Assam: 2 killed, 38 policemen among 45 injured in violence-hit Karbi Anglong
Diphu/Guwahati (PTI): Two persons were killed and at least 45 others, including 38 police personnel, injured as fresh violence erupted in Assam’s trouble-torn Karbi Anglong district, after two groups of protesters clashed, prompting security forces to lathicharge and fire tear gas shells to disperse them, officials said.
The body of a 25-year-old specially abled youth, Suresh Dey, was recovered from a building that was set ablaze by the agitators while another person, identified as Athik Timung, was killed during the clash, a police officer said.
The protesters have been demanding eviction of encroachers from tribal belts.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that he was deeply pained over the deaths in the unrest.
''I am closely monitoring the situation in West Karbi Anglong. It is deeply painful that two persons lost their lives during today’s unrest,'' he said in a post on X.
Additional security forces will be deployed in Kherani area on Wednesday to maintain peace, he said.
''We are in constant touch with all concerned to restore normalcy and resolve issues through dialogue. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. The government will stand with all affected families and provide all necessary support,'' Sarma said.
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DGP Harmeet Singh told reporters that he had held talks with the protesters, and they promised to not indulge in any kind of violence.
''They are, however, hurling bombs, shooting arrows and burning down shops... 38 police personnel, including IPS officers, were injured in the violence. A stone hit my shoulder, too,'' Singh said.
He warned that the police will be forced to take stern action if the agitators take the law in their hands.
The DGP also appealed to all sections of the society to explain to the ''misguided youth'' that violence cannot solve any problem, and the CM has said that he will hold discussions with them to address their grievances.
Despite prohibitory orders in force, a large number of people, including women and children whose shops were burnt by a mob on Monday, came out to protest against the violence, while the agitators demanding eviction of encroachers from the tribal belt also gathered in the Kheroni market area.
The security forces deployed in the area tried to pacify them, but suddenly stone pelting began from both sides, injuring several protesters, police personnel and media persons, a senior officer said.
As the situation spiralled out of control, the police lathicharged and fired tear gas shells to disperse both groups of protesters, he said.
The agitators had earlier torched two motorcycles in Kheroni area.
Sarma had earlier in the day said the "situation in Karbi Anglong was very sensitive".
"Senior minister Ranoj Pegu is present in the district. I believe that the matter will be resolved soon," he said on the sidelines of a programme.
Meanwhile, internet services in both Karbi Anglong and West Anglong districts were temporarily suspended on Tuesday for maintaining peace and tranquility, and to prevent any deterioration of the present situation.
The protesters had earlier on Tuesday called off their hunger strike to press for their demand for evicting encroachers from tribal belts, following talks with Pegu.
The agitators, belonging to several political and social organisations, had been on a hunger strike for the last 15 days, demanding the eviction of illegal settlers, who mostly hail from Bihar, from Professional Grazing Reserve (PGR) and Village Grazing Reserve (VGR) lands in the two districts.
They withdrew their hunger strike following assurances from the government that tripartite talks will be held on the issue soon.
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On Monday, four people were injured in police firing on protesters who went on a rampage, setting ablaze the residence of Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) chief executive member Tuliram Ronghang and around 15 shops in Kheroni Bazaar.
The agitators also attempted to attack the police station in Kheroni, but it was foiled by the security forces.
Prohibitory orders were subsequently imposed in Karbi Anglong and neighbouring West Karbi Anglong. Night curfew was also imposed in Karbi Anglong, with restrictions on the movement of any person or groups and private vehicles throughout the district from 5 pm to 6 am.
''A section of the people are angry that the encroachers are settling on PGR and VGR land. There was an attempt to evict them last year, but a petition was filed in the Gauhati High Court, which passed an interim order staying the eviction process,'' Pegu said.
The chief minister had said on Monday night that rumours began circulating that three protesters, who were on hunger strike, had been arrested, which fuelled the agitation.
"No one was arrested, but they were taken for treatment to Guwahati as their health deteriorated," Sarma had said.
The police allegedly tried to remove the protesters forcibly in Kheroni area of Karbi Anglong, following which a clash ensued.
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Supreme Court strikes down Trump's sweeping tariffs, upending central plank of economic agenda
Washington (AP): The Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump's far-reaching global tariffs on Friday, handing him a significant loss on an issue crucial to his economic agenda.
The 6-3 decision centres on tariffs imposed under an emergency powers law, including the sweeping “reciprocal” tariffs he levied on nearly every other country.
It's the first major piece of Trump's broad agenda to come squarely before the nation's highest court, which he helped shape with the appointments of three conservative jurists in his first term.
The majority found that the Constitution “very clearly” gives Congress the power to impose taxes, which include tariffs. “The Framers did not vest any part of the taxing power in the Executive Branch,” Chief Justice John Roberts wrote.
Justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas and Brett Kavanaugh dissented.
“The tariffs at issue here may or may not be wise policy. But as a matter of text, history, and precedent, they are clearly lawful,” Kavanaugh wrote in the dissent.
The majority did not address whether companies could get refunded for the billions they have collectively paid in tariffs. Many companies, including the big-box warehouse chain Costco, have already lined up for refunds in court, and Kavanaugh noted the process could be complicated.
“The Court says nothing today about whether, and if so how, the Government should go about returning the billions of dollars that it has collected from importers. But that process is likely to be a mess,' as was acknowledged at oral argument,” he wrote.
The tariffs decision doesn't stop Trump from imposing duties under other laws. While those have more limitations on the speed and severity of Trump's actions, top administration officials have said they expect to keep the tariff framework in place under other authorities.
The Supreme Court ruling comes despite a series of short-term wins on the court's emergency docket that have allowed Trump to push ahead with extraordinary flexes of executive power on issues ranging from high-profile firings to major federal funding cuts.
The Republican president has been vocal about the case, calling it one of the most important in US history and saying a ruling against him would be an economic body blow to the country. But legal opposition crossed the political spectrum, including libertarian and pro-business groups that are typically aligned with the GOP. Polling has found tariffs aren't broadly popular with the public, amid wider voter concern about affordability.
The Constitution gives Congress the power to levy tariffs. But the Trump administration argued that a 1977 law allowing the president to regulate importation during emergencies also allows him to set tariffs. Other presidents have used the law dozens of times, often to impose sanctions, but Trump was the first president to invoke it for import taxes.
Trump set what he called "reciprocal" tariffs on most countries in April 2025 to address trade deficits that he declared a national emergency. Those came after he imposed duties on Canada, China and Mexico, ostensibly to address a drug trafficking emergency.
A series of lawsuits followed, including a case from a dozen largely Democratic-leaning states and others from small businesses selling everything from plumbing supplies to educational toys to women's cycling apparel.
The challengers argued the emergency powers law doesn't even mention tariffs and Trump's use of it fails several legal tests, including one that doomed then-President Joe Biden's USD 500 billion student loan forgiveness program.
The economic impact of Trump's tariffs has been estimated at some USD 3 trillion over the next decade, according to the Congressional Budget Office. The Treasury has collected more than USD 133 billion from the import taxes the president has imposed under the emergency powers law, federal data from December shows.
