Best printers for Home

Best Mixer Grinder

Best wired Earphones

Best 43 Inch TV in India

Best Wi Fi Routers

Best Home Theatre in India

Smart Watch under 5000

Best Laptops for Education

Best Laptop for Students

The people have high expectations from the <keyword id="4183143" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="rail-budget" source="Orion">Rail Budget</keyword> as the Union Finance Minister <keyword id="129243" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="nirmala-sitharaman" source="Orion">Nirmala Sitharaman</keyword> will present her fifth <keyword id="6358021" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="budget" source="Orion">Budget</keyword> on February 1. In its first term, the Modi government the Centre had linked the Rail Budget with the General Budget, under which the money for the <keyword id="6356740" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="railway" source="Orion">Railway</keyword>s is now provided. According to the information, the Centre is going to increase the Railway Budget this time by up to 20 per cent. Earlier, in the pre-Budget meeting, the Railway Board demanded 25-30 per cent more funds in the allocation of the Finance Ministry. In such a situation, the government can give a fund of about Rs 2 trillion to the Ministry of <keyword id="6360676" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="railways" source="Orion">Railways</keyword> in the Budget leading to an atmosphere of enthusiasm in sectors related to the Railways. There have also been various demands from the passengers. This is the last full Budget of the Modi government before the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Along with this, before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, elections will be held in 10 states of the country in this year, including big states like Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana and Tripura, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Mizoram in the Northeast. Elections can be held in Jammu and Kashmir this year. In this Railway Budget, the Central government can announce many new railway facilities for passengers. It is believed that this time, the Rail Budget can prove to be an election budget, especially in those states where elections are to be held. This may result in some special announcements from the Centre for these states. However, the Union Ministry of Railways so far has achieved Rs 42,370 crore more revenue as compared to the previous financial year. The Railway's income has increased by 71 per cent, whereas earlier in 2021, there was a loss of Rs 26,338 crore, which led to the government decreasing the concessions provided to the common people. In view of the strong figures of Railways earnings, people from all sections have raised demands to again implement the subsidies, including the one where senior citizens above 60 years of age used to get up to 50 per cent discount before the Covid-19 pandemic, which has now been discontinued. According to the Railways, there is no plan in this Budget to give concession in rail tickets to senior citizens. The Central government will invest mostly in the modernisation of the Railways. Railways have also been focusing on building better domestic infrastructure for manufacturing trains. In this, plans are also being made to reduce foreign dependence. In this Budget, emphasis can be laid on making new Vande Bharat Express trains and Vande Bharat 2.0 with sleeper berth facilities. This train will work like the Rajdhani Express in which passengers will get the facility of sleeper AC coaches. In the Rail Budget 2023, a scheme of Rs 2.70 lakh crore can be announced for 500 Vande Bharat trains, 35 hydrogen trains, 5000 LHB coaches and 58000 wagons. Significantly, during the announcement of the last Rail Budget, the Finance Minister announced the National Rail Plan 2030, under which preparations were made for the development of the Railways. The Centre had talked about investing Rs 1 lakh crore, for the same. By December 2023, 100 per cent electrification of broad gauge railways will be completed. Similarly, a metro rail system is being prepared in two cities of the Tier-2 category and outer parts of Tier-1 category cities, under which Indian Railways will become the world's first 100 per cent green rail service by the end of this year. Along with this, the Centre can announce the adoption of hyperloop technology in the rail budget. In this, pods carrying passengers travel through tubes or tunnels. This technology is faster than bullet trains. Along with this, the government can make announcements regarding infrastructure in this Budget. However, under Vision 2024 projects, in the second half of the decade, multitracking and signalling upgrades of congested routes are targeted, in addition to the commissioning of new dedicated freight corridors and high-speed passenger corridors. The new railway track will be a part of the new vision document of Indian Railways and will be completed in a phased manner. In the next financial year, a target of laying about 4,000 km long lines can be fixed. An announcement to electrify a 7,000 km broad gauge line in the upcoming Budget can also be expected with an allocation of Rs 10,000 crore. With the electrification of a 7,000 km long broad gauge line, the target of electrifying the entire railway network will be achieved. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/budget/news/govt-may-not-announce-capital-infusion-for-psu-banks-in-budget-2023-24/articleshow/97247553.cms">Govt may not announce capital infusion for PSU banks in Budget 2023-24</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/banks/news/canara-bank-q3-profit-surges-92-to-2882-crore/articleshow/97245895.cms">Canara Bank Q3 profit surges 92% to ₹2,882 crore</a>

Railway Ministry sets in motion ₹ 2-trillion budgetary push

The <keyword id="6355455" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-Railways">Indian Railways</keyword> is all set to offer a 60-year concession period to private investors who invest in <keyword id="4327517" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="station-redevelopment">station redevelopment</keyword>. This is the longest tenure for <keyword id="6428839" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="public-private-partnership">public-private partnership</keyword> projects offered in the country. 
 
