LIVE: Trump Gives 50-day Ultimatum to Russia in Stunning U-turn | Vantage with Palki Sharma | N18G

0:06 [Music] Hello namaskar. This is First Post and you're watching Vantage with me Pali Sharma. [Music] Is the war in Ukraine set to escalate? We ask. Because Donald Trump is giving more weapons to Ukraine. And in a stunning twist, he's threatening sanctions on Vladimir Putin. What explains this U-turn? What are Trump's new secondary sanctions aimed at Russia? And how could they hit India's oil and

0:52 defense supplies? We'll discuss all of this. Also, the first Indian astronaut on the International Space Station is back on Earth. A proud moment and maybe a quiet reminder to NASA that India's space game is here to stay. Meanwhile, Tesla drives into India after years of will they, won't they? Will Elon Musk's India gamble pay off? Can he crack this tough market? Why is Donald Trump calling Gaza oceanfront property? In Syria, fresh clashes leave more than 100 people dead. A brutal reminder that some wars don't make headlines, but still claim lives. And as AI floods the internet with junk, Meta and YouTube say that they've had enough. Can they really clean up clean up their platforms? Or is this just tech PR? Bitcoin hits a record high again. Is this the big breakthrough or just another bubble waiting to burst? And

1:39 finally, what makes a city livable? All this and more coming up. The headlines first. Temporary relief for Indian nurse Nimisha Priya. Yemen defers her execution which was scheduled for tomorrow. Priya is facing the death sentence in a murder case. She is in jail in Sana which is under the control of the Houthi rebels. The Indian government has been trying to buy time for the nurse's family to reach a settlement with the victim's skin. In India, the Bombay Stock Exchange receives a bomb threat. An email claimed that four bombs had been planted in the building, but no suspicious object was found by the bomb squad. The BSE was one of the targets during the 1993 bomb blast that hit Mumbai when a car bomb exploded in the building's basement, killing around 50 people.

2:27 Anti-migrant clashes erupt in a town in southeastern Spain. 10 people have been arrested in the violence which began on Friday. An elderly person was reportedly beaten by three men of North African origin. A far-right group then called for attacks on North Africans. This led to some people armed with batons to take to the streets looking for immigrants. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanesei meets Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing. This is Albanesey's second visit to China as Prime Minister. He wants to bolster recently stabilized trade ties even as geopolitical tensions remain high. China accounts for nearly onethird of Australia's total trade. And torrential rains inundate parts of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. Flash floods disrupt travel

3:13 and daily life, leave subways and roads waterlogged and vehicles stranded. Several flights have also been delayed. New Jersey has declared a state of emergency. [Music] I see. [Music]

4:07 1,237 days. That's how long the Ukraine war has gone on. And it may escalate further because Donald Trump is arming Ukraine and asking Zilinski if he can attack Moscow. He's also given Putin a 50-day deadline, end the war or face sanctions. And this is an Olympic grade U-turn. Trump started by dissing Ukraine and praising Russia. 6 months into office, he's arming Ukraine and threatening Russia. You may remember what happened in the month of February. Donald Trump hosted Ukrainian President Wodmir Zilinski in the Oval Office. As the world watched, Trump scolded him. He shouted and insulted Zalinski. Cut to yesterday, things changed. the same oval office, the same seating, the same people on

4:53 Trump's side. And sitting across was the NATO chief. Trump did not attack or insult Ukraine. Instead, he made a U-turn. He announced a plan to rearm Kiev. It's going to be a two-step process. First, the US sells weapons to its NATO allies in Europe. Then, Europe transfers those weapons to Ukraine. Now, Trump says this deal is worth billions of dollars. More importantly, it could be instant. It could happen immediately because European officials say they may not wait around for the new deliveries. They will transfer weapons to Ukraine from their own stock. And when the new weapons from the US come, Europe will simply replenish their arsenal. This includes the Patriot missiles. The Patriot is America's air defense system. Ukraine was running low on these

5:39 missiles. They had been pleading with Trump to give more and yesterday he relented. In fact, he went a step ahead. Trump gave an ultimatum to Vladimir Putin. He has given the Russians 50 days 50 days to strike a deal. If not, he will impose tariffs. Clearly, this is a big change in Donald Trump's approach. He was insulting Ukraine in February. He's arming them in July. The question is what triggered this. Trump says he's disappointed in President Putin. He says the deal was closed two months ago, but Russia kept attacking. Even the first lady noticed the trend. Apparently, she gave the president a reality check. >> My conversations with him are always very pleasant. I say, "Isn't that very lovely conversation?" And then the

