A shortlist of the biggest headlines, recommended stories, and a special collection of news items you should check out.

Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that new tax regime slabs will be changed and standard tax deduction increased from 50,000 to 75,000. The deduction, however, will remain unchanged at ₹50,000 under the old tax regime. For family pensioners, the deduction will go up from ₹15,000 to ₹25,000 under the new regime, Nirmala Sitharaman said. Owing to this, Nirmala Sitharaman said, ₹17,500 will be saved by those opting for the new regime. The Finance Minister also announced a comprehensive review of the Income Tax Act of 1961, which will make it easier to read and understand and reduce uncertainty and potential for litigation. 

Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman carrying the Budget tablet (ANI)(President of India-X)

A panel of experts from Indian Institute of Delhi (IIT-D) told the Supreme Court on Tuesday that there is only one correct answer and not two to a controversial physics question asked in the NEET-UG 2024 examination. The top court bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice JB Pardiwala had asked the IIT-Delhi director to set up a team of experts for looking into the particular question and submit a report by today afternoon. “We have received the IIT Delhi report. The IIT Director Rangan Banerjee…constituted a committee from the department of physics and they say a team of three experts examined the question. They say that the option four is the correct answer,” the CJI was quoted by the PTI as saying. 

Rahul Dravid’s first assignment after India head coach role is all but confirmed with The Wall set to return to the Indian Premier League. Dravid, whose tenure as coach of the Indian cricket team ended on the highest of highs – a World Cup win – is likely to link up with a team which paved the way for his coaching career. A report carried out by the Times of India claims that Dravid’s association with Rajasthan Royals as their head coach is a done deal and that the official announcement is coming up shortly. “Talks are going on between RR and Dravid, an announcement in his regard is round the corner,” TOI quoted a source as saying. HT could not individually verify the development. 

Entertainment Focus

US President Joe Biden’s decision to drop out of the presidential election race and endorse Vice President Kamala Harris has been a topic of discussion on social media. Amid buzz around Kamala, a 2009 tweet of actor Mallika Sherawat about the US politician has resurfaced and many are loving the ‘blast from the past’. On June 23, 2009, Mallika, who had moved to the US years ago, tweeted, “Having fun at a fancy event with a woman who they say could be US President, Kamala Harris. Chicks rule!” Reacting to her old tweet, an X user wrote on Monday, “15 years ago…” Another said, “Mallika was spot on…” A person wrote about Mallika’s old tweet, “Who is here in 2024?” Someone also tweeted, “Blast from the past!”

Health and Lifestyle

Blake Lively and Gigi Hadid stole the spotlight at the Deadpool & Wolverine premiere with their jaw-dropping looks. The longtime best friends are all about themed events, and they absolutely crushed the fashion game at this one. Drawing inspiration from the iconic superheroes, the Gossip Girl alum and the supermodel graced the red carpet on July 22 in striking scarlet red and mustard yellow outfits, perfectly echoing Deadpool and Wolverine’s costumes. Blake’s stunning red ensemble captured Deadpool’s bold spirit, while Gigi’s mustard yellow look channelled Wolverine’s fierce energy.