WTC Final: Australia, South Africa players wear black armbands to mourn Ahmedabad crash victims
Oval, London: Players from both Australia and South Africa wore black armbands on Day 3 of the ongoing ICC World Test Championship final to pay their respects to the victims of the tragic Air India plane crash that occurred in Ahmedabad on June 12.
Along with the players, the match officials, umpires were also seen wearing the black armbands during the third day's play.
The gesture was a mark of mourning for the loss of lives in what is turning out to be one of the deadliest aviation disasters in India’s history. The crash, which involved an Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner operating flight AI171 from Ahmedabad to London, took place shortly after take-off and led to massive casualties. Over 260 deaths have been confirmed so far.
As a tribute to the lives lost, both teams observed the black armband tradition—an act widely followed in the cricketing world to show solidarity during times of tragedy.
Meanwhile, the World Test Championship final is poised for a thrilling finish. Australia, holding a narrow advantage with a second-innings lead of 218 runs, are looking to defend their title, while South Africa remain firmly in the hunt in a match that has seen momentum swing rapidly.
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US trade deficit slipped to USD 901 billion last year amid Trump tariffs
Washington (AP): The US trade deficit slipped modestly in 2025, a year in which President Donald Trump upended global commerce by slapping double digit tariffs on imports from most countries.
The gap the between the goods and services the US sells other countries and what it buys from them narrowed to just over USD 901 billion from USD 904 billion in 2024, the Commerce Department reported Thursday.
Exports rose 6 per cent last year, and imports rose nearly 5 per cent.
The trade gap surged from January-March as US companies tried to import foreign goods ahead of Trump's taxes, then narrowed most of the rest of the year.
Trump's tariffs are a tax paid by US importers and often passed along to their customers as higher prices.
But they haven't had as much impact on inflation as economists originally expected. Trump argues that the tariffs will protect US industries, bringing manufacturing back to America and raise money for the US Treasury.
