logo
Branded a terrorist: Media adds agony to Kashmiri family's grief

Branded a terrorist: Media adds agony to Kashmiri family's grief

Yahoo26-05-2025

Farooq Ahmed still bristles with anger when he talks about his brother's death.
Mohammad Iqbal, a resident of Poonch city in Indian-administered Kashmir, died in cross-border shelling on 7 May, the morning after India launched a series of air strikes in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir in retaliation to a militant attack in the town of Pahalgam that killed 26 people. Pakistan has denied having any role in the attack.
Mr Ahmed says that Iqbal died where he had worked for more than two decades - Zia-ul-Uloom, a madrassa, or a religious centre focused on Islamic teachings, in Poonch.
But his death, it turned out, was just the beginning of the family's troubles.
As the news spread, several media channels falsely accused Iqbal of being a terrorist, following which the police put out a statement refuting the claim.
"My brother was a teacher but they saw his beard and skullcap and branded him a terrorist," Mr Ahmed says.
"It was like having salt rubbed into our wounds. We had lost Iqbal and then the media defamed him. The dead can't defend themselves."
Indian officials say that a total of 16 people, including Iqbal, were killed in the cross-border shelling during the four-day military conflict that broke out between India and Pakistan following the airstrikes.
Pakistan has claimed 40 civilian deaths, though, it remains unclear how many of these were directly caused by the shelling.
The two nuclear-armed countries have shared a tense relationship for decades, as both administer the Himalayan region of Kashmir in part, but claim it in full.
They have fought three wars over Kashmir since independence from Britain in 1947 and came back from the brink of another one earlier this month.
But as the military conflict escalated, another battle played out on social media - a disinformation war of claims and counterclaims that circulated online and on TV.
Just like rumours about Iqbal's identity, other misleading and inaccurate information also found its way into some mainstream news channels and websites.
This included claims such as India having destroyed Pakistan's Karachi port, which was later debunked by the Indian government.
Some of the other fabrications were harder to spot, like an AI-generated video of a Pakistan army general claiming that his country had lost two aircraft in combat.
"The scale of misinformation and fact-free assertions being broadcast by the media was shocking," says Manisha Pande, managing editor at Newslaundry, an independent news platform.
She notes that while a degree of sensationalism is expected as channels compete for viewership, "the jingoistic and irresponsible coverage" of the conflict was unprecedented in its intensity — and unlike anything she had witnessed before.
No one knows this better than Mr Ahmed.
"I don't know where news channels got the information about my brother from," Mr Ahmed says.
"Who did they speak to? What kind of evidence did they have that my brother was a terrorist?" he asks.
Weeks later, the family is still reeling from the tragedy.
Mr Ahmed says that on 7 May, his brother left home for the madrassa in the morning as usual, but it was his body that returned home. By noon, they had buried him in a nearby cemetery.
For some time, the family had no idea about the misinformation that was being shared by some news outlets. They were busy performing Iqbal's last rites.
It was only hours later that a relative received a WhatsApp forward - a video clip of a prominent news channel claiming that the Indian army had killed a terrorist, with Iqbal's photo flashing on the screen.
"We were shocked. Soon, we began getting more calls from people asking us what was going on and why was the media calling Iqbal a terrorist," Mr Ahmed says.
The claim was shared by some prominent channels, including Zee News, ABP and News18. The BBC has reached out to the channels for comment.
One channel claimed that Iqbal was killed in an "Indian strike on a terrorist camp" in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, and that he was a terrorist with Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba.
"Our family members have been staying in Poonch for generations. How can they say my brother was living in Pakistan? They [the media] should be ashamed," Mr Ahmed says.
The accusation against Iqbal was circulated so widely and swiftly that on 8 May, the Poonch police put out a statement, clarifying that Iqbal had died in cross-border shelling in the madrasa.
"Poonch Police strongly refutes such false narratives. The deceased, Maulana Mohd Iqbal, was a respected religious figure in the local community and had no affiliation with any terror outfit," the statement said, adding that legal action would be taken against any media outlet or individual who circulated the fake news.
But for Mr Ahmed, the statement was too little too late.
"By then, the false claim would've already reached millions of people in India," he says.
He adds that except for one channel, News18, no one else had publicly apologised to him or their viewers for the mistake.
Mr Ahmed says he wants to take legal action against the channels, but the process would have to wait as the family is struggling to make ends meet.
Iqbal is survived by his two wives and eight children. He was the only earning member in his family.
Mr Ahmed says that the compensation given by the government, which amounts to a few million rupees, will last only for a year or two and they must start planning for the future now.
"The whole family depended on my brother. He was a quiet and gentle man who loved teaching children," Mr Ahmed says.
"But who's going to tell this to the world? For many people, my brother is still a terrorist whose killing is justified. How will they understand our pain?"
Additional reporting by Auqib Javeed in Srinagar in Indian-administered Kashmir
Follow BBC News India on Instagram, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

