Latest news with #ColdWar-style
Mint
2 days ago
- Business
- Mint
Defence alert: Crypto is turning into a geopolitical weapon
"I am not a fan of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies… Unregulated crypto assets can facilitate unlawful behaviour." That was Donald Trump in 2019, when he still voiced concerns shared by central bankers, International Monetary Fund (IMF) economists and financial crime experts across the world. The consensus was clear: crypto, while technologically innovative, lacked both intrinsic value and sovereign backing, and undermined anti-money laundering regimes as well as monetary integrity. Fast forward to 2025. Better educated perhaps by the America crypto lobby's campaign cheques and the sweat equity gifted to his family, Trump, now US president again, recently signed Executive Order 14178. A stroke of the pen dismantled many of the regulatory guard-rails once deemed essential. Not long after, the Trump family entered the crypto business. One of their earliest strategic partners was Pakistan, a state associated with cross-border terrorism, shady finances and furtive fund diversion. Also Read: The triumph of crypto bros: Don't just shrug and move on What should India make of a superpower whose political leaders launch private currencies? Or of a country where former convicts are rehabilitated as strategic advisors to sovereign crypto councils? Are we witnessing a global power in search of infinite minting rights without democratic oversight but with the full cover of plausible deniability? Changpeng Zhao, former CEO of Binance, pleaded guilty to serious anti-money laundering failures, spent time in US custody and paid $4.3 billion for a settlement. His crypto exchange facilitated transactions for sanctioned groups like Hamas—flows that would never get past a regulated banking system. The Binance blow-up should have ended his financial career. Instead, he now advises Pakistan's official crypto task force. Justin Sun, whose firm invested $30 million in Trump-linked World Liberty Financial, was under investigation by the US Securities and Exchange Commission for civil fraud. Today, he is a front-row guest at US political fund-raisers. Are crypto dealings the new way to buy influence in the US? This seems like a gateway through which otherwise ineligible actors—be it individuals, regimes or rogue states—are quietly admitted into the global financial order, now that the need for institutional legitimacy appears to be receding behind the opacity that once resulted in exclusion. Also Read: Mint Quick Edit | De-dollarization: Trump should target crypto, not Brics It's a return to Cold War-style shadow financing, but with the support of blockchains instead of banks. So much for the superpower that lectures the world on clean governance. When financial opacity is rebranded as innovation, geopolitics takes on a new form we should all be wary of. The IMF and World Bank have been vocal in their concerns. The IMF has warned that widespread adoption of private cryptocurrencies threatens monetary sovereignty, enables illicit flows and undermines capital controls, especially in emerging markets. We saw disruptions in El Salvador, Nigeria, and Lebanon, where crypto experiments coincided with capital volatility and institutional erosion. Terror finance remains an enduring threat to global security. The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has repeatedly highlighted how terrorist groups exploit crypto to bypass formal banking oversight. Yet, Pakistan has FATF clearance. For a country like India—on the front-line of cross-border terrorism—this is a real risk. Crypto has operationalized what could be described as 'eHawala': borderless transfers in real time that can stay hidden. A sovereign nation should not let private entities mint currency, however trendy or popular it proves. To its credit, the Reserve Bank of India saw this coming. Its resistance to private cryptocurrency is neither timidity nor technophobia—it is an assertion of monetary sovereignty. In today's world, capital flows can be weaponized. It is therefore a matter of national security to ensure such weapons are not aimed at us. Also Read: Trump's crypto reserve: An odd idea with a silver lining for the world Yet, the pressure to capitulate is mounting. Global crypto platforms, freshly repackaged as fintech innovations, have been pushing for softer regulation. In India, domestic actors have lobbied against India's high tax on crypto gains by arguing that crypto capital must be stopped from fleeing offshore. In matters of financial security, arguing that crypto should remain unchecked because conventional checks aren't flawless is not just illogical, but dangerously juvenile. Even if the US exerts diplomatic pressure, India mustn't oblige. Instead, India should put systems in place for crypto deterrence. Cutting-edge surveillance tools, forensic finance capabilities and offensive digital arsenals could be deployed against adversarial scenarios of crypto being used as a Trojan horse to destabilize our financial system. Just as strategic weapons are kept discreet, so must this. The future of finance may well be digital. But that future must be guided by sovereign plans, not determined by offshore hype or patronage games. In the crypto age, our sovereignty must be defended with the same strategic intent that we apply to borders, seas, airspace and cyberspace. Crypto is now a geopolitical instrument and potentially a vector of strategic harm. It needs to be viewed as a weaponizable tool, even as we secure our financial architecture from any threat it may pose. This is no longer a matter for committees to discuss. It is a political decision—one that cannot be deferred without consequences. The author is a corporate advisor and author of 'Family and Dhanda'
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
15 Facts About Aldi You Should Know As A Frequent Shopper
