Hostages' Families ‘Confront' Trump Envoy Witkoff In Tel Aviv; ‘Bring Them Home' Chants Erupt
/ Aug 02, 2025, 07:32PM IST
U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff met with hostage families in Tel Aviv as protests continue. While families urged focus on captives, Trump said Witkoff's 'primary meeting was on food' in Gaza. Witkoff also visited a U.S.-Israel-backed aid site in Gaza following reports of fatal incidents. Trump called the visit 'very good' and emphasized food aid.

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Hans India
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- Hans India
Owaisi says fresh US tariffs on India will hurt Indian exporters, deter FDI, hit jobs hard
Hyderabad: AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi on Thursday said US President Donald Trump's decision to impose 50 per cent tariff on Indian goods will hurt Indian exporters, MSMEs, manufacturers and will disrupt supply chains, deter FDI, and hit jobs hard. A day after Trump imposed a penalty of another 25 per cent on India for buying Russian oil, Owaisi said Trump just slapped another 25 per cent tariff on India, taking it to 50 per cent, because 'we bought oil from Russia'. In a post on X, the Hyderabad MP said 'This isn't diplomacy, it's bullying by the buffoon-in-chief who clearly doesn't understand how global trade works". These tariffs will hurt Indian exporters, MSMEs, and manufacturers. It'll disrupt supply chains, deter FDI, and hit jobs hard. But why will Narendra Modi care? Where are those BJP muscle-flexers now?" the AIMIM chief asked. "Last time I'd asked if Modi ji would show his 56-inch chest when Trump imposed 56% tariffs. Trump stopped at 50%. Maybe he's scared of our non-biological PM? Was selling out our strategic autonomy worth filling your friends' billionaire coffers?" he further said. Trump on Wednesday slapped an additional 25 per cent tariff on goods coming from India as penalty for New Delhi's continued purchase of Russian oil, a move that is likely to hit sectors such as textiles, marine and leather exports hard. Trump signed an executive order - Addressing Threats to the US by the Government of the Russian Federation - imposing the additional tariff over and above the 25 per cent levy, which comes into effect from August 7. After this order, the total tariff on Indian goods, barring a small exemption list, will be 50 per cent.


Hans India
a minute ago
- Hans India
Initiatives like IMEC needed especially in times of volatility, uncertainty: Italy's envoy Talo'
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We need to be ready to play on different grounds. So, not to be conditioned only by one route, by one interlocutor," Talo' told PTI in the interview. Cautioning that in times of great inter-dependence today, he underlined that one needs to be on one hand "not too dependent" on any one option, and on the other hand, need to live in a system of inter-dependence. Talo', a seasoned diplomat, visited India earlier this week to take part in a meeting of representatives of countries which are partners in the IMEC initiative. He also met India's deputy National Security Advisor. "I have had meetings with part of the administration, especially with people in the National Security Council and the external affairs ministry. And I'm planning to meet other people today (Wednesday) in order to better understand the importance of our partner India," he added. So it's good that in this very city, the "first meeting" among the special envoys of IMEC was held, the diplomat said. "I was here when the initiative was launched in September 2023. I was with my Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. And, we had a clear vision of a great opportunity for our countries, for our shared interests," Talo' said, adding, IMEC was started with a "lot of hope" and it was very much linked to the idea of having important political and economic results. And, this is the moment really to have a "transition" from a phase of conferences, interviews, and some public events to a "more concrete phase of action", he asserted. Billed as a pathbreaking initiative, the IMEC envisages a vast road, railroad and shipping networks among Saudi Arabia, India, the US and Europe with an aim to ensure integration among Asia, Middle East and the West. The IMEC initiative was firmed up on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Delhi in September 2023. An agreement was signed by India, Saudi Arabia, the European Union, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the US and some other G20 partners for the corridor. EU signatories Italy, France, and Germany are partners in this transnational connectivity project. Many strategic affairs watchers have described the IMEC as perhaps an answer to China's massive Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a mega infrastructure and connectivity project that will involve a large number of countries. Asked about his views on BRI, Talo' described it as "another project" and different from IMEC. "They are different by nature. Their members are different. So, I don't want to.. I don't like the idea of presenting IMEC as something against them. It's something for us, for our partners, for our peoples. And, then there can be other initiatives," he said. Italy had joined BRI in 2019. According to international reports, it had announced its withdrawal from it, four years later. Talo' emphasised that when it comes to realising the IMEC vision, there are financial challenges and practical infrastructure challenges. "It involves several countries. 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The Hindu
a minute ago
- The Hindu
Trump plans 100% tariff on chips made outside U.S.; OpenAI's GPT-5 nears release; Apple to invest $100 billion in U.S. manufacturing
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