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Good evening, On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump issued a letter imposing a 50% tariff on Brazilian imports, one of the steepest he has announced. The reason, however, had little to do with trade imbalances, surpluses (in this case), or any other economic factors. Trump cited Brazil’s treatment of former president Jair Bolsonaro, calling it a “witch-hunt” while also condemning the country’s “attacks” against US tech companies. In other words, non-tariff barriers. Bolsonaro is accused of plotting to overturn the 2022 election and was charged earlier this year with an attempted coup to remain in office. Trump has condemned Bolsonaro’s successor, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, for “insidious attacks on Free Elections, and the fundamental Free Speech Rights of Americans,” including “SECRET AND UNLAWFUL censorship” of “U.S. Social Media platforms.” Now, Lula (as he’s known) hasn’t taken this lying down, calling Trump’s accusations “external interference” in Brazil’s democratic institutions, while also threatening to reciprocate. On that note, let’s dive in 👇🏽
📝 The Debrief
With Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent six-country visit, India’s outreach to the Global South is significant
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has returned from a week-long, six-nation tour that began in Ghana, West Africa, and concluded with a stop in Namibia, in the continent’s southwest. In between, Modi visited the Caribbean (Trinidad and Tobago) and Latin America (Argentina and Brazil) on a trip seen as India’s ongoing outreach to the Global South. As my colleague Shubajit Roy notes, Modi’s visit to Brazil for the BRICS leaders’ summit was one of the “longest has made in the last 11 years.” While these visits strengthened India’s cultural and economic ties with these countries, they were also vital for its ongoing diplomatic efforts. So, how did it all add up? Tricky tilt: Having adopted a more pronounced pro-Israel stance since October 2023, when the war in Gaza erupted following the Hamas attack in Israel, countries, particularly in the so-called “Global South”, became aware of this shift. In November 2023, Pakistan defeated India in the election for vice-chair of the UNESCO Executive Board, securing its support. Again, in November 2023, India hosted the 2nd Voice of the Global South summit, which attracted fewer top leaders than the previous edition earlier that year. The reason? A growing consensus among these countries at the time was that India is decidedly pro-Israel and “part of the major powers club” for not criticising Israel’s actions in Gaza. Pivot-ish: That, however, changed in 2024 when India recalibrated its position during the BRICS foreign ministers' meeting in Russia, joining other member nations in expressing “grave concern at the deterioration of the situation in the Occupied Palestinian territory.” The move appeared to be a shift to position itself ahead of China, which is also a contender for leadership of the Global South. India reiterated that stance at the BRICS leaders’ summit in Brazil this week, with the declaration condemning Israeli-American airstrikes against Iran and the ongoing conflict in Gaza. This slight change in position reflects its strategic dilemma and the necessity to hedge. While Israel is a key strategic ally with a close defence and security relationship, the Global South—whose leadership India is jockeying for—perceives Israel as an aggressor. Give and take: Following Operation Sindoor, few countries from the Global South publicly supported India; instead, they accepted Pakistan’s claims of Indian airstrikes allegedly targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure at face value. Soon after, India sent multi-party delegations to these nations to meet their political leaders and express its stance. The BRICS declaration condemning the Pahalgam attack was a significant achievement, especially with key Pakistani allies like China endorsing it.
✍️ From our newsroom
The patch up: The sibling rivalry between the feuding Maran brothers—Dayanidhi and Kalanithi—has ended, for now. The long-standing and bitter dispute reached a peak last month when Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MP Dayanidhi accused his elder brother, Kalanithi, of fraudulent share allotments in Sun TV’s early days, as well as issues of corporate governance and unilateral decision-making. However, it required three rounds of talks, with interventions from Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK chief MK Stalin, along with Dravidar Kazhagam president K Veeramani and veteran journalist N Ram serving as mediators. Sources told The Indian Express that Dayanidhi is likely to walk away with approximately Rs 800 crore in cash and prime plots in Chennai’s Boat Club, which are roughly of equal value. The dispute, which spilt into the open just months before Tamil Nadu heads to the polls, had unsettled Sun TV's stock and caused embarrassment for the DMK. The turning point was when the mediators highlighted the reputational damage and legal costs associated with prolonging the conflict.
🔎 Need to know Chrome, watch out: Browsers are becoming the next battleground for AI competition. While OpenAI is reportedly nearing the release of its browser, Perplexity launched Comet, its AI-enabled browser, on Wednesday. Greenlit: Elon Musk’s Starlink cleared its final regulatory hurdle in India, paving the way for the company to offer satcom services in the country. Ciao: The T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka could feature a new European country. Italy, currently ranked 32nd in the world, are one game away from qualifying for the 2o26 edition, having edged out Scotland in the European qualifiers on Wednesday. Italy must now either beat the Netherlands or narrowly lose to qualify.
🎙️Expresso Playlist
In today’s Playlist, I’ll recommend an episode from Aspects of History, which delves into the history of Test cricket. It’s a rich conversation with Tim Wigmore, whose new book “Test Cricket: A History” is one I’ve just started. Tune in.
✋🏽 One last thing I’ll leave you with this fantastic New York Times story on how lobbyists turned a one-time crypto sceptic (aka Donald J Trump) into a believer who’s now gone all-in on it. Until tomorrow, Venkat Ananth |
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