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Four men were publicly executed in Afghanistan on Friday, the Supreme Court said, the highest number of executions to be carried out in one day since the Taliban’s return to power.  The executions at sports stadiums in three separate provinces brought to 10 the number of men publicly put to death since 2021, according to an AFP tally.Public executions were common during the Taliban’s first rule from 1996 to 2001, with most carried out publicly in sports stadiums.Two men were shot around six or seven times by a male relative of the victims in front of spectators in Qala-i-Naw, the centre of Badghis province, witnesses told an AFP journalist in the city.”They were made to sit and turn their backs to us. Relatives from the victims’ families stood behind and shot them with a gun,” Mohammad Iqbal Rahimyar, a 48-year-old spectator, told AFP.The men had been “sentenced to retaliatory punishment” for shooting other men, after their cases were “examined very precisely and repeatedly”, the Supreme Court said in a statement.The families of the victims turned down the opportunity to offer the men amnesty, it said.”If the family of the victim had forgiven the men it would be better, otherwise it’s God’s order, and should be implemented,” a 35-year-old man who gave his name as Zabihullah told AFP outside the stadium.Afghans had been invited to “attend the event” in official notices shared widely on Thursday.A third man was executed in Zaranj in Nimroz province and the fourth was in Farah city in the western province of the same name, the Supreme Court said.”It’s good that the Islamic Emirate shows its politics and force. I am very happy with that,” said another 30-year-old spectator named Javid, referring to the Taliban government’s official name.Amnesty International called on the Taliban authorities to halt public executions, which it called a “gross affront to human dignity”.- Eye for an eye -The previous execution was in November 2024, when a convicted murderer was shot three times in the chest by a member of the victim’s family in front of thousands of spectators, including high-ranking Taliban officials, at a stadium in Gardez, the capital of eastern Paktia province.Corporal punishment — mainly flogging — has been common under the Taliban authorities and employed for crimes including theft, adultery and alcohol consumption. However, all execution orders are signed by the Taliban’s reclusive Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, who lives in the movement’s heartland of Kandahar.Akhundzada ordered judges in 2022 to fully implement all aspects of the Taliban government’s interpretation of Islamic law — including “eye-for-an-eye” punishments known as “qisas”, allowing for the death penalty in retribution for the crime of murder. Law and order is central to the severe ideology of the Taliban, which emerged from the chaos of a civil war following the withdrawal of Soviet forces from Afghanistan in 1989.One of the most infamous images from their first rule depicted the 1999 execution of a woman wearing an all-covering burqa in a Kabul stadium.She had been accused of killing her husband.The United Nations and rights groups such as Amnesty have condemned the Taliban government’s use of corporal punishment and the death penalty.Amnesty included Afghanistan in countries where “death sentences were known to have been imposed after proceedings that did not meet international fair trial standards”, the non-governmental organisation said in its annual report on death sentences published in April.The report said Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia were responsible for 91 percent of known executions last year, with increases in death sentences in all three countries spurring a global rise. The 1,518 executions recorded worldwide in 2024 did not include thousands of people believed to have been executed in China — the world’s leading exponent of capital punishment — Amnesty said.