6:25 missiles go off that night. I go home, I tell the first lady, you know, I spoke to Vladimir today. We had a wonderful conversation. She said, "Oh, really? Uh, another city was just hit." So, it's like, look, he's uh I don't want to say he's an assassin, but he's a tough guy. It's been proven over the years. >> Basically, Trump lost patience. He thought he could saunter in and get a peace deal, but he underestimated the challenge. So, now he's pivoting. He is arming Ukraine and threatening Russia. Just one problem, though. Moscow doesn't seem to care. Here's what their former president is saying. Trump issued a theatrical ultimatum to the Kremlin. The world shuddered, expecting the consequences. Russia did

7:13 not care. On the other side is Zilinski. He's of course thrilled. He thanked Trump for his decision. >> I am grateful to President Trump for his readiness to help protect our people's lives. This war continues solely because of Russia, solely because of Putin's desire to prolong it, to drag it out. Russia is trying to make the war seem like the new normal. >> What does this pivot mean for the war? Will it escalate or deescalate? Reports say Trump is privately egging Ukraine on. He had a call with Zilinski on the 4th of July. And in that call, Donald Trump asked whether Ukraine could hit Moscow or St. Petersburg. And what did Zilinski

8:00 say? Yes, if the US gave him the weapons. I'll repeat this. Zilinski told Trump he could attack Moscow with American weapons. Now, just to be clear, Ukraine has fired projectiles at Moscow before, but those were tiny drones. Trump is probably talking about missile hits. Ukraine does not have such long range missiles right now. They will need them from the United States. And if this happens, it would be a major escalation. Chances are Russia would respond in kind. We could be looking at major destruction and casualties. And this is where motive matters. It matters why you're arming Ukraine. Joe Biden wanted to see Russia defeated on the battlefield. Europe would also like to see the same, but not Donald Trump.

8:46 He is arming Ukraine to put pressure on Moscow to force Putin to come to the table. And that's a key distinction. Yesterday, Trump voiced that concern. >> Simple. He wondered whether Kiev would use these new weapons to push for victory and the NATO chief was quick to step in. He assured that Kiev only wants a peace deal. >> We hope that's going to have an impact on Vladimir Putin and we hope it's going to have an impact on Ukraine also. We want to make sure that Ukraine does what they have to do. All of a sudden they have they may feel emboldened and maybe they don't want you know this is a very difficult situation. Ukraine wants a peace deal. >> I think so. >> And they will stay committed to that. There's no doubt they want it. But the Russians have to be committed. >> They have to continue to want it.

9:34 >> There's clearly confusion here. On one side, Trump is talking about striking Moscow. On the other side, he wants Ukraine to pursue peace. It's the perfect recipe for a misunderstanding. As for Russia, they've got time. 50 days will bring us to the middle of September. By then, Russia's summer offensive will be winding down. It will be time to prepare for the winter. Also, 50 days is a lot, more than enough time for Trump to change his mind. Also enough time to make gains on the ground. So, Russia won't worry about the weapons and the statements. What will worry them are the secondary tariffs.

10:25 If we don't have an agreement in 50 days, that's what we're doing. Secondary uh tariffs and they're biting So Trump has fired a warning shot at Russia. He's losing patience with Putin. There's a clear shift in tone and this poses new challenges for the world economy and especially for India. Let me tell you why. US President Trump has threatened secondary sanctions to put pressure on Moscow. Listen to this.

11:11 >> We don't have an agreement in 50 days. That's what we're doing. secondary uh tariffs and they're biting and I hope we don't get to the point where we do but we can do secondary we're probably talking about 100% or something like that. >> So can you >> we can do secondary we can do secondary tariffs. >> So Trump has reached for the tariff card again. He wants to impose secondary sanctions with penalties as high as 100%. Now first of all what exactly are secondary sanctions? As the name suggests, they're not aimed directly at Russia, but they will hurt Russian coffers. Secondary sanctions will target anyone who does business with Russia. It could be countries, it could be companies, it could be individuals, anyone. If you have any business with

11:57 Russia, you will be sanctioned. I'm sure you can imagine the fallout. Russia's business partners will move away to evade these sanctions and this will effectively ban or curtail their business activities. In other words, Russia's economic network would be hit. This is how secondary sanctions work, and this is what Trump is threatening to do. Like I said, it's quite a U-turn. For years, Trump has been accused of being soft on Russia and on Vladimir Putin. But now, he's building pressure on them. The secondary sanctions will give Trumpies like India. Let's focus on that. How will India be impacted? The biggest risk for us is the oil supply. As you know, India is now a major buyer of Russian oil. Consider the data from last month. The volume of Russian crude

