Latest news with #High
The Hindu
18 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Pyar, Parivar, and Politics
Published : May 30, 2025 16:26 IST - 5 MINS READ Dear readers, Politics is a game of hard-nosed calculations. On the other hand, love—pyar, preethi, premam, kaadhal, or whatever you want to call it—has never really bothered with practicalities. So what happens when the messy impulsiveness of love collides with the cold pragmatism of politics? We got a glimpse last week, thanks to Tej Pratap Yadav. The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief's eldest son—better known to fans and journalists as Teju—has always been the more colourful character in Lalu Prasad's political theatre. A former Minister in the Mahagathbandhan government, Tej Pratap recently set off a storm after a Facebook post (now deleted) claimed that he had been in a 12-year relationship with one Anushka Yadav. The post included her photo and, predictably, went viral. Tej Pratap is still technically married to Aishwarya Rai, the granddaughter of former Bihar Chief Minister Daroga Prasad Rai and daughter of six-time MLA and ex-Minister Chandrika Rai. Teju married Aishwarya in May 2018 in a lavish ceremony in Patna, the kind that blends dynastic pride with political math. The union was less about romance, more about reinforcing old-school ties between Bihar's heavyweight families—a vintage Lalu move, merging parivar with politics. The marriage has reportedly been rocky, the matter is in court, and a divorce is pending. But the new revelation of an old relationship sent Bihar's political circles into a tizzy. Opposition parties questioned the Yadav family's 'moral standing' and accused them of treating women as pawns. Tej Pratap, trying to douse the fire, claimed that his social media accounts had been hacked and the images manipulated to 'defame' him and his family. But the fire was already burning. Then came the most dramatic twist: Lalu Prasad himself took to social media to announce his son's expulsion from the party—for six years, no less—on the grounds that his actions went against the family's values and traditions. 'Ignoring moral values in personal life weakens our collective struggle for social justice,' Lalu declared. 'From now on, he will have no role in the party or family.' But Aishwarya did not seem to buy it. In a sharply worded response, she asked: 'Where was this commitment to social justice when I was assaulted and driven out of the house? Why did no one intervene then, when this so-called 12-year-old affair was already known to the family?' It is not the first time Tej Pratap has threatened to derail the RJD's plans. In 2019, he floated the Lalu-Rabri Morcha party to mark his rebellion during a family leadership tussle. By 2020, he was back in the fold, singing paeans to younger brother Tejashwi with the campaign slogan 'Tej Raftar, Tejashwi Sarkar' (High Speed, Tejashwi Government)—borrowed from a local singer named Pramod Premi Yadav. Teju also earned media attention for his antics: pouring water on a Shivalinga, walking the streets as a blogger, and playing the flute in Krishna's garb. Now, it is another role: the prodigal son, exiled for love. Of course, Tej Pratap is far from the first politician whose love life has become political lightning. I am reminded of Chander Mohan, the son of Haryana veteran Bhajan Lal, who disappeared in 2008, only to reappear claiming he had married senior lawyer Anuradha Bali after both had converted to Islam. He became Chand Mohammed; she, Fiza. The scandal cost him his post as Deputy Chief Minister. The love story unravelled in about 40 days. Fiza was later found dead in her home in 2012. Not every love story has had such a grim ending. The Rajiv and Sonia Gandhi saga and Akhilesh Yadav's marriage to Dimple despite Mulayam's early disapproval are happily-ever-afters. The interfaith weddings of BJP leaders like Sushil Modi (who married Jessie George, a Christian from Mumbai) and Shahnawaz Hussain (who wed Renu Sharma) tell of love outlasting opposition. And love triumphing over party ideology. Sushil Modi famously met Jessie on a train. Top RSS leaders Nanaji Deshmukh and Bhaurao Deoras were in attendance. Even Atal Bihari Vajpayee dropped in and reportedly encouraged Sushil to move from the ABVP to the BJP. Then there is Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Seema—three ceremonies (court, nikah, and Hindu rites) followed their Allahabad University romance. Manish Tewari of the Congress married Nazneen Shifa, a Parsi. The party's student wing, the National Students' Union of India, was their matchmaker. Dinesh Gundu Rao, a Brahmin from Karnataka, married Tabassum, a Muslim woman he met in college. Some unions fray over time. Omar Abdullah and Payal Nath's marriage ended in a long legal battle, with the Delhi High Court in 2023 refusing to grant a divorce. Sachin Pilot and Sara Abdullah (Omar's sister) married in 2004; they reportedly separated nearly two decades later, according to Pilot's 2023 election affidavit. And who can forget the 2015 buzz around senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh and TV anchor Amrita Rai? After intimate photos went viral, Singh publicly acknowledged the relationship. 