Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (File photo)

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Sunday warned the United States’ Middle East allies that any potential US attack on the Islamic Republic would trigger a regional war, amid heightened tensions between the two countries following deadly domestic protests in Iran. Speaking at a legislative session, Khamenei told Iranians they “should not be scared” of US President Donald Trump’s rhetoric. “The Americans should know that if they start a war, this time it will be a regional war,” he said.The warning follows Trump’s threats in response to Tehran’s crackdown on mass demonstrations that began in December over the high cost of living and evolved into a broader anti-government movement. Khamenei described the protests as orchestrated by the United States and Israel, calling them “riots.” “They (rioters) attacked the police, government centres, IRGC centres, banks, and mosques, and burned the Koran… It was like a coup,” he added, saying that “the coup was suppressed.”Tehran has acknowledged more than 3,000 deaths during the protests, stating most were security personnel and innocent bystanders, attributing the violence to “terrorist acts.” Rights groups and foreign governments, however, have accused Iran and its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of killing thousands of protesters. In retaliation for the European Union’s (EU) designation of the IRGC as a terrorist organisation, Iranian lawmakers on Sunday labelled the armies of the EU member states as terrorist groups. Lawmakers donned the Guards’ green uniform and chanted “Death to America,” “Death to Israel,” and “Shame on you, Europe,” according to state television. Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf slammed the EU’s “irresponsible action,” citing “Article 7 of the Law on Countermeasures Against the Declaration of the IRGC as a Terrorist Organisation,” which allows Iran to classify the armed forces of European countries as terrorist groups. The immediate impact of the move is unclear.Sunday’s session coincided with the 47th anniversary of the return from exile of the late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, founder of the Islamic Republic in 1979. The IRGC, the ideological arm of Iran’s military, is tasked with safeguarding the revolution from “external and internal threats.”The EU’s designation follows similar classifications by the United States, Canada, and Australia. Last June, Iran and Israel fought a 12-day war after Israel targeted Iranian nuclear-linked sites, with the US intervening on Israel’s behalf. The conflict ended after Trump mediated a truce, though regional tensions remain high.(With AFP inputs)

India’s preparations for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 have gathered momentum with the inclusion of Ayush Badoni and Priyansh Arya in the India A squad for a series of crucial warm-up matches. The move underlines the team management’s intent to closely assess emerging talent ahead of the global showpiece, which begins on February 7.

India A warm-up matches Scheduled in Navi Mumbai and Bengaluru

India A are slated to play two preparatory games as part of the World Cup build-up. They will face the United States of America in Navi Mumbai on February 2, followed by a clash against Namibia in Bengaluru on February 6. These matches are designed to give fringe players valuable exposure while also helping the senior team fine-tune combinations ahead of the tournament.

The warm-up fixtures will serve as an audition window for youngsters hoping to push their case for future international opportunities, especially in the shortest format.

Ayush Badoni continues steady rise in Indian cricket

Badoni’s selection comes on the back of consistent performances across formats. The right-handed batter has previously represented India A in four-day and List A cricket, gaining a reputation for composure and adaptability. Earlier this month, he earned his maiden senior India call-up for the ODI series against New Zealand, a clear indication that the selectors are closely monitoring his progress.

His inclusion in the India A squad reflects the confidence the selectors have in his ability to handle high-pressure situations, particularly as India look to strengthen their middle-order depth in white-ball cricket.

Priyansh Arya rewarded for his white-ball performances

Priyansh Arya, meanwhile, continues his upward trajectory in the domestic circuit. Unlike Badoni, Arya’s exposure at the ‘A’ level has so far been limited to white-ball formats. However, his aggressive approach and consistency in domestic T20 and List A competitions have earned him another opportunity to impress the national selectors.

The upcoming warm-up games could be pivotal for Arya as he looks to establish himself as a long-term prospect in India’s T20 plans.

Also READ: Yuzvendra Chahal reacts joking after ‘Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon 3’ poster links him with RJ Mahvash, Shefali Bagga and Dhanashree Verma

Tilak Varma set for comeback after injury layoff

In a major boost for India’s World Cup preparations, Tilak Varma is expected to be available for the warm-up matches after receiving clearance from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Centre of Excellence. The Hyderabad batter has been sidelined for nearly a month following surgery for an abdominal injury sustained during the Ranji Trophy.

The BCCI earlier confirmed that Tilak has resumed physical training and is making steady progress with his rehabilitation. His return will provide India with added stability at the top of the order.

