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First Post
6 hours ago
- Politics
- First Post
‘Ran to Daddy to avoid being flattened:' Iran's Araghchi taunts Israel using Trump's new nickname
Iranian foreign minister warned Tel Aviv that it won't hesitate from revealing its 'true capabilities' if provoked read more Iran Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Saturday (June 28) quipped that Israel had no choice but to 'run to Daddy' to avoid being flattened by Iranian missiles, referring to US President Donald Trump's new nickname derived from a statement by Nato secretary-general Mark Rutte. The foreign minister warned Tel Aviv that it won't hesitate to reveal its 'true capabilities' if provoked. 'The great and powerful Iranian people, who showed the world that the Israeli regime had no choice but to run to 'Daddy' to avoid being flattened by our missiles, do not take kindly to threats and insults. If illusions lead to worse mistakes, Iran will not hesitate to unveil its real capabilities, which will certainly end any delusion about the power of Iran,' Araghchi posted on X. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Notably, Rutte had called Trump 'daddy' for using strong language against both Israel and Iran during the recent conflict between the two West Asian nations. Rutte's response came when he was asked about Trump using the F-word on live TV after Israel and Iran continued trading missiles despite the ceasefire. 'Israel, as soon as we made the deal, they came out and they dropped a load of bombs, the likes of which I've never seen before, the biggest load that we've seen. We basically have two countries that have been fighting so long and so hard that they don't know what the fu*k they're doing,' Trump said. Later, reports emerged that Israeli leadership was left 'stunned' and 'embarrassed' by the harsh rebuke. Warning to Trump Araghchi also Trump against using a 'disrespectful and unacceptable tone' towards Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and hurting his 'millions of followers'. 'If President Trump is genuine about wanting a deal, he should put aside the disrespectful and unacceptable tone towards Iran's Supreme Leader, Grand Ayatollah Khamenei, and stop hurting his millions of heartfelt supporters,' Araghchi said. Araghchi's rebuke came following a social media post by Trump on Friday in which he claimed he had prevented the assassination of the Iranian supreme leader and accused Khamenei of ingratitude. 'I knew exactly where he was sheltered, and would not let Israel, or the US armed forces, by far the greatest and most powerful in the world, terminate his life,' Trump posted. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'I saved him from a very ugly and ignominious death, and he does not have to say, 'Thank you, President Trump!' he said.
Deccan Herald
6 hours ago
- Politics
- Deccan Herald
50 years of Emergency and the Trump-ceasefire saga 2.0
Greetings readers, A slew of events unfolded in the political arena this week, with US President Donald Trump effortlessly taking the center stage. Forced by his habit of taking credits, Trump 'almost' took the credit for brokering a ceasefire between Israel and Iran too, after days of conflict. Back home, Shashi Tharoor and his English-speaking skills dominated the headlines, with the Congress leader praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi post Operation Sindoor. The praise is not sitting right with his party leadership and speculations have emerged of Tharoor looking for alternatives with his newly found 'wings'. So bear with us as we unpack each of the significant political developments one by one in this week's DH Political Theatre. A Nobel 'act'.After 12 days of air strikes on each other, and a cameo by the US–much like President Trump's cameos in several TV shows and movies prior to him stepping into politics, Iran and Israel finally agreed to a ceasefire on Tuesday, albeit a fragile one. Trump first declared a ceasefire between the two West Asian nations, hours after Iran fired missiles at the US military base in Qatar on Monday night. Trump later berated both sides for violating the ceasefire he had announced. While Iran said it would respect the truce if Israel did, Israel said it had refrained from further in announcing it had agreed to Trump's plan, said it had achieved all its military prior to all this, Trump was probably just inches away from clinching the Nobel Peace Prize, when towing the lines of previous US Presidents, he decided to meddle in the Middle East and sent B-2 bombers to attack Iran's nuclear sites. While the damage incurred by Iran's nuclear dreams cannot be ascertained clearly, the damage to Trump's Nobel dreams is done and in his own words the award may once again end up in the hands of a 'liberal'. Emergency 50-50.'The biggest flaw of democracy is that you can't permanently take someone out of the picture. …What can you even call those High Court judges, who so promptly hand down verdicts against the government. They are all ungrateful.'The above excerpt from Urdu and Hindi author Rahi Masoom Raza's 1978 book Katra Bi Arzoo perfectly encapsulates the power of a democratic setup and why