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A dry winter is intensifying wildfires in Nepal, experts said Wednesday, as the capital Kathmandu continued to suffer from hazardous air quality that ranks it among the most polluted cities globally.Nepal has seen a significant drop in post-monsoon rainfall, with 79.4 percent less precipitation between December and February compared to the average, the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology said Tuesday.More than 1,800 wildfires have been reported across the country since January, with more than a third of them occurring within the last month.”The wildfires have increased significantly because of a dry season. There is abundance of dry fuel in the forest, so even a small fire can get uncontrollable,” Prakash Malla, a forester at the Department of Forest and Soil Conservation, told AFP.”It is challenging. The local authorities have limited resources and our terrain is also difficult,” he added.Air quality in the capital Kathmandu has been ranked the worst in the world for over a week, according to monitoring site IQAir, with some flights delayed as thick smoke blankets the city.Levels of PM2.5 pollutants — cancer-causing microparticles that enter the bloodstream through the lungs — registered above 175 micrograms per cubic metre on Wednesday, according to IQAir.A reading above 15 in a 24-hour period is considered unhealthy by the World Health Organization (WHO), and IQAir ranked Kathmandu the world’s most polluted city.Experts at Kathmandu-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development(ICIMOD) in a statement last week attributed the spike to forest fires, especially in the west “where many districts are in moderate to extreme drought”. “Our analysis shows that air quality in Kathmandu was not healthy even before. But the forest fires and a stagnant atmosphere has added on to the existing pollution,” ICIMOD air pollution analyst Sagar Adhikari told AFP. Adhikari said some rain is expected in the next few days and could offer relief. Nepal’s worst fire year was in 2021, with more than 6,500 wildfire incidents. That year, schools were shut for four days after air quality reached hazardous levels.Although the number of wildfires decreased in 2022, there has been a steady rise every year since. The health ministry issued a notice last week requesting Nepalis “avoid unnecessary travel” and to wear a mask when outside.The government also urged people to avoid construction and burning rubbish. The Air Quality Life Index, issued by the University of Chicago, estimated in 2024 that air pollution stripped 3.4 years off the life of an average Nepal resident.

Convoys of Afghans pressured to leave Pakistan are driving to the border, fearing the “humiliation” of arrest, as the government’s crackdown on migrants sees widespread public support. Islamabad wants to deport 800,000 Afghans after cancelling their residence permits — the second phase of a deportation programme which has already pushed out around 800,000 undocumented Afghans since 2023.According to the UN refugee agency, more than 24,665 Afghans have left Pakistan since April 1, 10,741 of whom were deported.   “People say the police will come and carry out raids. That is the fear. Everyone is worried about that,” Rahmat Ullah, an Afghan migrant in the megacity Karachi told AFP. “For a man with a family, nothing is worse than seeing the police take his women from his home. Can anything be more humiliating than this? It would be better if they just killed us instead,” added Nizam Gull, as he backed his belongings and prepared to return to Afghanistan. Abdul Shah Bukhari, a community leader in one of the largest informal Afghan settlements in the coastal city, has watched multiple buses leave daily for the Afghan border, about 700 kilometres away.The maze of makeshift homes has grown over decades with the arrival of families fleeing successive wars in Afghanistan. But now, he said “people are leaving voluntarily”.”What is the need to cause distress or harassment?” said Bukhari.- ‘Harassed every day’ -Ghulam Hazrat, a truck driver, said he reached the Chaman border crossing with Afghanistan after days of police harassment in Karachi.”We had to leave behind our home. We were being harassed every day.”In Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, on the Afghan border, police climb mosque minarets to order Afghans to leave: “The stay of Afghan nationals in Pakistan has expired. They are requested to return to Afghanistan voluntarily.”Police warnings are not only aimed at Afghans, but also at Pakistani landlords.”Two police officers came to my house on Sunday and told me that if there are any Afghan nationals living here they should be evicted,” Farhan Ahmad told AFP.Human Rights Watch has slammed “abusive tactics” used to pressure Afghans to return to their country, “where they risk persecution by the Taliban and face dire economic conditions”.In September 2023, hundreds of thousands of undocumented Afghans poured across the border into Afghanistan in the days leading up to a deadline to leave, after weeks of police raids and the demolition of homes.- ‘That is their country’ -After decades of hosting millions of Afghan refugees, there is widespread support among the Pakistani public for the deportations.”They eat here, live here, but are against us. Terrorism is coming from there (Afghanistan), and they should leave; that is their country. We did a lot for them,” Pervaiz Akhtar, a university teacher, told AFP at a market in the capital Islamabad.”Come with a valid visa, and then come and do business with us,” said Muhammad Shafiq, a 55-year-old businessman. His views echo the Pakistani government, which for months has blamed rising violence in the border regions on “Afghan-backed perpetrators” and argued that the country can no longer support such a large migrant population.However, analysts have said the deportation drive is political.Relations between Kabul and Islamabad have soured since the Taliban returned to power in 2021.”The timing and manner of their deportation indicates it is part of Pakistan’s policy of mounting pressure on the Taliban,” Maleeha Lodhi, the former permanent representative of Pakistan to the UN told AFP.”This should have been done in a humane, voluntary and gradual way.”

