passenger terminal was caused by an error in the American Patriot systems, which landed on the terminal after failing to intercept Iranian missiles".The Guards earlier said they had targeted a different location, "the Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait, which hosts helicopters" for the US.The attack on Kuwait's airport on Wednesday temporarily halted operations, but air traffic resumed later in the day with all Kuwait Airways flights operating again.The Gulf nation's ministry of defence said 30 ballistic missiles and drones were launched as part of the "heinous Iranian aggression", which caused "significant material damage to the building".The Indian foreign ministry confirmed one of its citizens was killed at the airport and condemned the strike."We again call on all parties to cease such attacks" on civilian targets, it said in a statement.An airport source told AFP the deceased was a traveller.Kuwaiti health ministry spokesman Abdullah al-Sanad said 63 people were treated for injuries "including head wounds, cerebral hemorrhages, amputations and injuries resulting from explosions".Kuwait's international airport was targeted several times during the war, and had only fully resumed operations on June 1.

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GST ruling may cast wider tax net over casinos

The recent Supreme Court (SC) judgment on online gaming and betting is expected to have wider implications across gambling, horse racing, and casinos, experts feel. The court clarified that the GST valuation framework is not confined to any one segment but applies across betting and gambling activities.The ruling makes it clear that the tax framework cannot be read narrowly. “Rule 31A… applies broadly to all betting, gambling and horse racing… Limiting its applicability only to horse racing would render parts of the rule otiose,” a PwC India note on the SC ruling said.Nitin Vijaivergia, partner at Pricewaterhouse & Co LLP, said the judgment upholds the imposition of the top GST slab on online gaming platforms, triggering significant retrospective tax exposure. The court’s reasoning also centres on how such transactions are structured. It has been clarified that in betting and gambling, valuation can be based on the full amount staked and not merely on a narrower measure.“Section 15(1)… permits valuation based on the entire stake,” and “merely because a different method of valuation… may also have been possible, it does not render the Rule unconstitutional,” the note added.For online gaming and casinos, the judgment clarifies when tax liability arises. The court held that the taxable event is triggered when players commit funds to participate in games with uncertain outcomes and no longer retain control over those funds.This also alters the treatment of player funds. The ruling notes that once amounts are committed for participation, “such arrangements cannot be considered deposits or entrustments,” and “the entire staked amount is treated as consideration for the supply.”In the case of casinos, the position is very clear. The court held that tax would be levied on each instance of staking money on an uncertain outcome, and not on the operator’s net earnings or gross gaming revenue.“The mention of staking money on ‘uncertain future outcomes’ may have broader implications for promotional and skill contests with deterministic scoring, and similar other formats. Key operational elements such as wallet architecture, re-deposits, and cashback will be crucial to determine tax demands, especially considering amendments to GST Rules 31 and 31B affecting valuation,” Vijaivergia said.Tax experts say that, broadly, the GST law will now apply where money or money’s worth is staked on uncertain outcomes, and such amounts are treated as consideration for the supply.

Over two lakh applicants paid $100K H-1B fee

More than two lakh applicants opted to pay USD 100,000 for their H-1B visas to work in the US in the fiscal year 2026, Markwayne Mullin, Secretary, Department of Homeland Security (DHS), said here.Testifying before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Tuesday, Mullin said the DHS had received about 2.86 lakh H-1B applications in the fiscal year 2026."We had 286,000 applicants a year to date for the H-1B visas, out of those, over 200,000 of them paid USD 100,000 to be able to come in because it allows us to process them in a little bit faster of a manner," Mullin said in response to a question by US Senator Susan Collins on the shortage of doctors in rural parts of the country.Mullin said applicants paying USD 100,000 get their papers processed in about 15 days and it takes about 7.5 months to process other applications.Collins told the subcommittee that a hospital in Presque Isle, a rural community in northern Maine, recently had to pay the fee to secure a much-needed surgeon from overseas.She said that medical service providers serving remote areas should be treated differently from employers recruiting highly skilled workers in sectors with larger domestic labour pools."Would you be willing to consider carving out an exemption for medical professionals from this fee when a community can demonstrate that there is not a medical professional available?" Collins asked.Mullin assured the Senator that he would look at possible solutions on whether such applications could be dealt with some flexibility on a case-by-case basis."I would suggest that there's a huge difference between bringing in a computer expert from another country to work in wealthy California and Silicon Valley versus a much-needed surgeon to work at a rural hospital in northern Maine," she said.Republican Senator from Alaska Lisa Murkowski flagged concerns about the shortage of teachers in school districts in rural areas of her state."I'll follow up with you about the issue that I raised previously with regards to H-1B visas for teachers," Murkowski told Mullin.