Also read: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/want-a-unique-wedding-get-married-at-a-railway-station-in-india/articleshow/56414503.cms">Want a unique Indian wedding? Now you can get married at a railway platform</a> 
 Private companies that decide to participate in the redevelopment of <keyword id="6389854" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="railway-stations">railway stations</keyword> will get the adjoining land where they would be able to build malls, hotels and commercial complexes. However, they would have to first <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/new-delhi-railway-station-getting-a-world-class-makeover/articleshow/57234422.cms">modernise the railway station</a> and make it able to provide world-class passenger amenities before the allotment. 
 
Also read: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/indian-railways-just-got-its-first-make-in-india-train-rake/articleshow/57715819.cms">Indian Railways just got its first 'Make in India' train rake</a> 
 
Other than the land, investors will also be given space on platforms which they can use for commercial purpose, a senior rail board official told ET. 
 
With this scheme, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/worlds-largest-online-test-conducted-by-indian-railways-to-fill-up-18000-vacancies/articleshow/57084947.cms">Indian Railways</a> plans to redevelop 400 major stations, for which minimum investment of an estimate of Rs 1lakh crore is needed. 
 
Also read: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/indian-railways-to-increase-the-speed-of-its-passengertrains-up-to-200-km-per-hour-thanks-to-russia/articleshow/56716999.cms">Indian Railways to increase the speed of its passenger trains up to 200 km per hour, thanks to Russia</a> 
 
The railways is inviting bids for Lokmanya Tilak (T), Pune, Thane, Visakhapatnam, Howrah, Allahabad, Kamakhya, Faridabad, Jammu Tawi, Udaipur City, Secunderabad, Vijayawada, Ranchi, Kozhikode, Yashwantpur, Bangalore Cantonment, Bhopal, Mumbai Central (Main), Borivali and Indore stations. 
 
(Image source: The Dollar Business)

Sixty-year relief period to private investors for railway stations’ revamp

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">UBSPaul Donovan, who is at the centre of a row over comments he made about 'Chinese pigs.'</div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>UBS and China are in a bitter dispute over an economic briefing which officials in Beijing have interpreted as a racial slur.</li><li>The dispute appears to have had real costs for UBS: on Monday it was excluded from advising one of China's biggest state-owned companies on a billion-dollar bond deal.</li><li>Paul Donovan, the chief economist at the bank's wealth management arm, made the comments during an audio briefing published last Wednesday.</li><li>"Chinese consumer prices rose. This was mainly due to sick pigs. Does this matter? It matters if you are a Chinese pig."</li><li>UBS says the comment was "innocently intended," but it has been interpreted as racist by some in China.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.</a></li></ul>UBS has been excluded for a billion-dollar bond sale by a Chinese company, the latest fallout from an emotive dispute between the bank and Chinese government over whether a remark by a senior UBS economist was racist.The row is over a comment about the Chinese pork industry made by Paul Donovan, the chief economist for the UBS wealth management arm, during a daily audio briefing circulated to clients and journalists last week.In the Wednesday edition of the briefing, Donovan briefly discussed <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-culls-pigs-over-african-swine-fever-global-pork-prices-to-rise-2019-5">the growing epidemic of swine fever in China, </a>which has impacted the supply of pork in the country, the world's largest consumer of pig products.Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-culls-pigs-over-african-swine-fever-global-pork-prices-to-rise-2019-5" data-analytics-position="19">China is killing a third of its pigs because of a gruesome and incurable fever, which could drive up the price of pork around the world</a>He said: "Chinese consumer prices rose. This was mainly due to sick pigs. Does this matter? It matters if you are a Chinese pig. It matters if you like eating pork in China. It does not really matter to the rest of the world."The comments were interpreted by some in China as comparing the country's citizens to pigs, and led to <a href="http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1154098.shtml">an article in China's state-controlled Global Times newspaper</a> accusing Donovan of using "distasteful and racist language to analyse China's inflation."<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">ReutersFILE PHOTO: China's pork consumption falls as African swine fever spreads</div></div></div>On Monday, the row appeared to deepen when UBS was excluded from advising one of China's biggest state-owned companies on a substantial bond deal.China Railway Construction Corporation said it decided not to include UBS in a bond deal, <a href="https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-ubs-group-china-bond/china-railway-construction-says-wont-work-with-ubs-on-dollar-bond-sale-idUKKCN1TI0HT">according to Reuters</a>, although it did not give a reason for the snub. <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/6e588600-90be-11e9-aea1-2b1d33ac3271">The Financial Times earlier reported</a> that it was as a result of Donovan's comments. UBS had previously won a mandate on the sale, which is believed to be worth between $500 million and $1 billion, the FT reported.UBS did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider on the bond sale.Outrage at the comments from some in China, including clients of the bank, led to Donovan being placed on leave by UBS."We confirm that we have asked Paul Donovan to take a leave of absence as we review this matter, to evaluate whether further steps need to be taken," the bank said in a statement Friday.UBS says that the comments were entirely innocent, and held no derogatory meaning."We apologise unreservedly for any misunderstanding caused by these innocently intended comments by Paul Donovan," <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/ubs-chief-economist-paul-donovan-chinese-pig-comments-leave-a8959161.html">a statement cited by The Independent said</a>."We have removed the audio comment from circulation. To be clear, this comment was about inflation and Chinese consumer prices rising, which was driven by higher prices for pork."Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/interview-with-ubs-paul-donovan-on-millennials-and-inequality-2018-1?r=US&amp;IR=T">Paul Donovan interview: Millennials will be the richest generation ever - so perhaps they ought to stop complaining about the housing market</a>Paul Donovan did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.<a href="https://www.ft.com/content/82a517f2-8e6d-11e9-a24d-b42f641eca37">Speaking to the FT,</a> Stephen Matthews, a linguistics professor at the University of Hong Kong said that the perceived insult by Donovan was mostly likely down to a poor translation, or a misreading of a transcript of the comments."The perceived insult is derived either from a misreading of the English text by a non-native speaker, or from a poor Chinese translation. Either way, the author is not at fault," he said. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/executives-from-morgan-stanley-citi-and-barclays-talk-about-tech-2019-6">WATCH: Executives from Morgan Stanley, Citi, and Barclays explain how they encourage innovation within big, unwieldy banks</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

