
The voter & the commission
TDP wants EC to clarify that its countrywide Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is 'not related to citizenship verification'. As Supreme Court asked EC last week, 'why are you getting into' deciding citizenship. EC's initial insistence on birth certificates for those enrolled after 2003 was based on Vajpayee NDA's Citizenship Amendment Act 2003 – those born after 1987 and before 2004 must show one parent is an Indian citizen. Those born after 2004 must prove both parents are citizens. Many poor and internal migrants, including minorities, aren't able to produce such documents.
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19 minutes ago
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Trump will 'crush economy' of India, China, Brazil with tariffs over Russian oil import: US Senator
US Senator Lindsey Graham has warned that Trump is planning tough economic action against countries still importing oil from Russia, naming India, China, and Brazil as top targets. read more Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi enter a hall for a family photo before a plenary session of the BRICS 2024 Summit in Kazan, Russia, October 23, 2024. File Image/Reuters US Senator Lindsey Graham has said that President Donald Trump is preparing to slap hefty tariffs on nations continuing to buy Russian oil, with India, China, and Brazil in the crosshairs. Speaking to Fox News, Graham stated that Trump intends to impose a 100 per cent tariff on oil-related imports from these countries in a bid to choke off revenue to Russian President Vladimir Putin. 'Trump is going to impose tariffs on people that buy Russian oil – China, India, and Brazil,' Graham said, pointing out that these three nations are responsible for nearly 80 per cent of Russia's crude exports, which he claims are funding Moscow's war effort in Ukraine. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD According to Graham, the move is part of Trump's broader strategy to hold countries accountable for indirectly supporting Russia's war machine. 'President Trump's going to put a 100 per cent tariff on all those countries, punishing them for helping Putin,' he said. Graham said, 'You have played President Trump at your own peril. You made a major league mistake, and your economy is going to continue to be crushed. We're flowing weapons to Ukraine, so Ukraine will have the weapons to fight Putin back.' Senator Lindsey Graham accused Vladimir Putin of attempting to rebuild the Soviet empire by forcefully seizing neighboring nations. 'Putin is trying to reclaim countries that are not his,' Graham said, adding that the Russian leader has shown blatant disregard for international agreements. He pointed to Ukraine's decision in the mid-1990s to surrender over 1,700 nuclear weapons in exchange for security assurances, including a commitment from Russia to respect its sovereignty. 'Putin shattered that promise,' Graham noted, calling it a betrayal of the post-Cold War order.


Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Melting pot bubbling
New polls show majority of Americans are now against harsh action on immigration. That's good news 'Our policy to people born elsewhere should be clear: Enter by the law, or leave,' Trump wrote in his 2000 book, The America We Deserve. He won his second term after promising voters 'the largest deportation programme in American history', and started his presidency by signing an executive order titled 'Protecting the American People Against Invasion'. Trump struck a chord because US does have a major illegal immigration problem. There were over 11mn unauthorised residents by 2022, and roughly 1 in every 15 was Indian. India got a taste of his crackdown in Feb when the first Globemaster with 104 deportees touched down in Amritsar. And such flights have continued, with an average of 14,700 deportations worldwide every month. The number sounds big, but Obama was deporting 36,000 a month in 2013. What's different about Trump, though, is the noise and severity – people shamed and transported in cuffs. And America is sick of it, new polls this month show. A Gallup survey found that only 38% of Americans now support deporting all illegal immigrants, down from 47% last year. In fact, 78% are all for letting them become citizens. Why? Because the ordinary American recognises that the vast majority of illegal immigrants, who have lived for years in America without causing trouble, are useful. Now, a CNN poll also shows the majority of Americans (55%) think Trump has gone too far on deportations. They don't want any more detention centres, and 59% are against detaining illegal immigrants who have lived in America for years. Trump should pay heed to these voices, especially when the mood against immigration in his own Republican camp is changing fast – only 48% now want less immigration, as against 88% last year. Throwing out millions of settled workers would be disruptive for the US economy, and also for their home countries. Indians who have invested their wealth and time to build a life in America, after entering without authorisation, may draw some hope from these developments. So can students and professionals who have been waiting to study and work in America legally. And if Trump relents, America can go back to being the land of opportunity. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email This piece appeared as an editorial opinion in the print edition of The Times of India.


Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
The Bitter Half
Homely ramifications of an exposé at a Coldplay concert Kamala is not talking to me. Because of some Kiss Cam catching a cheating husband at a Coldplay concert. What does that have to do with me? I asked her in my usual whiny voice. I'm used to being blamed for everything. But not international affairs. I thought MEA was dealing with that. But these international issues have national ramifications. Think Global Act Local is not just a slogan for Indian housewives. It's a way of life. If Trump is claiming there is no Epstein file, Kamala is convinced I'm hiding something here. I tried to counter her with a generic Not All Men! but that was not acceptable defence apparently. She was convinced that all men were making a concerted effort to cheat on their bitter halves. I tried mentioning the husband of the lady in the picture. But Kamala was not discussing Cuckold Play. She was focused on the couple in the camera only. 'Shee! The way he ducked down when the camera caught him. That's a sign of sure guilt.' I assured her that I would smile and wave at the camera if I was ever caught at the neighbourhood Ganesh pandal. 'Did you know that 78.5 % of Indian husbands have cheated on their wives at least once in their lives. Socialite Saroja said that NASA has done research on this.' The statistics sounded as authentic as voter-turnouts in the Maharashtra elections. But I was not going to counter the fake news forward from her Kitty WhatsApp group. Shubhanshu Shukla may have gone to space, but even he didn't take his wife with him. I want to know with which lady he shared his gajar ka halwa. No space or any other trips for me. I was grounded. I knew I had to cancel my All Boys Bangkok break planned next month. I'm not sure whether they have jumbotrons in those massage parlours. Imagine if that was replayed on social media. I'm only worried the neighbours will know I have a paunch. Meanwhile the lady who shop-lifted in Target has been forgotten. I was about to use that exposé to curtail Kamala's shopping trips. But the latest scandal has checkmated me. I'm shifting from astronomy to astrology – but still seeing a sky full of stars. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Disclaimer Views expressed above are the author's own.