Written by: Aarthi Ramnath, Raghav Bikhchandani & Yash Budhwar
Trump cancels military aid to Ukraine
We’re honestly tired of summarising Donald Trump’s latest looney tunes act—but sadly they have huge repercussions for the world—and also Americans. Trump is at least an equal opportunity misery-maker.
Let’s start with Ukraine: As you may remember, Trump and his attack dog JD Vance ripped into Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Oval Office—in an unprecedented act of undiplomatic aggression (see: Big Story). European leaders spent the weekend coming up with a peace plan—to be guaranteed by their boots on the ground. Except it required the US to protect their behinds if anything went wrong. And Ukraine to cede all mineral rights to Washington—as the cost of being rescued. Many pressers were held—and upbeat statements issued by the summit-walas… then this happened.
Donald Trump says nyet: In the early hours of the morning (IST), a senior Defence Department official told reporters that the US is stopping all military aid to Ukraine— “until Trump determines the country’s leaders demonstrate a good-faith commitment to peace.” To be clear, Trump has not just blocked previously approved funding. He is recalling arms that are en route:
The official said all US military equipment not currently in Ukraine would be paused, including weapons in transit on aircraft and ships or waiting in transit areas in Poland…
Monday’s move extends beyond simply letting that funding expire, but threatens aid that is already being delivered or fulfilled. That includes the delivery of critical munitions, hundreds of guided multiple launch rocket systems and anti-tank weapons and other capabilities. Cutting off existing contracts with industry may also require the US to pay some form of break fee to companies who have started filling the orders.
No doubt shell-shocked Kyiv and European allies are trying to figure out how to respond.
The kicker: The White House kicked Zelenskyy out after the Oval Office fracas—when he was waiting to seal the minerals agreement. Later in London, Zelenskyy again indicated he was ready to do the deed. But Washington now says any economic deal with Ukraine is off the table—as punishment for his uppity show of self-respect. Amazing, when’s the last time Washington fought this hard for any of its allies? Putin must truly be special.
Moving on to tariffs: Keeping with the theme of mauling friends—and kissing foes—those 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada are official. The deadline for negotiations ran out today—and Trump says there is “no room left” for talks. But here’s the thing—no one can give Trump what he wants—because he keeps moving the goalpost.
Point to note: He also slapped an additional 10% on China—on top of the 10% announced in February. Nope, Beijing has not moved a muscle to negotiate—unlike Ottawa and Mexico City.
What does Trump want? When he first announced the tariffs in February—Trump said the two nations weren’t doing enough to curb illegal immigration and fentanyl smuggling. So Mexico and Canada spent the last four weeks doing just that. But the White House is still not satisfied—and will not say what will satisfy its king. Probably because the main aim is to show everyone he’s their king. Think of it as Trump’s Titanic moment… except vastly more unpleasant.
The fallout: Canada, Mexico and China together account for more than 40% of US imports. That’s bad news for the prices of everything from aluminium to breast pumps. The first to feel the pain is the US auto industry—which could be “decimated”:
Due to the complicated auto industry supply chains criss-crossing North America, a single car component could cross the U.S. border six to eight times before final assembly — with a 25% tariff applicable each time. This could make US-made vehicles so expensive that buying a finished car from Europe, Japan, or Korea, could be significantly cheaper — even if tariffs are levied on those vehicles.
It isn’t clear if Canada and Mexico will retaliate with tariffs of their own—as they threatened in February. That will dial up the pain even further for all concerned.
Reading list: CNN and New York Times have more on the tariffs. Axios has a list of industries most affected by the tariffs. Bloomberg News reports on the pause in military aid to Ukraine.
Uttarakhand avalanche: Buried alive in steel
A deadly avalanche struck a construction camp in Uttarakhand, trapping 54 workers under snow on Friday. After a 60-hour rescue operation in sub-zero temperatures, 46 were pulled out alive—but eight lost their lives. You can see how deep they were buried here:
The workers survived for a surprising reason: the metal containers that served as temporary homes. Unlike tents, these containers are designed to withstand heavy snowfall and extreme cold. According to experts:
Containers like these are weatherproof and sealed, which will also lead to depletion in oxygen levels as time passes. However, had they been in tents, they would not have been able to survive after four hours of the incident.
