| Good morning, Kashmir is reeling under its hottest spell in half a century, resulting in unusual scenes in the Valley. With temperatures soaring, the demand for cooling appliances has exploded. One household appliance seller, Owais Ahmad, says his stock of air conditioners has already run out. He went from selling 100-150 ACs a year to the same in just the first three days of July alone. Cooler sales have also more than doubled. The searing heat has even pushed residents toward the Valley's water bodies for relief, tragically leading to several drowning incidents. While Kashmir has occasionally experienced hot days before, this prolonged heatwave is unprecedented. Experts point fingers at a familiar duo: global warming and rapid urbanisation. On that note, let’s get to the rest of today’s edition.
🚨Big Story In a new phase of his trade war, US President Donald Trump sent out letters to several countries, announcing sweeping tariffs that would kick in beginning August 1. He posted letters to at least 14 countries on his social media platform, Truth Social. This included key allies, Japan and South Korea, each facing a 25 per cent charge, and smaller US exporters. The letter hinted at opportunities for additional negotiations till the new deadline. But it also warned: If you decide to ramp up your tariffs, we will do the same equally. When a reporter asked about his initial claim of "90 trade deals," Trump responded that they had made trade deals with the UK and China and "were very close on making a deal with India." He added that they had met with others but weren't keen on pursuing a deal with them. What does this mean for India? The trade talks have hit a speed bump as Washington wants to open up the agriculture sector in India, a politically sensitive arena that New Delhi has drawn a red line around. Indian officials hope that there could be some elbow room with the fresh timelines, and they could ink a mini-interim trade deal for certain goods. However, the US has clarified that August 1 is not the "new deadline", but an outer limit for countries to speed things up. The August 1 deadline is not "a 100 per cent firm", Trump said, adding that they were open to doing "something in a different way" if any countries called them up. The second front: India is also facing Trump's threats on another front, with the US President warning of 10 per cent additional tariffs on any nation aligning with the "anti-American policies of BRICS nations". The BRICS coalition, initially represented by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, has now grown to include 10 nations, which means it accounts for 45 per cent of the global coalition. BRICS members have said that while they “do not seek to replace the US dollar as a medium of exchange”, they aim to “offer a viable alternative that will aid the market in its perpetual mission for efficiency”.
⚡Only in Express Paper trail: In an ongoing Express series, where we track the progress of the electoral roll revision across districts in Bihar, the spotlight today is on document No.6 on the Election Commission's list of 11 to prove citizenship. As voters scramble to assemble their papers, authorities have been flooded with applications for domicile or residential certificates. Ironically, residents can submit an Aadhar card, which is not on the EC's list, as proof of residence to obtain a domicile certificate. Over 9 lakh applications are pending with officials.
📰 From the Front Page In arms: In the aftermath of Operation Sindoor, the government has pivoted towards a leaner equipment procurement model to cut out delays. This means a greater push for the private sector to participate in defence manufacturing and produce indigenous arms. It is learnt that authorities have already contacted stakeholders in the matter. Missing: In February 2023, a group of nine men from Gujarat set sail on a small vessel from the Caribbean island of Dominica to Antigua. Their final destination was the United States, where they hoped to "live the American dream". Then, they went missing. Two years later, closure eludes their family members. Some have knocked on the court's doors, but to no avail.
📌 Must Read Thackeray trouble: The reunion of the Thackeray cousins (Shiv Sena (UBT)'s Uddhav and MNS chief Raj) has put the Congress on edge. This alliance, yet to be formalised, has put the grand old party in a double bind, as it won't want to rub shoulders with Raj, who's famous for his anti-migrant and anti-Muslim rhetoric. With crucial civic body polls around the corner, it can't afford to distance Uddhav either. Read national political bureau chief Manoj C G's insightful report on the Congress's dilemma. Hindi in Hindutva: The Thackeray cousins' reunion was prompted by a surge of Marathi pride, triggered by the state government's now-scrapped proposal for a three-language formula. Columnist Suhas Palshikar argues that those opposing Hindi have overlooked a deeper issue: the Hindi lobby's broader goal of establishing a national language to foster national unity. This drive to create a single national language, he suggests, is rooted in a desire for uniformity, which aligns closely with the ideological framework of Hindutva politics. On the line: Authorities often rely on phone tapping to catch criminals (anyone remember the HBO show The Wire?). But what does India's law say about tapping suspects' phones to gather evidence before a crime is committed? It all boils down to two caveats: "public emergency" and "in the interest of public safety". The government can authorise interception in either of these cases. Amaal Sheikh explains the law through two High Court rulings. Read.
⏳ And Finally... The world's about to get a front-row seat to some of the most elusive mysteries of the cosmos. The Vera C Rubin Observatory, perched atop the Cerro Pachon mountain in Chile, will constantly scan the sky of the southern hemisphere for 10 years, gathering 20 terabytes of astronomical data every night. Its most unique feature is the Simonyi Survey Telescope, a technical marvel, equipped with the world's largest digital camera. 🎧 Before you go, tune in to today's '3 Things' podcast episode, where we talk about the debate over the words "socialist" and "secular" in the Preamble, Pakistani athletes competing in Indian sporting events, and the flow of refugees from Myanmar to Mizoram. That’s all for today, folks! Until tomorrow, Sonal Gupta | 
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