WhatsApp says Russia is trying to block it
ADVERTISEMENT Russia has started restricting some Telegram and WhatsApp calls, accusing the foreign-owned platforms of failing to share information with law enforcement in fraud and terrorism cases.
"WhatsApp is private, end-to-end encrypted, and defies government attempts to violate people's right to secure communication, which is why Russia is trying to block it from over 100 million Russian people," WhatsApp said in a statement.
"We will keep doing all we can to make end-to-end encrypted communication available to people everywhere, including in Russia."
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First Post
28 minutes ago
- First Post
Putin gets validation from Alaska summit. What did Trump take home in an empty-handed return?
Despite Trump's erratic outburst against Putin, the Russian president lauded the 'friendly tone' of talks, greeted Trump as a 'dear neighbour,' and proposed a future meeting 'next time in Moscow,' signalling continued engagement US President Donald Trump salutes as he walks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the tarmac after they arrived at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, on August 15, 2025. - AFP The Alaska Summit between US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, has ended without any breakthrough on ending the Ukraine war. While Trump returned home empty-handed, Putin took back diplomatic recognition despite Western attempts to isolate him over the Ukraine invasion. This was the Russian president's first visit to a Western nation since 2015. Despite Trump's erratic outburst against Putin, the Russian president lauded the 'friendly tone' of talks, greeted Trump as a 'dear neighbour,' and proposed a future meeting 'next time in Moscow,' signalling continued engagement. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The meeting comes as the war has caused heavy losses on both sides and drained resources. Ukraine has held on far longer than some initially expected since the February 2022 invasion, but it is straining to hold off Russia's much larger army, grappling with bombardments of its cities and fighting for every inch on the over 600-mile (1,000-kilometre) front line. Trump heaps praise on Putin Trump, who for years has baulked at American support for Ukraine and expressed admiration for Putin, had pledged confidently to bring about an end to the war on his first day back in the White House. Seven months later, after berating Zelenskyy in the Oval Office and stanching the flow of some US military assistance to Kyiv, Trump could not bring Putin even to pause the fighting, as his forces made gains on the battlefield. He handed Putin long-sought recognition on the international stage, after years of Western efforts to make him a pariah over the war and his crackdown on dissent, and forestalled the threat of additional US sanctions. Trump fails to take anything home Trump arrived with high expectations, aiming to demonstrate dealmaking prowess and end the war, but left without any binding agreements or a ceasefire. Despite Trump's earlier boasts, he conceded, 'there's no deal until there's a deal,' showing the gulf remaining between the two sides. The Alaska summit was Trump's biggest test to date as a peace dealmaker. An empty-hand return doesn't boost his CV amid his repeated claims of having ended more wars than any other US president. Trump placed partial responsibility on Zelenskyy to 'get it done,' signalling limited US leverage or willingness to push harder on Kyiv. The lavish welcome and Putin's smiles contrasted starkly with the ongoing war and stalled progress. Trump assured future dialogue but returned empty-handed, with no concrete plan to end the conflict or alter existing sanctions. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD With inputs from AP
India.com
28 minutes ago
- India.com
India stands firm against Trump tariff threats, increases crude oil imports from Russia, this month purchase stands at...
India stands firm against Trump tariff threats, increases crude oil imports from Russia, this month purchase stands at... After failing to finalise a trade deal with India, the US has been targeting the country. However, Washington's threats have had no effect on New Delhi. In the past few weeks, US President Donald Trump warned of heavy tariffs on India for buying Russian oil and doing business with Moscow. Despite this, India's imports of Russian crude have actually gone up this month. Reports say that in August so far, India has been buying about 2 million barrels of oil per day from Russia. It has also emerged that Indian refineries are prioritising economic benefits when deciding on crude oil purchases. Global data and analytics firm Kpler reported that in the first half of August, India imported about 5.2 million barrels of crude oil per day, with 38 per cent of it coming from Russia. During this period, India bought nearly 2 million barrels per day from Russia, up from 1.6 million barrels per day in July, showing a month-on-month increase in Russian oil imports. In the same period, imports from Iraq dropped to 730,000 barrels per day, while imports from Saudi Arabia fell from 700,000 to 526,000 barrels per day. According to Kpler, India imported 264,000 barrels per day from the United States, making the U.S. the country's fifth-largest oil supplier. Kpler's lead research analyst, Sumit Ritolia, said that India's trade with Russia has remained steady. 'India's imports of Russian crude oil have so far stayed stable in August. Even after the Trump administration announced tariffs at the end of July 2025, there has been no drop,' he said. Ritolia explained that this stability is mainly because August's supplies were arranged back in June and early July. He added that if there is any change in the situation, it will likely be visible only in shipments arriving between late September and October. India's clear response to Trump's warning Earlier, Donald Trump had announced a 25 per cent tariff on India, which he later increased to 50 per cent. He claimed that India is trading heavily with Russia and indirectly helping it in the Ukraine war. India, however, called the U.S. tariffs unreasonable and made it clear that it will take all necessary steps to protect its economic and national interests.
NDTV
28 minutes ago
- NDTV
Trump Claims Russia Lost "Oil Client" India, Then Another Tariff Warning
US President Donald Trump on Friday claimed Russia lost India as one of its oil clients after Washington imposed a penalty on New Delhi over the purchases, and warned against the possibility of a similar sanction on Moscow with "devastating" results. The President's remarks came even as New Delhi is yet to confirm any halt in oil purchases from Moscow after Washington announced a 25 per cent duty in addition to a 25 per cent tariffs on Indian goods last month. "They lost oil client India which was doing about 40% of the oil and China's doing a lot. If I did a secondary tariff it would be devastating, if I have to I will, maybe I won't have to," Mr Trump told Fox News as he departed for Alaska for a high-stakes meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Trump says he may not impose 25% tariffs on India (to kick in from 27 August) for buying Russian oil.. Trump: "They lost oil client India which was doing about 40% of the oil & China's doing a lot, if I did a secondary tariff it would be devastating, if I have to I will, may be… — Dhairya Maheshwari (@dhairyam14) August 16, 2025 On August 6, Mr Trump escalated his tariff offensive against India by slapping an additional 25 percent duty and subsequently doubling it to 50 percent on Indian goods over New Delhi's continuous imports of Russian oil. India condemned the "unfair, unjustified and unreasonable" move that is likely to hit sectors such as textiles, marine and leather exports hard. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said New Delhi would not back down in the face of economic pressure. With this action singling out New Delhi for the Russian oil imports, India will attract the highest US tariff of 50 percent along with Brazil. Both Russia and China, among others, have slammed Mr Trump for exerting illegal trade pressure on India. A Bloomberg report claimed India's state-owned refiners stopped buying Russian crude after Mr Trump's action even though the government is yet to announce any confirmation. On Thursday, Indian Oil Corporation chairman AS Sahney said India has not halted oil purchases from Russia and continues to buy solely on the basis of economic considerations. India became the largest customer of Russian oil in 2022, after western countries shunned Russian oil and imposed sanctions on Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine. According to a report by the State Bank of India, India's crude oil import bill could increase by USD 9 billion this financial year and USD 12 billion in the next, if the country stops buying Russian crude oil. The report also said that India can consider buying oil from Iraq - its top supplier before the Ukraine war - followed by Saudi Arabia and the UAE in the event of cutting off the Russian supplies. Data intelligence firm Kpler Ltd reported Russian crude is being offered to Indian buyers at lower prices as European Union sanctions and threats of penalties from the US cloud the demand outlook, Bloomberg reported.
