Researched by: Aarthi Ramnath, Anannya Parekh & Aakriti Anand
Supreme Court gives Trump a ‘free election pass’
Trump has been charged in an array of cases of obstructing the lawful transfer of power—when he lost the elections in 2020. Yes, this includes the Capitol Hill riots. What the ruling essentially said:
Trump, the court held, has total immunity for official acts as president related to his core constitutional duties. That includes the communications he had with Department of Justice officials about allegations of election fraud. And so, that portion of the indictment against Trump is effectively dead.
But there is also a presumption of immunity for any other official acts—which will make it harder to bring a case against Trump. Most certainly, these cases will not come to trial before the November election.
Why this matters: Basically, the justices put in place by Trump have saved his election campaign. Once he comes into power, Trump will control the Justice Department—and the cases against him. In any case, he plans to pardon himself of all crimes—if ever convicted. (BBC News)
Gaping problems in new criminal laws
The context: In December, the Lok Sabha passed three criminal laws to replace the existing colonial era relics—the British-era Indian Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure, and the Indian Evidence Act. These bills were passed without discussion—during an angry and chaotic session in which 146 Opposition MPs were suspended. Experts argue they are more draconian than the British laws they replace.
What happened now: The laws finally came into force on Monday—but may soon be changed. One reason: The government plans to add a section on sexual crimes against men and transgender persons—which is a shocking gap in our justice system.
Two: the laws also violate a number of Supreme Court decisions. For example, one ruling requires the immediate filing of FIRs. The code gives the police 14 days to do so. Above all: the replacement for the sedition laws are far more draconian than the British-era original—which has been suspended by the Supreme Court. Indian Express has more on this angle. We explained the problem with the new law in this Big Story.
War on Gaza: A new report of torture
The context: A 23-year-old Palestinian man in the occupied West Bank was strapped to the searing hot bonnet of an Israeli army jeep and driven around at speed—after being shot at and beaten. The army initially suspected he was a militant, but later acknowledged he posed no threat. The clip went viral. See it below:
What happened now: BBC News reports that two more men were subjected to the same torture in Jabariyat, on Saturday. One man was shot in the back, and was laying face down and bleeding for hours:
When [the soldiers] turned him over and found that he was alive, he was beaten with a gun, he says, before being picked up, carried to the jeep and thrown onto it. “They took off my [trousers]. I wanted to hold onto the car, but [one soldier] hit my face and told me not to. Then he started driving,” he said. “I was waiting for death.”
The second man was shot twice, undressed, and forced onto the same military jeep, which he said was so hot that it felt “like fire”. Needless to say, this is torture by any definition—even the Israeli military admits so. (BBC News)
A MeToo moment for Davos
According to exclusive Wall Street Journal report, leadership of the World Economic Forum is “festering” a toxic workplace—which includes sexual harassment, racial discrimination, and gender bias. WSJ interviewed over 80 current and former employees:
At least six female staffers were pushed out or otherwise saw their careers suffer when they were pregnant or returning from maternity leave. Another half dozen described sexual harassment they experienced at the hands of senior managers, some of whom remain at the Forum. Two said they were sexually harassed years ago by VIPs at Forum gatherings, including at Davos, where female staff were expected to be at the delegates’ beck and call.
In two more recent incidents, employees registered internal complaints after white Forum managers used the N-word around Black employees. Black employees also raised formal complaints to Forum leaders about being passed over for promotions or left out of Davos.
Wall Street Journal (splainer gift link) has the exclusive.
Weight loss drugs coming to India…
Mounjaro has been approved by a government panel—which has recommended it be cleared for sale in India. Mounjaro is prescribed for type 2 diabetes—but also triggers rapid and significant weight loss. It has a different ingredient than the better-known Wegovy or Ozempic—tirzepatide instead of semaglutide. The drug will go on the Indian market once the government also greenlights its sale.
