Washington : The US today slapped more than two dozen Iranian entities with sanctions, two days after the Islamic republic dismissed President Donald Trump’s warnings over its latest missile test as baseless and provocative.
The announcement also comes a day after Trump put Iran “on notice” for its alleged destabilising behaviour and carrying out ballistic missile test in violation of the UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which calls on Tehran not to test missiles capable of delivering a nuclear weapon.
The ballistic missile launch was the first by Iran since Trump became president.
According to reports, Iran’s missile test occurred at a well-known site outside Semnan, about 225 km east of Tehran.
The Khorramshahr medium-range ballistic missile flew 600 miles before exploding.
In a statement, the Treasury Department said the multiple entities and individuals slapped with sanctions were involved in procuring technology and materials to support Iran’s ballistic missile programme, as well as for acting for or on behalf of, or providing support to, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF).
“This action reflects the United States’ commitment to enforcing sanctions on Iran with respect to its ballistic missile program and destabilising activities in the region and is fully consistent with the United States’ commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA),” the Treasury said.
“Iran’s continued support for terrorism and development of its ballistic missile program poses a threat to the region, to our partners worldwide, and to the United States,” said John E Smith, Acting Director at the Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).
“Today’s action is part of Treasury’s ongoing efforts to counter Iranian malign activity abroad that is outside the scope of the JCPOA,” he added.
The Treasury said OFAC designated several networks and supporters of Iran’s ballistic missile procurement, including a critical Iranian procurement agent and eight individuals and entities in his Iran – and China-based network, an Iranian procurement company and its Gulf-based network, and five individuals and entities that are part of an Iran-based procurement network connected to Mabrooka Trading, which was designated on January 17 last year.
It also designated a key IRGC-QF-run support network working with Hizballah, including IRGC-QF official Hasan Deghan Ebrahimi, his associates Muhammad Abd-al-Amir Farhat and Yahya al-Hajj, and several affiliated companies in Lebanon.
Iran has previously warned that new US sanctions could constitute a violation of the nuclear deal, setting up a scenario in which the agreement could unravel something that hardliners in both countries would welcome.
The row comes against a backdrop of already strained ties between Washington and Tehran over Trump’s travel ban on citizens from Iran and six other Muslim-majority countries.
As much as Rs 4.17 lakh crore of suspicious cash was deposited by about 18 lakh people post demonetization of high value currency notes, CBDT Chairman Sushil Chandra said on Thursday.
Of the people whose data the income tax department now has, email and SMS queries have been sent to 13 lakh people on Thursday, he said addressing a post-Budget seminar.
“We have (accumulated) around 18 lakh persons data amounting to Rs 4.17 lakh crore deposits into accounts. Another data (for) 10 lakh is ready. We want that this should be completed and we have today issued 13 lakh SMS and email to the persons about whom we have details,” he said.
The rest of the 5 lakh people would be receiving SMS and emails on Friday for clarification under the “Operation Clean Money”.
The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), he said, is moving on a very fast track to ensure all untaxed are brought under the tax net.
The information on 18 lakh depositors is part of CBDT’s ‘Swachh Dhan Abhiyan’ (Operation Clean Money) drive that uses data analytics and taxpayer profiling to detect potential tax evasion on cash deposits post November 8 decision to junk 500 and 1,000 rupee notes.
He said the Income Tax Department has identified 18 lakh people who have made “suspicious” cash deposits post demonetization.
Chandra had earlier this week stated that 10 days’ time would be given to people to reply to the e-communication, and replies can be filed by logging on to the e-filing portal of the I-T department.
In the initial phase, the CBDT has put on e-filing portal the data of those persons who have deposited Rs 5 lakh or more of suspicious nature and have poor tax compliance after November 8, Chandra said.
He said data on 18 lakh taxpayers has been uploaded on e-filing portal. These people while filing reply have to explain to the tax department the sources of deposits.
The deposits will be compared with the income profile, turnover and other parameters available in the income tax data bank to see if they match with tax paying profile.
Chandigarh/Panaji, Feb 2 : The high-octane, calumny- filled campaign for the assembly elections in Punjab and Goa, billed as the first major test of the Modi government’s popularity post-demonetisation, ended today.
The gruelling campaign concluded for all the 117 seats of Punjab and 40 of the tiny coastal state of Goa this evening ahead of the February 4 single-phase polling in the two states where BJP is in power.
It was for the first time in the recent memory that Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who has not been keeping well, did not go stumping and the task of spearheading the electioneering was left to her heir apparent and deputy Rahul Gandhi.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP chief Amit Shah a battery of Union Ministers Including Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar plunged into electioneering for BJP and its allies in the two states.
Punjab, where the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)-BJP combine has been in power over the last decade, saw bitter exchanges between it and two other major contenders for power–Congress and AAP over drug menace, corruption and law and order.
Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party is contesting assembly elections in both the states, where BJP and Congress have been traditional political rivals, for the first time and is said to be a potential contender for power.
Apart from the drug menace, the contentious SYL canal issue and sacrilege of holy books of Sikhs were among the major issues flagged by the electoral rivals.
