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www.desitalk.com – that’s all you need to know 7 NATIONAL AFFAIRS July 25, 2025 PHOTO:ANI US Designates Pahalgam Attackers As Terrorist Organization T he United States has designated The Resis- tance Front as a Foreign Terrorist Organiza- tion (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). The State Department announced the ac- tion July 17, saying, “TRF, a Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) front and proxy, claimed responsibility for the April 22, 2025, Pahalgam attack which killed 26 civilians,” adding that, “This was the deadliest attack on civil- ians in India since the 2008 Mumbai attacks con- ducted by LeT. TRF has also claimed responsibility for several attacks against Indian security forces, including most recently in 2024.” These actions taken by the Department of State “demonstrates the Trump Administration’s commit- ment to protecting our national security interests, countering terrorism, and enforcing President Trump’s call for justice for the Pahalgam attack.” The US House Foreign Affairs Committee Ma- jority on Saturday said President Donald Trump strongly backed the administration’s decision to designate The Resistance Front (TRF) as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, calling it a deserved move against those responsible for killing civilians in India, ANI reported. “President Trump calls it like it is. The Resis- tance Front is a foreign terrorist organisation and deserves the designation. When you butcher civilians, you don’t get a pass–you get JUSTICE,” the Committee posted on X. TRF and other associated aliases have been added to LeT’s designation as a FTO and SDGT pursuant to section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act and Executive Order 13224, respectively. The Department of State has also reviewed and maintained the FTO designation of LeT. Amendments to FTO designations go into ef- fect upon publication in the Federal Register. India’s Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishan- kar responded on X, calling the terrorist desig- nation myWashington, “A strong affirmation of India-US counter-terrorism cooperation. Appre- ciate @SecRubio and @StateDept for designating TRF—a Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) proxy—as a For- eign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). It claimed responsibility for the April 22 Pahalgam attack. Zero tolerance for Terrorism. #OpSindoor“ By a StaffWriter PHOTO:X @IndiainNewYork Pictures of those killed in the April 22, 2025 terror attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, displayed at a Long Island, NY vigil. Trump Says India Trade Agreement Is Close, Europe Deal Possible T he United States is very close to a trade deal with India, while an agreement could possibly be reached with Europe as well, but it is too soon to say whether a deal can be agreed with Canada, President Donald Trump said in an interview aired on Real America’s Voice onWednesday, July 16. To press for what Trump views as better terms with trading partners and ways to shrink a huge U.S. trade deficit, his administration has been negotiating trade deals ahead of an August 1 deadline, when duties on most U.S. imports are due to rise again. “We’re very close to India, and …we could possibly make a deal with (the) EU,” Trump said, when asked which trade deals were on the horizon. Trump’s comments come as EU trade chief Maros Sef- covic was headed toWashington onWednesday for tariff discussions, while an Indian trade delegation arrived in Washington on Monday for fresh talks. “(The) European Union has been brutal, and now they’re being very nice. They want to make a deal, and it’ll be a lot different than the deal that we’ve had for years,” he added. Asked about the prospects of a deal with Canada, which like the EU, is readying countermeasures if talks with the U.S. fail to produce a deal, Trump said: “Too soon to say.” His comment was in line with the assessment of Ca- nadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who said earlier on Wednesday that a deal that works for Canadian workers was not yet on the table. Trump also said he would probably put a blanket 10% or 15% tariff on smaller countries. - Reuters By JasperWard and Ismail Shakil Assemblywoman Dr. Jasmeet Bains Declares Run For US Congress From California’s 22nd District F amily physician Dr. Jasmeet Bains announced her campaign for Congress from California’s 22nd District, July 16, 2025, pledging to bring new leadership if she wins in the 2026 general elections. She accuses Washington D.C. of often ignoring the Central Valley. “I’m a doctor, not a career politician — and I’ve spent my life on the front- lines, listening to Valley families and fighting for their health, their safety, and their future,” Bains said in a press release declaring her candidacy. “I’m running for Congress because we deserve better than broken promises and backroom deals, and our communities are tired of getting left behind. We deserve a repre- sentative who will actually show up, and stand up, for the Valley.” Dr. Bains is a family and addiction doctor who serves as the Central Valley’s Chief Medical Officer for the California Medical Assistance team, which orga- nizes emergency health services across the state. Raised in Delano, the daughter of immigrants, and the first in her family to become a doctor, Dr. Bains represents the Kern County area in the State As- sembly. She was elected to the State Assembly in 2022 with strong bipartisan support. She is an advocate for underserved com- munities and rural healthcare, as well as an experienced physician in the field of addiction and the fentanyl crisis. To date three candidates are in the running for the House seat in the Nov. 3, 2026 election. The incumbent is Republi- can Rep. David Valadao, who, she says has voted for gutting Medi-Cal, slashing food assistance, and backing a budget that she says would devastate working families in the Central Valley. Valadao has been in Congress from 2013 through 2019, and then 2021 to the present. The two Demo- crats on the ballot so far are Rudy Salas and Randy Villegas. The Cook Political Report and Larry J. Sabato’s Crystal Ball both rate District 22 and leaning Republican. Valadao won the 2024 elections with a 7 percent lead over his Democratic oppo- nent Rudy Salas. CA-22 includes Bakersfield, Delano, Hanford, and communities across Kern, Kings, and Tulare Counties — one of the most diverse regions in California. By a StaffWriter PHOTO:Campaignwebsite @drjasmeetbains.com Dr. Jasmeet Bains