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First Post
3 days ago
- Politics
- First Post
This Week in Explainers: Why did monsoon arrive in May in India?
India has reported an early onset of monsoon this year. Kerala and Mumbai were lashed by heavy rainfall that brought life to a standstill. But what is behind these monsoon rains in May? All this and more in our weekly wrap read more Monsoon has arrived in India. Heavy rains lashed Kerala and Maharashtra, which have witnessed the early arrival of monsoon. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor and his party are at loggerheads. His recent remarks abroad have further put a spotlight on the divide between him and the Grand Old Party, sparking speculations about whether he will finally call it quits. Language has become an emotive topic in India. Actor Kamal Haasan is facing flak for saying that Kannada 'was born out of Tamil'. His comments have also generated interest in the language's origin. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Here's all this and more in our weekly roundup from India. 1. Many parts of India have reported an early arrival of the southwest monsoon. Heavy showers hit Maharashtra, Kerala and other parts of the country this week. Incessant rains brought Mumbai to a standstill, affecting flight operations and leading to waterlogging at railway tracks and multiple low-lying areas. This is the earliest onset of monsoon in Mumbai in 35 years, with the city recording its wettest May. The monsoon rains also covered Lakshadweep, the south Arabian Sea, parts of the west-central and east-central Arabian Sea, and Karnataka. The southwest monsoon has also advanced to Goa and areas in the west-central and northern Bay of Bengal. It also reached parts of Mizoram, Manipur, and Nagaland. But what is behind the early onset of monsoon this time? We explain here . 2. A 'rift' between Shashi Tharoor and the Congress is out in the open. The Thiruvananthapuram MP has irked his party with his recent remarks abroad. Tharoor is heading one of the seven multi-party delegations that is keeping India's stand on terrorism on the global stage. Shashi Tharoor's rift with the Congress has come out in public. File Photo/PTI Tharoor's recent comments that India crossed the Line of Control (LoC) for the first time in September 2016 under the BJP-led Centre have angered the Grand Old Party, which has countered his statements. But the friction between the former diplomat and the Congress is not new. Will the party's public reprisal of Tharoor finally push him to leave? Read our report to find out. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 3. India is carrying out trials of the indigenous Kaveri jet engine in Russia. Developed by Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE), under the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the engine could be used to power the long-range Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV). The Kaveri engine was initially developed to power the Tejas fighter aircraft. Image Courtesy: DRDO The Kaveri engine is a low-bypass, twin-spool turbofan engine with 80 kilonewtons (kN) thrust. It was originally developed for the fighter aircraft Tejas. Here's why the engine is a big boost for India's defence. 4. A huge drama has engulfed RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav's family ahead of the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections. His son Tej Pratap's alleged relationship has come to light, prompting the former Bihar chief minister to take action against his son. It all began when a post from Tej Pratap's social media account was uploaded claiming that he had been in a relationship with Anushka Yadav for 12 years. Soon after, Lalu Prasad expelled him from the RJD for six years for 'irresponsible behaviour'. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD निजी जीवन में नैतिक मूल्यों की अवहेलना करना हमारे सामाजिक न्याय के लिए सामूहिक संघर्ष को कमज़ोर करता है। ज्येष्ठ पुत्र की गतिविधि, लोक आचरण तथा गैर जिम्मेदाराना व्यवहार हमारे पारिवारिक मूल्यों और संस्कारों के अनुरूप नहीं है। अतएव उपरोक्त परिस्थितियों के चलते उसे पार्टी और परिवार… — Lalu Prasad Yadav (@laluprasadrjd) May 25, 2025 Tej Pratap's estranged wife, Aishwarya Rai , also reacted to the development, calling it 'drama'. Tej Pratap has responded to the controversy. But who is Anushka Yadav, his alleged partner? Read our story to find out. 5. Actor and politician Kamal Haasan sparked a major row after claiming that Kannada 'was born out of Tamil' during a public event in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. His comments drew criticism from pro-Kannada groups and politicians in Karnataka. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Kamal Haasan's remarks on Kannada's origin have sparked a major row. File Photo/PTI Karnataka BJP president BY Vijayendra dubbed the actor's remarks as 'uncultured' and 'insulting' to Kannada and its 6.5 crore speakers. He also called for an apology from Haasan. Some pro-Kannada groups resorted to violence, tearing down posters of his upcoming movie Thug Life in Bengaluru and threatening a statewide ban on the film. But what exactly did Haasan say and is his claim true? We take a look here . 6. Did Akbar not marry Jodha Bai? Rajasthan Governor Haribhau Bagade has claimed that the Mughal ruler was not married to the Rajput princess but a daughter of a maid of King Bharmal. 'The British changed the history of our heroes. They did not write it properly and their version of history was initially accepted. Later, some Indians wrote history, but it was still influenced by the British,' he said. A modified version of Persian painting named 'Glory of Faith' having inscription 'Jalaluddin Mohammad Akbar with Mariam-uz-Zamani begum' dated to be of Akbar's era. Wikimedia Commons Movies and TV shows have romanticised the marriage of Akbar and Jodha Bai. Historians say that the Rajput princess' name was not Jodha but Harkha Bai. She was the third wife of Akbar, who lived as a queen inside the Agra Fort. However, there are contrasting accounts about Akbar's Rajput wife and their love story. We delve into the history here . STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 7. Seven years after an English professor killed the relatives of his colleague in Odisha, he has been sentenced to a life term. Justice has finally been delivered in the 'wedding bomb' case. Punjilal Meher, 56, sent a parcel bomb, disguised as a wedding gift, to Soumya Sekhar Sahu, a 26-year-old software engineer, and his 22-year-old wife, Reema, on February 23, 2018. The parcel exploded as soon as Soumya opened it, killing him and his 85-year-old great-aunt Jemamani Sahu. But why did Meher murder them? And how did the police crack the case? Read our story to find out. 8. India and Pakistan tensions have led to some sweet shops in Rajasthan's Jaipur changing the names of their popular sweets — dropping the word 'Pak' to replace it with 'Shree'. If you ask for Mysore Pak and Moti Shree in Jaipur, you might find Mysore Shree and Moti Pak instead. This comes after several men vandalised Karachi Bakery in Hyderabad and raised 'anti-Pakistan' slogans. However, the name change of the sweets has not been received well in several quarters. So, does Mysore Pak have any connection to the neighbouring nation? We explain here . STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD This is all we have for you this week. If you like how we explain news, you can bookmark this page .
News18
3 days ago
- Politics
- News18
'9th Time In 20 Days': Jairam Ramesh Asks PM Modi To 'Speak Up' On Trump's Ceasefire Claims
Last Updated: On Friday, Trump reiterated that he had stopped India and Pakistan from engaging in a full-blown conflict and averted a nuclear confrontation The Congress is at it again. Two days after questioning the silence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Donald Trump's claims of having brokered the ceasefire between India and Pakistan, the Grand Old Party once again asked PM Modi to 'speak up" as the US President repeated his assertions. On Friday, Trump reiterated that he had stopped India and Pakistan from engaging in a full-blown conflict and averted a nuclear confrontation. 'We stopped India and Pakistan from fighting. I believe that could have turned out into a nuclear disaster, and I want to thank the leaders of India and Pakistan, and I want to thank my people. 'Also, we talk trade, and we say we can't trade with people who are shooting at each other and potentially using nuclear weapons. They're great leaders in those countries, and they understood and they agreed, and that all stopped, and we're stopping others from fighting. Also, because ultimately, we can fight better than anybody, we have the greatest military in the world. We have the greatest leaders in the world…" The US President's statement gave fresh ammo to the Congress, with party MP Jairam Ramesh saying it was the '9th time in 20 days" that Trump had repeated the sequence of events but the prime minister had maintained silence on the issue. This is the 9th time in 20 days, across 3 countries and 3 cities. Donaldbhai keeps repeating the same sequence of events of how he got the 4-Day India-Pakistan war to stop – US intervention and the use of the trade instrument to stop nuclear escalation. The equivalence of India… — Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) May 31, 2025 'This is the 9th time in 20 days, across 3 countries and 3 cities. Donaldbhai keeps repeating the same sequence of events of how he got the 4-Day India-Pakistan war to stop – US intervention and the use of the trade instrument to stop nuclear escalation. The equivalence of India and Pakistan gets reiterated yet again. President Trump's Commerce Secretary has made exactly the same claims in his submission to the New York-based Court of International Trade on May 23rd. But Donaldbhai's friend Mr. Narendra Modi continues to ignore his claims with absolute silence. Why doesn't the PM speak up?" Ramesh asked on X. This is not the first time Ramesh has trained his guns on the government's radio silence on the issue. Earlier, the Congress leader said: 'Our Prime Minister does not want to hear about tariffs; our Prime Minister only wants to hear 'Tareef' (praise). So, the PM is silent on this. The Prime Minister has not said anything." He also slammed the US President for hyphenating India and Pakistan, saying: 'India's economy has increased 10 times in comparison to Pakistan's economy, but both of them have come in the same boat. How can this happen?" THE CEASEFIRE India, in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people, launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, pounding terror launchpads linked to outfits such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad in Pakistan and PoK and killing more than 100 terrorists. A rattled Pakistan responded with attempts to launch a military action, resorting to cross-border shelling, drone assaults, and even military strikes. However, India's air defence system and armed forces thwarted these attempts. After four days of intense cross-border fighting, India and Pakistan arrived at a ceasefire understanding on May 10, with Trump announcing the truce. WHAT TRUMP SAID The US President had claimed that India and Pakistan agreed to reach a 'full and immediate" ceasefire after mediated talks, claiming that he used 'trade to a large extent" to broker the ceasefire. 'I said let's make a deal, let's do some trading. Let's not trade nuclear missiles. Let's trade the things you make so beautifully. And they both have very powerful leaders, strong leaders and it all stopped. Hopefully it will remain that way," he had said. However, the external affairs ministry slammed Trump's offer to mediate on Kashmir and his claim of having used trade to prevent a 'nuclear war", saying that the military action under Operation Sindoor was 'entirely in the conventional domain". While addressing a press briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, 'I refer to you the position made clear on May 13. From the time Operation Sindoor commenced on May 7, the issue of trade or tariff did not come up in any of these discussions. External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar had also clarified it was established directly through DGMOs." Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: May 31, 2025, 09:04 IST News politics '9th Time In 20 Days': Jairam Ramesh Asks PM Modi To 'Speak Up' On Trump's Ceasefire Claims
News18
5 days ago
- Politics
- News18
The Shashi Tharoor Factor: Bigger Than The Congress, Stronger Without It
Last Updated: Tharoor knows he cannot be fit into the Congress container so he might as well create a cult that helps him survive and swim, even if circumstances force him to leave the party Shashi Tharoor is the likeliest of persons who can be seen at parties, surrounded by listeners, sipping wine and regaling the crowd with his one-liners and command over the English language. Today, the same Tharoor may not have given up partying but is at loggerheads with his own party and has now moved on to become one of the unlikeliest politicians and unlikeliest Congressmen. Tharoor is everything the Congress hates—defiant, unwilling to align himself with party discipline, standing apart from the rest of his party colleagues in staying away from the 'Jee Hazoori" [effusive praise] of the Gandhis. Today, when you talk about nationalism, Tharoor's name crops up prominently. Not that the Congress cares. But the BJP does and BJP also cares that the Congress does not care. This is why it's loving it that the Grand Old Party is sparing no effort to take digs at the Thiruvananathapuram MP. Those who think that Tharoor is floundering couldn't be farther from the truth. When he joined politics and Congress in 2009, Tharoor worked hard at swimming with the tide. But, eventually, it was clear that he was more a man with his own mind and life who also was at the epicenter of controversies like when he called