VILLUPURAM l thursday l july 31, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 14 l CITY EDITION 8.8 quake hits Russia’s far east, Tsunami waves reach U.S. shores Russia Japan 8.8 Magnitude earthquake An 8.8 magnitude earthquake off Russia’s Kamchatka coast on Wednesday sent tsunami waves into Japan, Hawaii and the US West Coast Photo: Sakhalin regional administration No casualties, Several injured in Russia The epicentre was at a shallow depth of 19.3 km, sending shock waves at a range of 300 km. The quake damaged buildings and injured several people in the remote Russian region. Russia said there were no casualties, crediting solid building construction and the smooth working of alert systems. Later, Japan, Hawaii and Russia downgraded tsunami warnings ■ 16 ft People across pacific nations evacuated ■ ■ Russian scientists said Wednesday’s earthquake in Kamchatka was the most powerful to hit the region since 1952 Thousands of people in nations across the Pacific were evacuated The Klyuchevskoy volcano on Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula began erupting hours after the quake, a geological monitoring service said Tsunami waves rose nearly 5 metres in Russia’s Severo-Kurilsk region CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOgGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI U.S. share of India’s total exports Current US tariff apart from 10% baseline levy Electrical, smartphone and electronics products 35.8% TRUMP drops THE TARIFF HAMMER Unspecified penalty for doing business with Russia 0.4% Pharmaceuticals 54.5% 0% Diamonds, gold and products 40% 2.1% Machinery and mechanical appliances 21.8% RECIPROCAL LEVIES TO KICK IN FROM AUGUST 1 1.3% Organic chemicals 17.3% 4% Petroleum products 4.3% 6.9% Textiles, made up 51.3% 9% Iron or steel articles 28.1% 1.7% Vehicles and parts 12.7% 1% Apparel; not knitted or crocheted 30.7% 10.3% Apparel; knitted or crocheted 32.1% 13.9% Fish and crustaceans 32.6% Taxing times D i pa k M o n d a l @ New Delhi After failing to clinch an interim trade deal, the US has imposed a 25% reciprocal tariff (plus a penalty for doing business with Russia) on India—much to the latter’s chagrin as it was expecting it would be less than 20%. While the 25% levy, which will kick in from August 1, is lower than 26% announced earlier, the ‘Russia penalty’ means a major rise in overall levies on goods exported to the US. India was hoping for a lower tariff of 15-20%, which could have given it an edge over many other Asian economies. But now, India stands to lose the competitive edge over Vietnam (20% tariff), Indonesia (19%), and Japan (15%). China attracts an additional tariff of 30%. While announcing the tariff on Wednesday US President , Donald Trump made no bones about his displeasure at India’s high tariff regime and its close business ties with Russia. In his Truth Social post, Trump said India’s tariffs are among the highest in the world, and its non-monetary trade barriers are the most strenuous. He was equally scathing in pointing out that India has ‘always bought a vast majority of their military equipment from Russia, and are Russia’s largest buyer of energy’ at a time when everyone wants Russia to stop the killing in Ukraine. The Indian government in a statement on Wednesday said that it has taken note of a statement by the US president, and it is studying its implications. “India and the US have been engaged in negotiations on concluding a fair, balanced and mutually beneficial bilateral trade agreement over the last few months. We remain committed to that objective,” it said. It added that the government attaches the utmost importance to protecting and promoting the welfare of our farmers, entrepreneurs, and MSMEs, and that it will take all steps necessary to secure the national interest, as has been the case with other trade agreements including the latest Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement with the UK. It is worth mentioning that India has differences with the US during trade negotiations over tariff-free imports of farm goods and dairy products from the US. It also had differences with the US over tariff on auto, auto components, steel, etc. The government has taken note of a statement by the US President on bilateral trade. The government is studying its implications. India and the US have been engaged in negotiations on concluding a fair, balanced and mutually beneficial bilateral trade agreement over the last few months. We remain committed to that objective - Commerce ministry 0% Furniture; bedding, mattresses 54.8% 2.3% Plastics and articles 16.8% 4.4% Carpets 2.9% Source: GTRI 62.8% President Trump has slapped a tariff of 25 per cent plus penalty on imports from India. All that ‘taarif’ between him and ‘Howdy Modi’ has meant little Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh The tariff (and penalty) now proposed by the US is higher than what we had anticipated, and is therefore likely to pose a headwind to India’s GDP growth. The extent of the downside will depend on the size of the penalties imposed. Aditi Nayar, chief economist, ICRA The US decision to impose a 25% tariff on Indian exports could create shortterm challenges for the electronics and manufacturing sectors Kunal Chaudhary, Tax Partner, EY India Sectors brace for big impact, seek clarity on Russia penalty R a k e s h K u m a r AN D D i pa k M o n d a l @ New Delhi the US tariff on Indian exports could impact several key sectors, including agriculture, energy, textiles, electronics, and gems & jewellery Electron. ics, pharmaceuticals, and gems & jewellery are among the top Indian exports to the US. If the pharmaceutical sector, which had so far remained exempt, is brought under the ambit of the tariff, it could deal a severe blow to the industry . The lack of clarity on the ‘Russia penalty’ leaves Indian exporters and US importers unable to calculate landed costs or plan supply chains effectively . India has recently emerged as a major supplier of Apple iPhones to the US, accounting for 44% of all smartphones imported into the country. The tariff could, therefore, be a major setback for India’s fastgrowing mobile manufacturing sector. “This likely means iPhones will become more expensive for Americans. Even if India gains more production volume, the cost gap between China and India is narrowing,” said Tarun Pathak, research director, Counterpoint. Also, the US president’s disapproval of India’s purchase of discounted Russian oil places India’s energy security in a difficult position. “A significant spike in crude prices could increase India’s import bill and lead to under-recoveries for oil marketing companies,” said Prashant Vasisht, senior vicepresident at ICRA. “A $10 per barrel rise in crude oil prices would raise the oil import bill by $13–14 billion,” he added. India had ramped up its purchases of Russian crude after the start of the Russia–Ukraine conflict, attracted by steep discounts. Earlier available at $1016 per barrel below market rates, Russian crude is now discounted by just $2.5–4 per barrel. express read CRS says Kavaraipettai accident was sabotage Allegedly pushed by police, 80-yr-old dies in hospital 4 lakh new students have enrolled in TN govt schools CHENNAI: Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) has confirmed that the October 11, 2024, derailment of the Mysuru–Darbhanga Bagmati Express at Kavaraipettai station was due to an act of sabotage by miscreants | P5 Kanniyakumari: A day after Susaimarial (80) was admitted to a hospital after being allegedly pushed by cops during a search, the woman has died. Her kin, seeking action, have refused to accept body. Chennai: The TN school education department on Wednesday announced that over four lakh students have newly enrolled in government schools across Tamil Nadu this academic year | P4 Cash-for-jobs scam 1K summonses yet to be served in Senthil Balaji case S i dd h a r t h Pr a b h a k a r @ Chennai As the Supreme Court turns the heat on the Tamil Nadu government over the delay in trial in the cashfor-jobs scam involving former minister V Senthil Balaji, official data shows that the special court conducting the trial in the cases is yet to serve summons to around 1,000 of the 2,202 accused. Terming the trial a “rudderless ship”, a bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi on Wednesday asked the prosecution to come up with a timeframe to complete the trial. “A cricket stadium will be needed to conduct trial in the case where over 2,000 persons have been implicated as accused,” the SC bench said on Wednesday . Official data shows that the special court faces an uphill task as the serving of summons to the accused, who are from different parts of Tamil Nadu, is likely to be completed only by DecemV Senthil Balaji ber this year. The next challenge will be to serve the copies of all documents, including the chargesheet filed by the Greater Chennai Police and material evidence, to the accused — a mandatory procedure under Section 207 of the CrPc. Each accused will have to be given 3,270 documents covering approximately one lakh pages and some material objects that include devices containing extensive digital evidence. The case is being heard by the special court for trial of criminal cases related to MPs and MLAs in Chennai. It has been almost 10 years since the FIR was registered and more than four years since the Chennai Police’s Central Crime Branch (CCB) filed the chargesheet in the case on March 8, 2021.  P5 ‘Honour killing’: Father held, case transferred to CB-CID E x p r e s s N e w s S e r v i c e @ Tirunelveli The Tamil Nadu government on Wednesday transferred the probe into the ‘honour killing’ of an SC youth, Kavin Selvaganesh, by the son of a police sub-inspector couple to the Crime Branch-Criminal Investigation Department (CB-CID) and invoked Goondas Act against the suspect S Surjith. According to the statement issued by DGP Shankar Jiwal’s office, the case was transferred to ensure a free, fair and unbiased investigation, considering the nature and significance of the crime. Meanwhile, police on Wednesday night arrested Saravanan, father of Surjith who had allegedly hacked Kavin on Sunday This comes after several hours of inquiry with . Saravanan at the Palayamkottai police station.  