The big picture: Migrant workers are deployed in hazardous conditions across development projects in the Himalayas. These men were working on a highway expansion near the India-China border to improve military access. Reminder: 41 migrant workers were trapped for 17 days when a tunnel collapsed in Uttarakhand in 2023 (see: this Big Story). (BBC News)
Smartphone rage: Why your kids are angry
A recent study of teenagers in the US and India shows a strong link between increased use of smartphones and increased aggression—and other mental health issues:
At a glance, the report says that among children who get their smartphone before age 10, “60% are distressed or struggling, 55% feel sad and anxious, 49% have a sense of being detached from reality, 38% feel aggression and anger, 17% experience hallucinations and 39% have suicidal thoughts at a level that impairs their ability to function effectively." Additionally, the report finds that the problem is more pronounced among girls, with 65% of those surveyed being distressed or struggling to function effectively.
The reason for the gender gap: Girls tend to spend more time on social media—which makes them anxious and angry. Researchers say early and increased screen use is also exacerbating ADHD symptoms. (Mint)
Look: It’s a splainer easter egg!
Editor’s note: Every once in a while, we drop something funny, whimsical or beautiful in an unexpected part of the edition. Our last easter egg were the gems from the Wildlife Photographer of the Year. We figured this was an excellent day for another instalment.
Today’s treat is the poem titled ‘Approaching Fifty’ by Arvind Krishna Mehrotra (unearthed by Sayantan Ghosh). So much beauty and wisdom in such a few words. The Poetry Archive has more on Mehrotra—and more poems!
Sometimes
In unwiped bathroom mirrors,
He sees all three faces
Looking at him:
His own,
The grey-haired man's
Whose life policy has matured,
And the mocking youth's
Who paid the first premium.
what caught our eye
business & tech
- Prada is in talks to buy Versace for nearly €1.5 billion, a deal that would bring the brand back under Italian ownership and boost Prada’s fight against French luxury giant LVMH.
- In typical Murthy-esque fashion, Google co-founder Sergey Brin now wants employees grinding 60-hour weeks in-office to hit the “sweet spot of productivity.”
- The Guardian has a good read on Silicon Valley’s right-wing roots—how its obsession with wealth, power, and masculinity paved the way for today’s “technofascism.”
- Nvidia and Super Micro stocks nosedived after Singapore launched a probe into whether banned AI chips were secretly funneled to China via Malaysia.
sports & entertainment
- The Oscars aren’t about movies anymore—they’re about the race itself. Case in point: ‘Anora’, that went from Palme d’Or darling to underdog to instant frontrunner.
- A Congress spokesperson’s jab at Rohit Sharma’s weight blew up into a political storm, forcing a deleted post, a BCCI rebuttal, and a BJP potshot—all in one innings.
health & environment
- A UN-backed study finds youth happiness is plummeting, flipping the script on the classic midlife crisis—life satisfaction now rises with age instead.
- India’s first-ever Gangetic dolphin survey found 6,327 of the endangered species across four states, with the highest numbers in Uttar Pradesh.
- Did you know that the brain’s blood vessels are lined with a slimy barrier protecting the organ from the effects of ageing? This Nature study breaks it all down.
- Another day, another alarming climate change story—this time, it’s melting ice sheets slowing down the world’s strongest ocean current over in Antarctica.
meanwhile, in the world
- In the latest pro-Putin move, the Donald’s defence secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered a halt to all offensive cyber operations against Moscow.
- The Kurdish militant group PKK has declared a ceasefire—bringing to an end its 40-year insurgency against Turkey.
Four things to see
One: Adam Sandler wore his signature look—baggy tees, hoodies and loose shorts—to the Oscars—supposedly a black tie event. It set up this hilarious jugalbandi with host Conan O’Brien. (GQ)
Two: The Female in Focus awards celebrate women photographers who amplify women’s voices, perspectives and experiences. This year’s theme was Renewal. Our fave is this one titled ‘El Bravo Pueblo (The Brave People)’ by Victoria Prado—which celebrates the resilience of Venezuelans in the face of hardship:
Also this one titled ‘Titti’ by Constanze Han. The description says simply this: “Titti in her bedroom in Napoli in front of a photograph of her younger self.”
You can check out the rest of the winners over at British Journal of Photography. (The Guardian)
Three: Lizzo is back with her first single in nearly two years—a rock-infused song titled ‘Love in Real Life’. Reminder: She’s been keeping a low profile ever since she was accused of racial and sexual harassment by her stylist—a case that has now been dropped. See the music vid below. (Variety)
Four: If ‘Meet the Parents’ and ‘The Conjuring’ had a baby, it would be ‘The Parenting’. Headlined by Brian Cox and Lisa Kudrow, this series focuses on a young gay couple who plan a weekend getaway at a countryside home that turns out to be haunted. The show will start streaming on JioHotstar from March 13. (Gizmodo)
feel good place
One: Guess who’ll need to borrow your notes.
Two: Throwback beauty: Young Marlon Brando photographed by Cecil Beaton.
Three: Way way cooler than any flash mob.
