New York Times op-ed editor resigns amid backlash over column against anti-racism protesters
New York: The editorial page head of the New York Times has resigned after his decision to publish an op-ed - by a US senator who called for military force against anti-racism protesters - drew online fury and criticism from many of the paper's staffers.
James Bennet, the editorial page editor since May 2016, faced intense backlash after initially defending the column headlined Send in The Military by Republican US Senator Tom Cotton.
The hardline op-ed - which Bennet initially defended as an example of the newspaper's commitment to ideological diversity - was met with both internal and external outrage.
Cotton's essay encouraged an "overwhelming show of force to disperse, detain and ultimately deter lawbreakers" as anti-racism protests rage across the United States over the police killing of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man, on May 25.
Some 800 Times staffers signed a petition in protest, as many of the paper's employees tweeted: "Running this puts Black @NYTimes staff in danger."
The company's publisher, AG Sulzberger, also initially defended the decision to issue the column but later said the essay fell short of NYT standards.
Bennet also admitted he had not read the column before its publication.
On Sunday, Sulzberger dubbed Bennet "a journalist of enormous talent and integrity" in an NYT statement announcing the resignation.
The statement did not mention the op-ed controversy, but the paper quoted Sulzberger as saying in a note to staff: "Last week we saw a significant breakdown in our editing processes, not the first we've experienced in recent years."
"James and I agreed that it would take a new team to lead the department through a period of considerable change."
The paper named Katie Kingsbury, a Times staffer since 2017, the acting editorial page editor through the November election.
Source: AFP
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Middle East crisis: Oil prices cross $83 per barrel as Strait of Hormuz disruption hits supply
New Delhi: Global crude oil prices rose sharply on Thursday, crossing $83 per barrel, following Iran’s move to shut down the Strait of Hormuz amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.
Oil prices have increased by more than 2 per cent due to concerns over supply disruptions in the region, which is a key route for global energy shipments.
A sustained rise in crude prices could significantly affect India’s import bill. Government estimates indicate that an increase of $1 per barrel in crude oil prices for a full year could raise India’s import bill by around Rs 16,000 crore.
However, government sources said India remains in a relatively comfortable position in the short term. The country currently has crude oil reserves sufficient for about 25 days, along with an additional 25 days’ supply of petroleum products, including shipments already in transit to Indian ports.
India imports nearly 85 per cent of its crude oil requirements from the Middle East, with much of the supply traditionally passing through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical oil transit routes.
Officials said India has strengthened its energy security in recent years by diversifying its sources of crude oil imports. Supplies have increasingly been sourced from countries such as Russia, African nations and the United States, reducing dependence on Gulf routes.
As a result, a portion of India’s oil imports now bypasses the Strait of Hormuz.
India spent about $137 billion on crude oil imports in the financial year ending March 31, 2025. In the current financial year, from April 2025 to January 2026, the country spent approximately $100.4 billion to import 206.3 million tonnes of crude oil.