Indian investigative agencies on Friday questioned a man they extradited from the United States and charged with being a “mastermind” of the deadly 2008 Mumbai siege.India accuses Tahawwur Hussain Rana, 66, of being a member of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) group, designated by the United Nations as a terrorist organisation.Rana, a Pakistan-born Canadian, has denied all charges — including waging war against India, conspiring to commit murder and acts of terrorism. He could face the death penalty if convicted.New Delhi blamed the LeT group — as well as intelligence officials from New Delhi’s arch-enemy Pakistan — for the 2008 Mumbai attacks when 10 Islamist gunmen carried out a multi-day siege of the country’s financial capital.Nine of the attackers died in the siege, while one captured alive was tried and hanged.India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA), which accuses Rana of being the attack’s “mastermind”, took him into custody under heavy guard after he arrived in a special flight to the capital New Delhi on Thursday evening.”Rana will remain in custody for 18 days, during which the agency will question him in detail in order to unravel the complete conspiracy behind the deadly 2008 attacks,” NIA said.Rana, who served in the Pakistani army’s medical corps, faces 10 criminal charges including conspiracy, murder, commission of a terrorist act, and forgery.Rana, who has denied the charges, is accused by India of helping his long-term friend, David Coleman Headley, who was sentenced by a US court in 2013 to 35 years in prison after pleading guilty to aiding LeT militants, including by scouting target locations in Mumbai.Rana is accused of playing a smaller role than Headley, but India maintains he is one of the key plotters.He was flown to India after the US Supreme Court this month rejected his bid to remain in the United States, where he was serving a 14-year sentence related to another LeT-linked attack.India released a photograph of Rana arriving in Delhi, taken from his back, dressed in a brown jumpsuit and guarded by NIA officers.India also accused Pakistan of direct involvement in the Mumbai attack and Rana of having connections with its intelligence agencies, charges Islamabad denies.Pakistan’s foreign ministry spokesman Shafqat Ali said that Rana “did not apply to renew Pakistani documents over the past two decades”.  

Young Bangladeshi men desperate for work allege they have been tricked into fighting for Russia against Ukraine, with the reported death of a 22-year-old sparking a surge of worried calls.Bangladesh’s embassy in Moscow has said around a dozen families have contacted them seeking to bring back their sons they allege were duped into joining the Russian army.”We had no idea we’d end up on the battlefield,” said Mohammad Akram Hossain, who claimed he and his brother-in-law had registered with a recruiting agency and were originally promised jobs in Cyprus, before being offered work in Russia.”The recruiting agency said that only work visas for Russia were available, and we agreed to go,” the 26-year-old told AFP, now back home in the South Asian nation.”But we never imagined we would be abandoned like that.”Unemployment is high in Bangladesh and the economy was hit hard by protests last year that toppled the government.Worried relatives have been messaging Bangladeshi diplomats in Moscow after one family said their son Mohammed Yasin Sheikh, 22, was killed on March 27 while serving in the Russian army.Abul Hashem, Sheikh’s uncle, said the family was called by his friend during the Muslim holiday of Eid at the end of March.”Yasin’s friend, who is also fighting for the Russian side and a Bangladeshi, called us on Eid and informed us that Yasin had been killed,” Hashem told AFP.”Later, we received a call from a Russian commander.”- ‘Dead body’ -Sheikh’s family say they gave him money to travel when he left Bangladesh in September 2024, after a broker promised him work with a Chinese company in Russia as an electrician. But, they said, he ended up joining the Russian army in December.”We spent a lot to send him, and now we are waiting for his dead body,” Hashem said. “We’ve requested the Bangladesh government to take steps so that his mother can bid him farewell.”AFP could not independently verify the family’s claims.But Farhad Hossain, Bangladesh’s charge d’affaires in Moscow, said the embassy was aware of the reported casualty.”We learned about Md Yasin Sheikh a few days ago, and have engaged with our Russian counterparts on the issue,” he said, adding that the embassy could not confirm his death, or any other Bangladeshi casualties, and was awaiting a response from Moscow.But Hossain did confirm that other Bangladeshis had contacted the embassy.”We’ve been receiving requests from parents seeking information about their sons, and so far we’ve responded to around a dozen requests,” he said.The war in Ukraine has taken a heavy toll on Russian troops, and Moscow has been on a global quest for more forces to fight. Neither Russia nor Ukraine will say how many foreigners are serving in their militaries or how many they are holding as prisoners of war.Recruits from several South Asian nations — including India, Nepal and Sri Lanka — have already been reported to have fought for Russia against Ukraine, lured by promises of work. Hossain told AFP that Russian authorities have said those fighting on the side of Moscow had signed contracts, were on the payroll and were governed by the rules of war.He could not confirm how many Bangladeshis were thought to have joined Russia’s army, although one Bangladeshi newspaper cited security sources suggesting there were more than 100.- ‘Begging us’ -In Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka, Mustafizur Rahman, superintendent of police at the Criminal Investigation Department, said one Bangladeshi woman had been arrested in connection with alleged human trafficking, and six other cases had been opened.”Operations are ongoing to arrest the others,” Rahman said.Mohammad Akram Hossain, the man who claims to have escaped Moscow’s army, was among the first to alert Bangladeshi police of the trafficking network he said brought him to Russia.He said he was part of a group of 10 Bangladeshis who flew first to Saudi Arabia on a pilgrimage visa in September 2024.”After staying there a few weeks, we flew to Russia,” he said, adding he was then given a contract in Russian that he could not understand but signed anyway.”From St. Petersburg, we were taken by bus to a camp where we spent the night,” he added.”The next morning, they gave military uniforms to some of us and took them away for training.”Before being taken to fight, Mohammad Akram Hossain said he escaped — along with a group of men from Senegal — and managed to fly home.”I returned after losing several thousand dollars,” he said, adding his brother-in-law remains in Russia in the army. “He calls home regularly, begging us to get him back to Bangladesh.”

