Shashi Tharoor’s son Ishaan laid off as Washington Post cuts nearly one-third of its newsroom
Washington DC: Ishaan Tharoor, senior international affairs columnist at The Washington Post and son of Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, is among more than 300 journalists laid off as the newspaper undertook one of the largest staff reductions in its history.
The layoffs, which affect nearly one-third of the Post’s newsroom, are part of a major restructuring effort amid financial pressure and shifting reader habits. The newspaper, owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, has shut down its sports desk, scaled back international coverage, closed several foreign bureaus, and discontinued its books section.
Confirming his exit on social media, Ishaan Tharoor described the moment as deeply painful. Sharing an image from the newsroom bearing the Post’s slogan “Democracy Dies in Darkness,” he captioned it, “A bad day.” In a later post, he wrote that he had been laid off along with most of the international team and expressed heartbreak for colleagues who reported from across the world.
According to The New York Times, the layoffs impact over 300 journalists out of a total newsroom strength of around 800. Several prominent reporters confirmed their departures, including Ukraine correspondent Lizzie Johnson, who said she was laid off while reporting from a war zone, and New Delhi bureau chief Pranshu Verma, who called it a devastating moment for the newsroom.
Reflecting on his tenure, Tharoor noted that he launched the WorldView column in 2017 to help readers understand global affairs and the United States’ role in the world. He thanked the column’s readers and subscribers for their support over the years.
In a message to staff, Executive Editor Matt Murray said the decision was difficult but unavoidable, citing rapid technological changes, evolving audience behaviour, and the need for the paper to refocus its priorities. “We can’t be everything to everyone,” he wrote, according to the Associated Press.
Founded in 1877, The Washington Post was acquired by Jeff Bezos in 2013 for $250 million. The latest cuts come amid a broader crisis facing legacy news organisations worldwide as advertising revenues decline and digital subscriptions plateau.
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IMEC momentum to boost Karnataka exports amid global trade disruptions
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka’s exporters are set to benefit as the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) gathers momentum as an alternative to traditional maritime choke points, a senior tax official said, pointing to shifting global trade routes amid ongoing geopolitical tensions.
Addressing a seminar on “Navigating Geo-Political Challenges: Policy Measures and Preparedness to Build Resilience,” Kotraswamy M, Commissioner of Central Tax, Bengaluru North, said disruptions around key routes such as the Strait of Hormuz and the Suez Canal had underscored the need for more reliable corridors.
The event was organised by the Bangalore Chamber of Industry and Commerce (BCIC) in association with the Indian Institute of Materials Management.
"Owing to geopolitical tensions in West Asia, connectivity was hindered with Strait of Hormuz and Suez Canal as the choke points. Now with India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) gaining momentum as alternatives to the choke points, exporters from Karnataka and other states in India stand to gain in the global trade market," Kotraswamy said.
With this development, several critical choke points, especially fuel-related disruptions are expected to increase, he said adding IMEC is now gaining momentum as a more efficient and more reliable pathway, instead of depending on routes like the Suez Canal, the Strait of Hormuz, or even the Cape route, which are costly in terms of freight and sailing time, Kotraswamy said.
He added that exporters were also seeing gains from policy measures under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime.
“As exports are treated as zero-rated supplies under GST, the effective tax incidence on exports is zero per cent, allowing businesses to claim refunds on input taxes paid,” he said.
Kotraswamy noted that over 90 per cent of refund claims were now processed within seven days, compared to 15 to 30 days earlier.
He further said recent recommendations had enabled automatic refund processing and reduced documentation, cutting compliance costs by 20 to 25 per cent and easing working capital pressures.
Highlighting the state’s export performance, Prince Mehra of EXIM Bank said Karnataka is the fourth-largest exporter in India, contributing around seven per cent to the country’s merchandise exports and recording a compound annual growth rate of 7.8 per cent from FY19 to FY25.
“In FY25, Karnataka’s exports stood at USD 30.5 billion, driven by telecom instruments (17.3 per cent) and petroleum (14 per cent), followed by electrical equipment (five per cent), RMG/apparel (4.7 per cent), electronics (4.2 per cent), coffee (4.1 per cent) and pharmaceuticals (3.8 per cent),” Mehra said.
He added that the state ranked sixth in NITI Aayog’s Export Preparedness Index 2024 with an untapped export potential of USD 24.4 billion.
Emphasising the need for adaptability, K Ravi, senior vice president of BCIC, said in today’s volatile global landscape, resilience is no longer optional as it is a strategic imperative. Geopolitical challenges are reshaping trade dynamics and compelling businesses to rethink risk, cost, and continuity.
Sivasankari Murugan of ECGC highlighted support mechanisms available to exporters, including insurance products and policy interventions such as the RELIEF Scheme and the Export Promotion Mission.
She said such measures reflected a strong commitment to safeguarding industry competitiveness, and added that platforms like the seminar help stakeholders build the collaborative mindset required to navigate uncertainty.
