
Fresh explosions reported in Iran; Israel says air force destroyed radar installation near Tehran
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office confirmed the development, while several Iranian media outlets reported that sounds of explosions were heard in the north.
This comes hours after US President Donald Trump said an Iran-Israel ceasefire was now "in effect".
The Etemad and Ham Mihan newspapers said explosions were heard and air defences were activated in Babol and Babolsar, two towns about 200 kilometres (124 miles) northeast of Tehran on the Caspian Sea.
Israel said that the strike was in response to Iran's violation of the ceasefire, while informing that it refrained from further strikes after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with US President Donald Trump.
'Following President Trump's conversation with Prime Minister Netanyahu, Israel refrained from additional attacks,' Netanyahu's office said.
(This is a developing story. Check back for updates)

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Indian Express
29 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Trumponomics was supposed to be a disaster! Then why hasn't the US economy fallen off a cliff (yet)?
US President Donald Trump's tariff upheaval was followed by predictions of market mayhem and a progressive decimation of the American economy. Nearly six months down the line, the impact is at best muted: the S&P 500 is actually around 10 per cent higher than it was on Liberation Day, while the dollar, though down, has strengthened over the past fortnight. Despite higher import duties on practically all of its trading partners, Trump's tariffs haven't fueled a massive spike in consumer prices in the US yet. On Tuesday, a widely followed measure of inflation in the US accelerated slightly less than expected in July on an annual basis as Trump's tariffs seemed to show a muted impact. The consumer price index increased a seasonally adjusted 0.2 per cent for the month and 2.7 per cent on a year-on-year basis, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Tuesday. The CPI had risen 2.7 per cent in June, when compared with the year earlier, while being slightly above the Federal Reserve's 2 per cent target. Does it portend an impending one-time price increase to serious long-drawn inflation is really the big question. There are at least three reasons why broad economic metrics still look good. One, Trump inherited an economy that was growing at over 2 per cent, near full-employment, and subdued inflation. It will take some time to wind down. Second, with tariffs looming after Trump repeatedly heralded threats, importers in the US front-loaded shipments from across countries to beat the tariffs. A lot of items on American retail shelves and the ones sold in recent months do not reflect the tariff incidence, purely because they hit the US shores before the tariffs kicked in. Trump's repeated waivers and extensions have also helped matters. The stock markets continue to get tailwinds from America's extraordinary artificial-intelligence boom, which has pushed up projected earnings for its biggest tech companies over the last 24 months. Tech has an overweight influence on the US markets. Markets also might be expecting Trump to chicken out — on the lines of the widely-used acronym TACO, or Trump Always Chickens Out — as the impact of tariffs becomes evident. The lack of a reaction so far might be emboldening him to push ahead. But it could get bad, and the downward spiral could happen really fast. While key economic data offers a somewhat subjective picture, with inflation having so far defied the worst of economists' expectations even as the US consumer remains strong, there are clear signs of pockets of weakness in the labour market and a slowdown in growth. The red flags include the firing of Erika McEntarfer, the Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) on August 1, after the agency said that non-farm payrolls — or new jobs outside of agriculture –— rose by just 73,000 in July, while the numbers for the previous two months were revised downwards by more than a quarter of a million to a mere 19,000 for May and 14,000 for June. The US President claimed the numbers were being 'rigged' to make him and his Republican party 'look bad'. Even if a new BLS chief is appointed to make the data look good, there are fundamental flaws in Trump's worldview that could impact the American economy in the months to come. The stated aim of Trump's tariffs — reshoring manufacturing and creating jobs back in the US — is difficult to achieve given America's loss of competitiveness, especially in labour-intensive industries. Higher import costs will progressively feed into prices in the US; costlier goods will dent consumption, and with weaker demand job creation will taper off. These strains are likely to become more pronounced during the Fall-Winter/Christmas shopping season, potentially shaping voter sentiment in the run-up to the midterm elections. Given that the Trump administration has significantly hiked tariffs on virtually all US trading partners, with some major economies such as the European Union, Japan and South Korea facing a 15 per cent tariff while others including Canada, Switzerland, Brazil and India facing much higher rates, upwards of 35 to 50 per cent, unless a deal is reached for each of the key trading partners, the average tariffs charged by the US on its imports would be somewhere in the 15-20 per cent range. In January, the effective average US tariff figure was 3 per cent. For the US, this entire exercise would be inflationary, even if importers or retailers were to bear part of the costs. The effects of inflation are starting to show up in the most likely of areas, with reports of retail majors such as Costco and Walmart hiking prices of appliances, furniture, tools and children's items. Also, while the Gross Domestic Product, or GDP, grew at a robust annual rate of 3 per cent in the second quarter of 2025, which was up from a half per cent contraction in the first quarter, the big driver was strong consumer spending, But much of that was on account of goods that were imported on a front-loaded basis. There is the possibility of a sharp slowdown going forward, and while a recession is not on the cards yet, a slowdown is looming. Apart from tariffs, there are concerns around Trump's tax bill and how that will impact the US deficit. Some of this concern was reflected on August 6, when the 10-year American Treasury yield rose following a somewhat dismal $42 billion auction of new securities by the US Treasury Department. The benchmark 10-year note yield was up more than 2 basis points to 4.22 per cent, while the 30-year Treasury bond yield climbed more than 4 basis points to 4.813 per cent, according to Reuters data. One basis point equals one hundredth of a percentage point, and yields and prices move in opposite directions. The US Federal Reserve, the country's central bank, has a dual mandate of ensuring price stability and maximum employment. Fed chief Jerome Powell, who is under fire from Trump for not cutting rates, is ironically faced with a two-sided risk now, a threat to both its goals. Inflation is set to rise while employment numbers are likely to taper off. The challenge for Powell is that while keeping its benchmark interest rate too high could keep inflation in check, it could also dent the already shaky job market. The second half of 2025 is undoubtedly going to be more unpredictable than the first, and the impact of Trump's fickle tariff outlook could actually start showing up as business owners begin to make well educated decisions about how much they actually have to increase prices. Whereas once American shoppers were spoiled for choice, now firms that succeed in the post-Trump regime will do so not only because they are the most innovative or efficient, but because they are good at gaming the system or lobbying for sops. Fortunes will be spent on lobbying, and that makes it difficult to remove any of these tariffs even after a new administration takes office. So, the high tariff US external outlook is likely to fester even beyond Trump.