A Pakistan-born Canadian citizen wanted for his role in the deadly 2008 Mumbai siege landed in New Delhi Thursday after his extradition from the United States, Indian law enforcement said.Tahawwur Hussain Rana, 64, arrived at a military airbase outside the Indian capital under heavily armed guard, and will be held in detention to face trial.India accuses Rana of being a member of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) group, designated by the United Nations as a terrorist organisation, and of helping to plot the attacks.The National Investigation Agency said it “secured the successful extradition of… Mumbai terror attack mastermind Tahawwur Rana from the US”.The extradition took “years of sustained and concerted efforts to bring the key conspirator behind the 2008 mayhem to justice”.  US President Donald Trump announced in February that Washington would extradite Rana, who he called “one of the very evil people in the world”.State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said Thursday that the United States was “proud” that Rana was now in Indian custody over the “horrific” attack.”The United States has long supported India’s efforts to ensure those responsible for these attacks are brought to justice, and as President Trump has said, the United States and India will continue to work together to combat the global scourge of terrorism,” Bruce told reporters.Rana was flown to India after the US Supreme Court this month rejected his bid to remain in the United States, where he was serving a sentence related to another LeT-linked attack.New Delhi blamed the LeT group — as well as intelligence officials from New Delhi’s arch-enemy Pakistan — for the 2008 Mumbai attacks when 10 Islamist gunmen carried out a multi-day slaughter in the country’s financial capital.India accuses Rana of helping his longterm friend, David Coleman Headley, who was sentenced by a US court in 2013 to 35 years in prison after pleading guilty to aiding LeT militants, including by scouting target locations in Mumbai. Rana, who denies the charges, is accused of playing a smaller role than Headley, but India maintains he is one of the key plotters. Rana “is accused of conspiring with David Coleman Headley, and operatives of designated (Pakistan-based) terrorist organisations LeT and Harkat-ul-Jihadi Islami… to carry out the devastating terror attacks,” the NIA said in the statement. Rana, a former military medic who served in Pakistan’s army, emigrated to Canada in 1997, before moving to the United States and setting up businesses in Chicago, including a law firm and a slaughterhouse.He was arrested by US police in 2009.A US court in 2013 acquitted Rana of conspiracy to provide material support to the Mumbai attacks. But the same court convicted him of backing LeT to provide material support to a plot to commit murder in Denmark.Rana was sentenced to 14 years for his involvement in a conspiracy to attack the offices of the Jyllands-Posten newspaper, which had published cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed.In February, Devendra Fadnavis, chief minister of Maharashtra state which includes the megacity Mumbai, said that “finally, the long wait is over and justice will be done”.