India Holds Major Air Drill Near Pakistan Weeks After Giant Dogfight
India Holds Major Air Drill Near Pakistan Weeks After Giant Dogfight

Miami Herald

timean hour ago

  • Miami Herald

India Holds Major Air Drill Near Pakistan Weeks After Giant Dogfight

India concluded a massive two-day air combat drill along its southern border with Pakistan, according to multiple Indian news outlets. Newsweek has reached out to the Indian Defense Ministry and the office of Pakistan's prime minister for comment. The exercise took place nearly a month after India launched its military campaign "Operation Sindoor" targeting Pakistan in their biggest confrontation in decades following a deadly attack on a tourist bus in Kashmir that killed 26 people. Pakistan denied Indian accusations of involvement in that attack. Four days of fighting was marked by an extensive air battle, one of the largest dogfights since World War II, before the two nuclear rivals reached a ceasefire agreement following U.S. diplomatic efforts. The Indian Air Force issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) earlier this week for a large-scale exercise scheduled for June 7 and 8, taking place in Rajasthan's southern sector near the Pakistan border. Aircraft deployed included the Rafale, Mirage 2000, and Sukhoi-30, according to Indian outlets including Firstpost, The Shillong Times, and Mathrubhumi English. In May, Pakistan said it shot down several Indian planes, including the French-made Rafale and Russian Sukhoi, with Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar saying Chinese J-10C jets were used in the operation. Diplomatic tensions have continued despite a ceasefire agreed under U.S. pressure. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused Pakistan of disrupting infrastructure development in the disputed territory of Jammu and Kashmir following the Pahalgam attack, Reuters reported Friday. Pakistan accused India of using claims of developmenta in Jammu and Kashmir to mask an unprecedented military presence, arbitrary arrests, and efforts to alter the region's demography in violation of international law, according to The Associated Press of Pakistan. Growing tensions also surround India's suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty following the Pahalgam attack. India's Defense Minister Rajnath Singh wrote in The Times of India on June 6: "India has made it clear that we have a zero-tolerance policy towards terrorism. Talks and terrorism cannot go hand-in-hand. Any future dialogue with Pakistan will focus solely on terrorism and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Also, if Pakistan is serious, it must hand over UN-designated terrorists like Hafiz Saeed and Masood Azhar." Pakistan's Foreign Office spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan said on June 6, as quoted by the Associated Press of Pakistan: "We are deeply dismayed that the Indian Prime Minister has once again chosen to accuse Pakistan of involvement in the Pahalgam attack, without presenting a single piece of credible evidence." Relations between India and Pakistan remain tense and any incident could easily prompt a resumption of hostilities. Related Articles FBI Working With India to Disrupt Chinese Fentanyl Network-Kash PatelG7 Invite for Modi Signals India's Growing Weight for Democratic AllianceWorld's Highest Rail Bridge Opens to Reshape Nuclear Rivals' Power MapIndia's First Bullet Train Reaches Major Milestone 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.

MIT class president barred from graduation after pro-Palestine speech
MIT class president barred from graduation after pro-Palestine speech

Yahoo

time2 hours ago

  • Yahoo

MIT class president barred from graduation after pro-Palestine speech

[Source] The Massachusetts Institute of Technology's 2025 class president was barred from attending her graduation ceremony on Friday after delivering a pro-Palestinian speech that criticized the university's ties to Israel during a commencement event the day prior. What she said Megha Vemuri took the stage at Thursday's OneMIT commencement ceremony wearing a keffiyeh over her graduation gown. During the Indian-origin graduate's four-minute speech, she praised students who protested the war in Gaza and condemned MIT's financial ties to Israel. 'Right now, while we prepare to graduate and move forward with our lives, there are no universities left in Gaza,' Vemuri said. 'We are watching Israel try to wipe out Palestine off the face of the Earth, and it is a shame that MIT is a part of it.' Vemuri specifically criticized MIT's research connections, stating that 'Israel is the only foreign military with which MIT has active research ties.' MIT reportedly received $2.8 million in grants, gifts and contracts from Israeli entities between 2020 and 2024. She concluded her speech by invoking MIT's tradition of turning class rings outward, saying graduates 'carry with us the stamp of the MIT name, the same name that is directly complicit in the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people.' Trending on NextShark: The aftermath MIT President Sally Kornbluth attempted to calm the crowd immediately after Vemuri's speech, saying, 'At MIT, we believe in freedom of expression. But today is about the graduates.' University officials later informed Vemuri she could not attend Friday's undergraduate ceremony and was barred from campus until it concluded. MIT said the speech differed from what was submitted in advance, with the university claiming Vemuri chose to 'deliberately and repeatedly' mislead Commencement organizers and lead a protest from the stage. The big picture Trending on NextShark: Vemuri's ban reflects growing tensions at universities where students have transformed graduation ceremonies into platforms for Gaza-related protests. These events unfold as universities navigate pressure from the Trump administration, which has been cutting federal funding for research and launching investigations into DEI programs. In an X post, House Speaker Mike Johnson called Vemuri's speech 'Ignorant. Hateful. Morally bankrupt,' urging parents to 'avoid MIT & the Ivy League at all costs.' Despite the controversy, Vemuri will receive her degree by mail and expressed no regrets, telling CNN she sees 'no need for me to walk across the stage of an institution that is complicit in this genocide.' The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) condemned MIT's decision, with Massachusetts executive director Tahirah Amatul-Wadud saying, 'MIT must respect academic freedom and respect the voices of its students, not punish and intimidate those who speak out against genocide and in support of Palestinian humanity.' Trending on NextShark: This story is part of The Rebel Yellow Newsletter — a bold weekly newsletter from the creators of NextShark, reclaiming our stories and celebrating Asian American voices. Subscribe free to join the movement. If you love what we're building, consider becoming a paid member — your support helps us grow our team, investigate impactful stories, and uplift our community. ! Download the NextShark App: Want to keep up to date on Asian American News? Download the NextShark App today!

Trump tariffs live updates: US and China resume trade talks, White House seeking 'handshake' on rare earths
Trump tariffs live updates: US and China resume trade talks, White House seeking 'handshake' on rare earths

Yahoo

time4 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Trump tariffs live updates: US and China resume trade talks, White House seeking 'handshake' on rare earths