The Hindu
29 minutes ago
- The Hindu
In D.C. crackdown, Trump echoes decades old racist crime narratives
President Donald Trump has taken control of the District of Columbia's law enforcement and ordered National Guard troops to deploy onto the streets of the nation's capital, arguing the extraordinary moves are in response to an urgent public safety crisis. Even as district officials questioned the claims underlying his emergency declaration, the Republican President promised a 'historic action to rescue our nation's capital from crime, bloodshed, bedlam and squalor and worse.' His rhetoric echoed that used by conservative politicians going back decades who have denounced American cities, especially those with majority non-white populations or led by progressive politicians, as lawless or crime-ridden and in need of outside intervention. 'This is liberation day in D.C., and we're going to take our capital back,' Mr. Trump promised Monday (August 11, 2025). As District of Columbia National Guard troops arrived at their headquarters Tuesday (August 12, 2025), for many residents, the prospect of federal troops surging into the district's neighbourhoods represented an alarming violation of local agency. To some, it echoes uncomfortable historical chapters when politicians used language to paint historically or predominantly Black cities and neighbourhoods with racist narratives to shape public opinion and justify aggressive police action. April Goggans, a longtime Washington resident and grassroots organiser, said she was not surprised by Mr. Trump's actions. Communities had been preparing for a potential federal crackdown in the district since the summer of 2020, when Mr. Trump deployed National Guard troops during racial justice protests after the murder of George Floyd. 'We have to be vigilant,' said Ms. Goggans, who has coordinated protests and local civil liberties educational campaigns for nearly a decade. She worries about what a surge in law enforcement could mean for residents' freedoms. 'Regardless of where you fall on the political scale, understand that this could be you, your children, your grandmother, your co-worker who are brutalised or have certain rights violated,' she said. According to White House officials, National Guard troops will be deployed to protect federal assets in the district and facilitate a safe environment for law enforcement to make arrests. The administration believes the highly visible presence of law enforcement will deter violent crime. It is unclear how the administration defines providing a safe environment for law enforcement to conduct arrests, raising alarm bells for some local advocates. 'The president foreshadowed that if these heavy-handed tactics take root here, they will be rolled out to other majority-Black and Brown cities, like Chicago, Oakland and Baltimore, across the country,' said Monica Hopkins, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union's D.C. chapter. 'We've seen before how federal control of the D.C. National Guard and police can lead to abuse, intimidation and civil rights violations — from military helicopters swooping over peaceful racial justice protesters in 2020 to the unchecked conduct of federal officers who remain shielded from full accountability,' Ms. Hopkins said. Conservative lawmakers have for generations used denigrating language to describe the condition of major American cities and called for greater law enforcement, often in response to changing demographics in those cities driven by non-white populations relocating in search of work or safety from racial discrimination and state violence. Republicans have called for greater police crackdowns in cities since at least the 1965 Watts Riots in Los Angeles. President Richard Nixon won the White House in 1968 after campaigning on a 'law and order' agenda to appeal to white voters in northern cities alongside overtures to white Southerners as part of his 'Southern Strategy.' Ronald Reagan similarly won both his presidential elections after campaigning heavily on law and order politics. Politicians ranging from former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani to former President Bill Clinton have cited the need to tamp down crime as a reason to seize power from cities like Washington for decades. District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser called Mr. Trump's takeover of the local police force 'unsettling' but not without precedent. The Mayor kept a mostly measured tone during a Monday (August 11, 2025) news conference following Mr. Trump's announcement but decried the President's reasoning as a 'so-called emergency' and said the district's residents 'know that access to our democracy is tenuous.' Mr. Trump threatened to 'take over' and 'beautify' the nation's capital on the campaign trail and claimed the district was 'a nightmare of murder and crime.' He also argued the city was 'horribly run' and said his team intended 'to take it away from the Mayor.' The President repeated comments he had previously made about some of the nation's largest cities during his news conference, including Baltimore, Chicago, Los Angeles, Oakland, California and his hometown of New York City. All are currently run by Black mayors. 'You look at Chicago, how bad it is. You look at Los Angeles, how bad it is. We have other cities in a very bad, New York is a problem. And then you have, of course, Baltimore and Oakland. We don't even mention that anymore. They're so far gone. We're not going to let it happen,' he said. Civil rights advocates see the President's rhetoric as part of a broader political strategy. 