'I have no hesitation in accepting it,' he said. Rai confirmed she had filed for divorce from her previous husband. There was trolling, but the couple stayed together, Rai even joining Singh on his 2017-18 Narmada Yatra. Romance in politics comes with its own manifesto: a mix of daring declarations, party discipline, courtroom drama, and some very public heartbreak. Which brings us back to Tej Pratap. Will love triumph? Will he return to the RJD fold? Or will the next twist in this pyar-parivar-politics triangle prove final? We'll keep watching. While you tell us what you think of our lovelorn legislators. Until the next one, Anand Mishra | Political Editor, Frontline We hope you've been enjoying our newsletters featuring a selection of articles that we believe will be of interest to a cross-section of our readers. Tell us if you like what you read. And also, what you don't like! Mail us at frontline@
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
Held in Malaysia for working sans permit, Andhra youth awaits repatriation
Hyderabad: The High Commission of India in Malaysia is working on getting an Indian worker from Andhra Pradesh repatriated back home after he was jailed for allegedly violating employment norms. Karipam Pawan, 23, from Thigacharla village in Nellore district, was arrested at a resort in Malaysia for not having valid documents for work. Pawan and his brother Simhadri, 22, were promised jobs abroad by an agent, but after landing in Malaysia on June 26, 2024, the brothers were not provided with work permits. On being informed about the plight of the two workers by the Andhra Pradesh Non-Resident Telugu Society (APNRTS), the Federation of NRI Cultural Associations in Malaysia president Bureddy Mohan Reddy followed up the case with the High Commission, writing to them about it in Jan this year. With the intervention of the High Commission, Simhadri returned to India in March this year, but Pawan is yet to be released. Mohan Reddy told TOI that the High Commission is pursuing Pawan's case to get him released and repatriated. Both the brothers were said to have paid 50,000 to an agent who promised them jobs in Malaysia. However, in Dec last year, they were reportedly arrested by the Malaysian authorities for working without permits.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Surging yields are spooking investors. One strategist sees Trump administration as 'bond vigilant.'
Long-term Treasury yields have climbed in recent weeks, driven by growing concerns over the trajectory of US debt as President Trump's proposed tax legislation advances to the Senate after clearing the House. New concerns emerged late Wednesday after a Manhattan-based trade court struck down a wide swath of Trump's tariffs, adding to uncertainty around how the administration will manage the deficit. "The tariffs the court struck down were likely to raise nearly $200 billion on an annual basis," Goldman Sachs said in a note to clients late Wednesday. That's "roughly the amount the fiscal package would increase the deficit next year." Yields ticked higher in the immediate aftermath of the news before falling slightly on Thursday. In afternoon trade, 10-year (^TNX) hovered near 4.43% while the 30-year (^TYX) traded around 4.94%. Read more: What is the 10-year Treasury note, and how does it affect your finances? As bond markets digest the latest policy whipsaw, one strategist says investors may be underestimating just how actively the administration is working behind the scenes to manage long-term borrowing costs. Tim High, senior rates strategist at BNP Paribas, described the Trump team as "bond vigilant — a counterweight to the so-called bond vigilantes in the market," suggesting the administration is acutely aware of the risks that higher yields and a rising term premium pose to fiscal stability. High pointed to previous comments from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who emphasized the administration is more focused on 10-year yields than on short-term Federal Reserve policy. That matters, he said, because longer-term rates, especially the 10-year, have a bigger impact on the real economy, shaping consumer borrowing costs like mortgage rates. Plus, the administration has tools to keep those yields in check. One option under discussion is easing bank capital rules, which would make it easier for institutions to hold more Treasurys. Another is adjusting how the government issues debt, leaning more on short-term bills rather than longer-dated bonds, to reduce upward pressure on long-term rates. Together, these moves signal the