UBS was kicked off a $1 billion bond deal because China is angry about a joke a senior economist made about pigs

Indian <keyword id="2598106" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Railway-minister-Suresh-Prabhu">Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu</keyword> stressed on passenger services and amenities while presenting his second Rail Budget for 2016-17. 
 
Prabhu stressed on cleanliness of stations, improving existing coaches, introducing new state-of-the art coaches, new bio toilets, etc. 
 
During his speech, Prabhu mainly stressed on initiatives taken and planned under the ‘Swachh Bharat Mission’. 
 
Many stations will be undertaken on PPP model for cleanliness. 
 
Prabhu announced 65,000 additional berths, 884 coaches and 2,000 water vending machines. 
 
He also stressed on online booking system and assured to a seamless system without any technical glitches. 
 
Prabhu assured of installing 17, 000 bio toilets spread over 475 stations before this fiscal, adding that 74 new trains will be covered under rail housing system. 
 
Taking recommendations from the common man, Prabhu said the railways have strengthened its social media, feedback and redressal system, which are taking direct feedback from the travellers and acting upon them. 
 
For senior citizens and women, Prabhu said their safety will be taken care of and increased the quota.

RailBudget2016: Suresh Prabhu offers too much on the platter for passengers

The Rail Budget 2016-17 presented in the <keyword id="6355187" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Lok-Sabha">Lok Sabha</keyword> by Minister for Railways Shri <keyword id="6356597" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Suresh-Prabhu">Suresh Prabhu</keyword> can be described as a pragmatic, technocratic and a people-centric budget. Minister Prabhu in his characteristic demeanour and in line with a radical departure from Rail Budgets of the past seemed to focus on four broad themes in his budget. 
 First was the focus on processes. It included an overall theme and ways and means to achieve those challenges being faced by railways. The budget aimed to provide an overarching framework for 'reorganising, restructuring and rejuvenating' <keyword id="6355455" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-Railways">Indian Railways</keyword>. It is expected to be achieved through 'new revenues, new norms and new structures'. 'New revenues' are to be generated not through conventional methods like increasing tariffs but through newer ways of income generation through monetization of assets of the railways. 'Newer norms' mean improvement in procurement processes and reexamining existing expenses to ensure optimal productivity. In 'newer structures' the budget mentioned the need to look at 4c's of solving issues- namely co-operation, collaboration, creativity and communication. In short there seemed to be a massive reorientation of the way in which the railway budgets have been traditionally looked at by the union government. 
 The second broad area of the <keyword id="3226191" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Railway-Budget-2016-17">Railway Budget 2016-17</keyword> seems to be its customer-centric approach. The budget starts with making travel comfortable, introducing better e-ticketing facilities both offline and online with enhanced capacity for ticketing increasing from 2000 tickets per minute to 7200 tickets per minute. Another crucial area has been social initiatives like online booking for Braille enabled coaches and increased quota at the lower berth for senior citizens and women, which are seen to be customer-friendly measures. Other steps for customer centricity include 'Clean my Coach' service through SMS and invitation to FM radio stations for introducing entertainment services in rail coaches. Also, Janani sewa to help provide children's menu on trains, baby foods and hot milk is seen as a customer centric measure. Another positive is the introduction of the term Sahayak for porters with an aim to impart them with soft skills necessary for a better experience for customers. 
 