The US and China restarted trade talks in London on Monday, aiming to ease tensions over rare earths and tech after President Trump and his China's leader Xi Jinping spoke last week. "The purpose of the meeting today is to make sure that they're serious, [and] to literally get handshakes," Hassett, director of the National Economic Council, told CNBC. "I expect it to be a short meeting with a big, strong handshake and we'll see." Trump's call with Xi, which both leaders framed as positive, came after weeks of Trump publicly pushing for a direct call. US-China tensions have risen in the aftermath of the countries' trade truce reached in mid-May in Geneva, with both countries have accused the other of breaching that truce while ratcheting up pressure on other issues. The US and China are also now using their control over certain key materials to gain control in the trade war. Bloomberg reported on Friday that the US dominates in ethane, a gas used to make plastics, and China buys nearly all of it. Washington is now tightening control by requiring export licenses. China's curbs on exports of rare earth minerals, crucial for autos and more, have drawn Washington's ire. Read more: What Trump's tariffs mean for the economy and your wallet The US-China talks come as Trump pushes countries to speed up negotiations. The US sent a letter to partners as a "friendly reminder" that Trump's self-imposed 90-day pause on sweeping "reciprocal" tariffs is set to expire in early July. White House advisers have for weeks promised trade deals in the "not-too-distant future," with the only announced agreement so far coming with the United Kingdom. US and Indian officials held trade talks this week and agreed to extend those discussions on Monday and Tuesday ahead of the July 9 deadline. New tariffs are coming into play: Effective Wednesday, June 4, Trump doubled tariffs on steel and aluminum from 25% to 50% Meanwhile, Trump's most sweeping tariffs face legal uncertainty after a federal appeals court allowed the tariffs to temporarily stay in effect, a day after the US Court of International Trade blocked their implementation, deeming the method used to enact them "unlawful." Here are the latest updates as the policy reverberates around the world. The US is keen to strike a firm deal with China on rare earths exports as both sides resume talks in London today. Reuters reports: Read more here. Global auto companies are hoping that trade talks between the US and China on Monday could help fast track rare earth exports from China, which are desperately needed. Reuters reports: Read more here. Outbound shipments of rare earths in May from China rose 23% on the month to their highest in a year, despite Beijing's export curbs on some of the critical minerals prevented some overseas sales, with shortages impacting global manufacturing. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. Chinese exports rose less than expected last month, held back by the biggest drop in shipments to the US in over five years, despite strong demand from other markets. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. The US and China will restart trade talks in London on Monday after President Trump and Xi spoke last week. The two sides have accused each other of breaking a May deal in Geneva to pause tariff hikes above 100%. Trump, after agreeing with Xi to resume critical mineral flows, said he expects the talks to go "very well." 'We want the rare earths, the magnets that are crucial for cell phones and everything else to flow just as they did before the beginning of April, and we don't want any technical details slowing that down,' Kevin Hassett, head of the National Economic Council at the White House, said Sunday on CBS's Face the Nation. 'And that's clear to them.' US-China tensions rose this year after Trump raised tariffs on Chinese goods, triggering retaliation from Beijing. The Geneva deal was meant to ease tariff tensions, but talks stalled as both sides blamed each other. The US criticized a drop in Chinese exports of rare earth magnets and China pushed back on US curbs targeting AI chips and student visas. In London, US officials, which include Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick will meet with Vice Premier He Lifeng. According to a report in Bloomberg on Monday, Lutnick's presence suggests the US may review some tech restrictions. The recent Trump-Xi call brought hope if lower tariffs, but investor confidence remains cautious. As of today, the US has only secured one new trade deal — with the UK. A startup that assembles one of its smartphones entirely in the US says it's possible for a company like Apple to do the same and not incur prohibitive costs, but it's not easy and would take several years of focused effort, Fortune reports: At least one expert in the UK believes Prime Minister Keir Starmer may have unrealistic expectations about a trade deal with President Donald Trump and the US, Bloomberg reports: Read more here President Donald Trump has come up short on striking trade deals with most nations with just one month left before his self-imposed tariff deadline, even as he took his first steps in weeks toward engaging with China. Trump secured a much-desired call with Chinese President Xi Jinping, paving the way for a new round of talks on Monday in London — yet the diplomacy was overshadowed by a blowout public fight between Trump and his billionaire onetime ally, Elon Musk. Trump's aides insisted Friday that the president was moving on and focused on his economic agenda. Still, question marks remain over the US's most consequential trade relationships, with few tangible signs of progress toward interim agreements. Read more here Bloomberg reports: Read more here. President Trump said a new round of trade talks between the US and China would start Monday, a day after he spoke with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Trump said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer would lead talks for the US. "The meeting should go very well," Trump predicted. Bessent led the last round of talks in Geneva, which led to a tariff truce that sent markets soaring. That truce has come under strain in recent weeks over various trade and other thorny