
News Wrap This Week: COVID-19 cases in India touch 3,700, Elon Musk exits DOGE, Bangladesh election, more
In the News Wrap This Week, we have US billionaire Elon Musk stepping down as the head of the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE); new developments related to Trump tariffs; mock drills conducted in parts of India under 'Operation Shield', India urging Bangladesh to hold 'inclusive, free, fair' polls; and rising COVID-19 cases.
The Ministry of Health's data showed on Sunday that 363 more COVID-19 cases were reported across India in the last 24 hours, bringing the country's active cases tally to 3,758.
Civil defence exercises or mock drills were conducted across Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Chandigarh, and Jammu & Kashmir under 'Operation Shield' on May 31. These exercises were last conducted across the nation on 7 May amid India-Pakistan tensions along the borders.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced his departure from the Trump administration early Thursday. In a post on X, the head of the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) said, '...my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end.'
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Delhi government completed its first 100 days of governance in the national capital on Saturday, May 31. On the occasion, the Delhi government released a 'workbook', highlighting important public welfare initiatives launched so far under Rekha Gupta's chief ministership.
Bangladesh's chief advisor Muhammad Yunus has assured that the nationwide polls will take place between December 2025 and June 2026, even as political parties continue to pressure him to set a poll date.
Amid the calls for Bangladesh elections, India urged the neighbouring country to hold an inclusive, free, and fair election at an early date to ascertain the people's will and mandate.
US President Donald Trump said Thursday that the US Court of International Trade's order to block import tariffs was "so wrong" and "so political."
The US President's statement came as a US trade court had this week blocked his "Liberation Day" import tariffs from going into effect. However, the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington said it was pausing the lower court's ruling, and ordered the plaintiffs in the cases to respond by June 5 and the administration by June 9..
US President Donald Trump announced that he would double steel tariffs from 25% to 50%, from next week onwards, while promoting the partnership between Japan's Nippon Steel and US Steel.
Taking to his Truth Social account, Trump wrote, 'It is my great honour to raise the Tariffs on steel and aluminium from 25% to 50%, effective Wednesday, June 4th. Our steel and aluminum industries are coming back like never before. This will be yet another BIG jolt of great news for our wonderful steel and aluminum workers. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!'
Am video showing Brigitte Macron apparently shoving the French President Emmanuel Macron's face as they landed in Vietnam for their tour.
In the video, French President Emmanuel Macron was seen standing in the vestibule adjoining the boarding gate, communicating with his wife Brigitte Macron, who was inside the cabin.
As security officials open the gate, the President's wife's hand suddenly appeared from the doorway, which shoved his face away in a gesture that appeared to be an aggressive display.
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Time of India
35 minutes ago
- Time of India
Harvard and Trump administration resume talks to resolve ongoing feud
Harvard University and the Trump administration have resumed discussions to resolve a long-standing dispute that escalated into funding cuts , legal battles , and political tensions. The talks, which restarted this week at the White House , aim to find common ground after months of confrontation over federal funding , campus policies , and academic independence, according to a report by the New York Times. During the meeting, Harvard officials presented a PowerPoint outlining recent actions on antisemitism, admissions, and viewpoint diversity. In response, White House representatives listed further steps they expect the university to take. A letter from the administration followed, detailing conditions for a possible agreement. Harvard has not yet commented on its response. Sources close to the matter say the negotiations restarted after other academic leaders urged Harvard to reengage with the administration. The outreach also followed public remarks by Education Secretary Linda McMahon, who signaled readiness for talks. Although the terms of any potential deal remain unclear, both sides have indicated interest in finding a resolution. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:-:- Loaded : 0% 0:00:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - -:-:- 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track default , selected Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 'Swing is King': Mr. Hemant's Strategy Finally Explained in Free Session TradeWise Learn More Undo Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that 'very possible that a Deal will be announced over the next week or so.' However, two people familiar with the talks said a deal in the immediate future is unlikely. (Join our ETNRI WhatsApp channel for all the latest updates) Internally, Harvard officials are weighing the risks of continued conflict. According to those briefed on the discussions, university leaders fear that ongoing tension with the federal government could shrink Harvard's influence and budget. Key concerns include funding cuts, visa restrictions on