US President Donald Trump’s trade war boiled over on Wednesday as China and the European Union adopted retaliatory tariffs against US goods, fuelling fresh market volatility.Trump’s latest salvo of tariffs came into effect on dozens of trading partners earlier Wednesday.”BE COOL! Everything is going to work out well. The USA will be bigger and better than ever before!” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform following the Chinese and EU counterattacks.In one of the most serious tests of China-US ties in recent decades, Trump ramped up the duties he had originally prepared for Chinese goods, finally raising them to 104 percent after Beijing said it would retaliate.Beijing initially planned to impose a 34 percent tariff on imports of US products from 1601 GMT on Wednesday, but the finance ministry said it would now raise the toll to 84 percent after Trump hiked his tariff.”The tariff escalation against China by the United States simply piles mistakes on top of mistakes (and) severely infringes on China’s legitimate rights and interests,” the ministry said.Washington’s moves “severely damage the multilateral rules-based trade system”, it added.China also said it would blacklist six American artificial intelligence firms, including Shield AI and Sierra Nevada Corp.The European Union announced measures targeting more than 20 billion euros’ worth of US products, including soybeans, motorcycles and beauty products, starting April 15.The levies are in retaliation for US duties on global steel and aluminium exports imposed last month.”These countermeasures can be suspended at any time, should the US agree to a fair and balanced negotiated outcome,” the European Commission said after EU member states approved the measures. “The EU considers US tariffs unjustified and damaging, causing economic harm to both sides, as well as the global economy,” it added.The EU is still working on a response to the 20 percent levy that took effect on Wednesday.- ‘Cutting your own throat’ -US officials have warned nations against retaliating.”I think what a lot of people are missing here is that the levels that were put out last Wednesday are a ceiling, if you don’t retaliate,” US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said at a US banking summit Wednesday.Bessent warned countries that aligning with Beijing “would be cutting your own throat” as China is guilty of excess production and “dumping” inexpensive goods on other economies.Trump believes his policy will revive America’s lost manufacturing base by forcing companies to relocate to the United States.”This is a GREAT time to move your COMPANY into the United States of America, like Apple, and so many others, in record numbers, are doing,” Trump posted on Truth Social, adding “DON’T WAIT, DO IT NOW!”But many business experts and economists question how quickly — if ever — this could take place and warn it could reignite inflation.- Markets mixed -The escalating trade war has wiped off trillions of dollars in market value since last week as investors fear that the trade war will spark a recession.After some respite on Tuesday, stock markets were rattled on Wednesday.Wall Street’s main indexes were up in early morning deals while European stock markets were down around three percent in afternoon trading.Tokyo’s Nikkei index closed almost four percent lower.The dollar fell against major currencies while oil prices fell below $60 a barrel, their lowest level in four years.Government bond yields — essentially the interest countries pay to borrow money — rose in the United States, Japan and Britain, among other countries.The Bank of England warned of risks to “UK financial stability” from increased geopolitical tensions, including the fallout from the US tariffs.Italy is preparing to cut its 2025 growth forecast in half, to 0.6 percent from 1.2, a government source said, while Spain is also set to downgrade its outlook.Trump has said his government was working on “tailored deals” with trading partners, with the White House saying it would prioritise allies such as Japan and South Korea, which were hit with tariffs of 24 percent and 25 percent, respectively.His top trade official, Jamieson Greer, told the Senate that Argentina, Vietnam and Israel were among those who had offered to reduce their tariffs. Trump told a dinner with fellow Republicans on Tuesday night that countries were “dying” to make a deal.”I’m telling you, these countries are calling us up kissing my ass,” he said.Trump also said the United States would announce a major tariff on pharmaceuticals “very shortly”, prompting a sell-off in shares of pharmaceutical companies.burs-oho-lth/js

