The Spin: When mistakes make it to the front page
Several of these submissions, unfortunately, appear on the front page of local news titles, so we've reserved the top spot for them on the last page of this edition.
Kicking things off in big, bold font is an inescapable typo on the front page of the Norwich Evening News. Looks like the headline either made the front page in a hurry or the sub-editor might have called in sick on 10 June.
Funnier still, we have a typo on the front page of the Irish Examiner that might have escaped notice if it were anything but the name of a certain UK Member of Parliament – who remains quite unpopular in Ireland. Let us know if it tickles you when you read it aloud.
Meanwhile, in what seems to be quite the coincidence, Indian newspaper Mid-Day ran a Daddy's Day Out ad by KidZania on its front page, which was prepared well in advance, to advertise an aviation experience for kids. The coincidence: The ad, which shows a portion of an Air India plane popping out of a building, was featured on 12 June – the same day an Air India plane crashed into a building in India. Note to creatives: Maybe, next time avoid any associations between planes and buildings?
Speaking of aeroplane-related mishaps in the media, Sky News and The Guardian went live with a howler during their coverage of the Heathrow airport closure. They reported that the British Army's Special Air Service (SAS) cancelled 12 flights to and from Heathrow.
However, it was Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) that actually cancelled its flights. On a a Facebook post, the latter SAS had a field day, saying: 'We get it, Sky News and The Guardian – [we both have the] same initials, both wear uniforms, operate internationally and move fast.'
What better way to advertise ways to 'Make You Fluent' than to destroy the language with an ad that reads: 'Say Goodbye to Fear of Speaking New Language.' Looks like this one was custom made for The Spin.
We are looking for 10 volunteers who need to start speaking new language this month. No matter what.' If you think about it, what's the point of great copy, if the target audience doesn't understand it anyway?
We wind up this edition of the The Spin with an AI-generated Sciatica ad that seems more like a wind up. Is there a better way to get rid of the pain than chopping off the parts of the body responsible for it?
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Arabian Post
12 hours ago
- Arabian Post
Narendra Modi's Moment Of Truth Has Arrived After Eleven Years Of Rule
By Nitya Chakraborty It is not a cliché to say that our powerful Prime Minister Narendra Modi's moment truth has arrived after 11 years of ruling the country as the unchallenged leader. The 25 per cent tariff hike on Indian exports announced by the United States President Donald Trump on Wednesday and taking effect from Friday, August 1 is not just a trade decision, it has much more to do with the maverick President's fresh approach to his once good friend Modi, his tariff being used as the driver of the geopolitics and the establishment of the Trump doctrine that those who are not with us are against us. For Narendra Modi, the state of India- US relations has never been at such a lower level during his PM tenure beginning 2014. Trump, known for his feisty ways, continuous changing stands and always exaggerating his role, has hurled maximum insult to India and to his dear friend Narendra Modi who did everything to please Trump during his first term as also in the second non-consecutive term beginning January 20 this year. Trump was adamant in insulting Modi after the Prime Minister without naming Trump declared in Lok Sabha during Operation Sindoor debate on Tuesday that no foreign leader played any role in the ceasefire between India and Pakistan decided by the two countries on May 10. The next day, Trump again repeated that He took the main role in precipitating ceasefire between India and Pakistan. This was the 30th time, he repeated the same thing. Before Trump, other US leaders also worked from behind in organizing the end of hostilities between the two countries. For instance, the then President Clinton made serious efforts in ending the Kargil war in 1999, but he never claimed any credit for this. Trump is different, He thinks that nothing in global diplomacy moves without him. The decision on India regarding the high tariff was a result of his personal ego also vis a vis Narendra Modi. The US President was looking for total surrender in trade talks, but Narendra Modi could not afford that on the agricultural products sector, especially milk and dairy. Here Modi's state interests are highly involved. The dairy and milk industry is the key to the growth of Gujarat and lakhs of farmers form the supporting base of BJP. Prime Minister as a BJP leader could not afford to compromise the economic interest of his party's supporting base.. The trade talks are still dragging on. Now after this 25 per cent tariff hike on Indian exports, if Indian officials at the instance of the PM change their stand agreeing to the diktat of the US, there might be a deal facilitating the process of lowering the tariff rate from 25 per cent. Further, Trump's threat to impose penalty as high as 100 per cent on India for imports from Russia poses a real threat to the balance of payment state of the country since in the last two years, the cheap crude imports from Russia saved a huge amount of foreign exchange helping the government to tame inflation. Now, it is to be seen whether the Prime Minister musters enough courage to continue with the cheap Russian crude oil imports or starts the process of diversifying the imports though the price will be higher and more foreign exchange will be required. In this Russian oil context, Trump has used the undiplomatic language by saying that let both the dead Russian and Indian economies go down. This comes from a sort of hate syndrome because this is untrue. India is not a dead economy. The economy is growing but there are problems of distributive justice and unemployment. Some of the policies are flawed needing course correction, but in global context, India stands out. Rahul Gandhi through his support to Trump on this dead economy issue has only brought disrepute to the Congress Party. Somebody senior with knowledge of economics must properly guide the Leader of the Opposition. Otherwise, he will not only create problems for the Congress but also harm the cause of INDIA bloc. Narendra Modi is certainly on a backfoot but if he is compelled by circumstances to defy Trump and fight him, the opposition should support him. Narendra Modi is not India, so supporting Indian cause does not mean strengthening Modi What is most discomforting for India is that India the Prime Minister of which country is considered as the closest among the heads of South Asian nations to the US President, has been charged the maximum tariff rate of 25 per cent. As against India, Pakistan has been charged 19 per cent, Sri Lanka 20 per cent, Bangladesh 20 per cent and Afghanistan 15 per cent. Bangladesh was originally charged 37 per cent, but in the final list, it was charged 20 per cent-17 per cent less. Similarly Pakistan's original rate was much higher compared to the present 20 percent. Another important development is to be noted. Trump concluded a deal with Pakistan in a hurry on oil exploration just to spite India. In Pak media, there was no indication of this, nobody knows where are such big reserves and whether those are really worthy of exploration and development. But Trump quipped by saying that perhaps Pakistan would one day sell oil to India. To be frank, India has not much leverage in the present trade negotiations with the US. US is very adamant on their access to Indian market in agri products, especially dairy. There are historical reasons. US farmers have a strong lobby in the Congress and the White House. The farmer organization leaders decide the fate of the government. This writer was present at the World Trade Organisation ministerial meeting in December 1999 at Seattle in US President was then Bill Clinton. The meeting collapsed without any declaration as the US and the European Union fought over farmers subsidy issue and no side was ready for a compromise. Clinton was virtually mobbed by the EU negotiators after his address to persuade the US team members to compromise. But Clinton did not listen. American journalists covering the WTO meeting told me at that time that no US President can win elections by antagonizing the farmers who are most subsidized in US through different schemes though the US government officially denies that in WTO which was active then. The US media people told me after the collapse that the US failed to get its proposal favouring the farmers passed. This will have big impact in the elections next year against the Democrats. Actually, in 2020 presidential elections, the Republican George Bush won and the Democratic Party lost. So Trump also is committed to help his supporting base among the farmers by getting them bigger access to the Indian market of agri products. Narendra Modi must have taken note of this but he has also the same stake in defending his own party base. Now, what is the emerging scenario? There are two possibilities.. First, through back channel discussions at the level of our PMO and the Trump office, a sort of compromise trade deal is concluded meeting a part of demands of the US side and the PM camp projecting it as a big victory. If that is not possible and the talks collapse, Prime Minister will be facing big choice. He will be attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting in China on August 31 and September 1.. President Xi Jinping and President Putin will be attending. PM can calibrate his foreign policy and take a more independent stand vis a vis USA. For the second option, Prime Minister will have to decide immediately on India's stand on QUAD which has four members USA, India, Australia and Japan. India is the host of the summit in 2025. Trump is scheduled to visit India during the summit later this year. If the India-US relations continue this way and Trump's hostile attitude remains, what will be the impact of this on Narendra Modi and his tackling of QUAD summit?- That is a major issue.. Trump has attacked BRICS members. India is a member of BRICS. How is our Prime Minister going to react to that? All these are relevant issues which the PM will have to deal with. For Narendra Modi and the BJP, the best possible scenario will be the first one. If back channel negotiations lead to an understanding between Trump and Modi, Indian Prime Minister will be back again trying to get back his old form and talking of strategic autonomy. Then they will cohabit again for some time at least. (IPA Service)
Middle East Eye
a day ago
- Middle East Eye
Reform UK candidate descended from top Muslim scholar rues racist abuse in campaign
A Muslim candidate in Nigel Farage's Reform UK who came second in a recent local election has revealed to Middle East Eye that he faced a storm of Islamophobic and racist abuse during his campaign - and that he wished the party had addressed it publicly. Siddiq Mahmood Malik, widely known as "Sidney", stood in the 24 July byelection in Llanrumney, a predominantly working-class ward in Cardiff in Wales. Malik, a Cardiff resident and descendant of the renowned 19th-century Indian Muslim thinker Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, received 630 votes and lost to a Labour incumbent who received 755. This week, Malik told MEE he faced a barrage of online abuse over his 'Muslim identity' during the campaign. On 6 July, an anonymous X account with over 100,000 followers posted a photo of Malik with the caption: 'Why do Reform keep choosing Muslims for candidates?' New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters The post had received over 600,000 views and over 800 comments at the time of writing, many of which were racist and Islamophobic in nature. Malik is descended from the famous Aligarh founder Sir Syed Ahmed Khan Far-right activist Tommy Robinson's X account shared the post and commented 'I hope people can see it now' in a post that received over 500 comments. Numerous comments also directed anti-Muslim abuse at Reform's former chairman and current head of the its department of government efficiency, Zia Yusuf. 'During my candidacy, I encountered significant challenges, primarily related to my Muslim identity,' Malik told MEE. 'Reform UK was supportive throughout my campaign, and I'm grateful for that,' he added. 'However, I did hope there would be some public acknowledgement of the negative commentary directed at me online - particularly from figures like Tommy Robinson.' MEE asked Reform UK for comment but did not receive a response by the time of publication. Malik added that his ethnic background was 'clearly a point of contention, even among some within the online Reform UK community". "I'm still a member of Reform UK and may remain involved in the future," he said. But, he added: 'I found Reform UK still faces serious challenges with its relationship with Muslim communities and other minority communities. All communities play a role in British national cohesion, our great multiculturalism and contribute to how we're perceived globally.' Sir Syed Ahmed Khan's legacy During the campaign, a spokesperson for Reform UK Wales said that Malik 'is passionate about Reform. It runs in his family as he is a descendant of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, the 19th-century Muslim reformer and scholar'. Khan was an Indian modernist thinker and Anglophile who founded the Aligarh Mohamedan Anglo-Oriental College, modelled on Oxford and Cambridge, after the fall of the Mughal Empire. Khan was an Indian modernist thinker and Anglophile who founded the Aligarh Mohamedan Anglo-Oriental College (Wikimedia Commons) He was avowedly loyal to the British empire and was revered by later generations of Indian Muslim thinkers. Renowned 20th-century philosopher Sir Muhammad Iqbal said of Khan: "The real greatness of the man consists in the fact that he was the first Indian Muslim who felt the need of a fresh orientation of Islam and worked for it." Khan's university exists today in India as the Aligarh Muslim University and has produced many of the subcontinent's most famous politicians. In the early 20th century, it was considered the main recruiting ground for the All-India Muslim League, the party which would found Pakistan in 1947. 'I'm deeply proud of my heritage and of Sir Syed,' Malik told MEE, describing him as 'the first British Muslim knight, and a reformer of education, science, and integration during a time of deep division'. 'In many ways, he inspired me to stand,' he said. Reform's complex relationship with Muslims Opinion polls consistently indicate that Reform, which advocates for the mass deportation of illegal immigrants and has four MPs in parliament, is the most popular party in Britain. It has often been accused of stoking bigotry against Muslims and other minorities, which the party strenuously denies. On the other hand, far-right activists, including Tommy Robinson, have often accused the party of being too pro-Muslim. UK: Nigel Farage blames riots on Andrew Tate and online misinformation Read More » In June Zia Yusuf, who describes himself as a 'British Muslim patriot', resigned as the party's chairman in a shock move following a public row with Reform MP Sarah Pochin after she urged a ban on women wearing the burqa in a parliamentary debate. Party leader Nigel Farage suggested Yusuf quit because he received relentless abuse online from the 'very hard extreme right'. 'When Zia says anything you cannot believe the absolute tirade of personal racist abuse that he gets,' Farage said. 'And I just think he snapped.' But Yusuf rejoined the party just days later, saying his resignation had been a mistake. Malik, while disheartened at the abuse he faced during his own campaign, said he was 'proud to have come a very close second to Labour' in the recent byelection. He said the result signalled that 'many are ready, open-minded, and willing to support my candidacy and hope to one day lead meaningful change on the national stage'. He also said he is working on 'the first British VR [virtual reality] feature film', entitled Once Upon a Time In Britain. 'I aim to empower underrepresented voices and foster understanding through storytelling.'
Al Etihad
a day ago
- Al Etihad
Why has India vowed to protect its farmers in the face of tariff threats?
1 Aug 2025 14:13 MUMBAI (REUTERS)US President Donald Trump on Thursday slapped a 25% tariff on Indian goods after prolonged talks that got bogged down over access to India's labour-intensive agricultural sector, which New Delhi has pledged to protect. Why is India opposing the products the US is lobbying for? The United States is pressing India to open its markets to a wide range of American products, including dairy, poultry, corn, soybeans, rice, wheat, ethanol, fruits and nuts. While India is willing to provide greater access for US dry fruits and apples, it is holding back on corn, soybeans, wheat, and dairy products.A key reason for this resistance is that most US corn and soybeans are genetically modified (GM), and India does not permit the import of GM food crops are widely perceived in India as harmful to human health and the environment, and several groups affiliated with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are opposing their introduction. The commercial cultivation of a high-yielding GM mustard variety that India developed itself is currently not allowed due to an ongoing legal GM crops, dairy is also a highly sensitive issue, as it provides a livelihood for millions of farmers, including many who are landless or smallholders. The dairy industry helps sustain farmers even during erratic monsoon seasons, which can cause significant fluctuations in crop India, where a large proportion of the population is vegetarian, food choices are strongly influenced by cultural and dietary preferences. Indian consumers are particularly concerned that cattle in the U.S. are often fed animal by-products - a practice that conflicts with Indian food is self-sufficient in most farm goods, with the exception of vegetable oils. After liberalising cooking oil imports over three decades ago, the country now has to import nearly two-thirds of its supply to meet demand. India does not want to repeat this mistake with other basic foods, which account for nearly half of its consumer price agriculture makes up just 16% of India's nearly $3.9 trillion economy, it is the lifeblood for nearly half the country's 1.4 billion people. Four years ago, this powerful voting bloc forced Modi's government into a rare retreat on a set of controversial farm in power fear a flood of cheaper US imports would bring down local prices. New Delhi is also worried that a trade deal with the US could force it to open its agricultural sector to other countries. How does farming in India and the US differ? The vast disparity in the scale of farming makes it difficult for Indian farmers to compete with their US average Indian farm is 1.08 hectares (2.67 acres), compared to 187 hectares in the US. For dairy farmers, the difference is even more dramatic - a small herd of two or three animals versus hundreds or more in the Indian farmers also rely on traditional, unmechanised techniques, while American agriculture has developed into a highly efficient, tech-driven industry. Why is India hesitant to use US ethanol in its biofuel programmeOne of India's key goals with its Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) programme is to reduce energy imports and support domestic farmers by using sugarcane and corn for biofuel production. Indian companies have invested heavily in new distilleries, and farmers have expanded corn cultivation to meet the rising demand. India recently achieved its ambitious target of a 20% ethanol blend in petrol. With state assembly elections approaching in Bihar - a major corn-producing state in the east - allowing US ethanol imports would lower local corn prices. This would probably anger farmers and also undermine the growing distillery sector.