12:44 that India bought every day was over 2 million barrels. That's the highest in almost a year. Tensions in West Asia drove these purchases. As the conflict between Israel and Iran escalated, India ramped up oil imports from Russia. That's because New Delhi wanted to maintain its stockpile and to build a cushion against potential price shocks. In fact, Russia suppression supplies have been crucial for us. They've helped India in containing inflation. But if Donald Trump goes ahead with his plan to impose secondary sanctions, then the supply of Russian oil could be hit. India's future purchases could face penalties. payments could be impacted and New Delhi would be forced to

13:30 scramble for alternatives. Although that's not an unprecedented scenario. It has happened before. In his first term, in his last term, in fact, Donald Trump imposed secondary sanctions on Iran. And at that time, India was Iran's second largest customer of oil. Initially, Trump gave us a six-month waiver, but that waiver expired in 2019. So India had to stop buying Iranian oil completely. The same playbook could now be used against Russia. So that's the first area of concern. India's oil supplies from Russia. The second could be defense supplies. Russia remains India's top arm supplier. 36% of India's weapons imports are

14:15 Russia. Earlier earlier this number was well above 70%. So India's defense imports are much more diverse now. We are buying from other sources. But for several key weapons platforms, India still depends on Russia and this includes the S400 missile system. It has bolstered India's aerial defenses. Russia still has to deliver two squadrons of the S400. The deal was signed back in 2018. India ordered five S400 systems. Five systems. Three of those systems have been delivered. The remaining two should come by 202627. That's what the Russians have told us. America has never liked this deal. Recently Howard Lutnik spoke about this. He is the US commerce secretary

15:02 basically their commerce minister and he said he was discussing India's defense deals with Moscow. He said and I'm quoting these pacts are a way to kind of get under the skin of America. It was a blunt message to New Delhi. Washington is tired of India's balancing act. Trump's new threats make that balance even harder. If the US president follows through, if he imposes secondary sanctions, then India will have even less room to maneuver. For New Delhi, this is more than a foreign policy problem. This is a test of India's strategic autonomy. Space takes place.

15:51 [Music] [Applause] [Music] It was past noon here in India. A SpaceX capsule fell back through the Earth's atmosphere. It splashed into the Pacific. Inside was group captain Shubhanchu Shukla, an Indian Air Force pilot and astronaut and now the second Indian to

16:36 return from space >> from splashdown. And our main shoots have deployed. >> Main shoot descent rate nominal. >> Pressure must be equalized with the outside environment. And we've got our pilot Shubanchu Shukla as our second crew member exiting the spacecraft and some big smiles as you said. This is a big moment for the country. The last time India sent someone to space was back in 1984. That was Rakkesh Sharma. He went on board a Russian soy rocket. India was a young economy back then. Our space ambitions were big but we were still finding our footing. A year after

17:23 Rakkesh Sharma went to space, Shubhanchu Shukla was born in Lucknau. He came of age in a very different India that of open markets and Chandrean missions and now he is the second Indian to have gone to space also the first one on the International Space Station or the ISS. We owe you and that is the truth. >> How are you? >> Very well, thank you. >> Thank you for being here. Namaste. >> Typically in a month we have viewers uh

18:10 up to 150 million. That's more than twice the population of France. This special edition of Vantage live from the White House. Numbers came in thick and fast and Donald Trump was soon declared the winner. As G7 leaders gather in it docked at the ISS, the International Space Station. This mission is a collaboration between a lot of agencies. Axiom Space, NASA, ISRO, the European Space Agency, and SpaceX. The crew included four astronauts. The plan was to spend 2 weeks in space, but the crew ended up staying there for longer, for around 18 days. And what did they do there? Well, they orbited around the Earth. They clicked a lot of photos. They shared traditional food. And Shukla even got a haircut. But what mattered more than all of this was the experiments that they conducted.

18:58 Shukla conducted seven experiments on board. They were designed by ISRO, which is India's space agency. They were meant to understand microgravity and the effect of space on biology. >> I have become a water bender here in the statement and I with this so you have to see this. Oh, that's >> so you can see the water forms a ball >> in zero gravity because the surface tension of the water itself is actually uh much stronger now that we don't have gravity up here and actually hold it together. He's got this little >> tool. >> It's a Yeah, it's a water bubble moving tool.

19:46 These experiments are very important. You see, ISRO spent around 550 crores for this seat in space to send Shubhans Shukla to the ISS. 550 cr rupees. Add to that training and and equipment and the total cost was over 600 cr rupees. Now to put that in context, the Chandrean 3 mission cost around 615 cr rupees. Shuklas ticket to space cost around 600 crores. And this is unusual for the Indian space agency. They've always been budget conscious. So why did they spend so much on this mission? You see, Shukla was not sent up there just to plant a flag. His mission was to bring back knowledge. He tested India's microgravity experiments. He grew moon

20:32 and matey in space. He studied muscle degeneration in orbit. He observed how space affects mental health and cognitive function. He even did research on tardy grades. These are tiny nearly indestructible creatures. All of these experiments are expected to help India in one crucial mission, the Gagaan. This is India's first crude space mission. It is planned for 2027. Basically, this is India's Apollo moment. This is what we're working towards. Astronauts will be sent to the Earth's orbit. They will spend 3 days there. Only three countries have done this so far. The Soviet Union which is now Russia, the United States and finally China. India wants to be the fourth one.