political leaders feel the need to trample upon it for extending their year marked the 50th anniversary of the Emergency imposed by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on June 25, lesson that can be learned from the chapter of Emergency of Indian history is the perils of the occasion, Home Minister Amit Shah released a book titled The Emergency Diaries - Years that Forged a Leader, a compilation of Modi's experiences during the anti-Emergency book describes how 25-year-old Modi distributed many newspapers published secretly in markets, among students and women, reminiscent of the times when the prime minister was probably not aversive to press conferences its futile attempts to justifying the reasons for the imposition of Emergency, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh shared a White Paper tabled in Parliament on July 21, 1975 saying the government had imposed Emergency to put democracy "back on the rails" and in the wake of activities of "fascist groups" in the country that crossed all permissible president Mallikarjun Kharge said an 'undeclared emergency' has been prevailing in the country for the last 11 years, an accusation which did not sit well with the BJP leaders.'Saffron'...gives you wings?.'Don't ask permission to fly. The wings are yours and the sky belongs to no one,' read a post on X by Congress leader Shashi Tharoor sometime after party chief Mallikarjun Kharge expressed displeasure with the Thiruvananthapuram MP's praise for PM Modi. Tharoor, in an article published in a leading newspaper on Monday, said Modi's energy, dynamism and willingness to engage remained a "prime asset" for India on the global stage but deserved greater backing. The article has elevated the uneasiness in the relationship between the Congress leadership and Tharoor. Though Tharoor on Tuesday tried to clear the air around the issue and said that his article was not a sign of his "leaping to join" BJP and just a statement of national unity, it did not stop Congress leaders from questioning Tharoor's conduct since he was chosen to be part of an all-party delegation on Operation Sindoor. Congress' Manickam Tagore even warned his Lok Sabha colleague that free birds should be aware of 'hawks, vultures, and eagles' preying in the the 'free-spirited' Tharoor will stop by Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Marg and are BJP leaders secretly taking English speaking lessons, is still unclear. Bypolls: A boost for AAP and Trinamool Congress retained their four sitting seats in the bypolls on Thursday while Congress snatched one held by a former Left-backed independent in Kerala, putting the ruling CPM-led Left Democratic Front on the won its two sitting seats in Gujarat's Visavadar and Punjab's Ludhiana West while it was pushed a distant third in Gujarat's Kadi, where the BJP retained the seat. Trinamool Congress won the Kaliganj seat while in Kerala's Nilambur, Congress won with a convincing margin against the CPM. Buoyed by the victory, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal told reporters that if the bypolls were semi-finals to 2027 elections then there will be a 'typhoon in 2027.' No mention of Pahalgam in SCO document .Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday refused to sign the joint communique of the Shanghai Cooperation Organsation's defence ministers meeting as the document neither mentioned the dastardly Pahalgam terrorist attack nor took into account India's concerns on terror strikes emanating from Pakistan. Because of India's refusal, the SCO, which follows the principle of consensus, could not issue a joint statement after the two-day meeting at Qingdao, sending a strong message to Pakistan and its all-weather ally China, who are understood to be the main players behind making such a draft. Kanhaiya, the twelfth leader Kanhaiya Kumar accepted being "the twelfth man" in Bihar polls and said that he will contest the upcoming elections if the party tells him a cricketing analogy, Kumar said that just like batting, bowling, and fielding are responsibilities that have to be fulfilled on the cricket field, fighting polls is also a responsibility in politics."If the captain tells me to sit outside and deliver drinks for those at the crease, I will do that. And if the captain tells me to, I will also pad up and bat," Kumar said. He also said that there is no confusion or dispute in the 'Mahagathbandhan' over Tejashwi Yadav being the main face for the Bihar chief minister's post. That is all about the political drama that unfolded this week. DH Political Theatre will come back again next week with more political advancements from around the world. Exit Stage Left, DH Newsletters Team
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First Post
7 hours ago
- Politics
- First Post
Japan quietly prepares for China-US conflict in Pacific, builds bomb shelters near Taiwan