The third major issue was in context to infrastructure, partnerships and a collaborative approach to infrastructure improvement. There is in place a cabinet approval for JV's with State Governments on infrastructure expansion and growth. 17 state governments have consented and 6 MOU's have been signed with state governments. Apart from this works covering 53,000 km and close to ₹90,000 crores have been proposed in the budget documents. Also, over the long term, the budget seems to focus on building three dedicated freight corridors. Besides it also talks about projects for port connectivity and works in various parts of India like northeast and Jammu and Kashmir that are already underway. The hi speed rail corridor between Ahmedabad and Mumbai is also set to take off with the registration of SPV in the coming month. Also, the initiatives for Wi- Fi enablement in 400 more stations in the coming year is another positive step which shows the resolve of the government for services around core infrastructural development. 
 Fourth, another major area seems to relate to the financial aspect of the budget. The budget appears to be balanced with the revenue shortfall in the revised estimates being neutralised by savings of approximately ₹ 9000 crore. Over the long term, the need is to improve revenues from the non-rail sources which are around 5-6 times in other parts as compared to India. In India, the revenues from non-rail sources are close to 5 percent of total revenues. It needs, to be tapped for revenue growth over the long term. Revenue generation is targeted for 2016-17 at ₹ 1,84,820 Crore which is a considerable rise from the revised year's figure. The <keyword id="46930" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="capex">CAPEX</keyword> for 2016-17 is pegged at ₹ 1.21 lakh which is to be financed through joint ventures and new frameworks for PPP, etc. 
 
The Railway budget has focussed on innovative ways to finance and cut down expenditure. Amidst the constraints, it wants to do best for India with the existing resources at hand. Creation of institutions like the Rail University will go a long way for the future improvement in the functioning of the railways. It is hoped that this pragmatic and technocratic thinking sees quick implementation on the ground. 
 
(The article is co-authored with Sankalp Sharma, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Competitiveness, India. Amit Kapoor is Chair, Institute for Competitiveness &amp; Editor of Thinkers. The views expressed are personal. Amit can be reached at <a href="mailto:amit.kapoor@competitiveness.in">amit.kapoor@competitiveness.in</a> and tweets @kautiliya)

‘Suresh Prabhu’s Rail Budget is pragmatic, technocratic and people-centric’

Indians are inventing ways to try and hide their money from the tax inspector, as the government attempts to abolish vast undeclared wealth. 
 The sudden announcement by Prime Minister <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> gave people only a few hours to spend or deposit 500 and 1,000 rupee bills before they were abolished. 
 
As millions of Indians scramble to convert savings by putting them in banks, some with tons of so-called “black money” are looking for loopholes in the system. 
 
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Banks-closed-today-queues-get-longer-at-ATMs/articleshow/55411332.cms">JEWELRY</a> 
 Jewelers stayed open into the early hours of Wednesday, and an industry source in Mumbai estimated that about 250 kg of <keyword id="18712" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="20" keywordseo="Gold">gold</keyword>, worth an estimated 750 million rupees at spot prices, was sold in the city within a few hours after the announcement. 
The source added that jewelers were paid anywhere between 20 and 65 percent above the going rate by buyers snapping up the precious metal with old notes. 
 
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/1000-notes-valid-for-key-utility-payments-till-Nov-24/articleshow/55411143.cms">WEDDING INDUSTRY</a> 
 
Retailers and wedding planners say they have been bombarded with frantic calls from people looking to buy large-item purchases from anyone willing to accept the old notes. 
 
According to reports, In Mumbai, a senior marketing executive that organizes large weddings was debating with his company whether to accept payment in the old money. 
 
People are quoting 30 million rupees ($450,000) in (old) 1,000 rupee notes which is not unusual for a wealthy Indian family’s wedding celebrations. There is loads of black money. 
 
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Arthakranti-behind-the-idea-of-scrapping-Rs-5001000/articleshow/55414105.cms">RELATIVES AND FRIENDS</a> 
 
Some are looking up friends, domestic staff, and even senior citizens who are prepared to legally exchange the cash in small denominations. 
 
Banks have to report to tax authorities anybody depositing over 250,000 rupees ($3,765) and being found to be holding undeclared cash can lead to a penalty of 200 percent of the tax owed. 
 
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/10-Latest-developments-in-the-demonetization-matter-to-look-out-for/articleshow/55413152.cms">TRAIN TICKETS</a> 
 
Many unusual methods of exchanging cash are being talked about on social media. 
 
One tweet described how people were paying their travel agents for expensive first-class train tickets with old bills and then canceling them later to get reimbursed in the new currency. 
 State-run <keyword id="6355455" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-Railways">Indian Railways</keyword> still allowed to accept the old notes but officials have caught on to some schemes. 
 
The railways will refund tickets worth over 10,000 rupees booked on November 9, 10, and 11, but not in cash; refunds will be done through cheques or bank transfers. 
 <keyword id="1124062" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Anil-Kumar-Saxena">Anil Kumar Saxena</keyword>, the spokesman for Indian Railways, said ticket purchases for first class, air-conditioned compartments, the most expensive category, had increased suddenly. 
 
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Millions-Are-Watching-This-Man-Wash-A-Rs-2000-Note/articleshow/55414611.cms">WATCH: Millions Are Watching This Man Wash A Rs. 2000 Note</a> 
 
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Akodara-Indias-first-digital-village/articleshow/55414926.cms">MULTIPLE BANK ACCOUNTS </a> 
 A senior citizen in Mumbai with around 500,000 rupees in undeclared cash told <keyword id="76338" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Reuters">Reuters</keyword> that she split up the amount and opened bank accounts for four of her domestic workers. 
 