The Times of India

IT/기술

Google plans to release 32 million Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes across Florida and California

Alphabet's Debug initiative is seeking EPA approval to release 32 million specially treated male mosquitoes in California and Florida. This innovative approach uses Wolbachia bacteria to sterilize wild Culex mosquitoes, aiming to significantly reduce the spread of diseases like West Nile virus. Advanced AI and robotics are enabling this large-scale effort, with trials planned over two years.

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Undertrial prisoners entitled to be treated at private hospitals of their choice: Madras High Court

Justices G.R. Swaminathan and V. Lakshminarayanan permit Devanathan Yadav of Mylapore Hindu Permanent Fund Nidhi Limited to undergo treatment at a private hospital for 10 weeks

News18 (India)

Bengaluru Water Cut: Major Repair Work To Begin Today | Check Affected Areas

According to BWSSB officials, a critical pipeline carrying treated water suffered severe structural damage, causing drinking water to gush out onto the streets.

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Wockhardt shares jump 8%, extend rally after CDSCO nod for Zaynich antibiotic

Wockhardt shares rallied sharply on Friday, surging 7.87% to hit Rs 1,910.50 after the pharmaceutical company received a major regulatory boost for its breakthrough antibiotic, Zaynich. Notably, the stock has climbed nearly 12% in just the last two trading sessions, reflecting strong investor optimism following the development.In an exchange filing, Wockhardt announced that the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has approved the import and marketing of its indigenously discovered and developed first-in-class antibiotic, Zaynich (Zidebactam/Cefepime), in India.The approval covers the treatment of adult patients suffering from complicated urinary tract infections (cUTI), including pyelonephritis, as well as cases involving concurrent Gram-negative bacteremia.The nod is backed by strong results from the pivotal ENHANCE-1 Phase 3 clinical trial, a multinational, randomised, double-blind study comparing Zaynich with Meropenem — one of the widely used antibiotics for severe infections.The results significantly favoured Zaynich. The study showed that 89% of patients treated with Zaynich achieved clinical cure and microbiological eradication, compared with 68.4% in the Meropenem arm, delivering a treatment advantage of 20.6%.Even more striking were the outcomes in high-risk bacteremia patients, where Zaynich posted an 89% response rate versus just 44% for Meropenem, highlighting its potential as a game-changing therapy in severe drug-resistant infections.The company stated that Zaynich could emerge as a critical weapon against carbapenem-resistant infections — an area where existing treatment options like colistin and polymyxins often face limitations due to toxicity and weaker efficacy. Importantly, the drug is designed to combat metallo-β-lactamase (MBL)-mediated resistance, one of the toughest and most widespread antibiotic resistance mechanisms in India.Wockhardt Shares: Price trend and technical outlookWockhardt shares have surged nearly 27% over the past month, while the stock has skyrocketed an astounding 946% in the last three years, turning investor wealth nearly 10-fold during the period. The company currently commands a market capitalisation of around Rs 28,777 crore.On the technical front, Trendlyne data indicates that Wockhardt’s 14-day Relative Strength Index (RSI) stands at 72.3. An RSI above 70 is generally considered overbought, suggesting the stock could witness some profit-booking or a short-term pullback after the recent sharp rally.However, the overall trend remains firmly bullish, with the stock trading above all 8 out of 8 key simple moving averages (SMAs), indicating sustained strength in momentum.(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times)

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Why investors are ready to play in global equity league