Tilak is scheduled to join the squad in Mumbai on February 3. He is set to feature for India A in the warm-up game against the USA at the D.Y. Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on February 2, before linking up with the senior India squad for another warm-up fixture against South Africa on February 4 at the same venue.

Also READ: Fans applaud Ishan Kishan and Arshdeep Singh after India crush New Zealand in Thiruvananthapuram T20I to seal series 4-1

Photo credit: PTI

Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman today presented the Union Budget for the Financial Year (FY) 2026-27. The announcements includes significant measures for accelerating the growth of India’s Electronics and Information Technology Sector. In a major push to attract global data centre investments, the government has proposed a 20-year tax holiday for foreign companies providing cloud services from India. Announcing the measure in her Budget 2026 speech, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the incentive is aimed at drawing long-term capital and strengthening India’s rapidly expanding data centre ecosystem. Here are the 8 biggest announcements related to technology in the Union Budget 2026:Launch of India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) 2.0 The Finance Minister announced the launch of India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) 2.0 to produce equipment and materials, design full stack Indian IP, and fortify supply chains. The focus will be on industry led research and training centres to develop technology and skilled workforce. Provision of Rs. 1,000 crores has been made towards this for FY 2026-27. ISM 1.0 has expanded India’s semiconductor sector capabilities and ISM 2.0 will build on the same.

Outlay of Electronics Components Manufacturing Scheme (ECMS) increasedUnion Budget 2026 proposes to increase the outlay of the Electronics Components Manufacturing Scheme (ECMS), launched in April 2025. The scheme launched with an outlay of 722,919 crore. It has now been proposed to increase the outlay to Rs 40,000 crore to capitalize on the momentum.Companies offering IT service to be clubbed under single categoryRecognising India as a global leader in software development services, Budget 2026 proposes a common category for all companies offering IT services, this includes IT-enabled services, Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO) services and contract R&D services relating to software development. Acknowledging the inter-connectedness of these business segments, the Budget has proposed to club all these services under a single category called ‘Information Technology Services’ A common safe harbour margin of 15.5 percent will be applicable to all.New Safe Harbour provisions for IT companiesIn order to support the IT sector as India’s growth engine and to provide tax certainty, Budget 2026-27 has proposed new safe harbour provisions for IT/ITeS companies. The threshold for availing safe harbour for IT services is also proposed to be enhanced substantially from 300 crore rupees to 2,000 crore rupees. FM said that Safe harbour for IT services shall be approved by an automated rule-driven process without any need for a tax officer to examine and accept the application. Once applied by an IT Services company, the same safe harbour can be continued for a period of 5 years at a stretch at its choice.Further, for IT services companies who want to conclude Advance Pricing Agreement (APA), it was proposed to fast track the Unilateral APA process for IT services and endeavour to conclude it within a period of 2 years. The period of 2 years can be extended by a further period of 6 months on taxpayer’s request. Moreover, it is proposed to extend the facility of modified returns available to the entity entering APA to its associated entities also.Offers tax holiday till 2047 to foreign companies who provide Cloud services from data centres in IndiaRecognising the need to enable critical infrastructure and boost investment in data centres, Budget 2026-27 has also proposed to provide tax holiday till the year 2047 to any foreign company that provides cloud services to customers globally by using data centre services from India. The company will, however, need to provide services to Indian customers through an Indian reseller entity. Further, a safe harbour of 15 percent on cost has also been proposed in case the company providing data centre services from India is a related entity. The provision is likely to benefit foreign cloud companies structuring their India operations through group entities by offering tax certainty and operational efficiency.Content Creator Labs across schools and collegesBudget underscores India’s Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming and Comics (AVGC) sector as a growing industry projected to require 2 million professionals by 2030.The Union Budget proposes to support the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies, Mumbai in setting up AVGC Content Creator Labs in 15,000 secondary schools and 500 colleges in furtherance of India’s Orange economy.‘Bharat-VISTAAR’, a multilingual AI tool to enhance farm productivity announcedThe Union budget proposes ‘Bharat-VISTAAR’(Virtually Integrated System to Access Agricultural Resources)—a multilingual AI tool that shall integrate the AgriStack portals and the ICAR package on agricultural practices with AI systems. This will enhance farm productivity, will lead to better farmer decision making and reduce risk through customized advisory support for the farmer.

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NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday hailed the Union Budget 2026 as “historic”, saying it charts a clear roadmap towards achieving the goal of a Viksit Bharat by 2047 and gives fresh momentum to India’s reform journey. He also highlighted the recently signed “mother of all deals” between India and EU in his address.Praising finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman for presenting the Budget, PM Modi said it symbolised women’s empowerment, noting that Sitharaman has created a record by presenting the Union Budget for the ninth consecutive time.“Today’s budget is historic. It reflects the strong empowerment of the nation’s women power. As a woman Finance Minister, Nirmala ji has created a new record by presenting the country’s budget for the ninth consecutive time. This budget is a highway of immense opportunities. It turns today’s aspirations into reality and strengthens the foundation of India’s bright future,” the Prime Minister said.Describing the Budget as a key step towards long-term national goals, Modi added, “This budget is a strong foundation for our high flight toward a developed India by 2047. Friends, the reform express on which India is riding today will gain new energy and new momentum from this budget.”He said India’s ambitions go beyond being the world’s fastest-growing economy. “…The 140 crore citizens of India are not satisfied with being the fastest-growing economy; we want to become the world’s third-largest economy as soon as possible,” Modi said.Referring to global engagement, the Prime Minister said India has signed the “mother of all deals” with the European Union, aimed at maximising benefits for the country’s youth and small and medium industries. He said the Budget presents an ambitious roadmap to accelerate the Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat initiatives.Highlighting key proposals, PM Modi said measures such as the Bio-Pharma Shakti Mission, Semiconductor Mission 2.0, the Electronics Component Manufacturing Scheme, the creation of a Rare Earth Corridor, emphasis on critical minerals, new schemes for the textile sector, promotion of high-tech toy manufacturing, and the development of champion MSMEs are future-oriented steps that address both present and long-term needs.“I believe the support our budget provides to MSMEs and small industries will give them the strength to grow from local to global,” he said, adding that the government has taken major steps to strengthen infrastructure. These include expanding dedicated freight corridors, developing high-speed rail, focusing on Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, and promoting municipal bonds to give cities a stronger economic base.Earlier in the day, finance minister Sitharaman presented the Union Budget for the 2026–27 financial year in the Lok Sabha, marking her ninth consecutive Budget presentation.

NEW DELHI: The Union Budget 2026 has set aside Rs 7.85 lakh crore for defence, marking a sharp increase from Rs 6.81 lakh crore last year. According to official figures, the defence outlay for 2026-27 stands at Rs 7,84,678 crore, compared with Rs 6,81,210 crore in the previous financial year. Of this, the capital outlay has been pegged at Rs 2,19,306 crore, while revenue expenditure stands at Rs 5,53,668 crore, including Rs 1,71,338 crore for pensions.The armed forces will receive Rs 2.19 lakh crore for modernisation, with allocations including Rs 63,733 crore for aircraft and aero engines and Rs 25,023 crore for the naval fleet. The defence ministry has several major projects in the pipeline, including contracts for Rafale fighter jets, submarines and unmanned aerial vehicles.In comparison, the capital outlay in 2025-26 was pegged at Rs 1,80,000 crore, which was later raised to Rs 1,86,454 crore at the revised estimate stage.In her budget speech, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman proposed exempting basic customs duty on components and parts required for the manufacture of civilian, training and other aircraft. She also announced the waiver of basic customs duty on raw materials imported for the manufacture of aircraft parts used for maintenance, repair or overhaul by defence sector units. The measures are expected to provide a boost to the defence aerospace industry.Meanwhile, the Defence Services (Revenue) and Capital Outlay were allocated Rs 3,65,478.98 crore and Rs 2,19,306.47 crore, respectively, reflecting jumps of 17.24 per cent and 21.84 per cent.In a boost to the defence sector, Sitharaman announced, “It is proposed to exempt basic customs duty on raw materials imported for the manufacture of parts of aircraft to be used in maintenance, repair or overall requirements by units in the defence sector.”

Nirmala Sitharaman (Image credit: X)

NEW DELHI: The government’s flagship Khelo India programme, aimed at identifying grassroots sporting talent, is set for a major push after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced plans to launch a Khelo India mission that will also prioritise the long-term development of training centres and coaches over the next decade.While presenting the Union Budget 2026–27, Sitharaman said the proposed mission would enable an integrated talent development framework through interconnected pathways. Launched in 2017, the Khelo India programme initially focused on organising national-level competitions across age groups to identify emerging talent.

