The Hindu Morning Digest: July 13, 2025
The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Saturday (July 12, 2025) said that it has distributed Enumeration Forms for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Voter Rolls in Bihar to almost all electors who were found at their addresses and added that the forms can be submitted by July 25 and the required documents later by August 30.
Odisha student battling for life following self-immolation, says sexual assault complaint against professor went unheard
An undergraduate girl student, whose complaint of sexual harassment against an assistant professor went unaddressed, was battling for life following self-immolation in college corridor in Odisha's Balasore district on Saturday (July 12, 2025).
Trump announces 30% tariffs against EU, Mexico to begin August 1
President Donald Trump on Saturday (July 12, 2025) announced he's levying tariffs of 30% against the European Union and Mexico. Mr. Trump announced the tariffs on two of the United States' biggest trade partners in letters posted to his social media account.
Environment Ministry exempts 78% of coal plants from installing key anti-polluting systems
The Environment Ministry has exempted the majority of India's thermal power plants from installing flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) systems, which are designed to cut sulphur dioxide (SO2) emissions.
Iga Swiatek defeats Amanda Anisimova to win her first Wimbledon title
Iga Swiatek won her first Wimbledon championship with a 6-0, 6-0 victory over Amanda Anisimova on Saturday in the first women's final at the tournament in 114 years in which one player failed to claim a single game.
Enrolment in third phase clinical trials for India's first dengue vaccine nearly complete, says ICMR
Following an announcement by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Panacea Biotec Limited to initiate third phase trials, about 8,000 of the targeted 10,000 participants have enrolled in the third phase of clinical trials for a dengue vaccine in India, Manoj Murhekar, Director, National Institute of Epidemiology, ICMR, Chennai, told The Hindu.
UGC's anti-ragging system has utterly failed, says Delhi High Court
In a strong rebuke to the University Grants Commission (UGC)'s current anti-ragging framework, the Delhi High Court has signalled that it may initiate a suo motu public interest litigation (PIL) petition to address the recent surge in ragging incidents and student deaths across higher educational institutions.
WHO Regional Director Saima Wazed proceeds on indefinite leave in the wake of corruption charges in Bangladesh
Saima Wazed, Regional Director of the World Health Organization's (WHO) South-East Asia Region, has proceeded on indefinite leave from Friday (July 11, 2025), the global health body's spokesperson confirmed to The Hindu on Saturday (July 12, 2025) in an email response.
More than 70 arrested at London protest in support of banned group Palestine Action
More than 70 people were arrested on Saturday (July 12, 2025) at protests in the U.K. against the Palestine Action group being proscribed a terrorist organization by the British government following a break-in and vandalism at a Royal Air Force base.
IND vs ENG Day 3 Lord's Test: Rahul, Pant and Jadeja excel as match evenly poised
KL Rahul racked up his second hundred at the iconic Lord's before India matched England's first innings total of 387 on an attritional day three of the third Test to leave the game on even keel on a deteriorating pitch.
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The Hindu
29 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Bihar Special Intensive Revision: SIR being done to terrorise people, must be withdrawn, says Dipankar Bhattacharya
Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya on Tuesday (July 15, 2025) demanded that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar be withdrawn immediately and that the Assembly elections this year be conducted on the basis of the 2024 voter list. He also raised concerns about certain claims of the Election Commission (EC), questioning how suddenly people from Bangladesh, Myanmar and Nepal were being found by EC sources. 'This is a lie. Elections were held in 2024. Was there any such complaint regarding that voter list? Did any party make such a complaint? How and from where did it appear suddenly?' he asked, addressing a press conference in Patna. He further said, 'In 2019, the Election Commission wrote to the Parliament that there were no foreign voters in 2016-2019. There were only 3 such complaints in 2018. In such a situation, where are foreigners [being] found in Bihar in 2025? Mushars will be found in every village of Bihar, will they be called people of Myanmar?' Mr. Bhattacharya alleged that migrant labourers and Muslims of Bihar were being called Bangladeshi. He added that migrant workers from West Bengal were also facing the same problem because they spoke Bengali. 'Now, how did the labourers who speak Hindi also become Bangladeshi? This is an attempt to throw dust in the eyes of the people. There is a relation of daughter and bread with Nepal. Every day, our every apprehension is being confirmed. This is a mockery of the Constitution,' Mr. Bhattacharya alleged. Criticising the ongoing SIR, he added that the campaign was being run by terrorising people. 'Why is this atmosphere of terror being created?' he asked. 'BLOs under pressure' He also took a dig at the EC over its statement that there were problems with the SIR and they had a large number of Booth Level Officers (BLO) and volunteers. 'One-third time has passed, and the reports coming out from the ground prove that BLOs have not reached many houses, and hardly anyone has received the two forms. Whatever is going on is a game of numbers, a terrible chaos,' he said. Claiming that the BLOs themselves were upset, Mr. Bhattacharya said that one officer had died under pressure, and many were saying they too did not have the required documents. Ganesh Prasad Yadav, 51, a BLO in Kako Panchayat in Madhubani district, had died following a heart attack last Friday. 'One Block Development Officer (BDO) in Katihar resigned, alleging harassment. If a BLO says anything, action is taken against them,' he said, adding that an FIR was filed against senior journalist Anjit Anjum 'just for showing the truth'. EROs' authority questioned Mr. Bhattacharya also questioned the authority given to Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) to take a call when voters were unable to provide the required documents. In such cases, the EROs can decide based on local investigation or other documentary evidence. 'There is a complete attempt to steal this election. That is why people of Bihar have started raising the slogan — chunav chor gaddi chhod (election thieves should leave the throne),' he said. He went on to say, 'The right to vote of every voter should be guaranteed. The Election Commission has also sent a letter to us. We want to meet separately. SIR has to be withdrawn. The 2025 elections should be conducted properly on the basis of the 2024 voter list. There should be peaceful elections in Bihar.'