“For smaller sums, there are ways to change the money,” a partner at an investment firm told Reuters.

How Indians Covert their Black Money After Ban on Rs 500 & 1000 Notes

A local court on Wednesday extended till August 26 the <keyword id="19909598" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="police-custody" source="keywords">police custody</keyword> of the man arrested for allegedly sexually abusing two girls at a school in <keyword id="19972824" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Badlapur" source="keywords">Badlapur</keyword> town of Maharashtra's Thane district. The accused, who was employed as an attendant at the school where the incident took place last week, was produced before a magistrate at Kalyan in the district this morning amid tight police security. The court ordered the extension of his <keyword id="19909598" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="police-custody" source="keywords">police custody</keyword> till August 26, following which he was taken away by the police in a van, a senior official said. The police had arrested the accused on August 17. As per the complaint, he abused two kindergarten girls in the toilet of the school, the police have said. A massive protest broke out on Tuesday after parents of the school children and local citizens blocked railway tracks at <keyword id="19972824" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Badlapur" source="keywords">Badlapur</keyword> station and ransacked a local school building to protest against the incident and to demand strict punishment for the accused. Following the protest, the Maharashtra government announced formation of a special <keyword id="19919604" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="investigation" source="keywords">investigation</keyword> team (SIT) headed by senior IPS officer Arti Singh to probe the incident. Internet services in Badlapur town have been suspended in the wake of the protest and violence. At least 25 police personnel were injured in stone-pelting at the railway station and other parts of Badlapur on Tuesday and the police have arrested at least 72 persons in connection with the violence.

Court extends police custody of Badlapur sexual abuse case accused till Aug 26

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Rep. Kevin McCarthy won his election as House speaker after conceding to conservative holdouts.</li><li>Those concessions likely include budget cuts that will threaten Medicare and Social Security. </li></ul>House Republicans elected Rep. Kevin McCarthy as speaker of the House after a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kevin-mccarthy-elected-speaker-congress-house-republicans-2023-1">historically lengthy</a> election process. That could be bad news for some retirees.That's because of the types of concessions McCarthy had to make to secure his seat. Reporting over the past few days strongly suggests that those concessions are related to entitlement programs like Medicare and Social Security, which Republicans have waged war against for decades. "To win over holdouts in the House Freedom Caucus, McCarthy struck a series of concessions that include opening debate on spending bills and vows not to raise the debt limit without major cuts to the likes of Social Security and Medicare," The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/09/business/dealbook/corporate-earnings-layoffs.html">reported</a>. That's become clearer as the week has advanced: GOP leaders gave a slide presentation to Republican House members on Tuesday outlining their budget and spending priorities, CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/10/politics/house-republican-conference-rules-deal/index.html">reported</a>. According to a screenshot of the presentation viewed by CNN, the spending priorities were vague but mentioned reforms to "mandatory spending programs" that could include Social Security and Medicare.Those cuts would likely make expenses tighter for doctors and put vital healthcare out of reach for some older patients. If healthcare providers get less money through Medicare, they won't be able to hire as many nurses, doctors, and other staff, as well as fund necessary equipment for services. It affects the quality of care patients are able to get and can even impact how many Medicare patients a healthcare provider can take on, Christian Shalgian, the director of advocacy and health policy at the American College of Surgeons, told Insider in November.Democrats <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/democrats-plans-to-fix-inflation-economy-recession-senate-house-2022-11">expressed relief</a> when they <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/election-results-live-updates-midterm-vote-senate-house-governors-2022-11">maintained control</a> of the Senate by a hair and won more House seats than projected after the midterm elections in November. But it looks like some House Republicans are already strong-arming the policy direction of their renewed majority. Policy experts told Insider there's reason to fear for the fate of major programs that help seniors in the US. "The risks to Medicaid, as well as other programs like Medicare, are now quite serious," Edwin Park, a public policy professor at Georgetown University who focuses on health policy, said. <h2>'Damaging cuts to Medicaid could be on the table'</h2>McCarthy's eventual election was delayed by the <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2023/01/09/what-is-the-house-freedom-caucus">House Freedom Caucus</a>, a nearly 50-strong group of far-right Republicans who are <a href="https://perry.house.gov/uploadedfiles/hfc_rules_reforms_proposal_7.25.2022.pdf">dead set</a> against what they consider excessive government spending.Their agenda isn't explicit about what that means for Social Security and healthcare plans, but as Park pointed out, the Republican Study Committee's <a href="https://rsc-hern.house.gov/news/press-releases/rsc-releases-fy2023-budget-blueprint-save-america">2023 plan</a> shows that those programs may be on the chopping block. For example, Republicans propose converting Medicaid and Affordable Care Act subsidies to block grants, which would cut spending by $3.6 trillion over 10 years. "That would obviously be strongly opposed by the Senate and the White House," Park said, but "the holdouts were clear that they would hold raising the debt limit hostage to major spending cuts, and it is possible that smaller, damaging cuts to Medicaid could be on the table, even if the most draconian cuts are dropped." Park said that restrictions on the use of healthcare providers' taxes to finance the state share of Medicaid costs was one example of a smaller, damaging cut. Nearly all states employ these restrictions, but the budget would dispense with such use of provider funds. The RSC plan also proposes eliminating the state use of provider taxes entirely, Park noted. "Hopefully it does not come to that, but it seems like the holdouts do not understand the dire consequences of default," he said. Mary Johnson, a Social Security and Medicare policy analyst at the Senior Citizens League, also told Insider that the RSC's 2023 plan is a good bellwether for what House Republicans have planned, but that a Democrat-controlled Senate and outrage from older constituents might halt their agenda. "Time and again, older constituents and their families have quashed plans to cut cost-of-living adjustments and other proposals that lacked the support of the trust and support of the voters," she said. Johnson also noted that any sort of stalemate over budget negotiations could endanger the timely payment of Social Security benefits, which would hurt seniors. "Senior advocates often point to the fact that Congress has never failed to lift the debt limit and pay Social Security benefits on time," she said, but "after the difficulty electing a speaker of the House, this may be time to say 'never say never.'"