21:19 But we want to do it cost effectively. Shukla of course is going to be part of the Gagyan mission. He is one of the four people shortlisted. So think of this Axiom mission as a dress rehearsal dealing with realtime muscle loss, motion sickness, sleep cycles in orbit and unpredictable space bacteria. So Shukla will give India a crucial preview and beyond the experiments he has brought back operational gold >> like how to handle emergencies in space, how to coordinate with international mission control and how your body reacts to space. All of that crucial information is for missions to come. Especially for a country that has come such a long way in space.

22:07 India's first rockets were transported on bicycles. Satellite parts were once hauled on bulock carts. When ISRO launched its first satellite in 1975, the world laughed. India's space program was mocked. But India space agency persisted. In 2008, India launched its first moon mission, Chandrean 1. In 2013, we sent a probe to Mars. In 2023, we landed on the moon's south pole. And now India is planning to send humans to space. A permanent Indian space station is targeted for 2035. A moon landing with astronauts is planned for 2040. And all of this with a fraction of NASA's budget. The last time India sent a human to

22:52 space, it was looking up, hoping to belong. This time, India is looking ahead, ready to lead. Shubhanchu Shukla's return is not the climax. It is just the opening chapter because space is not just for superpowers anymore and India is not just joining the mission. It is setting the course. Well, it's finally happened. Tesla is officially selling cars in India. We've been hearing about this for such a long time. I think since around 2021, Tesla and the Indian government were locked in a tussle. Tesla wanted to sell imported cars, but India wanted them to make cars here. So, who won? Well, there are no

23:39 plans for manufacturing yet. Tesla will sell cars imported from China. Today, they opened their first showroom in Mumbai. They're calling it an experience center. Take a look. Not all models will be sold immediately in India. For now, Tesla is offering just one, which is the Model Y. It's an electric crossover SUV. It's Tesla's most selling model. In fact, until this year, it was the most selling car in the world. Recently, it was

24:26 dethroned by a Toyota. Either way, the point is this. Tesla is bringing its hottest property to India. It wants to see how the sales go and then maybe the other models will follow like the Cyber Truck or the Model X. The company is also planning a second showroom. It's expected somewhere near Delhi. So, here's the obvious question. Can Tesla crack the Indian market? Historically, most foreign brands have failed to do this. They come to India, they unveil flashy designs, but the Indian customer rejects them. Look at Ford or GM. Both had to wind up operations in India because our market is extremely price sensitive. Our customers are also wellinformed and demanding. They want their money's worth.

25:12 Can Tesla make inroads into a market like this? First, let's look at the price. Tesla will sell two versions of this Model Y. The first version has a range of 500 km. It will sell for almost 60 lak rupees. That's the showroom price of the car, 60 lakh. You'll have to add the tax and insurance to it. So, the on-road price will be higher. The second model has a longer range. Tesla claims the range is around 620 km. And this will sell for almost 68 lak rupees. Again, this is the showroom price. Let's compare this to some of the other brands. China's BYD sells EVs in India. BYD Seal has three different models. The top one has a range of 580 km. That's how long you can drive it with one

25:58 charging. It showroom price is 53 lakh rupees. The cheapest version is 41 lakhs. Then you have the BYDC Lion 7. The car is seen as a competitor to the Model Y. Their range is between 540 and 560 km and the price the premium version costs 48 lakh rupees. The performance one costs 54 lak rupees. So the Tesla is clearly more expensive. Then you also have homegrown Mahindra EVs. There are two models available right now. They're both priced under 30 lak rupees. So Tesla does not have the price advantage, but do they have the features advantage? Well, Tesla has

26:44 often marketed two things. One is autonomous driving. That's their USB. Basically, your car will drive itself through traffic. This feature has not been approved in India. And even if it is, that's another six lakh rupees in cost. So that's one USB gone. The second feature that they market is the Tesla Supercharger network. They have some 70,000 of these points. These superchargers, they charge a lot faster than normal EV charging stations. There are 30,000 such superchargers in the US, just over 2,000 in China, and over 1,000 in Europe, and several hundred in Japan and South Korea. Guess how many India has? None as of now. Though Tesla is planning to open 16 in