Prime Minister Modi held two elections rallies in Jalandhar and Kotkapura in the state where he flagged the issue of threat from Pakistan to seek votes for SAD-BJP combine, which he claim alone could provide a stable government that would guarantee safety and security of the state.
Rahul Gandhi took Congress’ campaign to the pocket boroughs of the ruling Badal clan, including Lambi, Majitha and Jalalabad, to target it over alleged corruption, playing dynastic politics and promoting drugs and mining mafia.
The AAP, which had won four Lok Sabha seats in 2014, has plunged into the contest whole-heartedly with Arvind Kejriwal criss-crossing large parts of the state. It has fielded candidates in all the 117 seats and is expected to fare well.
After initial dithering, Rahul Gandhi declared Patiala royal family scion Amarinder Singh the party’s chief ministerial face. Amarinder, 74, has already announced it would be his last election.
A clutch of AAP leaders including Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh and Bhagwant Mann, a potential candidate for chief ministership if the party wins, added heft to the party’s campaign.
Interestingly, in Goa, where the BJP is facing a rival in a rebel RSS leader, the party has not projected incumbent Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar as chief ministerial face and has often hinted at a Manohar Parrikar’s return to the hot seat, apparently to cash in on his enduring popularity in the state.
Reforms in education regulation agency UGC, more autonomy for colleges and universities, emphasis on science with a big push to innovation were the highlights of Budget 2017 for education, announced by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Wednesday. A national testing agency will conduct all examinations in higher education, reducing burden on the Central Board of Secondary Education and All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) etc.
Systems to measure annual learning outcomes will also be introduced for improving standards in education. Jaitley said reforms will be introduced in UGC, “autonomy (given) to colleges and institutions with the introduction of a new system of measuring annual learning.”
About a 100 skill centres will be started around the country and more than 3 crore young people will benefit through a programme on skills acquisition called Sankalp.
regulation agency UGC, more autonomy for colleges and universities, emphasis on science with a big push to innovation were the highlights of Budget 2017 for education, announced by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Wednesday. A national testing agency will conduct all examinations in higher education, reducing burden on the Central Board of Secondary Education and All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) etc.
Systems to measure annual learning outcomes will also be introduced for improving standards in education. Jaitley said reforms will be introduced in UGC, “autonomy (given) to colleges and institutions with the introduction of a new system of measuring annual learning.”
About a 100 skill centres will be started around the country and more than 3 crore young people will benefit through a programme on skills acquisition called Sankalp.
The White House said on Wednesday it has issued updated guidance on President Donald Trump’s executive order on immigration clarifying that legal permanent residents, or green card holders, do not require a waiver to enter the United States.
“They no longer need a waiver because if they are a legal permanent resident they won’t need it anymore,” White House spokesman Sean Spicer said at a news briefing.
The restriction on green card holders was among the most confusing element in the executive order signed on Friday.
Initially, administration officials said such permanent legal residents were barred from entry under the executive order, although they could apply for a waiver and be rescreened.
After the ensuing outcry — including legal challenges — over legal residents being detained, the Homeland Security Department said on Sunday green card holders would be allowed on planes to the United States and would be assessed upon arrival. “We expect swift entry for these individuals,” DHS said.
Spicer said the White House counsel issued an update on Wednesday to clarify that those legal permanent residents no longer need a waiver.
“Initially, as the program was lifting off, the idea was that they would go through be granted a waiver, of which everyone was,” Spicer told the news briefing. “In the sake of efficiency, we have interpreted the guidance to all of these agencies … that that does not apply, they no longer need a waiver.”
New Delhi, Feb 1 : In order to cleanse the political funding system and check black money, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today proposed to restrict cash donations to political parties from individuals to Rs 2,000 and introduced an ‘electoral bonds’ scheme.
The electoral bonds, which will be issued by notified banks, can be redeemed by recognised political parties within a prescribed time limit.
“In accordance with the suggestion made by the Election Commission, the maximum amount of cash donation that a political party can receive will be Rs 2,000 from one person.
Political parties will be entitled to receive donations by cheque or digital mode from their donors,” Jaitley said in his Union Budget for 2017-18.
Besides, the Budget proposed an amendment to the Reserve Bank of India Act to enable the issuance of electoral bonds in accordance with a scheme that the government would frame in this regard.
“Under the scheme, a donor could purchase bonds from authorised banks against cheque and digital payments only.
They shall be redeemable only in the designated account of a registered political party. These bonds will be redeemable within the prescribed time limit from issuance of bond,” Jaitley said.
Also, political parties have to file returns.
Political parties would know who has given the money and they will disclose in returns how much bonds they have got.
“Bonds will be bought through cheque and bonds will be encashed with banks. It will be clean money and …
transparent, as the buyer is known,” Jaitley said.
Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas Partner Amit Singhania said the Budget proposes to provide that the income of political parties will be exempt only if no donation more than Rs 2000 is received in cash and the political party files an income tax return.
“This is a welcome step in ensuring transparency in political party funding as it curbs not only the cash donation but also mandates compulsory filing of tax returns,” Singhania said.