'Damaging cuts' to Medicare and Social Security are looking more likely with McCarthy as House speaker. Here's what it will mean for retirees.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Tensions between the US and China are rising.</li><li>The CEO of Chinese-owned TikTok will head to Washington in March to face a grilling from politicians.</li></ul>When TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew turns up on Capitol Hill in March, he risks exacerbating tensions over not only safety on <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-tiktok-ban-why-do-they-want-to-ban-2022-12">the much-loved video app</a> but broader geopolitics.The US is increasingly and <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/pelosi-says-us-cannot-allow-china-isolate-taiwan-2022-08-09/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">vocally concerned by China's hawkish stance on Taiwan</a>, as well as its increased economic might. A US Air Force general, citing Taiwan, predicted that war could break out between the US and China as soon as 2025, per a memo sent Friday and seen by <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/us-air-force-general-predicts-war-china-2025-memo-rcna67967" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NBC News</a>. A defense department official told the publication this didn't represent the government's view. So when 40-year-old Singaporean Chew heads to Washington on March 23 to be grilled by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, there's more at stake than the fun app that's wildly popular with America's teens.<div type="image" title="Shou Zi Chew and Vivian Kao attend The 2022 Met Gala" height="1884" width="2512" msid="97501947" hostid="261"></div>TikTok is the second most popular app among American teens, <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2022/08/10/teens-social-media-and-technology-2022/pj_2022-08-10_teens-and-tech_0-01a/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to 2022 data from Pew</a>, which found 95% of teens it surveyed spend time on YouTube, followed by 67% on TikTok. Other popular apps include Instagram, Twitch, and Snapchat — but TikTok is notably the only non-US app on the list.And that's another source of tension: it's a glimpse into an alternative future internet that isn't dominated by the US and, consequently, US norms around freedom and security. It's why the US has also moved against Chinese telecoms firm Huawei and <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/stock-market-analysis-chinese-semiconductor-chip-stocks-joe-biden-exports-2022-10">banned exports to other Chinese firms</a>. In simplistic terms, China's success here feels like an indictment of America's values.<h2>TikTok's big problem: its ownership</h2>As it stands, TikTok is ultimately owned by Beijing-headquartered ByteDance, one of several internet giants that has risen out of China over the last decade. Unlike their US counterparts, China's tech firms receive stricter oversight from President Xi Jinping's regime — note how many Chinese tech founders <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/alibaba-founder-jack-ma-steps-down-from-460-billion-empire-2019-9?r=US&amp;IR=T">have stepped away</a> from the day-to-day running of their businesses under government pressure.The Chinese government, which took a stake in ByteDance's domestic unit in 2021, has followed up by taking so-called "golden shares" in others like Alibaba and Tencent. This gives them certain privileges and rights to board seats, the <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/65e60815-c5a0-4c4a-bcec-4af0f76462de" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Financial Times reported.</a> "The worries about Chinese influence through the parent company are harder to put to bed," Jamie MacEwan, senior media analyst at Enders Analysis, told Insider.The TikTok CEO will, accordingly, have to answer security concerns — first raised by Donald Trump — about whether the app sends data on Americans back to China, where the line between a citizen's privacy and government spying is blurred. The firm knows its roots are a problem, and has <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/12/22/tiktok-steps-up-efforts-to-clinch-us-security-deal.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">offered concessions</a> — like additional US oversight — to try and avoid sanctions or an outright ban. "So long as ByteDance is the owner, it will be difficult to convince politicians that managers in Beijing are not exercising undue operational control, or accessing sensitive data, whatever internal measures have been put in place," added MacEwan. In December, TikTok admitted its app was used by ByteDance staff in both the US and China to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bytedance-employees-china-us-accessed-tiktok-user-data-journalists-report-2022-12">access personal data</a>, such as IP addresses, of individuals including journalists to track their whereabouts and determine how they were accessing internal information. It's a terrible admission for a company that is trying to position itself as a protector of user privacy, and speaks to US fears of a cavalier attitude towards democratic freedoms. Senators <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/senators-urge-us-justice-dept-to-probe-tiktok-zoom-2020-7?r=US&amp;IR=T">responded with outrage</a>, and will no doubt grill . "The worry for TikTok is if bipartisan momentum can be sustained in Congress: that would be more dangerous for the app than Trump's volley of executive orders in 2020, which were rushed and straightforward to overturn on legal grounds," MacEwan said. Chew will publicly need to persuade US lawmakers that TikTok and ByteDance can take steps to keep users safe — while his remarks will simultaneously almost certainly be closely watched in China. His March appearance won't just be about justifying the app and its underlying business — it'll be an act of diplomacy.

