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Hindustan Times
21 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Trump says US could reach trade deal with India, casts doubt on deal with Japan
By Andrea Shalal and David Lawder Trump says US could reach trade deal with India, casts doubt on deal with Japan WASHINGTON -The United States could reach a trade deal with India that would help American companies compete in the South Asian country and leave it facing far lower tariffs, President Donald Trump said on Tuesday, while casting doubt on a possible deal with Japan. Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that he believed India was ready to lower barriers for U.S. companies, which could pave the way for an agreement staving off the 26% rate he announced on April 2, before pausing it until July 9. "Right now, India doesn't accept anybody in. I think India is going to do that, if they do that, we're going to have a deal for less, much less tariffs," he said. Earlier, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox News that the U.S. and India are nearing a deal that would lower tariffs on American imports to the South Asian country and help India avoid levies from rising sharply next week. "We are very close with India," Bessent told Fox News in response to a question about progress on trade negotiations. Indian officials extended a visit to Washington last week through Monday to try to reach agreement on a trade deal with President Donald Trump's administration and address lingering concerns on both sides, Indian government sources told Reuters. A White House official familiar with the talks said the Trump administration plans to prioritize securing trade deals with countries including India ahead of Japan in the days leading up to the July 9 deadline. India is one of more than a dozen countries actively negotiating with the Trump administration to try to avoid a steep spike in tariff rates on July 9, when a 90-day tariff pause ends. India could see its new "reciprocal" tariff rate rise to 27% from the current 10%. The U.S.-India talks have hit roadblocks over disagreements on import duties for auto components, steel, and farm goods, ahead of Trump's deadline to impose reciprocal tariffs. "We are in the middle hopefully more than the middle of a very intricate trade negotiation," Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar told an event in New York on Monday. "Obviously, my hope would be that we bring it to a successful conclusion. I cannot guarantee it, because there's another party to that discussion," said Jaishankar, who is in the U.S. for a meeting of the China-focused Quad grouping. He added that there "will have to be give and take" and the two sides will have to find middle ground. TRUMP SUGGESTS HIGHER TARIFF FOR JAN Bessent told Fox News that different countries have different agendas for trade deals, including Japan, which Trump complained about on Monday and again on Tuesday. Trump said he was not thinking of extending the July 9 deadline and would simply send letters notifying countries of the tariff rate they would face. "We've dealt with Japan. I'm not sure we're going to make a deal. I doubt it," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One as he returned to Washington from a trip to Florida. Trump suggested he could impose a tariff of 30% or 35% on imports from Japan - well above the 24% tariff rate he announced on April 2 and then paused until July 9. He said Japan was refusing to accept U.S.-grown rice, a demand made by Washington that he described as "an easy one," while selling millions of cars in the United States. "So what I'm going to do, is I'll write them a letter saying we thank you very much, and we know you can't do the kind of things that we need, and therefore you pay a 30%, 35% or whatever the numbers that we determine," he said. So far, only Britain has negotiated a limited trade deal with the Trump administration, accepting a 10% U.S. tariff on many goods, including autos, in exchange for special access for aircraft engines and British beef. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Mint
31 minutes ago
- Mint
Jury reaches verdict on some counts at Sean Diddy Combs sex trafficking trial