administration is not only watching the bond market but may be willing to act to shape it. That vigilance, High said, stems from more than just concern over rising interest payments on the national debt. Elevated long-term rates also threaten to blunt the effects of any future Fed rate cuts. In other words, even if the Fed lowers short-term interest rates to stimulate the economy, it may not have the desired impact if 10-year yields, which heavily influence mortgage and business borrowing, stay high. Therefore, the administration's focus on the long end of the curve reflects a broader awareness: Without lower long-term rates, it becomes harder to deliver meaningful economic support. Still, BNP doesn't see yields running away from here. Despite sticky inflation and the possibility that the Fed stays on hold for longer, the firm expects 10-year yields to remain relatively stable through the third quarter, with a modest drift lower into year-end. The bank forecasts the 10-year yield to finish 2025 around 4.25%. BNP also doesn't expect any Fed rate cuts this year, citing inflationary concerns, multiple policy uncertainties, and a still-solid growth backdrop. If that scenario plays out, the combination of stable long-term yields and a mostly on-hold Fed could flatten the yield curve more than markets currently expect. And for a bond-conscious White House increasingly focused on long-term borrowing costs, that kind of outcome would be welcome. Allie Canal is a Senior Reporter at Yahoo Finance. Follow her on X @allie_canal, LinkedIn, and email her at
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Surging yields are spooking investors. One strategist sees Trump administration as 'bond vigilant.'
Long-term Treasury yields have climbed in recent weeks, driven by growing concerns over the trajectory of US debt as President Trump's proposed tax legislation advances to the Senate after clearing the House. New concerns emerged late Wednesday after a Manhattan-based trade court struck down a wide swath of Trump's tariffs, adding to uncertainty around how the administration will manage the deficit. "The tariffs the court struck down were likely to raise nearly $200 billion on an annual basis," Goldman Sachs said in a note to clients late Wednesday. That's "roughly the amount the fiscal package would increase the deficit next year." Yields ticked higher in the immediate aftermath of the news before falling slightly on Thursday. In afternoon trade, 10-year (^TNX) hovered near 4.43% while the 30-year (^TYX) traded around 4.94%. Read more: What is the 10-year Treasury note, and how does it affect your finances? As bond markets digest the latest policy whipsaw, one strategist says investors may be underestimating just how actively the administration is working behind the scenes to manage long-term borrowing costs. Tim High, senior rates strategist at BNP Paribas, described the Trump team as "bond vigilant — a counterweight to the so-called bond vigilantes in the market," suggesting the administration is acutely aware of the risks that higher yields and a rising term premium pose to fiscal stability. High pointed to previous comments from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who emphasized the administration is more focused on 10-year yields than on short-term Federal Reserve policy. That matters, he said, because longer-term rates, especially the 10-year, have a bigger impact on the real economy, shaping consumer borrowing costs like mortgage rates. Plus, the administration has tools to keep those yields in check. One option under discussion is easing bank capital rules, which would make it easier for institutions to hold more Treasurys. Another is adjusting how the government issues debt, leaning more on short-term bills rather than longer-dated bonds, to reduce upward pressure on long-term rates. Together, these moves signal the administration is not only watching the bond market but may be willing to act to shape it. That vigilance, High said, stems from more than just concern over rising interest payments on the national debt. Elevated long-term rates also threaten to blunt the effects of any future Fed rate cuts. In other words, even if the Fed lowers short-term interest rates to stimulate the economy, it may not have the desired impact if 10-year yields, which heavily influence mortgage and business borrowing, stay high. Therefore, the administration's focus on the long end of the curve reflects a broader awareness: Without lower long-term rates, it becomes harder to deliver meaningful economic support. Still, BNP doesn't see yields running away from here. Despite sticky inflation and the possibility that the Fed stays on hold for longer, the firm expects 10-year yields to remain relatively stable through the third quarter, with a modest drift lower into year-end. The bank forecasts the 10-year yield to finish 2025 around 4.25%. BNP also doesn't expect any Fed rate cuts this year, citing inflationary concerns, multiple policy uncertainties, and a still-solid growth backdrop. If that scenario plays out, the combination of stable long-term yields and a mostly on-hold Fed could flatten the yield curve more than markets currently expect. And for a bond-conscious White House increasingly focused on long-term borrowing costs, that kind of outcome would be welcome. Allie Canal is a Senior Reporter at Yahoo Finance. Follow her on X @allie_canal, LinkedIn, and email her at Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Keith Urban's got a new tour, a new show and zero interest in acting
