The Hindu Morning Digest: May 29, 2025
U.S. Embassy, consulates in India put new student visa appointments on pause
The U.S. Embassy and consulates in India have paused scheduling new appointments for student visa applicants as they await 'further guidance' from the U.S. State Department, a day after Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly sent a cable to missions worldwide on the issue of social media screening, The Hindu has learnt.
Lokpal gives clean chit to Madhabi Puri Buch in Hindenburg case
The Lokpal on Wednesday (May 28, 2025) disposed of all three complaints against Madhabi Puri Buch, former Chairperson of Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), in the Hindenburg case, granting a major relief for Ms. Buch as well as the market regulator she once headed.
Meat seized from Aligarh men not beef, says lab report; opposition hits out at U.P. government for 'emboldening criminals'
After four men were attacked in Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh recently on suspicion of transporting beef, the police on Wednesday (May 28, 2025) said lab test found that it was not cow meat. 'The samples were sent for testing to a forensic science laboratory in Mathura after the incident. As per the report received on the test, it was found that the meat was not beef. Further legal action is being taken,' said Sarjana Singh, Circle Officer (C.O.), Atrauli.
Rubio says U.S. will start revoking visas for Chinese students
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday (May 28, 2025) that the United States will start revoking visas of Chinese students, including those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields. In a statement, Mr. Rubio said the department will also revise visa criteria to enhance scrutiny of all future visa applications from China and Hong Kong.
Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana, Chandigarh postpone civil defence exercise
After the government decided to carry out a civil defence exercise on Thursday (May 29, 2025) in states and Union Territories adjoining the western border, Haryana, Rajasthan and Punjab on Wednesday (May 28, 2025) postponed the scheduled mock drill.
Trump used offers of trade access to broker India-Pakistan ceasefire, claims U.S. Commerce Secretary
The U.S. government has, for the first time, put on record in a court submission its claim that the ceasefire between India and Pakistan, following India's Operation Sindoor, was 'only achieved' after U.S. President Donald Trump stepped in and offered both countries trading access to the U.S. in order to 'avert a full-scale war'.
Bangladesh Nationalist Party supporters hold rally calling for polls by December
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) called for early election in Bangladesh on Wednesday (May 28, 2025), adding to the growing pressure on the interim government. In the past 10 months, this is the first time that the BNP has challenged the interim government led by Mohammed Yunus, and criticised its major initiatives like the so-called 'humanitarian corridor' between Bangladesh and Myanmar.
Free movement will take time, government tells Meiteis
The resumption of free movement for all communities along the National Highways in Manipur, and the resettlement of internally displaced people are 'going to take some time', Home Ministry officials told a delegation of Meitei civil society groups at a meeting in the National Capital. The officials 'clearly stated' that this is 'not achievable in a few months or a few weeks', the Meitei groups said in a press conference on Wednesday (May 28, 2025), a day after the meeting.
Kamal Haasan clarifies on Kannada remark: It was a statement of love
Veteran star Kamal Haasan has responded to the controversy around his statement on the Kannada language. The actor, while promoting his upcoming movie Thug Life, had said that 'Tamil gave birth to Kannada.' Kamal Haasan's remark, made at the audio launch of the Mani Ratnam-directorial in Chennai, drew criticism from the people of Karnataka.
Chelsea defeats Real Betis in Conference League final to make history in Europe
A dominant Chelsea crushed Spanish side Real Betis 4-1 in the final of the UEFA Conference League to become the first team in Europe to win all the continental trophies on offer, on Wednesday (May 28, 2025). Goals from Enzo Fernandez, Nicolas Jackson, Jadon Sancho and Moises Caicedo helped the London side cap off a massive second-half comeback after being 0-1 down at the break.
Maharashtra government approves Dharavi project master plan
The master plan for the Dharavi redevelopment project was approved on Wednesday (May 27, 2025) during a review meeting attended by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and senior officials. 'Dharavi should be developed in an environmentally friendly and integrated manner while preserving its original concept,' said Mr. Fadnavis.