Interest in overseas investing has risen as Indian equities lag several global markets over the past year. A look at different ways to invest overseas, the costs involved, and what to watch out for.What's the rush for investing overseas these days?The recent interest is largely because global markets have done better than India over the past year or so. Some hot global themes, such as AI and semiconductors, have seen strong gains. Since Indian investors have limited direct exposure to these themes through local markets, it's encouraging them to look outside India.How can resident Indian investors allocate money overseas?Resident Indian investors have three main ways to invest overseas. The simplest route is through international mutual funds offered by Indian fund houses. The second option is investing through GIFT City-based funds, and the third route is by opening an international brokerage account to directly buy global stocks or ETFs.If investing through domestic MFs is simple, why are investors facing restrictions?International mutual funds are indeed the simplest way to invest overseas, as they work like any domestic scheme and allow both lump sum and SIP investments across markets such as the US and other global indices. Indian funds offer funds that bet on the US, China, Nasdaq, Taiwan, Brazil, Japan, Europe and Asia, among others. However, investors are currently facing restrictions because The Reserve Bank of India has set an overall industry-wide limit of $7 billion for such overseas investments, which has already been largely utilised.As a result, many fund houses have stopped accepting lump sum inflows, while some allow SIPs but with monthly caps. This has reduced the availability of fresh investment avenues through this route.What about the GIFT City-based international funds?GIFT City-based funds offered by Indian AMCs, which are denominated in dollars and invest across global markets, themes and indices. These typically require a higher minimum investment of around $5,000 and fall under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS) limit of $250,000 a year. But the issue is that not every fund house has a presence there.What are the products currently on offer for domestic investors through GIFT City?Some of the popular products available for resident investors from GIFT city currently are DSP Global Equity Fund, Edelweiss Greater China Equity Fund, Parag Parikh IFSC Nasdaq 100 FoF and Parag Parikh IFSC S&P 500 FoF. Many others are in the process of launching their products there.How can an investor put money into GIFT City funds?For a Resident Indian, the process of investing through GIFT City is different from that for a domestic mutual fund. Investing through GIFT City involves sending money abroad under the Reserve Bank of India's Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS), since it is treated as an offshore jurisdiction. Investors need to complete KYC and then transfer funds from their bank account by filling out an LRS declaration (A2 form). The money is converted into dollars, and banks charge forex conversion and wire transfer fees.If total remittances exceed ₹7 lakh in a year, a 20% TCS is collected upfront, which can be adjusted while filing taxes. Once invested, these funds function like mutual funds with a daily NAV, and redemptions take around T+5 days.How does direct investing work?In direct investing, investors open an international trading account through an Indian platform offering global access to buy shares of overseas companies or global ETFs. The investment is made by remitting money abroad under the LRS, after which funds are converted into foreign currency and used to trade. This route offers the widest choice, but it comes with added complexities, including forex conversion costs, brokerage charges, and compliance requirements.How are the gains taxed on the investments? Investments in international funds through the mutual fund route attract capital gains tax to be paid by investors at the rate of 12.5% for units, if held for more than two years. For units held for less than two years, the gains are added to your total income and taxed according to the tax slab. In GIFT City funds, the income earned from investments is taxable at the fund level, with no taxation at the investor level. For holding periods less than 24 months, a short term capital gains tax at the rate of 30% and a long-term capital gains tax of 12.5% is levied, which includes surcharge, health and education cess. Will the estate tax be applicable for resident Indians investing in US stocks from India? Yes, the estate tax can apply if resident Indians invest directly in USlisted stocks. For non-US residents, the exemption limit is $60,000. So, if the value of US assets held directly exceeds this at the time of death, the excess can be taxed by the US at rates ranging from 18% to 40%. This applies only to direct holdings of US stocks or assets. Investments routed through funds, such as those based in GIFT City, typically do not attract US estate tax at the investor level. So, what are my best options? If you are looking to deploy small amounts like Rs 5000 or Rs 10,000 per month or a lumpsum amount of Rs 1 lakh, the mutual fund route works well, though there are limited choices, and the GIFT City route is highly impractical. However, if you are looking to park a substantial lump sum of more than $5000 into a dollar denominated asset, you could opt for the GIFT City route or direct investing.

