US President Donald Trump has shared an AI-generated video on social media depicting a war-torn Gaza transformed into a luxurious riviera town, featuring himself vacationing with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The video, which has gone viral, has sparked widespread criticism and backlash, with many users expressing their disgust and disappointment. The video, set to a catchy song, showcases a utopian vision of Gaza with luxurious amenities, including SpaceX CEO Elon Musk enjoying meals in the new town, belly dancers, party scenes, and luxurious cars. The video also portrays Trump and Netanyahu enjoying the beach, while children chase after falling dollars. The post has been met with outrage, with many users stating that they voted for Trump to focus on the American economy, not for this type of project. Others criticized the lack of respect and seriousness in the video. Trump recently announced that the US will take over the Gaza Strip, own it, and undertake economic development to create jobs and housing. He envisions a diverse population, including Palestinians, living in the rebuilt Gaza Strip, which has been met with rejection from key Arab allies like Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia.
By threatening to punish India with high tariff, Trump is actually planting a tantalising thought in the Indian mind that the Modi government should suitably 'incentivise' him, explains Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
India will continue to be a strategic partner for the United States despite concerns over its ties with Russia, the Biden Administration has said.
India needs another shot of difficult reform, of the kind only possible at gunpoint. Mr Trump holds that gun to our heads now. A drastic reduction in tariff protection, other elements of sarkari wet-nursing will force entrepreneurial India to become competitive again, argues Shekhar Gupta.
'...it should not delude itself into thinking that India's security or its great-power ambitions will be advanced by those partnerships.'
'Instead, what India should focus on is on riding out the next three-and-a-half years of Trump's presidency with minimal damage to itself.'
Pakistan military spokesperson Lieutenant General Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry told a hurriedly called press conference in Islamabad at around 4 am that th Pakistan air force's Nur Khan (Chaklala, Rawalpindi), Murid (Chakwal) and Rafiqui (Shorkot in Jhang district) airbases were targeted.
'Pahlaj Nihalani came to my rescue. There was no Instagram in those days so I didn't recognise him.' 'I almost fainted when he told me he was Pahlaj Nihalani, the producer of Ilzaam, the hit film that had just made Govinda a star.' 'I told him I was a model and an aspiring actor, and he responded, "You have an interesting face. Come and meet me in the office tomorrow".'
DOGE Leader Elon Musk said, "My guess is that a lot of that money ended up in the pockets Hamas, not actually condoms.
In turn, President Biden said that the US does not support 'Taiwan's independence'.
US President-elect Biden has a history of advocating on behalf of women in the US and around the world and the new team announcement is a continuation of that work.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his response to questions about the Adani Group controversy during his US visit. Gandhi alleged that Modi downplayed the issue as a 'personal matter' and did not raise it with US President Donald Trump. Gandhi argued that the controversy is a 'matter of the country' and should not be ignored by the Prime Minister.
An earthquake of magnitude 4.8 struck 7 km north-northeast of Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, on Friday, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported.
Those who stay in other countries illegally do not have any legal right to be there, Modi said.
From the time he left office after his loss in the 2020 presidential election to his nomination as the Republican candidate in the 2024 race, Trump continued to dominate the American news cycle and the country's psyche.
Trump and the White House has described this as an impeachment hoax. White House asserted that the president has done no wrong.
Trump further pointed out India's strong economic position and high tariffs on US goods, stating, "They got a lot of money. They're one of the highest taxing countries in the world in terms of us. We can hardly get in there because their tariffs are so high."
Biden would also travel to Jordan for a summit meeting with the heads of States of Jordan, Egypt and the president of Palestinian Authority.
Trump announced that India and the US agreed to work together to build the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) and called it one of the greatest trade routes. He said that the route will operate from Israel to Italy and onward to the US.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has praised US President Donald Trump in a podcast, describing him as a "man of courage" and saying they share a "mutual trust" based on their "America First" and "India First" philosophies. Modi recalled Trump's resilience after being shot at during the US election campaign and his willingness to engage with the public at a community event in Houston. He also highlighted the shared nationalistic approach they both embrace.
Trump has made it clear to Prime Minister Modi that India will not be spared from Washington's reciprocal tariffs and emphasised that "nobody can argue with me" on tariff structure.
'Trump is likely being purposefully vague, hoping that this lack of clarity will pressure India, fearing the worst, to agree to scale back its imports of Russian oil.'
'Equality begins when we open up and embrace all of our differences.'
An hour before his bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Trump again commented on India's tariff structure, saying 'they have the highest tariffs' and 'it is a hard place to do business'.
'We see India as a cornerstone of our engagement with this hugely important region of the world.'
The claims made by Canada were discussed when visiting External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan met in Washington, DC last week, John Kirby, Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the National Security Council in the White House told reporters at a news conference.
Appearing shaken by the death of 20 children in one of the deadliest school shooting in American history, the US President Barack Obama choked up several times as he said "our hearts are broken today" before the White House Press Corps.
Earlier this month, the White House said that US President Joe Biden believed that his meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin will be a good step forward in the US-Russia relationship to de-escalate tensions and have stable relations.
Two Elon Musk from November 2024 surfaced online over the weekend in which he can be seen criticising the US' F-35 fighter aircraft which President Donald J Trump offered to sell India during Prime Minister Narendra D Modi's visit to the White House on Thursday.
Carter was in politics, but not a politician, certainly not a transactional politician, points out Shreekant Sambrani.
Trump has made clear his intention to mediate a resolution between the two nations, emphasising the need for a swift de-escalation of violence.
In the high-pressure cooker that is politics, tempers can be explosive and fuses short. Rediff.com brings you some of the most dramatic political punch-ups and fist fights from across the globe where parliaments turned into boxing rinks.
'The major focus will be his message on economics, on increasing exports, supporting jobs back here, and including highlighting some commercial deals that we hope to have consummated by that time.'
Obama arrives in India on the 6th, spends the 6th and part of the 7th in Mumbai, part of the 7th and the 8th in New Delhi.
Paul Ryan, the former Republican vice presidential nominee, was on Thursday elected and sworn in as the new Speaker of the US House of Representatives, which is similar to Indian Parliament's lower house, the Lok Sabha.
'We need to be very vigilant as we are passing through some fraught times.'
Trump's sweeping tariffs and penalties on China-built ships have turned global shipping into the front line of economic war, observes Shyam G Menon.
"AUKUS? What would it become? JAUKUS? JAIAUKUS?" Psaki said in lighter moments before giving answer to the question.
'In the Indian government there are no illusions about the United States reliability or the possibility of having any kind of preferential treatment from Washington when it comes to trade.'
In November last year, an indictment was unsealed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, charging prominent Indian executives, including Chairman of the Adani Group, Gautam Adani, by linking them to an alleged bribery scheme.
The development is likely to bring to standstill Trump's hectic election campaign.