Delhi, followed by Maharashtra, sent back the most number of 'illegal' Bangladeshi immigrants
With the continuing arrests of 'illegal' Bangladeshi immigrants in various States, Border Security Force (BSF) data show that Delhi leads among the States sending back these individuals over land via the eastern border. In the past six months, a number of allegedly 'illegal' immigrants from Bangladesh have been detained in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled States of Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and Goa, and handed over to be sent back, a senior official told The Hindu.
L-G put in an embarrassing position on Delhi ridge tree felling issue: Supreme Court
The Supreme Court on Wednesday (May 28, 2025) noted that the willful disobedience, deliberate concealment of the fact of the tree felling in the protected Delhi ridge area and a series of miscommunications by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) officials left Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena in an 'embarrassing position'.
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After general's praise, Pak Army chief Asim Munir invited to US military parade
Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Asim Munir, is set to visit the United States this week to attend the 250th anniversary celebrations of the US Army in Washington DC, top sources an invitation from Washington, sources said Munir has confirmed his presence at a military parade in the American capital on Saturday, which also happens to be US President Donald Trump's 79th birthday. His visit comes amid heightened tensions between India and to sources, Munir will also hold meetings with senior officials from the US State Department and the Pentagon during his visit. Neither Pakistan nor the US has confirmed the high-level military engagement. The visit comes days after a top US general's praise for Munir. At a congressional hearing this week, Gen Michael Kurilla, head of the US Central Command (CENTCOM), called Pakistan "a phenomenal partner in the counterterrorism world" and underscored Islamabad's contributions to operations against to Munir's rumoured visit, noted South Asia analyst Michael Kugelman remarked that a stopover at CENTCOM could be on the cards."He [Munir] and Gen Kurilla have met 3 times in less than 2 years. Kurilla praised him yesterday in Hill testimony. US-Pak officer-to-officer ties are generally strong," Kugelman tweeted. advertisement Meanwhile, the US invitation to Munir has stirred sharp reactions in India. Congress communications head Jairam Ramesh called it "another huge diplomatic setback for India"."This is the man who spoke in such incendiary and provocative language just before the Pahalgam terror attacks. What is the US really up to? This is another huge diplomatic setback for India," Ramesh said in an X post on the Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed 26 lives and set Operation Sindoor into motion, India has ramped up diplomatic efforts to isolate Pakistan globally, dispatching all-party delegations to 33 foreign capitals and the European Union for anti-terror arrival in Washington is also being met with protests from the Pakistani diaspora. Former Prime Minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party has announced demonstrations in the US capital during the army chief's visit."Let the White House know that any deal with this government is not acceptable to the people of Pakistan," PTI's Secretary for Overseas Affairs, Sajjad Burki, tweeted. Burki urged Pakistani-Americans to join a protest outside the Pakistan Embassy in Washington on June calling for mass mobilisation have been distributed in Pakistani-American neighbourhoods across the city, sources Watch
Time of India
25 minutes ago
- Time of India
Japan says Chinese jets made dangerously close approach
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel Tokyo said Thursday it had expressed "serious concerns" to Beijing after Chinese fighter jets flew dangerously close to a Japanese military patrol plane in the Pacific last incident followed the sighting of two Chinese aircraft carriers sailing in the Pacific together for the first time, including in Japan's economic said this week that the aircraft carriers' activity -- described by China as "routine training" -- showed the expanding geographic scope of Beijing's military.A Japanese defence ministry spokesman told AFP on Thursday that Chinese fighter jets had flown "unusually close" to the Japanese patrol Saturday, a Chinese J-15 fighter jet from the Shandong aircraft carrier followed a Japanese P-3C patrol plane for 40 minutes, then on Sunday two J-15 jets did the same for 80 minutes, the spokesman said."During these long periods, the jets flew unusually close to the P-3C, and they flew within 45 metres" of the patrol plane at the same altitude on both days, he Sunday, the Chinese jets cut across airspace around 900 metres in front of the Japanese patrol plane -- a distance that a P-3C can reach within a few seconds at cruising speed, the spokesman added."Such abnormal approaches can lead to an accidental collision, so we have expressed serious concerns" to the Chinese side and asked them to prevent a repetition, a defence ministry statement said no Japanese military personnel had been injured.A second defence ministry spokesman told AFP the Japanese message was delivered through diplomatic channels and between officials from the neighbours' defence ministries.A similar incident was last reported over a decade ago in May and June 2014, when Chinese Su-27 fighter jets flew within 30 metres (100 feet) of Japan's military Kawai, director of the University of Tokyo's economic security and policy innovation program, told AFP earlier this week that the timing of the aircraft carrier movements could be linked to US-China economic tensions."Beijing calculated that the United States would be less willing or able to respond militarily at this precise moment, seeing it as an opportune time to demonstrate its expanding military capabilities," he said.