issues, including China's curbs on rare earth mineral exports and US chip curbs. Bet you were wondering how long we could go before mentioning Elon Musk's feud with President Trump in this blog (lots more on that here, here, and here). Yes, the remarkable back and forth included Trump threatening Musk's government contracts — and Musk seeming to agree with a call to impeach Trump, while also throwing in an "Epstein files" mention. But as Yahoo Finance's Ben Werschkul details, Musk is now going to war with many of the biggest pillars of Trump's agenda. There was a tariff mention as part of that. Specifically, Musk not only criticized the tariffs — he's now on record saying he thinks they will cause a recession this year. As Ben writes: Read more here. Trade talks between the US and India were set to wrap up this Friday, but now they are being extended into next week as officials on both sides aim to work out an interim deal before a July 9 deadline. Indian government sources said the discussions, which have focused on tariff cuts in the farming and auto sectors, will continue next Monday and Tuesday. President Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi are looking to double trade by 2030 and cement a trade pact by fall 2025. Reuters reports: Read more here. US and Chinese officials exchanged jabs at an event held by the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) in Shanghai on Friday, as the chamber appealed for more clarity for American businesses operating in China. Reuters reports: Read more here. India's Tata Steel has warned that it might be excluded from tariff-free access to the US under the UK's trade agreement with the Trump administration. This exclusion risks putting more than $180M worth of annual exports at risk. The FT reports: Read more here. Two of the largest economies in the euro zone saw industrial production decline in the first month of President Trump's sweeping tariffs, indicating a economic slowdown after a stronger-than-expected year, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal on Friday. Wall Street Journal: Read more here. The EU said on Friday that it is open to reducing tariffs on US fertiliser imports as a trade bargaining tool in talks with the Trump administration. However, the EU said it would not weaken its food safety standards in pursuit of a deal. EU agriculture commissioner Christophe Hansen told Reuters: "That is definitely an option," Hansen said, of reducing US fertiliser tariffs. Reuters reports: Read more here. If car buyers think they will be able to beat President Trump's tariffs, they should think again. The trade war has already led to an increase in US auto prices and some of these hikes are invisible to consumers. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. According to a survey conducted by the American Chamber of Commerce in China, most US firms with operations in china are not budging. The survey revealed that some US don't want to leave the country and in fact would ramp up production in China, despite the the challenges posed by tariffs. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. We know what President Trump wants in trade discussions with China. But what does China's Xi Jinping want? Bloomberg News reports Read more here. Both the US and China are using their control over key materials in a deepening trade war standoff. On Friday, Bloomberg reported that Washington is restricting ethane shipments, a gas China heavily relies on for plastics production. This follows Washingtons block on chip exports to China. 'Ethane is no longer just a byproduct of shale — it's now a geopolitical weapon,' said Julian Renton, lead analyst covering natural gas liquids at East Daley Analytics. 'China bet billions building infrastructure around US ethane, and Washington is now questioning whether that bet should continue to pay off.' But the US is not the only one weaponising their grip on vital materials. China has tightened control on rare earths, a crucial element used for technology products. However, on Thursday President Trump got a commitment from China to restore flow of rare earth magnets. These moves by the US and China marks a shift toward using strategic resources as leverage. The US is keen to strike a firm deal with China on rare earths exports as both sides resume talks in London today. Reuters reports: Read more here. Global auto companies are hoping that trade talks between the US and China on Monday could help fast track rare earth exports from China, which are desperately needed. Reuters reports: Read more here. Outbound shipments of rare earths in May from China rose 23% on the month to their highest in a year, despite Beijing's export curbs on some of the critical minerals prevented some overseas sales, with shortages impacting global manufacturing. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. Chinese exports rose less than expected last month, held back by the biggest drop in shipments to the US in over five years, despite strong demand from other markets. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. The US and China will restart trade talks in London on Monday after President Trump and Xi spoke last week. The two sides have accused each other of breaking a May deal in Geneva to pause tariff hikes above 100%. Trump, after agreeing with Xi to resume critical mineral flows, said he expects the talks to go "very well." 'We want the rare earths, the magnets that are crucial for cell phones and everything else to flow just as they did before the beginning of April, and we don't want any technical details slowing that down,' Kevin Hassett, head of the National Economic Council at the White House, said Sunday on CBS's Face the Nation. 