International
US Imposes 50% Tariffs on India Over Russian Oil Imports

US tariffs of 50 per cent took effect on Wednesday on many Indian products, doubling an existing duty as President Donald Trump sought to punish New Delhi for buying Russian oil.
India has criticised the levies as “unfair, unjustified and unreasonable”, with its export body calling on Wednesday for government intervention to assuage fears of heavy job cuts.
Trump has raised pressure on India over the energy transactions, a key source of revenue for Moscow’s war in Ukraine, as part of a campaign to end the conflict.
The latest salvo strains US-India ties, giving New Delhi fresh incentive to improve relations with Beijing.
While Trump has slapped fresh duties on allies and competitors alike since returning to the presidency in January, this 50-per cent level is among the highest that US trading partners face.
Crucially, however, exemptions remain for sectors that could be hit with separate levies — such as pharmaceuticals, computer chips and smartphones.
Industries that have already been singled out, such as steel, aluminium and automobiles, are similarly spared these countrywide levies.
The United States was India’s top export destination in 2024, with shipments worth $87.3 billion.
But analysts have cautioned that a 50-per cent duty is akin to a trade embargo and is likely to harm smaller firms.
Exporters of textiles, seafood and jewellery were already reporting cancelled US orders and losses to rivals such as Bangladesh and Vietnam, raising fears of heavy job cuts.
Ajay Sahai, director general of the Federation of Indian Export Organisations, called for “liquidity support from the government”.
“We want to ensure that even if business stops, we are able to keep workers on the payroll”, he told AFP, saying they were “still optimistic” for trade negotiations.
– ‘Eroded trust’ –
The world’s fifth-largest economy is looking to cushion the blow, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi promising to lower the tax burden on citizens during an annual speech to mark India’s independence.
Modi earlier vowed self-reliance, pledging to defend his country’s interests.
The foreign ministry previously said India had begun importing oil from Russia as traditional supplies were diverted to Europe over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
It noted that Washington actively encouraged such imports at the time to strengthen stability in the global energy market.
Russia accounted for nearly 36 percent of India’s total crude oil imports in 2024. Buying Russian oil saved India billions of dollars on import costs, keeping domestic fuel prices relatively stable.
But the Trump administration held firm on its tariff plans in the lead-up to Wednesday’s deadline.
Trump’s trade adviser Peter Navarro told reporters last week that “India doesn’t appear to want to recognise its role in the bloodshed.”
“It’s cozying up to Xi Jinping,” Navarro added, referring to the Chinese president.
Wendy Cutler, from the Asia Society Policy Institute, said India had moved from being “a promising candidate for an early trade deal to a nation facing among the highest tariffs”
Cutler, a former US trade official, said the “high tariffs have quickly eroded trust between the two countries, which could take years to rebuild.
Trump has used tariffs as a tool for addressing everything from what Washington deems as unfair trade practices to trade imbalances.
US trade deficits were a key justification behind his higher duties on dozens of economies taking effect in early August — hitting partners from the European Union to Indonesia.
But the 79-year-old Republican has also taken aim at specific countries such as Brazil over the trial of its former president Jair Bolsonaro, who is accused of plotting a coup.
US tariffs on many Brazilian goods surged to 50 per cent this month, but with broad exemptions.
AFP
International
France’s new PM resigns sparking fresh political chaos
Now, France has been plunged into a new political crisis which will put massive pressure on Macron, who has now installed three failed minority governments.

•Sebastien Lecornu, France’s prime minister, during the handover ceremony at the Hotel Matignon in Paris, France, on Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025.Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images
France’s new Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has resigned just weeks after his appointment, plunging the country into a fresh political crisis.
Lecornu, France’s fifth PM in less than two years, had his work cut out to convince the country — and investors — that he could unite a fractious and divided parliament enough to get a 2026 budget over the line.
With the prospect of a state budget being passed now in doubt, French markets reacted strongly to the news, with the yield on the 30-year government bond, or OAT, hitting a one-month high of 4.441% before retreating slightly.
The yield on the benchmark 10-year bond rose to a 10-day high of 3.5990%. Meanwhile, France’s CAC 40 index slumped 1.9% and the euro fell 0.7% against the dollar.
Lecornu was installed in early September against a backdrop of public unrest and dissatisfaction over the messy state of French affairs, after several successive governments failed to pass budgets detailing spending cuts and tax rises.
A former defense minister and longtime ally of French President Emmanuel Macron, Lecornu resigned just houses after naming a new cabinet on Sunday. The new cabinet, which saw most high-profile figures remain in their posts, was due to hold its first meeting on Monday.
Now, France has been plunged into a new political crisis which will put massive pressure on Macron, who has now installed three failed minority governments.
Crime
BREAKING: Judge sentences Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs to over 4 years in prison

