Budget 2021

More than half of Britons holidaying abroad in 2022 are expecting to put more cash towards their spending at resorts this year. Some 53% of people plan to have a foreign holiday this year, up from 43% who said this in 2021. Nearly six in 10 (59%) families are expecting to travel overseas this year, the Post Office Travel Money report indicated. Among those expecting to travel abroad this year, 54% are planning to increase their budget for resort spending. Recommended By-elections show voters have run out of patience with Boris Johnson Nearly a quarter (23%) plan to spend money they saved during the Covid-19 lockdowns. But a significant proportion (24%) of those planning trips abroad said they will be cutting their holiday budget because they have less money to spend, rising to more than three in 10 (31%) of families. Researchers also found that seven in 10 (70%) people who set a budget on their last overseas holiday ended up busting it. On … [Read more...] about Sun, sea and spend: Holidaymakers expect to increase resort budgets this year

Serena Williams needed to heal physically and mentally during a difficult year away from tennis due to injuries and had doubts about her comeback at one stage, the former world number one said on Saturday as she prepares to return to Wimbledon. Williams, 40, limped out of her first-round match last year at the grasscourt Grand Slam — where she has claimed seven of her 23 majors — following a leg injury. “I don’t know. I didn’t retire. I needed to heal physically, mentally. Yeah, I had no plans, to be honest. I just didn’t know when I would come back. I didn’t know how I would come back,” Williams told reporters. ALSO READ | Rafael Nadal Missing Old Sparring Partner Roger Federer on Wimbledon Return The American has slid down to 1,204 in the rankings and needed a wildcard from Wimbledon organisers the All England Lawn Tennis Club to compete in the main draw of the women’s singles. She warmed up for the major, which starts on Monday, by teaming up with Tunisian Ons Jabeur … [Read more...] about Serena Williams Says She Needed Time to Heal after Rough 2021

A report from a website focused on home buying shows the price of housing in the U.S. is soaring — up 21 percent since the start of 2021. House Method said in a press release on the report that it analyzed data on the 100 largest Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) and ranked them according to seven factors, including affordability, inventory, and population growth. The House Method report found that the hot market has not, however, has not put a damper on buyers efforts given various market factors: The housing market has exploded in recent years due to fluctuating mortgage rates, high demand accompanied by low inventory, as well as remote working opportunities allowing millions to rethink their home base. Americans have begun to rethink their priorities in a living space, many prioritizing space and comfort while others have flocked to bustling metropolises, leading to an exponential increase in home ownership. House Method’s report highlighted these findings: … [Read more...] about Report: Housing Costs Up 21% since 2021, Hottest Markets Unaffordable

Click here to read the full article. The 56th Karlovy Vary Intl. Film Festival will host the launch of KVIFF Talents, its new year-round program, whose goal is to identify talented filmmakers, and support the creation of projects with international ambition, and a high level of originality. The first flight of 11 creative teams will present their projects in person during a showcase on July 4 at 12:30 p.m. in KVIFF.TV Park. More from Variety Erotic Love Story 'Borders of Love' Picked Up by Loco Films, Trailer Debuts (EXCLUSIVE) Geoffrey Rush, Benicio Del Toro to Be Honored at Karlovy Vary Film Festival Visions du Réel Winner 'Like an Island' Debuts Trailer Ahead of Karlovy Vary Screening (EXCLUSIVE) “We’ve always considered the festival to be a bridge between the creative potential of Central and Eastern European filmmakers and the international stage where they can shine,” Kryštof Mucha, the festival’s executive director, said. “The KVIFF Talents … [Read more...] about Karlovy Vary Film Festival to Launch KVIFF Talents

The free food grain for poor scheme PM-GKAY should not be extended beyond September as it could strain government finances, the Expenditure Department has said. The Department also said the high food security cover has already "created a serious fiscal situation" and is not needed in non-pandemic times. In March, the government extended the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PM-GKAY) scheme for another six months i.e., till September 2022. The government has spent approximately ₹2.60 lakh crore till March and another ₹80,000 crore will be spent till September 2022, taking the total expenditure under PM-GKAY to nearly ₹3.40 lakh crore. The scheme covers nearly 80 crore beneficiaries. In its monthly report, the Department cited the adverse financial position of the Centre and said that recent decisions on continuation of PMGKAY, a huge increase in fertiliser subsidy burden (both urea and non-urea), re-introduction of subsidy on cooking gas, reduction of excise duty on … [Read more...] about Extending free food grain for poor scheme beyond September not advisable on fiscal ground: Expenditure Department