international students , and federal investigations. Live Events You Might Also Like: Federal judge blocks Trump effort to keep Harvard from hosting foreign students One individual close to Harvard emphasised, 'The university is not going to compromise its values or First Amendment rights.' A possible agreement being explored could see restoration of a portion of the federal research funding withdrawn earlier this year, and a halt to legal actions. In exchange, Harvard may be asked to make stronger commitments on antisemitism, admissions reform, and ideological diversity. The discussions mark a shift from April, when Harvard cut off talks after receiving a letter from the administration demanding wide-reaching changes. The letter proposed merit-based hiring and admissions, a halt to diversity programs, and ongoing oversight through 2028. Harvard rejected those terms, leading to lawsuits and public sparring. Since then, the administration has continued to cut research funding and challenge Harvard's ability to admit international students. Meanwhile, the university has faced increasing pressure from within to find a less confrontational path forward. You Might Also Like: How Trump has targeted Harvard's international students - and what the latest court ruling means A potential deal may also serve as a model for other universities seeking to avoid similar conflicts. According to sources, multiple elite colleges are in private discussions with the Trump administration over funding and campus policies. On social media, Trump described a possible agreement as 'mindbogglingly HISTORIC' and 'very good for our Country.' He later praised Harvard's leadership for acting 'extremely appropriately' during negotiations. The legal case regarding Harvard's funding cuts is ongoing, with a hearing scheduled for July 21 in Boston.

The Hindu
36 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Trump says Tulsi Gabbard was 'wrong' about Iran; Israeli strikes could be 'very hard to stop'
President Donald Trump has said that his director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, was 'wrong' when she previously said that the U.S. believed Iran wasn't building a nuclear weapon, and he suggested that it would be 'very hard to stop' Israel's strikes on Iran in order to negotiate a possible ceasefire. Mr. Trump has recently taken a more aggressive public stance toward Tehran as he's sought more time to weigh whether to attack Iran by striking its well-defended Fordo uranium enrichment facility. Buried under a mountain, the facility is believed to be out of the reach of all but America's 'bunker-buster' bombs. Follow Israel-Iran conflict LIVE on June 21 After landing in New Jersey for an evening fundraiser for his super political action committee on Friday, Mr. Trump was asked about Ms. Gabbard's comments to Congress in March that U.S. spy agencies believed that Iran wasn't working on nuclear warheads. The President responded, 'Well then, my intelligence community is wrong. Who in the intelligence community said that?' Informed that it had been Ms. Gabbard, Mr. Trump said, 'She's wrong.' In a subsequent post on X, Ms. Gabbard said her testimony was taken out of context 'as a way to manufacture division'. 'America has intelligence that Iran is at the point that it can produce a nuclear weapon within weeks to months, if they decide to finalise the assembly,' she wrote. 'President Trump has been clear that can't happen, and I agree.' Still, disavowing Ms. Gabbard's previous assessment came a day after the White House said Mr. Trump would decide within two weeks whether the U.S. military would get directly involved in the conflict between Israel and Iran. It said seeking additional time was 'based on the fact that there's a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future'. But on Friday, Mr. Trump himself seemed to cast doubts on the possibility of talks leading to a pause in fighting between Israel and Iran. He said that, while he might support a ceasefire, Israel's strikes on Iran could be 'very hard to stop.' Asked about Iran suggesting that, if the U.S. was serious about furthering negotiations, it could call on Israel to stop its strikes, Mr. Trump responded, 'I think it's very hard to make that request right now.' 'If somebody is winning, it's a little bit harder to do than if somebody is losing," Mr. Trump said. 'But we're ready, willing and able, and we've been speaking to Iran, and we'll see what happens.' The President later added, 'It's very hard to stop when you look at it.' "Israel's doing well in terms of war. And, I think, you would say that Iran is doing less well. It's a little bit hard to get somebody to stop," Mr. Trump said. Mr. Trump campaigned on decrying 'endless wars' and has vowed to be an international peacemaker. That's led some, even among conservatives, to point to Mr. Trump's past criticism of the U.S. invasion of Iraq beginning in 2003 as being at odds with his more aggressive stance toward Iran now. Mr. Trump suggested the two situations were very different, though. 'There were no weapons of mass destruction. I never thought there were. And that was somewhat pre-nuclear. You know, it was, it was a nuclear age, but nothing like it is today,' Mr. Trump said of his past criticism of the administration of President George W Bush. He added of Iran's current nuclear programme, 'It looked like I'm right about the material that they've gathered already. It's a tremendous amount of material.' Mr. Trump also cast doubts on Iran's developing nuclear capabilities for civilian pursuits, like power generation. 'You're sitting on one of the largest oil piles anywhere in the world,' he said. 'It's a little bit hard to see why you'd need that.'


Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
'She is wrong': Trump makes bold claim on Iran's nuclear plans, again challenges US intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard
Tearing into the US intelligence community , President Donald Trump said his director of national intelligence was 'wrong' when she testified that Iran was not building a nuclear weapon. The President told reporters that he now believes Tehran has a 'tremendous amount' of enriched uranium that could build a bomb in just a few weeks. The comments come after Trump earlier this week cast doubt on US spy chief Tulsi Gabbard 's March 25 report to Congress, in which she reiterated the US intelligence community's assessment. Gabbard testified before Congress in March that Iran was not building nuclear weapons. Trump's bold claim on Iran's nuclear ambitions What intelligence do you have that Iran is building a weapon? Your intelligence community said they have no evidence that they are at this point,' the reporter asked Trump on the tarmac outside of Bedminster, New Jersey. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 혈압, 혈당, 고지혈로 고민이 많으신 분들만 읽어주세요. 메디셜 더 읽기 Undo 'Then my intelligence community is wrong,' the president said, asking who said that. 'She's wrong,' he said of Gabbard. ALSO READ: Why has Trump dropped Pete Hegseth, Tulsi Gabbard from his inner circle to navigate secret Iran action plan? Live Events Gabbard appeared to come to Trump's defence later on Friday. 'America has intelligence that Iran is at the point that it can produce a nuclear weapon within weeks to months, if they decide to finalize the assembly,' she wrote in a social media post. 'President Trump has been clear that can't happen, and I agree.' But he statement does not contradict her earlier assessment that Iran is not building a weapon. No known US intelligence assessment concludes that Iran is weaponising its nuclear programme. The spy chief had also noted in her testimony that Iran's uranium stockiples were at unprecedented levels for a non-nuclear state. ALSO READ: 16 billion passwords leaked in largest data breach ever: Check tips to protect your Facebook, Instagram accounts What is White House saying? On Thursday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that 'Iran has all that it needs to keep a nuclear weapon' and 'all they need is a decision from the Supreme leader to do that.' The president announced Thursday that he would be making his final decision on whether to strike Iran using the US military 'within the next two weeks' if Tehran doesn't 'come to their senses' about the need to eliminate its nuclear program. 'We're going to see what that period of time is, but I'm giving them a period of time, and I would say two weeks would be the maximum,' Trump added Friday. ALSO READ: Is Pentagon erasing Juneteenth? A mail from Pete Hegseth's office to staff has raised concerns He appeared to rule out using US ground forces to invade Iran. 'Well, I'm not going to talk about ground forces. The last thing you want to do is ground force,' the commander-in-chief said. Speaking on Friday, Trump also appeared to downplay the prospect of the US brokering a ceasefire agreement between Iran and Israel, saying he 'might' support such a deal, while adding, 'Israel's doing well in terms of war, and I think you would say that Iran is doing less well.' 'It's hard to make that request right now. When someone's winning, it's harder than when they're losing,' he added. The involvement of US military is considered crucial to Israel's goal of fully dismantling Iran's nuclear program, particularly the destruction of the underground Fordow enrichment facility. Achieving this would likely require the use of Washington's 30,000-pound (13,000 kg) GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator, along with the B-2 stealth bombers capable of deploying it.