logo
Trump declares Russia ‘extraordinary threat to US' as he hits India with tariffs

Trump declares Russia ‘extraordinary threat to US' as he hits India with tariffs

Telegrapha day ago
Donald Trump declared Russia an 'extraordinary threat' to the United States on Wednesday as he rolled out his first sanctions over Vladimir Putin's refusal to stop the war in Ukraine.
The US president said that he would hit India with an additional 25 per cent trade tariff over its purchase of Russian oil, an important source of income for the Kremlin.
The so-called secondary tariff, which brings the total levy against India to 50 per cent, was announced in an executive order signed hours after envoy Steve Witkoff, Mr Trump's top envoy, met Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin for showdown talks.
Mr Trump gave Putin until Friday to agree to a ceasefire or face tariffs on Russia's main trading partners.
'I have received additional information from various senior officials on, among other things, the actions of the Government of the Russian Federation with respect to the situation in Ukraine,' Mr Trump said after Mr Witkoff's meeting.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

People who get ‘Obamacare' health insurance are set to see premiums jump by 18%, study finds
People who get ‘Obamacare' health insurance are set to see premiums jump by 18%, study finds

The Independent

time24 minutes ago

  • The Independent

People who get ‘Obamacare' health insurance are set to see premiums jump by 18%, study finds

People who receive health insurance through the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, are set to see their premiums jump by 18 percent, according to analysis of preliminary insurance rates. Under Obamacare, people who may not have health insurance through their employer but are not eligible for Medicaid can purchase health care on state exchanges. If they earn an income below a certain threshold they could be eligible for tax credits. The hike in insurance premiums is due to rising healthcare costs, inflation, uncertainty over federal policy changes and, potentially, President Donald Trump's tariffs, according health policy think tank KFF. The think tank analyzed filings from 312 insurers across 50 states and Washington, D.C. to state regulators detailing their expectations and rate changes for Obamacare plans for 2026. The increase in the median premium is more than double last year's 7 percent proposed increase and is the largest rate change health insurers have requested in five years, the think tank found. 'Tariffs could potentially put upward pressure on the costs of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies, driving premiums upward in 2026,' the report summarized. 'However, there is considerable uncertainty about how these trade policies will impact medical pricing, and insurers vary in how (or if) they factor tariffs into their rate development.' Tax credits for the Affordable Care Act will expire at the end of the calendar year unless Congress intervenes. Insurers also cited this is a factor in higher premium rates. 'The expiration of enhanced tax credits will lead to out-of-pocket premiums for ACA marketplace enrollees increasing by an average of more than 75 percent, with insurers expecting healthier enrollees to drop coverage,' KFF's report said. 'That, in turn, increases underlying premiums.' Experts warned that the increase in premiums is going to 'shock' a lot of Americans. 'I think there's going to be a lot of sticker shock of people who aren't following this debate in Congress and are going to be stunned by just how much their rates go up, because the premiums will increase substantially,' Jonathan Oberlander, a professor of social medicine at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, told The Independent. 'They might not get employer-sponsored health care, but they're like realtors or entrepreneurs or small business owners or Uber drivers,' one former Capitol Hill aide who now works in health care told The Independent. 'These folks – going to the exchanges trying to purchase their health insurance, they're on the precipice of seeing a big cost of living increase.'

India's IOC buys 5 million barrels of crude for Oct delivery, sources say
India's IOC buys 5 million barrels of crude for Oct delivery, sources say

Reuters

time25 minutes ago

  • Reuters

India's IOC buys 5 million barrels of crude for Oct delivery, sources say

NEW DELHI/SINGAPORE, Aug 8 (Reuters) - Indian Oil Corp ( opens new tab, the country's largest refiner, has bought 5 million barrels of crude for October delivery, trade sources said, continuing its buying spree amid pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump to halt Russian purchases. IOC bought 2 million barrels of U.S. Mars crude, 2 million barrels of Brazilian grades and another 1 million barrels of Libyan crude on a delivered basis via a tender, the sources said. BP (BP.L), opens new tab sold the high-sulphur Mars crude cargo at $1.5-$2 a barrel above September Dubai quotes, they added. European trader Petraco sold the 1 million barrels of Libyan Sarir and Mesla crude and Totsa, the trading arm of TotalEnergies ( opens new tab, sold the 2 million barrels of Brazilian Sepia and Sururu crude, the sources said.

Trump's Ukraine deadline for Putin arrives - as uncertainty remains over possible meeting
Trump's Ukraine deadline for Putin arrives - as uncertainty remains over possible meeting

Sky News

timean hour ago

  • Sky News

Trump's Ukraine deadline for Putin arrives - as uncertainty remains over possible meeting

Donald Trump has rowed back on an earlier claim that he will only meet with Vladimir Putin if Volodymyr Zelenskyy is also at the summit - as a US deadline for Moscow to avoid further sanctions arrives. The Russian president said on Thursday that he hoped to meet the US leader next week, with the summit potentially taking place in the United Arab Emirates. Mr Putin's announcement came on the eve of a White House deadline for Moscow to show progress towards ending the three-year-old war in Ukraine or suffer additional economic sanctions. Asked on Thursday if his deadline for Friday would hold, Mr Trump said of Mr Putin: "It's going to be up to him. We're going to see what he has to say. It's going to be up to him. Very disappointed." Asked if Mr Putin needed to meet Volodymyr Zelenskyy in order to meet him, Mr Trump said: "No, he doesn't." Sky News' US correspondent David Blevins said it was "very difficult to gauge the prospect for a meeting", with the last few days having left a number of questions unanswered - notably whether Russia is really more inclined to a ceasefire, and whether Mr Putin is ready to sit down with Mr Zelenskyy. "It's difficult to see why Putin would be prepared to dilute his red lines at this point," Blevins said. Two White House officials and a senior administration official have told Sky News that secondary sanctions on Russia are still expected to be implemented on Friday. Meanwhile, Mr Trump has said on his Truth Social account that he will be hosting the president of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, and the prime minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan, at the White House for an "official Peace Signing Ceremony" on Friday. He added: "These two Nations have been at War for many years, resulting in the deaths of thousands of people. Many Leaders have tried to end the War, with no success, until now, thanks to 'TRUMP'." Mr Trump has long been hoping to add Ukraine to the list of wars he boasts of having stopped, claiming during the election last year he could do so in a single day, but has been frustrated since returning to office. 2:06 Putin suggests he won't meet with Zelenskyy It comes after a White House official told the Associated Press that a US-Russian summit wouldn't happen if Mr Putin did not agree to meet with Ukrainian president Mr Zelenskyy, but the official later said it only made it less likely. When asked about the prospect of meeting with Mr Zelenskyy, Mr Putin said on Thursday: "I have already said many times that I have nothing against it in general, it is possible." However, he distanced himself from any such meeting happening soon, adding: "But certain conditions must be created for this. But unfortunately, we are still far from creating such conditions." 0:23 White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has said Mr Trump wants to meet both leaders because he wants this "brutal war to end". She added: "The White House is working through the details of these potential meetings and details will be provided at the appropriate time." It is understood that the White House is preparing for the possibility of a bilateral or trilateral meeting as it remains unclear whether Mr Putin will be prepared to meet with the Ukrainian leader. Mr Zelenskyy said he had phone conversations with several European leaders on Thursday amid a flurry of diplomatic activity - as the Ukrainian government fears being sidelined by direct negotiations between Washington and Moscow.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store