5 stories you must read today, September 21: From PM Modi’s Swadeshi call to 3 countries recognising Palestine as state and more

Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the rollout of the new Goods and Services Tax (GST) rates as a “GST bachat utsav,” promising that medicines, insurance, and daily essentials will get cheaper from tomorrow, in an address to the nation on Sunday. Modi said the “next generation” reforms would ease doing business, attract investment, and give a boost to consumption, especially with an income tax exemption now extended to those earning up to Rs 12 lakh.

Reiterating his call for ‘Aatmanirbharata’ (self-reliance), Modi urged citizens to embrace swadeshi goods. “Be proud to say it’s made in India,” he said, likening the current push to the Swadeshi movement that bolstered India’s freedom struggle. Every household and shop, he added, should promote indigenous products, while states must strengthen manufacturing. Read more

UK, Canada and Australia on Sunday announced they are formally recognising a Palestinian state, despite opposition from the United States and Israel.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the step was intended “to revive the hope of peace for the Palestinians and Israelis.” He added that Hamas would have no role in the governance of a future Palestinian state and must release the hostages it still holds from the October 7, 2023 attacks. Read more

The White House issued a fact sheet defending US President Donald Trump’s decision to impose a $100,000 fee on new H-1B visa applications, saying the move was designed to stop US workers from being replaced with cheaper foreign labour. The statement said Trump’s proclamation was aimed at curbing “abuses that displace US workers and undermine national security”. It also described the fee as part of a broader effort to ensure that “high-skilled, high-paid” foreign workers are prioritised over those used to cut costs.

The administration’s defence of the policy centred on what it called widespread misuse of the H-1B programme by large companies. The fact sheet cited examples of firms receiving thousands of H-1B approvals while announcing significant layoffs of US. Read more

Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal will travel to the United States on September 22 for trade talks, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry announced on Saturday. The visit follows a meeting in New Delhi earlier this week, where a US delegation led by Assistant US Trade Representative (USTR) for South and Central Asia, Brendan Lynch, held discussions with Indian officials.

The negotiations mark the resumption of talks that were stalled after US President Donald Trump last month doubled tariffs to 50 per cent over India’s continued purchase of Russian oil. Read more

A week of drama, suspense and negotiations later, India and Pakistan return to Dubai, the site that kicked off a chapter of unwanted hostility in an epic rivalry last week. Between the two Sundays, much has changed. The evenings are sweatier, the nights are cooler, tourists have begun to trickle and bask in the autumnal sunshine, Pakistan hammered the UAE, Afghanistan crashed out and Oman scared India.

At the time of writing this story,  India faces Pakistan and Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav has won the toss and has opted to bowl first against Salman Agha’s Pakistan in match 14 of the Asia Cup 2025. Follow Live Updates here