cHENNAI l friday l august 22, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 40 l LATE CITY EDITION French President Macron dials Prime Minister narendra Modi The two leaders on Thursday discussed efforts to find a peaceful resolution to the war in Ukraine and Gaza conflict, apart from bilateral relations Review of indo-france bilateral ties call for peaceful resolution of conflict The two leaders reviewed progress in bilateral cooperation, including in trade, defence, civil nuclear cooperation, technology and energy. “They reaffirmed joint commitment to strengthen India-France Strategic partnership and mark 2026 as ‘Year of Innovation’ in a befitting manner,” the PMO said. The call was initiated by the French side ■ ■ Macron was among a host of European leaders who accompanied Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during his talks with US President Donald Trump this week in Washington DC Modi reiterated India’s consistent support for peaceful resolution of the conflicts and early restoration of peace and stability, PMO said 2026 is when india gets presidency of brics, and france of g7 CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOgGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI China firmly with India on Don’s unfair trade squeeze Ambassador Xu Feihong says silence only emboldens the ‘US bully’ J aya n t h J a c o b @ New Delhi In a striking show of solidarity, Chinese Ambassador to India Xu Feihong on Thursday condemned the United States’ recent tariff hike on Indian goods, calling it “bullying” and pledging that China “will firmly stand with India” against what he described as unfair trade practices. Speaking in New Delhi, Xu said Beijing “fully opposes” the US move, noting that tariffs on Indian goods could soar to 50% if Washington follows through on its 25% penalty for importing Russian oil and further escalation could still be on the table. “… the US has long benefited greatly from free trade but now uses tariffs as bargain chips to demand exorbitant prices from various countries. The US imposed tariffs of up to 50% on India, and has even threatened for more. China firmly opposes it. In the face of such acts, silence only emboldens the bully . China will firmly stand with India to uphold the multilateral trading system with the world trade,” he said. Xu’s unusually direct comments come at a time of heightened global trade tensions and just weeks ahead of Prime MinXu Feihong, Chinese envoy ister Narendra Modi’s visit to China for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit. The Chinese envoy framed the US-India tariff row as an opportunity for Beijing and New Delhi to close ranks, urging both Asian powers to move beyond competition and build “strategic mutual trust.” “India and China are not rivals, we are partners. We must manage our differences through dialogue and strengthen cooperation,” Xu said. Pointing to the global implications of their relationship, Xu added: “India and China are the double engines of economic growth in Asia. Our unity benefits not only Asia, but the world at large.” He also emphasised the need for both countries to play a leading role in shaping a more equitable global order. “As major developing countries, India and China have a responsibility to promote a multipolar world. Unity and cooperation are the only way forward,” he said. no rationale behind penalty levy: Jaishankar J aya n t h J a c o b @ New Delhi In a pointed diplomatic signal amid escalating US pressure, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Thursday, reinforcing India’s strategic ties with Moscow even as Washington doubles down on tariffs and warnings over New Delhi’s energy trade with Russia. The high-level meeting, part of a broader effort to finalise President Putin’s visit to India year-end came hours after Jaishankar held wide-ranging discussions with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The talks focused heavily on boosting bilateral trade and shielding their energy partnership from potential US penalty . At a joint press briefing with Lavrov, Jaishankar publicly questioned the rationale behind reS Jaishankar, foreign minister cent US tariffs and criticism targeting India’s oil purchases from Russia. “We are not the biggest purchasers of Russian oil; that is China. We are not the biggest purchasers of LNG; that is the European Union. We are not the country which has the biggest trade surge with Russia after 2022; I think there are some countries to the South,” he said. The US recently imposed a punitive 25% reciprocal tariff on Indian goods, along with an additional 25% duty specifically targeting India’s Russian oil purchases. “We have done everything asked of us in the past to stabilise the global energy market, including buying oil from Russia,” Jaishankar noted, pointing out that India also imports significant volumes of oil from the US. “We believe that relations between India and Russia have been among the steadiest of the major relationships in the world after the Second World War,” Jaishankar