theTamilGlobal

US President Donald Trump announced a 25% tariff on imports from India, effective August 1, 2025, in a move aimed at addressing the longstanding trade deficit between the two countries. Despite calling India "our friend," Trump criticized India for imposing some of the highest tariffs globally on U.S. goods and for buying significant amounts of oil and military equipment from Russia, which has been sanctioned by the West due to the Ukraine conflict. In addition to the 25% tariff, Trump indicated an unspecified additional penalty linked to India's continued energy and defense dealings with Russia. The administration justified these measures as necessary to correct trade imbalances and to respond to what it described as "obnoxious non-monetary trade barriers" imposed by India. This aggressive tariff action represents a sharp turn in U.S.-India trade relations, complicating the previously cordial rapport between President Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Mo...

Sri Lanka has been officially named the Most Beautiful Island in the World for 2025 by the global travel website Big 7 Travel, which ranked it first in its annual list of the top 50 best islands worldwide. This prestigious accolade celebrates Sri Lanka’s diverse attractions, including its golden beaches, terraced tea plantations, ancient temples, colonial towns, misty mountains, and rich wildlife, such as tigers and elephants in Yala National Park. Big 7 Travel highlighted Sri Lanka’s unique blend of natural beauty and cultural heritage, noting the island’s 833-mile coastline that invites visitors to enjoy beach-hopping alongside exploring the historical and natural sites that have enchanted travelers for centuries. The ranking is based on a combination of media results, social media popularity, and editorial insights, reflecting the strong global attention Sri Lanka has garnered in 2025. Sri Lanka’s top position surpasses other iconic islands such as Mo’orea in French Po...

Milestone Achievement: 2 Million Visitors in 2024 Sri Lanka's tourism sector achieved a significant milestone in December 2024, welcoming its 2 millionth tourist for the year – the first time the island nation has reached this threshold since 2018. A Thai couple arriving on a SriLankan Airlines flight from Bangkok marked this historic moment at Bandaranaike International Airport, with special ceremonies organized by the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau. This achievement represents the fourth time in Sri Lanka's history that annual tourist arrivals have surpassed 2 million, following previous milestones in 2016, 2017, and 2018. The country ultimately closed 2024 with 2,053,465 tourists, marking a 38.07% increase compared to 2023's 1,487,303 arrivals. Sri Lanka's Annual Tourist Arrivals (2018-2024): Recovery from Pandemic Lows to 2 Million Milestone Strong Momentum Continues into 2025 The positive trajectory has carried seamlessly into 2025, ...

By Miyuru Rasoj The spark for this research was a single social-media post, yet the ramifications quickly outgrew the confines of any platform.  On 5 July 2025, the United Kingdom–based news outlet Tamil Guardian published on X (formerly Twitter) a post headed “Remembering the Black Tigers,” invoking a solemn day on which, according to the post, “Eelam Tamils (referring to Sri Lankan ethnic Tamils) across the world remember and mourn the sacrifices made by the LTTE’s elite women and men, the Black Tigers.”  That seemingly innocuous statement drew immediate concern because the Black Tigers were not a conventional militant group but the dedicated suicide-bomber unit of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, better known as the LTTE or Tamil Tigers.  In Sri Lanka, as well as in Britain where Tamil Guardian operates, the LTTE remains a proscribed terrorist organization. The memory of its bloody terror attacks, honed over decades of guerilla warfare, still lingers vividly ...

Photo Credit: BBC Sinhala By Miyuru Rasoj The clash for control over Sri Lanka's Inter University Students' Federation (IUSF) has intensified into a fierce political battleground between the Frontier Socialist Party (FSP) and the ruling Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), two leftist factions whose rivalry now extends from national politics into university campuses across the island. This power clash has taken on new dimensions since the JVP's historic electoral victory in 2024, which saw party leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake elected as President and the JVP-led National People's Power (NPP) coalition secure a parliamentary supermajority. The political realignment has created unprecedented tensions within the student movement, fundamentally altering the dynamics of university activism. Historical Context and Control Shift The IUSF, established in 1969 and comprising over 70 affiliated student unions representing more than 95% of state higher education institutions in Sri L...

Since late June 2025, Pakistan has been battered by relentless monsoon rains causing widespread flooding, particularly in the populous Punjab province. Over 170 people have tragically lost their lives, including many children, as homes collapse and rivers overflow their banks. In the past 24 hours alone, 63 deaths and nearly 300 injuries were reported across Punjab, marking one of the deadliest days of the season so far. The severe floods have inundated entire cities and rural districts, with the provincial capital Lahore and agricultural towns such as Faisalabad, Okara, and Sahiwal among the hardest hit. Thousands of homes have been damaged or destroyed, forcing mass evacuations as floodwaters rise rapidly. Rescue teams, aided by military helicopters and boats, are racing to reach isolated communities and evacuate trapped residents. Authorities have declared states of emergency in multiple districts and imposed curfews to maintain order and facilitate rescue operations. Critical infra...

Bangladesh’s cricket team secured a landmark victory on Sri Lankan soil, defeating the hosts by eight wickets in the third and final T20 International at R. Premadasa Stadium to claim their first-ever T20 series win against Sri Lanka. Chasing a modest target of 133 set by Sri Lanka, Bangladesh’s innings was anchored by a brilliant unbeaten 73 from Tanzid Hasan, complemented by a steady 32 from Litton Das. The duo steered Bangladesh to 133 for 2 in just 16.3 overs, sealing the match comfortably. Sri Lanka had posted 132 for 7, with Pathum Nissanka top-scoring with 46 runs. However, Bangladesh’s pacer Mahedi Hasan was the standout performer with figures of 4 wickets for 11 runs, including his 50th T20 international wicket, crippling the Sri Lankan batting lineup. This victory sealed a 2-1 series win for Bangladesh after Sri Lanka had earlier won the first match and Bangladesh responded strongly in the second with a comprehensive win. The series win represents a significant milestone for ...