KL Rahul smashed an unbeaten 93 as Delhi Capitals beat Royal Challengers Bengaluru by six wickets to maintain their winning streak in the Indian Premier League on Thursday.Rahul, 32, hit six sixes and seven fours in his scintillating 53-ball knock to help Delhi overhaul Bengaluru’s 163-7 with 13 balls to spare at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.Tristan Stubbs chipped in with 38 not out and shared 111 runs with Rahul off just 56 balls to steer Delhi to their fourth consecutive win.Delhi now sit second in the table while Bengaluru are third in the 10-team competition.  Bengaluru bowlers picked some early wickets but ran into the in-form Rahul who batted with composure and ease.Delhi had a wobbly start, losing openers Faf du Plessis and Jake Fraser-McGurk cheaply with just 10 runs on the board.Captain Axar Patel tried to steady the innings but holed out to Tim David off impact sub Suyash Sharma for 15.Stubbs said the win was “really satisfying”.”I came in a tricky situation, but the run-rate never got out of hand,” he said. “I did not need to do much — KL played the way he did.”  Earlier, Bengaluru were off to a flier, with openers Virat Kohli and Phil Salt taking the attack to the opposition.The duo smashed 30 runs in the third over off Mitchell Starc before guiding Bengaluru to the fastest team 50 of the season.The batting assault ended when Salt (37) was run-out after a mix-up and Kohli (22) lobbed a catch to Starc who dived forward to take a fine catch at long-off.Salt hit three sixes and four fours in his 17-ball knock.Bengaluru lost regular wickets after the twin setbacks, with Delhi left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav picking two, including the scalp of captain Rajat Patidar for 25.David provided a late flourish with an unbeaten 20-ball 37, studded with four sixes and two fours.Patidar conceded his team did not bat well despite showing “nice intent”.”We were lacking in assessing the conditions and the situation. (But) the way David accelerated at the end, it was really amazing,” he said.  

The EU paused plans for retaliatory tariffs on US goods Thursday after President Donald Trump abruptly suspended higher US duties on the bloc and other countries, leaving China in the crosshairs of his trade war.Trump’s about-face on Wednesday triggered a massive market rebound but Wall Street’s rally fizzled on Thursday and the dollar slumped, as investors remain on edge over the outlook for the world economy.The US president halted steep tariffs on scores of nations for 90 days. But he kept a global baseline tariff of 10 percent intact and punished Beijing for retaliating by slapping a 125 percent duty on its goods.The European Union, which had faced a 20 percent tariff, welcomed Trump’s U-turn, saying it was an “important step towards stabilising the global economy”.The 27-nation bloc responded with its own olive branch, suspending for 90 days tariffs on 20 billion euros’ worth of US goods that had been greenlit in retaliation to duties on steel and aluminium.”We want to give negotiations a chance,” EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement.She warned, however, that “if negotiations are not satisfactory, our countermeasures will kick in” and that all options remain on the table.Other countries are also lining up to bargain.Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney called Trump’s reversal a “welcome reprieve” and said Ottawa would begin negotiations with Washington on a new economic deal after elections on April 28.Vietnam said it had agreed with the United States to start trade talks, while Pakistan is sending a delegation to Washington.- China hits Hollywood -But there was no let-up in Trump’s trade war with China, which said the US tariffs policy “goes against the will of the world and goes against the whole world”.The heightened tariffs against China took effect at the same time as retaliatory levies of 84 percent imposed by Beijing on US imports.Beijing added Hollywood to its target list on Thursday as it announced it would “moderately reduce” the number of US films it imports.But China’s commerce ministry said the door remained open for dialogue.”We hope the US will meet China halfway, and, based on the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, properly resolve differences through dialogue and consultation,” Commerce Ministry spokeswoman He Yongqian said.Trump has predicted that trade deals will be made with all countries, including China, which has for now refused to roll back retaliatory tariffs on US goods.”A deal’s going to be made with China. A deal’s going to be made with every one of them,” Trump said at the White House. However,  China’s leaders “don’t quite know how to go about it”.Trump believes his policy will revive America’s lost manufacturing base by forcing companies to relocate to the United States.The billionaire former property tycoon has particularly raged against China, accusing it of excess production and “dumping” inexpensive goods on other economies.