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Fibre2Fashion
6 minutes ago
- Fibre2Fashion
Trump slaps 50% tariffs on Brazil over Bolsonaro trial; Lula responds
US President Donald Trump has imposed sweeping new tariffs on Brazil, citing grievances over the treatment of President Jair Bolsonaro and alleged censorship actions by Brazil's Supreme Court. In a sharply worded letter addressed to Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Trump announced that, effective August 1, 2025, all Brazilian exports to the US would face a flat 50 per cent tariff—separate from existing sectoral tariffs. Trump called Bolsonaro a 'Highly Respected Leader' and condemned the ongoing legal proceedings against him as 'a Witch Hunt', demanding the trial end immediately. He also accused Brazil of undermining free elections and targeting free speech, pointing to secret censorship orders allegedly sent by the Brazilian Supreme Court to US-based social media platforms. Trump has announced a 50 per cent tariff on all Brazilian exports to the US from August 1, 2025, citing the trial of President Jair Bolsonaro and alleged censorship by Brazil's Supreme Court. In response, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva defended Brazil's sovereignty and judicial independence, calling the claims false and warning of reciprocal measures if tariffs are unilaterally imposed. 'These censorship orders threaten platforms with millions in fines and eviction from the Brazilian market,' Trump wrote. 'We must move away from a trade relationship that has long been unfair and non-reciprocal.' Trump clarified that the tariffs would not apply to Brazilian companies that establish production operations within the US. In a firm response, President Lula reaffirmed Brazil's sovereignty and judicial independence. 'Brazil will not accept any form of tutelage,' he stated. 'The judicial proceedings fall exclusively under the jurisdiction of Brazil's institutions.' Lula rejected Trump's claims of a trade imbalance, noting that US government data reflects a $410 billion surplus in its trade with Brazil over the past 15 years. He also defended Brazil's digital regulation efforts, stressing that freedom of expression must not be conflated with hate speech or illegal content. Lula concluded by warning that any unilateral US tariff hikes would be met under Brazil's Economic Reciprocity Law, asserting that 'sovereignty, respect, and the unwavering defense of the interests of the Brazilian people' will guide its international stance. Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KD)
Hans India
11 minutes ago
- Hans India
Bharat Bandh evokes mixed response
Tirupati: The nationwide general strike 'Bharat Bandh' called by 10 national trade unions against Modi government's 'pro-corporate policies' and restoration of labour rights evoked mixed response in pilgrim city on Wednesday. All the nationalised banks and insurance major LIC remained closed while contract workers working in government departments, universities and TTD have attended their duties. The farmers and rural workers in all the mandals in the district held rallies in support of general strike. The members of trade unions AITUC, IFTU and activists of Left parties CPI and CPM took out rallies in the streets which culminated into a meeting at Nalugukalla Mandapam in the city. Shops also remained closed in the morning. However train services, RTC services and private transport including buses to Tirumala functioned normally. Anganwadi centres and PHCs in most areas did not function with the employees joining the strike. Leaders of Left parties CPI and CPM K Narayana and Kandarapu Murali addressed the meeting at Nalugukalla Mandapam and lambasted the Central government for suppressing labour rights which were achieved after a prolonged struggle by the employees and workers in the country. The leaders vowed that the fight will continue till the Modi government bows down and restores labour rights including the right to strike to form associations by employees. The leaders alleged that the Modi government was more interested to protect the interest of corporates and not the people at large. In the meanwhile, CITU general secretary Kandarapu Murali in a statement claimed the general strike was a success in Tirupati district. He saud a large number of employees, workers and farmers took to streets in support of the general strike demanding the Centre to take concrete measures to check rising prices and stop pro-corporate policies.
Mint
16 minutes ago
- Mint
Bihar Voter List Row: SC to hear pleas challenging Election Commission's decision today
Bihar Voter List Row: The Supreme Court will today hear the batch of petitions challenging the Election Commission of India's special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar. The SC bench, comprising Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Joymalya Bagchi, has over 10 related matters, including the SIR issue, listed for hearing on July 10 On July 9, the top court agreed to hear a fresh plea by two social activists, Arshad Ajmal and Rupesh Kumar, challenging the poll panel's decision to undertake extensive revision of electoral rolls in the state. The activists have said the exercise undermines the principles of free and fair elections and representative democracy, both integral features of the Constitution's basic structure, by introducing arbitrary, unreasonable and disproportionate documentation requirements related to birth, residence and citizenship. Besides, lawyer Ashwini Upadhyay has filed a separate plea supporting the move and seeking a direction to the poll panel to conduct the SIR to ensure only Indian citizens decide the polity and policy, not the illegal foreign infiltrators.' The demography of 200 districts and 1,500 tehsils has changed after independence due to massive illegal infiltration, deceitful religious conversion and population explosion. Demography is destiny, and dozens of districts have already seen their destiny being shaped by those who aren't Indians," he said. On July 7, the bench noted the submissions of lawyers led by senior counsel Kapil Sibal, who was representing several petitioners, and agreed to hear the pleas on July 10. Sibal, who is representing RJD MP Manoj Jha, urged the bench to issue notices to the poll panel on the petitions, calling it an "impossible task" within the timeline as elections were to happen in the state in November. Senior advocate Abhishek M Singhvi, appearing for another petitioner, said of the eight crore voters in the state, four crore voters would have to submit their documents under the exercise. "The timeline is so strict, and if by July 25 you don't submit the documents, you will be out," Singhvi added. Senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, appearing for another petitioner, said the poll panel was not accepting Aadhaar cards and voter ID cards as proof for the exercise. Posting the matter on July 10, Justice Dhulia said the timeline was not sanctified at present as elections hadn't been notified yet. The bench asked the petitioners to give advance notice of their petitions to the counsel for the Election Commission of India. Election watchdog Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) is also one of the petitioners. Beside RJD MP Jha and Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, Congress' K C Venugopal, Supriya Sule from the Sharad Pawar NCP faction, D Raja from Communist Party of India, Harinder Singh Malik from Samajwadi Party, Arvind Sawant from Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray), Sarfraz Ahmed from Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and Dipankar Bhattacharya of CPI (ML) have jointly moved the top court. All leaders have challenged the Election Commission's order directing for SIR of electoral rolls in Bihar and sought direction for its quashing. Jha, in his plea filed through advocate Fauzia Shakil, argues that the EC's June 24 order should be quashed for violating Articles 14 (fundamental right to equality), 21 (fundamental right to life and liberty), 325 (no person can be excluded from electoral roll based on caste, religion, and sex) and 326 (every citizen of India who has attained 18 years of age is eligible to be registered as a voter) of the Constitution. "The impugned order prescribes a schedule and requires the submission of enumeration form within 30 days, followed by filing of claims and objections and their disposal within 30 days," the plea said. Moitra sought a direction from the apex court to restrain the EC from issuing similar orders for SIR of electoral rolls in other states of the country. The poll panel's SIR exercise, which started in Bihar on June 25, has triggered a political storm. The opposition Congress has dubbed it 'a rigging attempt' orchestrated by the Election Commission under instructions from the ruling regime. At least half a dozen petitions by political parties, individuals, and civil society groups have been filed in the Supreme Court against what they call a 'blatantly unconstitutional' exercise. The impugned order prescribes a schedule and requires the submission of enumeration form within 30 days, followed by filing of claims and objections and their disposal within 30 days. Opposition leaders, including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, RJD's Tejashwi Yadav and several others of the INDIA bloc led a march to the Election Commission's office in Patna as part of the protest. The poll panel has said that the intensified revision's objective is to ensure that the names of all eligible citizens are included in the electoral roll so as to enable them to exercise their franchise, that no ineligible voter is included in the electoral roll, and that complete transparency is introduced in the process of adding or deleting electors in the electoral roll.
