The Congress party has officially chosen VD Satheesan as the next chief minister of Kerala, following the United Democratic Front's (UDF) sweeping election victory. Satheesan, a six-time MLA from Paravur, emerged ahead of senior leaders KC Venugopal and Ramesh Chennithala in the race for the top post. The decision marks a significant shift in the state's political landscape, with Satheesan expected to take oath soon.
Iranian FM Arrives for BRICS Meeting
In a related international development, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in New Delhi on Thursday to attend the BRICS meeting. Araghchi traveled aboard an aircraft marked with the number "Minab168", a symbolic reference to Iranian schoolchildren allegedly killed in a US strike earlier this year. The visit underscores Iran's diplomatic engagement with India and other BRICS nations amid ongoing tensions with the United States.
Other Key Developments
- India and the US clashed over Russian oil trade claims, with India asserting that energy security for its 1.4 billion citizens is paramount.
- The Union Budget 2026 brought major income tax announcements, including revised slabs and new regime rates.
- Prime Minister Modi reciprocated after President Trump's initial sulking over India's perceived pivot to China, with Trump later making a U-turn on his stance.
- Modi and Trump expressed mutual friendship, despite Trump's earlier claims that the US lost India to China.
- PM Modi criticized Trump's tariffs at the SCO summit, calling them selfish economic policies.
- Trump's trade adviser expressed anger as Putin, Modi, and Xi's bonhomie at the SCO summit undermined US tariff strategies.
- Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov declared that Putin would not meet Zelensky, surprising Trump and the international community.
- Trump declared a 25% tariff increase on India after New Delhi refused to stop buying Russian oil, giving a 24-hour ultimatum.
- PM Modi made a major declaration during his first visit to Jammu and Kashmir after the Pahalgam attack, stating that Pakistan attacked Kashmiriyat.
These stories and more were featured in Headline@9, highlighting a dynamic day in national and international affairs.
