Letters to The Editor — July 8, 2025
Are we a police state? In Tamil Nadu, the brutality unleashed by the police on Ajith Kumar, who was finished off on mere suspicion of being linked to an incident of some jewels missing, defies all imagination. He was just a poor man working as a security guard in a temple. The poor are undoubtedly worse off in this so-called welfare state. The brutal custodial death evokes a deep poignancy of the rights of the poor in India. One is reminded of Bernard Shaw's quote, 'The greatest evils and the worst of crimes is poverty....' One also remembers Somnath Chatterjee, a Marxist and a leading lawyer, saying 'there is no respite for the poor in India'. It is not enough that the Ministers console the family which has been shattered.
N.G.R. Prasad,
Chennai
Musk vs Trump or more?
Elon Musk has caused more than a ripple in American politics. Yet, one must ask whether his political move is a fight for ideals or personal vendetta. We wait to see whether it will reshape politics or fizzle out as a fleeting tempest.
R.K Jain,
Barwani, Madhya Pradesh
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Hindustan Times
30 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
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Hindustan Times
30 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Trump backs new Russia sanctions bill that could place 500% tariff on India
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Time of India
33 minutes ago
- Time of India
Lula warns Trump with ‘Brazil will not accept abuse' remark after 50 percent tariffs threat, demands end to Bolsonaro prosecution
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has fired back strongly at US President Donald Trump 's announcement of a sweeping 50 percent tariff on all Brazilian imports, calling it an attempt to pressure Brazil's independent judiciary over the criminal trial of former president Jair Bolsonaro. 'Brazil is a sovereign country with independent institutions that will not accept being abused by anyone,' Lula said on Wednesday(July 9), just hours after Trump 's letter accused Brazil of launching a 'witch hunt' against Bolsonaro. 'We will not be tutored by anyone,' he added. Trump's letter to Lula, delivered July 9, called the prosecution of Bolsonaro 'an international disgrace' and declared the tariffs would take effect from August 1 unless Brazil halted what Trump described as political persecution. Bolsonaro is facing trial for allegedly attempting to overturn the 2022 election results and for discussing the possibility of a military coup to remain in power after losing to Lula. Trump, who has praised Bolsonaro repeatedly and faces his own legal battles in the US, has drawn comparisons between their cases. 'It happened to me, times 10,' Trump wrote earlier this week, vowing to 'watch the WITCH HUNT of Jair Bolsonaro very closely.' Live Events Brazil's Foreign Ministry confirmed it is considering retaliatory tariffs, raising fears of a trade war between the two countries. What's at stake? The US is Brazil's second-largest trading partner after China, with more than $92 billion in bilateral trade in 2024. Trump's claim that the US runs a trade deficit with Brazil is inaccurate; the US had a $7.4 billion trade surplus last year, according to official figures. Trump also accused Brazil of censoring American tech companies, referencing Justice Alexandre de Moraes of Brazil's Supreme Court. Moraes, who is overseeing Bolsonaro's trial, has ordered social media platforms to remove content tied to alleged disinformation campaigns. 'Freedom of expression is not to be confused with aggression or violent practices,' Lula said, defending Brazil's legal approach to online threats. Brazil's key exports to the US include iron, oil, soybeans, orange juice, and aircraft. The tariffs could push prices higher for American consumers and impact supply chains in both countries. The Brazilian Supreme Court is widely expected to convict Bolsonaro, which could lead to a prison sentence and permanently bar him from seeking public office again.