(Adds jury reaches verdict) Jury asks to review Ventura's testimony on 2016 hotel incident Combs denies sex trafficking, admits past domestic abuse Prosecutors allege coercion in drug-fueled sex marathons NEW YORK, July 1 (Reuters) - The jury at Sean "Diddy" Combs sex trafficking trial has reached a verdict on several counts, the judge overseeing the case said on Tuesday, after a seven-week trial in which two of the music mogul's former girlfriends testified that he physically and sexually abused them. Combs, a former billionaire known for elevating hip-hop in American culture, was charged with racketeering conspiracy and two counts each of sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. Prosecutors say Combs for two decades used his business empire to force two of his romantic partners to take part in drug-fueled, days-long sexual performances sometimes known as "Freak Offs" with male sex workers in hotel rooms while Combs watched, masturbated and occasionally filmed. During raids of Combs' homes, authorities found drugs and 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant that he would use in the performances, prosecutors said. Combs, 55, had pleaded not guilty to all five counts. His lawyers acknowledged that the Bad Boy Records, once famed for hosting lavish parties for the cultural elite in luxurious locales like the Hamptons and Saint-Tropez, founder was at times violent in his domestic relationships. But they said the sexual activity described by prosecutors was consensual. The seven-week trial in Manhattan federal court exposed the inner workings of Combs' business empire and gave the 12-member jury an intimate look into his volatile romantic relationships with the rhythm and blues singer Casandra "Cassie" Ventura and a woman known in court by the pseudonym Jane. Ventura sued Combs in November 2023 for sex trafficking, the first of dozens of civil lawsuits accusing him of abuse. Combs, also known throughout his career as Puff Daddy and P. Diddy and once feted for turning artists like Notorious B.I.G. and Usher into stars, settled with Ventura for $20 million. He has denied all wrongdoing. At the trial, jurors saw surveillance footage from 2016 showing Combs kicking and dragging Ventura in the hallway of an InterContinental hotel in Los Angeles, where she said she was trying to leave a "Freak Off." Jane later testified that Combs in June 2024 attacked her and directed her to perform oral sex on a male entertainer, even though she told him she did not want to. That alleged attack took place a month after Combs apologized on social media for his 2016 attack of Ventura, footage of which had been broadcast on CNN. According to prosecutors, physical violence was just one way Combs compelled Ventura and Jane to take part in the performances - an act of coercion they say amounts to sex trafficking because the male escorts were paid. Both women testifiedthat he threatened to withhold financial support and to leak sexually explicit images of them if they refused to comply. "The defendant used power, violence and fear to get what he wanted," prosecutor Christy Slavik said in her closing argument on June 26. "He doesn't take no for an answer." Combs' defense lawyers argued that while Combs may have committed domestic violence in the context of volatile romantic partnerships, his conduct did not amount to sex trafficking. They argued that Ventura and Jane were strong, independent women who voluntarily took part in the sexual performances because they wanted to please Combs. Both women testified they spent time with Combs and took part in sexual performances after he beat them. Defense lawyers argued that Ventura and Jane were retrospectively accusing Combs of forcing their participation in the performances because they were jealous he was seeing other women. "If he was charged with domestic violence, we wouldn't all be here," Combs' defense lawyer Marc Agnifilo said in his closing argument on June 27. "He did not do the things he's charged with." RACKETEERING CONSPIRACY Besides Ventura and Jane, jurors also heard testimony from Combs' former personal assistants who said their jobs included setting up hotel rooms for "Freak Offs" and buying their boss drugs. An InterContinental security guard testified that Combs, in the presence of his chief of staff, paid him $100,000 to hand over what he thought was the only copy of the surveillance tape of his attack on Ventura. And Scott Mescudi, the rapper known as Kid Cudi, told jurors Combs was likely involved in an arson on his car after Combs found out he was romantically involved with Ventura. According to prosecutors, those were all acts Combs and his associates undertook in furtherance of a racketeering conspiracy whose aim was, in part, to facilitate his abuse and keep evidence of his wrongdoing under wraps. The defense argued Combs was a successful entrepreneur who used drugs recreationally, but kept his professional and personal lives separate. Combs has been held in federal lockup in Brooklyn since his September 2024 arrest. (Reporting by Jack Queen and Luc Cohen in New York, Editing by Nick Zieminski)
Hans India
42 minutes ago
- Hans India
Telangana's blanket ban is turbo-charging the offshore online sports betting and casino economy, kills domestic gaming industry: finds PRAHAR consumer survey
