AGNI-V: Why This Indian Missile Is a Game-Changer in Global Defense
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4 days ago
Elon Musk has officially stepped down as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under the Trump 2.0 administration, following his criticism of the president's "Big, Beautiful Bill." In his May 28 announcement, Musk thanked President Trump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful government spending but expressed concerns over the massive spending package, which he believes undermines DOGE's mission. As Musk's exit raises questions about the future of federal cost-cutting efforts, potential successors for the DOGE leadership include Vivek Ramaswamy, Luke Farritor, Tom Krause, and Marko Elez. This video delves into Musk's departure, the impact of Trump's new bill, and the possible candidates who may lead DOGE forward in streamlining government spending. Stay tuned for updates on the evolving dynamics of U.S. fiscal policy and government efficiency.
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Time of India
31 minutes ago
- Time of India
Why did Trump exclude terror-hub Pakistan from travel ban: Brahma Chellaney hints at US' Deep State's anti-India stance
— Chellaney (@Chellaney) Myanmar blacklisted despite US rebel ties; Pakistan untouched Live Events Trump defends decision citing terror threats at home The 'Deep State' debate: Why it matters India's war on foreign influence: A backdrop to the ban Young minds, long games: How influence takes root Why this matters to India—and the world (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel US President Donald Trump has signed a proclamation reviving his earlier travel ban, this time targeting 12 countries including Myanmar, Afghanistan, Iran, Chad, Somalia, and Yemen. The stated reason: national security and the inability to vet migrants from these regions. However, what's been left out has drawn more attention than what's on the accused by Indian analysts of sheltering terrorist networks—has been spared. This, according to Indian geostrategist Brahma Chellaney , isn't a coincidence.'Trump's entry ban on visitors from 12 countries includes Myanmar (where the US is aiding anti-junta rebels), but excludes terrorism-hub Pakistan, indicating his embrace of the Deep State approach to India's neighbourhood,' Chellaney posted on was included in the ban despite its ongoing civil war and the US's reported backing of anti-junta rebel factions. The exclusion of Pakistan, meanwhile, appears to run counter to the public American stance on terror financing . This contradiction, Chellaney argues, exposes a deeper pattern of American double Pakistan's exemption lies a financial angle. Trump-linked interests reportedly have a stake in World Liberty Financial (WLF), a cryptocurrency firm that has signed a deal with Pakistan. The company's website openly displays, 'Inspired by Donald J Trump,' and is said to be co-owned by his sons, Eric and Donald Jr., along with Jared Kushner, who collectively hold a 60% Trump, in a post on Truth Social, justified the move by linking it to national security concerns. 'We cannot have open migration from any country where we cannot safely and reliably vet and screen,' he said. He referenced the recent Boulder terror attack to underscore what he sees as urgent restrictions have also been imposed on seven other countries including Cuba, Laos, Venezuela, and comment taps into a long-running and complex theory: the existence of a 'Deep State'—a shadow network of intelligence officers, officials, and financiers—who allegedly shape US policy regardless of the elected government's the idea is often dismissed as a conspiracy, it has gained traction in both right-wing American circles and among foreign governments, especially those at odds with Washington. The term broadly refers to entrenched institutions—like the CIA, FBI, Pentagon, and aligned media and NGOs—operating behind the scenes to sustain US global decades, these networks have been accused of backing coups, interfering in elections, and orchestrating regime change to suit American interests. In India, the theory has taken on more weight as the government cracks down on NGOs suspected of receiving funds from foreign entities pushing Western 2016, the Indian government has revoked licences of over 6,000 NGOs under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA). More than 19,000 such organisations were deregistered between 2011 and 2019. Officials have raised red flags over entities funded by George Soros Open Society Foundation , Pierre Omidyar's Omidyar Network, and the Ford Foundation—all of which are now under tight these foundations continue to operate via intermediary organisations, channelling funds toward media groups and advocacy platforms critical of the Indian government.A representative of NGO Monitor, speaking anonymously, said, 'Soros has a very clear political philosophy—open society. He funds education and universities because he believes change must rise from the grassroots.'According to them, Soros-backed initiatives have influenced politics in Ukraine, Hungary, Croatia, and attempted similar tactics during the Arab Spring. 'When you examine the work of Soros-funded organisations, their commitment to democracy rings hollow,' the source foundations offer fellowships to Indian students, shaping a future network of academics, journalists, and policymakers who echo liberal narratives critical of nationalist Soros has not hidden his views. At the Munich Security Conference in 2023, he declared, 'Adani is accused of stock manipulation and his stock collapsed like a house of cards. Modi is silent on the subject, but he will have to answer questions from foreign investors and in parliament. This will significantly weaken Modi's stranglehold on India's federal government and open the door to push for much-needed institutional reforms. I may be naive, but I expect a democratic revival in India.'External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar responded sharply, calling Soros 'an old, rich, opinionated, and dangerous billionaire.' Smriti Irani, then Minister for Women and Child Development, labelled the speech 'an attack on India.'Chellaney's critique, rooted in these long-running debates, suggests that the Trump administration's actions are shaped more by covert interests than by principled policy. The deliberate omission of Pakistan from the ban list, despite its terror links, highlights what he sees as a return to American strategic hypocrisy—one that India has been increasingly vocal the US doubles down on 'vetting' and migration control, critics warn that these decisions often mask more calculated moves. Ones that have little to do with security—and everything to do with influence.