27:29 Mumbai. But my point is this. Tesla's major selling points are virtually irrelevant in India. Their self-driving and their chargers, they don't matter at this point. Even otherwise, they face a big hurdle. The hurdle of simple arithmetic. Most Tesla cars will cost more than 50 lak rupees in India. This is a niche market in our country. About 50 lakhs. Only 50,000 cars are sold in this segment every year. That's it. Just 50,000 cars every year. Let's say EVs make up 5% of these sales. We are still talking about just 2,500 cars in one year. And let's assume that all of them are Teslas. Only 2,500 cars in a year. Compare that to China. Tesla sold more than 650,000

28:16 cars in 2024. Do you see the problem here? India isn't a lucrative market for expensive cars. If you're an EV company, less so. So Tesla has two options. One, they can choose to remain a niche luxury brand. Or two, they can branch out. But that depends on several variables. For example, India charges between 60 and 100% tariff on imported cars. If that tariff changes, Tesla will benefit. Their cars will get a lot cheaper. The other option is to make in India. No tariff, no problem. Or there's a third radical option. Bring out cheaper models to compete with Indian EVs. Maybe in the 15 to 30 lakh range. Of course, this is a decision for the company's top bosses.

29:02 So far, Tesla has not ventured into the lowcost segments. Will they make an exception for India? We'll have to wait and see whatever happens. These are interesting times for India's auto market. Tesla may or may not sell a lot of cars, but the name itself could shake things up. Heat. Heat. [Music]

29:56 Something big happened yesterday. Donald Trump called out Israel. He questioned the actions of the Israeli government. Before you say about time, listen to this. >> Marker is working very hard with everybody here on the strip. The Gaza Strip. I call it the Gaza Strip. One of the worst real estate deals ever made. They gave up the ocean front property. One of the worst deals ever made, but it was supposed to bring peace and it didn't bring peace. It brought the opposite. But >> well, that clears it up. Trump did not call out Israel's war tactics, nor did he question the civilian deaths. Trump is asking why did Israel give up the Gaza Strip? He says it was a very bad real estate deal. He also says Gaza is oceanfront

30:43 property. Frankly, I don't know where to start. Trump wants to know why Israel gave up Gaza. Maybe because it wasn't theirs to begin with. Some quick context here. In 1947, the United Nations called for partitioning Palestine. It was divided into two parts. The state of Israel for Jews, the state of Palestine for Arab Muslims. According to this plan, Gaza belongs to Palestine and so does the West Bank region, which is why nobody calls it Israel's West Bank. They call it occupied West Bank. In 1967, the Six-Day War broke out. Israel managed to defeat its Arab neighbors. It went on to occupy new areas and among them was Gaza. This occupation continued for many decades.

31:30 Then in the year 2005, Israel withdrew unilaterally. That's the short history of Gaza. It was not Israel's oceanfront property. It belongs to the Palestinian people, which brings us to Trump's plan for Gaza. He has two main agendas. The first is to try and end the war. The second is to turn Gaza into a beach resort. And you don't have to use your imagination. Trump posted an AI video of what that would look like. Take a look. [Music]

32:27 Let's look at the first step. Trump says he expects a ceasefire within a week. Talks are underway in Doha right now, but they appear to be stalled. Reports say there are two main points of contention. First is the aid delivery. Israel wants to use its own humanitarian network, which Hamas does not like. The second point is the scale of Israeli withdrawal. Israel has offered a limited buffer zone, but Hamas wants more. They want Israeli soldiers to vacate large parts of Gaza. These two issues are holding up the talks. Meanwhile, the fighting continues. Israel is launching aerial attacks on the Gaza Strip. Some 78 people were killed in recent strikes. Which brings us to the second part of Donald Trump's plan. What would happen after a ceasefire? Israel's defense minister has laid out a

33:13 plan. He has asked the military to build a so-called humanitarian city. Don't fall for the name. There is nothing humanitarian about it. This structure will be built amid the ruins of Rafa. The plan is to house all 2 million gazins inside this place. Sounds scary. It actually gets worse. These people will be screened before entry and after that they cannot leave. They will be stuck inside the so-called city. How do you describe a plan like this? Former Israeli Prime Minister Ihud did it best. Listen to what he said. >> If they will be deported into the new humanitarian city, then you can say that

34:00 this is part of an ethnic cleansing. It is a concentration camp. That's a damning assessment. He's calling the city a concentration camp. And remember, this is coming from a Jew, a former prime minister of Israel. Reports say every Israeli military, even the Israeli military is not on board. They feel that the plan is not feasible. Yet Benjamin Netanyahu is pushing on. Do you know why? Because he's supported by Donald Trump. Netanyahu visited the US last week and while there he said that Gazins must be given a choice. A choice to stay or leave. I >> think President Trump had a brilliant vision. It's called free choice. You know, if people want to stay, they can stay. But if they want to leave, they should be able to leave. It shouldn't be