those sitting in economy class in an aircraft 'cattle class". Or when he would skip party meetings as he had committed to some university speech. You would not see him walking beside Rahul Gandhi. In fact, he was more likely to be seen away from the rest of his party colleagues. It came as no surprise that he 'broke ranks" and signed the G-23 letter raising concerns over the functioning of the party. Or when he graciously accepted the announcement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to make him one of the brand ambassadors of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. Tharoor has written multiple books on language, he writes and portrays himself as a devout Hindu, and has made ferocious comments as a nationalist, taking on the British and even US President Donald Trump. But his unflinching defence of the government over Operation Sindoor, much to the chagrin of the Congress, has ensured his place in the annals of those who defied the Congress to be a nationalist. Today, Congress may have no space for Tharoor, but Tharoor will swim against all odds beyond the Grand Old Party. He has ensured a place for himself, which need not necessarily be a political one. Tharoor, the party man, may be minus a party, but he has coined a factor for himself—the Tharoor factor. First Published:
NDTV
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- NDTV
"In The Fall Of 2011...": Vivek Ramaswamy's Anniversary Post With Wife Apoorva
Indian-origin entrepreneur and Republican politician Vivek Ramaswamy on Tuesday shared a heartfelt post for his wife, Apoorva, on their 10th wedding anniversary. Mr Ramaswamy, a former 2024 presidential candidate, reflected on their journey together, recalling their first date hiking in the Rockies. Sharing the picture of them from 14 years ago on X, the biotech entrepreneur mentioned he met his wife, a smart medical student, in 2011. He asked her out on a first date, and then they headed for a weekend and hiked Flattop Mountain in the Rockies. He wrote, "We got within striking distance of the summit when a blizzard hit. I was foolishly stubborn about still making it, when she grabbed my hand, looked me in the eye, & said we had a lifetime ahead to come back and finish it." Now, 14 years and two children later, they finally went back, finished the hike, and celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary. "Grateful for the love of my life & every day of our journey together," he wrote. In the fall of 2011, I met a brilliant medical student named Apoorva & asked her out on a first date - to head west for a weekend & hike Flattop Mountain in the Rockies. She accepted. We got within striking distance of the summit when a blizzard hit. I was foolishly stubborn… — Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) May 26, 2025 Social media users praised the couple's journey and wished them well for the future. A user wrote, "Many more Happy returns and stay blessed. You talk sensibly & intelligently which is not liked by Americans. They hate debates and love guns. Keep reasoning firm on your ideology. The good have to tread alone, the bad always have company." Many more Happy returns and stay blessed. You talk sensibly & intelligently which is not liked by Americans. They hate debates and love guns. Keep reasoning firm on your ideology. The good have to tread alone, the bad always have company. — VENKAT ATTILI (@VenkatAttili) May 27, 2025 Another commented, "Sometimes the most meaningful summits aren't the ones we reach on schedule, but the ones we return to together-when the time is right!" Sometimes the most meaningful summits aren't the ones we reach on schedule, but the ones we return to together—when the time is right! — Anooshka Soham Bathwal (@anooshkabathwal) May 27, 2025 "Beautiful story, thank you for sharing such a special story with the world. Happy anniversary to you both and may you both enjoy a 100 more happy anniversaries together!" Beautiful story, thank you for sharing such a special story with the world. Happy anniversary to you both and may you both enjoy a 100 more happy anniversaries together! — Politics Matter (@Politics_Matter) May 27, 2025 The couple got married in 2015 and has two sons together. Last year, Mr Ramaswamy sought the Grand Old Party nomination before opting out and endorsing Trump for the presidency. He was going to jointly lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) with Tesla CEO Elon Musk. But hours after Trump took oath as US President, Mr Ramaswamy announced he would quit DOGE and hinted at running for the Governor of Ohio. This month, Mr Ramaswamy, backed by Donald Trump, won the Ohio Republican Party's gubernatorial endorsement, nearly a year before the 2026 primary. But he faced criticism over his stance on the H-1B visa programme.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump goes to war with the wealthy to shore up Maga base
