
The View From India newsletter: From best friends to foes: the bitter Trump-Musk fallout
Just as we were making sense of President Donald Trump's new ban on travel to the U.S. by citizens from 12 African and West Asian countries, the dramatic collapse of the alliance between billionaire CEO of Tesla and X, Elon Musk, and President Trump took the internet by storm. The partnership that demonstrated the deliberate yet effortless bond between power and capital, also exposed how either reacts to any perceivable threat. The Guardian's columnist Jonathan Freedland wrote that 'Musk and Trump are enemies made for each other – united in their ability to trash their own brands'. What drove this wedge between the two men — one, the most powerful leader and the other, the one of the richest businessmen — prompting them to trade such rage and bitterness in public? Watch this video to understand the controversial bill that sparked sharp disagreement between the two. Also read Smriti S. on the rise and fall of the partnership between Mr. Trump and Mr. Musk.
Shutting the door
Meanwhile, President Trump's new travel ban came into effect at 12 am ET on Monday, amid protests in the U.S.
San Francisco is suing President Donald Trump, claiming an executive order over immigrant-protecting 'sanctuary cities' is unconstitutional and a severe invasion of the city's sovereignty.
Demonstrators torched cars and scuffled with security forces in Los Angeles June 8, 2025, as police kept protesters away from the National Guard troops President Donald Trump sent to the streets of the second biggest U.S. city. Unrest broke out for a third day, with protesters angry at action by immigration officials that have resulted in dozens of arrests of what authorities say are illegal migrants and gang members.
The Hindu editorial noted: 'Many of the people seeking entry into the U.S., from countries that had seen American military intervention, such as Haiti and Afghanistan, are fleeing war, persecution and systemic violence. They are not national security threats but victims in search of refuge. By shutting America's doors on them, and immigrants in general, Mr. Trump is not making the U.S. safer. Rather, he is turning a country, which historically welcomed immigration and has benefited from it, into an insular, paranoid, self-doubting republic.'
Mounting rage over Israel's brutality Amid Israeli forces' relentless attack on Gaza, its members stopped a Gaza-bound aid boat carrying Greta Thunberg and other activists early Monday and diverted it to Israel, enforcing a longstanding blockade of the Palestinian territory that has been tightened during the war with Hamas. 'The selfie yacht of the celebrities is safely making its way to the shores of Israel,' the Foreign Ministry said in a social media post. The British-flagged yacht Madleen, operated by the pro-Palestinian Freedom Flotilla Coalition, sought to deliver some aid to Gaza.
The tolerance for Israel's brutality is certainly waning in many parts of the world. Tens of thousands of demonstrators marched through the streets of Rome on Saturday against the war in Gaza in a protest called by Italy's main opposition parties, who accuse the right-wing government of being too silent.
Our London correspondent Sriram Lakshman reports on the mounting pressure on the U.K. government of Keir Starmer to take a stronger position against Israel's actions in Gaza. It was on full display recently, with MPs, including those from the governing Labour Party, quizzing the government on its positions and accusing the Israeli government of Benjamin Netanyahu of genocide.
Neighbourhood watch
Watch: Justifying Operation Sindoor | Was multi-party delegation a success? – our latest episode of Worldview with Suhasini Haidar takes a closer look at the mandate for Multi-party delegations abroad, and whether it was mission accomplished.
Bangladesh: Delivering his Id speech on June 6, 2025, the Chief Adviser to the interim government of Bangladesh, Prof. Mohammed Yunus announced that the next national election will be held in April 2026. However, he announced the country would witness the launch of the 'July Proclamation', a document that he said was 'agreed upon by all parties.' Kallol Bhattacherjee reports.