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First Post
26 minutes ago
- First Post
Trump says China will supply rare earths: Why these elements are crucial for US
US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that a 'deal' has been reached with China, with Beijing agreeing to make it easier to provide magnets and rare earth metals to American companies. These minerals have become ubiquitous, from being used in smartphones to electric vehicles. But China's restrictions on exports of seven of these rare earth elements have threatened to upend the global supply chain, hitting the US as well as India read more US President Donald Trump meets with China's President Xi Jinping at the start of their bilateral meeting at the G20 leaders summit in Osaka, Japan, June 29, 2019. File Photo/Reuters United States President Donald Trump has claimed to have reached a 'deal' with China amid trade talks. He stated that Beijing is ready to facilitate the supply of magnets and rare earth metals to US companies. The US, on the other hand, has agreed not to revoke the visas of Chinese nationals on American college campuses. 'Our deal with China is done, subject to final approval with President Xi [Jinping] and me,' Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on Wednesday (June 11). 'Full magnets, and any necessary rare earths, will be supplied, up front, by China.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The US president's remarks come after two days of high-level trade talks between the US and China in London. While it may not be a deal, but a 'framework' that paves the way for more talks between the world's two biggest economies. Let's take a closer look. US-China trade talks President Donald Trump's comments about a 'deal' between the US and China come after the two sides agreed to a truce in May after imposing sky-high tariffs on each other's imports. In his post on Truth Social, Trump said the 'deal' allows the US to charge a 55 per cent tariff on imported Chinese goods. China would impose a 10 per cent tariff on US imports. The details about the new agreement are unclear so far. Amid no clarity, the response from markets was muted, with the S&P 500 up 0.1 per cent. US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said that the two sides had 'reached a framework to implement the Geneva consensus'. 'Once the presidents approve it, we will then seek to implement it,' he added. Last month, the US and China agreed in Geneva to pause the high tariffs that had nearly paralysed trade between the two countries. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Wednesday that Trump was reviewing the details of the deal. 'But what the president heard, he liked,' she added. Analysts have reacted to the US president's announcement, pointing out that more details need to be known. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Adam Button, Chief Currency Analyst, Forexlive, Toronto, told Reuters, 'Obviously, it's good news that China and the US have reached some sort of agreement, and Trump has certainly tried to spin it positively. But it's not clear what path the US and China are on and what they're trying to achieve. Trump hinted at this, saying he wants to expand China trade. In some ways, the US-China talks have created more questions than answers. Is this tariff rate going to stick? And what exactly are the US and China working towards? 'The ultimate takeaway on China is that things aren't getting worse. So, that's good. We probably built in some expectations of maybe material progress.' Why rare earth metals are important for US The significance of China's export of rare earth metals and magnets for the US was underlined in Trump's post, which specifically mentioned them, along with the broader trade agreement. Rare earths are 17 metallic elements, consisting of scandium, yttrium and the lanthanides. While these materials are found throughout the Earth's crust, extracting and processing them is costly and environmentally damaging. The modern world cannot function without rare earths. They are used in smartphones, missiles, flat-screen TVs, batteries in electric vehicles, MRI scanners and cancer treatments. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD From the automotive industry to defence, permanent magnets made with rare earth elements (REEs) are essential across sectors. The US military is heavily reliant on rare earths from China. According to a 2025 research note from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) think tank, these materials are used in F-35 fighter jets, lasers, satellites, Tomahawk missiles, Virginia- and Columbia-class nuclear-powered submarines, unmanned aerial vehicles and smart bombs. In April, China imposed export restrictions on seven rare earth elements and magnets amid tensions with the US over Trump's new tariffs. Washington had levied 145 per cent taxes on Chinese imports, with Beijing retaliating with 125 per cent on US goods. 