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Indian Express
31-07-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
Daily Briefing: Unpacking Trump's 25% blow
Good morning, The final match of the England vs India Test series begins today. It's a moment of reckoning for the young team, who can either draw the series 2-2 or settle for a 3-1 defeat. But before the game gets underway, the Indian team management has raised a red flag: At Lord's, where England handed India its second defeat, the latter got a ball 30-35 overs old when they asked for a replacement of the out-of-shape 10-over-old ball. Now, protocols dictate that the replacement must be as old as the original, but umpires told them they had no balls 10 overs old in the stock. Indians feel that was the turning point of the match. Before the replacement, the harder ball swung, giving them the required seam movement, but the older and softer ball disadvantaged them. The team contends that the rules over ball changes need a rethink. National sports editor Sandeep Dwivedi has more details. On that note, let's get to the rest of today's edition. US President Donald Trump has announced a 25 per cent tariff on Indian goods starting August 1, with an additional 'penalty' for its defence and energy imports from Russia. The announcement came just two days before the August 1 deadline, when Trump's reciprocal tariffs were scheduled to take effect. Crucially, India and the US have yet to finalise a trade deal. Game of chicken: From India's perspective, they could have finalised a trade deal with the US by October. Trump's announcement, however, has put the burden back on India to fast-track its negotiations. It's also being seen as a way to pressure India into accepting US demands, which it has resisted so far. Notably, India has drawn red lines around critical sectors such as agriculture, averting 'the trap of a one-sided deal'. China challenge: With China in the advanced stages of negotiations with the US, it would likely have a first-mover advantage. It may carve out a deal with favourable tariff rates and concessions on secondary tariffs. A higher tariff on China would have given India a competitive edge in the market. The best-case scenario? Though Trump has not specified the penalties for Russian oil, his earlier statements indicate that it could be 100 per cent, which would be a significant setback for India. Without the additional penalties, a 25 per cent tariff puts India in a position similar to Vietnam's (20-40%), Indonesia's (19%), and China's (so far 30-34%). Ultimately, India is looking to finalise a deal with a 15 per cent tariff on its goods. It may serve New Delhi well to negotiate an interim deal as of now and carve out a final agreement over time. Also read: India may have to fend off US tariffs on another front: smartphones. Here's why it matters. Since Jagdeep Dhankhar's abrupt resignation as Vice President earlier this month, several reports have indicated that tensions between the VP and the ruling party had been brewing for months. From being robbed of an opportunity to meet US Vice President JD Vance to the final nail in the coffin over an impeachment motion in Parliament, Dhankhar was in a silent tussle with the BJP high command. Now, a new story has come to light. My colleague Mahender Singh Manral reports that the VP's Secretariat had sought new bulletproof vehicles for Dhankhar to replace the three ageing BMW cars. In June last year, the Ministry of Home Affairs said it would form a panel to look into the request made in February. But by November, the VP's office decided to opt for a non-bulletproof Innova. Read on. 'They are innocent': Last week, two Kerala nuns were arrested in Chhattisgarh over allegations of forcible conversion and trafficking, triggering a political storm. One of the women they are accused of targeting has told The Indian Express that she was coerced by a woman associated with a right-wing outfit to give a statement against the nuns. Ring of Fire: The 8.8 magnitude earthquake in Russia's far eastern corner of the Kamchatka Peninsula triggered a tsunami that struck countries on both sides of the Pacific Ocean. The earthquake is among the strongest ones on record. Only five other earthquakes of magnitude 8.5 and above have struck the region in the past two decades. Though the event was rare, it is not unusual. The area is earthquake-prone as it lies on the Circum-Pacific seismic belt, more popularly known as the 'Ring of Fire'. This seismically active belt, which encircles the entire Pacific Ocean, witnesses the maximum number of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions on Earth. Read all about it. Safety check: Aviation safety regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) found 263 safety-related lapses across operators in annual audits. Government-owned Alliance Air topped the list with 57 lapses, followed by Air India with 51 findings. However, the DGCA has assured that the higher number of lapses is 'entirely normal' for large carriers. It added that such findings and consequent corrective actions are 'testament to active regulatory oversight'. Data shows that movie ticket prices have shot up in the last decade, rising by 12.6 per cent in just the last two years. As moviegoing starts feeling like a luxury, those who bought into the 'first day, first show' hype are now forced to wait for 'last show' discounts or stake out buy-one-get-one offers. I leave you with my colleague Rahul Pratyush's plea for affordable cinema. 🎧 Before you go, do tune in to today's '3 Things' podcast episode, where we discuss the India-UK free trade agreement and the stampede in Haridwar. That's all for today, folks! Until tomorrow, Sonal Gupta Sonal Gupta is a senior sub-editor on the news desk. She writes feature stories and explainers on a wide range of topics from art and culture to international affairs. She also curates the Morning Expresso, a daily briefing of top stories of the day, which won gold in the 'best newsletter' category at the WAN-IFRA South Asian Digital Media Awards 2023. She also edits our newly-launched pop culture section, Fresh Take. ... Read More
Indian Express
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Daily Briefing: Jagdeep Dhankhar's undoing