Top 5 stories this week:
1. Under pressure on the battlefield, Ukraine turns to drones to hurt Russia – read Stanly Johny's analysis of the most recent escalation in the Russia-Ukraine war and its likely implications
2. A strategy fuelled by vision, powered by energy – Union Minister Hardeep S. Puri writes that India's energy sector can be defined in three words — confidence, self-reliance and strategic foresight
3. Should India amend its nuclear energy laws? Kunal Shankar discusses with experts Ashley Tellis and D. Raghunandan
4. Read Franciszek Snarski's profile of Karol Nawrocki, the 42-year-old conservative historian, who won the run-off of the Polish presidential election on June 1
5. Purtika Dua writes on South Korea's newly elected President, Lee Jae-myung, who brings to office a personal history marked by hardship and an agenda shaped by reform
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Hans India
14 minutes ago
- Hans India
Went for the country and spoke for the country: Tharoor on Op Sindoor outreach
New Delhi: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who led a nine-member Indian delegation including MPs from different political parties as part of Operation Sindoor outreach to five countries, including the US and Brazil, on Tuesday said that the tour was hugely successful. "I went for the country and spoke for the country," said Tharoor while interacting with the Malayalam media here on Tuesday in response to a question about his party's outlook on the venture. Apart from Tharoor, the team included Sarfaraz Ahmad, Ganti Harish Madhur, Shashank Mani Tripathi, Bhubaneswar Kalita, Tejasvi Surya, and former Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu, and it also visited Panama, Guyana, and Colombia. "The whole purpose of the visit was to interact with think tanks, Presidents, Vice Presidents, parliamentarians and also former top political leaders and to brief them on what had happened,' said Tharoor. About his American visit, he said nothing about trade issues or about who 'intervened' to stop the aggression was raised during their interactions, in a reference to President Donald Trump's statements. "After explaining the Indian position, all have understood things, as Pakistan had presented a weak case, as terrorists had attacked tourists," he added. Asked about what he intends to do following the visit, he said: "I am going to submit a detailed report to the Prime Minister, and it will be my report." "The trip was very hectic as we were travelling at night and hardly got time to sleep," Tharoor added. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had selected Tharoor to be part of the delegation and lead it, after it was found out that the Congress party's list did not have the name of Tharoor. Ever since Tharoor decided to contest against the official party high command's nominee, Malikarjuna Kharge, for the post of Congress president, a majority in the Congress leadership was unhappy with him, but knowing his popularity, he managed to get support from a section of the party in Kerala. Tharoor is a four-time Congress MP from the Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha constituency since 2009.


Indian Express
17 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Israel detains Gaza Flotilla, deports Greta Thunberg: Recalling the 2010 Mavi Marmara incident
Israel's Foreign Ministry on Tuesday (June 10) announced it had deported Swedish activist Greta Thunberg a day after seizing the Madleen, the ship she was on. In a post on X, the Foreign Ministry wrote, 'Greta Thunberg just departed Israel on a flight to Sweden (via France).' Greta Thunberg just departed Israel on a flight to Sweden (via France). — Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) June 10, 2025 A British-flagged vessel, the Madleen set sail from Italy last week and carried aid for the people of war-torn Gaza. Twelve passengers, including Thunberg, were on board. It was backed by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), an international movement aiming to end 'the illegal Israeli blockade of Gaza'. Israel's relative restraint in detaining the passengers and moving to deport them marks a sharp contrast to what ensued when another FFC-backed ship, the Conscience, set out to deliver aid to Gaza last month. The ship faced a drone attack in international waters near Malta on May 2, and held Israel responsible. These actions are not unprecedented. In 2010, Israeli commandos shot dead 10 activists aboard the Turkish ship Mavi Marmara, part of a 'freedom flotilla' carrying aid to Gaza in a similar effort. The news triggered international condemnation and strained relations between Israel and Turkey, who were allies at the time. Turkey condemned the Israeli detention of the Madleen on Monday, calling Israel a 'terrorist state', and the move a 'clear violation of international law'. The Mavi Marmara was one of six civilian ships which had set sail towards Gaza as part of the 'Gaza Freedom Flotilla': three of these, including the Mavi Marmara, were passenger ships carrying 748 people of 40 nationalities. The other three carried aid meant for Palestine, aiming to breach an Israeli and Egyptian blockade on Gaza. (The flotilla originally included two more ships, which faced engine issues ahead of their start, spurring rumours of Israeli sabotage.) The Israeli blockade has existed since the '90s, but these restrictions were intensified after Hamas gained control of Gaza in 2007. Egypt closed the Rafah crossing with Gaza that year. Physical barriers were erected around the 365 sq km Gaza Strip in Palestine's southwestern region. Additionally, Israel had maintained a naval blockade, preventing international ships from entering Gaza or local vessels from leaving the coastal waters. This was intensified in October 2023, following the Hamas attacks on Israel. Soon, Israel stopped the supply of food, water, fuel and electricity into Gaza. Israel briefly loosened the blockade this January following a US-brokered ceasefire, only to reinstate it in March, alleging ceasefire violations by Hamas. The Freedom Flotilla carried 10,000 tonnes of goods, including school supplies, building materials and two large electricity generators, according to a BBC report. This defied an Israeli directive banning the entry of a wide variety of goods to keep the pressure on Hamas. The flotilla sought to draw international attention to the blockade, which it described as illegal. The effort was spearheaded by the Free Gaza Movement, a coalition of pro-Palestinian groups challenging the Israeli blockade of Gaza, as well as the Turkish Foundation for Human Rights and Freedoms and Humanitarian Relief (IHH). Notably, Israel had identified the IHH as a terrorist organisation, closely linked to Hamas. Turkey refuted this view, treating it as a bona fide charity, and had urged Israel to allow the flotilla passage. Israel also wished to verify that the ships did not carry construction materials, weapons or cash. It reportedly asked the flotilla to dock at the Israeli port of Ashdod, and offered to transport all approved goods by road, according to the BBC report. So what happened on May 31, 2010? Before dawn broke on May 31, 2010, Israeli naval forces descended on the flotilla from helicopters and warships in international waters between Cyprus and the Gaza Coast. While the timeline is disputed, Israeli officials claimed their troops opened fire after first being attacked by some of the passengers, who 'charged them with knives and sticks and allegedly fired live rounds,' according to a 2010 report of the Financial Times. In the ensuing melee, nine activists aboard the Mavi Marmara were shot dead, and at least 50 other passengers were wounded, according to the 2010 UN Human Rights Council report, which investigated the incident. One of the wounded remained in a coma for four years before dying. All the deceased were Turkish nationals. Ten commandos were also reportedly injured in the attack. Israel-Turkey relations After Israel was carved out of then-Mandatory Palestine in 1948, Turkey became the first Muslim-majority country to recognise the nation a year later. However, the relations between the two have progressed in waves, with Turkey periodically expressing its support for Palestine's right to self-determination. The 2010 attack came during a fraught diplomatic period and saw bilateral relations devolve within just hours. Turkey recalled its ambassador from Israel, while Recep Tayyip Erdogan, then the Prime Minister, accused Israel of overseeing 'inhuman state terror'. Both countries hurled accusations over the following years, with Turkey demanding an apology from Israel, and Israel claiming it had a right to defend itself. However, efforts towards normalising relations unexpectedly commenced in 2013, with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu tendering an apology, and the two countries agreeing to a system of compensation for the victims' families. Relations were normalised in 2016. The two countries have since faced a very rocky relationship, with Israel's policy on Palestine remaining a flashpoint. In 2024, Turkey severed all diplomatic ties with Israel over its unwillingness to end its war in Gaza.


Mint
20 minutes ago
- Mint
Donald Trump defends troop deployment to Los Angeles, slams ‘incompetent' Governor and Mayor for wildfire rebuild delays
US President Donald Trump took to Truth Social to defend his decision to send federal troops to Los Angeles amid recent protests, claiming that without military intervention, the city "would be burning to the ground right now." The statement follows nights of unrest and controversy surrounding the deployment of National Guard and US Marines. Trump sharply criticised California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, accusing them of incompetence in handling both the protests including the California fires and local permitting processes. "25,000 houses burned to the ground in L.A. due to an incompetent Governor and Mayor," he wrote, suggesting that their mismanagement contributed to widespread devastation. In his post, Trump also highlighted issues with rebuilding efforts in Los Angeles, pointing to delays in city and state approvals. He argued that the federal permitting process is complete, but local authorities are "disastrously bungled up and WAY BEHIND SCHEDULE!" urging residents to pressure their leaders to act. Trump's deployment of military forces in Los Angels to quell protests against anti-ICE immigration raids has drawn sharp criticism. California officials have publicly opposed federal troop presence, calling it an overreach. Newsom and LA Mayor Karen Mass argued that his move escalates tensions rather than restores order. Meanwhile, supporters believe the intervention was necessary to prevent further destruction in the city.