A new report from Delhi-based civil society group PRAHAR (Public Response Against Helplessness and Action for Redressal) has uncovered the persistent rise of offshore online sports betting and casino platforms in Telangana despite a sweeping state-wide ban on all kinds of online real-money platforms. The study reveals how sports betting and casino operators—most of them foreign offshore entities—continue to engage users directly through aggressive digital marketing, celebrity endorsements, and encrypted platforms, circumventing enforcement and raising critical threats to digital sovereignty and public safety. The study titled Click. Bet. Repeat: Consumer Survey on Forces Driving Online Betting and Gambling in Telangana, is based on a comprehensive field study of 2,671 respondents who indulge in real money gaming . It uncovers how foreign betting operators target Indian users through online ads, YouTube videos, Telegram groups, and meme pages, often using local influencers to add legitimacy. Explains Mr. Abhay Raj Mishra, President & National Convenor of PRAHAR: 'Telangana led the way in 2017 with a blanket ban on all online real-money plays—skill or chance—without even drawing a line between legal and illegal play. What was hailed as a bold move has, in reality, created the perfect storm for offshore sports betting and casino to thrive unchecked.' 'Eight years on, the evidence is undeniable: the ban has failed. Instead of protecting citizens, it has driven domestic operators out and handed the market on a silver platter to offshore betting syndicates. This has left users more vulnerable than ever. The newly formed SIT has its work cut out—but let's be clear: more bans and crackdowns won't solve what is now a deep-rooted menace undermining national security.', he adds Calling out strong recommendations, Mr. Mishra said 'Telangana has a rare second chance. The first, cautious step was a blanket ban; the wiser next step is bold, inclusive policy. Citizens have already moved on—real-money gaming isn't vanishing, it's evolving. The ask isn't to rubber-stamp vice, but to stay ahead of its risks by providing clean avenues for people to play real money games of skill, instead of sports betting and casino. Lead with foresight, not fear, and turn a growing reality into a safer, transparent system that works for everyone.' KEY FINDINGS Illegal, but popular, making national security a casualty 96% of users know real money gaming in Telangana is banned, yet participate in sports betting and casino, with 87% playing daily. This has pushed domestic online platforms away from Telangana, paving way for more sinister activities, with a significant national security risk. Who's Playing — a young, mostly male, broadly educated crowd Nearly two-thirds of users are under 30 (45 % are 18-25 and 17 % are 26-30), and men outnumber women four to one (78 % vs 22 %), yet at 22% women participation is significant. Education is mixed: while 42 % stopped after school, 50% hold a college degree. Students (35 %) and salaried professionals and self-employed (52 %) dominate the occupation split, and the activity cuts across income levels even though 60 % come from households earning under ₹30 000 a month. Getting In and Paying Up — offshore apps, easy work-arounds, anonymous wallets Stake, colour-prediction apps, 1xBet, 1win and Teen Patti are the five most-tried platforms (each 47–70 %). Access is effortless for 89 % of players, with 69 % relying on VPNs to hide their real identity and another 20 % using Telegram links to dodge geo-blocks, and also because they are provided with VPN links in these Telegram groups. Almost everyone plays incognito: 94 % skip real-name KYC, and 86 % fund accounts via UPI transfers routed through friends or agents, indicating existence of mule accounts, far ahead of wallets (14 %), cash (8 %) and cards (6 %). Usage Intensity — daily play, modest tickets for most Engagement is extreme: 87 % log in every day. Seven in ten spend ₹500–₹2 000 a month and 73 % keep wagers below 1 % of household income, yet 12 % already risk 5 % or more, signalling an at-risk minority. Wins, Losses and the 'I'm Ahead' Illusion Losses are almost universal (99 %), but so are wins (99 %). Four-fifths have lost between ₹1 000 and ₹10 000, while 71 % have won in the same band; about one in five have crossed the ₹10 000 mark on winnings and 5 % on losses. The near balance feeds the belief—held by 83 %—that they are net positive overall. Mindset & Motivations — chasing quick cash and social proof A spectacular 97 % play for the chance of quick money, 61 % cite entertainment, and half mention social acceptance. Tales of huge payouts lure 87 % into their first game and remain the chief reason (86 %) that grim media stories of debt or suicide do not scare them off. Players also underestimate danger: 64 % think fewer than 1 % of gamblers get into serious trouble. Consumer Sentiment — ban rejected, legalizing welcomed Almost everyone (96 %) knows the pastime is illegal in Telangana, yet plays anyway; 94 % now want the state to legalise and regulate real-money gaming, while only 6 % back the current blanket ban.