Donald Trump has never been a likely Robin Hood figure. But even a billionaire US president knows he needs to work on his image sometimes. After promising tax cuts on the campaign trail, Trump now claims he wants to raise taxes on the rich. 'People would love to do it – rich people. I would love to do it, frankly,' he told reporters in the Oval Office earlier this month. 'What you're doing is you're giving up something up top in order to make people in the middle-income and the lower-income brackets save more. So it's really a redistribution, and I'm willing to do it if they want.' Lawmakers have reportedly been discussing a range of different ways to target America's highest earners, with measures that could rake in an extra $400bn (£300bn) over a decade. In doing so, Trump is trampling on the bedrock of traditional Republican ideology and causing uproar in the Grand Old Party. But as Republicans prepare their 'big, beautiful bill' for tax and spending, which includes $880bn in cuts to public health insurance for poor households, Trump needs to find ways to take care of his low-income Maga support base. The bill was passed on Thursday by the House of Representatives and will now go to the Senate, but it is still possible that it could be subject to changes. Trump's Oval Office comments followed a Truth Social post in which he said he would 'graciously accept' a tax increase on the rich, but added: 'In any event, Republicans should probably not do it, but I'm OK if they do!!!' It was not his first hint. 'I love that, I actually love the concept,' Trump said during an interview with Time magazine at the end of April, when he was asked about raising taxes on millionaires. 'He's trying to be populist,' says William Gale, co-director of the Tax Policy Centre and a former senior economist on President George HW Bush's council of economic advisers. Adam Michel, the director of tax policy studies at the Cato Institute, says: 'I think Trump has people around him who are not Republicans and who think that the class warfare message that Democrats have run on in the past is a winning one, and some of that has bled through into his thinking.' The archetype non-typical Republican in Trump World was once Steve Bannon, Trump's former chief strategist. While he is no longer on the inside, he has been pushing the idea of taxes on the wealthy in a sign of the kind of thinking filtering through Maga land. Bannon said earlier this month: 'I believe that if we can't cut federal spending that the wealthy in this country, at least the millionaires, are [taxed at] 40pc, as a start. 'We have a capitalist system with very few capitalists. I think 75pc of people don't own any real financial assets. So we have to have fundamental change in this country and part of that has to come from the tax structure.' Reports suggest that three options could be on the table. On a call with House Speaker Mike Johnson, Trump discussed the possibility of letting his 2017 tax cuts expire for the highest earners, according to CNN. During his first term, Trump cut the top tax rate, which is currently charged on individual income exceeding $626,350 (or on income above $751,600 for married couples), from 39.6pc to 37pc. If this rate reverted to 39.6pc, it would affect 1.5m households and mean $409bn in extra tax revenues over a decade, according to the Tax Foundation. Households in America pay state taxes on top of the federal tax rates. In high tax states such as California and New York, top rate tax payers would face a marginal rate of more than 50pc. The second idea, which has been discussed by members of the Ways and Means Committee, is to create a new top tax bracket for those earning $2.5m or more, with a rate of 39.6pc. The Tax Foundation calculates that this would hit up to 200,000 households and raise nearly $70bn over 10 years. Another alternative, which Fox News reported White House aides were quietly floating among House Republicans, is to raise the income tax rate for people earning more than $1m to 40pc. The Tax Foundation calculates this would raise $275bn over a decade. 