The defending champions, Bangladesh’s U-20 women’s football team, are gearing up for a crucial return match against Sri Lanka tomorrow in the four-nation South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) U-20 Women’s Championship, held in Bangladesh. This match follows a dominant performance earlier in the tournament, where Bangladesh secured a comprehensive victory over Sri Lanka, showcasing strong attacking skills and solid teamwork. In their previous encounter, Bangladesh took an early lead with a free-kick goal from Sapnarani within the first two minutes and went on to win convincingly with multiple goals scored by key players like Sagurika and Yumela Marma. The team has demonstrated depth in defense and midfield, managed well by their British head coach, and continues to build momentum at home, buoyed by robust fan support at the Basundhara Kings Arena. Sri Lanka, led by skipper Sanduni, will be eager to turn the tables and improve on their defensive strategies, having struggled against Bang...

Deadly street clashes erupted this week in Gopalganj, southern Bangladesh, as supporters of the exiled former prime minister Sheikh Hasina confronted police and army units in one of the most violent episodes since last year's historic “July Revolution.” At least four people have been killed and dozens injured, prompting authorities to impose an indefinite curfew in a bid to restore order. The violence began on July 16th, when the National Citizen Party (NCP)-a new group led by former student activists from the 2024 uprising—held a commemorative march marking the anniversary of Hasina’s ouster. Gopalganj, the powerful family seat and birthplace of Bangladesh’s founding father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, is not only a historic Awami League stronghold but also a symbolic heart of the Hasina dynasty. Tensions were at a breaking point as NCP rally-goers moved near the mausoleum of Mujib, a site Awami supporters consider sacred. Local Awami League loyalists, many affiliated with the previousl...

The government of Bihar, a populous state in eastern India, has announced a major welfare initiative providing free electricity up to 125 units per month to all domestic households starting August 1, 2025. This new scheme is expected to benefit approximately 16.7 million families across the state and comes just months ahead of the upcoming state assembly elections scheduled for October-November 2025. Bihar’s Chief Minister, Nitish Kumar, described the move as a step toward making electricity more affordable for all citizens, especially benefiting low-income and marginalized communities, but in reality, this is an election freebie targeting the upcoming lection. The free electricity allowance means that households will not be charged for consuming electricity up to the specified limit, which can cover much of a typical monthly household usage in the region. Alongside the free electricity, the government has unveiled plans to install solar power plants either on r...

Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla has returned to Earth after spending 18 days aboard the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the multinational Axiom-4 space mission. His successful journey marks an important milestone for India’s growing presence in human spaceflight and international space research. Shukla, a military pilot and space explorer from India, was selected following a rigorous training program. During his time on the ISS, he conducted scientific experiments focused on how muscle cells respond to microgravity, which could lead to better understanding and treatment of muscle loss experienced by astronauts during space travel. He also worked on developing methods for growing food in space, an essential step for supporting long-duration missions beyond Earth. The mission received wide recognition both in India and globally. India’s national space agency praised Shukla for contributing valuable data that will aid ongoing international research efforts. His role also h...

The United States will impose a 35% tariff on all Bangladeshi goods starting August 1, 2025, a slight reduction from an initially announced 37%, but still significantly higher than tariffs on regional competitors like Vietnam, which secured a 20% rate and Sri Lanka, which is at 30%. This move follows a 90-day negotiation window that ended on July 9 without a breakthrough. The tariff applies broadly to all product categories, including the vital garment sector, which accounts for 81% of Bangladesh’s exports. The new duties also target goods rerouted through third countries to prevent circumvention. US President Donald Trump justified the tariffs by citing persistent trade imbalances and tariff barriers in Bangladesh. Bangladesh’s garment industry faces a severe challenge, as the higher tariffs threaten to reduce competitiveness against countries like Vietnam, India, and China, which have lower or yet-to-be-finalized tariff rates. Experts warn the tariffs could cost Bangladesh’s appa...

Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) has formally indicted ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in absentia on charges of crimes against humanity related to the violent crackdown on student protests during the July-August 2024 uprising that led to her removal from power. The three-member tribunal, headed by Justice Md. Golam Mortuza Mozumder, framed five charges against Hasina along with former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and ex-Inspector General of Police Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun. While Hasina and Khan are currently in exile in India, Mamun is in custody and has pleaded guilty, offering to become a state witness. The charges include orchestrating mass killings, murder, and torture of protesters. Prosecutors presented evidence including a leaked audio recording in which Hasina’s voice allegedly orders security forces to “use lethal weapons” against demonstrators. According to a UN report, up to 1,400 people were killed in the crackdown. The tribunal rejected defe...

An Islamabad court has ordered the blocking of 27 Pakistani YouTube channels accused of spreading “anti-state,” misleading, and provocative content. The decision follows a petition filed by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), which found these channels responsible for sharing false information, defaming state institutions, and inciting public unrest. The banned channels include prominent journalists, political commentators, and opposition voices, such as Imran Riaz Khan, Moeed Pirzada, Matiullah Jan, Asad Toor, and channels linked to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party. The court’s order cited violations of Pakistan’s Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) and emphasized the threat posed to public peace and national unity. YouTube has reportedly notified affected creators about the legal removal requests and warned that non-compliance would lead to channel suspension within Pakistan. The ban has sparked debate over press freedom and government censorship, wi...