India's top court to hear Kashmir statehood plea
The hearing, scheduled for August 8 in the Supreme Court, follows an application filed by two residents of the Muslim-majority territory, where a separatist insurgency has raged for years.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist government in August 2019 revoked Kashmir's limited autonomy and brought it directly under federal control.
The move was accompanied by mass arrests and a communications blackout that ran for months as India bolstered its armed forces in the region to contain protests.
The removal of Article 370 of the constitution, which enshrined the Indian-administered region's special status, was challenged by Kashmir's pro-India political parties, the local Bar Association and individual litigants.
The Supreme Court in December 2023 upheld removing the region's autonomy but called for Jammu and Kashmir, as the Delhi-administered area is known, to be restored to statehood and put on a par with any other Indian federal state "at the earliest and as soon as possible".
"We have moved an application seeking a definitive timeline for the restoration of statehood," said the petitioners' lawyer, Soayib Qureshi.
"It has been quite some time since the court asked for it and elections have also been successfully held."
Last November, Kashmir elected its first government since it was brought under New Delhi's direct control, as voters backed opposition parties to lead its regional assembly.
But the local government has limited powers and the territory continues to be for all practical purposes governed by a New Delhi-appointed administrator.
Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since the neighbours were granted independence from British rule and partitioned in 1947.
Indian security forces were deployed in force in the Himalayan territory on Tuesday, eyeing protests demanding the restoration of its special status.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
TimesLIVE
4 hours ago
- TimesLIVE
Ties hit new low as Trump imposes extra 25% tariff on Indian goods
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday imposed an additional 25% tariff on Indian goods, citing New Delhi's continued imports of Russian oil in a move that sharply escalated tensions between the two nations after trade talks reached a deadlock. The new import tax, effective 21 days after August 7, will raise duties on some Indian exports to as high as 50% — among the highest levied on any US trading partner. Trump's executive order imposing the extra tariff did not mention China, which also imports Russian oil, but later said he could announce similar further tariffs on Chinese goods. 'It may happen ... I can't tell you yet,' Trump told reporters. 'We did it with India. We're doing it probably with a couple of others. One of them could be China.' Analysts said Trump's move marks the most serious downturn in US-India relations since his return to office in January. The tariffs threaten to disrupt India's access to its largest export market, where shipments totalled nearly $87bn (R1.54-trillion) in 2024, hitting sectors like textiles, footwear, gems and jewellery. It also marks a shift from the warm ties seen during Trump and Modi's February meeting, they said, pointing out Trump's recent remarks calling India's economy 'dead', its trade barriers 'obnoxious' and accusing the country of profiting from cheap Russian oil while ignoring the killings of Ukrainians in Russia's three-and-a-half-year-old invasion of its neighbour.
Eyewitness News
4 hours ago
- Eyewitness News
Higher US tariffs take effect on dozens of economies
WASHINGTON - WASHINGTON - The United States began charging higher tariffs on dozens of trading partners Thursday, in a major escalation of President Donald Trump's drive to reshape global commerce in America's favor. Shortly before the new levies kicked in, the United States separately announced it would double tariffs on India to 50 percent and hit many semiconductor imports from around the world with a 100-percent levy. As an executive order signed last week by Trump took effect, US duties rose from 10 percent to levels between 15 percent and 41 percent for a list of trading partners. Many imports from economies including the European Union, Japan and South Korea now face a 15-percent tariff, even with deals struck with Washington to avert steeper threatened levies. But others like India face a 25-percent duty - to be doubled in three weeks to 50 percent - while Syria, Myanmar and Laos face staggering levels at either 40 percent or 41 percent. Switzerland's government, which failed to convince Trump not to impose a stinging 39-percent tariff, was set to hold an extraordinary meeting later Thursday. Taking to his Truth Social platform just after midnight, Trump posted: "IT'S MIDNIGHT!!! BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN TARIFFS ARE NOW FLOWING INTO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!" The latest wave of "reciprocal" duties, aimed at addressing trade practices Washington deems unfair, broadens the measures Trump has imposed since returning to the presidency. 