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The Hindu
5 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Nuns' arrest in Chhattisgarh State-sponsored terrorism, says Hibi Eden
Terming the recent arrest of two Catholic nuns from Kerala in Chhattisgarh on charges of alleged religious conversion and human trafficking as an incident of State-sponsored terrorism, Ernakulam MP Hibi Eden said he would raise the matter in the Lok Sabha, along with the increasing number of attacks on members of minority communities in northern India. Uniformed forces like the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and the respective Government Railway Police (GRP) are behaving like affiliates of the RSS, he alleged. Nuns and other members of minority communities are increasingly being denied the rights guaranteed to them by the Constitution across the country. In this situation, the Lok Sabha must adjourn its sitting until the government makes a statement on the recent 'terror attack' targeting nuns—forcing them to hide their attire—and on the measures being taken to ensure the safety and security of religious minorities. Such incidents are a threat to the rule of law, he said. Sunday's arrest of the nuns raises serious questions about the safety and security of religious minorities in our country. Given the gravity of the situation and its potential implications for communal harmony and national security, it is imperative that the House discusses this matter at the earliest opportunity. The government's response to this incident, and the measures it proposes to prevent such events in the future, are of utmost importance, Mr. Eden added. Terming the arrest of the nuns as part of the 'Sangh Parivar agenda', the Kochi-based Archdiocesan Movement for Transparency (AMT) of the Syro Malabar Church said most Christians in northern India are living in fear of attacks. This is especially true in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. Nuns and others from the community have been doing voluntary service in such remote areas, where the government machinery has little presence, said Riju Kanjookaran, spokesperson of the movement. 'CBCI inaction' Sadly, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI) is weak and unable to find solutions to such issues or initiate legal action. Their role ends with issuing a statement in the wake of such attacks. The CBCI has failed to initiate policy measures or bring international pressure to end such well-planned and coordinated attacks, he added.
Hans India
34 minutes ago
- Hans India
Malawi President recalls Parliament to amend voting law
Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera has ordered the country's recently dissolved Parliament to reconvene on August 5 to amend the voting law to ensure that all eligible citizens, including those assigned to duty on election day, can cast their votes. Malawi's 2019-2025 Parliament was dissolved on Wednesday by National Assembly Speaker Catherine Gotani Hara, in line with constitutional provisions for an election year. However, the Constitution empowers the president to recall Parliament before a general election if a constitutional crisis is deemed to have arisen, Xinhua News Agency reported. A supplement to the government Gazette dated Friday and signed by Chakwera confirmed the decision to reconvene Parliament to consider amending the Presidential, Parliamentary, and Local Government Elections Act. A follow-up statement from the State House on Saturday provided further clarification. "President Chakwera... has ordered that Parliament be reconvened for an emergency session on Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2025, to amend the Presidential, Parliamentary, and Local Government Elections Act in order to allow Malawians who will be posted on duty for various electoral services in various parts of the country on election day to cast their vote where they are posted, instead of where they registered," the statement read. It added that the proposed amendment seeks to safeguard every Malawian's constitutional right to vote. Malawi is scheduled to hold its general election on September 16 to elect the president, members of Parliament, and local government councillors. More than 20 presidential aspirants, including incumbent President Chakwera and two former presidents, Peter Mutharika and Joyce Banda, have declared their intention to contest the presidency. Malawi's President Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera was sworn into office on June 28, 2020. Before joining frontline politics, Chakwera was President of the Malawi Assemblies of God from 1989 until he resigned on May 14, 2013 to contest in the 2014 General Elections as a presidential candidate for the Malawi Congress Party.
Hindustan Times
39 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
UK FTA is a turning point in how India engages with West
The signing of the free trade agreement (FTA) between India and the UK last week was no ordinary moment — not just because 99% of Indian exports to the UK will now enter tariff-free, or because British luxury cars and Scotch whisky are about to get cheaper. The real story is India's evolving place in global trade — more assertive, more selective and no longer willing to play by someone else's rulebook. The immediate economic benefits are eye-catching. For British exporters, tariff cuts on whisky (down from 150% to 75% right away, and to 40% in a decade), high-end vehicles, cosmetics and dairy offer new access to India's swelling consumer base. For Indian exporters — particularly in textiles, jewellery, EVs, marine products and generics — the UK market is now wide open, with tariff advantages over rivals like China and Vietnam. The UK's access to Indian public procurement markets and its offer to exempt Indian professionals from social security payments sweeten the deal further. Also, Indian yoga teachers, chefs and tech workers will find short-term visas easier to secure— a meaningful breakthrough on the politically sensitive issue of mobility and immigration India's MSMEs are expected to be among the biggest winners. Industry analysts estimate a 30-40% rise in Indian exports to Britain in the next five years. That's not just numbers on paper — that's jobs on the ground, especially in states like Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. But perhaps the most significant thing about this deal is what isn't in it — agriculture. India drew a red line, clearly flagging at the outset that it's non-negotiable, which the UK respected. Our government is fully aware of our responsibility to protect the rights of our farmers. Opening up Indian farming to global agribusiness is politically radioactive. The UK agreement avoids that minefield. This signals something larger: India is happy to do trade, but only on terms that don't destabilise our broader economic progress. This new pragmatism — open on industry, cautious on food — could now become the blueprint for other negotiations, particularly with the ongoing one with the US. Hours after the India-UK deal was inked, eyes turned to the US. Trade talks with the US have been ongoing for some months. On Thursday, India's ministry of external affairs confirmed that both sides are working on the 'first tranche' of a multi-sector Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA). Behind the scenes, pressure is mounting. After reimposing 10% reciprocal tariffs on global exports in April 2025, the US specifically slapped a 26% tariff on Indian goods, though a pause was granted till August 1. That ticking clock now adds urgency to the ongoing BTA talks. Here's the sticking point: The US wants access to India's agriculture and digital markets. India, meanwhile, wants tariff rollbacks, supply chain integration and protection for its strategic sectors. The Union government is clear: India will negotiate hard and the US should not mistake flexibility for submission. The UK deal becomes a silent message to the US: We're open to trade but we won't be bullied. The UK FTA also shifts the geopolitical axis slightly. Post-Brexit, Britain badly needed a big trade deal. India, flush with economic confidence and global attention, was in no rush. That power asymmetry is visible in the final text of the agreement— cautious, layered, incremental. This is not a one-shot silver bullet. It's a living document, built to expand, revise tariffs and add new sectors over time if required. For India, the pact also sends signals elsewhere, to the EU, Japan and Asean. In July alone, the US concluded trade deals with Vietnam, Japan and Indonesia — all part of its Indo-Pacific economic strategy. India, however, is forging its own path. It's building a trade perimeter that keeps sovereignty intact while enabling access and investment. There is, of course, no escaping the historical undertones. Two centuries ago, Britain came to India in the name of trade and stayed to conquer and rule. Today, Britain is back, but on an even keel. That reversal is more than symbolic. Indian policymakers, once wary of the term free trade because of its colonial baggage, are now redefining it. The FTA is not about deference, it's about mutual interest. India is opening doors, but it's also setting terms. This is more than a trade agreement. It is a shift in posture. It is a turning point in how India engages with the West. Gone is the tentative, aid-seeking India of old. This is a country that brings its own terms to the table, and expects others to adapt. The British see this deal as a lifeline in a post-EU economy. India sees it as leverage, a card it can play while negotiating with bigger economies like the US and EU. Undoubtedly, this trade deal is historic. Not just for what it delivers, but for what it represents — the arrival of a more assertive, strategic, and self-confident India on the global trade stage. As for the Americans, they would be wise to study the UK deal not as a template to copy, but perhaps as a warning. Push too hard, especially on food and data, and India will simply say no. Syed Zafar Islam is a national spokesperson of the BJP and former member of Parliament. The views expressed are personal