China announced Wednesday massive retaliatory tariffs on US goods, sharply escalating a trade war started by President Donald Trump and fuelling fresh panic in global markets.Trump’s latest salvo of tariffs came into effect on dozens of trading partners earlier Wednesday, including punishing duties of 104 percent on imports of Chinese products.Beijing originally planned to respond with a 34 percent tariff on imports of US products from 1601 GMT Wednesday, but the finance ministry said it would now raise the toll to 84 percent after Trump dramatically hiked his own duties on imports from China.”The tariff escalation against China by the United States simply piles mistakes on top of mistakes (and) severely infringes on China’s legitimate rights and interests,” the ministry said.Washington’s moves “severely damage the multilateral rules-based trade system”, it added.In a separate statement, Beijing’s commerce ministry said it would blacklist six American artificial intelligence firms, including Shield AI and Sierra Nevada Corp.Trump did not immediately react to the Chinese counterattack but he called on companies to start relocating to the United States to avoid tariffs.”This is a GREAT time to move your COMPANY into the United States of America, like Apple, and so many others, in record numbers, are doing,” the US president said on his Truth Social platform. He urged: “DON’T WAIT, DO IT NOW!”Trump believes his policy will revive America’s lost manufacturing base by forcing companies to relocate to the United States.But many business experts and economists question how quickly — if ever — this can take place and warn it could reignite inflation.- Recession fears -The escalating trade war has wiped off trillions of dollars in market value since last week as investors fear that the trade war will spark a recession.After some respite on Tuesday, stock markets were in panic mode again, with Tokyo’s Nikkei index closing almost four percent lower on Wednesday.Paris and Frankfurt sank four percent in afternoon trading while London was down 3.5 percent. US equities were expected to open with more losses.The Bank of England warned of risks to “UK financial stability” from increased geopolitical tensions, including the fallout from the US tariffs.Italy is preparing to cut its 2025 growth forecast in half, to 0.6 percent from 1.2, a government source said, while Spain is also set to downgrade its outlook.Central banks in India and New Zealand cut interest rates to boost their economies in the face of tariffs.Oil prices fell below $60 a barrel, their lowest level in four years.Government bond yields — essentially the interest countries pay to borrow money — rose in the United States, Japan and Britain, among other countries.- Drug makers next? -Trump has said his government was working on “tailored deals” with trading partners, with the White House saying it would prioritise allies such as Japan and South Korea, which were hit with tariffs of 24 percent and 25 percent, respectively.His top trade official, Jamieson Greer, told the Senate that Argentina, Vietnam and Israel were among those who had offered to reduce their tariffs. Vietnamese goods were hit with one of the highest tariffs, at 46 percent. Trump told a dinner with fellow Republicans on Tuesday night that countries were “dying” to make a deal.”I’m telling you, these countries are calling us up kissing my ass,” he said.The European Union, whose goods were hit with a 20 percent tariff, is working on response that could be presented next week.A Chinese government white paper released on Wednesday emphasised that the Beijing and Washington could still resolve their differences “through equal-footed dialogue and mutually beneficial cooperation”.Trump on Tuesday said the United States was “taking in almost $2 billion a day” from global tariffs.He also said the United States would announce a major tariff on pharmaceuticals “very shortly”, prompting a sell-off in shares of pharmaceutical companies.Residents in Beijing expressed fears over the escalating trade war.”I hope that everyone can sit down and reconcile and talk, and then put things out step by step, rather than irrationally escalate them,” Yu Yan, a lawyer, told AFP.In the United States, consumers also voiced worries over rising prices.At a supermarket in New York, mother-of-two Anastasia Nevin told AFP she was “just trying to get by. It’s tough”, adding that she was in “survival mode”.burs-oho-lth/js

