Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the loss of lives in the devastating plane crash in Nepal that left 68 people dead on Sunday. The plane was carrying about 72 people from capital Kathmandu crashed in Pokhara this morning, news agency AFP said, quoting the police.
Ahead of the Union Budget, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Sunday that she was aware of the pressures of the middle class but also recalled that the present government has not imposed any fresh taxes on them. Sitharaman will present Union Budget for 2023-24 in the Lok Sabha on February 1 amid expectations that the government will raise the income tax limit and provide relief to the middle class taxpayers, besides others.
At least 68 people are confirmed dead after a plane carrying 72 people crashed in Nepal on Sunday, police said. 53 Nepali, 5 Indian, 4 Russian, 2 Koreans, 1 Argentinian, and one each from Ireland, Australia, and France were in the plane, Yeti Airlines said in a statement.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has highlighted India's "strong and firm" response to China, which tried to unilaterally change the status quo on the LAC in May 2020 and more recently in Tawang sector of Arunachal Pradesh in December last year. Speaking at the Tughlaq's 53rd Annual Day Function, he said, "On the northern borders, China is seeking to change the status quo by bringing large forces and violating our agreements. Despite Covid, remember, this happened in May 2020. Our counter-response was strong and firm." Jaishankar said the world saw in India's response that it is "a nation that will not be coerced and will do what it takes to ensure its national security".
In the face of unprecedented economic hardship in Sri Lanka, President Ranil Wickremesinghe has said that the only option for the island nation to emerge from this crisis is to seek the support of the global lender International Monetary Fund (IMF). "We are well aware that the economy of the country has collapsed. So I know the difficulties faced by the country. We witnessed a drop in the number of employments. Inflation has especially increased the cost of living. Hence people's lifestyle is changing," said Wickremesinghe during a meeting with the trade union representatives at the President's Office.
In what appears to be a tit-for-tat move, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan has said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will have to take a trust vote, media reports said. Khan's remarks came after the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) threatened to leave the present coalition government. MQM-P's votes are crucial to keep the incumbent prime minister in office, Geo News reported. MQM-P has threatened to quit the federal government if its reservations regarding delimitations in Karachi and Hyderabad are not addressed ahead of the local government polls - scheduled for January 15.
 "LIVE updates: 'Precious lives lost,' says PM Modi on Nepal plane crash")