“Sports sector provides multiple means of employment, skilling and job opportunities. Taking forward the systematic nurturing of sports talent which is set in motion through the Khelo India programme, I propose to launch a Khelo India mission to transform the sports sector over the next decade,” Sitharaman said during her Budget speech in the Lok Sabha.She added that the mission will facilitate several key areas of growth.“The mission will facilitate: (a) an integrated talent development pathway supported by training centres which are foundational, intermediate and elite levels; (b) systematic development of coaches and support staff; (c) integration of sports science and technology; (d) competitions and leagues to promote sports culture and provide platforms; (e) development of sports infrastructure for training and competition.”The Finance Minister also highlighted India’s potential to become a global centre for high-quality, affordable sports equipment.“I proposed a dedicated initiative for sports goods that will promote manufacturing, research and innovation in equipment design as well as material sciences,” she said.Recently, a Sports Ministry-appointed task force headed by Pullela Gopichand had called for increased focus on creating a strong pool of high-quality coaches. The panel recommended introducing a Target Olympic Podium Scheme for coaches, ensuring they receive financial backing similar to elite athletes to strengthen India’s medal ambitions.India is set to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games and has also submitted a bid to stage the Olympic Games in 2036.

BENGALURU: Confident Group chairman C J Roy was found dead at his office in Langford Town here on Friday after sustaining a gunshot injury. The 57-year-old real estate tycoon allegedly shot himself on the left side of his chest using his pistol between 3pm and 3.10pm.The weapon is believed to be licensed, though this is still under verification.According to preliminary information, a team of Income Tax (I-T) officials from Kochi, Kerala, working with their Bengaluru counterparts, had been conducting searches at the Confident Group office here for the past three days. It was described as a continuation of a larger raid carried out last month, during which I-T officials scrutinised and seized certain documents.Also read: Confident Group chairman CJ Roy’s death at Bengaluru office: 6.35mm bullet from Austria-made pistol pierced his heart

On Friday, the I-T department team arrived at Roy’s office around 12 pm. Police sources said Roy reached the premises around 2 pm. While he was initially told that he was free to leave, the I-T officials later advised him to stay back to sign and review certain documents.Around 3 pm, Roy reportedly told the I-T officials that he had some documents in his cabin and went inside. Minutes later, a gunshot was heard. Police did not confirm whether the cabin was under CCTV surveillance.

Roy kept briefcase with pistol & docus always close to him: Source

Police quoted I-T officials as saying: “Roy was not restricted from doing his regular work today, as we were only conducting scrutiny to lift prohibitory orders against his firm.” Roy’s wife and two children — a son and a daughter, both in their early 20s — are based in Dubai and are expected to reach Bengaluru early on Saturday.Also read: Who was Confident Group chairman CJ Roy? Kerala-born entrepreneur, philanthropist and luxury car aficionadoWhile Roy’s mother lives near Nexus mall in Koramangala, an aide said he rarely stayed with her. He usually opted for five-star hotels in the central business district during his visits to Bengaluru. “While there is one bullet wound on Roy’s body, we need to investigate further to ascertain how many rounds he might have fired,” police said.

A senior investigating officer said immediately after the shot was heard, “employees and officials raised an alarm, and Roy was rushed to Narayana Hospital in HSR Layout, where doctors declared him dead on arrival”.A close aide told TOI that Roy always kept his briefcase close to him, as it contained his pistol. “On rare occasions when he left it behind, he would immediately send his bodyguards to fetch it,” the aide added.City police commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh said, “While we know it was a hand-held weapon, its exact make and calibre need to be confirmed by the ballistics team, which is conducting its probe.”Read also: High-end cars, chopper rides, travel stories: Confident Group chairman CJ Roy had 1.3M Instagram followersA formal case was registered based on a complaint by T A Joseph, founding-director and MD of the Confident Group. An investigating officer confirmed that the complaint did not make any allegations against the I-T officials. “We, therefore, registered a case of unnatural death. We may file a separate FIR in case if the family members make any fresh allegations,” the officer said.“In all these years of working with Roy, he never came across as weak-hearted. His death comes as a shock,” an aide said.‘I-T officials are solely responsible for his death’Roy’s brother, CJ Babu, who owns WhiteGold, told reporters that Income Tax officials from Kerala had been carrying out searches in Bengaluru for the last three days. Alleging official pressure, Babu claimed Roy died by suicide using a pistol and held the I-T team responsible for his death.Also see: Inside Confident Group chairman CJ Roy’s luxury car collection: 12 Rolls-Royce, Bugatti, Lamborghinis and more – PhotosHe said that although Roy’s family lives in Dubai, Roy had come back to Bengaluru after being directed by I-T officials to remain present in the city. The family is likely to reach Bengaluru early on Saturday.