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Journalism of Courage
Good morning,
US President Donald Trump is set to meet his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, at the White House later today (EDT). This comes days after Trump’s talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska ended without a ceasefire deal but signalled a shift in the US stance. Trump, who had earlier warned Putin of “severe consequences” if he did not agree to a ceasefire, has said that a “peace agreement” was instead the best way to end the war. Trump has now put the onus on Zelenskyy, saying he could “end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to.” However, this might mean conceding land to Russia and giving up entry to NATO. Notably, their last White House meeting turned tense when Trump accused Zelenskyy of ingratitude. This time, several European leaders will be joining Zelenskyy to help keep the talks on track.
On that note, let’s get to today’s edition.👇
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has promised the next generation reforms in the Goods and Services Tax regime by Diwali in October. The overhaul is expected to make daily-use items cheaper and reduce the number of GST slabs to just two: 5 per cent and 18 per cent, in addition to a special 40 per cent rate for only seven items.
The top-most slab will include “sin and demerit goods” such as pan masala, tobacco, cigarettes and online gaming, besides luxury cars and SUVs. So far, the government has been charging a 28 per cent GST on online gaming. However, the proposal to hike the tax comes amid concerns over the staggering amount of money Indians are spending on these platforms, ranging from fantasy sports to real gaming platforms.
Two icons of the entertainment industry joined us for our flagship events. In the latest Idea Exchange session, Bollywood actor-producer John Abraham discussed his latest venture, Tehran, which is now streaming on Zee5, his geopolitical interests and the politics of films: “In the name of being secular, you can’t just be making films that could possibly be controversial. But there are films that are openly biased that are finding an audience. That’s what is worrying.” Read more
Meanwhile, Hollywood’s Kal Penn was the guest at the latest Express Adda, where he spoke about his time as a White House staffer, and navigating identity politics: “In Hollywood, especially when it came to race or identity, it was fairly regressive…” Read more.
Under cloud: In our ongoing series tracking the on-ground impact of Trump’s 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods, today’s spotlight is on the engineering goods industry, where export orders have largely dried up. In an industrial belt near Delhi, auto components and metal work plants are facing cancelled orders and the prospect of mass layoffs.
Family links: Merely two weeks remain for the September 1 deadline to submit the EC-mandated documents in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of Bihar’s electoral rolls. As many struggle to furnish documents, district administrations are now relying on an informal “12th document” to establish voters’ identities: their parivarik suchi or family tree, which can link them to a parent or grandparent on the 2003 electoral roll.
Moving out: In the 94 years of its existence, the North Block has been the seat of power. Today, its corridors are nearly deserted. As per the government’s plan to develop the Central Vista, the North Block is to be repurposed as a museum, with key ministries operating out of it moving to the ‘Kartavya Bhawan’ buildings down the road. Here’s what the shifting process looks like.
Moving up: For the last several years, the Indian government has been pursuing three global agencies — S&P, Moody’s, and Fitch Ratings — for higher ratings to reflect the economy’s fundamentals. On August 14, the wish came true, with S&P upgrading India’s rating to BBB from BBB-. Why do these credit ratings matter? What does the upgrade mean for India? We explain.
Out of touch: The recent ‘Jodidara’ wedding of Pradeep and Kapil Negi, two brothers who married the same woman, garnered much intrigue on social media. The polyandrous tradition has long been part of the Hatti tribal culture in the Trans-Giri region of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Such marriages were meant to prevent the division of ancestral land among brothers. However, with modern jobs and higher education, the ‘Jodidara’ tradition is quickly fading.
‘Ideological, yet pragmatic’: The BJP has named Maharashtra Governor C P Radhakrishnan as its candidate for the September 9 Vice-Presidential polls, necessitated after Jagdeep Dhankhar’s resignation last month. My colleague Arun Janardhanan profiles the no-nonsense, results-driven politician.
🏏 Out? The selection committee assembles tomorrow to pick India’s T20 squad for the upcoming Asia Cup. Indian Test skipper Shubhman Gill may be asked to sit this one out, as he does not fit into their T20 scheme of things at the moment. My colleague Devendra Pandey has more details on the selectors’ decision and their motivations.
🎧 Before you go, do tune in to the latest ‘3 Things’ podcast episode. Today’s line-up: The fate of cadets disabled in military training; the aftermath of Kishtwar flash floods; and a draft policy for elderly welfare.
That’s all for today, folks! Until tomorrow,
Sonal Gupta