Mint
38 minutes ago
- Mint
Defence alert: Crypto is turning into a geopolitical weapon
"I am not a fan of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies… Unregulated crypto assets can facilitate unlawful behaviour." That was Donald Trump in 2019, when he still voiced concerns shared by central bankers, International Monetary Fund (IMF) economists and financial crime experts across the world. The consensus was clear: crypto, while technologically innovative, lacked both intrinsic value and sovereign backing, and undermined anti-money laundering regimes as well as monetary integrity. Fast forward to 2025. Better educated perhaps by the America crypto lobby's campaign cheques and the sweat equity gifted to his family, Trump, now US president again, recently signed Executive Order 14178. A stroke of the pen dismantled many of the regulatory guard-rails once deemed essential. Not long after, the Trump family entered the crypto business. One of their earliest strategic partners was Pakistan, a state associated with cross-border terrorism, shady finances and furtive fund diversion. Also Read: The triumph of crypto bros: Don't just shrug and move on What should India make of a superpower whose political leaders launch private currencies? Or of a country where former convicts are rehabilitated as strategic advisors to sovereign crypto councils? Are we witnessing a global power in search of infinite minting rights without democratic oversight but with the full cover of plausible deniability? Changpeng Zhao, former CEO of Binance, pleaded guilty to serious anti-money laundering failures, spent time in US custody and paid $4.3 billion for a settlement. His crypto exchange facilitated transactions for sanctioned groups like Hamas—flows that would never get past a regulated banking system. The Binance blow-up should have ended his financial career. Instead, he now advises Pakistan's official crypto task force. Justin Sun, whose firm invested $30 million in Trump-linked World Liberty Financial, was under investigation by the US Securities and Exchange Commission for civil fraud. Today, he is a front-row guest at US political fund-raisers. Are crypto dealings the new way to buy influence in the US? This seems like a gateway through which otherwise ineligible actors—be it individuals, regimes or rogue states—are quietly admitted into the global financial order, now that the need for institutional legitimacy appears to be receding behind the opacity that once resulted in exclusion. Also Read: Mint Quick Edit | De-dollarization: Trump should target crypto, not Brics It's a return to Cold War-style shadow financing, but with the support of blockchains instead of banks. So much for the superpower that lectures the world on clean governance. When financial opacity is rebranded as innovation, geopolitics takes on a new form we should all be wary of. The IMF and World Bank have been vocal in their concerns. The IMF has warned that widespread adoption of private cryptocurrencies threatens monetary sovereignty, enables illicit flows and undermines capital controls, especially in emerging markets. We saw disruptions in El Salvador, Nigeria, and Lebanon, where crypto experiments coincided with capital volatility and institutional erosion. Terror finance remains an enduring threat to global security. The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has repeatedly highlighted how terrorist groups exploit crypto to bypass formal banking oversight. Yet, Pakistan has FATF clearance. For a country like India—on the front-line of cross-border terrorism—this is a real risk. Crypto has operationalized what could be described as 'eHawala': borderless transfers in real time that can stay hidden. A sovereign nation should not let private entities mint currency, however trendy or popular it proves. To its credit, the Reserve Bank of India saw this coming. Its resistance to private cryptocurrency is neither timidity nor technophobia—it is an assertion of monetary sovereignty. In today's world, capital flows can be weaponized. It is therefore a matter of national security to ensure such weapons are not aimed at us. Also Read: Trump's crypto reserve: An odd idea with a silver lining for the world Yet, the pressure to capitulate is mounting. Global crypto platforms, freshly repackaged as fintech innovations, have been pushing for softer regulation. In India, domestic actors have lobbied against India's high tax on crypto gains by arguing that crypto capital must be stopped from fleeing offshore. In matters of financial security, arguing that crypto should remain unchecked because conventional checks aren't flawless is not just illogical, but dangerously juvenile. Even if the US exerts diplomatic pressure, India mustn't oblige. Instead, India should put systems in place for crypto deterrence. Cutting-edge surveillance tools, forensic finance capabilities and offensive digital arsenals could be deployed against adversarial scenarios of crypto being used as a Trojan horse to destabilize our financial system. Just as strategic weapons are kept discreet, so must this. The future of finance may well be digital. But that future must be guided by sovereign plans, not determined by offshore hype or patronage games. In the crypto age, our sovereignty must be defended with the same strategic intent that we apply to borders, seas, airspace and cyberspace. Crypto is now a geopolitical instrument and potentially a vector of strategic harm. It needs to be viewed as a weaponizable tool, even as we secure our financial architecture from any threat it may pose. This is no longer a matter for committees to discuss. It is a political decision—one that cannot be deferred without consequences. The author is a corporate advisor and author of 'Family and Dhanda'