As food prices soar and folks look to save as much as possible while grocery shopping, Aldi is quickly landing on everyone's radar as the go-to spot for serious savings. It boasts nearly 2,500 locations in the U.S. alone with 12,000 stores worldwide as of 2024, and was the fastest-growing supermarket chain in the U.S. that year. Aldi has gained international recognition with unbelievably low prices thanks to its minimalist philosophy, eliminating costly, wasteful frills in favor of a simplified shopping experience. This no-frills ethos means huge savings for customers. We guarantee that you won't miss the glitz and glam that regular grocery stores shell out big bucks for — in fact, you'll start to find those huge stores with loud advertising and kitschy packaging annoying after a few trips to Aldi. There's a lot more to learn about the grocery giant beyond its low prices, private label products, and lightning-fast speed of its cashiers (seriously — how do they do it?) In this list, we'll take a look at a few lesser-known facts about the grocery chain. These tidbits pull back the curtain on Aldi's past and present, giving you an edge the next time you roll up with cart-quarter in hand and savings on the brain. So, let's dive into the weird, wonderful world of Aldi — where the prices are low, the cashiers move at warp speed, and the cult following just keeps growing. Read more: 12 Aldi Chocolate Candies, Ranked Worst To Best Based on its ubiquitous presence in the U.S., you might jump to the conclusion that Aldi was founded in America. But the chain's story actually begins over 100 years ago in Germany, when a tiny grocery store was opened in Essen by Anna Albrecht. The small store was a pillar of the local community, and Albrecht's sons — Karl and Theo — took over to continue its legacy in 1948. But the store didn't get its modern name until the early '60s, when the brothers combined their surname and "discount" — thus, a grocery icon was born. Ever since the Albrecht brothers took over their mother's store, the business model that put Aldi on the map has stayed largely the same. The brothers were known to shy away from wasting resources on ads and decor, passing the savings down to their war-ravaged customers, who were desperate for low-cost staple goods. By 1968, there were over 200 Aldi locations. That number expanded rapidly, and in 1976, Aldi's first U.S. location opened in Iowa, bringing top-tier German ingenuity stateside. It wasn't all sunshine and savings for the two Albrecht brothers. When Theo and Karl changed the store's name from Albrecht Discount to Aldi, they also divided the store, Cold War-style. Theo wanted Aldi stores to carry cigarettes, but Karl thought that opening the store up to tobacco sales would entice thieves and ne'er-do-wells. The brothers couldn't compromise and so, naturally, they parted ways. But don't worry — this story has a happy, wholesome ending. Instead of creating two distinct, competing stores, Karl and Theo separated Aldi by region into two chains under one name. Theo took control of cigarette-slinging Aldi Nord — all of Northern Germany's Aldis — and Karl spearheaded tobacco-free Aldi Süd in the country's Southern region. Now, the brothers could exist harmoniously without stepping on one another's toes, and Aldi could continue to provide low-cost goods to the people of Germany without a sibling rivalry yucking everyone's yum. Today, Aldi locations in Belgium, France, and Spain are operated by Aldi Nord, while those in the United States, the U.K., and Australia are owned by Aldi Süd. It's probably obvious that Aldi is incredibly popular in its home country of Germany, but there's something to be said about Aldi in the U.K. A 2023 poll by Aldi found that it was Britain's most popular supermarket, surpassing competing discount retailers. It was also named Britain's most inexpensive grocery chain — we guess there's a connection there. In 2022, Aldi earned a whopping €17.8 billion in revenue in the U.K., which translates to about $19.5 billion. For comparison, Aldi's 2022 U.S. revenue came to $40.2 billion, meanwhile, the population of the U.S. hovers around 340 million people while the U.K.'s total population is about 70 million. Don't worry, we'll do the math for you. Based on these numbers, about $120 per American citizen is spent annually at Aldi, while every U.K. citizen spends an average of $280 at Aldi every year. In other words, in the U.S., Aldi is a store; in the U.K., it's a lifestyle. We all know that Aldi's prices are low, but those who have never visited the chain might suspect that these low prices are indicative of poor quality. Au contraire. Aldi shines in the price-to-quality ratio, so much so that it has earned over 2,000 awards in varying categories since 2017. Aldi wines won Best Buy by Wine Enthusiast and some of its products received the Good Housekeeping Nutritionist Approved seal as well as the ChefsBest Award, just to name a few. Some of Aldi's store-brand foods were bestowed with Product of the Year and Best New Product awards for 2025. A few of the Best New Products from Aldi include Mama Cozzi's pizza cookie (don't worry — it's a pizza-sized cookie, not a pizza-flavored cookie), Priano's mini Italian meat and cheese tray, and Friendly Farms Greek yogurt. Eight Aldi items also earned the coveted Product of the Year award among a total 42 winning products in the U.S. They include Simply Nature chocolate covered frozen dried fruit from Aldi's private label organic line, Summit Popz prebiotic sodas (a Poppi knock-off), Park Street deli pickle chips, and Specially Selected snow crab legs. Although Aldi is a leader in discount groceries, it's certainly not the only player in the savings game. Lidl is a popular value-based supermarket, although it's home to far fewer U.S. locations than Aldi, and these locations are limited to just the East Coast. There are a ton of similarities between the companies, so it's no wonder there's a rumor that Aldi and Lidl are owned by the same family. However, Aldi and Lidl are completely separate entities, and always have been. Like Aldi, Lidl was also born in Germany, and it clearly borrowed a lot from the Albrecht brothers' store and other discount supermarkets that were popular in the country at the time. Even Lidl's branding looks suspiciously similar to Aldi's. Both brands offer low-cost, private-label items, a refund-and-replace guarantee, and a limited offering that focuses primarily on staple goods. However, Lidl tends to lean more towards a traditional grocery store than Aldi, with a bakery section, fresh flowers, and a larger selection of brand name products. These bougie upgrades mean that Lidl's prices aren't as appealing as Aldi's, but they're still low enough to compete with the OG German discount store. The main culprit behind Aldi's modest price tags is lack of a middleman. Unlike a garden-variety grocer, you won't find shelves stocked with big name brands at Aldi. Instead, its catalog is made up of 90% private-label goods, leaving room for just a few must-have brand name items. These items account for over ¾ of all of its sales. Trust us when we say that, after taking a glimpse at your receipt, you won't miss the household names and will welcome your Baker's Corner cookies and Millville cereal with open arms. Even though you may not find your favorite brands at Aldi, the good news is that you don't need to sacrifice the foods you love to save a pretty penny. The chain is home to plenty of store-brand products designed to mimic the brand names that we