P5 BJP govt will get back PoK: Shah R AJESH KU M A R THAKU R @ New Delhi Amit Shah I proudly declare to the world... Hindus can never be terrorists Amit Shah, home minister Operation Mahadev “When Shivaji Maharaj fought against the Mughals, his war slogan was Har Har Mahadev,” Shah said, responding to Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan’s query on naming of the encounter as Op Mahadev Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on the Congress for ceding Pakistanoccupied Kashmir (PoK), pandering to vote-bank politics and letting terrorism flourish, while wrapping up a debate on Operation Sindoor in the Rajya Sabha. “Congress gave away the PoK to Pakistan, but the BJP-led government will get it back. The Congress has no right to question BJP on terror because terrorism flourished during the Congress regime due to its politics of appeasement,” he charged. Shah’s assertion came a day after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh stated that one day the people of PoK would be happy to be part of India’s governance system. He said the families of the victims of the Pahalgam massacre wanted the terrorists “to be shot in their heads”, a fate they met in the recent Operation Mahadev in J&K. Responding to Opposition queries on the timing of the operation to take out the terrorists, Shah said the CRPF, Army and J&K Police, operating in the challenging terrain and receiving food via drones, relentlessly pursued and eliminated the the killers. As Shah began his speech, the Congress-led Opposition walked out of the House demanding Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s presence and response. Continuing his address, Shah accused senior Congress leader P Chidambaram of challenging the justification of Operation Sindoor. UNSC report sees TRF role in Pahalgam attack J aya n t h J a c o b @ New Delhi In a boost to India’s case against Pakistan-backed terrorism, a UN Security Council report identified The Resistance Front(TRF), a Lashkar-e-Taiba proxy as responsible , for the April 22 Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians. The latest report by the UNSC’s Monitoring Team (MT), under the 1267 Sanctions Committee, cites multiple unnamed member states to assert that the Pahalgam attack “could not have happened without Lashkar-e-Taiba’s support” and confirms that TRF operates in close coordination with the banned Pakistan-based terror group. All decisions and reports under the 1267 Sanctions Committee are adopted by consensus, making TRF’s inclusion diplomatically significant. Despite prior attempts by Pakistan to distance itself from the attack and sanitise references to TRF, its mention in the MT report is a signal of growing global scepticism toward Islamabad’s narrative. The report recalled that TRF initially claimed responsibility for the massacre, even releasing photographs of the site. It reiterated its claim the next day before retracting it on April 26, a move many analysts , view as damage control amid international scrutiny No . other group stepped forward to claim responsibility . The report highlights divergent views among member states. While one asserted that TRF is essentially synonymous with LeT, another — widely believed to be Pakistan — claimed that LeT was “defunct”, a statement countered by evidence in the report. The MT concluded that five terrorists were involved in the Pahalgam assault. “This is a clear indictment of Pakistan’s strategy of plausible deniability said a person familiar with the matter. ,” like daughter like mom 49-yr-old lives her doc dream after 30 years My daughter’s only condition is that we both should not join the same college — Amuthavalli Manivannan Amuthavalli & her daughter at the counselling centre | express S i n d u j a J a n e @ Chennai Proving that age is just a number, a 49-year-old physiotherapist who got smitten by the NEET bug after watching her daughter prepare for the test, has secured an MBBS seat at the Government Medical College in Virudhunagar. Amuthavalli Manivannan was allotted the seat on the first day of the medical counselling held in Chennai on Wednesday under the quota for Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwD). Hailing from Tenkasi, Amuthavalli was inspired by her daughter M Samyuktha’s two-year-long effort and decided to take a shot at NEET. She scored 147 marks in the test. Her daughter Samyuktha, who secured 450 marks in her second attempt, is now eligible for the general round of MBBS counselling, which also commenced on Wednesday through online and offline modes. “My daughter’s only condition is that we both should not join the same college. I should perhaps not spoil her fun for five years, right?” Amuthavalli said, bursting into laughter.  P5