Trump to put import taxes on pharmaceutical drugs, others
Washington, Sep 26: President Donald Trump has said he will put import taxes of 100 per cent on pharmaceutical drugs, 50 per cent on kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities, 30 per cent on upholstered furniture and 25 per cent on heavy trucks starting on October 1. The posts on his social media site on Thursday showed that Trump’s devotion to tariffs did not end with the trade frameworks and import taxes that were launched in August, a reflection of the president’s confidence that taxes will help to reduce the government’s budget deficit while increasing domestic manufacturing. While Trump did not provide a legal justification for the tariffs, he appeared to stretch the bounds of his role as commander-in-chief by stating on Truth Social that the taxes on imported kitchen cabinets and sofas were needed “for National Security and other reasons.” (AP)
Ex-FBI Director James Comey indicted for lying to Congress
Washington, Sep 26: James Comey has been charged with lying to Congress in a criminal case filed days after President Donald Trump appeared to urge his attorney general to prosecute the former FBI director and other perceived political enemies. Thursday’s indictment makes Comey the first former senior government official involved in one of Trump’s chief grievances, the long-concluded investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, to face prosecution. Trump has for years derided that investigation as a “hoax” and a “witch hunt” despite multiple government reviews showing Moscow interfered on behalf of the Republican’s campaign, and has made clear his desire for retribution. Minutes after the former FBI director was indicted, his son-in-law Troy Edwards resigned as a federal prosecutor. Edwards quit his job “to uphold my oath to the Constitution and the country”, he wrote in a one-sentence resignation letter addressed to Lindsey Halligan, the newly appointed acting US Attorney in Virginia’s Eastern District, the office that charged Comey and employed Edwards. (AP)
Indian-origin woman, man charged with murder in UK
London, Sep 26: An Indian-origin woman and man appeared in a west London court on Friday charged with the murder of a three-year-old girl nearly two years ago, the Metropolitan Police said. Manpreet Jatana, 34, and Jaskiret Singh Uppal, 36, appeared at Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court after the pair was charged with murder as part of an ongoing investigation into the death of the toddler, identified by police as Penelope Chandrie. London’s emergency services were called to a residential address on Pennine Way in Hayes on the evening of December 17, 2023, where the child was found deceased. ”Her death has remained under investigation and on Thursday, 25 September, two people were arrested in connection,” the Met Police said in a statement. “Following consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service, both people have been charged with murder in connection with the girl’s death,” the police said. The case will now undergo legal proceedings in criminal court. (PTI)