The stakes for the TikTok CEO's first Washington appearance next month just got higher with heightened warnings of a US-China war

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Russian military sites in Crimea have been hit by a series of explosions over the past two weeks.</li><li>Ukraine hasn't officially taken credit, but officials have suggested it was involved in the blasts.</li></ul>A series of incidents over the past two weeks have rocked military outposts on the Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula.On August 9, there were several large explosions at the Saky air base in western Crimea, about 130 miles south of the war's frontline.The airbase primarily hosted aviation forces of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, which is headquartered in nearby Sevastopol, and the explosions <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/attacks-behind-russian-lines-suggest-ukrainian-troops-using-us-training-2022-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">destroyed or severely damaged at least eight Russian aircraft</a>.At the time, Russia claimed the explosions were caused by an accident. However, evidence suggests that they were the<a href="https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/widespread-destruction-seen-after-blasts-at-russian-base-in-crimea" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> result of a Ukrainian attack</a>.<div type="image" title="Smoke fire Crimea blast" height="807" width="1076" msid="93718056" hostid="261" sizebytes="25596"></div>On August 16, a Russian ammunition dump exploded in the village of Maiskoye near the city of Dzhankoi in northern Crimea. According to the <a href="https://twitter.com/DefenceHQ/status/1559789571247902721/photo/1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">British Defense Ministry</a>, a nearby railway and electricity sub-station were also damaged.Dzhankoi is an important road and rail junction connecting Crimea to the rest of Ukraine. One of the peninsula's major airfields is also located close by.The same day, smoke was reportedly seen rising from Gvardeyskoye air base in central Crimea, another important military outpost. However, satellite imagery examined by defense outlet The War Zone indicated that there was <a href="https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/no-major-damage-seen-at-russian-airbase-in-crimea-after-reported-attack" target="_blank" rel="noopener">no visible damage</a> to the base or its aircraft or other signs of an attack.<h2>Assuming a defensive posture</h2><div type="image" title="People on a beach as smoke and flames rise after explosions at a Russian military airbase, in Novofedorivka, Crimea August 9, 2022." height="1469" width="1958" msid="93718058" hostid="261" sizebytes="168032"></div>The incidents have led Russia to move at least 24 jets and 14 helicopters back to Russia or to bases deeper inside Crimea to protect them, according to the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DefenceIntelligenceofUkraine/posts/pfbid02a5pUnLkWdYNk7A29ADcKQrKnxTYieVGu6Q4cFcRMnSB7DNXKmdKjngnjB1WXy5p9l" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ukrainian intelligence services</a>.Moving those assets farther from the frontlines could make it harder for Russia to use them in support of its operations in Ukraine.Although the eight aircraft lost at Saky are a small number of the total Russia has committed to the conflict, their loss further degrades the capabilities of the Black Sea Fleet, which lost <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russian-flagship-moskva-sinking-highlights-naval-challenge-in-black-sea-2022-5;" target="_blank" rel="noopener">its flagship, Moskva, in April</a>.The fleet's surface ships continue "to pursue an extremely defensive posture, with patrols generally limited to waters within sight of the Crimean coast," the British Defense Ministry <a href="https://twitter.com/DefenceHQ/status/1559411321581572098" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on August 16.<div type="image" title="A satellite image showing several destroyed aircraft and buildings at the Russian Saky airbase in Crimea, on August 10, 2022" height="1267" width="1690" msid="93718060" hostid="261" sizebytes="255180"></div>Even though the fleet continues to conduct long-range missile attacks against Ukrainian targets, its "limited effectiveness undermines Russia's overall invasion strategy," partly because the "amphibious threat to Odessa has now been largely neutralized," allowing Ukraine to move its troops elsewhere, the ministry added.Asked about the explosions during a briefing on August 19, a US defense official said "we are seeing this overarching picture of Russian forces being much more vulnerable than they thought they were, and we are seeing movements of Russian forces as a result to try to protect their capabilities."The recent incidents have also affected the morale and sense of security of Russians in Crimea. Following the explosions at Saky air base, thousands of civilians, many of them vacationers, appeared to leave the peninsula.This "proves that the absolute majority of citizens of the terrorist state already understand or at least feel that Crimea is not a place for them," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/17/europe/crimea-explosions-russia-ukraine-intl/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on August 16, referring to Russian settlers who moved to Crimea after Moscow annexed it in 2014.