US President Donald Trump reignited market turmoil on Wednesday as punishing tariffs on dozens of countries kicked in, with China set to retaliate after being hit with levies topping 100 percent.Following the sweeping 10 percent tariffs that took effect over the weekend, the tax US importers pay to buy goods from the likes of the European Union, Japan and Vietnam rose dramatically higher overnight.After some respite on Tuesday, stock markets were in panic mode again, with Tokyo’s Nikkei index closing almost four percent lower on Wednesday while Paris, Frankfurt and London were down around three percent in their midday trading.China — Washington’s top economic rival but also a major trading partner — has been the hardest hit, with tariffs imposed on its products since Trump returned to the White House now reaching a staggering 104 percent.In response, the Chinese foreign ministry promised to take “firm and forceful” steps to protect its interests, while its commerce ministry said the country had “abundant means” to fight a trade war.Trump has said his government was working on “tailored deals” with trading partners, with the White House saying it would prioritise allies such as Japan and South Korea, which were hit with tariffs of 24 percent and 25 percent, respectively.His top trade official, Jamieson Greer, told the Senate that Argentina, Vietnam and Israel were among those who had offered to reduce their tariffs. Vietnamese goods were hit with one of the highest tariffs at 46 percent. Trump told a dinner with fellow Republicans on Tuesday night that countries were “dying” to make a deal.”I’m telling you, these countries are calling us up kissing my ass,” he said.But Beijing was set to impose retaliatory tariffs of 34 percent on US goods from 12:01 am local time on Thursday (1601 GMT Wednesday).Trump had originally planned to impose an additional 34 percent tariff on Chinese goods, but he decided to add another 50 percent on top of that after Beijing decided to retaliate. Combined with previous levies, the tax on Chinese goods rose to 104 percent.Despite rising tensions, a Chinese government white paper released on Wednesday stressed that the two countries could still resolve their differences “through equal-footed dialogue and mutually beneficial cooperation”.- Recession fears -The escalating trade war has wiped off trillions of dollars in market value since last week as investors fear that the tariffs will rekindle inflation and spark a recession.The Bank of England warned of risks to “UK financial stability” from increased geopolitical tensions, including the fallout from the US tariffs.Central banks in India and New Zealand cut interest rates to boost their economies in the face of tariffs.Italy is preparing to cut its 2025 growth forecast in half from 1.2 to 0.6 percent, a government source said, while Spain is also set to downgrade its outlook.Oil prices slumped, with the international benchmark contract, Brent, falling under $60 per barrel, its lowest level in four years.In foreign exchange, the South Korean won this week fell to its lowest level against the dollar since 2009.China’s offshore yuan also fell to an all-time low against the US dollar, as Beijing’s central bank moved to weaken the currency on Wednesday for what Bloomberg said was the fifth day in a row.”Letting the yuan grind lower at this measured pace won’t offset the blow from a full-blown tariff barrage,” analyst Stephen Innes from SPI Asset Management said. “The levies are simply too big.”Government bond yields — essentially the interest states pay to borrow money — rose in the United States, Japan and Britain, among other countries.Trump believes his policy will revive America’s lost manufacturing base by forcing companies to relocate to the United States.But many business experts and economists question how quickly — if ever — this can take place.Trump on Tuesday said that the United States was “taking in almost $2 billion a day” from tariffs.He also said the United States would announce a major tariff on pharmaceuticals “very shortly”.- ‘Survival mode’ -Residents in Beijing expressed fears over the escalating trade war.”I hope that everyone can sit down and reconcile and talk, and then put things out step by step, rather than irrationally escalate them,” Yu Yan, a lawyer, told AFP.In the United States, consumers also voiced worries over rising prices.At a supermarket in New York, Anastasia Nevin told AFP she was in “survival mode”.”I have two kids so I’m just trying to get by. It’s tough,” she said, adding that she would likely need to cut back on spending if prices rise further. burs-oho-lth/bc

Indian authorities are readying for the extradition from the United States of a man that New Delhi accuses of helping plan the 2008 Mumbai siege that killed 166 people.Tahawwur Hussain Rana, 64, a Canadian citizen born in Pakistan, is due to be extradited “shortly” to face trial, Indian media said, reporting that New Delhi had sent a multi-agency team of security officials to collect him.India accuses him of being a member of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) group, designated by the United Nations as a terrorist organisation, and of aiding planning the attacks.US President Donald Trump announced in February that Washington would extradite Rana, whom he called “one of the very evil people in the world”.The US Supreme Court this month rejected his bid to remain in the United States, where he is serving a sentence for a planning role in another LeT-linked attack.New Delhi blames the LeT group — as well as intelligence officials from New Delhi’s arch-enemy Pakistan — for the Mumbai attacks in November 2008, 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.