The Hindu Daily Brief: July 4, 2025

PM Modi arrives in Trinidad and Tobago on two-day visit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived on Thursday on the second leg of his five-nation tour, during which he will hold talks with the top leadership of Trinidad and Tobago to further strengthen the bilateral relationship. PM Modi was accorded a ceremonial welcome upon his arrival at the Piarco International Airport. This is his first visit to the country as prime minister and the first Indian bilateral visit at the prime ministerial level to Trinidad and Tobago since 1999.

‘One Big Beautiful Bill’: Trump secures major victory as flagship bill passes Congress

U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday secured a major political victory when Congress narrowly passed his flagship tax and spending bill, cementing his radical second-term agenda and boosting funds for his anti-immigration drive. The bill underlined the President’s dominance over the Republican Party, which had been wracked by misgivings over a text that will balloon the national debt and gut health and welfare support.

Failure of State intelligence machinery in custodial death cases comes to the fore

The failure of the State intelligence machinery has been the major cause of embarrassment to the police force in many critical incidents, particularly custodial deaths, says a note sent out from the police headquarters to top police officers across the State. According to police sources, the note said the failure of the Special Branch in incidents such as the Sattankulam (2020) and Sivaganga (2025) custodial deaths called for an urgent need for certain reforms in the system. In many such incidents, the intelligence sleuths had failed to report the brewing tensions or possible misconduct in advance.

Bihar draft electoral rolls to be published on August 1; final list to be out on September 30

The Election Commission of India (EC) has said that for a month from the publication of the draft electoral rolls following the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists in Bihar, any member of the public can file claims and objections. The draft electoral rolls would be published on August 1. The daily lists of claims and objections will be displayed at the offices of the Electoral Registration Officers (ERO) and published on the Chief Electoral Officer’s (CEO) website.

Student visa applicants must make their social media public: U.S. Embassy

Students, vocational students and exchange visitors from India who are seeking U.S. visas will have to turn their social media profiles into “public” state for establishing their identity and “admissibility” to the United States under U.S. law, the Embassy of the United States announced this week. The embassy further said that it can not “guarantee” that Indian students who don’t have an appointment already, will get a visa interview slot “this summer”.

Government to initiate removal motion against Justice Yashwant Varma

The government will begin the process of collecting signatures for a motion to remove Allahabad High Court judge Yashwant Varma soon, as most of the prominent political parties have accepted, in principle, to support the motion. The Government is set to begin the process of collecting signatures for a motion seeking the removal of Allahabad High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma, with several major political parties having expressed their willingness, in principle, to support the initiative.

Indigenous defence procurement worth ₹1.05 lakh crore cleared

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, on Thursday accorded Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for 10 capital acquisition proposals valued at ₹1.05 lakh crore through indigenous sourcing. It was the first DAC meeting after Operation Sindoor to enhance capabilities of the armed forces. “AoNs were accorded for procurement of Armoured Recovery Vehicles, Electronic Warfare System, Integrated Common Inventory Management System for the Tri-Services and Surface-to-Air Missiles,” said the Ministry of Defence in a statement

Dalai Lama alone holds authority to decide reincarnation, says Rijiju

The Government of India has made its position unequivocal on the question of the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama, asserting that only the current Dalai Lama and the conventions established by him can determine his successor. Union Minister for Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju, himself a practising Buddhist, made the remarks on Wednesday, which are being interpreted as a pointed rebuttal of China’s claims on the matter.

Centre on the defensive over Congress’s accusations of ‘subverting’ Forest Act

Hours after former Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh accused the Ministry of “subverting” the implementation of the Forest Rights Act under the Narendra Modi-led government, the Union Environment Ministry issued a statement, saying that such references “reflect a gross misunderstanding of facts,” adding that it remains “committed to protecting forests, India’s green cover, and communities dependent on them or living in the vicinity of said areas.”

8 hours and 46 minutes: Hakeem Jeffries slams Trump’s bill in longest U.S. House speech

Hakeem Jeffries talked. And talked. And talked, as the top Democrat in the House of Representatives on Thursday blasted President Donald Trump’s sweeping tax cut and spending bill in the longest speech in the chamber’s history. Mr. Jeffries’ speech, at 8 hours and 46 minutes, marked Democrats’ last chance to prosecute their case against the $3.4 trillion package. Lacking the votes to defeat the measure in a chamber that Republicans control by a slim 220-212 margin, Mr. Jeffries, 54, railed against legislation that he characterized as a giveaway to the wealthy that would strip low-income Americans of federally-back health insurance and food aid benefits.

Russia becomes first country to formally recognise Taliban rule in Afghanistan

Russia on Thursday became the first country to formally recognise the Taliban’s government in Afghanistan since it seized power in 2021, after Moscow removed the group from its list of outlawed organisations. The Russian Foreign Ministry announced that it had received credentials from Afghanistan’s newly appointed Ambassador Gul Hassan Hassan.

Ind vs Eng Day 2 | Gill’s masterful double hundred puts India in control

Twice in Leeds, India had threatened to bury England under a mountain of runs — at 430 for three in the first innings and 333 for four in the second. But it was here at Edgbaston on Thursday that the visitors finally made good on the promise by raking up a mammoth 587-run total on the second day of the second Test against England.