The Japanese government plans to begin subsidising long-term evacuation facilities in the Sakishima archipelago, at the southwestern end of the Nansei Islands, starting next year read more Illustration showing the nine-dash line on a map of a disputed area of the South China Sea on a laptop in Lao Cai province. File Image/AFP As China's threat over the Pacific gains momentum and with Taiwan's independence at stake, Japan is quietly preparing itself for a possible US-China war. A key ally of Washington, Japan, will begin building bomb shelters next year on its remote islands close to Taiwan, as it fears that territories located far west could be targeted by Beijing. A report by Newsweek says the Japanese move comes as an acknowledgement of the complex reality. Japan is already hosting the most American troops anywhere in the world outside of US territory. This simply means, especially against the pattern of the recent West Asian crisis, that a US-China conflict is certainly bound to spill over. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD China has been making territorial claims over the democratically governed Taiwan and considers the island-nation part of its own. These claims have been repeatedly rejected by Taipei, but the more it pushes back, the more force Beijing exhibits. China has not ruled out using force to bring Taiwan under its ambit, giving rise to concerns of the country's expanding influence over the region. This move follows increased Chinese military activity near Taiwan and past incidents, such as Chinese missiles landing near Yonaguni in 2022, which alarmed local residents and prompted Japan to expand its military presence there. What does the Japanese plan entail? The Japanese government plans to begin subsidising long-term evacuation facilities in the Sakishima archipelago, at the southwestern end of the Nansei Islands, starting next year. The first shelters will be built on Yonaguni, the country's westernmost inhabited island, located less than 70 miles from Taiwan. According to Japan's Nikkei newspaper, additional bomb shelters, designed to support stays of up to two weeks, will be constructed on nearby islands, including Iriomote, Ishigaki, Tarama, and Miyako by spring 2028. Meanwhile, Okinawa, Japan's largest southwestern island, hosts around 30,000 of the 54,000 active-duty American service members. The US Navy, Air Force, Army and Marine Corps have bases on the Pacific node and participate in joint military exercises with Japan regularly. While Tokyo plans to relocate people from these islands to the mainland, way before the hostilities begin, official estimates suggest that evacuating over 100,000 civilians via sea and air could at least take a week. Therefore, the emergency shelters would provide temporary refuge to Japanese people. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD What US has said Japan's expedited efforts to shield itself from any forthcoming Chinese attack are not based on isolated assumptions. US officials say Chinese President Xi Jinping has directed his military to be prepared to seize Taiwan by force by 2027. However, whether China's military readiness will align with its political will remains uncertain. Beijing officials maintain that Taiwan remains a central issue in US-China relations. Last month, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said at the Singapore Defence Summit that China's military was 'rehearsing for the real deal,' and that an attack 'could be imminent.' His claims were slammed by Beijing, which accused him of stoking regional tensions.
Mint
11 hours ago
- Business
- Mint
The week in charts: GST revamp, Oil Plan B, Wegovy launch, India tops again
A revamp of the goods and services tax (GST) regime is on the cards, with the compensation cess likely to be merged into the main GST rates. Separately, India has activated a Plan B to secure oil supplies amid continued tensions in West Asia. Despite global headwinds, India retained its top spot among emerging market peers in May. GST revamp The finance ministry may merge the compensation cess on sin and luxury goods into the goods and services tax (GST) rates, Mint reported. The decision won't impact consumers as overall tax outgo would remain unchanged. Compensation cess, which makes up about 7% of the total collections, was levied on top of the GST rate to compensate states for potential revenue loss due to the transition to GST regime. This arrangement is set to expire in March 2026. The shift may become a part of recommendations on the tax-sharing formula for five years starting FY27 by the Sixteenth Finance Commission. Hefty bounty Indian companies doled out a record dividend of ₹4.9 trillion in FY25, despite the lacklustre earnings. Promoters, led by those in private firms, pocketed 51.5% of total dividends declared. A Mint analysis of 370 consistent dividend-payers from the BSE 500 shows that promoters with over 70% stake saw their dividend receipts surge by 45%. Those holding 50-70% and below 50% experienced more modest increases of 8.5% and 8.9% respectively. This trend indicates that higher promoter holdings, in some instances, led to increased dividend payouts. VIP deal 26%: Is the stake domestic private equity (PE) firms such as Multiples Alternatives and 360 One are eyeing in luggage maker VIP Industries, Mint reported. The stake sale could also trigger an open offer. The promoters currently own a little more than 50% of VIP Industries, shows stock exchange data. The sale is part of the promoters' ongoing