- ‘Long wait’ -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 that angered Muslims around the globe.But India maintains Rana is one of the key plotters of the Mumbai attacks along with the convicted Headley — and the authorities have welcomed his expected extradition.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”.Devika Rotawan, a survivor of the Mumbai attacks, said she believed the extradition of Rana would be a “big win for India”.”I will never be able to forget the attack,” she told broadcaster NDTV on Wednesday.- ‘Chilling effect’ -Counterterrorism experts however suggest Rana’s involvement was peripheral compared to Headley, a US citizen, who India also wants extradited. “They gave us a small fish but kept David Headley, so the essential outcome is going to be symbolic,” said Ajay Sahni, head of the Institute for Conflict Management, a New Delhi-based think tank.Rana knew Headley, 64, from their days together at boarding school in Pakistan.Headley, who testified as a government witness at Rana’s trial, said he had used his friend’s Chicago-based immigration services firm as a cover to scout targets in India, by opening a branch in Mumbai.Rana has said he visited Mumbai ahead of the attacks — and stayed at the luxury Taj Mahal Palace Hotel that would become the epicentre of the bloody siege — but denied involvement in the conspiracy.Sahni said that more than 16 years after the attacks, Rana’s extradition is of “historical importance” rather than a source of any “live intelligence”. But he added that handing him over has “a chilling effect” on others abroad who India seeks to put on trial.

China is trying to tariff-proof its economy by boosting consumption and investing in key industries, but analysts say it remains critically vulnerable to the economic storm triggered by Donald Trump’s 104 percent levies on its goods.Beijing has vowed to “fight to the end” against Trump’s aggressive trade policy, with number two leader Li Qiang saying authorities were “fully confident” in the resilience of the Chinese economy.But even before the tariffs hit, weakness in the post-Covid domestic market, rising unemployment and a long-running property crisis had all dampened consumption.”The Chinese economy has been significantly weakened since Trump’s first term and can’t really withstand the impact of sustained high tariffs,” said Henry Gao, an expert on the Chinese economy and international trade law.Overseas shipments had represented a rare bright spot last year, with the United States the top single country buyer of Chinese goods. US figures put Chinese exports to the United States at around $440 billion in 2024, almost three times the $145 billion worth of imports. Machinery and electronics — as well as textiles, footwear, furniture and toys — make up a majority of the goods sent, and a supply glut could squeeze already crowded domestic consumer markets.Although China’s domestic market is stronger now than in Trump’s previous term, there would inevitably be pain ahead, said Tang Yao from Peking University’s Guanghua School of Management. “Certain products are specifically designed for American or European markets, so efforts to redirect them to domestic consumers will have only a limited effect,” he said.- ‘Strategic opportunity’ -However, a weekend editorial in the Communist Party-backed People’s Daily described the tariffs as a “strategic opportunity” for China to cement consumption as the main driver of economic growth.We must “turn pressure into motivation”, it read. Beijing has been seeking to “recast structural external pressure as a catalyst for long-intended reforms”, said Lizzi Lee from the Asia Society Policy Institute’s Center for China Analysis.Authorities are “projecting confidence”, she said.China’s quick and coordinated response to tariffs reflect lessons learned from Trump’s first term, she added.For example, in addition to readying reciprocal tariffs on US goods set to come into effect Thursday, Beijing’s commerce ministry the same day announced export controls on seven rare earth elements — including ones used in magnetic imaging and consumer electronics.Beijing’s response to any further escalation may no longer be confined to tit-for-tat levies, as China is “refining its retaliatory approach”, Lee said.Since Trump’s first term, China has diversified and fortified relationships with countries in Europe, Africa, Southeast Asia and Latin America, as well as South Korea and Japan. Beijing could also expand government support