all recognize and adore. From a Frank's Red Hot copycat to a classic Smartfood white cheddar popcorn dupe and Kerrygold cheese and butter replicas, we promise that you won't be able to tell the difference (but your wallet will). It comes down to more than just low prices and resemblance to the real deal that make Aldi's house-brand products appealing. As we continue to become more health conscious as a nation, Aldi has heeded the nutrition-focused call and made some serious changes to its private label products in recent years. Today, these foods contain no synthetic colors, MSG, or partially-hydrogenated oils, making cheap, healthy snacks without questionable ingredients easy to track down at Aldi. Although there's minimal research or hard evidence to back up the claims that certified synthetic colors and MSG are harmful to consume, the lack thereof makes for a more appealing product that's seemingly closer to nature. As for PHOs — which are the primary source of trans fats and known to cause harm in excess --0 the FDA deemed them not generally safe to consume in 2015, with a ban set to take effect in 2018. But Aldi went ahead and eliminated them from its products in 2016, giving it a leg up against competitors. Whether you have an allergy or diet goals, eating gluten-free can be a challenge, especially when you're just looking for a quick snack on the go or a meal that doesn't require hours in the kitchen. Aldi understands the gluten-free struggle, so in 2014 it launched its liveGfree brand. Aldi was the first chain grocer to offer a private label line that's exclusively gluten-free, with all liveGfree items 100% devoid of wheat, barley, rye, and other glutenous ingredients. Although quite a few liveGfree items have been discontinued (we miss you, GF cheesecake), you can still find plenty of staples from this Aldi brand. Aldi's liveGfree product line includes bagels and sandwich bread that toasts surprisingly well (a rarity in the world of wheat-free bread). The brand also includes pantry staples, like pancake and brownie mix and protein-packed pasta made from rice flour and quinoa. Brown rice crisps, in sesame or sweet chili flavor, are a fan favorite for snacking, and boxed macaroni and cheese is a top choice for a no-stress, GF dinner. Let's be real — we can't all be drinking the top shelf stuff for wine night. Luckily for those fiscally-minded drinkers among us, Aldi hits all the right notes with its value private label wines. It has a vast selection of wines — from red, white, sparkling, and rosé in both bottles and boxes — to appeal to any taste on any budget. Aldi's private label wines have won a plethora of awards. The Broken Clouds pinot noir was granted the 2017 Product of the Year award and 91 points by Wine Enthusiast. William Wright Vintner's Reserve pinot noir was awarded 90 points and a gold medal from the Beverage Testing Institute. The list goes on, with over 20 Aldi wines winning various prestigious awards. One of the biggest winners came in 2022, when a $5 bottle of sparkling wine from Aldi's South Point Estate brand was awarded a Double Gold Medal from the Melbourne International Wine Competition. Aldi cashiers are fast, so fast that if you didn't know what you were getting into before you got in the checkout line, you probably left Aldi both impressed and a little shaken up. No, Aldi doesn't specifically seek out checkers with the fastest scanning hands. Unbeknownst to most shoppers, Aldi employees are actually timed and scored during each customer interaction. Aldi's cashiers are incentivized to check out customers as fast as possible — a controversial practice that's earned the company some scrutiny. Normally, it's easy enough for Aldi cashiers to scan items quickly and toss everything loose into the cart to get their numbers up. But according to Aldi's rules for employees, they're required to slow things down if customers complain about their speed. However, this negatively impacts their score. So, on your next trip to Aldi, be sure to show these employees kindness. Being timed and scored on matters largely outside of your control has to be incredibly stressful. We've already learned that the main reason Aldi's goods are so cheap is thanks to its private label products, but the company also employs less obvious methods to keep overhead low and customer satisfaction high. You may have noticed that there aren't any flamboyant displays at Aldi. Instead, nearly everything is stacked in shipping boxes on shelves devoid of any ornate signage or eye-catching displays. This cuts down on time spent stocking and organizing products, thus saving Aldi in labor costs, and leading to cheaper prices for customers. Aldi cuts costs in other unlikely ways, too. Unlike regular grocery stores, Aldi takes more extreme measures to make sure no one leaves their shopping carts in the middle of the parking lot. A quarter is required to unlock a cart, and then it's returned when the cart is brought back, eliminating the need for employees to collect the carts. And forget choosing between paper or plastic at Aldi; the company doesn't keep any single-use bags in its stores. Instead, shoppers are expected to bring their own or purchase reusable bags before checking out (or forget your bags and fill your trunk with loose groceries — we've all been there). The company also eschews music in its stores to avoid paying costly licensing fees. Choosing local ingredients is a great way to keep your diet healthy and your food budget low. Aldi hops aboard the farm-to-table train at some of its locations, where it stocks a variety of produce — and sometimes snacks and drinks — from nearby farms and food producers. Stocking local foods when possible fits right into Aldi's minimalist, cost-cutting ethos by eliminating the price of transporting food long distances, passing savings down to its customers. Most local finds are in the produce aisles, where Aldi stocks foods from nearby farms, like apples in upstate New York or fresh corn in Iowa locations. Some stores carry iconic commercial products, including Skyline chili in Ohio, Vienna Beef hot dogs in the Chicago area, and Duke's mayonnaise at Aldis in the Southeast. If you're lucky, and if you live in an area rife with farmland and food production, you may even find some hyper-regional items at your local Aldi, like sauces, dairy, and even beer. Have you ever impulsively purchased a chainsaw while grocery shopping? If you have, you're probably an Aldi shopper. Other grocery stores have a seasonal aisle, but Aldi has the Aisle of Shame, where items like the Ferrex electric chainsaw are found. This area of Aldi, with the playfully derisive name coined by Aldi fans, is where you'll find the non-food items that you didn't know