34:46 a, you know, prison. should be an open place and give people a free choice. Uh we're working with the United States uh very closely about finding countries that will seek to realize what they always say that they want to give the Palestinians a better future. >> Not a fair choice, is it? Your homes have been destroyed. Your hospitals have been flattened. Your family has been killed. You've been herded into so-called humanitarian cities. And then you're being given a choice. Stay in Gaza or leave? Leave for where exactly? Arab states have made their position clear. They will pay to rebuild Gaza, but they will not take in Palestinians. And why should they? Gaza is legally Palestinian land. If the people leave, Israel will occupy it again. Maybe Trump

35:33 will build a resort there. The West loves to lecture the world on rules and order. But we ask, where are the rules here? Where is the order? The fact is this plan is a blatant violation of international rules. I don't think they give out Nobel prizes for that. It's a war most of the world stopped watching years ago. But in Syria, the violence never really ended. It just shifted from city to city, from battlefield to battlefield. Last year, President Bashar al-Assad was ousted. There's a new government in place. Heading it is former rebel commander and al-Qaeda terrorist Al Jolani. The focus is on peace and rebuilding.

36:20 But the sectarian tensions never really went away. And this week they erupted again in a place many had forgotten about. Swayed. More than 100 people have been killed there. A centuries old tribal feud has reignited. And now regional players including Israel are getting pulled in. So what is this conflict about? Why could this be a dangerous new flash point in Syria? Our next report tells you Syria's long brutal war may have faded from international headlines, but in the southern city of Sueda, things just exploded again. [Music]

37:05 Today, at least 12 more Drews civilians were killed by government forces, bringing the total death toll since Sunday to over 100. The Drews community in Syria is a religious minority shrouded in mystery and often misunderstood. The Drews faith emerged in 11th century Egypt as a secretive offshoot of Shia Islam, but it borrows ideas liberally from Greek philosophy, Islamic mysticism, and others. In terms of population, they're small but strategically scattered. About 700,000 Drews live in Syria, mostly in Sweden. There are also substantial Drews communities in Lebanon, Israel, and

37:50 Jordan. The flash point this time was tribal and personal. On Sunday, Bedawin gunman abducted a Drews vegetable vendor along the Damascus highway. In a tit fortat move, Drews fighters kidnapped Bedawins. That feud quickly morphed into open street battles. Now, the rivalry between the Drews and Bedawins predates modern-day Syria. In Sueda, Drews and Bedawin tribes have long lived side by side, but uneasily. There are disputes over land, resources, honor, and political allegiances. Things have occasionally turned violent, but what turned it political was the entry of the Syrian forces. The Aljalani

38:37 government says it entered Sueda to separate the two sides. But locals believe the regime saw an opportunity to reassert control over a largely autonomous area using the tribal fight as pretext. Since Bashar al-Assad's ouster last year, Sueda has largely governed itself. Local Drew's militias have kept both ISIS and progovernment militias out. However, Damascus doesn't like pockets of autonomy. After the new government, the regime's grip on regions like Sueda became even more tenuous. So when fighting erupted this week, the army moved in ostensibly to restore order. Some Drew's spiritual leaders initially welcomed the Syrian army,

39:24 hoping it would help restore stability. Others called for fierce resistance. But many Drews residents fear this is about breaking their autonomy and setting an example for other rest of regions. And this is where it gets even more complicated. [Applause] >> Israel has a Drews population of around 150,000, many of whom serve in the Israeli military. >> It also has 22,000 Drews residents in the Israeli occupied Golden Heights, most of whom still identify as Syrian. [Music] So when Syrian troops advanced into Sueda, Israel stepped in with air strikes. Israel claimed it was

40:10 protecting the Drews community from harm. PM Benjamin Netanyahu says the strikes were intended to deter the Syrian regime from using violence against the Drews. But Damascus has called Israel's moves a violation of sovereignty and an act of aggression. So where does it go from here? On paper, there's a ceasefire. The Syrian defense minister announced it. Gunfire has reportedly subsided. Troops are handing over some areas to internal security forces. A curfew is in place, but peace in Sueda is fragile, more a negotiated pause than a lasting solution. And in Syria, K has a way of vanishing overnight.