'NO CHARGE' On the eve of his latest salvo, he doubled planned duties on Indian goods to 50 percent, citing New Delhi's continued purchase of Russian oil. The new levy - up from 25 percent now - would take effect in three weeks. The Federation of Indian Export Organisations called the move a "severe setback for Indian exports, with nearly 55 percent of our shipments to the US market directly affected." Trump's order also threatened penalties on other countries that "directly or indirectly" import Russian oil, a key revenue source for Moscow's war in Ukraine. Washington has already separately stuck tariffs on sector-specific imports such as steel, autos, pharmaceuticals and chips. Trump said Wednesday he also planned an "approximately 100 percent tariff" on semiconductor imports, but with "no charge" for companies investing in the United States or committed to do so. Shares in Taiwanese chip-making giant TSMC surged as Taipei said it would be exempt, but some other Asian manufacturers took a beating. Companies and industry groups warn that the new levies will severely hurt smaller American businesses, while economists caution that they could fuel inflation and weigh on growth in the longer haul. With the dust settling on countries' tariff levels, at least for now, Georgetown University professor Marc Busch expects US businesses to pass along more of the bill to consumers. 'THIS WILL MATTER' An earlier 90-day pause in these higher "reciprocal" tariffs gave importers time to stock up, he said. But although the wait-and-see strategy led businesses to absorb more of the tariff burden initially, inventories are depleting and it is unlikely they will do this indefinitely, he told AFP. "With back-to-school shopping just weeks away, this will matter politically," said Busch, an international trade policy expert. The tariff leaves lingering questions for partners that have negotiated deals with Trump recently. Tokyo and Washington, for example, appear at odds over key details of their trade pact, in particular on when lower levies on Japanese cars will take place. Generally, US auto imports now face a 25-percent duty under a sector-specific order. Toyota has cut its full-year profit forecast by 14 percent because of the tariffs. Japan and the United States also appear to differ on whether the "reciprocal" tariffs of 15 percent on other Japanese goods would be on top of existing levies or - like the EU - be capped at that level. China and the United States, meanwhile, currently have a shaky truce in their trade war but that is due to expire on 12 August. Chinese exports to the United States tumbled 21.7 percent last month, official data showed on Wednesday, while those to the European Union jumped 9.2 percent and to Southeast Asia by 16.6 percent. NEW FRONTS Meanwhile, the EU is seeking a carve-out from tariffs for its key wine industry. In a recent industry letter addressed to Trump, the US Wine Trade Alliance and others urged the sector's exclusion from tolls, saying: "Wine sales account for up to 60 percent of gross margins of full-service restaurants." Trump has separately targeted Brazil over the trial of his right-wing ally, former president Jair Bolsonaro, who is accused of planning a coup. US tariffs on various Brazilian goods surged from 10 percent to 50 percent Wednesday, but broad exemptions including for orange juice and civil aircraft are seen as softening the blow. Still, key products like Brazilian coffee, beef and sugar are hit.
TimesLIVE
8 hours ago
- TimesLIVE
Brazil's Lula says he will discuss Trump tariffs with Brics group
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva presented himself as a torchbearer for multilateralism in a fractured world in an interview with Reuters on Wednesday, revealing plans to call the leaders of India and China to discuss a joint Brics response to tariffs on US imports imposed by President Donald Trump. 'What President Trump is doing is tacit — he wants to dismantle multilateralism where agreements are made collectively within institutions and replace it with unilateralism where he negotiates one-on-one with other countries,' Lula said. 'What bargaining power does a small Latin American country have against the US? None.' Lula said he will initiate a conversation at the Brics group of developing nations about how to tackle Trump's tariffs. He said he planned to call Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday and China's Xi Jinping and other leaders after. The group also has Russia and other emerging economies among its members. 'I'm going to try to discuss with them about how each one is doing in this situation, what the implications are for each country, so we can make a decision,' he said. 'It's important to remember that the Brics have ten countries at the G20,' he added, referring to the group that gathers 20 of the world's biggest economies. Lula stressed that Brazil now holds the presidency of the Brics and said that he wants to discuss with allies why Trump is attacking multilateralism and what his goals may be. Trump called the Brics 'anti-American' and threatened to slap an additional 10% tariff on goods imported from those countries last month, while the group gathered in a summit in Rio de Janeiro. Some of the highest tariffs imposed by Trump have been on imports from those countries. Brazil climbed to the top of the list last month, when Trump tied 50% tariffs on most of the country's exports to what he called a 'witch hunt' against former president Jair Bolsonaro. On Wednesday, Trump threatened to impose another 25% tariff on Indian imports because of the country's reliance on Russian oil, which would add to the 25% levies that are already in place. The 30% tariffs on goods from China and South Africa are also among the highest imposed by Trump, though some Chinese products face additional levies.