American music mogul and businessman, Sean Combs, popularly known as “P-Diddy” was sentenced on Friday to 50 months in prison on prostitution charges under the Mann Act.
Recall that Combs was convicted earlier this year on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution.
U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian said the court had seen a “massive” amount of evidence against Combs and added that a significant sentence was required to be a deterrence and to send a message.
“A substantial sentence must be given to send a message to abusers and victims alike that abuse against women is met with real accountability,” the judge said,
Along with serving four years and two months in prison, Combs also must pay a $500,000 fine.
In his final remarks to Combs, Subramanian noted that he will still have a life after prison, adding “there is a light at the end of the tunnel.”
After the judge read his sentence, Combs appeared dejected and worn out as he turned to his mother and children, letting out a sigh and telling them, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry,”.
Subramanian cited law that says no limitation can be placed on the “background, character and conduct” that a judge can consider in sentencing. He said the sentence is fair for the severity of Combs’ crimes and other mitigating factors.
During Combs’ sentencing hearing, the judge heard from the rapper’s children as well as multiple defense lawyers and other character witnesses.
The defense argued that Combs should be free for his family’s sake and that he has changed and deserves a second chance to be better.
Defense lawyer Brian Steel argued that “Combs has punished himself more than anyone will be able to punish him and it will stay with him for the rest of his days.
Mr. Combs does not need any additional time in custody. That is not the way we treat drug addiction and trauma today.
”Before the judge gave his sentence, Combs was given a chance to speak, saying that he has lost his business, his career, destroyed his reputation and lost his self-respect.
‘I’ve been stripped down to nothing,” he added.
“I want to thank you for finally giving me a chance to speak up for myself. One of the hardest things I’ve had to handle is to be quiet, not able to express how sorry I am for my actions,” Combs said.
Combs was sentenced under the Mann Act, which makes it illegal to transport someone across state lines for the purpose of prostitution or other illegal sex acts.
He was convicted on counts involving two former girlfriends, R&B singer Cassie and a woman who testified under the pseudonym Jane.
During the sentencing hearing, federal prosecutors argued that the hip-hop mogul deserved at least 11 years in prison and his defense lawyers asked for a sentence of no more than 14 months,
“Mr. Combs, you’re being sentenced for the offenses of conviction, NOT the crimes he was acquitted of.
However, under law, the court ‘shall consider’ the nature of the offense and characteristics of the defendant,” Subramanian said as he sentenced Combs,
International
Legendary conservationist, Jane Goodall, dies at 91
Despite challenges in the rugged landscapes of Gombe National Park, she pursued her dream of living among and studying wildlife.

•Dr. Jane Goodall
Dr Jane Goodall, the world-renowned primatologist, anthropologist, and conservationist, has died at the age of 91.
Jane Goodall Institute confirmed her death on Wednesday, stating that she died of natural causes in California while on a speaking tour of the United States.
Goodall’s groundbreaking research on chimpanzees transformed the scientific understanding of humanity’s closest relatives in the animal kingdom.
Beginning her studies in Tanzania at just 26 years old, she documented chimpanzees’ ability to display human-like behaviors such as affection, tool-making, and even conflict, findings that revolutionized ethology and earned her global recognition.
In her reflection on her early discoveries, Goodall once told ABC News: “Their behavior, with their gestures, kissing, embracing, holding hands and patting on the back … the fact that they can actually be violent and brutal … but also loving and altruistic.”
Her fascination with animals dated back to childhood, inspired by books like Doctor Dolittle and Tarzan.
Despite challenges in the rugged landscapes of Gombe National Park, she pursued her dream of living among and studying wildlife.
Her doctoral thesis at the University of Cambridge detailed her first five years of observations.
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