41:04 Doom scrolling on the internet feels different these days. There is a flood of AI generated content. Some of it is funny, even insightful, but a lot of it makes no sense at all. Users across all platforms from Instagram to Tik Tok, from Facebook to YouTube are being confronted with a strange content. And let me give you some examples. This one is called Shrimp Jesus. It is an AI generated image. The creator has combined the figure of Jesus Christ with shrimps and crabs. Then there are bizarre conspiracy theories like this one. It could be disturbing to watch. We advise viewer discretion. >> The United States captured a vampire and

41:49 tried to keep it a secret. On October 1st, an explorer found something the world will never forget. He approached the cell and noticed a large sign that read, "Vampire inside, do not open." He decided to open the small slot and suddenly a hand lunged out and tried to grab him. The last thing he saw was a set of fangs and eyes staring at him as he quickly ran out of the building. >> The US government is capturing vampires. This is AI going mainstream and bizarre conspiracies taking over internet feeds. There is a flood of what experts call AI slop. What does that mean? Low quality AI content that is AI slop. It is churned out by generative AI apps like chat GPT.

42:35 It could be images, text or video produced with minimum thought and effort. You could say AI slop is more sophisticated, a more sophisticated version of internet spam. But it can also be dangerously misleading. The makers of such content produce it at a mass scale. It overwhelms apps and drowns out real and meaningful stories. So, internet platforms are now cracking down, starting with YouTube. YouTube has updated its platform rules, specifically how creators earn money from videos. YouTube is cracking down on what it calls repetitious and inauthentic content. This includes videos made from slideshows with little or no commentary. Videos that follow the same template repeated across dozens of uploads.

43:22 Videos with AI generated voices over generic images that have no real story or message. Basically stuff that doesn't make sense, which could be a lot of stuff on the internet or content that appears to have have been made by a machine. Videos that are designed to fool the algorithm. YouTube will punish all such videos. And Meta is also stepping up. That's the parent company of Facebook. It has announced new measures to fight what it calls unoriginal content. Accounts that repeatedly reuse text, photos, or videos will face scrutiny. In fact, Meta has already taken action on against several accounts. Around 10 million profiles have been removed. They were impersonating other creators. Meta has also taken action against another 5 million accounts. The company

44:08 says they were engaging in, and I'm quoting, spammy behavior, so their reach has been limited. These accounts won't be able to make money off their content. And the message here is quite clear. Platforms want to reward quality, not quantity. And that seems to be in short supply in the AI age. You see, AI apps have made content creation easier than ever. With a simple prompt, anyone can produce images and videos. Even news stories that masquerade as real journalism. And internet platforms cannot escape the blame here. They have actively enable this trend by rewarding virality in high volumes over quality and thoughtful creation and curation.

44:54 In fact, a whole ecosystem has grown around it. So when AI burst onto the scene, creators adopted the technology quickly and they began pumping vast quantities of content. But now platforms are pushing back. We'll have to see how these changes play out over the long term and if they'll improve our internet feeds for the better. These changes appear to be a welcome step. Generative AI has unlocked an era of easy mass production. Now, social media platforms are trying to tame this this dragon. Authentic storytelling still matters. And in this fight between humans, machines, and algorithms, it seems that quality is making a comeback.

45:42 Our next story is about Bitcoin. It has seen a lot of drama in the last 24 hours. Bitcoin has witnessed some sharp swings. Yesterday, it hit a new record high. One Bitcoin was trading at $120,000. At one point, it even touched 122,000, but then it slipped back earlier earlier today. In fact, a Bitcoin was trading at around 117,000. So, what is fueling this rally? A flood of institutional investors is pumping money into this cryptocurrency. Plus, Washington is stepping up support. This week, the US Congress is discussing a series of bills to regulate crypto assets. But today's drop has also sparked doubts. Is this Bitcoin's breakthrough moment or just another bubble? Here's a report.

46:29 >> It's an eventful week for Bitcoin traders. Yesterday, Bitcoin has smashed through another record, but the rally was short-lived. On Monday, the cryptocurrency surged past $120,000 for the first time. At its peak, it was trading above 122,000. Today it slipped back as traders began to take profits. The climb capped a week of extraordinary gains. Bitcoin is up 7% over the past seven days and 23% since the start of the year. So what's driving this surge? First, a flood of money into Bitcoin ETFs or exchangeraded funds. Last week, Bitcoin exchange traded funds logged their biggest inflows this year. More than a billion dollars poured in in

47:16 a single session. Second, growing support from Washington. US lawmakers have begun what they call the crypto week. They are deliberating a series of bills to regulate the industry. The aim is to give clear rules to investors and institutions. The industry has long sought that clarity and it comes at a time when big investors are buying Bitcoin at pace. US President Donald Trump has been bullish about Bitcoin. He describes himself as a pro- crypto president and his inner circle is involved in several ventures tied to digital assets. >> And instead of attacking industries of the future, we will embrace them, including making America the world capital for crypto and Bitcoin.

