Morning Brief: Cracks Deepen In Anti-Hasina Camp In Bangladesh; Jaishankar Flags Export Curbs In Talks With China; Retail Inflation Hits Six-Year Low; And More

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Cracks Deepen In Anti-Hasina Camp In Bangladesh

Tensions are rising within Bangladesh’s opposition alliance as Jamaat e Islami turns against its longtime partner the Bangladesh Nationalist Party in what appears to be a push to sideline the BNP and assert Islamist control. Violent clashes broke out over the weekend between the student wings of both parties with Jamaat’s Chhatrashibir reportedly expelling BNP student leaders from Dhaka University hostels.

Sources suggest Jamaat may be following a calculated plan to trigger unrest through BNP linked protests create public backlash and then call for banning the BNP. The rift is driven by diverging political goals including BNP’s demand for early elections which Jamaat and interim government adviser Md Yunus oppose. The split threatens to destabilise the anti Hasina bloc ahead of national elections.

Jaishankar Flags Export Curbs In Talks With China

External affairs minister S Jaishankar raised concerns over a growing list of unofficial Chinese trade curbs during his meeting with Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi in Beijing on Monday. The minister highlighted recent disruptions in critical imports, including rare-earth magnets, tunnel boring machines, and specialty fertilisers, which have raised alarms across Indian industry.

Earlier, it had been reported that shipments of high-value fertilisers, used for fruits and horticulture, have been halted at Chinese ports for two months, despite India importing 80 per cent of its needs from China. Similarly, rare-earth magnet supplies have remained frozen since April, and tunnel boring machines for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train remain undelivered. Jaishankar called for the removal of such trade barriers to restore confidence in economic cooperation.

Retail Inflation Hits Six-Year Low

Retail inflation eased to 2.1 per cent in June, its lowest in over six years, driven by a sharp decline in food prices, boosting expectations of a further rate cut by the Reserve Bank of India. This marks the fifth straight month retail inflation has remained below 4 per cent, with food inflation slipping into deflation at -1.1 per cent.

Meanwhile, wholesale inflation turned negative for the first time in 20 months, declining to -0.1 per cent in June due to easing prices in food, fuel, and manufactured goods. Core inflation rose to 4.4 per cent, mainly due to a rise in jewellery prices, while regional variation in inflation remained stark, with Kerala recording the highest at 6.7 per cent.

Other Developments

Govt Shortlists 10 Thermal Plants For Nuclear Use

The Centre has identified 10 old or retired thermal power sites across multiple states for conversion into nuclear power facilities, aiming to raise nuclear capacity from 8.8 GW to 100 GW by 2047. The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd will inspect these sites before a final decision is taken. One site, Wanakbori in Gujarat, has already been visited.

Officials said existing infrastructure like land, water and grid connectivity makes these sites attractive, but stricter nuclear safety norms will require thorough evaluation. Exclusion zones, seismic stability, and habitation density will guide site selection. The plan includes deploying small modular reactors.

Airlines Told To Inspect Fuel Switch Locks

India’s aviation regulator has directed all airlines operating Boeing 737 and 787 aircraft to inspect the locking mechanisms of their fuel switches by July 21. The move follows a preliminary crash report into the June 12 Air India 787 accident in Ahmedabad, which attributed the fatal incident to a disengaged fuel switch lock.

While Boeing and the US FAA maintain the issue is not unsafe, Indian airlines, including Air India, Akasa, SpiceJet, and Air India Express, will now perform inspections. Foreign carriers like Etihad and Singapore Airlines are also conducting precautionary checks. Air India had skipped earlier inspections, citing their advisory status. The FAA had flagged similar risks in 737s in 2018, but no such alerts exist for 787s.

SC Flags Abuse of Free Speech on Social Media in Two Cases

The Supreme Court has voiced concern over the misuse of the right to free speech on social media while hearing two separate cases involving objectionable content. In one case, the court questioned Wazahat Khan, accused of posting offensive remarks against a Hindu deity, saying citizens must value the right to free expression and exercise restraint. In another, it pulled up a cartoonist for sharing a controversial cartoon of PM Modi and RSS workers, noting that Article 19 must be balanced with responsibility.

The court warned that such posts fuel hatred, trigger litigation, and overload the justice system. “If they [people] don’t, then the state will step in and who wants the state to step in? Nobody wants the state to step in,” the bench said.

Trump Threatens 100 Per Cent Tariff On Russia

US President Donald Trump on Monday gave Russia 50 days to agree to a peace deal with Ukraine or face 100 per cent tariffs on exports, along with secondary sanctions on countries buying Russian goods. Trump has said that the US would also supply Ukraine with Patriot air defence systems, funded by NATO allies. He expressed frustration with President Putin, accusing him of breaking past agreements. Trump said Putin had fooled many leaders in the past but not him.

The proposed sanctions would mark a shift in US policy, targeting buyers of Russian oil for the first time. Trump warned that if there is no peace deal within 50 days, the US would impose 100 per cent tariffs and penalise countries continuing to purchase Russian exports. This could affect key buyers such as India and China.

From The States

Uddhav Pushes for INDIA Bloc Meet Before Key State Polls

Uddhav Thackeray on Monday called for an urgent INDIA bloc meeting, citing the upcoming Bihar assembly and Maharashtra civic elections. He pointed out that the alliance has not convened since the Lok Sabha results and emphasised the need for coordination among Opposition parties.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) chief also renewed his demand for a return to paper ballots in all future elections, questioning the continued use of EVMs. “If the US and UK can conduct elections on paper, why not India?,” he asked. Thackeray and his party have repeatedly criticised the Congress for not taking the lead in reviving the bloc after the general election.

Omar Climbs Fence After Police Block Homage At 1931 Graves

Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah scaled a fence at the Naqshband Sahib shrine in Srinagar after police blocked his attempt to pay tribute to the 1931 martyrs. Denied entry along with several cabinet colleagues, Omar said he was “physically grappled” by police, but insisted he had done “nothing unlawful or illegal.”

The incident came a day after authorities sealed the shrine and placed key politicians including Omar, Farooq Abdullah, and Mehbooba Mufti under house arrest, fuelling tensions between the elected government and the lieutenant governor’s administration. The standoff highlights the ongoing friction over control of law enforcement in post–Article 370 Kashmir. “We will come and remember the martyrs, any day,” he said.

88 Per Cent Of Bihar Voters Submit Forms In EC Revision Drive

With 11 days left in the Election Commission’s special revision drive, 88 per cent of Bihar’s 7.9 crore voters have submitted enumeration forms. Data shows 35 lakh voters could be removed, 17.5 lakh for permanently migrating, 12.5 lakh due to death, and 5.7 lakh for being registered in more than one place.

The EC said voters can also verify details online through the new ECINet platform and refer to the 2003 rolls to prove eligibility. The remaining 11.8 per cent are expected to be covered in the final round of visits. Political parties have deployed 1.5 lakh booth-level agents to assist in the verification process.

You’re all caught up—until next time.