Live: Trump To Announce "Liberation Day" Tariffs, How Will They Affect India?

US Tariff Announcement Live Updates: US President Donald Trump is set to impose sweeping new  "Liberation Day" tariffs on Wednesday, a move that could spark a global trade war. 

The 78-year-old President will unveil the measures and plans in the Rose Garden of the White House at 4pm EST (1.30am IST) and the new duties would take effect immediately. A separate 25% global tariff on auto imports is scheduled to take effect on April 3.

According to think tank Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI), the new tariffs could significantly impact Indian exports. A uniform tariff could leave India facing an additional tax of 4.9% compared to the current 2.8%, impacting sectors like agriculture, electronics, and pharmaceuticals, according to the GTRI's "Reciprocal Tariffs and India" report.

Early Wednesday, Mr Trump posted a one-liner on his Truth Social platform: "It's Liberation Day in America!"

Mr Trump for weeks has said his reciprocal tariff plans are a move to equalise generally lower US tariff rates with those charged by other countries and counteract their non-tariff barriers that disadvantage US exports. Global markets have been jittery for days ahead of the announcement, while countries most likely in the crosshairs have called for talks - even as they ready retaliatory measures.

Here are the Live Updates:

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Asked To Wait A Year To Get Married, Man Stabs Woman, Kills Her Mother

Enraged at being asked to wait a year to get married, a man barged into a 20-year-old woman's home in Visakhapatnam, stabbed her and killed her mother when she tried to intervene. 

Visakhapatnam Commissioner of Police Shanka Brata Bagchi said the man, Naveen, was in love with Nakka Deepika, 20, for the past six years. He wanted to marry the woman, but her father had asked him to wait for a year as he did not like his behaviour. 

Around 12.30 pm on Wednesday, Naveen barged into Deepika's house in Swayamkrushi Nagar in Visakhapatnam's Kommadi area with a knife. He stabbed Deepika and also attacked her mother, Lakshmi, 43, when she intervened to try and protect her. 

Lakshmi died on the spot while Deepika was rushed to a hospital, where her condition is said to be critical. Naveen fled immediately after attacking the women. After neighbours called the police, they began investigating, and a team arrested Naveen near Srikakulam district.

After they were informed about the incident, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Home Minister V Anitha spoke to police officials. The Chief Minister asked the officials to provide the best possible treatment to the injured woman and take stringent action against the accused.

Ms Anitha also directed the police to ensure that the culprit got the harshest punishment. 

'Many Incidents Every Day'

The opposition YSR Congress accused the Chandrababu Naidu-led government of not being able to curb the rising cases of crimes against women

"Such incidents prove how alarming the situation is in the state when it comes to the safety of women. On average, 70 incidents against women take place every day. The accused in the Visakhapatnam incident must be caught and severely punished," said YSR Congress Party leader and Member of Legislative Council Varudu Kalyani.

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"Like Mahatma Gandhi, I Tear This Bill": A Owaisi During Waqf Bill Debate

Asaduddin Owaisi, chief of AIMIM and the MP from Hyderabad, today held a symbolic protest against the Waqf Bill, citing the example of Mahatma Gandhi. Participating in the debate on the Waqf Amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha, Mr Owaisi had cited the example of Mahatma Gandhi while he was in South Africa.

"If you read history, you would see that he (Mahatma Gandhi) said about the laws of white South Africa, 'My conscience doesn't accept this' and he tore it up. Like Gandhi, I am also tearing up this law. This is unconstitutional. The BJP wants to create divisiveness in this country in the name of temples and mosques. I condemn this and I request you to accept the 10 amendments," he said.

His outburst was a response of sorts to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who, during the debate, had said, "A member even said the minorities won't even accept it. Who are you trying to scare? It's the parliament's law, everyone will follow and accept it".

Mr Owaisi was speaking towards the end of a marathon debate that had started at noon after the Waqf Amendment Bill was presented in parliament. 

The Opposition had rallied against the bill and had been arguing their case without yielding ground to the government, which already has the numbers. Unlike other times, there have been no slogan-shouting, protests or walkouts.