48:01 >> All this has fed a narrative that Bitcoin is entering a new phase from speculative token to mainstream asset class. But today's trading tells a different story. After hitting a record high yesterday, the price fell nearly 4% over 24 hours. By evening, Bitcoin was trading just under 117,000. Some analysts call this healthy profit taking. Others say the rally may have run too far too fast. Experts feel the sentiment has shifted from clear breakout to caution. So, can this momentum in Bitcoin withstand its own success? At its heart, Bitcoin remains volatile. It is lightly regulated and prone to sudden swings. Past rallies have often

48:49 ended in spectacular crashes, leaving retail investors with heavy losses. This time, the hope is that institutional buyers and regulation will anchor the price. But for now, the signs are mixed. The surge over the past week has been dramatic, but the swift fall reminds us how quickly sentiment can turn. Is this the start of Bitcoin's new era as a serious financial asset or just another bubble waiting to burst? For now, the market seems to be asking the same question as well. >> For our final story tonight, let me start with a few questions. Think about your city, the one where you're living right now. What do you make of it? Is it

49:35 a place where you thrive or just somewhere you survive? Do you feel safe walking home at night? Do you breathe clean air? Are there parks and public spaces? If you're in India, chances are a lot of you are shaking your heads right now, especially if you're living in one of our bustling metros. And that's exactly why I'm asking because these questions shape a list every year, the global livability index. It ranks cities across the world on how livable they really are. And almost every year the same names top the charts. Take the top five cities this year. Copenhagen, Vienna, Zurich, Melbourne, and Geneva. And they don't get rewarded for glass buildings and swanky infrastructure. They get rewarded

50:20 for how easy it is to live there. And this is the only not the only index of its kind, but across the board, some of these cities show up on the list of mo on top of most lists. So what makes them different? What makes the city truly livable? Take Copenhagen for example. It is the new number one this year. It is on top because people can swim in the harbor all year. Kids play in open parks. The metro is clean, fast, and stroller friendly. And people stop to enjoy all of this. Then there's Vienna. You pay you pay a euro a day for public transport. You don't even need a car. Rent is very affordable. In Melbourne, you can walk to places. Public gardens are a crowd

51:06 favorite. In Geneva, you can take a train across the country for dinner, yet be back home by bedtime. Japan's Osaka was number seven on the list. Why? Because basic things work. Trains are on time. Streets are walkable. Garbage is collected. You can breathe without burning your lungs. So, a livable city is not defined by what it has. It's defined by what it allows you to do without a struggle. And to be fair, this is not a foreign thing. The desire for clean air and ease in daily life is universal. Everyone wants it. Ask anyone stuck in Bangalore traffic or walking along the broken foot parts of Mumbai or or coughing through Delhi winters. The demand is the same. We want ease. We want health. We want dignity in the little things. And there was a time when Indian cities were

51:52 written about in travaloges and architectural journals. They were cities that stirred imagination. And to be fair, some Indian cities are still trying. Metro networks are expanding. Waste segregation is growing. Some cities are starting to think green. But the truth is our metrics are far off. We evaluate livability by looking at growth in front of our eyes. For example, a new building or a new flyover. We mistake skyscrapers for infrastructure. We build new roads, but don't fix footpaths. We add more cars yet forget the sidewalks. We build skywalks that nobody uses. We are in a race to make our cities smarter. But is that equal to livable? Across all the cities topping the

52:38 livability index, there's one common thread. Life is not constantly in friction. You're not spending hours in traffic or hunting for a mask before going out. Your seafacing apartment is not turning into the sea every monsoon. You don't feel like the city is pushing back. It makes your daily life better. >> So what can we learn from that? Of course, there's no oneizefits-all city. Geneva is not Gurugram. Plus, Indian cities are complex, dense, and historic. Also, the lesson here is not to mimic Europe or any other part of the world for that matter. The lesson is to listen to our own people. Build for citizens and not for cars. Focus on sewage before skyscrapers. Measure air quality like we measure GDP. Reclaim

53:24 sidewalks. Reimagine parks and public spaces. We don't need to be Vienna. We just need to be a version of ourselves that stops settling. Settling for broken roads, grinding traffic, poor air, and no open spaces. Because here's the secret. The world's most livable city is figured out. A truly livable city is not one you escape from on weekends. It's one you long to come back to. Now, it's time for vantage shots. images that tell the story. Taiwan's military transports missiles on the Taipei Metro during war games. The Indian cricket team meets King Charles in London and fireworks and drones light up the Eiffel Tower for Bastile Day. Finally, we're

54:10 taking you back in history on this day in 2006. Twitter was launched to the public. It started out as a short messaging service for groups, but later became one of the world's biggest social media platforms. In April 2023, Twitter was officially rebranded as X. We're leaving you on that note. Thank you for watching. We'll see you tomorrow. [Music]

54:56 Heat. Heat. Heat. [Music] Please

55:50 [Applause] heat. Heat. Heat. [Music] Hello, namaskar. This is first post and you're watching Vantage with me