Daily Briefing: A decade after Panama Papers, tax haul crosses Rs 41,000 crore

With that, let’s move on to the top five stories from today’s edition:

🚨 Big Story

“We’re fighting wars. We can’t take care of day care”

US President Donald Trump has proposed raising defence spending to $1.5 trillion in his 2027 budget, a roughly 44% increase, alongside a 10% cut in non-defence expenditure, reflecting a sharp pivot towards military investment. The proposal retains funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, expands detention capacity, and includes a 13% increase for the Department of Justice to tackle violent crime, along with additional allocations for aviation safety and national park infrastructure. At the same time, it seeks deep cuts across domestic sectors, including agriculture, housing, and health, and proposes cancelling over $15 billion from a bipartisan infrastructure law. 

Talks to continue: US President Donald Trump said the downing of an F-15E Strike Eagle, a US fighter jet, by Iran would not derail ongoing negotiations. He indicated that diplomatic channels remain open despite escalating military tensions, while declining to share details about the search-and-rescue operation, calling it sensitive, and criticising media coverage of the conflict.

⚡ Only in Express

Few politicians in recent years have charted as sharp and strategic a rise as Himanta Biswa Sarma. From student leader to Assam Chief Minister, his journey reflects a calculated, long-term political ambition. Portrayed as a highly polarising figure, he is seen as a “benevolent ‘mama’” by supporters and a ruthless politician by critics. Known for his aggressive, high-energy campaigning, Sarma plays a key role in the BJP’s electoral strategy beyond Assam. His switch from the Congress to the BJP marked a turning point in Northeast politics, aiding the party’s expansion. Backed by strong organisational control and coalition-building skills, his politics combines welfare and identity, with growing influence in national strategy, making him one of the party’s most formidable and closely watched leaders.

💡 Express Explained

India’s induction of INS Aridaman, its third nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN), marks a significant boost to its sea-based nuclear deterrence, with three operational SSBNs now in service for the first time. Larger and more advanced than INS Arihant and INS Arighaat, the 7,000-tonne submarine has greater missile-carrying capacity with more launch tubes. As explained by Amrita Nayak Dutta, it strengthens India’s nuclear triad, the ability to launch nuclear weapons from land, air, and sea, while reinforcing its second-strike capability under a “no first use” doctrine. The development builds on a programme that began over three decades ago with DRDO and Russian assistance, with a fourth SSBN already under construction to further enhance capabilities.

✍️ Express Opinion

As the US and China recalibrate ties in an increasingly transactional global order, India faces the risk of being sidelined, with its strategic salience declining in both Washington and Beijing. Ashok K Kantha argues that a distracted US and a potential thaw with Pakistan, alongside China’s continued proximity to Islamabad, complicate India’s geopolitical positioning. At the same time, the emergence of a bipolar global AI ecosystem dominated by the US and China adds to the pressure. In this shifting landscape, India must recalibrate expectations from the US, engage China with realism while insisting on peace at the LAC, and focus on building economic, technological, and defence resilience to safeguard its long-term interests.

🎥 Movie Review

In a quietly unsettling take on love and commitment, The Drama centres on a couple, played by Zendaya and Robert Pattinson, as they grapple with pre-wedding anxieties and buried fears about marriage. What begins as an ordinary relationship gradually unravels through unexpected revelations, with even a seemingly trivial moment gaining deeper significance as the story progresses. As Shalini Langer writes, the film “peels the layers” of the ‘theatre’ of relationships and life. Anchored by charismatic performances from its leads, the narrative retains the ordinariness of its characters, making them deeply relatable, unfolding gently and drawing the viewer in step by step.

That’s it for today! Have a lovely weekend!

Until next time,
Anupama