for the private sector as entrepreneurs fall back into President Xi Jinping’s good graces, added ANZ’s Raymond Yeung.China’s leaders have been trying to promote domestic self-reliance in technology for some time, offering explicit support and reinforcing supply chains in key areas like AI and chips. – ‘No real protection’ -While this time round Beijing has more experience with Trump, it “doesn’t mean the Chinese economy can easily shake off the effects of soaring tariffs”, said Frederic Neumann, chief Asia economist at HSBC.Authorities will be looking to quickly offset falling US demand for Chinese goods, he said.That could look like trade-in schemes or more consumer subsidies that make it easier for Chinese shoppers to buy common household items, from water purifiers to electric vehicles.”By creating demand and trade opportunities for China’s partners in Asia and Europe, the country could help shore up what’s left of the liberal global trading order,” Neumann said.But whether or not Beijing can do that is yet to be seen.The government has “been very reluctant to introduce real consumption stimulus, which is why there’s such low confidence in any so-called consumption-boosting measures”, Gao said. “I don’t think China has any real protection against a trade war,” he added.Success also goes beyond words, and ultimately hinges on Beijing’s ability to deliver the long-awaited consumption boost, HSBC’s Neumann warned.”This is China’s moment to seize economic leadership of the world,” he said. “But that leadership will only come about if domestic demand rebounds and fills the void left by an absent US.” 

Priyansh Arya has been earmarked for great days ahead and a possible place in the India team after the six-hitting specialist’s match-winning century for Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League.The uncapped left-hander Arya pummelled nine sixes in a 39-ball hundred to set up Punjab’s 18-run victory over Chennai Super Kings at New Chandigarh on Tuesday.The 24-year-old Arya equalled the fourth fastest IPL century and though he fell soon after for 103 off 42 balls, he had rescued his team from 83-5 and they went on to amass 219-6.West Indies great Chris Gayle holds the record fastest IPL century off just 30 balls for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2013. Yusuf Pathan is second quickest at 37 balls followed by South Africa’s David Miller on 38. Arya comes next on that illustrious list, matching Australia’s Travis Head’s 39-ball hundred for Sunrisers Hyderabad last year.”Happy to be counted among the legends,” said Arya after becoming only the second batsman this season to score an IPL hundred.”It is an out of this world feeling. To make runs is one thing, but to score a century is something different,” he added. “I always thought if the ball would be in my slot, I will back myself to hit a shot. “I have belief in myself to clear the boundary.”Arya first exploded onto the Indian cricket scene last year when he hit six sixes in an over in the T20 Delhi Premier League.Punjab then splashed $440,000 on a batsman who has never been picked for India- Bright prospect -The seeds of Arya’s success were sown years earlier when his talent was recognised by teachers in his native New Delhi.At the age of seven he began to be coached by Sanjay Bharadwaj, renowned for developing India cricketers such as Gautam Gambhir.Arya went on to play for Delhi Under-19s but it was only last season that IPL sides took notice when he became the Delhi senior side’s leading batsman with 222 runs in the national T20 competition.Little known only six months ago, Arya is now coping with being under the IPL spotlight.”There is more pressure, crowds and you face international bowlers and legends, so to perform against them is a good feeling,” he said.On Tuesday, Arya continued to play his shots even as wickets tumbled, also hitting seven fours, until he found the perfect partner in number seven Shashank Singh who made 52 not out as the pair put on 71 off 34 balls.Shashank hailed Arya as “a very bright prospect for the franchise and the country as well.”The free-scoring Arya showed glimpses of his power in a 23-ball 47 on his Punjab debut last month, but it was his latest knock that had the pundits purring.”Not a big man, a compact left-hander and that six-hitting reputation brings a tense nature,” former New Zealand fast bowler Simon Doull said on Indian website Cricbuzz.”But that was some innings, he was like that guy at the bar walking around looking for someone to stay with him and have a drink with him. “He was on his own for an hour.”Former India batsman Navjot Singh Sidhu, on Star Sports, said: “Priyansh Arya’s hundred is like 1,000 runs for me. “I haven’t seen a better innings like this before. Wickets were falling, but he didn’t stop. Everyone will be proud of his effort.”

