Looks like we lost India, Russia to 'darkest' China: US President Trump
Washington (PTI): It looks like the US has lost India and Russia to "darkest" China, President Donald Trump said on Friday in his latest remarks as ties between New Delhi and Washington continue to reel under possibly the worst phase in over two decades.
Trump's latest post on social media came days after the bonhomie among Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin at a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in the Chinese city of Tianjin drew global attention.
"Looks like we have lost India and Russia to deepest, darkest China. May they have a long and prosperous future together!" the US president said on Truth Social.
The relations between New Delhi and Washington are on a downturn after Trump doubled tariffs on Indian goods to a whopping 50 per cent, including a 25 per cent additional duties for India's purchase of Russian crude oil. The additional tariff has already come into effect from August 27.
India described the US action as "unfair, unjustified and unreasonable" and even wondered why it has been singled out for the punitive action.
Surprisingly, the US has not imposed any punitive measures on China, the largest importer of Russian crude oil.
In the last few days, several Trump administration officials, including White House trade advisor Peter Navarro, have used offensive language to target India.
India's big oil lobby has turned the largest democracy in the world into a "massive refining hub and oil money laundromat for the Kremlin", Navarro said last week.
Though the focus of the SCO summit on Monday was to ensure deeper security and economic complementarities among its member nations, what drew larger attention was the public display of bonhomie among Modi, Putin and Xi, signalling a broader convergence among the leading three powers.
A video of Modi and Putin holding hands and walking towards Xi, and then all three forming a close circle as good friends went viral on social media.
In his address at the summit, Xi elaborated on his vision for a new global security and economic order that prioritises the Global South.
As China hosted several world leaders at the Victory Day parade in Beijing on Wednesday, Trump accused the Chinese president of conspiring against the US along with Putin and North Korea's Kim Jong Un.
"May President Xi and the wonderful people of China have a great and lasting day of celebration," Trump wrote on Truth Social.
"Please give my warmest regards to Vladimir Putin, and Kim Jong Un, as you conspire against the United States of America."
Over the last few days, India-US ties have witnessed a major downturn after over two decades of close cooperation. The tension began after the collapse of the negotiations for a trade deal, as well as Trump's repeated claims that he resolved the military conflict between India and Pakistan in May.
India has been maintaining that it ended following direct talks between the two sides.
Over the last few months, India and the US held several rounds of negotiations for a bilateral trade deal, but it could not be sealed in view of sharp divergences in certain critical areas, including agriculture and dairy.
The bilateral trade between India and the US was around USD 130 billion last year and there was a projection of upward mobility in the volume.
The US has also been targeting India for its energy ties with Russia.
Defending its purchase of Russian crude oil, India has been maintaining that its energy procurement is driven by national interest and market dynamics.
India turned to purchasing Russian oil sold at a discount after Western countries imposed sanctions on Moscow and shunned its supplies over its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Consequently, from a mere 1.7 per cent share in total oil imports in 2019-20, Russia's share increased to 35.1 per cent in 2024-25, and it is now the biggest oil supplier to India.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Austrian police detain suspect in case of rat poison found in baby food jars on supermarket shelves
Vienna (AP): Police in eastern Austria say a 39-year-old suspect has been arrested after rat poison turned up in some HiPP baby food jars on supermarket shelves in central Europe.
HiPP, which recalled some of its baby food jars in Austria, Slovakia and the Czech Republic after the case came to light last month, said in a statement Saturday it was “greatly relieved” by the arrest, and would provide further updates as verified details come in.
The Burgenland State Criminal Police Office, under the direction of prosecutors, said a probe was launched after poison turned up in a baby food jar purchased at a supermarket in the city of Eisenstadt on April 18.
It said the suspect was being questioned, and that no further details would be immediately provided. The Burgenland public prosecutor's office has announced an investigation into suspected “intentional endangerment of the public.”
The Austrian Press Agency reported that an expert report on the toxicity of the poison was pending. A total of five tampered baby food jars were seized before they could be consumed, APA reported.
Authorities said previously they believe the tampering occurred in 190-gram (6.7-ounce) jars of baby food made with carrots and potatoes for 5-month-olds that were sold from SPAR supermarkets in Austria.
HiPP responded by recalling all of its baby food jars sold at SPAR supermarkets — which include SPAR, EUROSPAR, INTERSPAR and Maximarkt stores — in Austria as a precaution. Vendors in Slovakia and the Czech Republic also removed all of the brand's baby jars from sale.
The company said the recall was not due to any product or quality defect on its part, and said the jars left its facility in “perfect condition.”
Police said a customer at the time of the discovery had reported that a jar appeared to have been tampered with, but no one had consumed the baby food.