- ‘A little queasy’ -Markets have been on a roller-coaster ride since Trump announced his tariff plans last week, with the 10 percent global levy taking effect on Saturday and the higher ones on Wednesday before the pause.Investors also began to dump US government bonds — a major economic red light since American sovereign debt is normally seen as a haven for investors in troubled times.”I saw last night where people were getting a little queasy,” Trump said Wednesday, though he denied that he backtracked on the tariffs.Wall Street’s main index were all down more than two percent as trading resumed on Thursday, a day after the tech-heavy Nasdaq soared 12 percent higher and the S&P 500 surged 9.5 percent.Asia and Europe caught up on Thursday, with Tokyo closing 9.1 percent higher as the Japanese government welcomed the tariff pause but demanded that other levies be halted.Paris and Frankfurt were up more than five percent in afternoon deals while London rose 4.5 percent.”This will go down in American history as the greatest trade negotiating day we have ever had,” said Trump’s senior trade advisor Peter Navarro.”We’re in a beautiful position for the next 90 days” to seek trade deals with partners, he told ABC News, adding that more than 75 have sought to negotiate with Washington.burs-oho-lth/phz

China on Thursday urged the United States to meet it “halfway” as US President Donald Trump imposed more levies on Chinese goods but, in a huge relief to global markets, paused tariffs on other countries.Stocks on Wall Street, across Asia and Europe rocketed in reaction to Trump’s announcement that he was halting a levy hike for almost all nations for 90 days.But Trump also said he was raising tariffs on China to 125 percent from an earlier 104 percent, the latest salvo in an escalating standoff between the world’s two largest economies.The heightened tariffs against China took effect at the same time Thursday as retaliatory levies of 84 percent slapped on by Beijing on US imports.China’s commerce ministry warned the tariffs risked “severely” impacting the global economy, but stressed that “the door to dialogue is open”.”We hope the US will meet China halfway, and, based on the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, properly resolve differences through dialogue and consultation,” Commerce Ministry spokeswoman He Yongqian said.Beijing’s foreign ministry also warned the tariff hikes were going “against the whole world”.Trump has predicted that trade deals will be made with all countries, including China, which has for now refused to roll back retaliatory tariffs on US goods.”A deal’s going to be made with China. A deal’s going to be made with every one of them,” Trump said at the White House. However, China’s leaders “don’t quite know how to go about it,” he added.As Beijing weighs the costs of further escalation, Bloomberg reported that its top leadership is meeting Thursday to hash out plans for additional stimulus to boost its fragile economy — already ailing before the trade war.- ‘A little queasy’ -Markets have been on a rollercoaster ride since Trump imposed a 10-percent baseline tariff on all countries and higher rates on key trading partners that he accused of cheating the United States, which activated on Wednesday.But as markets swayed yet again, Trump said in a surprise announcement that he had authorised a 90 day pause on the higher tariffs — although the baseline 10-percent rate remains.Trump denied that he backtracked on the tariffs, saying he remains flexible.”I saw last night where people were getting a little queasy,” he said, as US bond yields rose during the stocks sell-off — a major economic red light as American sovereign government debt is normally seen as a safe haven for investors in troubled times.”What a day, but more great days coming!!!” he wrote on his Truth Social network later on Wednesday.Trump’s senior trade advisor Peter Navarro said “this will go down in American history as the greatest trade negotiating day we have ever had.””We’re in a beautiful position for the next 90 days” to seek trade deals with partners, he told ABC News, adding more than 75 have sought to negotiate with Washington.- China duel -Japan — which had been slapped with 24 percent under the so-called reciprocal tariffs — said it welcomed the pause but still “strongly” demanded that Washington reconsider other levies on its steel and auto exports.The 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, for which the United States is their main export market, said on Thursday they would not impose any “retaliatory measures” and were ready for dialogue.And Vietnam said it and the United States had agreed to start negotiations on a reciprocal trade agreement.The European Union earlier launched its own counterattack, announcing measures targeting more than 20 billion euros’ worth of US products.