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A game of thorns for gaming co directors

Mumbai: After a crushing court defeat, India's money gaming fraternity is now dreading whether the taxman would come after the companies' directors.The law allows the goods and service tax (GST) authorities to recover dues from board members of private limited companies if unpaid tax, interest, or penalty cannot be salvaged from the entities.Most real money gaming platforms were run by closely-held companies. While a director can escape personal liability if he demonstrates that the unpaid tax was not caused by gross neglect and wilful misstatement, many show cause notices, which triggered the legal feud, allege fraud and suppression of facts.Also read | Billionaire's FOMO: Ultra-rich pouring money into AI stackIn cases of frauds, the tax office can levy penalty of 100% of the tax demand. Platform managements are hoping for some relief from the fine print in Wednesday's Supreme Court (SC) judgement which upheld GST authorities stand to impose 28% tax on full value of bets. The ruling is yet to be released.By validating the SCNs, the SC effectively overturned earlier lower court rulings favouring gaming companies and dismissed the argument that 'games of skill' require different tax treatment under the GST framework for actionable claims.The GST Act provides for extended limitation period, enabling the department to issue SCNs up to five years from the due date of filing the relevant annual return in cases of fraud.131377275According to Ritesh Kanodia, partner, Aurtus Consulting, "There is strong legal support, including Supreme Court rulings, that when a matter involves a complex interpretation of the law, it cannot be treated as fraud or suppression. In this case, there was genuine ambiguity on whether GST applies at all and, if it does, on what value. Even the Karnataka High Court had earlier ruled in favour of taxpayers, which shows that the issue was debatable. Because of this, there is a strong argument that the 100% penalty may not be justified, thoughthe normal penalty (around 10%) may still apply."Ashish Karundia, founder of the eponymous CA firm, agreed that notices invoking the extended limitation period can certainly be challenged. "To sustain demands under Section 74, the department must establish fraud, wilful misstatement, or suppression with intent to evade tax. Gaming companies are likely to argue that their operations, filings, and transaction trails were fully disclosed, and that the dispute pertains purely to legal interpretation rather than any concealment of facts," said Karundia.If the department eventually chases the directors, it has to send separate notices and examine their roles individually.Also read | A blueprint for West Bengal’s evolution from an entrepot to a production hubHowever, for earlier periods (July 2017 to March 2020), companies may be eligible for the Government's amnesty scheme, which provides a full waiver of interest and penalties, provided fraud is not established (i.e., a Section 74 notice [100% penalty] gets converted into a Section 73 Notice [10% penalty]). So, in many cases, companies may ultimately end up paying only the tax amount, said Kanodia.The companies have sought 12 weeks to reply to the adjudication panel in the GST department which would be followed by final tax demands and appeals before higher courts.The GST law was amended in 2023 to make online gaming, casinos, and horse racing taxable at 28% on the full face value of bets, regardless of whether it's game of skill or chance. These changes, applied retrospectively, imposed liabilities for past periods when the law was not explicit. Before 2023 companies were paying 18% tax on the fees platforms collected.Last year, the government hurriedly enacted the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming (PROG) Act, 2025 that completely prohibits online money games. The SC order on Wednesday not only puts a large financial burden on gaming companies but may also weaken their argument that since gaming is a state subject, the activity cannot be banned by a central law.

News18 (India)

'There Is Corruption In Judiciary': Madras HC Says Judges Need Not Be Treated As 'Holy Cows'

A Bench comprising Justices GR Swaminathan and V Lakshminarayanan made the remarks while dismissing a petition seeking a ban on the movie.

The Times of India

Why Yamuna is now brownish narrow stream

In an alarming display of environmental decline, the Yamuna has retreated to a thin stream, allowing locals to stroll across its once-swelling banks. This yearly event, worsened by minimal water allocations from Haryana and extreme heat evaporation, has left the river ecologically bereft.

Pawan Kalyan orders action plan to stop sewage, effluents entering Godavari near Pushkar Ghat

Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan inspects the river by punt, learns only 15% of the city’s sewage is treated, and sets ‘zero pollution’ before the 2027 Pushkarams as the goal

U.P. pushes to strengthen sewerage system, prevent river pollution with multi-pronged approach

“Untreated sewage from U.P. cities will no longer flow directly into rivers. Under the Namami Gange Mission Phase-2, sewerage infrastructure is being significantly strengthened,” Additional Chief Secretary, Namami Ganga and Rural Drinking Water Supply Department, UP