Good morning, It's match day — and India's hour of reckoning! With England leading 2-1, India's young team would have to win the remaining two Test matches to turn their fortunes around. As national sports editor Sandeep Dwivedi writes, India could either end the series 2-3, with a resounding comeback, which could silence critics and offer a much-needed breather to the coaches, or settle for a 3-2, which may earn them a pat on the back and a 'lessons learnt' end to the tour. But the worst-case scenario would be a 4-1 loss and a third straight series defeat for India under coach Gautam Gambhir. The good news is that the team has been playing exceptional cricket. The only thing amiss? Sustaining the momentum and getting over the line. We have more on cricket, but first, let's get to the rest of the day's headlines. 🚨 Big Story Jagdeep Dhankhar's sudden resignation as the Vice President of India has sparked curiosity, with the lack of explanation raising many eyebrows. Clues about what transpired might lie in the events of his final day in the Rajya Sabha. Unhappy: Sources state the government was not too happy about Dhankhar accepting the Opposition's impeachment motion against Justice Yashwant Verma, who is embroiled in a cash-at-home row. The NDA felt its own initiative had been upstaged. The government has moved a similar motion in the Lok Sabha. However, Speaker Om Birla has yet to inform the House about it. Moreover, Dhankhar's mention of Justice Shekhar Yadav, whom the Opposition has sought to remove over a hate speech case, also rubbed the government the wrong way, as it has been trying to go easy on the matter. My colleague Liz Mathew has more details. Silence: A day after, there was no word from the government on the announcement, barring a terse acknowledgement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The latter tweeted, 'Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar Ji has got many opportunities to serve our country in various capacities, including as the Vice President of India. Wishing him good health.' Dhankhar himself has yet to comment on the matter, which is a surprising departure from his usual outspoken nature. In the past, his remarks have frequently put him at odds with the judiciary and the Opposition. Next: The Home Ministry formally notified Dhankhar's resignation on Tuesday, paving the way for the Election Commission to hold elections for a new Vice President. While the Constitution does not specify a timeline, it is unlikely that the Rajya Sabha will get a new Chairman till the end of this Monsoon Session. Ritika Chopra explains the process. ⚡Only in Express Smoke and whistles: The prosecution in the 2006 Mumbai serial blasts case relied on a key finding in the police's investigation: The bombs were packed in pressure cookers that the accused allegedly placed on luggage racks. The theory, however, could not hold water during the Bombay High Court proceedings, which ended on July 21 with acquittals for all 12 accused. Crucially, the prosecution's case fell through when the court raised doubts over the reliability of accounts of certain witnesses who supported this theory. Read. 🎧 For more on the case, tune in to the latest '3 Things' podcast episode. 📰 From the Front Page Inappropriate? In 2017, Vikas Barala, son of BJP Rajya Sabha MP Subhash Barala, was charged with sexual harassment allegations, including stalking and attempting to kidnap the daughter of an IAS officer. Eight years later, the case trial is still underway in a Chandigarh court. However, another development took place: Vikas was appointed as Assistant Advocate General (AAG) in Haryana. On the run: On July 17, five men shot dead Chandan Mishra, an accused in several murder cases out on parole, at a Patna hospital. The prime suspect, Tauseef Khan alias Badshah, fled to Kolkata and availed an online service — a neat haircut. He wanted to change his appearance urgently. And he would have nearly gotten away had it not been for the successful use of the 'Automated Number Plate Reading (ANPR)' systems, which helped police track the accused down. 📌 Must Read Letting go: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to London this week may be the turning point India and the UK have needed in their bilateral relations. Contributing editor C Raja Mohan traces the history of the relationship, where Delhi has increasingly seen the UK as a 'diminished power' in contrast to its view of Russia as a 'superpower'. He writes that it may be time for India and the UK to shed the past baggage and navigate China's assertiveness and the US unpredictability together. Alarm bells: China is set to build a massive hydropower project on the Yarlung Zangbo — just before the river bends into Arunachal Pradesh as the Brahmaputra. The nearly $170 billion project will be its biggest infrastructure project since the Three Gorges Dam. However, the prospect has raised alarm over potential downstream impacts, with fears of the Siang region being vulnerable to a 'water bomb'. Law and tradition: A recent wedding of a woman, Sunita Chauhan, to two brothers, Pradeep and Kapil Negi, in Himachal Pradesh has caused much intrigue. The customary practice of polyandry, known as 'Jodidaran', is centuries old and is steeped in the desire to preserve undivided land. The practice, however, is not so common anymore. The Hatti tribe has seen five such marriages in the past six years. But what does the law say on polyandry? We explain. ⏳ And Finally… I started with cricket, and will end on a similar note. The government is set to introduce the National Sports Governance Bill in Parliament today, which may bring significant change to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). So far, BCCI has been an autonomous body and has resisted its inclusion as a National Sports Federation (NSF) as it doesn't take any funds from the Sports Ministry. That may be about to change with the Bill proposing that the BCCI resolve its disputes through the National Sports Tribunal like other NSFs. What does the Bill say, and how will it impact BCCI? Read our report. That's all for today, folks! Until tomorrow, Sonal Gupta Sonal Gupta is a senior sub-editor on the news desk. She writes feature stories and explainers on a wide range of topics from art and culture to international affairs. She also curates the Morning Expresso, a daily briefing of top stories of the day, which won gold in the 'best newsletter' category at the WAN-IFRA South Asian Digital Media Awards 2023. She also edits our newly-launched pop culture section, Fresh Take. ... Read More
