South park it there, you can't get free-er
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hans India
13 minutes ago
- Hans India
PM to visit China for SCO Summit
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit China to attend the regional summit SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organisation) in Tianjin city from August 31 to September 1 - signalling another step towards normalising ties between the two nations that had frayed after the Galwan clash of 2020. Modi's last visit to China was in 2019. But he had met Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Kazan in October 2024. The visit comes amid the imposition of stiff tariffs from US president Donald Trump and increasing pressure on India regarding oil purchase from Russia. There is expectation that under the circumstances, India's recalibration of ties with China is expected to act as a balancing factor for the US. India's participation would also be in the backdrop of Chinese support for Pakistan and the shadow of Pahalgam attack. In June, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had refused to sign a joint statement at a defence minister's meet under SCO because it skipped any mention of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives and instead, mentioned Balochistan, tacitly accusing India of creating unrest there. Pahalgam's exclusion from the document appeared to have been done at the behest of Pakistan. The next month, though, China issued a strong statement against terror as the US designated The Resistance Front, a proxy of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, as a foreign terrorist organisation for its involvement in the Pahalgam attack. "China firmly opposes all forms of terrorism and strongly condemns the terrorist attack that occurred on April 22... China calls on regional countries to enhance counterterrorism cooperation and jointly maintain regional security and stability," said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian. This time at the SCO, discussions with 10 member countries is expected to cover terrorism and regional security along with trade. Efforts will be made to restore stability and dialogue in India-China relations. There is a possibility that PM Modi will have bilateral meetings with Russian President Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the summit. In October 2024, PM Modi and Xi Jinping had met at the BRICS summit in Kazan. Following that, efforts to reduce border tensions between the two countries had gained momentum and the resumption of the Kailash-Mansarovar yatra had helped normalise ties to a great extent. Established in 2001, SCO aims to promote regional stability through cooperation. The bloc currently has 10 member states -- Belarus, China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
Hans India
13 minutes ago
- Hans India
India, Russia vow to enhance defence ties
Moscow: Russia's Deputy Defence Minister Colonel General Aleksandr Fomin on Wednesday held a meeting with Vinay Kumar, India's Ambassador to Russia, as both sides discussed ways to further intensify the multifaceted India-Russia Special Privileged Strategic Partnership. 'During the talks, the sides discussed topical issues of bilateral cooperation in the defence sphere, confirmed the focus on further strengthening the specialised cooperation in the form of a particularly privileged strategic partnership,' read a statement issued by the Russian Defence Ministry. 'The meeting took place in a warm and friendly atmosphere, which is traditional for the Russian-Indian relations,' it added. India has a longstanding and wide-ranging cooperation with Russia in the field of defence, which is guided by the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military and Military Technical Cooperation (IRIGC-MMTC) headed by the Defence Ministers of both countries. As time-tested partners, both countries have been involved in several bilateral projects, including the supply of S-400, licensed production of T-90 tanks and Su-30 MKI, supply of MiG-29 and Kamov helicopters, INS Vikramaditya (formerly Admiral Gorshkov), production of AK-203 rifles in India and BrahMos missiles. New Delhi and Moscow acknowledge that the military technical cooperation has evolved over time from a buyer-seller framework to one involving joint research and development, co-development and joint production of advanced defence technology and systems. As the Indian Armed Forces successfully retaliated and also inflicted significant losses on Pakistan during the decisive Operation Sindoor in May this year, the S-400 air defence system was credited with shooting down several incoming missiles from across the border. Considering the strategic planning and military preparedness, New Delhi is set to procure more S-400 air defence systems soon. Meanwhile, National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval is also in Moscow, holding meetings with senior Russian officials to discuss India-Russia defence and security cooperation.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
13 minutes ago
- Business Standard
Tim Cook gifts Trump gold-based glass plaque as Apple ups US bet
Apple Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Tim Cook on Wednesday (local time) presented US President Donald Trump with a one-of-a-kind glass plaque made by iPhone glass supplier Corning. Cook presented the gift to Trump as he announced Apple's plan of increasing its investment in the US by $100 billion, bringing it up to $600 billion over four years. The plaque, engraved with Trump's name and the Apple logo, was made from glass produced in Kentucky and set in a 24-karat gold base from Utah. The design was created by a former US Marine Corps corporal now working at Apple. "This glass comes off the Corning line. It's engraved for President Trump. It's a unique unit of one... and the base comes from Utah and is 24-karat gold," Cook said while presenting the plaque at the Oval Office. A video of the event shared on X shows Cook placing the disc-shaped plaque on the Resolute Desk in the White House. Apple pledges $100 bn more investment in US During the meeting, Trump revealed that Apple would invest an additional $100 billion in US domestic manufacturing over the next four years. As part of this initiative, Apple plans to invest $2.5 billion in Corning Inc., marking the first time that all cover glass for iPhones and Apple Watches will be made domestically at Corning's Kentucky plant. The investment is seen as Apple's effort to align with the 'Made in US' push amid ongoing tariff pressures. India-US tensions shadow Apple's export gains The announcement also comes against the backdrop of rising trade tensions between Washington and New Delhi. On August 1, Trump increased tariffs on Indian goods by an additional 25 per cent, taking the total to 50 per cent. He also warned of penalties for India's continued oil trade with Russia. Business Standard previously reported that Apple exported iPhones worth $6 billion from India in April–June 2025, an 82 per cent year-on-year increase. India also recorded its highest-ever smartphone exports in the first quarter of FY26, with Apple accounting for 78 per cent of the total. Despite these gains, Apple may face headwinds. During its recent earnings call, Cook warned that the company could take a $1.1 billion hit in the fourth quarter due to the new US tariffs. Fiscal impact and strategic alignment Apple follows an October-to-September fiscal year. Its third-quarter results showed strong growth from India and other regions. However, in light of the new tariff regime, the company's decision to deepen US investments appears aimed at balancing operational risks with political realities.