The Opposition has contended that the bill is unconstitutional and violates the fundamental right to practice religion, Article 14, which guarantees equality before law and Article 15, which bars discrimination on basis of religion. 

Senior Congress leader KC Venugopal has contended that Waqf Amendment Bill "is a dangerous, divisive law".

"I expected so many legislations to come during this period. For last several years, farmers have been on the street, they are demanding legal guarantees for MSP. But the Bill is not coming. Youngsters of this country are unemployed and in despair. So, the country expected legislation for drastic change for the youth of the country. But it didn't come...You can see the legislation that has been given priority by this government. This is to have only one agenda - to divide Bharat Mata in the name of religion," Mr Venugopal said.  

Sections of the Muslim community have maintained that the amendments in the Waqf bill are geared to help the government gain control of the Waqf properties -- arguments the BJP speakers rubbished today.  

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"Break Up Bangladesh...": Tripura Ex-Royal On "Extension Of China" Remark

Bangladesh leader Mohd Yunus' comments about the seven northeastern states - which he called "an extension of the Chinese economy" and which he seemed to urge Beijing to take over - have triggered fierce reactions from Indian politicians, including one to "break up Bangladesh". The comment was made by Pradyot Manikya, the founder of Tipra Motha, the second-largest party in Tripura.

In a post on X, Mr Manikya, a member of the state's erstwhile royal family. suggested Delhi "rather than spending billions" on ways to establish and maintain physical control of, and communications with, the northeast, simply take control of parts of Bangladesh that have "always wanted to be part of India".

This, he declared, would also give the northeastern states "our own access to the sea", something the Bangladesh interim government head told China is lacking at present.

"The Chittagong hill tracts were always inhabited by indigenous tribes that have always wanted to be part of India... there are lakhs and lakhs of Tripuri, Garo, Khasi, and Chakma people who reside in Bangladesh (but) in terrible conditions in their traditional lands," he noted on X.

"This should be utilised for our national interest and their well-being," he said.

The Chittagong Hill Tracts have been a problem for Bangladesh since the nation was created, with protests taking place under the leadership of MN Larma and the 'Shanti Bahini', or 'Peace Force', which was the armed wing of a political group representing the indigenous people there.

Rather than spending billions on innovative and challenging engineering ideas we might as well break up Bangladesh and have our own access to the sea . The Chittagong hill tracts were always inhabited by indigenous tribes which always wanted to be part of india since 1947 . There… https://t.co/rcjs6msae7

— Pradyot_Tripura (@PradyotManikya) April 1, 2025

The group sought autonomy and recognition of the indigenous identities of the various tribal communities in the region. Eventually, a peace deal was signed by Sheikh Hasina in 1997.

The X post drew criticism from certain quarters but the Tipra Motha chief was unfazed, insisting "Bangladesh was never our friend... so let's not be fooled".

The only 'friend' India had in that country, he said, was the late Sheikh Mujiur Rahman, whose daughter, Sheikh Hasina, was Prime Minister till last year's revolution.

READ | "No Response Yet": Mohd Yunus On Sheikh Hasina Extradition

Ms Hasina is now in India and the subject of an extradition request by the Yunus administration.

"Let us not fool ourselves... I live here in the northeast and we see clear and present danger every day. I understand your Left leanings makes it difficult... but appreciate our views too."

Mr Manikya's suggestion has some basis in history but its significance but the current context is equally important, for it follows comments by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

Mr Sarma had called Mr Yunus' remarks "offensive" and "strongly condemnable", and called on the union government to develop rail and road links between the rest of the country and the northeast, land access to which is only through the Siliguri, or 'Chicken's Neck', Corridor.

This corridor is only 22km wide at its narrowest.

NDTV Explains | Dagger To Chicken's Neck? Why Yunus' Remarks Enrage

The Bangladesh leader's remark, the Chief Minister also said, "underscores the persistent vulnerability narrative associated with the corridor". He pointed further to comments by "internal elements (that) have dangerously suggested severing this critical passageway..."

The row broke after Mr Yunus had invited China to take advantage of his country's position as "the guardian of the ocean" in the region, referring to three major sea ports - Chattogram (formerly Chittagong), Mongla, and Payra - and an under-construction fourth - Matabari.