- ‘Kissing my ass’ -Wall Street stocks rocketed on Trump’s pause announcement.The S&P 500 surged 9.5 percent to 5,456.90, snapping a brutal run of losses over the past week.Markets in Asia also rallied Thursday, with Hong Kong, Tokyo, Australia, Indonesia and Singapore sharply higher. Taipei closed up a record 9.3 percent. Stocks in Chinese economic powerhouse Shanghai were also up, despite Trump’s decision to further hike tariffs.And in Europe, markets rebounded sharply on the pause.The EU’s chief Ursula von der Leyen on Thursday welcomed Trump’s decision to pause the tariff increases as an “important step towards stabilising the global economy”.Trump has said world leaders were rushing to negotiate “tailored” deals with the United States, with Japan and South Korea among those sending delegations to Washington.”These countries are calling us up kissing my ass,” Trump told a dinner with fellow Republicans on Tuesday night.Trump believes his policy will revive America’s lost manufacturing base by forcing companies to relocate to the United States.The billionaire former property tycoon has particularly raged against China, accusing it of excess production and “dumping” inexpensive goods on other economies.burs-oho/hmn

US President Donald Trump abruptly paused tariffs on most countries, sparking euphoria on global markets Thursday, but upped the ante on a brutal trade war with superpower rival China.After days of turmoil, stocks on Wall Street and across Asia saw huge surges in reaction to Trump’s announcement that he was halting a levy hike for almost all nations for 90 days.But Trump also said he was raising tariffs on China to 125 percent because of a “lack of respect.”Beijing hit back with retaliatory levies of 84 percent on US imports, which came into effect just after midday (0401 GMT) on Thursday, the latest salvo in an escalating standoff between the world’s two largest economies.Trump has denied that he backtracked on the tariffs, telling reporters that “you have to be flexible.””People were jumping a little bit out of line, they were getting yippy, a little bit afraid,” Trump said. “Yippy” is a term in sports to describe a loss of nerves.He said he had been watching the “very tricky” state of the crucial US bonds market before his decision.”I saw last night where people were getting a little queasy,” he said, as US bond yields rose during the stocks sell-off — a major economic red light as American sovereign government debt is normally seen as a safe haven for investors in troubled times.Trump also predicted that trade deals will be made with all countries, including China, which has for now refused to roll back retaliatory tariffs on US goods.”A deal’s going to be made with China. A deal’s going to be made with every one of them,” Trump said, adding however that China’s leaders “don’t quite know how to go about it.”Trump also said that he “can’t imagine” increasing Chinese tariffs more than he has.As Beijing weighs the costs of further escalation, Bloomberg reported that its top leadership will meet Thursday to hash out plans for additional stimulus to boost its fragile economy — already ailing before the trade war. – China duel -Markets have been on a rollercoaster ride since Trump’s announcement of sweeping global tariffs one week ago on what he called “Liberation Day” before his dramatic pause on Wednesday.Trump had imposed 10 percent baseline tariffs on all countries which came into effect on Saturday, and higher rates on key trading partners such as China and the European Union that he accused of cheating the United States, which activated on Wednesday.But as markets swayed yet again, Trump said in a surprise announcement on his Truth Social network that “I have authorized a 90 day PAUSE” on the higher tariffs, while the baseline 10 percent would remain.He said that he took the decision after more than 75 countries reached out to negotiate and did not retaliate.Japan — which had been slapped with 24 percent under the so-called reciprocal tariffs — said it welcomed the news but still “strongly” demanded that Washington reconsider other levies on its steel and auto exports.The European Union had earlier launched its own counterattack, announcing measures targeting some US products from next week in retaliation for American duties on global steel and aluminum exports.The 27-nation bloc will hit more than 20 billion euros’ worth of US products, including soybeans, motorcycles and beauty products.But the EU notably did not retaliate against the separate “Liberation Day” tariffs of 20 percent that came into effect on Wednesday.- ‘BE COOL!’ -Wall Street stocks rocketed on Trump’s pause announcement.The S&P 500 surged 9.5 percent to 5,456.90, snapping a brutal run of losses over the past week.Markets in Asia also rallied Thursday, with Hong Kong, Tokyo, Taipei, Australia, Indonesia and Singapore sharply higher.Stocks in Chinese economic powerhouse Shanghai were also up, despite Trump’s decision to further hike tariffs.Before his pivot, Trump said world leaders were rushing to negotiate “tailored” deals with the United States, with Japan and South Korea among those sending delegations to Washington.”I’m telling you, these countries are calling us up kissing my ass,” Trump told a dinner with fellow Republicans on Tuesday night.Trump believes his policy will revive America’s lost manufacturing base by forcing companies to relocate to the United States.The billionaire former property tycoon has particularly raged against China, accusing it of excess production and “dumping” inexpensive goods on other economies.With the trade war between the world’s two biggest economies showing little signs of abating, China told tourists on Wednesday to “fully assess the risks” before travelling to the United States.Separately, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned against Chinese “threats” as he visited Panama, whose canal is at the center of a row between Beijing and Washington.burs-oho/hmn

US President Donald Trump has ramped up his trade war against China, further raising import tariffs on Beijing to 125 percent despite pausing them for other countries.The move came hours after China announced reciprocal action against the United States in response to a previous levy hike.AFP looks at how the escalating trade war between the world’s two biggest economies is playing out — and what impact it might have:- What actions has Trump taken so far? -Trump said Wednesday that the US would raise tariffs on Chinese imports to a staggering 125 percent, citing a “lack of respect” from Beijing.The announcement came as the mercurial president announced a halt on tariffs for other nations for 90 days, following panic on global markets.The new levy on China marked the latest salvo in a brewing tit-for-tat trade war between the two global superpowers.A previous round of US tariffs had come into force earlier on Wednesday, jacking up duties on China to 104 percent.As well as the blanket levies, China is also under sector-specific tariffs on steel, aluminium and car imports.- How has China responded? -China has vowed to fight the measures “to the end” and so far has unveiled reciprocal tariffs each time Trump has upped the ante.Responding to the 104 percent duties on Wednesday, Beijing said it would raise its own tariffs on US imports from 34 percent to 84 percent, effective from Thursday.It also said it had filed a complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO), citing “bullying” tactics by the Trump administration.China had not responded to the latest hike in tariffs to 125 percent levies as of Thursday morning.But its countermeasures have begun to step outside the economic sphere, with government departments warning citizens of the “risks” of travelling to the US or studying in parts of the country.And while Beijing has blasted the US with fiery rhetoric, it has continued to urge “equal dialogue” to resolve the trade spat.Zhiwei Zhang, chief economist at Pinpoint Asset Management, said China had sent a “clear signal” that it would not back down, adding that there was “(no) quick and easy way out” of the conflict.Haibin Zhu, chief China economist at J.P. Morgan, agreed, saying “the bar for a possible deal is high”.- Why is China so vulnerable to tariffs? – Trade between the world’s two largest economies is vast.Sales of Chinese goods to the US last year totalled more than $500 billion — 16.4 percent of the country’s exports, according to Beijing’s customs data.And China imported $143.5 billion in goods from the United States in 2024, according to the office of the US Trade Representative.That trade was dominated by agricultural products, primarily oilseeds and grains, according to the US-China Business Council. Oil and gas, pharmaceuticals and semiconductors are also among major US exports to China.Beijing has long drawn Trump’s ire with a trade surplus with the United States that reached $295.4 billion last year, according to the US Commerce Department’s Bureau of Economic Analysis.Chinese leaders have been reluctant to disrupt the status quo, in part because the country’s export-driven economy is particularly sensitive to vicissitudes in international trade.US duties also threaten to harm China’s fragile post-Covid economic recovery as it struggles with a debt crisis in the property sector and persistently low consumption — a downturn Beijing had sought to slow with broad fiscal stimulus last year.But an intensified trade war will likely mean China cannot peg its hopes for strong economic growth this year on its exports, which reached record highs in 2024.- What impact will US tariffs have? -The head of the WTO said Wednesday that the US-China tariff war could cut trade in goods between the two countries by 80 percent.Given the two economic giants account for three percent of world trade, the conflict could “severely damage the global economic outlook”, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said.Analysts expect the levies to take a significant chunk out of China’s GDP, which Beijing’s leadership hope will grow five percent this year.Likely to be hit hardest are China’s top exports to the United States — everything from electronics and machinery to textiles and clothing, according to the Peterson Institute of International Economics.And because of the crucial role Chinese goods play in supplying US firms, the tariffs may also hurt American manufacturers and consumers, analysts have warned.Paul Ashworth, chief North America economist at Capital Economics, said it was “difficult to see either side backing down in the next few days”. But, he added, “talks will eventually happen, although a full rollback of all the additional tariffs… appear unlikely”.