efforts to exit the business. Last November, the company's talks with PE firm Advent International to sell a controlling stake fell through due to valuation mismatches. Oil Plan B India has devised an emergency plan to secure oil supplies amid the uncertainties in West Asia, Mint reported. It involves bypassing the Strait of Hormuz via two pipelines: Abu Dhabi National Oil Co's Habshan-Fujairah that opens to the Gulf of Oman, and Saudi Aramco's East-West to the Red Sea. India could also boost imports from the US. The recent conflict between Israel and Iran, with threats of closure of Strait of Hormuz had exposed India's vulnerability as the country imports over 40% of its oil from West Asian countries. India tops India, with a score of 67 out of 100, retained top spot among emerging economies in May, showed Mint's emerging markets tracker. However, the win came with a narrow lead. Thailand came a close second with a score of 66.6 due to best export performance. While India's score was driven by India's fastest GDP growth among peers, robust manufacturing activity, and sustained stock market gains, the lead narrowed due to deteriorated export growth and currency fluctuations. In April, India had scored 87.9. Slim deal ₹17,345: That is the starting price in India for Novo Nordisk's weight-loss drug Wegovy, launched earlier this week. The drug is administered as a once-a-week injectable pen and is prescribed for chronic weight management and reducing major adverse cardiovascular events. Available in five dosing strengths—0.25 mg, 0.5 mg, 1 mg, 1.7 mg and 2.4 mg—Wegovy is expected in pharmacies by end of the month. The launch follows rival Eli Lilly's introduction of Mounjaro in March 2025, intensifying competition in India's obesity treatment market. Bumper bonus Indian investment banks awarded record bonuses to their top brass this year as they earned substantial fees in FY25, Mint reported. It was fuelled by a surge in deals and initial public offering activity, and hefty fees earned by investment banks from them. Firms like Kotak Mahindra Capital, Axis Capital, Avendus Capital, and JM Financial reportedly distributed over $1 million bonuses to top executives. Indian investment banks earned over $1.35 billion in fee income in FY25, highest in the post-pandemic period, showed data from London Stock Exchange Group. Chart of the week: Space take-off Shubhanshu Shukla made history by becoming the first Indian astronaut to travel to the International Space Station (ISS). A look at data shows that ISIS visits are dominated by individuals representing the US (169), which is also home to Nasa. This is followed by Russia (63), Japan (11), and Canada (9). Follow our data stories on the'In Charts" and'Plain Facts" pages on the Mint website.
Time of India
17 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Piyush Goyal to meet exporters on June 30 amid global tensions
Commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal will meet exporters and industry representatives on June 30 to discuss issues related to India's goods and services exports amid the tensions in West Asia and New Delhi's ongoing trade pact talks with the developed countries. Last month, India's goods exports declined by 2.17% year-on-year to $38.73 billion, breaking a two-month streak of growth, while the trade deficit narrowed to $21.88 billion. The government is targeting $900 billion in goods and services exports in the current fiscal year FY26. "The meeting is a regular stock-taking one," said an official. It comes at a time when Indian trade negotiators are visiting Washington for the next round of talks for an interim trade deal with the US ahead of the July 9 deadline, when the 90-day reciprocal-tariff pause period ends. Recently, officials were in London to finalise the India-UK free trade agreement (FTA), which was announced last month and is expected to be signed soon. Separately, talks are also on to conclude the India-EU FTA by the end of this year. As per an industry representative, the geopolitical situation has improved over the last few days, aiding predictability in shipping routes for Indian goods via the Strait of Hormuz. The Strait carries Nearly 25% of global oil shipments, about two-thirds of India's crude oil and half of its LNG imports pass through the Strait of Hormuz, which remains open for now. Escalation of tensions in West Asia could impact India's trade. An official had said earlier that the government is keeping an eye on insurance rates and freight costs amid the uncertainties. India's trade with the West Asian countries is worth more than $100 billion and the country is heavily dependent on energy imports from the Gulf region. In this backdrop, the ceasefire between Iran and Israel has brought some relief to New Delhi. Textile protection Goyal has assured industry bodies that the government will protect the interests of the textiles and apparel sector in the proposed trade agreement with the US. The minister met textile industry representatives in the wake of recent reports suggesting that reciprocal tariffs of up to 26% may be imposed after the July 9 deadline, which could have a significant impact on India's textile and apparel exports to the US.
