Trump asks EU to impose up to 100% tariffs on India, China for buying Russian crude oil: Report
New Delhi: US President Donald Trump has asked the European Union (EU) to impose tariffs of up to 100 per cent on India and China as part of a joint effort to increase pressure on Russia to end the war in Ukraine, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday.
The report came shortly after Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi exchanged positive outlook about the India-US relations and referred to ongoing efforts to seal a trade deal.
The president made the extraordinary demand after dialling into a meeting on Tuesday between senior US and EU officials gathered in Washington to discuss ways to heighten the economic cost of the war for Moscow, the report said, citing unnamed officials.
The FT quoted a US official as saying that Washington was prepared to "mirror" any tariffs on China and India imposed by the EU.
The relations between New Delhi and Washington are on a major 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.
India described the US action as "unfair, unjustified and unreasonable".
However, the exchanges between Modi and Trump on social media indicated some efforts to reset the ties.
In the last few days, several Trump administration officials including White House trade advisor Peter Navarro have used offensive language to criticise India for its procurement of Russian crude oil.
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 recently.
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.
The FT's report came amid renewed push by Trump to end the Ukraine conflict.
The US president held summit talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska last month to explore ways to end the conflict.
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Veteran Congress leader Shamanuru Shivashankarappa laid to rest with full state honours
Bengaluru (PTI): Veteran Congress leader Shamanuru Shivashankarappa was laid to rest with full state honours on Monday.
The 94-year-old former minister, who passed away at a private hospital in Bengaluru on Sunday, was cremated at the Kalleshwara Mill premises, following Veerashaiva-Lingayat traditions.
Earlier in the day, Shivashankarappa's mortal remains were brought to his native Davanagere, where they were kept at the high school grounds for the public, his followers, and well-wishers to pay their last respects.
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Expressing deep sorrow over his demise, the Karnataka government ordered that his last rites be performed with full state honours.
Both the Karnataka Legislative Assembly and Council also mourned his passing, adjourning their sessions for the day after paying tributes.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy CM D K Shivakumar, AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge, veteran BJP leader B S Yediyurappa, several ministers, opposition leaders, legislators, and political figures paid their respects.
A number of seers from the Veerashaiva-Lingayat community also attended the last rites.
Shivashankarappa represented the Davanagere South Assembly constituency. He had been undergoing treatment at the hospital for some time before succumbing to age-related ailments.
The senior-most legislator in Karnataka, Shivashankarappa, was also one of the longest-serving lawmakers in the country, sources said.
He is survived by three sons, including S S Mallikarjun, the Karnataka Minister for Mines, Geology, and Horticulture, and four daughters. His daughter-in-law, Prabha Mallikarjun, is the Member of Parliament from Davanagere.
A six-time MLA, Shivashankarappa also served as a minister and an MP.
He was a prominent educationist, establishing several educational institutions, and was an industrialist.
Additionally, he served as the treasurer of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) for decades and was the president of the All India Veerashaiva Mahasabha, the apex body of the influential Veerashaiva-Lingayat community.
