Daily Briefing: Cue the global meltdown

How will the new tax regime work? Starting April 5, a blanket 10% tariff will hit all imports into the US. From April 9, an individualised higher reciprocal tariff will kick in, targeting countries based on their trade deficit with the US. In India’s case, this would be 26%. The tariff may be steep, but it is well below China’s bruising 34% and Vietnam’s staggering 46%.

The likely impact: Trump declared he was being “kind” and imposed half the tariffs imposed by other countries. However, retaliation seems inevitable, with fears of a full-blown global trade war reversing decades of economic liberalisation. This may worsen inflation and spark a worldwide slowdown.

On that note, here’s what else we have for you today:

Big Story

In a midnight vote following a marathon 12-hour debate, the contentious Waqf (Amendment) Bill passed its first major test in the Lower House of Parliament on Wednesday. The Bill, which seeks to overhaul the regulation of Waqf properties, has ignited fierce political debate.

High-pitched: The Opposition accused the BJP-led NDA government of encroaching upon Muslim religious affairs. The government, however, dismissed these allegations, framing the Bill as a long-overdue reform aimed at the “welfare” of the Muslim community.

Balancing act: Despite the backlash, key BJP allies—the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Janata Dal (United) (JD-U)—threw their weight behind the Bill. Both parties, which count Muslims as a significant electoral bloc in their strongholds of Andhra Pradesh and Bihar, sought to temper their support with reassurances to the community.

Protest: Muslim bodies have decided to approach the courts to challenge the Bill and have threatened nationwide demonstrations against it. With the Bill moving to the Upper House, the government faces a fresh round of scrutiny.

Also Read: The Waqf Amendment Bill is a threat to a way of life once celebrated as ‘unity in diversity by Salman Khurshid

Only in Express

At 39, Gabriel Boric Font is among the youngest leaders in the world and Chile’s youngest President to date. India and Chile have agreed to begin talks to enhance their economic partnership, focusing on critical minerals and technology. Boric sat down with The Indian Express for an exclusive chat. He spoke about global challenges, Chile as India’s gateway to Antarctica and a film set for Bollywood, and how he opposes Trump.

From the Front Page

Whodunnit? A bridge has sprung up out of nowhere in Bihar. Yes, you read that right! A 60-foot-long structure has started coming up over the Kari Kosi River on the outskirts of Purnea, but it shouldn’t have. Who built it? Well, that remains a mystery.

“You’re coming to Mumbai”: Remember when Indian reality TV shows had judges proclaiming this to aspiring singers and dancers? A similar script plays out in the talent hunt for the Mumbai Indians (MI). Case in point: On Monday, the 23-year-old Ashwani Kumar claimed four wickets against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). But Kumar isn’t the first MI star to burst onto the cricketing scene. Travelling far and wide, here’s how MI scouts for talent.

Must Read

Hot mess: Sweltering summer days are just around the corner, and the weather department predicts above-normal temperatures and extended heatwave episodes. My colleague Amitabh Sinha assesses whether India is prepared for the challenge.

Unfit: Excess fluoride in the groundwater of Uttar Pradesh’s second-largest district, Sonbhadra, has made it unfit for consumption. The district is home to a staggering 2 lakh people across 120 villages. The Indian Express toured the district, speaking to residents on how this has impacted their health and stakeholders to understand what the government is doing about it.

And Finally…

In the coming months, OpenAI will launch its first “open weight” language model, which is less transparent than an open-source model. The move may have been prompted by rising competition from models like China’s DeepSeek, which proved that open-source technology can help build cheaper, on-par artificial intelligence (AI) models. As the AI race heats up, OpenAI’s latest bid proves that power may be determined by how much (or how little) you’re willing to share.

That’s all for today, folks! Until tomorrow,
Sonal Gupta

Business As Usual by EP Unny