Points to note: India has the world's second-highest number of people with type 2 diabetes and high obesity rates—so this is good news for many. OTOH, no one knows the long-term effects of these drugs. Also this: Some say they have undone decades of work in changing the discourse around body positivity. Reminder: Wegovy will soon be sold in China—and weight loss drug mania will be global very soon. (Reuters)
Fiery Opposition in Parliament
In his first speech as Leader of Opposition (LoP) on July 1, Rahul Gandhi slammed the BJP, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on several issues. The most contested bit focused on Hindus and Hindutva ideology, with Rahul claiming that the BJP had created an atmosphere of violence and hatred, particularly against Muslims and Sikhs. He invoked the philosophy of Lord Shiva (even bringing out a picture at one point), to talk about the importance of non-violence. You can watch an excerpt below:
A translated summary, for those who don’t understand Hindi too well: “Those who call themselves Hindus are talking about violence, hatred, and lies, 24/7… You are not a Hindu…It is clearly said in the Hindu religion that one should stand with the truth.”
His jibe prompted a response from PM Modi, who stood up to say that calling the entire Hindu community violent was a very serious matter, to which Gandhi retorted that the BJP, the RSS, and PM Modi don’t represent the entire Hindu society. You can see that exchange below:
As a result, Home Minister Amit Shah has asked Gandhi to apologise to the Lok Sabha, and to millions in the country who proudly identify as Hindus.
Why this matters: Gandhi is the first LoP in 10 years, since the BJP and NDA first came to power in 2014, and is showing a sense of leadership and aggression. This reflects a shift in the power dynamics of the Parliament. Also: Almost the entire Cabinet including Modi, Amit Shah, and Rajnath Singh tried to interrupt Gandhi’s speech and defend themselves. Indian Express has more on this angle. (Economic Times)
Meanwhile, in the Rajya Sabha: Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge’s remarks during the session were expunged after he called out PM Modi on his campaign speeches, which spoke about minorities and Pakistan in a disparaging light. Kharge labelled the speeches as divisive, adding that no other PM had made such statements in the past. He also levelled accusations against the RSS, which were countered by the Chairman, Jagdeep Dhankhar. When asked to provide proof of Modi’s divisive speeches, Dhankar refused to admit newspaper clippings as authentic evidence. NDTV has more. You can watch Kharge’s speech below.
Australian student visas get pricier
On July 1, Australia increased its visa fee for foreign students by more than 2X—in hopes to reduce the number of visas issued—to cut the number of migrants by 50% by 2025. It has changed from A$710 ($474.17), to a whopping A$1,600 ($1,068). They have also banned visitor visa holders and students with temporary graduate visas from extending their visas while living in the country. This is to counter loopholes that let foreign students continuously renew their visas. In 2022-23, there was over 30% increase in the number of students holding a renewed visa.
Point to note: The Australian student visa was already pretty expensive in comparison to the US ($185), Canada ($110) and the UK ($160). On June 11, Schengen also increased the application fees but only by 12% from €80 to €90 ($86 to $97).
Why this matters: The most affected would be students from India, Pakistan, and Nepal. Indian students witnessed 48% rejection in visas between December 2022 to December 2023. (NDTV)
Good news for the trade balance
One: Ola Electric will soon manufacture and sell its own lithium battery cells. If they do not explode—unlike Ola Electric scooters—this will be a huge boost to the EV market. Right now, we have to import these batteries—which account for a significant amount of the cost. This move could slash the price by 40-50%. (Business Today)
Two: India’s smartphone exports surged by 40.5%—from $11.1 billion in FY23 to $15.6 billion in FY24. FYI: Currently, they are the fourth-largest export item from India. What this means: India has been able to take advantage of falling exports of China and Vietnam. And anonymous babus say it shows the success of ‘Make in India’ incentives created by the government. (Economic Times)
Five things to see
One: Ronaldo was in tears as Portugal entered the final eight of the Euros. Not because of the victory—but because his team won despite his own awful performance. The Telegraph has more on that.
Two: A crocodile was found trotting down the street in Ratnagiri, Maharashtra—possibly due to heavy rainfall. The most amusing bit: Indian drivers politely accommodating the unusual traffic. (NDTV)
Three: England has an unenviable record of breeding young members with an affection for all things fascist—especially when drunk (See: Prince Harry). This is especially true for Tories. A Conservative student group has now been caught dancing to an SS marching song. (Times UK)
Four: Toys ‘R’ Us released an entirely AI-generated ad using OpenAI’s text-to-video tool Sora. But not everyone is impressed. (Quartz)
Five: Brace yourselves, Fawad Khan is back! The Pakistani actor reunites with his ‘Zindagi Gulzar Hai’ co-star Sanam Saeed for a supernatural romance series. The show premieres on Zee Zindagi’s YouTube channel on July 19. (Hindustan Times)