'The United States is already on the back foot when it comes to manufacturing these defence technologies,' Gracelin Baskaran of CSIS said in an interview published by the think tank. 'China is rapidly expanding its munitions production and acquiring advanced weapons systems and equipment at a pace five to six times faster than the United States. While China is preparing with a wartime mindset, the United States continues to operate under peacetime conditions.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The International Energy Agency said China produces 61 per cent of mined rare earths, but controls 92 per cent of the global production output. The US-China trade deal, while yet to be finalised, would come as a relief for American defence companies such as Lockheed Martin — which uses the most samarium in the US – a rare earth metal used in military-grade magnets, according to The Guardian. China entirely controls the supply of this element. China's restrictions impact India China's export restrictions on seven rare earth elements (REE) and magnets have threatened to disrupt global supply chains. New Delhi could also feel the heat of these export curbs. India's import of rare earth magnets has ramped up in the last five financial years — 12,400 tonnes in FY21 to 28,700 tonnes in FY24. This further surged to 53,700 tonnes in FY25. Of the 53,700 tonnes of permanent magnets – several containing rare earth elements — exported in 2024-25, 93 per cent were from China. This was prior to Beijing's export restrictions announced in April. As per an Indian Express report, India has up to three weeks of REE magnet supply left. Amid the potential shortage, industry executives are expected to travel to China. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD China's restrictions apply to seven rare earth elements – samarium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, lutetium, scandium, and yttrium. It also requires companies to secure special export licenses to export the minerals and magnets. Speaking to Indian Express earlier, a senior executive from the Indian car industry said that importers now have to give an undertaking to Chinese suppliers that the rare earth magnets obtained from the Asian giant would only be used in vehicles and not for defence purposes. India's automotive industry could feel the heat of China's export restrictions as these magnets are vital for the production of electric vehicles and various automotive components, including gear mechanisms and drive trains. Saurabh Agarwal, Partner & Automotive Tax Leader, EY India told Times of India (TOI), 'The recent actions by China have significantly disrupted global supply chains, particularly through their increasing export control over critical commodities. This underscores the urgent need for India, and indeed any nation, to foster a self-sustaining economy. We must prioritise developing our own critical mineral resources and building an end-to-end domestic supply chain, especially as the world shifts towards greater self-reliance.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'Given the current trajectory of our growing economy, it's imperative that the government introduces a Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme specifically for rare earth magnets and critical mineral recycling. This will be crucial in the mid-term for establishing a robust domestic supply chain,' he added. 'In the short run, we must leverage our diplomatic channels to engage with the Chinese government and resolve the immediate challenges around export control licenses. This is essential to prevent production stoppages in our industries,' Agarwal suggested. On Monday, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal had admitted that China's export restrictions will have short-term impacts on the domestic automotive and white goods sectors. 'Obviously, there are issues around the stopping of permanent magnets from China to India, which will affect our auto sector, particularly, and several white goods and other sectors Some companies have put in their applications, and we hope that good sense should prevail and they will get their approvals for permanent magnets,' he told reporters. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Goyal said that the Indian embassy is engaging with China on the issue and his ministry is also working on resolutions. When asked whether the government will bring a PLI scheme for the sector, he said he has interacted with automobile companies, who remain 'very' confident about resolving the issue. 'They are in dialogue with our innovators, startups and they say they will take care of any funding requirement or pricing correction that may need to encourage faster roll out and growth of this sector,' Goyal said. With inputs from agencies