said. Flung out of Ministers’ panel supports bus’ electric GST rejig plan but seeks door before stop, boy dies solution to revenue loss P U SH P ITA DEY @ New Delhi Nimisha S Pradeep @ Tiruvannamalai A Class 6 boy who was under, going treatment in hospital after he fell off a moving government bus at Devanampattu in Tiruvannamalai district last week, succumbed to his injuries on Tuesday. S Kamalesh (11), son of R Selvadurai, is a native of Karuthuvampadi village in the district. According to sources, the driver of the bus, Vediyathan, had opened the electrically-operated door just ahead of the bus stop when S Kamalesh (11) K a m a l e s h slipped and fell off the vehicle. According to Kalasapakkam police, the incident happened around 7.30 am on August 12 when the boy was on his way to the Government Higher Secondary School in Kattuputhur. CCTV footage of the incident obtained by TNIE showed that both the front and back doors of the bus were open. The bus was seen taking a sharp turn at Devanampattu, when Kamalesh was thrown out of the bus. Immediately lo, cals rushed him to the Government Medical College Hospital in Tiruvannamalai. P7 WIT H T H IS ISSUE CHENNAI’S BEST WEEKEND GUIDE 40 PAGES, INCLUDING 24 OF INDULGE (TABLOID) The Group of Ministers (GoM) on rate rationalisation on Thursday accepted the Centre’s proposal to simplify the GST into a two-slab structure of 5% and 18%. However, it sought ways to make up for the revenue loss from the GST rejig. “When states lose revenue, that ultimately affects the common people,” said West Bengal’s finance minister Chandrima Bhattacharya. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who addressed the GoM, stressed the need for rationalisation to provide relief to the common man. The GoM is chaired by Bihar deputy CM Samrat Choudhary and has members from UP Rajas- Nirmala , than, West Bengal, Karnataka, and Kerala. Sitharaman, FM Under the revamp plan, essential goods will attract 5% GST and most of the rest the standard 18% rate. “A 40% GST on luxury and sin goods has been proposed. But it’s too early to say anything about revenue loss,” said Suresh Kumar Khanna, finance minister of Uttar Pradesh. The next GST Council meeting, expected to be held in September, will take up the proposal for GST overhaul. The GoM on insurance that met on Wednesday proposed exempting health and life insurance premiums from GST. teen’s Around 2.5 lakh people attended the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam’s second state conference in Madurai on Thursday | k k sundar Vijay eyes AIADMK’s spot, says it’s one-on-one with DMK in ’26 E x p r e ss N e ws S e r v i c e @ Madurai Not all politicians are intelligent, and not all actors are fools — Vijay, TVK founder ‘i am tvk candidate in all 234 seats’ Vijay urged people to think of him as candidate in all 234 seats and vote. “I entered politics to pay off my nandri kadan (debt of gratitude) to the people of TN,” he said Should i flog dmk and bjp, asks vijay Singing a few lines from ‘Naan Aanaiyittal’, Vijay asked his cadre if he should take the whip in his hands and flog the “fascist BJP and ‘poison’ DMK” INSIDE P REETHA NAIR @ New Delhi The National Democratic Alliance’s key allies Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Janata Dal (United) appear to be treading cautiously on the three bills that seek to remove prime minister, chief ministers, and ministers under arrest for 30 consecutive days on serious charges. The bills have been sent to a Joint Committee of Parliament (JPC) comprising 21 members from the Lok Sabha and 10 from the Rajya Sabha for further scrutiny . When asked about the party’s stand on the contentious bills, JD (U) MP Sanjay Kumar Jha declined to state the party position. “The party is yet to discuss the issue. I cannot give an official statement now,” he sufficient if you give `1,000 to women? And you are saying people are calling you Appa (father). Chief Minister M K Stalin goes to Delhi and holds a secret meeting. Stalin uncle, what uncle, it is very wrong uncle,” the actor quipped. Vijay also accused the BJPled union government of targeting Muslim minorities, neglecting fisher men, and attempting to suppress the cultural and historical identity of Tamil Nadu. “Did you come to power for the third time to work for the people, or to work against the Muslim minorities?” he asked PM Narendra Modi, adding that BJP’s policies would never take root in Tamil Nadu. He also accused the centre of trying to “hide the Keezhadi findings” and reiterated his demand to ban NEET.  