In the nearly 20 years I've been an entertainment reporter, I can count on one finger how many times a celebrity has called me themself — no publicist or agent on the line, no Zoom link setup. Keith Urban changed that one week ago when, as I poured my first cup of coffee, I had the pleasure of picking up the phone to one of country music's biggest stars on the line: "Hey Taryn, it's Keith!" "Mr. Urban! Hi!" I said, surprised. "Oh, definitely call me Keith!" he laughed. "Even my dad hated 'Mr. Urban.' I don't think anyone in the Urban lineage has ever liked 'Mr. Urban.' Sounds way too official!" Urban's breezy, fun and down-to-earth attitude was on display during our 20-minute chat, and he's taking it on the road this summer. Urban kicked off his High and Alive tour on Thursday night in Orange Beach, Ala., eight months after the release of his 11th U.S. studio album, High. And yes, the 57-year-old country music star wants you to feel high and alive — "literally" — when you come and see him. "It sums up the energy that I like to play with. The energy I want to bring, the energy I want everybody to feel. I'm not a sort of sit-down contemplative, pensive kind of artist. I love firing everybody up and bringing everybody together," he told Yahoo Entertainment. "We're high and alive in '25, it's just tailor-made." Urban's had 16 No. 1 Hot Country songs, with hits like "Blue Ain't Your Color," "Long Hot Summer" and "Somebody Like You." Although he's been busy building what he likes to call a "playlist," not a setlist, for his upcoming shows, Urban had a surprising response when asked about his approach to this tour. "It's crazy, I've always been wired to be very — I don't have any sense that I've done anything," Urban said. To be clear, the New Zealand-born Australian singer has accomplished more than most in his three-decade career. He's won four Grammys, 12 Country Music Association Awards (including Entertainer of the Year twice) and 15 Academy of Country Music Awards and has sold out arenas all over the world. The list goes on. Hasn't done anything? I let him explain what he means. "I'm highly aware that I've done a lot of tours and I've made a lot of albums," he laughed. "I get all of that, but I don't think about it. Everything is just very now." Urban said preparing for High and Alive made him realize he's as driven now as he was when he released his self-titled stateside debut album in 1999. "Even when we went down to rehearsals a couple of weeks ago and I had a massive whiteboard on the stage as I was chipping away at shaping a playlist, it felt like my first tour," he explained. It's been three years since Urban last hit the road with his band, and while his 2024 hit song "Messed Up as Me" made the playlist, there are several others he broke out for the first time, including covers of Post Malone and Morgan Wallen's "I Had Some Help," plus Chappell Roan's "Pink Pony Club." He also covered New Radicals' "You Get What You Give" during his encore. Embracing this "blank canvas" feeling means he has no preshow rituals or superstitions. "I got a lot of new band members. It's a new stage, it's a new production, so there's more things new about it than there isn't. I just feel a sense of freshness and excited energy to get out and play and see what works, what doesn't work, what we have to move and shape, and just be in the moment with the audience," he said. "It always feels brand-new to me." While Urban is embracing a "blank canvas" professionally, his personal life is happily colorful. In June, he and his wife, Oscar-winning actress Nicole Kidman, will celebrate their 19th wedding anniversary. Urban gave his family, including daughters Sunday, 16, and Faith, 14, a sweet shout-out earlier this month when he was honored with the Triple Crown Award at the Academy of Country Music Awards. Urban considers himself a family man, which is something his fans deeply connect with. Being away from home and on the road, though, is something he and Kidman are used to. When asked if they have any two-week rule, or they have a maximum amount of time they can go without seeing each other, Urban said no. "I've never believed in rules," he said. "It's gotta be a want, you know? And I don't want to be away from my family for too long, so I don't