Opener Sai Sudharsan struck his third half-century of this season to guide Gujarat Titans to the top of the IPL table with a 58-run thrashing of Rajasthan Royals on Wednesday.The left-handed Sudharsan smashed 82 off 53 balls as Gujarat posted 217-6 after being invited to bat first at their home at the world’s biggest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad.Pace bowler Prasidh Krishna then stood out with figures of 3-24 to help bowl out Rajasthan for 159 in 19.2 overs after Shimron Hetmyer top-scored with 52.Gujarat registered their fourth successive victory in five matches to lead the 10-team table. Inaugural champions Rajasthan slipped to their third defeat.Gujarat, who won the IPL in their debut season in 2022, had a disappointing start when Rajasthan’s England import bowler Jofra Archer bowled skipper Shubman Gill with a 147 kph (91.34 mph) delivery that rattled the off stump.But Sudharsan after a cautious start put on key stands, including a 80-run second-wicket partnership with England’s Jos Buttler, who hit 36, to lay the foundations for the mammoth total.”I always try to see what I can do better, trying to improve my awareness and skill,” Sudharsan said after being named player of the match.”I feel I work a lot on basics that is helping me be a versatile batter.”Sri Lankan spinner Maheesh Theekshana broke through as he trapped Buttler lbw, a decision denied by the on-field umpire but Rajasthan skipper Sanju Samson successfully reviewed the call.Theekshana struck another blow to cut short big-hitter Shahrukh Khan’s knock on 36 when he got the burly batter stumped out.- ‘Should we have chased?’ -West Indies left-hander Sherfane Rutherford began with a six off Theekshana but survived just three balls for his seven when Sandeep Sharma got him out.Sudharsan kept up the attack until his departure in the 19th over off Tushar Deshpande who struck another blow six balls later to send back Rashid Khan for 12.Sudharsan has amassed 273 runs in five matches and is second behind leading batter Lucknow Super Giants’ Nicholas Pooran, who has 288 runs.Left-hander Rahul Tewatia made Gujarat finish strong in his unbeaten 24-run blitz that got 16 runs from the 20th over off Sandeep.Rajasthan lost regular wickets in their chase after opener Yashasvi Jaiswal got out in the second over to left-arm medium-pace bowler Arshad Khan. Jaiswal made six.Samson kept up the flow of runs but found little support from the other end as Nitish Rana, Riyan Parag and Dhruv Jurel got out with Rajasthan in trouble at 68-4 in the eighth over.Samson and Hetmyer attempted to rebuild as they put together 48 runs but Krishna got the captain caught at short thirdman for 41.”When you lose games, we also feel should we have chased?,” said Samson. “But we want to be a team that wins games while chasing, not just win batting first.”Rashid soon got his second wicket with his leg spin and Krishna struck twice, including getting Hetmyer out after his 50, as the chase fizzled out.Gujarat left-arm spinner Sai Kishore wrapped up the win with his two wickets.