you needed. The unofficial name of the aisle comes from the staggeringly low prices on quirky items that have "impulse buy" written all over them. The Aisle of Shame products — which are technically dubbed Aldi Finds — rotate seasonally and range from functional to frivolous. Here, you'll find run-of-the-mill, holiday-themed decorations, toys and games, and clothing at unbeatable prices. But if you keep an eye out, you'll find cheap items in the infamous aisle that you would never expect. A twin mattress, golf club set, and stand-up paddleboard are just a few examples of brag-worthy Aisle of Shame finds. Whether you're shopping for food, electronics, clothes, or any goods that tend to fly off shelves at the speed of light, it's obvious that the best time to hit the store is right after it's been stocked. Most grocery chains and big box stores restock frequently, sometimes even nightly. But, as we've come to learn, Aldi does everything a little differently. Aldi restocks some items only once a week in order to cut down on labor costs. While we appreciate that this keeps prices down for customers, it can be annoying to show up the day before stocking day to find everything you were hoping to scoop up is long gone. Thankfully, we have the intel so you can always show up to a freshly-replenished store. Schedule your Aldi shopping day for Wednesday morning, the day that the store is stocked, to guarantee that you'll find everything on your list. Some food items are restocked on Wednesdays as well as all the Aldi Finds; the ephemeral seasonal and miscellaneous items with the low price tags that tend to sell out fast. Although it doesn't offer its customers a rewards program or coupon book, there are still ways to save more money and snag some fleeting items at Aldi. It all comes down to price tag color. To the untrained eye, the colors of the tags seem arbitrary, but they actually indicate specific specials and deals, so all you need is a little intel and a sharp eye to make the most of your Aldi run. Red text on a yellow tag indicates a clearance item. These are the foods that are selling for less than their full (already low) price, so products with these tags are must-haves, especially if they're already on your list. Yellow tags with black text are the standard tag, but if this tag has a blue flag on it, it means the item is new to Aldi. Search for these tags to find cheap foods to try out and potentially add to your future shopping trips. White signs with red text indicate Aldi Finds. These are the tags to look out for if you're on the hunt for a true Aldi unicorn — that electric chainsaw isn't sticking around forever. Read the original article on Tasting Table.
Indian Express
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Trump's 100 days in White House : Greenland, Gulf of Mexico, WHO Exit, and Reciprocal tariffs – All you need to know
(Relevance: UPSC Syllabus General Studies – I, II, III: Salient features of the world's physical geography, effects of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India's interests, Indian economy, effects of liberalisation on the economy.) What is the issue? There are decades where nothing happens, and there are weeks where decades happen – Vladimir Lenin US President Donald Trump 's first 100 days in the White House have felt just that, as President Donald Trump has taken bold and often controversial steps to reshape domestic and international policy, from slapping huge tariffs on imports to changing immigration laws, downsizing the federal government, and making various geopolitical claims. Reflecting on how his second term feels very different from his first. In an interview with The Atlantic, as he completed 100 days in the White House, President Donald Trump said, 'The first time, I had two things to do—run the country and survive; I had all these crooked guys. And the second time, I run the country and the world.' According to reports by Associated Press (AP), Trump's fast-paced decisions have sparked lawsuits, market unrest, and global tensions. In this context, to understand the impact and to try and anticipate what the future holds, it's important to look at the ideological shift in US administration under Trump through some of the major policy measures and other actions taken in Trump's first 100 days in the White House. In a series of unconventional geopolitical moves, Donald Trump proposed annexing Greenland, asserted US ownership over the Panama Canal, and even floated the idea of making Canada the 51st state. Reuters reported that Trump may be reviving Cold War-style spheres of influence, where global power is carved up, not shared. Let's understand Trump's proposals and the controversies they sparked. It is also essential to examine them through the geographical and strategic significance of the regions involved. In his earlier interviews, President Donald Trump has referred to the fees for transiting the Panama Canal as 'ridiculous'. He even suggested that the U.S. should reclaim control of the canal and has not ruled out the possibility of using military force to achieve this. The administrator of the Panama Canal said that the vital waterway will remain in Panamanian hands and open to commerce from all countries, rejecting claims by President Donald Trump that the United States should take it over. About the Panama Canal 1. Notably, completed in 1914, the Panama Canal is one of the two most strategically important artificial waterways in the world, alongside the Suez Canal. For ships travelling between the east and west coasts of the United States, the canal reduces the journey by 8,000 nautical miles, avoiding the dangerous passage around Cape Horn. Route of the Panama Canal. (Source: X/@thepanamaCanal) 2. The Port of Panama plays a vital role as an international hub for the global movement of goods. It connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans through the narrow Isthmus of Panama. 3. The United States constructed the canal in the early 20th century but handed it over to Panama in 1999 under a treaty signed by President Jimmy Carter. US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on February 9 to rename the 'Gulf of Mexico' as the 'Gulf of America' and declared February 9 as the 'Gulf of America Day'. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters accompanied by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and Burgum's wife Kathryn Burgum, aboard Air Force One where Trump signed a proclamation declaring Feb. 9 Gulf of America Day. (AP Photo) According to the executive order posted on the White House website, it defines the renamed 'Gulf of America' as 'the U.S. Continental Shelf area bounded on the northeast, north, and northwest by the States of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida and extending to the seaward boundary with Mexico and Cuba in the area formerly named as the Gulf of Mexico.' Earlier, in response to Trump's statement about the 'Gulf of America', President of Mexico Claudia Sheinbaum had told reporters that North America should be renamed 'Mexican America'. On 8th January, President Claudia Sheinbaum displayed a map from 1607 that included the Gulf of Mexico.' Notably, John Nyberg, the director of the International Hydrographic Organisation, told The NYT there is 'no formal international agreement or protocol in place for naming maritime areas'. About the Gulf of Mexico 1. Bordered by Cuba, Mexico, and the United States, the Gulf of Mexico is the world's largest gulf by surface area. It is also considered the ninth-largest body of water in the world. Gulf of Mexico (Source: Google maps) 2. It connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the Straits of Florida, which run between the Florida peninsula and the island of Cuba. It also connects to the Caribbean Sea via the Yucatán Channel, located between the Yucatán Peninsula and Cuba. 3. The Gulf of Mexico is recognised globally as a vast and productive waterbody with significant ecological and economic value. It is home to one of the world's most productive marine ecosystems, making it an important global reservoir of biodiversity. Its marine biodiversity supports vital ecosystems and a large sector of the region's economy. Trump, who previously expressed interest in purchasing Greenland during his first term, reiterated his stance on March 26. 'So, I think we'll go as far as we have to go. We need Greenland, and the world needs us to have Greenland, including Denmark,' he said. Greenland was once a Danish colony and is now an autonomous province of Denmark. It had also emerged that Trump's conversation with Denmark's former Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen on this issue earlier in January turned very cold. Frederiksen's office had then said she reiterated to Trump that Greenland was not for sale and that it was up to the Greenlanders to decide their future. Notably, Greenland, part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) through the membership of Denmark, has strategic significance for the US military and for its ballistic missile early-warning system since the shortest route from Europe to North America runs via the Arctic island. About Greenland 1. Greenland is the largest island on Earth. It is situated in the Arctic and is the most sparsely populated territory in the world. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on one side and the Arctic Ocean on the other. It is home to the northernmost point of land in the world—Kaffeklubben Island. Location of Greenland, in the Kingdom of Denmark. (Source: Wikimedia Commons) 2. Greenland is mineral-rich with large deposits of traditional resources such as gold, nickel, and cobalt. It also has some of the biggest reserves of rare earth minerals such as dysprosium, praseodymium, neodymium, and terbium. Of the 34 classified rare earth minerals, Greenland has about 23. It is these that have brought the island a lot of attention, along with several prospecting mining companies. 3. Greenland, though geographically part of North America, has been under Denmark's control—located nearly 3,000 km (1,860 miles) away—for around 300 years. Initially governed as a colony, Greenland remained isolated and economically underdeveloped for much of its early history. Knowledge Nugget | Greenland and Geopolitics – What all you need to know for UPSC Exam? 4. In 1953, it was integrated into the Kingdom of Denmark, granting Greenlanders Danish citizenship. A significant shift occurred in 1979, when a referendum on home rule allowed Greenland to take control of most internal policies, while Denmark retained authority over foreign affairs and defence. The vast majority of immigrants are not criminals… I ask you to have mercy, Mr President, on those in our communities whose children fear that their parents will be taken away – Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde This was Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde's direct appeal to Donald Trump during a prayer service in Washington, followed by a slew of executive orders that he signed on his first day back in the White House. Shutting the door on those seeking to enter the US and holding the spectre of ejection over those already living there, the Trump administration has pushed hard on immigration, deporting 139,000 people in its first three months. In yet another major action against immigration, Trump has also signed an executive order to end birthright citizenship — automatic citizenship of children born in the US to non-citizens — for children of undocumented immigrants, a move that is being challenged in federal court. The self-deportation campaign has been vehemently pushed by the Trump administration, which means that a person who is currently residing in the United States can voluntarily move back to their home country without facing any legal action. This means that a person who currently has no legal ties to the United States can leave the country by themselves, without facing detention and/or any other legal action. President Donald Trump signed an executive order to withdraw from the World Health Organisation (WHO) on his very first day in office. The move does not come as a surprise, considering Trump had threatened to withdraw in his last term too and officially notified the UN General Secretary of the decision in 2020. Reacting to Trump's move, the WHO in a statement said, 'The World Health Organisation regrets the announcement… WHO plays a crucial role in protecting the health and security of the world's people, including Americans.' How can member states withdraw from the WHO? There is no provision for withdrawing in WHO's constitution. The US Congress, however, at the time of joining the organisation in 1948, had laid down a condition that said the country could withdraw after giving a one-year notice and meeting the financial obligations of the current year. About WHO 1. The WHO is a specialised agency of the United Nations working on global health. It works with countries to strengthen their primary health care; its guidelines help prepare government policies, and it helps organise programmes to tackle specific diseases. 2. Established on April 7, 1948, WHO presently has 194 member states. The Member States elect the Director-General, who leads the organisation in achieving its global health goals. 3. The organisation's headquarters are based in Geneva, Switzerland, with six regional and 150 country offices across the world. Atlantic rift widens Mira Patel of The Indian Express writes, 'At the Munich Security Conference, VP Vance declared, 'America can do nothing to help you,' signalling a withdrawal from Washington's traditional role as Europe's security guarantor. NATO partners are scrambling. The EU has launched an €840 billion rearmament initiative. Poland and Lithuania are boosting defence budgets to 5 per cent of GDP. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen summed up the shift: 'The West as we knew it no longer exists.' About North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) 1. NATO is a Western security alliance founded on April 4, 1949, with 12 founding members – Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, the United Kingdom and the United States – to ensure their collective security against the Soviet Union. 2. They signed the Washington Treaty, which gets its power from Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, 'which reaffirms the inherent right of independent states to individual or collective defence.' 3. NATO is headquartered in Brussels, Belgium. The headquarters of the Allied Command Operations is near Mons, also in Belgium. 4. Currently, 32 countries are members of NATO. The two newest members are Finland (2023) and Sweden (2024). Notably, according to the official site of NATO, 'Article 10 of the North Atlantic Treaty sets out how countries can join the Alliance. It states that membership is open to any 'European State in a position to further the principles of this treaty and to contribute to the security of the North Atlantic area''. 5. Members of NATO are committed to mutual defence in response to an attack by any external party. At the very heart of the alliance is the concept of 'collective security' – an attack on any of the members is seen as an attack on all of them and demands collective action. This is laid out in Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, the founding treaty of NATO. Rajan Kumar explains- 'The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) was created to cut wasteful government expenditure under the leadership of Trump's closest electoral ally and billionaire, Elon Musk. Musk set up a target of $1 trillion in annual spending cuts, but he himself recently admitted that DOGE's efforts will not save more than $150 billion in the present financial year. DOGE terminated the contracts of thousands of federal employees, stopped emergency aid to Africa and the Middle East, and shut down one of the most important political instruments of American soft power — the US Agency for International Development (USAID).' One of Trump's most important moves was reintroducing high tariffs. He celebrated April 2 as America's 'Liberation Day' by announcing 'reciprocal tariffs' against all major trading partners aiming to reduce trade imbalances and boost American manufacturing. Two sets of tariffs were announced. One, a base tariff of 10% against all countries, which represents a sharp increase from the pre-Trump 2.0 tariff rate of around 2.5%. Then there were country-specific tariffs, as shown in the table below. These tariffs were determined by estimating how much each of these countries charges on US goods and then halving that amount to calculate the 'USA discounted reciprocal tariffs'. The table lists the main countries against which the US announced reciprocal tariffs, in descending order of tariffs imposed. ( As on April 2) As shown in the table given above, India has been hit with a country-specific tariff rate of 26%. Donald Trump also shared a report of the US Trade Department that gave details of why each country was being tariffed. However, on April 9, Trump paused reciprocal tariffs on 75 countries, including India, while imposing a steep 125 per cent tariff on China in response to its retaliatory measures. As the tariff war between China and America escalated, Beijing announced imposing 125 per cent tariffs on US goods from April 12, up from the 84 per cent previously announced. Later, the Trump administration hit China with a 145 percent tariff amid the ongoing trade wars. Presently, the United States and China are all set to hold trade negotiations this week as they would try to de-escalate a trade war between the two largest economies in the world. Decode the Jargon: Must-Know Terms 📍Tariffs are taxes or duties imposed by a government on imported goods and services. Their objective is to make foreign products more expensive compared to domestically produced goods, thereby encouraging consumers to prefer local products. 📍Trade deficit or negative balance of trade (BOT) is the gap between exports and imports. When money spent on imports exceeds that spent on exports in a country, trade deficit occurs. It can be calculated for different goods and services and also for international transactions. The opposite of a trade deficit is trade surplus. 📍Dumping: When the goods are exported by a country to a foreign country at a price lower than the price it charges in its own home market is called dumping. In order to protect domestic producers from dumping, countries use tariffs and quotas . Here arise several pressing questions, the key ones being — what are the reasons behind Trump's announcement of reciprocal tariffs? As Anil Sasi of The Indian Express explains, 'The objectives of these tariffs, as stated by Washington over a period of less than a month, too have been shifting: ranging from national security concerns (fentanyl and immigrant inflows) to the changed narrative of a need to balance trade deficits and putting a stop to America being shortchanged. Another reason being offered by the Trump administration is that the exercise will bring in the money for the proposed tax cut expected later this year.' The implications of higher tariffs and the trade war initiated by Trump's actions on the world economy and the Indian economy are only beginning to unfold. India's stance on Trump's Reciprocal Tariffs Reiterating it's stance of 'studying' silence over trade tariffs, India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said it is 'studying the implications' of US President Donald Trump's reciprocal tariffs on Indian goods, as both nations work toward finalising a bilateral trade agreement. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that discussions between the Indian and US trade teams are ongoing. Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on April 9 urged exporters not to panic and reassured them that India is working towards the 'right mix and right balance' in its proposed trade agreement with the US. Goyal also highlighted the opportunities associated with the tariffs. 'However, as far as India is concerned, there is potential for increased manufacturing and job creation, as India could attract major players in the global supply chain. The country has established itself as a trusted and reliable partner and a predictable, business-friendly destination,' he said. Ravi Dutta Mishra of The Indian Express writes, 'India's strategy of initiating talks for a bilateral trade agreement (BTA) with the US, along with its restraint in not retaliating against US tariffs, appears to have paid off, as US President Donald Trump on April 9 paused reciprocal tariffs on 75 countries, including India, while imposing a steep 125 per cent tariff on China in response to its retaliatory measures. India and the US are currently negotiating a bilateral trade agreement aimed at more than doubling trade – from the current $191 billion to $500 billion by 2023. The first phase of the deal is expected to be concluded by autumn this year.' Notably, recently, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said that India is likely to become the first nation to finalise a bilateral trade agreement with the US. In Trump's first 100 days, one bright spot was Trump's meeting with Indian PM Narendra Modi. The two leaders discussed new initiatives and issues at length across various fields, from trade and defence to issues related to peace and conflict, marking the start of a new chapter in US-India relations. The major takeaways of the meeting were: 📍Mission 500: Both countries set the new goal for bilateral trade — 'Mission 500' — aiming to double bilateral trade between the two countries from the current $200 billion-level to $500 billion by 2030. 📍Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) : Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump announced plans to negotiate the first tranche of a mutually beneficial, multi-sector BTA by fall of 2025. It demonstrates mutual commitment to address bilateral trade barriers. 📍10-year Defence Partnership: As part of 10-year Defence Partnership, India will get the Javelin anti-tank missile, Stryker combat vehicles, and more P-81 maritime patrol aircraft. Plus, the US will co-produce AI-enabled unmanned systems for underwater domain awareness. Not mentioned in the official statements, but featured in Trump's remarks, is also the promise to consider selling India the F-35 combat aircraft. 📍RDP Agreement: The leaders also called for opening negotiations this year for a 'Reciprocal Defence Procurement (RDP) agreement' to better align their procurement systems and enable the reciprocal supply of defence goods and services. 📍Autonomous Systems Industry Alliance (ASIA): ASIA refers to India-US cooperation in the area of underwater domain awareness technologies. The US has offered a few co-production and co-development opportunities for UDA technologies, on commercial basis. India is the very first country with whom US defence industry has offered to work with on these sensitive technologies. 📍US-India 123 Civil Nuclear Agreement: India and the US signal their commitment to 'fully realise' the US-India 123 Civil Nuclear Agreement. The bilateral 'Agreement for Co-operation between the Government of India and the Government of the United States of America concerning Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy' has been done because of the requirement for the US side under Section 123 of its Atomic Energy Act 1954. Hence it is also popularly known as the 123 Agreement. 📍 US extradite 2008 Mumbai attacks suspect Tahawwur Rana: After Trump-Modi's meeting US announced the extradition to India of Tahawwur Rana has been approved. Recently, US extradited Rana to India. 📍Energy Collaboration: Re-committed to the US-India Energy Security Partnership, including in oil, gas, and civil nuclear energy. US support for India to join the International Energy Agency as a full member. 'A trade war, an upending of the US's traditional relationships with its Western European allies, a polarising immigration policy, attacks on the established liberal order — Donald Trump's first 100 days in office have marked a disruption of the international systems, and presented a challenge to countries like India that must navigate the consequent uncertainties. Delhi has had to navigate the Trump Administration's policies on trade and immigration, and now, increasingly, global security. On each, it has managed to play a holding game and, in many cases, made progress…The Terms of Reference for a trade deal have been finalised, and it is in the interest of both countries to firm it up sooner rather than later. On the security front, Washington seems eager to support partners with whom it shares interests and who, in turn, are willing to work with it. On immigration, Delhi has accepted deportation of illegal immigrants while trying to protect the visa regimes that allow technology workers and other skilled labour to remain in America. The challenge in the next 100 days will be to find an equilibrium that benefits both India and the US. There is some reason to be optimistic. Both Trump and Vance have reiterated the importance of the Quad and India's role in it. The lack of equivocation vis-a-vis Pakistan in the aftermath of the terrorist attack in Pahalgam is also a welcome sign, as was the deportation earlier of Tahawwur Rana, the Pakistani-Canadian doctor involved in the Mumbai attacks.' Some issues are developing stories, and hence it is important to keep an eye on the everyday changes and continuities. The issue of the tariff war is one such example. Therefore, it is advised to keep track of this topic through our other initiatives, like Knowledge Nugget and UPSC Key. However, our attempt to provide conceptual clarity through this article on the issue so far will be beneficial for you at all stages of the exam. 1. It was once a Danish colony and is now an autonomous province of Denmark. 2. It is located in the South Atlantic Ocean. 3. Its strategic importance rose during the Cold War, and the US had a large air base in Greenland. 4. It is rich in rare earth minerals. How many of the statements given above are correct? (a) Only one (b) Only two (c) Only three (d) All four (2) Which of the countries shares a border with the Gulf of Mexico? 1. United States 2. Guatemala 3. Cuba 4. Costa Rica 5. Mexico Select the correct answer using the codes given below: (a) 2, 3, 4 and 5 (b) 1, 3 and 5 only (c) 1 and 5 only (d) 1, 2, 4 and 5 (3) Which of the following statements is correct about the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO)? (a) NATO is an Eastern security alliance founded in the year 1945. (b) The members signed the Washington Treaty, which gets its power from Article 51 of the United Nations Charter. (c) Turkey was the founding member of NATO. (d) Currently, NATO comprises 28 members. Mains (1) 'The expansion and strengthening of NATO and a stronger US-Europe strategic partnership works well for India.' What is your opinion about this statement? Give reasons and examples to support your answer. (UPSC CSE 2023) (2) 'The USA is facing an existential threat in the form of a China, that is much more challenging than the erstwhile Soviet Union.' Explain. (UPSC CSE 2021)
Indian Express
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Trump's first 100 days: America first, tariff war, meetings and meltdowns
Vladimir Lenin once said, 'There are decades where nothing happens, and there are weeks where decades happen.' US President Donald Trump's first 100 days back in the White House have felt just that — a whirlwind that's scrambled American foreign policy, weakened old alliances, empowered adversaries, and plunged global diplomacy into uncertainty. With an unrelenting 'America First' approach, Trump has taken a wrecking ball to the post-World War II international order. Military aid slashed. Institutions gutted. Allies slighted. Foreign policy veterans warn that the world is witnessing a permanent shift: an isolationist superpower that no longer leads, but disrupts. America First Trump's foreign policy remains deeply rooted in nationalist rhetoric and transactional logic. He has walked away from multilateral commitments, including NATO, with former US Ambassador to NATO Ivo Daalder calling it a 'historic rupture' that's 'upended 80-some years of American foreign policy.' The administration has gutted soft-power programs, defunded Voice of America, withdrawn from the WHO, and elevated loyalists with little foreign policy experience into top diplomatic roles. Redrawing the map In one of the more bizarre turns, Trump proposed annexing Greenland, claimed the Panama Canal as US property, and floated the idea of turning Canada into the 51st state. Danish PM Mette Frederiksen called the Greenland remarks 'a threat to the world order.' Reuters reported that Trump may be reviving Cold War-style spheres of influence, where global power is carved up, not shared. Meetings and meltdowns Trump met with at least 11 world leaders, but few meetings ended well. The most combustible came with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Following public sparring with Vice President JD Vance, the US abruptly pulled all military aid to Ukraine. Vance blamed Zelenskyy — not Russia — for the war's continuation, insisting Ukraine accept territorial concessions and renounce NATO membership. Support for Ukraine has cratered. A Reuters/Ipsos poll shows more than half of Americans believe Trump is too close to Russia. Institutional crisis Within Trump's national security team, chaos reigns. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is under fire for leaking classified details via Signal chats. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz mistakenly added journalist Jeffrey Goldberg to one such group. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, despite his hawkish stance on China, has been sidelined in favour of Trump loyalists. Middle East flashpoints A fleeting ceasefire in Gaza quickly collapsed. US backing for Israel remains unconditional, with reports confirming shipments of 2,000-pound bombs. Trump's proposal to turn Gaza into a 'Mediterranean-style resort' drew global outrage as a thinly veiled act of ethnic cleansing. In Yemen, the US has escalated its military campaign against the Houthis. 'Operation Rough Rider' launched over 200 strikes in just one month, killing hundreds. Simultaneously, backchannel nuclear talks with Iran have resumed in Oman, though Trump insists war remains on the table. Atlantic rift widens At the Munich Security Conference, VP Vance declared, 'America can do nothing to help you,' signaling a withdrawal from Washington's traditional role as Europe's security guarantor. NATO partners are scrambling. The EU has launched an €840 billion rearmament initiative. Poland and Lithuania are boosting defense budgets to 5 per cent of GDP. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen summed up the shift: 'The West as we knew it no longer exists.' Trade wars redux On the President's self-proclaimed 'Liberation Day,' Trump unveiled sweeping tariffs meant to fund tax cuts, revive US manufacturing, and pressure allies — all at once. Economists have warned that these goals are incompatible. 'It's economic nationalism without a map,' said James Lindsay of the Council on Foreign Relations. Trade advisor Peter Navarro promised 'ninety deals in ninety days,' but not a single trade pact has materialised. China remains a primary target, with 145 per cent tariffs levied on its imports — while other nations enjoy 90-day suspensions. Beijing retaliated with 125 per cent tariffs and a video declaring it would 'never kneel.' Trump also stunned Washington by accusing Taiwan of 'stealing' US semiconductors and questioning whether the US would defend the island if China invades. India One bright spot was Trump's meeting with Indian PM Narendra Modi. The two launched 'Mission 500,' aiming to double bilateral trade to $300 billion by 2030. The U.S. also approved the sale of F-35 stealth jets to India and agreed to extradite 2008 Mumbai attacks suspect Tahawwur Rana. Strategic drift Despite aggressive posturing, Trump's foreign policy lacks a coherent framework. Analysts say the US now approaches diplomacy purely as a transaction — alliances viewed as burdens, values as optional. Matthias Matthijs of the CFR observes, 'Trump doesn't see alliances as assets. He sees them as liabilities.' Global fallout Some overtures — such as resumed nuclear talks with Iran and closer ties with India — may bear fruit. But the overall picture is stark: American diplomacy is erratic, impulsive, and increasingly irrelevant on the global stage.
Hindustan Times
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
New alliance to fight NATO? Putin lauds Kim deal as North Korea confirms its troops fought in Kursk
North Korea's involvement in the Ukraine war is raising eyebrows. What motivated the isolated regime to send its troops to fight alongside Russia? In this episode of Grey Zone, Ananya Dutta dives deep into the complex geopolitical shifts that are reshaping the battlefield. From the "comprehensive strategic partnership" forged between Pyongyang and Moscow to the Cold War-style treaties that are being revived, what does this mean for global alliances? Could Putin's covert defense deals with countries like China and Iran reshape the future of warfare? What is North Korea gaining, and how does this all tie into the broader war in Ukraine? Are we witnessing the birth of new alliances that could challenge Western dominance? Tune in as we explore the real stakes behind the headlines.
