President Donald Trump on Monday announced the US would “substantially” increase tariffs on India for buying Russian oil.
The announcement comes as US special envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to travel to Russia this week in an effort to secure a deal to end the Russia-Ukraine war.
“India is not only buying massive amounts of Russian Oil, they are then, for much of the Oil purchased, selling it on the Open Market for big profits,” Mr Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. “They don’t care how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian War Machine. Because of this, I will be substantially raising the Tariff paid by India to the USA.”
Last week, he announced 25 per cent tariffs on India.
India responded by describing the US actions as "unjustified and unreasonable".
"Like any major economy, India will take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security," Foreign Ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said in a statement.
The Trump administration has been hesitant to enact sanctions on Russia – a favoured tool of former president Joe Biden's administration – but it has threatened to use other means to put pressure on Moscow.
On July 14, Mr Trump gave Russia 50 days to end the war, or countries that import Russian oil will face 100 per cent tariffs. The deadline is Friday for Moscow to stop the war or face Washington enacting secondary tariffs on countries that trade with Russia.
“We’ve got to get to a deal where people stop getting killed,” the President told reporters on Sunday, saying Mr Witkoff would head to Russia on Wednesday or Thursday. If a deal is not reached, Mr Trump said “there will be sanctions”.
“But they seem to be pretty good at avoiding sanctions,” he added. “You know, they’re wily characters and they’re pretty good at avoiding sanctions. So we’ll see what happens.”
Mr Trump campaigned on a promise to end the war in Ukraine within the first 24 hours of his second term, but he has found resolving the conflict more difficult than he expected. At first, Mr Trump took a more aggressive stance towards Ukraine and attempted a softer tone with Russian President Vladimir Putin, but he has been increasingly frustrated by Russia’s continued military campaign, which has intensified in recent weeks.
The conflict began in February 2022, when Russian forces invaded Ukraine in what they claimed was an effort to protect Russian-speaking communities in the eastern part of the country. Kyiv has been buoyed by an influx of funding and weapons from Western countries looking to counter Mr Putin, though the conflict has largely ground to a standstill.
Mr Witkoff is expected to head to Russia from Israel. On Friday, he visited an aid distribution centre in Gaza.
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
The specs
Engine: Two permanent-magnet synchronous AC motors
Transmission: two-speed
Power: 671hp
Torque: 849Nm
Range: 456km
Price: from Dh437,900
On sale: now
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
Company%20profile
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