<h2>Crimea's importance</h2><div type="image" title="2022 map of Crimea" height="1252" width="2032" msid="93718062" hostid="261" sizebytes="136054"></div>Crimea has been an important support area for Russia's current attack on Ukraine.The southern arm of the invasion, launched on February 24, advanced into mainland Ukraine from Crimea, capturing Kherson and establishing the southern front. Russia has also used Crimea's roads and railways to reinforce and resupply its forces in southern and southeastern Ukraine.Crimea's military and political significance for Moscow pre-dates the current war.The peninsula is home to Sevastopol, which has the most developed naval base in the Black Sea region. It has been <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-black-sea-fleet-2014-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a major base</a> for Russia's Black Sea Fleet since the fleet and the city were founded in 1783.In 1957, administration of the peninsula was transferred from Russia to Ukraine — both parts of the Soviet Union at the time. After the Soviet Union's dissolution, Crimea remained with Ukraine, which leased the Sevastopol base to Moscow <a href="https://www.rbth.com/world/2014/03/04/the_importance_of_sevastapol_for_russia_33479" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in 1997</a>.<div type="image" title="Sevastopol" height="3331" width="5472" msid="93718066" hostid="261" sizebytes="913666"></div>In 2010, Ukraine and Russia <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/apr/21/ukraine-black-sea-fleet-russia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">agreed</a> to extend that lease until at least 2042, but Russian politicians repeatedly voiced dissatisfaction about Ukraine's continued control of the peninsula.Following its annexation in 2014, President Vladimir Putin <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2014/03/18/world/europe/ukraine-crisis/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">proclaimed</a> that, "In our hearts, we know Crimea has always been an inalienable part of Russia."Ensuring continuous military access to Sevastopol was a major reason for the annexation. It is one of Russia's few warm-water ports and allows the Black Sea Fleet to better <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-navy-warships-in-black-sea-amid-nato-russia-tensions-2021-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">project power throughout the region</a>. Control of Crimea also allows Russia <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/video-russian-ship-hits-ukraine-boat-2018-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">to restrict access</a> to the Sea of Azov, which it and Ukraine both border.The peninsula is home to other ports and airfields, including those in Dzhankoi and Gvardeyskoye, that Moscow <a href="https://ecfr.eu/publication/waves-of-ambition-russias-military-build-up-in-crimea-and-the-black-sea/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has been developing and modernizing</a> since 2014.Ukrainian officials have expressed determination to retake the peninsula, and the recent incidents could signal Kyiv's increasing ability and desire to hit Russia in what Moscow believed was a safe haven.<div type="image" title="Vladimir Putin Black Sea navy missile test" height="949" width="1400" msid="93718068" hostid="261" sizebytes="42690"></div>Additionally, Washington appears increasingly supportive of Ukrainian attacks on Russians in Crimea.In early July, a senior US defense official <a href="https://www.defense.gov/News/Transcripts/Transcript/Article/3088129/senior-defense-official-holds-a-background-briefing/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> reporters that Russian forces in Crimea "are absolutely fair targets." This month, a senior Biden administration official <a href="https://www.politico.com/newsletters/national-security-daily/2022/08/17/u-s-approves-of-ukraine-striking-russian-occupied-crimea-00052364" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told Politico</a> that there were no restrictions on Kyiv striking Russians on occupied Ukrainian territory, and, the official added, "Crimea is Ukraine."On August 10, Zelenskyy <a href="https://news.yahoo.com/zelenskyy-war-must-end-liberation-202905012.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Russia's "war against Ukraine, against the whole of free Europe, began with Crimea and has to end with Crimea, with its liberation.""Today it is impossible to say when this will happen, but we are constantly adding the necessary components to the formula for the liberation of Crimea," Zelenskyy said. "The Black Sea region cannot be safe as long as Crimea is occupied."Constantine Atlamazoglou works on transatlantic and European security. He holds a master's degree in security studies and European affairs from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. You can contact him on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/constantine-atlamazoglou" target="_blank" title="LinkedIn" rel="noopener">LinkedIn</a>.

You Searched For "Senior Citizen Railway Concession" and got 10 results

Railway Ministry sets in motion ₹ 2-trillion budgetary push

IANS

Sixty-year relief period to private investors for railway stations’ revamp

BI India Bureau

UBS was kicked off a $1 billion bond deal because China is angry about a joke a senior economist made about pigs

Will Martin

RailBudget2016: Suresh Prabhu offers too much on the platter for passengers

Akanksha Jain

‘Suresh Prabhu’s Rail Budget is pragmatic, technocratic and people-centric’

Amit Kapoor

How Indians Covert their Black Money After Ban on Rs 500 & 1000 Notes

BI India Bureau

Court extends police custody of Badlapur sexual abuse case accused till Aug 26

PTI

'Damaging cuts' to Medicare and Social Security are looking more likely with McCarthy as House speaker. Here's what it will mean for retirees.

Jason Lalljee

The stakes for the TikTok CEO's first Washington appearance next month just got higher with heightened warnings of a US-China war

Hasan Chowdhury

Embarrassing losses are making Russian forces very cautious around one of Putin's most prized military outposts

Constantine Atlamazoglou

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides