New York/Washington, Sep 03: President Donald Trump has said the US gets along with India “very well” but the relationship was “one-sided” for many years since New Delhi was charging Washington “tremendous tariffs”.

“No, we get along with India very well,” Trump said in the White House on Tuesday in response to a question on whether he is considering taking away some of the tariffs imposed on India.

Trump’s comments come amid a strain in ties between New Delhi and Washington after the US imposed 50 per cent tariffs on India, among the highest in the world.

He said that for many years, the relationship between India and the US was “one-sided” and that changed when he assumed office.

“India was charging us tremendous tariffs, about the highest in the world,” Trump said, adding that the US was therefore not doing much business with India.

“But they were doing business with us because we weren’t charging them, foolishly, we weren’t charging them,” he said, adding that India was pouring its products into the US.

“They’d send it in, pour it into our country. Therefore it wouldn’t be made here, which is a negative, but we would not send in anything because they were charging us 100 per cent tariffs,” Trump said.

The US president cited the example of the Harley Davidson motorcycles, saying the company couldn’t sell into India because there was a 200 per cent tariff on a motorcycle.

“So what happens? Harley Davidson went to India and built a motorcycle plant, and now they don’t have to pay tariffs, same thing as us,” he said.

On Monday, Trump claimed that India has now “offered” to cut its tariffs to nothing, “but it’s getting late”, as he said that India buys most of its oil and military products from Russia and very little from the US.

The Trump administration has imposed 25 per cent reciprocal tariffs on India and an additional 25 per cent levies for Delhi’s purchases of Russian oil, bringing the total duties imposed on India to 50 per cent, with effect from August 27.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asserted he can’t compromise on the interests of farmers, cattle-rearers, small-scale industries, cautioning “pressure on us may increase, but we will bear it”.

India has called the tariffs imposed by the US “unjustified and unreasonable”.

New Delhi said that, like any major economy, it will take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security.

In 2024-25, the bilateral trade in goods between the two countries stood at USD 131.8 billion (USD 86.5 billion exports and USD 45.3 billion imports).

Beirut, Sep 3: Israeli drones dropped four grenades close to UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon near the border with Israel as they were working to clear roadblocks, the force said Wednesday. No one was hurt in the attack.

The peacekeeping force known as UNIFIL described the Tuesday morning incident as “one of the most serious attacks on UNIFIL personnel and assets” since the cessation of hostilities in November that ended the 14-month Israel-Hezbollah war.

The Israeli military did not immediately comment.

UNIFIL said Israeli drones dropped four grenades close to the peacekeepers, who were working to clear roadblocks that hindered access to a UN position along the border line.

One grenade hit within 20 metres (yards) and three others within approximately 100 metres of UN personnel and vehicles, it said, adding the drones were observed returning toward Israel.

UNIFIL said the Israeli military had been informed in advance of the peacekeeping force’s road clearance work in the area, southeast of the village of Marwahin less than a kilometre from the border line.

“Out of concern for the safety of peacekeepers following the incident, yesterday’s work was suspended,” UNIFIL said.

The attack came after the UN Security Council voted unanimously last week to terminate the UN peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon at the end of next year after nearly five decades, bowing to demands from the United States and Israel.

The multinational peacekeeping force has played a significant role in monitoring the security situation in southern Lebanon for decades, including during the Israel-Hezbollah conflict.

The force has also drawn criticism from both sides and from officials in US President Donald Trump’s administration, which has moved to slash US funding for the operation as Trump remakes America’s approach to foreign policy.

The Israel-Hezbollah war killed over 4,000 people in Lebanon, including hundreds of civilians, and caused destruction worth USD 11 billion, according to the World Bank. In Israel, 127 people died, including 80 soldiers.

UNIFIL said any actions that endanger UN peacekeepers and assets or interfere with their tasks are unacceptable and a serious violation of international law and the resolution that ended the war. It added it is the Israeli military’s responsibility to ensure the safety and security of the peacekeepers performing Security Council-mandated tasks.

Beijing, Sep 03: Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday said the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is “unstoppable” as the country’s military displayed for the first time some of its brand-new weapons, including hypersonic, laser and long-range ballistic missiles.

Addressing an impressive parade to commemorate the 80th anniversary of China’s victory against Japanese aggression in World War II, Xi called on the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to provide strategic support for national rejuvenation and make greater contributions to world peace and development.

The Chinese military for the first time displayed in the parade some of its most advanced military hardware in an apparent show of strength to the world, especially the US.

Xi, who heads the Central Military Commission (CMC), the overall high command of the PLA, asked the Chinese military to build itself into a world-class force and resolutely safeguard national sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity.

China is the second largest defence spender after the US. Its annual defence budget this year amounted to USD 250 billion.

Besides the military hardware, the parade also showcased China’s diplomatic power as 26 foreign leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, attended the event.

From India’s neighbourhood, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Nepal Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli and Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu took part in the event.

India’s Ambassador to China Pradeep Kumar Rawat attended the event, according to sources.

Leaders from the US and heads of the European Union, besides Japan and South Korea have stayed away from the parade.

The presence of foreign leaders at the parade has become a diplomatic spat between Japan and China after Tokyo urged the world leaders to refrain from attending.

China lodged a diplomatic protest with Japan for its request to the world leaders not to attend the event.

In his speech, Xi said victory against Japan in WWII marks China’s first complete victory against foreign aggression in modern times.

Noting that the victory was achieved under a national united front against the Japanese aggression led by the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC), Xi said that the Chinese people made a major contribution to the salvation of human civilization and the defence of world peace with immense sacrifice in the war.

“Only when nations across the world treat each other as equals, live in harmony and mutually support one another can common security be safeguarded, the root cause of war eliminated, and historical tragedies prevented from recurring,” he said, flanked by Putin and Kim

“Today, humanity is again faced with a choice between peace or war, dialogue or confrontation, and win-win outcomes or zero-sum games,” Xi said.

“The Chinese people will stand firmly on the right side of history and on the side of human progress, adhere to the path of peaceful development, and join hands with the rest of the world to build a community with a shared future for humanity,” he added.

He called on Chinese people of all ethnic groups to stay united and work hard under the “strong leadership” of the CPC to build a “strong country and advance national rejuvenation on all fronts”.

At the parade, China for the first time displayed a range of new weapon systems which included new-type DF-5C liquid-fuelled intercontinental strategic nuclear missiles.

State-run Global Times reported that the missile has an estimated range of more than 20,000 kilometres, and has advantages in defence penetration and precision.

It can cover the entire globe under its strike range, it quoted an expert as saying.

Other weapon systems on display included, a vehicle-based laser defence weapon, four types of aircraft carrier-based jet fighters, deep-sea drones, H-6J long-range bomber, airborne early warning aircraft, army and navy drones, DF-26D anti-ship ballistic missiles with a range of 5000 km, CJ-1000 long-range hypersonic cruise missiles, air defence systems, HQ-29 ballistic missile interceptor, ‘Carrier killer’ missiles, new battle tank Type 99B and multiple rocket launchers.