Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has announced sweeping GST reforms, calling it a “Diwali gift to the nation.”
The GST Council approved a major rate overhaul ,cutting the four existing slabs of 5, 12, 18 and 28% down to just two, at 5% and 18%.
A special 40% slab is also proposed for luxury cars, high-end bikes, tobacco and cigarettes. The new rates will come into effect from September 22.
Rain wreaks havoc in North India
Heavy rains have thrown life out of gear across North India.
Delhi-NCR witnessed severe waterlogging, with traffic crawling for kilometers in Gurugram.
In the hill states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, flash floods and landslides caused widespread destruction and loss of lives.
Trump spooked by SCO camaraderie
At the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in China, the camaraderie between PM Modi, Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin has not gone unnoticed.
In fact, it seems to have rattled Washington — with top Trump aide Peter Navarro urging India to reconsider “getting in bed with Xi Jinping and Putin.”
China flexes its military muscle
China put on a dramatic show of strength in Beijing with a massive parade to mark 80 years since the end of World War II.
Its latest stealth fighters, tanks and long-range ballistic missiles were on display, with 26 world leaders — including Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un — in attendance.
Tragedy strikes Afghanistan
Afghanistan was hit by a devastating 6.0-magnitude earthquake that killed more than 2,200 people and injured thousands.
Rescue efforts have been slowed by heavy rains and the country’s mountainous terrain, leaving the Taliban government overwhelmed and appealing for international aid.
That’s all for geopolitics this week. Download the app or log on to Hook.online for all the latest updates.
