Indian weightlifting champion Mirabai Chanu emerged onto the scene nearly a decade ago at the 2014 Commonwealth Games. Since then, she has enjoyed a string of successful podium finishes, winning medals at major international tournaments. Her first Olympic medal (silver) came in 2020 at the Tokyo Games. However, the four years that followed were marked by struggles with injuries and surgeries. She was left heartbroken twice — first, at the Paris Olympics and then, at the 2023 Asian Games, where she secured cruel fourth-place finishes. But redemption finally arrived on Thursday, as she lifted a total of 199kg (84 in snatch and 115 in clean and jerk) to win her third World Championship medal, a silver, in Norway.On that note, let’s get to the rest of today’s edition. Big StoryExporters have begun feeling the pinch of the US tariffs on Indian goods. Businesses across various sectors have written letters to the two key economic ministries, Finance and Commerce, seeking support measures to help them maintain competitiveness in the US market.Quick context: The Donald Trump-imposed tariffs — totalling 50 per cent, including a 25 per cent penalty for India’s purchase of Russian oil — kicked in on August 27. This made Indian goods uncompetitive in the face of cheaper goods from Vietnam, Indonesia and Bangladesh. Firms losing business have sparked fears of wide-scale job losses.On the table: Ministries had earlier ensured exporters of intervention, such as relief measures put in place during Covid, to meet their cash flow. However, no package has been announced in the weeks since. Sources have told The Indian Express that just like Covid, the government wants to figure out reforms with an eye on medium to long-term benefits. Differences between the Commerce and Finance Ministries have also complicated discussions. Read.Also read: At the time of the tariff-induced global uncertainty and domestic headwinds, such as sustained withdrawal of foreign portfolio investors (FPIs), the RBI on Monday announced a spate of reforms to boost growth. These included easing of IPO financing and removal of the cap on lending, among others. We explain how these measures would work.Story continues below this ad⚡Only in ExpressAt the root cause of the Ladakh crisis is a lack of jobs for locals and the inability of the region’s people to resolve issues on their own, as they allege that their local bodies are “virtually defunct”. In her weekly column, Neerja Chowdhury reflects on the government response to the protests in the Union Territory and why the Centre must prioritise talks over any ‘heavy-handedness’. From the Front Page‘Ethical issues’: The Union Agriculture Ministry has withdrawn approval for the sale of 11 biostimulants derived from animal sources, citing “religious and dietary restrictions“. Biostimulants are sprays that improve the plant’s nutrient uptake, growth, quality, etc. The ministry has omitted biostimulants made from ‘protein hydrolysates’, which are derived from sources like bovine hide, chicken feathers and pig tissues, among others.Green light: In a historic first, Taliban-ruled Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi is set to visit India after the UN Security Council permitted him to travel to New Delhi from October 9 to 16. Muttaqi needs the UNSC’s approval since he is on a list of sanctioned individuals under UNSC Resolution 1988 (2011).Read for take-off: Five years ago, India and China suspended flights between the two nations owing to the Covid-19 pandemic and then the fraught ties over the Eastern Ladakh standoff. Now, flight operations are set to resume as both countries look to improve ties. India’s largest airline, IndiGo, has announced that it will start daily flights to Guangzhou from Kolkata starting October 26, and will later expand to flights originating from Delhi.Story continues below this ad Must ReadAll that glitters… In 2019, the ‘Dwarapalaka’ idols of the Sabarimala temple were taken out for gold plating. When they were returned, at least 4 kg-worth of gold covering was found to be removed from the idols, according to a vigilance officer’s report. At the heart of the matter is the state-run Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) and one Unnikrishnan Potti, who was given the gold-plating task and was allowed to take the idols out again in 2025. The curious case of the missing gold has now set off a political firestorm in Kerala.Money matters: India’s GDP growth rate in the first quarter of this financial year surprised everyone, including policymakers. At 7.8%, the GDP growth was much higher than India’s long-term averages over the past decade. So, if the growth is so robust, why is the government introducing measures, from income tax exemptions to GST reforms, to boost consumption? My colleague Udit Misra says that this might be grounds to re-examine the GDP data. The dissonance may stem from the difference between nominal and real GDP. Here’s what this means.⏳ And Finally…Kantara: Chapter 1, a prequel to the widely acclaimed Kantara (2022), a Kannada-language mythological action drama, hit theatres yesterday. In a review of the film, Anandu Suresh writes that while Kantara created a panoramic image, glueing together the smallest of elements, actions, reactions, gestures and dialogues, it also had a soul — one that communicated what it wished to say as loudly as the ‘Woah!’ of Guliga. In the prequel, however, “all that remains is the scream, while the soul flickers in and out unsteadily”. Before you go, do tune in to today’s ‘3 Things’ podcast episode, where we discuss the death of a 12-year-old Dalit boy in Himachal Pradesh, the entry of private players into monument conservation, and the RSS’s centenary.Story continues below this adThat’s all for today, folks! Happy weekend!Sonal Gupta Business As Usual by EP Unny