READ | Dhaka Asks For China's "Extension" In Veiled Threat To Northeast India

The Chattogram Port has enormous strategic importance. Not only is it the largest in Bangladesh, but it was also being considered by Delhi as a transhipment hub to move goods to Tripura capital Agartala.

A paper by the Asian Development Bank noted that transportation costs from the Kolkata Port to Agartala is between Rs 6,300 and Rs 7,000 per ton. Costs for the Chattogram route - i.e., from Kolkata to the Bangladeshi port and then on by rail - are much less

But the change of government in Bangladesh has complicated issues.

Meanwhile, there are also concerns over Bangladesh inviting China to be part of the Teesta Water Management project. During Mr Yunus' trip to China, Dhaka said talks with Beijing on this had moved forward. If this happens, it will give China a presence south of districts like Bengal's Jalpaiguri.

This, coupled with China already building a military presence to the north, would have very grave implications for security of the Chicken's Neck Corridor, necessitating India keep strategic countermeasures ready to tackle threats to the corridor or the northeast.

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Democrat Cory Booker Sets Record With 25-Hour Senate Speech, An All-Nighter

In a feat of determination, New Jersey Democratic Senator Cory Booker held the Senate floor with a marathon speech that lasted all night and into Tuesday night, setting a historic mark to show Democrats' resistance to President Donald Trump's sweeping actions.

Booker took to the Senate floor on Monday evening, saying he would remain there as long as he was "physically able." It wasn't until 25 hours and 5 minutes later that the 55-year-old senator, a former football tight end, finished speaking and limped off the floor. It set the record for the longest continuous Senate floor speech in the chamber's history. Booker was assisted by fellow Democrats who gave him a break from speaking by asking him questions on the Senate floor.

It was a remarkable show of stamina as Democrats try to show their frustrated supporters that they are doing everything possible to contest Trump's agenda. Yet Booker also provided a moment of historical solace for a party searching for its way forward: By standing on the Senate floor for more than a night and day and refusing to leave, he had broken a record set 68 years ago by then Senator Strom Thurmond of South Carolina, a segregationist and southern Democrat, to filibuster the advance of the Civil Rights Act in 1957.

"I'm here despite his speech," said Booker, who spoke openly on the Senate floor of his roots as the descendant of both slaves and slave-owners. He added, "I'm here because as powerful as he was, the people are more powerful."

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, the first Black party leader in Congress, slipped into the Senate chamber to watch Booker on Tuesday afternoon. He called it "an incredibly powerful moment" because Booker had broken the record of a segregationist and was "fighting to preserve the American way of life and our democracy."

Still, Booker centered his speech on a call for his party to find its resolve, saying, "We all must look in the mirror and say, 'We will do better.'"

"These are not normal times in our nation," Booker said as he began the speech Monday evening. "And they should not be treated as such in the United States Senate. The threats to the American people and American democracy are grave and urgent, and we all must do more to stand against them."

Booker warns of a 'looming constitutional crisis'

Shifting his feet, then leaning on his podium, Booker railed for hours against cuts to Social Security offices led by Trump adviser Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency. He listed the impacts of Trump's early orders and spoke to concerns that broader cuts to the social safety net could be coming, though Republican lawmakers say the program won't be touched.

Booker also read what he said were letters from constituents. One writer was alarmed by the Republican president's talk of annexing Greenland and Canada and a "looming constitutional crisis."

Throughout the day Tuesday, Booker got help from Democratic colleagues, who gave him a break from speaking to ask him questions. Booker yielded for questions but made sure to say he would not give up the floor. He read that line from a piece of paper to ensure he did not slip and inadvertently end his speech. He stayed standing to comply with Senate rules.

"Your strength, your fortitude, your clarity has just been nothing short of amazing and all of America is paying attention to what you're saying," Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said as he asked Booker a question on the Senate floor. "All of America needs to know there's so many problems, the disastrous actions of this administration."

As Booker stood for hour after hour, he appeared to have nothing more than a couple glasses of water to sustain him. He later told reporters that he had fasted for days before the speech and stopped drinking fluids the night before.

He suffered through cramps as the day wore on, he said. Yet his voice grew strong with emotion as his speech stretched into the evening, and House members from the Congressional Black Caucus stood on the edge of the Senate floor in support

"Moments like this require us to be more creative or more imaginative, or just more persistent and dogged and determined," Booker said.

Booker's cousin and brother, as well as Democratic aides, watched from the chamber's gallery. Senator Chris Murphy accompanied Booker on the Senate floor throughout the day and night. Murphy was returning the comradeship that Booker had given to him in 2016 when the Connecticut Democrat held the floor for almost 15 hours to argue for gun control legislation.

His Senate floor speech breaks Thurmond's record

Still hours away from breaking Thurmond's record, Booker remarked Tuesday afternoon, "I don't have that much gas in the tank."

Yet as anticipation in the Capitol grew that he would supplant Thurmond, who died in 2003, as the record holder for the longest Senate floor speech, Democratic senators filled the chamber to listen and the Senate gallery filled with onlookers. The chamber exploded in applause as Schumer announced that Booker had broken the record.

Booker told reporters afterward that he had thought of Thurmond's speech ever since he arrived in the Senate, calling it a "strange shadow to hang over this institution."

Throughout his determined performance, Booker repeatedly invoked the civil rights leader Rep. John Lewis of Georgia on Tuesday, arguing that overcoming opponents like Thurmond would require more than just talking.

"You think we got civil rights one day because Strom Thurmond - after filibustering for 24 hours - you think we got civil rights because he came to the floor one day and said, 'I've seen the light,'" Booker said. "No, we got civil rights because people marched for it, sweat for it and John Lewis bled for it."

Booker's speech was not a filibuster, which is a speech meant to halt the advance of a specific piece of legislation. Instead, Booker's performance was a broader critique of Trump's agenda, meant to hold up the Senate's business and draw attention to what Democrats are doing to contest the president. Without a majority in either congressional chamber, Democrats have been almost completely locked out of legislative power but are turning to procedural manoeuvres to try to thwart Republicans.

Can his speech rally the anti-Trump resistance?

Booker, serving his second Senate term, was an unsuccessful presidential candidate in 2020, when he launched his campaign from the steps of his home in Newark. He dropped out after struggling to gain a foothold in a packed field, falling short of the threshold to meet in a January 2020 debate.

But as Democrats search for a next generation of leadership, frustrated with the old-timers at the top, Booker's speech could cement his status as a leading figure in the party.

On Tuesday afternoon, tens of thousands of people were watching on Booker's Senate YouTube page, as well as on other live streams. A small group gathered outside the Capitol to cheer him on.

Booker said he was ultimately calling on all Americans to respond not just with resistance to Trump's actions but with kindness and generosity for those in their communities.

He said, "I may be afraid - my voice may shake - but I'm going to speak up more."

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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India Talks Of "Lessons" For Both To Remember As Ties With China Turn 75

1. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri was the chief guest at the Chinese Embassy in New Delhi, which organised an event to celebrate 75 years of establishing India-China ties. Chinese Ambassador Xu Feihong and the Indian Foreign Secretary cut a cake on the occasion before speaking about the relations between the two Asian giants.
2. In his nearly seven-minute speech, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri highlighted the "lessons" for both nations to keep in mind in order to foster stronger ties. He began his speech by saying, "Even tough, as modern nation states, we have had only 75 years of formal ties, India and China have shared cultural and civilizational ties and people-to-people contacts going back millenia."
3. He spoke about significant "contributions by personalities such as Bodhidharma, Kumarajiva, Xuanzang, and Rabindranath Tagore," towards fostering historical India-China relations. He added that "Our two civilizations have, each in their own unique way, played a significant role in shaping human history. This holds a lesson for contemporary ties."
4. Speaking about the second lesson, Mr Misri said, "In the last few years, India-China relations have gone through a difficult phase. But largely, due to the guidance by our leaders, and untiring efforts by the political leadership, military leaders, and diplomatic colleagues, who maintained communications throughout this time, our two countries have resolved several issues along the border areas. This too, holds a lesson for us (China and India) - which is that peace and tranquility in the border areas is critical for the smooth development of our overall bilateral relations."
5. He went on to say that "It is on the basis of this fundamental understanding, which was shared in the meeting between PM Modi and President Xi Jinping in Russia, that both nations are now working together to chart a roadmap for our bilateral relations, to return to a stable, predictable, and amicable path."
6. Sharing specifics about the efforts made at the political, military, and diplomatic levels, the foreign secretary highlighted that "In the last 5 months, we have had two meetings between the foreign ministers - in November, 2024 and February 2025. Our Special Representatives (SRs) for the India-China boundary question met in Beijing in December, 2024 for the 23rd round of SR-level talks. After a gap of nearly five years, our Defence Minister met with his Chinese counterpart in November, 2024, and I (foreign secretary) had the opportunity to visit Beijing in January, 2025 and had a very productive meeting with my counterpart."
7. India and China, he said, have decided to take several steps to "resume practical cooperation between our two countries. Amongst the first of these, is the resumption of the Kailash-Mansarovar yatra this year," he said, adding that "We are also discussing the resumption of cooperation on transport and rivers, and on direct air services."
8. He noted that these steps are important and foremost in order to restore mutual trust between the two nations and enhance people-to-people ties. Highlighting the responsibility that the two major economies must live up to, Mr Misri said, "As two large neighbours in an important part of the world, a stable bilateral relationship between our nations will contribute to humanity as a whole. Let us take this 75th year milestone as an opportunity to rebuild our ties."
9. Before concluding his speech, the foreign secretary spoke about the "third lesson" for both nations to keep in mind. "The durable basis for rebuilding our ties is the three-fold formula of mutual respect, mutual sensitivity, and mutual interest."
10. In his closing remarks, the foreign secretary acknowledged that "The path forward may be a difficult one, but one that we are prepared for", adding that "It is on the basis of these steps that we have already taken in the last five months, that we have seen promising beginnings" at the end of seven-and-a-half decades. This, he said, should now be "turned into tangible benefit" for the people of our two countries.

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Karnataka Government Hikes Sales Tax On Diesel

Karnataka government has hiked the sales tax on diesel to 21.17 per cent with effect from Tuesday, as a result of which there will be an increase of Rs 2 per litre, bringing the sale price to Rs 91.02.

An official statement highlighted that the Karnataka Sales Tax rate on diesel was at 24 per cent prior to November 4, 2021, and the sale price per litre was Rs 92.03. On June 15, 2024, the Karnataka state government issued a notification revising the tax rate on diesel to 18.44 per cent.

"After the approval of the Competent Authority, the Karnataka Sales Tax rate on diesel has been increased to 21.17 per cent, effective from 01-04-2025. As a result, there will be an increase of Rs 2 per litre, bringing the sale price to Rs 91.02," the statement said.

However, even after this increase, the revised sales price in the state will continue to be lower compared to the neighbouring states, it stated.

As on March 31, 2025, the diesel price in Bengaluru is Rs 89.02, whereas in Hosur (Tamil Nadu) it is Rs 94.42, Kasaragod (Kerala) Rs 95.66, Anathapura (Andhra Pradesh) Rs 97.35, Hyderabad (Telangana) Rs 95.70 and Kagal (Maharashtra) Rs 91.07, the statement said.

Criticising the move, Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly, R Ashoka, accused the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government in the state of imposing taxes on items one by one.

He alleged that the state government was increasing prices and "sucking blood of poor and middle class people." In a post on "X", he said, "This poor @INCKarnaraka government has increased the price of milk, imposed a cess on garbage collection, and now it has suddenly increased the price of diesel by Rs 2 per litre." "Diesel is the fuel used for transporting goods. Doesn't Siddaramaiah, a self-proclaimed economist, know that if the price of diesel increases, the prices of all essential goods and services, including milk, vegetables, fruits, groceries, taxis, will increase? Bus ticket prices were recently increased without money to pay salaries to transport employees.

"Now there is no doubt that bus ticket prices will be increased again on the pretext of diesel price hike. Siddaramaiah, have you been wondering which items should be taxed and which items should be increased in price?", he added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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