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First Post
35 minutes ago
- First Post
How Donald Trump's weapon deal with Ukraine is inviting Maga ire
US President Donald Trump's decision to send weapons to Ukraine to help its defence against Russia has some in the Make America Great Again (Maga) movement irate. Here's what some leading figures in Maga land including Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene and Steve Bannon are saying and the potential fallout read more US President Donald Trump has taken a harsher line on Vladimir Putin recently. Reuters File Since the moment he announced he was running for president, Donald Trump's base has had unshakable faith in him. They stayed with him through the Access Hollywood tape when it looked like his campaign was at an end. They remained loyal after he was defeated by Joe Biden in the 2020 election and during the January 6 insurrection at the Capitol. Trump himself had boasted about his followers' loyalty, saying he could probably get away with shooting someone on 5th Avenue. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD However, seven months into his second term, the Make America Great Again (Maga) movement seems to be growing more upset with Trump. Why is this happening? Because of the Ukraine war, which Trump vowed to end 'within 24 hours' of taking office. But it's not so much as the war continuing itself. More specifically, it's about Washington sending weapons to Kyiv to defend itself. But what happened? What is Maga world saying? Let's take a closer look: What happened? Trump returned to the Oval Office as the 'anti-war candidate'. He claimed that Kamala Harris getting the top job would make World War III an inevitability. He vowed to bring an end to the war between Russia and Ukraine quickly and painlessly. He had criticised the US' proclivity to get into 'forever wars' or endless wars. He repeatedly vowed that he was going to 'stop wars' instead of starting them. As a candidate during the previous elections, he had also taken shots at the 'warmongers and America-last' globalists including his rivals Nikki Haley in 2024 and Jeb Bush in 2016. 'Let's kill people all over the place and let's make a lot of money for those people that make the messes', Trump said of Haley in January 2024. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'We should have never been in Iraq,' Trump said in February 2016. 'They lied. They said there were weapons of mass destruction. There were none and they knew that there were none.' However, his actions as president during his 2nd term have been nearly diametrically opposed to what he said on the campaign trail. Not only has Trump supported Israel's war in Gaza, he has also conducted airstrikes on the Houthis. Many in his Maga base, whose patience and love for Israel runs deep, have backed him up on this. Some even supported Trump bombing Iran's nuclear facilities. A B-52 Stratofortress assigned to the 2nd Bomb Wing at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, takes off at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, on April 14, 2023. (Representative Photo, Credit: US Air Force) However, it looks like Trump's decision to send weapons to Ukraine to help in its war with Russia may be one war too many for the Maga faithful. Trump on Monday announced that the United States would be sending weapons to Ukraine via Nato. Trump, during a meeting with Nato Secretary-General Mark Rutte, announced that the organisation would pay for the weapons. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'We've made a deal today where we are going to be sending them weapons and they're going to be paying for them', Trump said. He also warned Russia to end the war with Ukraine in 50 days. Trump on Sunday had said the US would send Ukraine 'various pieces of very sophisticated military equipment'. 'We will send them Patriots, which they desperately need,' Trump added. While Trump didn't specify the number of Patriot batteries to be sent he said 'they're going to have some because they do need protection'. Trump has long since called for other nations in Nato to increase their defence spending. Many in the orthodox wing of the Republican Party, known as the hawks, have erupted with joy. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a huge Trump supporter, said it was a turning point'. 'The game, regarding [Vladimir] Putin's invasion of Russia, is about to change', Graham added. This decision came a week after the Pentagon paused the flow of weapons to Ukraine. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD This decision, seemingly made by the deputy defence secretary and signed off by his boss Pete Hegseth, was initially celebrated by some in the Maga camp. Trump in recent weeks has taken a harsher line on Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom he previously praised. These recent events have cast a pall over Maga world, many of whom have taken a stance that is just short of being pro-Russia. What is Maga world saying? Some in Maga world are furious with Trump's decision. Republican Congresswomen Marjorie Taylor Greene on social media slammed 'backdoor deals through Nato'. Greene said the development was in stark contrast to what she promised voters on the campaign trail. 'It's not just Ukraine; it's all foreign wars in general and a lot of foreign aid,' she said. 'This is what we campaigned on. This is what I promised also to my district. This is what everybody voted for. And I believe we have to maintain the course.' 'Without a shadow of a doubt, our tax dollars are being used', she added. 'I said it on every rally stage: no more money to Ukraine. We want peace. We just want peace for those people,' she said. 'And guess what? People haven't changed'. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Surface-to-air missile launchers of the Patriot (Wisla) system newly added into the Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS) at an army base in Sochaczew, Poland. File image/Reuters Former Trump strategist Steve Bannon, who many during the first term referred to as 'Trump's brain', also slammed the decision. Bannon on his podcast called the Ukraine conflict a "European war". 'Ukraine is getting so dangerous", Bannon said. 'It's a European war. Let Europe deal with it'. 'They have the resources. They have the manpower'. 'We're about to arm people we have literally no control over', Bannon added. 'This is old-fashioned, grinding war in the bloodlands of Europe - and we're being dragged into it'. A former Trump campaign official said Europe buying the weapons somewhat mitigates the anger from the Maga base. 'But we still hate it,' the official told Politico. 'This is not our war, and escalation isn't in America's interest'. The larger question is if this Ukraine decision will cause Trump's base to turn on him in the long run. Ukraine unpopular with Republicans Data show that Ukraine isn't very popular with Republicans. Just 59 per cent of Republicans think the US is helping Ukraine 'too much,' as per a March poll. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD That number was at 56 per cent in another poll. Just 1 in 10 Republicans want the US more involved in the conflict. There are also little concerns about Russia within the party. Rescue workers extinguish a fire of a house destroyed by a Russian strike in Markhalivka village, Kyiv region, Ukraine. AP file/Representative image Only 25 per cent of Republican-leaning Americans said they are 'extremely' or 'very' concerned about Russia defeating Ukraine in a March poll. Only 29 per cent said they were concerned that Russia would invade other nations. A mere 40 per cent think Russia is the 'enemy'. A Reuters poll also showed 58% of Republicans tended to agree with the statement 'the problems of Ukraine are none of our business, and we should not interfere.' A majority of Republicans (63-34) also oppose sending weapons and money to Ukraine. Remember, the base right now is already irate at Trump over his handling of the files related to the Jeffrey Epstein allegations. While Trump has called on his supporters to 'move on' from the Epstein saga, many Maga supporters show no signs of being inclined to do so. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD However, history shows that the Maga faithful have always trailed in the direction that Trump led them in. While the idea of conducting strikes on Iran initially repulsed some on the right, eight in 10 Republicans afterwards backed up their Commander-in-Chief. Since so many in Maga land have stuck with Trump through thick and thin, it is unlikely that Ukraine will be the final straw. With inputs from agencies
NDTV
39 minutes ago
- NDTV
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Washington: US President Donald Trump has said he's "disappointed but not done" with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, who is showing no signs of ending the war in Ukraine. Trump gave a 50-day deadline to Moscow to end its conflict with Ukraine or face 100 per cent sanctions. But privately, he reportedly also encouraged Ukraine to step up strikes deep into Russian territory-- as far as Moscow or St Petersburg. Voicing his fresh frustration with Moscow, Trump also laid out an arrangement with the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) to supply Kyiv with new military aid sponsored by the alliance's members. But Trump's departure from his previous stance of ending US involvement in the Russian conflict is reportedly not sudden. Per a report by Financial Express, the US leader's frustration with Putin had been brewing for a while, as in a July 4 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, he had proposed providing long-range weapons to Kyiv to hit targets deep in Russia. "Volodymyr, can you hit Moscow?... Can you hit St Petersburg too?" Trump reportedly asked Zelensky on the call. Zelenskyy replied, "Absolutely. We can if you give us the weapons." While it remains unclear whether Washington will deliver such weapons, Trump on Sunday said the US will send Patriot air defence missiles to Ukraine, saying they are necessary to defend the country because Russian President Vladimir Putin "talks nice but then he bombs everybody in the evening." Trump's call to Zelensky reportedly came after he spoke with Putin and was left convinced that Moscow had no plan to halt its war machine. The American President's move underscores his deepening frustration with Putin's refusal to engage in ceasefire talks proposed by him to end the war that he once vowed to end in a day. Trump has signalled that his changing stance on Russia is intended to "make them [Russians] feel the pain" and force the Kremlin to the negotiating table, according to the Financial Times report. The Republican is also forcing Moscow and Kyiv to open peace talks to end the conflict, now in its fourth year, but Russia has rejected calls for a ceasefire and launched a record number of drones and missiles at Ukraine in recent months. The Kremlin warned on Tuesday that Trump's pledge of more weapons for Kyiv and threat of sanctions targeting Russian trading partners could embolden Ukraine and further delay already stalled peace efforts. "It seems that such a decision made in Washington and in NATO countries and directly in Brussels will be perceived by Kyiv not as a signal for peace but for the continuation of the war," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. "President Trump's statement is very serious. We certainly need time to analyse what was said in Washington," he told reporters in Moscow's first reaction to the comments.