'It seems there is a contingent within the White House that just likes higher taxes, whether they be on individuals or on traded goods,' says Michel. While the numbers involved may sound appealing, in every case the Tax Foundation warned that overall income would be significantly reduced because the tax rise would hit growth. Still, Trump may well be more concerned about what he could lose if he does not at least talk about soaking the rich. Several pollsters have warned that Republicans could lose support from the Maga base as a result of the Medicaid cuts within Trump's Budget. In April, top Trump campaign pollster McLaughlin & Associates found that 78pc of Trump supporters in battleground congressional districts supported the Medicaid programme. It followed similar polling by Tony Fabrizio, another Trump polling guru, who found that the majority of Trump voters opposed Medicaid cuts and two thirds of swing voters said they disapproved of reductions in the health programme to fund tax cuts. However, the instinct to raise taxes on the wealthy to help protect the Maga base stands in stark contrast to the bedrock of Republican ideology, which is to push for lower taxes. 'Tax cuts are the one thing that unites the Republican Party,' says Gale. The vast majority of Republican lawmakers in both the Senate and the House have signed what is known as 'the Pledge' – a commitment organised by old-time Republican activist Grover Norquist to never vote for tax rises. Norquist told The Atlantic a tax rise on the rich was 'an incredibly destructive idea economically, and very foolish politically', But the old guard does not necessarily have its finger on the pulse. Many of the votes that carried the party to victory in 2024 were not for the Republicans but for Trump alone. 'We're changed the electorate in the Republican Party. We are a working-class and a middle-class party,' Bannon said this month. It was the Democrats' failure to grasp the importance of fundamental economic issues that pushed so many lower-income Americans towards Trump, Bannon argues. The president forgets this at his peril, he believes. 'They want to cut $880bn out of Medicaid, but you can't do it because Maga is on Medicaid,' Bannon said. As things stand, wealthy families will rake in cash from tax and spending changes in the pipeline while low-income families are going to lose money. There are three key parts to the 'big, beautiful bill'. The first is the extension of the sweeping tax cuts that Trump introduced in 2017, which are due to expire at the end of this year. The second element is a fleet of extra tax cuts that Trump promised on the campaign trail, such as scrapping taxes on tips and overtime. The third is a series of spending cuts to try and balance the books. Even though many lower and middle class households will technically benefit from some of the tax cuts, the loss of health insurance coverage means the poorest fifth will lose about $940 in 2026, according to the Penn Wharton Budget Model. Meanwhile, the top 10pc highest income households will get 65pc of the benefits from the legislation. As well as helping to even the scales when it comes to who benefits, taxing the rich would also help to balance the books. Although the spending cuts are dramatic, they are nowhere near large enough to cover the cost of the tax cuts. The bill currently envisions $4.5 trillion in net tax cuts over the next decade, but only $1.5 trillion in spending cuts, says James Knightley, chief international economist at ING. This matters because the public finances are already a mess. America has a debt problem. Moody's last week stripped the US of its last triple-A credit rating as it warned that Trump's plans to extend his 2017 tax cuts will add $4 trillion to the US federal deficit over the next decade. It was the last of the big three credit rating agencies to downgrade America. US federal government debt is forecast to balloon from 98pc of GDP to 134pc by 2035. As a result, investors are growing increasingly nervous about the sustainability of US borrowing. Yields on 30-year US Treasuries surpassed 5pc on Wednesday after the passage of the existing bill as investors demanded higher rates for debt that they now view as more risky. A tax raid on the rich to balance the budget might help to ease those jitters. However, for all Trump's Robin Hood talk, he may struggle to make the policy happen. Tax is an area where Trump cannot resort to executive order. The bill is now progressing to the Senate. If any changes are made they will have to be signed off by the House of Representatives again, where Republicans have only a slim majority. Strong-arming this majority into backing something that goes against a central tenent of old-school ideology may be a stretch. 'Trump has always surprised me in his ability to get Republicans to lay down and take things that they're never believed before,' says Michel. 'So I don't want to say that he wouldn't be able to do it. But I think that it would be a really big lift.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