The Hindu
44 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Starbase city grows near Elon Musk's launch site and wilderness refuges
Elon Musk has a long way to go before colonising Mars, but the controversial billionaire already has his own city on a flat patch of Texas, where giant, experimental Starship rockets roar over the incongruous sight of dolphins, and some skeptical human neighbors. Starbase on the south Texas coast is HQ for the Starship project and something of a shrine to its South African-born founder, the world's richest man and until recently one of President Donald Trump's closest advisors. Musk's short Washington tenure spearheading the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, ended last week, with a vow to get back to his day job of running his business empire, including SpaceX, Tesla and Starlink. The departure came as investors grew increasingly nervous about the spillover from Musk's reputational damage after publicly allying himself to Trump and tearing through the U.S. government in search of spending cuts. Now he hopes to hunker down in Starbase near the Mexican border and get back to the matter of reaching Mars. The scene is a curious mix of futuristic high-tech and down-to-earth attractions for a city that was officially incorporated in May but remains very much a work-in-progress. Cars speed down the narrow Boca Chica Boulevard leading to Starbase, where an AFP film crew was not allowed to enter. A huge bust of Musk on the outskirts of the settlement was vandalized in April and now stands with the right cheek peeled off, covered by a giant plaster. A cluster of buildings rises near the launch site, including an imposing corporate tower that bears Musk's X logo and prefabricated houses painted black, white, and gray. For now, the city has only about 500 residents, some still living in trailers and some in the prefab homes, which have patios and outdoor grills. Looming over the landscape are two models of super heavy launchers and one Starship rocket. "I think it's pretty cool, making a whole entire city based around a launch site," said 21-year-old computer engineer Dominick Cardenas who was visiting the area for the unsuccessful test launch last week. "Maybe I'll move down here one day. Who knows? I'd love to go to Mars, who wouldn't?" But the space city is surrounded by nature and wildlife, especially birds. Activist Christopher Basaldu, who is a member of the Carrizo/Comecrudo Native American tribe and holds a PhD in sociocultural anthropology, called Musk a "colonizer." "The land here is sacred to the original inhabitants of the area. And SpaceX is polluting and desecrating this land," he told AFP. There are two federal wildlife refuges in the area where SpaceX operates: the Lower Rio Grande Valley and the Laguna Atascosa. There is also the Boca Chica Beach, where residents have been spending their summers for decades and which is now closed during test flights. "There isn't supposed to be exploding rockets next to pristine wetlands and habitat," Hinojosa said. In 2024, the Environmental Protection Agency fined SpaceX for unauthorised discharges of water from its deluge system into wetlands near its Starbase launch pad connected to the Rio Grande. Despite protests by Hinjosa and other groups, SpaceX received approval from the Federal Aviation Administration to increase the number of launches per year from five to 25. Hinojosa calls it "very much a David versus Goliath situation." "We are one of the poorest communities in the country... and we're dealing with the biggest bully on the planet, Elon Musk," she said. "Elon Musk has so much power that he's found a way around most of our lawsuits," she added. According to a document obtained by CNBC, Starbase City officials have notified the residents that they might "lose the right to continue using" their property as they currently do. A hearing is scheduled for the end of June to discuss the new zoning plan. SpaceX is also building the Rio West giant shopping mall and restaurant complex near Starbase, valued at $15 million, according to official filings. And environmental activists worry that the Rio Grande liquified natural gas plant being built in the neighboring city of Brownsville, which has the capacity to process methane, a gas that powers Starship, could become Musk's fueling station. SpaceX representatives, Starbase City Mayor Bobby Peden as well as Cameron County officials did not respond to AFP requests for comment for this story.