P7 heat takes toll, man dies en route to meet I P7 NDA allies JD(U), TDP cagey on bills to remove arrested ministers RS approves motion to send bills to JPC The Rajya Sabha on Thursday adopted a motion to concur with the Lok Sabha’s decision to send the three bills providing a legal framework for the removal of arrested ministers to a Joint Parliamentary Committee | P9 said. Another JD(U) leader said the party will discuss the issue as it has been referred to the JPC. While the Opposition parties allege that the bill is to keep allies Nitish Kumar and N Chandrababu Naidu in check, the TDP dismissed such claims. When asked about the bill, TDP leader and Union Minister Rammohan Naidu said the bill will be studied at the JPC and the concerns will be addressed, if there are any . During introduction of the bills in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday Congress member , K C Venugopal said the intent is to target allies. “When Vote Chori is on everyone’s minds, When RahulGandhi ji’s Yatra is getting unparalleled support, When Opposition Governments need to be targeted, When allies like Chandrababu Naidu garu and Nitish Kumar ji need to be threatened… The Home Minister brings this dangerous Bill that strikes at the heart of the Constitutional principles of federalism,” he posted on social media. Echoing the view, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said that the government is proposing the bill to oust NDA allies. express read CM to launch 1K Farmers’ Welfare Service Centres Chennai: Stalin will soon launch the CM’s Farmers’ Welfare Service Centres, a pioneering initiative to empower unemployed agriculture graduates and diploma-holders by enabling them to set up onestop hubs for farmers | P4 HC recalls order on EPS’ gen secy election suit Chennai: The Madras HC on Thursday recalled its order staying the proceedings on the suit challenging the election of Edappadi K Palaniswami as the general secretary of AIADMK in 2022 by the general council | P2 Breakfast scheme to include 2K more schools Chennai: The CM will inaugurate the extension of the breakfast scheme to 2,430 aided schools in urban areas on August 26 at St Joseph Primary School in Mylapore, Chennai | P4 Opposition V-P poll candidate Sudershan Reddy files papers P REETHA NAIR @ New Delhi murder sparks unrest in gujarat Brutal killing of 15-year-old student outside his school in Ahmedabad has ignited widespread public outrage, mass protests, clashes with police, and a neartotal shutdown — called by the VHP and NSUI— across several neighbourhoods of the city on Thursday | P10 Positioning himself as the principal political challenger to the DMK and alternative to the AIADMK, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) founder Vijay on Thursday sought to appropriate the legacy of M G Ramachandran, iconic founder of the main opposition party AIADMK, and DMDK leader ‘Captain’ Vijaya k a n t h . T h e a c t o rturned-politician declared that the 2026 Assembly election in Tamil Nadu will be a direct fight between his party and the ruling DMK. Speaking at the well-attended, second state conference of the party in Madurai, Vijay said that TVK will script a new chapter in TN’s political history similar to the maiden victo- ry of the DMK in 1967 and the win a decade later of the AIADMK under MGR in 1977. “Our ideological enemy is BJP and political foe is the DMK. We don’t have any underground dealings as people are with us. So, there’s no need to forge electoral ties. We will give a fair share in governance and authority to those who trust and come along with us,” he said. Attacking Chief Minister M K Stalin on the issue of governance and lack of protection to women and girl children, Vijay lampooned Stalin for claiming that people called him “Appa” (father). Calling the CM as ‘uncle’ instead, he criticised the DMK of allegedly having a tacit understanding with the BJP while pretending to oppose it. “Is it B Sudershan Reddy files his nomination papers in Delhi on Thursday as Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and Sharad Pawar look on | PTI THE battle lines for the upcoming Vice Presidential election were drawn on Thursday when the Opposition’s pick former Supreme Court judge B Sudershan Reddy filed his nomination papers. In a show of strength, several top Opposition leaders, including Congress’ Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar, SP leader Ramgopal Yadav, DMK’s Tiruchi Siva, TMC’s Satabdi Roy, Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Sanjay Raut and CPI(M)’s John Brittas accompanied Reddy during the filing of nomination papers. The elections will be held on September 9, where Reddy will face NDA candidate Maharashtra Governor C P Radhakrishnan. After filing his papers, the retired judge said if elected, he would discharge the role with impartiality, dignity, and a steadfast commitment to dialogue and decorum. Later in the evening, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal called on Reddy at his Delhi residence and said his party will support his candidature. The electoral college for the vice presidential election comprises members of both Houses of Parliament. Nominated members of the Rajya Sabha can also cast their votes. The effective strength of the electoral college is 781 and the majority mark is 391. Justice Reddy’s judicial career is very inspiring... such a person will be helpful for the vice-president’s post, and I request everyone to vote for him, keeping party affiliations aside —Arvind Kejriwal, AAP