'And that's clear to them.' US-China tensions rose this year after Trump raised tariffs on Chinese goods, triggering retaliation from Beijing. The Geneva deal was meant to ease tariff tensions, but talks stalled as both sides blamed each other. The US criticized a drop in Chinese exports of rare earth magnets and China pushed back on US curbs targeting AI chips and student visas. In London, US officials, which include Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick will meet with Vice Premier He Lifeng. According to a report in Bloomberg on Monday, Lutnick's presence suggests the US may review some tech restrictions. The recent Trump-Xi call brought hope if lower tariffs, but investor confidence remains cautious. As of today, the US has only secured one new trade deal — with the UK. A startup that assembles one of its smartphones entirely in the US says it's possible for a company like Apple to do the same and not incur prohibitive costs, but it's not easy and would take several years of focused effort, Fortune reports: At least one expert in the UK believes Prime Minister Keir Starmer may have unrealistic expectations about a trade deal with President Donald Trump and the US, Bloomberg reports: Read more here President Donald Trump has come up short on striking trade deals with most nations with just one month left before his self-imposed tariff deadline, even as he took his first steps in weeks toward engaging with China. Trump secured a much-desired call with Chinese President Xi Jinping, paving the way for a new round of talks on Monday in London — yet the diplomacy was overshadowed by a blowout public fight between Trump and his billionaire onetime ally, Elon Musk. Trump's aides insisted Friday that the president was moving on and focused on his economic agenda. Still, question marks remain over the US's most consequential trade relationships, with few tangible signs of progress toward interim agreements. Read more here Bloomberg reports: Read more here. President Trump said a new round of trade talks between the US and China would start Monday, a day after he spoke with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Trump said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer would lead talks for the US. "The meeting should go very well," Trump predicted. Bessent led the last round of talks in Geneva, which led to a tariff truce that sent markets soaring. That truce has come under strain in recent weeks over various trade and other thorny issues, including China's curbs on rare earth mineral exports and US chip curbs. Bet you were wondering how long we could go before mentioning Elon Musk's feud with President Trump in this blog (lots more on that here, here, and here). Yes, the remarkable back and forth included Trump threatening Musk's government contracts — and Musk seeming to agree with a call to impeach Trump, while also throwing in an "Epstein files" mention. But as Yahoo Finance's Ben Werschkul details, Musk is now going to war with many of the biggest pillars of Trump's agenda. There was a tariff mention as part of that. Specifically, Musk not only criticized the tariffs — he's now on record saying he thinks they will cause a recession this year. As Ben writes: Read more here. Trade talks between the US and India were set to wrap up this Friday, but now they are being extended into next week as officials on both sides aim to work out an interim deal before a July 9 deadline. Indian government sources said the discussions, which have focused on tariff cuts in the farming and auto sectors, will continue next Monday and Tuesday. President Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi are looking to double trade by 2030 and cement a trade pact by fall 2025. Reuters reports: Read more here. US and Chinese officials exchanged jabs at an event held by the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) in Shanghai on Friday, as the chamber appealed for more clarity for American businesses operating in China. Reuters reports: Read more here. India's Tata Steel has warned that it might be excluded from tariff-free access to the US under the UK's trade agreement with the Trump administration. This exclusion risks putting more than $180M worth of annual exports at risk. The FT reports: Read more here. Two of the largest economies in the euro zone saw industrial production decline in the first month of President Trump's sweeping tariffs, indicating a economic slowdown after a stronger-than-expected year, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal on Friday. Wall Street Journal: Read more here. The EU said on Friday that it is open to reducing tariffs on US fertiliser imports as a trade bargaining tool in talks with the Trump administration. However, the EU said it would not weaken its food safety standards in pursuit of a deal. EU agriculture commissioner Christophe Hansen told Reuters: "That is definitely an option," Hansen said, of reducing US fertiliser tariffs. Reuters reports: Read more here. If car buyers think they will be able to beat President Trump's tariffs, they should think again. The trade war has already led to an increase in US auto prices and some of these hikes are invisible to consumers. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. According to a survey conducted by the American Chamber of Commerce in China, most US firms with operations in china are not budging. The survey revealed that some US don't want to leave the country and in fact would ramp up production in China, despite the the challenges posed by tariffs. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. We know what President Trump wants in trade discussions with China. But what does China's Xi Jinping want? Bloomberg News reports Read more here. Both the US and China are using their control over key materials in a deepening trade war standoff. On Friday, Bloomberg reported that Washington is restricting ethane shipments, a gas China heavily relies on for plastics production. This follows Washingtons block on chip exports to China. 'Ethane is no longer just a byproduct of shale — it's now a geopolitical weapon,' said Julian Renton, lead analyst covering natural gas liquids at East Daley Analytics. 'China bet billions building infrastructure around US ethane, and Washington is now questioning whether that bet should continue to pay off.' But the US is not the only one weaponising their grip on vital materials. China has tightened control on rare earths, a crucial element used for technology products. However, on Thursday President Trump got a commitment from China to restore flow of rare earth magnets. These moves by the US and China marks a shift toward using strategic resources as leverage. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store