India's Modi and Brazil's Lula talk after Trump announces more tariffs on Indian goods
'The two leaders exchanged views on various regional and global issues of mutual interest,' Modi's office said in the statement, without explicitly mentioning Trump or his tariffs.
The BRICS group also includes Russia and South Africa.
Putin meets India's security chief amid US tariffs row
India is already signalling it may seek to rebalance its global partnerships after Trump's salvo of tariffs on Indian goods.
Trump announced an additional 25% tariff on Indian goods on Wednesday, raising the total duty to 50% — among the highest imposed on any U.S. trading partner. The additional tariff, effective August 28, is meant to penalise India for continuing to buy Russian oil, Trump has said.
Modi is preparing for his first visit to China in more than seven years, suggesting a potential diplomatic realignment amid growing tensions with Washington.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Express Tribune
2 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Advantage China, Pakistan
Listen to article "Virtually alone in the world, Pakistan seems to have played its cards right with President Donald Trump," says Bloomberg. The same day The New York Times published an article to explain how Indian relationship took an ugly turn with the US, under Trump. The NYT headline sums up the situation like this: "India's Modi left soul-searching after failed courtships of Xi and Trump." This was quite spectacular given India became the darling of the US in recent years as successive administrations in Washington saw New Delhi as central to its strategy to contain China. But developments of the past few months have threatened to unravel the years of investment in the relationship. Trump is unpredictable as we all know, yet few would have imagined he would publicly ridicule his "best friend" Modi. What went wrong with them? There were different explanations. But the seeds of discord were sown in September last year when Prime Minister Modi was on a visit to the US. Biden was still at the helm as lame duck President and elections were only a few months away. Trump then announced that his "great friend" Modi would join him at a public rally. But Modi never turned up. It was reported that Modi was planning to meet both Presidential candidates. However, his meeting with Kamala Harris, the Democrat candidate, was cancelled at the last minute. Modi's aide advised him not to meet Trump as this would send a wrong signal. Also, Indians thought Trump might not have great chances to make it to the White House. So, Modi played safe and bet on Kamala, who has Indian heritage. But election results proved otherwise. Trump returned to the White House with a thumping majority, sweeping swing states. Modi already knew that he rebuffed Trump's invitation. Therefore, in order to control damage, he rushed to the White House and was among the first few leaders who had a meeting with Trump. On the face of it, everything seemed fine. But discussions behind the scenes were not pleasant. According to media reports quoting Indian officials, Trump treated Modi with disdain. He pressured him to buy US weapons and oil. Modi came to the White House in order to mend ties with Trump and request him to exempt India from trade tariffs and other restrictions. But Trump in a joint press conference later dismissed those demands, termed India as the biggest exploiter in trade with the US. That was the first indication that the Howdy-Modi era was over. Back home, critics started questioning Modi's ill-timed visit to the White House. As Trump was preparing to upend the eight decades' old global trade order, another military standoff in South Asia was brewing after the April 22 Pahalgam attack. Initially, the US showed little interest, saying it was a matter between the two neighbours. When India launched missile strikes deep inside Pakistani mainland, Pakistan responded befittingly. In a matter of few minutes, Pakistan shot down 6 Indian fighter jets including the French-made Rafale. That shook the world as to how Pakistan with a weak economy and many vulnerabilities took on the bigger neighbour. The Trump administration soon began to realise that the situation was heading towards an all-out war. Then the US got directly involved and eventually brokered a ceasefire. Pakistan publicly acknowledged Trump's role while India was adamant the truce happened as a result of bilateral efforts. Pakistan's befitting response raised its profile in Washington and other western capitals. Trump, who brands himself as peacemaker, wanted to take the credit. In an unprecedented move, he invited Pakistan's Army Chief to the White House for luncheon meeting. If reports are to be believed he wanted to invite Modi too probably to arrange a meeting with General Asim Munir. Modi refused, dealing a fatal blow to their much-touted friendship. India is now scrambling to safeguard its interests. India has reached out to China for this purpose. Meanwhile, the fast changing geostrategic situation has handed great advantage to both China and Pakistan.
Business Recorder
5 hours ago
- Business Recorder
Trump says to move homeless people ‘far' from Washington
President Donald Trump said Sunday that homeless people must be moved 'far' from Washington, after days of musing about taking federal control of the US capital where he has falsely suggested crime is rising. The Republican billionaire has announced a press conference for Monday in which he is expected to reveal his plans for Washington – which is run by the locally elected government of the District of Columbia under congressional oversight. It is an arrangement Trump has long publicly chafed at. He has threatened to federalize the city and give the White House the final say in how it is run. Trump demands new US census excluding undocumented immigrants 'I'm going to make our Capital safer and more beautiful than it ever was before,' the president posted on his Truth Social platform Sunday. 'The Homeless have to move out, IMMEDIATELY. We will give you places to stay, but FAR from the Capital,' he continued, adding that criminals in the city would be swiftly imprisoned. 'It's all going to happen very fast,' he said. Washington is ranked 15th on a list of major US cities by homeless population, according to government statistics from last year. While thousands of people spend each night in shelters or on the streets, the figure are down from pre-pandemic levels. Earlier this week Trump also threatened to deploy the National Guard as part of a crackdown on what he falsely says is rising crime in Washington. Violent crime in the capital fell in the first half of 2025 by 26 percent compared with a year earlier, police statistics show. The city's crime rates in 2024 were already their lowest in three decades, according to figures produced by the Justice Department before Trump took office. 'We are not experiencing a crime spike,' Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said Sunday on MSNBC. While the mayor, a Democrat, was not critical of Trump in her remarks, she said 'any comparison to a war torn country is hyperbolic and false.' Trump's threat to send in the National Guard comes weeks after he deployed California's military reserve force into Los Angeles to quell protests over immigration raids, despite objections from local leaders and law enforcement. The president has frequently mused about using the military to control America's cities, many of which are under Democratic control and hostile to his nationalist impulses.
Express Tribune
5 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Field Marshal Munir warns of 'forceful response' to any Indian aggression
Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir with outgoing US CENTCOM Commander General Michael E. Kurilla at his retirement ceremony in Tampa. Photo: ISPR Field Marshal Asim Munir has said that India is persisting in its efforts to destabilise the region, warning that any act of aggression will be met with a 'forceful response.' 'India is still bent on creating instability in the region, and Pakistan has made it clear that any Indian aggression will be met with a befitting response,' said Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir, while addressing the Pakistani community during his visit to the US on Sunday. Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir is on an official visit to the United States, where he has held high-level meetings with senior political and military leaders and engaged with members of the Pakistani diaspora. Read More: Field Marshal Asim Munir meets US defence officials According to a press release by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the COAS attended the retirement ceremony of outgoing US Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander General Michael E Kurilla and the change of command ceremony for Admiral Brad Cooper in Tampa. While addressing Pakistanis, army chief said India seeks to project itself as a 'Vishwaguru' (world leader) but in reality 'there is nothing of the sort'. He cited transnational terrorism by India's intelligence agency RAW as a matter of grave international concern, pointing to the killing of a Sikh leader in Canada, issue of eight Indian naval officers in Qatar, and the arrest of Kulbhushan Jadhav in Pakistan as examples. 'Pakistan has fought a successful diplomatic battle against India's discriminatory and hypocritical policies,' Field Marshal Munir said. 'The recent Indian aggression, carried out under shameful pretences, was a grave violation of Pakistan's sovereignty and resulted in the martyrdom of innocent civilians.' He said the incident had brought the region to 'the brink of a dangerously escalating war, where any miscalculation could lead to a major conflict'. He expressed Pakistan's gratitude to US President Donald Trump for what he described as 'strategic leadership' that helped prevent not only an India-Pakistan war but also 'many conflicts around the world'. The army chief said Pakistan had given a 'resolute and robust' response to India's provocation and succeeded in preventing a wider confrontation. COAS Munir reiterated that Jammu and Kashmir was 'not India's internal matter' but an 'unfinished international agenda'. Quoting Pakistan's founder, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, he said Kashmir is Pakistan's 'jugular vein' and emphasised that UN Security Council resolutions on the territory remain valid. On regional security, the army chief warned that multiple terrorist groups, including the fitna-al-khawarij, were operating from Afghanistan against Pakistan. 'Pakistan is the last stronghold in the fight against terrorism,' he said. 'There will be no sympathy for terrorists, and they will face justice with full force.' Overseas Pakistanis not brain drain but brain gain COAS Munir praised overseas Pakistanis as 'a source of dignity and honour' during an address to the Pakistani community in the United States, describing them as 'brain gain' rather than 'brain drain.' 'It is an honour for me to address Pakistanis living in the US. Overseas Pakistanis are a source of dignity and honour, and they are as passionate as those living in the homeland,' said Munir. 'Overseas Pakistanis are not a brain drain but a brain gain.' The army chief said that his second visit to the United States within six weeks was 'a sign of a new dimension' in Pakistan–US relations. 'These visits aim to put relations on a constructive, sustainable and positive path,' he noted, adding that the ongoing bloodshed in Gaza was 'a grave humanitarian tragedy' with serious implications at both regional and global levels. He stressed that Pakistan's development and prosperity were tied to its diaspora. 'Overseas Pakistanis' devotion and attachment to the homeland is an undeniable reality. In times of disaster, they are the first to respond to appeals for aid,' he said. Anti-state elements using social media for chaos Addressing the role of digital platforms, Field Marshal Munir said: 'Social media has become a powerful medium, but anti-state elements also use it to create manufactured chaos.' Quoting the Holy Qur'an, he added: 'O you who believe, if a wicked person comes to you with news, ascertain the truth, lest you harm people unwittingly and afterwards become full of regret for what you have done.' He emphasised the importance of understanding the younger generation. 'The thinking, relationships and priorities of the new generation are different, and understanding them is the need of the hour,' he said, noting that a potential trade agreement with the United States could bring 'substantial investment.' On diplomatic front, Pakistan achieved 'notable successes' On the diplomatic front, COAS Munir said Pakistan had achieved 'notable successes,' with memoranda of understanding under implementation with the United States, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and China to enhance economic cooperation and investment. He said Pakistan's youth — 64 per cent of its population — were brimming with potential. He also hailed recent diplomatic and security gains against India as 'the result of Allah Almighty's blessing, the collective effort of the nation, the foresight and resolve of political leadership, and the professional skill of our brave armed forces.' 'The question before us is no longer whether we will rise,' he said. 'The question is how soon and with how much strength we will rise. Let us, with a new spirit and purpose, move forward while preserving the legacy of our forefathers.'