As Russia’s access to its traditional markets of exports and imports are hugely limited following its Ukraine invasion and the subsequent sanctions, Moscow is looking to develop new trade and investment relations with partners in Asia, including India, China and Southeast Asian countries, said Russian aluminium tycoon Oleg Deripaska. Speaking on the sidelines of 25th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), also known as the ‘Russian Davos’, Mr. Deripaska, founder of RUSAL, one of the world’s largest aluminium producers, said there’s an understanding that “the new normal” would fundamentally change Russia’s economic reality. To facilitate such a shift, he said, Russia needed to create the same kind of infrastructure as it had built over the 12 years, from 1991 to 2003, with Europe. This includes setting up new logistics routes and related infrastructure, customs procedures, trade agreements, infrastructure for settlements, gaining access to debt capital markets and … [Read more...] about ‘India, Russia should have direct trade and investment agreements’

The head of the United Nations warned on June 24 that the world faces “catastrophe” because of the growing shortage of food around the globe. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the war in Ukraine has added to the disruptions caused by climate change, the coronavirus pandemic and inequality to produce an “unprecedented global hunger crisis” already affecting hundreds of millions of people. “There is a real risk that multiple famines will be declared in 2022,” he said in a video message to officials from dozens of rich and developing countries gathered in Berlin. “And 2023 could be even worse.” Mr. Guterres noted that harvests across Asia, Africa and the Americas will take a hit as farmers around the world struggle to cope with rising fertilizer and energy prices. “This year's food access issues could become next year's global food shortage,” he said. “No country will be immune to the social and economic repercussions of such a catastrophe.” Mr. Guterres said UN negotiators … [Read more...] about United Nations chief Antonio Guterres warns of ‘catastrophe’ from global food shortage

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday announced a 10% “super tax” on large-scale industries like cement, steel and automobiles, a move he said was aimed at tackling spiralling inflation and saving the cash-strapped country from going "bankrupt." High net worth individuals will also be subject to a "poverty alleviation tax," Mr. Sharif announced after chairing a meeting of his economic team on the federal budget for the next fiscal year 2022-23. “Our first motive is to provide relief to the masses and to reduce the burden of inflation on the people and facilitate them,” Mr. Sharif said in a video message to the nation. “Our second motive is to protect the country from going bankrupt," he said, adding that it has been devastated due to the "incompetency and corruption" of the previous Imran Khan-led government. The sectors on which this “super tax” will be levied include cement, steel, sugar, oil and gas, fertilisers, LNG terminals, textile, banking, automobile, … [Read more...] about Pakistan PM Sharif announces 10% ‘super tax’ on large-scale industries

The story so far: The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) said on Tuesday, May 17, that a sculpture of a lion , which possibly dates back to the Ganga dynasty, was found during excavation for the controversial heritage corridor project around the 12th century Jagannath Temple in Puri, Odisha. This is the third such lion sculpture found during the excavation work. The East Ganga dynasty had ruled Kalinga, as Odisha was called in ancient times, from the early fifth century to the early 15th century. The Odisha government’s ambitious temple corridor project in Puri has become a subject of political controversy between Chief Minister Naveen Pattanaik’s Biju Janata Dal government and the opposition BJP and Congress. Three court proceedings are currently underway in the matter. On May 9, the ASI noted in a report submitted to the Orissa High Court that there was every possibility of archaeological remains at the heritage site being destroyed due to the excavation work for the … [Read more...] about Explained | What is the controversy around Odisha’s Jagannath temple Heritage Corridor Project?

PETALING JAYA: A short video produced by Malaysian visual effects content creator Mohamad Sofian Abdullah and starring actor Ryan Reynolds has received a mention by the Hollywood star on Twitter. “I think this sets an unfair standard for 4-minute junket interviews,” wrote Reynolds on Monday, retweeting Sofian’s original video. The 54-second video starring Reynolds is a special content Sofian made after a Zoom meeting with the star during the promotion of his Netflix movie The Adam Project. “It was an exciting moment, but also nerve-wracking,” Sofian said of his chance to direct Reynolds, adding that it was challenging as he couldn’t review the footage immediately. “Going in, I thought it doesn’t matter what happens at the meeting. “It’s up to me to come up with a solution if there’s a problem,” said the Kelantan-born, who moved to Kuala Lumpur four years ago. According to Sofian, who turns 26 in November, he submitted the storyline a month before the actual date of the Zoom … [Read more...] about Sofian making his mark with video starring Reynolds