This special report focuses on the diplomatic stir caused by Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's effusive praise of Donald Trump at the Sharm El Sheikh peace summit and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's strategic decision to abstain from the event. Analyst Raymond Vickrey Jr. stated, ‘I think that you have to recognize, as our former governor in Virginia once said, who's a neurologist, that our president is a narcissistic maniac.’ The discussion, with insights from former Foreign Secretary Kamal Sibal and CSIS's Raymond Vickrey Jr., deconstructs Sharif's 'cringeworthy' flattery, including a renewed call for a Nobel Prize for Trump, and Trump's subsequent indirect snub. It also analyses why PM Modi sending Minister of State Kirti Vardhan Singh was a 'wise' move, successfully avoiding a potentially embarrassing, Trump-orchestrated diplomatic engagement with Pakistan on the world stage.
The Union Cabinet passed a resolution and gave a standing ovation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for becoming the longest-serving elected head of the government over three consecutive terms. The Prime Minister completed 4,399 consecutive days in office, surpassing the previous record of 4,398 uninterrupted days held by the first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, since the first general elections in 1952.
An India Today report details a political development as a Trinamool Congress Member of Parliament resigns from the Rajya Sabha and the party. Sources indicate the parliamentarian is likely to join the Bharatiya Janata Party after meeting the Assam Chief Minister in New Delhi. This marks the second such resignation from the Trinamool Congress within a week, pointing to defections across both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Rebel parliamentarians have reportedly held meetings in the national capital, affecting the party's parliamentary strength. The shrinking opposition numbers in the upper house could assist the ruling party at the centre in passing legislation, including delimitation and the women's reservation bill. Meanwhile, the Trinamool Congress is seeking legal assistance from the Congress party to navigate the crisis and challenge the defections. The situation remains developing as more parliamentarians are reportedly considering switching allegiances in the coming days.
Israel is preparing to erect a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in the Jewish country, and bringing to spotlight an overlooked historical connection between Jews and India.
A thirty-year-old Sudanese asylum seeker has been charged with attempted murder following a knife attack in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The suspect allegedly attempted to behead a man, leaving the victim in his forties with severe injuries to his head, neck, and face.
