Latest News
Trump announces India energy deal after Modi talks
US President Trump has announced a deal with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for Delhi to import more US oil and gas to shrink the trade deficit between the two countries.
“They’re going to be purchasing a lot of our oil and gas. They need it. And we have it,” Trump said at a joint news briefing in Washington.
Modi said that “in order to ensure India’s energy security, we will focus on trade in oil and gas”, also pledging to invest more in nuclear energy.
His two-day visit comes as Trump ordered that US trading partners should face reciprocal tariffs – tit-for-tat import taxes to match similar duties already charged by those countries on American exports.
Trump and Modi have developed a personal rapport over the years, despite friction over trade.
“We’ve had a wonderful relationship,” Trump said as he welcomed his visitor in the US capital on Thursday.
He also said the US would increase sales of military hardware to India by millions of dollars, eventually supplying Delhi with F-35 fighter jets.
Immigration was high on the agenda, with Trump expected to ask India to take back thousands of undocumented immigrants.
Earlier, Modi said he had also discussed space, technology and innovation at a meeting with Trump ally Elon Musk.
Modi said: “I firmly believe with Trump we will work with twice the speed we did in his first term.”
Shortly before their bilateral, Trump ordered his advisers to calculate broad new tariffs on US trading partners around the globe, warning they could start coming into effect by 1 April.
Trump told reporters that “our allies are worse than our enemies”, when it comes to import taxes.
“We had a very unfair system to us,” the Republican president said before meeting Modi. “Everybody took advantage of the United States.”
The White House also issued a news release that fired a trade shot across the bows of India and other countries.
The document noted that the average US tariff on agricultural goods was 5% for countries to which Washington had granted most favoured nation (MFN) status.
“But India’s average applied MFN tariff is 39%,” the White House fact sheet said.
“India also charges a 100% tariff on US motorcycles, while we only charge a 2.4% tariff on Indian motorcycles.”
On Thursday, Trump acknowledged the risks of his tariff policy, as economists warned such import taxes could drive up consumer prices.
“Prices could go up somewhat, short term, but prices will also go down,” he said in the Oval Office.
But he argued the policy would boost American manufacturing and the country would be “flooded with jobs”.
Trump has already placed an additional 10% tariff on imports from China, citing its production of fentanyl, a deadly opioid that has stoked a US overdose epidemic.
He has also readied tariffs on Canada and Mexico, America’s two largest trading partners, that could take effect in March after being suspended for 30 days.
On Monday, he removed exemptions from his 2018 steel and aluminium tariffs.
[BBC]
Latest News
Showers above 100 mm are likely at some places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, Uva and Southern provinces and in Anuradhapura district
WEATHER FORECAST FOR 08 OCTOBER 2026
Issued at 05.30 a.m. on 08 October 2026 by the Department of Meteorology
Misty conditions can be expected at some places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Galle and Matara districts during the early hours of the morning.
Showers or thundershowers will occur in the most part of the island after 1.00 p.m. Heavy showers above 100 mm are likely at some places in Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, Uva and Southern provinces and in Anuradhapura district.
The general public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damage caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.
Former first lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa, wife of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa was produced before the Hulftsdorp court, after being arrested by officers of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) and produce
Smriti Mandhana has been named India’s all-format women’s captain on the same day Harmanpreet Kaur stepped down from the role after nearly a decade since she first took over.
Mandhana – vice-captain to Harmanpreet for much of this period – has previously led India in four ODIs and 18 T20Is, apart from captaining Maharashtra in domestic cricket and Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Women’s Premier League.
Mandhana’s first assignment will be the limited-overs series against Zimbabwe beginning with the three T20Is in Raipur from October 16. On Tuesday, Mandhana was part of the selection meeting chaired by Amita Sharma to pick the squad for the tour.
Terming the appointment a “special honour”, Mandhana also acknowledged the contributions of her predecessor in her welcome note.
“I would also like to acknowledge Harmanpreet and the contribution she has made as captain over the years,” she was quoted as saying by the BCCI. “She has led the team with great commitment and has been an important part of our journey.
“I understand the responsibility that comes with this role and look forward to working with the team, learning along the way and giving my best to take Indian cricket forward.”
Mandhana’s appointment comes on the back of a review meeting held on Monday in Guwahati. Chaired by secretary Devajit Saikia, the meeting was also attended by Mandhana, Harmanpreet and head coach Amol Muzumdar to chart a roadmap forward, with an eye on next year’s inaugural Women’s Champions Trophy in February as well as the T20 World Cup and Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.
Mandhana, India’s best all-format batter, has been knocking on the doors for a while. Earlier this year, she led RCB to their second WPL title, in which she also top-scored in the final.
In September, she overtook Mithali Raj to become the leading run-scorer in women’s international across formats. Her 18 international hundreds are also the most in women’s cricket. She is also the first Indian woman to score centuries in all formats.
[Cricinfo]
Showers above 100 mm are likely at some places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, Uva and Southern provinces and in Anuradhapura district
PSTA worse than PTA: FSP
Shiranthi R remanded until 13 Oct.
Former NSB Chairman Kariyawasam granted bail
Katchatheevu row: India SC urges fishermen to avoid Sri Lankan waters
Remembering Juvenal, Coke, Acton and Machiavelli
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
Sunday Island 27 December – Headlines
#SundayIsland 17th December – Headlines
Sunday Island – 28th March
Sunday Island Headlines – 21 March
Sunday Island – 21st February – Headlines
-
Editorial6 days agoColombo Port drug bust: The plot thickens
-
Features4 days agoThe first woman in the foreign service or Ceylon Overseas Service it was then called
-
News3 days agoGeneva takes up Sallay’s case and govt. ignores opportunity to answer accusations
-
Editorial5 days agoFuelling discontent and protest
-
Latest News5 days agoTharindu Rathnayake, bowlers secure Asian Games Bronze for Sri Lanka
-
Foreign News5 days agoTen injured after car crashes into rugby supporters in Australia
-
Features3 days agoSri Lanka Cricket Bill: Governance reform is not yet a cricket strategy
-
News4 days agoNearly 20 Iranian tankers stranded off Lanka amid US sanctions