need a rule. I'm really lucky that I get to tour the way I do, which is kind of three shows in a row, and then three to four days off. Then three shows in a row. It's pretty rare to even be gone for two weeks. It's fortuitous where Nashville is [located] in that it's a fairly decent flying time to a lot of places." Urban thrives on connecting with his audiences to take them on an unforgettable ride. Part of the reason he has such a passionate fan base isn't just because of the songs themselves, but because of his songwriting, which touches on themes like love, loss and redemption. His self-reflective lyrics typically mirror where he's at in his phase of life. "I think I've gone from writing about things I'd like to experience to being able to write from experience," he explained when I asked how his songwriting has evolved. "A lot of my early songs were imagining what it would be like to have a particular feeling, to be a particular person because I wasn't that person but wanted to be," he continued. "These songs probably just have more depth to them. And there's just more things to write about. It doesn't have to be family, it's just experience. It's losing parents. It's friends who have been in your life for a long time. Moving. Things changing in life. New seasons. Chapters coming to a close, and new ones opening that are equally as exciting, if not more so." Urban categorizes his current chapter as "unfolding." Given all he has on his plate in 2025, that seems fitting. This fall, Urban will headline the new country music competition series The Road on CBS. Unlike other singing competition shows, this one puts aspiring singers straight on tour, as contestants will join Urban onstage this summer and trade off opening for him. The series, which doesn't have a premiere date as of yet, is executive produced by Blake Shelton and Yellowstone co-creator Taylor Sheridan. This isn't Urban's first stint on reality television: He was a judge on American Idol from 2013 to 2016 and on the inaugural season of Australia's The Voice in 2011. When asked if he's taking any learnings, good or bad, from those experiences to The Road, he said it's wildly different. "I don't know if I took any specific things from those other shows other than — because this show is not really, not like those in so many ways," he explained. "It's quite extraordinary what Blake and Taylor envisioned for this thing. To put it back into this real-world environment — being in clubs where you don't have hair, glam, a stylist and all this noise and nonsense. You've got your talent, your drive, your ambition and you've got a stage and a house band. You've got two songs, one original and one cover, and you've gotta grab this audience that hasn't come to see you. This audience has come to see me play at the end of the night, and you gotta grab 'em." Urban said the "do or die" feeling is really what it's like when you start out in the music industry. "I came from another country. Having the odds stacked against you is something I've spent my life having to continue working through," he added. "I'm not comparing my journey to anybody else's. It's just aspiring to be the best you can always be, staying curious, passionate, hungry and never giving up. Staying the course is always key, and in the end, I think it works." Urban also had a blast working with Shelton, who he called a "unique guy." "I love being around his energy. He's just funny," he said. As for Sheridan, who is known for creating the Yellowstone universe, Urban admires his talent — but has no interest in throwing on a pair of ranching boots. "Absolutely not," Urban said. "I've never had any interest in acting. I just bought a studio here in Nashville because that's my passion. I don't have any hobbies. I just love playing music. I love being in the studio. I love creating, I love recording." For what it's worth, there's zero pressure from his wife to get on set. Kidman recently said in an interview that she and Urban have no desire to work together. ("We're together in life, so we don't need to do our show together," she told People. "Our life is a show.") "I've been on enough sets now to know that that's absolutely not anything I ever want to do," Urban laughed. "It's not for me!" Right now, it's curiosity in the studio that's fueling the artist. "That's literally what powers me forward and drives me and has always driven me, is curiosity about writing songs, playing, putting on a show, connecting with an audience," he said. "I don't know if you can cook, but I can't cook," Urban continued, "but I realize that's what I do in my head. I hear ingredients, and I imagine what those things together might taste like to my ears. Having a studio now gives me the chance to really explore those kinds of opportunities to blend things that I hear and see what goes together. ... I'm constantly curious to explore musical art, which [is what] my life is."
