Washington, June 18 (IANS) The Trump-Modi meeting in France has reassured some supporters of the India-US partnership, but analysts said the future of the relationship will depend less on the leaders' public exchanges and more on whether Washington and New Delhi can rebuild mutual trust.

The meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in France drew a range of reactions from academics, former officials and community leaders, reflecting both optimism about renewed engagement and concern over lingering strains in the bilateral relationship.

"It was wonderful to see the two leaders in the room together," singer and commentator Mary Millben told IANS.

"It's been over a year since we've seen President Trump and Prime Minister Modi physically in the same room together. So that in itself was a positive and, by imagery, a natural reset to the US-India relationship," she said.

Millben said she welcomed Trump's remarks during the meeting, which she described as reassurance that "India is our strongest democratic ally", that the United States remains "a close friend to India", and that Trump continues to be "a close friend to the Prime Minister".

However, she stressed that the success of the meeting would ultimately be measured by actions rather than words.

"We'll see what happens when he returns home," she said. "It's my hope that there will be a different approach to India after this summit."

Millben argued that rebuilding confidence should be the central objective for going forward.

"The Prime Minister said it best at the Summit. Mutual Trust is the most important strategic asset today," she said. "The future of the US-India relationship really is gonna rely on rebuilding trust."

Others were more cautious in their assessment.

Raymond Vickery, a former US Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Trade Development, said the meeting was important because relations had experienced what he described as "a standard kind of malaise" over the past 16 months.

"It was good that there was a meeting," Vickery told IANS. "There was good chemistry between the leaders."

But he warned against expecting immediate results.

"No one half-hour meeting at the end of a three-day summit, even if there's a press conference effort, is going to remedy the damage which has been done to the trust between the two greatest democracies," he said. "That's gonna take a lot of work, a lot of follow-through on promises."

Atman Trivedi, Partner at Albright Stonebridge Group, offered a similarly measured view. "The meeting was not a reset in US-India relations," he said. "If anything, the response was one of scepticism from a number of Indian observers." However, he added that the leaders' interaction likely helped reduce concerns in India following the deaths of Indian sailors last week.

Academic leaders highlighted areas where cooperation continues to deepen regardless of political differences.

Gurdip Singh, Divisional Dean of the School of Computing at George Mason University, said collaboration between universities, industries and research institutions remains strong because both countries recognise the benefits of working together.

"There is a desire to collaborate and those things are happening," Singh said. He added that India-US relations are "bound to improve" because of shared interests and the growing influence of the Indian diaspora.

Singh identified emerging technologies as a particularly promising area for future cooperation.

"Whether it's semiconductors, whether it's quantum, whether it's AI, there is a lot of potential for collaboration there," he said. "Emerging tech is the area to focus on."

Former Ohio State Senator Niraj Antani was more upbeat, describing the encounter as "a positive step forward in the US-India relationship." He pointed to Trump's support for a bilateral trade agreement and stronger economic engagement with India.

India and the United States have steadily expanded cooperation over the past two decades in defence, trade, technology, energy and education. Successive governments in New Delhi and Washington have described the partnership as one of the most consequential bilateral relationships of the 21st century.

--IANS

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Mumbai, June 18 (IANS) Actor Sham Mashalkar took a trip down memory lane on Wednesday night, as he shared a rare behind-the-scenes picture from the sets of the iconic sitcom 'Yes Boss'.

Sharing the throwback picture on his social media account, Mashalkar wrote,

"Down the Memory Lane ..

Tv show 'yes boss' on @teamsabtv

It used telecast on Sab tv in those days...

Guess the year

& Spot Me

I started from here.."

The group picture features many familiar faces from the beloved sitcom. Among those visible in the click are veteran actor Rakesh Bedi, Aasif Sheikh, Kavita Kapoor, Sulabha Arya, Delnaaz Irani, Jaywant Wadkar, and Sham Mashalkar himself. The picture also captures the fun camaraderie shared by the cast and crew during the early days of the show.

Talking about the cult TV sitcoms, for the uninitiated, 'Yes Boss' first premiered on SAB TV on April 23, 1999, and remained on air until July 31, 2009, completing an impressive run for an entire decade. The sitcom was directed by Rajan Waghdhare and produced by Sri Adhikari Brothers.

Talking about its storyline, it revolved around Mohan Srivastava, played by Rakesh Bedi, and his wife Meera, portrayed by Kavita Kapoor, who worked in the same office but kept their marriage a secret from their flirtatious boss Vinod Verma, played by Aasif Sheikh.

Much of the comedy in the show throughout stemmed from Mohan's attempts to protect his wife from Vinod's advances. The series also featured Delnaaz Irani as Kavita, Vinod's wife, and became a cult favourite among audiences for its clean humour.

Talking about Rakesh Bedi, who headlined 'Yes Boss' as the lovable Mohan Srivastava, went onto carve a niche for himself in the world of Hindi cinema as a famous character artist. With a career spanning over four decades, Bedi went onto become a part of many more iconic sitcoms, including 'Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi', 'Shrimaan Shrimati', etc.

More recently, the veteran actor finally got his long due credit and humongous appreciation from audiences for his performance in the spy thriller 'Dhurandhar'.

–IANS

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Chennai, June 18 (IANS) The first session of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly after the formation of the TVK-led coalition government will commence on Thursday morning with Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar’s address to the House, marking the formal beginning of the new government’s legislative term.

As the maiden sitting of the newly constituted Assembly, the session will open with the customary Governor’s Address outlining the government’s policy direction, welfare commitments and development priorities.

Speaker J.C.D. Prabhakar had formally invited Governor Arlekar to inaugurate the session.

Governor Arlekar is scheduled to arrive at the Assembly complex at Fort St. George at 9.50 a.m. He will be accorded a ceremonial reception near the second gate of the Secretariat’s main building.

Speaker Prabhakar and Assembly Secretary Srinivasan will receive the Governor with bouquets before escorting him to the Assembly Hall.

The Governor will walk along a red-carpeted pathway and deliver his address in English. The Tamil translation of the speech will subsequently be read out by the Speaker.

The proceedings relating to the Governor’s Address will conclude thereafter. The event will be telecast live.

The address is expected to outline the TVK government’s major programmes and policy objectives for the coming years, including key welfare and infrastructure initiatives.

The speech will also serve as an indication of the administration’s priorities following its victory in the Assembly elections.

Following the Governor’s address, the Business Advisory Committee is expected to meet and finalise the schedule for the remainder of the Assembly session.

The White Paper prepared by Finance Minister Maria Wilson is also expected to be tabled in the House during the session.

Political observers are closely watching whether Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay will make any significant announcements during the proceedings, particularly on issues relating to governance, welfare schemes and economic development.

The session is expected to witness spirited debates, with the principal opposition parties, the DMK and AIADMK, preparing to raise a host of issues. These include recent incidents of sexual assault, law and order concerns, power outages in several parts of the state, the government’s crop loan waiver programme and the resignation of MLAs amid political developments.

With the opposition gearing up to challenge the government on multiple fronts and the ruling alliance expected to defend its record and policy decisions, the opening session of the new Assembly is set to provide the first major political test for the TVK-led government.

--IANS

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Chennai, June 18 (IANS) The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) has forecast heavy rainfall in several districts of Tamil Nadu over the next two days, with western and central parts of the state likely to receive significant showers.

According to the weather department, heavy rain is expected on Thursday and Friday in the districts of Nilgiris, Dindigul, Theni, Madurai, Sivaganga, Tiruchy and Perambalur.

Authorities have advised residents in these districts to remain alert, particularly in low-lying areas that are vulnerable to waterlogging.

The RMC has also predicted widespread rainfall activity across a number of districts on Friday. Moderate to heavy showers are likely in Madurai, Erode, Namakkal, Karur, Nilgiris, Coimbatore, Theni, Dindigul, Tiruchy, Pudukkottai, Sivaganga, Ariyalur and Perambalur districts.

Meteorologists said prevailing weather conditions are favourable for rain across many parts of the state, especially in interior and hilly regions.

The expected rainfall is likely to provide some relief from the hot and humid conditions experienced in recent weeks.

Meanwhile, the weather department has forecast a slight decline in maximum temperatures across Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal over the next four days. Although no major drop is expected, daytime temperatures are likely to remain marginally lower than recent levels.

For Chennai, the forecast indicates partly cloudy skies during the next 24 hours. Light rain is likely in some areas of the city, particularly during the evening and night hours.

Despite the possibility of isolated showers, daytime temperatures are expected to remain high, with the maximum temperature likely to hover around 39 degrees Celsius.

The weather department said it is closely monitoring the situation and will issue further updates if required.

Local administrations in districts under heavy rain alerts have been advised to take necessary precautionary measures to ensure public safety and minimise disruptions caused by adverse weather conditions. Officials have urged people to follow weather advisories and avoid unnecessary travel during periods of intense rainfall, especially in areas prone to flooding and landslides.

--IANS

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Houston, June 18 (IANS) Portugal head coach Roberto Martinez defended his side's performance in the FIFA World Cup 2026 opener against Congo and explained the importance of Cristiano Ronaldo to the team, citing "the way he attracts defenders and uses space is valuable".

Ronaldo, who became the oldest outfield player to ever start a World Cup match, played the full 90 minutes but was unable to make a decisive impact in front of goal as Portugal Congo's Yoane Wissa cancelled out Joao Neves' opener in a compelling Group K draw.

It was Ronaldo's 23rd World Cup appearance, putting him fourth on the all-time list alongside Italian great Paolo Maldini.

"We were finding it difficult because they had a back six. And in a situation like that, you can use his qualities. It makes no sense to get a player like Cristiano out of a game where you need goals. The straight line is not the quickest way. The way he attracts defenders and uses space is valuable. When you need goals, you need a player like Cristiano Ronaldo on the pitch," Martinez said after the match.

Martinez accentuated the positives after his team was pegged back by Congo, saying, "That's what happens at World Cups."

After 52 years away from the World Cup finals, the Leopards of Congo DR have earned their first-ever point, secured by a super header on the stroke of half-time by the impressive Yoane Wissa. Portugal had struck early through Neves, another header, but were unable to build on their advantage in what was an always intriguing contest.

"We started the match very well. Scoring should have been a great moment, but it wasn't. I think we lost a bit of our attacking depth, lost fluency in possession, and allowed them to regain their shape somewhat.

"The confidence they gained after the goal made the game very difficult, but that's what happens at World Cups. I'm very satisfied with the team's attitude. It wasn't a problem of lacking commitment or heart; we kept trying until the very end. We can grow a lot from this match," he said.

--IANS

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