India’s central bank cut interest rates in the world’s fifth-largest economy on Wednesday as US President Donald Trump’s tariffs kicked in and policymakers warned of “challenging global economic conditions”.The cut, the second this year, aims to boost a slowing economy grappling with the impact Trump’s sweeping tariffs.The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said the benchmark repo rate, the level at which it lends to commercial banks, would be reduced by 25 basis points to 6 percent.The central bank’s decision was announced the same day Trump’s 26 percent tariff for the world’s most populous nation came into effect.Easing inflation concerns over the last few months have allowed the RBI to focus on perking up the Indian economy, whose growth has slowed in the last few quarters.Trump’s protectionist trade policies will likely add to growth pressures and present a challenge for Indian policymakers.While New Delhi is not a manufacturing powerhouse, experts believe that high US tariffs will hurt billions of dollars of Indian exports across different sectors, including gems, jewellery and seafood.- ‘Uncertainties’ -Economists project that Trump’s tariffs drive will impact India’s GDP growth, with analysts at Goldman Sachs reducing their forecast for the current fiscal year from 6.3 to 6.1 percent.The RBI was more cautious on Wednesday, downgrading its GDP growth projection for the current financial year from 6.7 percent to 6.5 percent. The central bank’s monetary policy committee (MPC) said that “recent trade tariff related measures” had “exacerbated uncertainties” and clouded the “economic outlook across regions”.”In such challenging global economic conditions, the benign inflation and moderate growth outlook demands that the MPC continues to support growth,” it added in a statement.RBI governor Sanjay Malhotra, speaking in the financial capital Mumbai, said the “dent on global growth due to trade frictions will impede domestic growth”.”The year has begun on an anxious note for the global economy,” he said. “Some of the concerns on trade frictions are coming true, unsettling the global community.”Malhotra added that “several known unknowns”, including the impact of relative tariffs, made the “quantification of the adverse impact difficult”.- ‘Headwinds’ -India’s central bank cut interest rates for the first time in nearly five years in February 2024, as it sought to boost an economy that has been weighed down by muted urban consumer sentiment, a sluggish manufacturing sector and lower government expenditure.The Indian economy is projected to grow at its slowest pace since the Covid-19 pandemic and down from 9.2 percent in 2023-24.New Delhi has responded cautiously to Trump’s chaotic trade policies so far.The Department of Commerce said last week it was examining both “implications” and “opportunities” after rival manufacturing competitors were harder hit by Trump’s hike in duties.New Delhi and Washington are currently negotiating a bilateral trade agreement, the first tranche of which they hope to finalise by this autumn.Shilan Shah from Capital Economics said that the “RBI decision had come as “no surprise given the recent sharp drop in inflation and the headwinds from US tariffs”.Shah added that further rate cuts would be expected with the “uncertainty around US trade policy set to rumble on and inflation looking contained”.