'It's a playbook he's used in the past,' said Maya Wiley, CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. The President's rhetoric 'paints a picture that crime is out of control, even when it is not true, then blames the policies of Democratic lawmakers that are reform- and public safety-minded, and then claims that you have to step in and violate people's rights or demand that reforms be reversed,' Ms. Wiley said. She added that the playbook has special potency in the capital because the district's local law enforcement can be directly placed under federal control, a power Mr. Trump invoked in his announcement. Mr. Trump's actions in Washington and comments about other major American cities sent shock waves across the country, as other cities prepare to respond to potential federal action. Democratic Maryland Governor Wes Moore said Mr. Trump's plan 'lacks seriousness and is deeply dangerous' in a statement and pointed to a 30-year-low crime rate in Baltimore as a reason the administration should consult local leaders rather than antagonise them. In Oakland, Mayor Barbara Lee called Mr. Trump's characterisation of the city 'fearmongering.' The administration already faced a major flashpoint between local control and federal power earlier in the summer, when Mr. Trump deployed National Guard troops to quell protests and support immigration enforcement operations in Los Angeles despite opposition from California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. Civil rights leaders have denounced Mr. Trump's action in Washington as an unjustified distraction. 'This president campaigned on 'law and order,' but he is the president of chaos and corruption,' said NAACP President Derrick Johnson. 'There's no emergency in D.C., so why would he deploy the National Guard? To distract us from his alleged inclusion in the Epstein files? To rid the city of unhoused people? D.C. has the right to govern itself. It doesn't need this federal coup.'
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First Post
29 minutes ago
- First Post
Ahead of Putin meeting, Trump to hold virtual talks with European leaders; Zelenskyy likely to join
Ahead of the Alaska summit between the US and Russian leaders, European leaders will hold virtual talks today with President Donald Trump to press him to not cut a deal with Vladimir Putin without Europe's approval. They will also discuss the issues of territorial control and security guarantees in any deal with Russia. President Donald Trump meets with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, on Friday. AP In a last-ditch effort to outline their positions ahead of the Alaska summit, European leaders will on Wednesday hold virtual talks with President Donald Trump to press him to not cut any deal with Vladimir Putin unilaterally. They will also discuss issues like territorial control and security guarantees. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has convened virtual meetings to be attended by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, his European allies, and Trump. First, European leaders will hold a meeting amongst themselves and then they will get on the call with Trump, according to Financial Times. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The European leaders part of these meetings will include Merz, Zelenskyy, British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian PM Georgia Meloni, Polish PM Donald Tusk, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Nato chief Mark Rutte, and European Union (EU) chief Ursula von der Leyen. US Vice President JD Vance will also join the call beside Trump. Trump will meet Vladimir Putin on Friday in Alaska. The Russian war on Ukraine is expected to be on the top of their agenda. ALSO READ: With Russia's terms to Ukraine, Putin seeks surrender — not a peace deal European leaders are concerned that Trump, who has long had friendly ties with Putin, could unilaterally cut a deal about Ukraine with the Russian leader. They are also concerned that the Russian leader could convince him to pressure Ukraine to cede territory in exchange of any ceasefire — just like he convinced Trump in 2018 in the Helsinki summit that there was no Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election. What's Europe's agenda with Trump call? In the call with Trump, European leaders will likely stress that any discussions of terms for ending the Russian war in Ukraine must start with a full ceasefire and any deal must be approved by Europe and just be finalised between the United States and Russia, according to The New York Times. For days, European leaders, including Zelenskyy, have been rejecting any US-Russia deal and the idea of ceding Ukrainian territory in exchange of a weak ceasefire deal. Zelenskyy has said that any deal without Ukraine's approval will be as good as dead. Merz has said that 'Putin only acts under pressure' and has indicated he could press Trump for punitive measures on Russia for continued rejection of peace efforts. Nato chief Rutte has said that any recognition of Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory will have to be de-facto (practical recognition) and not de jure (actual political, legal recognition). British PM Starmer has warned that 'any ceasefire cannot be an opportunity for President Putin to go away and re-arm'. European leaders are concerned that Putin could use the Alaska meeting to convince Trump on a deal that Zelensky would never accept, such as ceding Ukrainian territory and recognising its Russian annexation, leading Trump to turn his ire on Ukraine and its leader, according to The Times. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD