Pioneer in short
Trump threatens Europe with Tariffs
US President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that he will impose a 10 per cent import tariff from February on goods from eight European countries — Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands, and Finland — citing their opposition to a proposed US purchase of Greenland.
Tensions flares up in Murshidabad
Fresh unrest erupted in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district on Saturday as protesters again blocked National Highway-12 and attempted to disrupt rail services at Beldanga, a day after violent agitations over the death of a migrant worker had crippled road and rail connectivity. Hundreds of locals gathered at Barua More, bringing traffic on NH-12 to a halt and causing long queues of stranded vehicles. Protesters also damaged a railway gate and tried to block trains, prompting police to deploy additional forces and baton-charge crowds at some locations to restore order. The renewed agitation was triggered by allegations that another migrant worker, Anisur Sheikh from the area, was brutally assaulted in Bihar. Tension had been simmering since Friday following the death of 36-year-old Alauddin Sheikh, whose family alleged he was beaten to death in Jharkhand.
Congress MLA sparks rape row
Madhya Pradesh Congress MLA Phool Singh Baraiya triggered a major political controversy on Saturday after making remarks that appeared to link women’s “beauty” with rape and described sexual crimes against Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe women as yielding “teerth phal” or religious reward. The comments surfaced as a video of an interview went viral on social media, coinciding with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Indore. In the video, Baraiya is purportedly heard claiming that rape occurs when men see “extremely beautiful” women and questioning the presence of such beauty among Dalits, tribals and OBCs. He further alleged that Hindu scriptures sanction such acts, though he failed to cite a specific text when asked.
Poll loss will be discussed: Ajit Pawar
Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar congratulated the BJP after it trounced NCP and NCP (SP) alliance in the Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad civic polls. Pawar had attacked the BJP for irregularities in the civic bodies, bringing a very high amount of acrimony in the campaign. The BJP, an ally of the NCP in the Mahayuti, had hit back with warnings that Pawar must introspect before making such statements. Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Pawar said his party would sit and discuss the poll reversal. The takeaway from this defeat is not to get discouraged but to continue working, the Deputy CM added. Asked about possible reasons for the defeat in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad, once the bastion of the NCP and the Pawars, he said, “It is just 24 hours since the results have been declared. The party will sit and discuss the outcome.” The BJP stunned the Pawars in the Pune polls, clinching 119 seats, with Ajit Pawar-led NCP coming in distant second with 27 and its ally NCP (SP) getting three seats, while the Congress managed 15 seats.