US President Donald Trump’s punishing tariffs on dozens of economies came into force Wednesday, including over 100 percent in levies against Chinese goods, sending markets into a tailspin again as the devastating global trade war intensified.Following the sweeping 10 percent tariffs that took effect over the weekend, rates on imports to the United States from exporters like the European Union or Japan rose further at 12.01 am (0401 GMT) Wednesday.China — Washington’s top economic rival but also a major trading partner — is the hardest hit, with tariffs imposed on its products since Trump returned to the White House now reaching a staggering 104 percent.Trump said Tuesday his government was working on “tailored deals” with trading partners, with the White House saying it would prioritize allies like Japan and South Korea.His top trade official Jamieson Greer also told the Senate that Argentina, Vietnam and Israel were among those who had offered to reduce their tariffs.Trump told a dinner with fellow Republicans on Tuesday night that countries were “dying” to make a deal.”I’m telling you, these countries are calling us up kissing my ass,” he said.But Beijing has shown no signs of standing down, vowing to fight a trade war “to the end” and promising countermeasures to defend its interests.China’s retaliatory tariffs of 34 percent on US goods are due to enter in force at 12:01 am local time on Thursday (1601 GMT Wednesday).The US president believes his policy will revive America’s lost manufacturing base by forcing companies to relocate to the United States.But many business experts and economists question how quickly — if ever — this can take place, warning of higher inflation as the tariffs raise prices.Trump said Tuesday the United States was “taking in almost $2 billion a day” from tariffs.- China ‘wants to make a deal’ -He originally unveiled a 34 percent additional tariff on Chinese goods. But after China countered with its own tariff of the same amount on American products, Trump piled on another 50 percent duty.Counting existing levies imposed in February and March, that takes the cumulative tariff increase for Chinese goods during Trump’s second presidency to 104 percent.Trump has insisted the ball was in China’s court, saying Beijing “wants to make a deal, badly, but they don’t know how to get it started.”Late Tuesday, Trump also said the United States would announce a major tariff on pharmaceuticals “very shortly”.Separately, Canada said that its tariffs on certain US auto imports will come into force Wednesday.- Meltdown -After trillions in equity value were wiped off global bourses in the last days, markets in Asia came under pressure again on Wednesday, with Hong Kong plunging more than three percent and Japan’s Nikkei sinking 2.7 percent.The markets accelerated their losses as the new tariffs came into effect, with Taiwan stocks closing down 5.8 percent in the afternoon.Ahead of European markets’ open, stock futures were also indicating steep drops ahead.Foreign exchange markets likewise witnessed ructions, with the South Korean won falling to its lowest level against the dollar since 2009 this week.China’s offshore yuan also fell to an all-time low against the US dollar, as Beijing’s central bank moved to weaken the yuan on Wednesday for what Bloomberg said was the fifth day in a row.Analyst Stephen Innes said however, that “letting the yuan grind lower at this measured pace won’t offset the blow from a full-blown tariff barrage”. “The levies are simply too big. China is trying to thread the needle, but the runway is short,” he warned.Oil prices slumped, with the West Texas Intermediate closing below $60 for the first time since April 2021.- Avoid ‘further escalation’ -The European Union has sought to cool tensions, with the bloc’s chief Ursula von der Leyen warning against worsening the trade conflict in a call with Chinese Premier Li Qiang.She stressed stability for the world’s economy, alongside “the need to avoid further escalation,” said an EU readout.The Chinese premier told von der Leyen that his country could weather the storm, saying it “is fully confident of maintaining sustained and healthy economic development.”The EU — which Trump has criticized bitterly over its tariff regime — may unveil its response next week to new 20 percent levies it faces.In retaliation against US steel and aluminum levies that took effect last month, the EU plans tariffs of up to 25 percent on American goods ranging from soybeans to motorcycles, according to a document seen by AFP.In one public sign of friction over tariffs, key Trump ally Elon Musk described senior White House trade advisor Peter Navarro as “dumber than a sack of bricks.”Musk, who has signaled his opposition to Trump’s trade policy, hit out after Navarro described his Tesla company as “a car assembler” that wants cheap foreign parts.burs-oho/hmn