Nuclear Submarine Docked In Iceland! USS Newport News To Test Russia's Patience In Arctic Waters
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge launched a blistering attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a rally in Odisha. Kharge questioned PM Modi's silence on former US President Donald Trump's repeated claims that he 'stopped the India-Pakistan war.' 'Trump said it 16 times. Why didn't Modi respond? Because he had no courage to speak up,' Kharge alleged. He also slammed the PM for not visiting Manipur since violence broke out, contrasting it with Modi's frequent foreign trips and surprise visit to Pakistan in 2015. 'He hugs leaders abroad, but won't step foot in Manipur where schools are shut and people are suffering,' Kharge said. The Congress chief accused Modi of caring more about foreign awards than the plight of Indians.#pmmodi #narendramodi #mallikarjunkharge #congress #khargevsmodi #moditrump #modipakistanvisit #manipurviolence #foreignpolicy #indianpolitics #odisharally #modinewstrending #modiunderfire #trumpclaim #toi #toibharat #bharat #trending #breakingnews #indianews
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First Post
15 minutes ago
- First Post
Diplomacy over drama: India's ties with America go beyond Trump
India and the United States are bound not merely by trade statistics or transient political postures. They are linked, at a deeper level, by a civilisational affinity that transcends regimes, rhetoric, and rogue leaders read more I am going to begin this column with a joke. A man was being beaten in the public square of a town, but the more he was beaten, the more he kept laughing. Finally, someone watching the proceedings asked him why he was laughing. The man answered: 'These people are beating me because they think I am Dhiru. But I am actually Viru.' The joke may sound facetious, but it is both an illustration of the essence of Vedantic wisdom—that you are not what you (or others) think you are, Tat tvam asi—and of the principle that it is futile to beat the wrong person! STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD My worry is that, in our reaction to Donald Trump's (DT) tantrums, we may lose sight of the fact that India has diplomatic relations with the United States of America, and not with a transient individual who will, within the next two years hopefully, become part of a short chapter of history that both Indians and Americans may wish to forget. I accept that it is tempting in today's age of 24-hour news cycles and Twitter-driven diplomacy to see history through the narrow prism of personality. But to reduce Indo-American ties to the temperament of one man is to profoundly misread both the long arc of history and the deeper convergences that bind the world's oldest democracy with its largest. India and the United States are bound not merely by trade statistics or transient political postures. They are linked, at a deeper level, by a civilisational affinity that transcends regimes, rhetoric, and rogue leaders. This is not to deny the reality of immediate irritants—especially around trade imbalances, technology transfer, and intellectual property disputes—but to place them in their proper context: as negotiable issues within a long-term, strategic relationship. Trump, in the grand sweep of India–US relations, is, in my view, a transient nuisance, a temporary disruptor, not a permanent roadblock; an aberration, not an irrevocable defining force for all time. His leadership style is at odds with the strategic patience that true diplomacy demands. He has reduced alliances to balance sheets, and friends to negotiable assets. Yet, despite his provocations, the structural foundations of the India–US partnership remain intact. Defence cooperation expanded, foundational agreements like BECA and COMCASA were signed, and strategic dialogues deepened. That such progress occurred even during Trump's erratic presidency is testimony to the resilience of the relationship. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The goal of our diplomacy then must be not to throw the baby—which is the long-term perspective of Indo–American relations—out with the bathwater of a notoriously eccentric and unstable individual. How we do this will be the real test of our diplomacy. There are two aspects to this. First, our reaction to his unpredictable and often obnoxious behaviour. This should be responded to not with emotionalism but with a firmness infused with dignity, self-esteem and strategic autonomy. Dignity, because that befits our civilisational ethos; self-esteem, because we are not a pushover, nor are we at his mercy; and, above all, strategic autonomy because, as a sovereign nation, we shall not be dictated to by anyone—however powerful he may think he is—in deciding how we conduct our foreign policy and the choices we make in our national interest. Second, we should, through this temporary squall, continue to focus on the long-term convergences and mutually beneficial dividends that are the foundation of Indo–American relations. A substantive India–US trade agreement has long been awaited. Both countries have much to gain. The US is India's largest trading partner in goods and services, and India is a rising economic power with a rapidly growing consumer base and a sophisticated IT and pharma sector. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD A comprehensive agreement could address tariff barriers, ease investment flows, unlock supply chains, and enhance collaboration in sectors such as defence, hi-tech, clean energy, digital services, and healthcare. There may be Trump-engineered setbacks to such an agreement—including news even as I write this of even higher tariffs—but the conclusion of a trade deal must remain one of our pivotal goals. We should also focus on our strengths within the US. In contemporary times, the Indian-American diaspora—now over 4.5 million strong—serves as a living bridge. It is a community that excels in business, medicine, technology, and politics. From Silicon Valley boardrooms to Capitol Hill chambers, the Indian-American presence affirms the compatibility—and complementarity—of our two democracies. There are geopolitical synergies as well, given the relentless Chinese pursuit of hegemony in the Pacific region and elsewhere. Perhaps the senseless arbitrariness of Trump should make us smell the coffee, and put our own house in order. We need to diversify our trade markets, negotiate new destinations for our goods, and reduce dependence on any one country for our critical needs. We also need to do far more on the Ease of Doing Business arena, and make our economy more competitive, while continuing to upgrade our military infrastructure. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Trump will come and go, but India must emerge stronger and more dynamic at the end of it. The writer is a former diplomat, an author, and a politician. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost's views.
India Today
15 minutes ago
- India Today
Inside the Indira years and the Emergency
(NOTE: This article was originally published in the India Today issue dated August 11, 2025)It is not easy to find words that will do justice to Srinath Raghavan's book on how the decisions that Indira Gandhi took during her two stints as India's prime minister—from 1966 till 1977, and 1980 till October 31, 1984—shaped India's development as a democracy. Mrs Gandhi became PM when the country was in the grip of an unprecedented crisis. India had run out of foreign exchange a decade earlier, suffered a severe failure of the southwest monsoons in 1965, and a second failure in 1966 was on the decisions she had to take—a 57 per cent devaluation of the rupee, and asking the US to back a loan of almost a billion dollars—put her at odds with the seasoned leaders of the organisational wing of the party, known as the leaders, who later became the Congress (O), did not understand the magnitude of the crisis and resented her taking critical decisions without consulting them. This led to the party splitting in 1969. Raghavan's description of how and why this took place—based on a penetrating study of recently declassified documents and Mrs Gandhi's personal correspondence—will probably never be bettered. This is also true of his analysis of Mrs Gandhi's reasons for declaring the Emergency in 1975. Although he disapproves of her decision, he is scrupulous in describing the chain of events, beginning with the drought of 1972, and culminating in the assassination of railway minister L.N. Mishra in Bihar in January 1975. Of infinite value is Raghavan's detailed description of the correspondence between Mrs Gandhi and her principal advisors, and her correspondence with various opposition leaders, particularly Jayaprakash Narayan. These highlight her keenness to work with, rather than against him. It was JP's failure to suggest a way to meet the students' demands without endangering the State's stability, and his admonition to the army and police to disobey 'illegal orders' that pushed her to declare the analysis of the four years of Mrs Gandhi's rule that ended with her assassination is less compelling. This could be because the documents and correspondence of this period have not yet been de-classified. Hence, Raghavan did not know that it was not army commander General Vaidya who instigated the army's invasion of the Golden Temple but the Western Command chief, General Sundarji, who persuaded Mrs Gandhi that 'his' army would clean out the Bhindranwale rebels in did Raghavan find that, in January 1984, Mrs Gandhi had set up a 'high level' committee headed by her former intelligence chief R.N. Kao, to find a way to clear the Golden Temple with minimum casualties to civilians, and that this committee had almost finalised its plan when Kao was ordered to abandon it as the army had been given the job. That plan was used to drive Khalistani rebels out of the Golden Temple after they occupied it a second time in 1988. It succeeded after causing only 14 Ends
The Hindu
15 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Top news of the day: Rahul Gandhi alleges ‘massive' voter fraud; Indian exporters react cautiously as Trump tariffs take effect, and more
Rahul Gandhi alleges 'massive' voter fraud, says ECI colluding with BJP to steal elections Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, on Thursday (August 7, 2025), alleged large-scale voter fraud in electoral rolls since the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in collusion with the Election Commission of India (ECI). Last week, Mr. Gandhi said he had 'atom bomb' evidence on 'vote chori' (vote theft) while not revealing much about the evidence he has. Indian exporters react cautiously as Trump tariffs take effect Amid the ongoing row over the tariffs and penalties imposed by the Trump administration on India, citing India's trade relations with Russia, the US-India Business Council (USIBC) said on Thursday (August 7, 2025) that it is 'time to redouble our efforts, not pull apart.' U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday (August 6) signed an executive order imposing an additional 25% tariff on imports from India, in response to India 'directly or indirectly' importing oil from Russia. This is over and above the 25% tariff on Indian imports that Mr. Trump approved on July 31. Russian President Putin to visit India soon, says NSA Ajit Doval Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit India soon, said National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval in an opening statement during a meeting in Moscow on Thursday (August 7, 2025). 'We are very excited to learn about the visit of President Putin to India... I think the dates are almost finalised. Summit-level meetings have always been watershed points for the relationship,' Mr. Doval said. Uttarkashi flash floods: Army says rescue operations intensified, ad-hoc aviation base set up at Matli Helipad The Army, in close coordination with other authorities, continues to intensify Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations in the flash flood-affected area of Dharali, near Harsil in Uttarakhand, according to an official statement. Over 225 troops, including specialised engineer and medical teams, are on the ground conducting rescue and relief tasks under extremely challenging conditions, the statement said. U.S. tariffs: 'We should also raise it to 50%,' says Shashi Tharoor Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Thursday (August 7, 2025) said that India should also raise tariffs on American goods to 50% in response to the U.S. imposing an additional 25% tariff on Indian exports. Mr. Tharoor questioned why India should stop at the current 17% tariff and emphasised that the country should not be intimidated by such actions. He also said that no country should be allowed to threaten India in this manner. BJP's only national spokesperson from Northeast resigns Mmhonlumo Kikon, national spokesperson of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), resigned from the primary and active membership of the party on Thursday (August 7, 2025). Mr. Kikon, an ethnic Naga and a former Member of the Legislative Assembly in Nagaland, was the only national spokesperson of the BJP from the Northeast. Pakistan Army chief Munir expected to visit U.S. again: Report Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir is expected to visit the United States this week for consultations with top American officials, his second trip to Washington since the four-day conflict with India, a media report said on Thursday (August 7, 2025). In June, travelled to the U.S. on a rare five-day trip during which he attended a private luncheon with President Donald Trump. That meeting culminated in Trump's announcement of enhanced U.S.-Pakistan cooperation in various fields, including an oil deal. Kerala HC orders interim stay on proceedings in FIR against actor Shwetha Menon Kerala High Court on Thursday (August 7, 2025) stayed the proceedings in connection with the FIR lodged against Malayalam film actor Shwetha Menon for allegedly publishing or transmitting obscene scenes of some of her past movies and advertisements. The interim order was passed by Justice V.G. Arun on a plea moved by the actor to quash the FIR against her. 'Unequal growth post the globalisation boom of the 1990s and 2000s led to the current inward looking trade policies' The increasingly inward-looking attitude of countries around the world didn't happen overnight, and is a result of the unequal growth that emerged from the 'golden' period of globalisation in the 1990s and 2000s, according to Scott Wang, Vice President, Asia Pacific, for the World Trade Centres' Association. Trump-Putin meeting agreed for 'coming days', venue set: Kremlin The Kremlin said Thursday (August 7, 2025) that a summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin was set for the 'coming days', with the two sides already having agreed the venue 'in principle.' The summit would be the first between sitting U.S. and Russian Presidents since Joe Biden met Mr. Putin in Geneva in June 2021, and comes as Mr. Trump seeks to broker an end to Russia's military assault on Ukraine. Shubman Gill to lead North Zone in Duleep Trophy Having enjoyed a stupendous run with the bat on the just-concluded tour of England in his first Test series as India captain, Shubman Gill's next assignment will be as North Zone skipper in the Duleep Trophy starting on August 28 in Bengaluru. In the series against the Englishmen that finished 2-2, Gill was in regal touch, amassing 754 runs at an average of 75.4, including four hundreds.
