Monkey hugs Shashi Tharoor, dozes off on his lap in heartwarming encounter
New Delhi, Dec 4: Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday shared an "extraordinary experience" at his home when a monkey ran towards him, hugged him and after being treated to a couple of bananas, rested his head on the Congress MP's chest and dozed off.
Tharoor put out pictures from this unusual encounter on X and went on to narrate the incident that left many users of the platform amused.
"Had an extraordinary experience today. While I was sitting in the garden, reading my morning newspapers, a monkey wandered in, headed straight for me and parked himself on my lap. He hungrily ate a couple of bananas we offered him, hugged me and proceeded to rest his head on my chest and dozed off," the Congress leader said on X.
"I gently began to get up, he leapt off and loped away," Tharoor added.
He said reverence for wildlife is ingrained in him and though he was a bit concerned about the risk of a monkey-bite which would have necessitated rabies shots, he stayed calm and welcomed his presence as non-threatening.
"I am gratified that my faith was borne out and our encounter was entirely peaceful and gentle," Tharoor said.
In the photographs shared by Tharoor, the monkey could be seen nestled in his lap, being fed bananas and then dozing off.
Tharoor is seen calmly reading the newspaper as the monkey rests on his lap.
Reacting to the post, one X user said, "Probably you got the blessings of Hanumaan ji. I zoomed all the pictures to find out which newspaper the bestest Member of Parliament was reading."
Another person wrote, "What a beautiful encounter with nature! Moments like these remind us of the deep, unspoken connection we share with other beings. That monkey’s trust in you speaks volumes about your aura of kindness. Truly, experiences like these make us pause and appreciate the simplicity and warmth of life beyond words."
Reverence for wildlife is ingrained in us, so though i was a bit concerned about the risk of a monkey-bite (which would have necessitated rabies shots), I stayed calm and welcomed his presence as non-threatening. I am gratified that my faith was borne out and our encounter was… pic.twitter.com/thT1ep0Cc9
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) December 4, 2024
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Trump says EU has until July 4 to approve last year's trade deal or it will face higher tariffs
Washington (AP): President Donald Trump has said in a social media post that goods from the European Union would face higher tariff rates if the 27-member bloc fails to approve last year's trade framework by July 4.
The announcement on Thursday appeared to be a deadline extension after the president said last Friday that EU autos would face a higher 25 per cent tariff starting this week. Trump made the updated announcement after what he described as a "great call" with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Still, the US president was displeased that the European Parliament had yet to finalize the trade arrangement reached last year, which was further complicated in February by the US Supreme Court ruling that Trump lacked the legal authority to declare an economic emergency to impose the initial tariffs used to pressure the EU into talks.
"A promise was made that the EU would deliver their side of the Deal and, as per Agreement, cut their Tariffs to ZERO!" Trump posted. "I agreed to give her until our Country's 250th Birthday or, unfortunately, their Tariffs would immediately jump to much higher levels."
It was unclear from the post whether Trump was implying that the tariff rates would jump on all EU goods or the increase would only apply to autos.
His latest statement indicates he might be backing away from his earlier threat on EU autos by giving the European Parliament several more weeks to approve the agreement.
Under the original terms of the framework, the US would charge a 15 per cent tax on most goods imported from the EU.
But since the Supreme Court ruling, the administration has levied a 10 per cent tariff while investigating trade imbalances and national security issues, aiming to put in new tariffs to make up for lost revenues.
