King Charles, Queen Camilla join Ramadan charity effort at London restaurant

Short Url
Updated 20 March 2025
Follow

King Charles, Queen Camilla join Ramadan charity effort at London restaurant

  • Visit highlights royal couple’s support for interfaith initiatives

LONDON: Britain’s King Charles III joked on Wednesday he was past his “sell-by date” as he and Queen Camilla helped pack food donation boxes for charity at Darjeeling Express, an Indian restaurant in Soho, ahead of Ramadan.

The British monarch and his wife visited the female-run restaurant, founded by British restaurateur Asma Khan, to support its initiative of cooking for charitable causes during the Muslim holy month.

Camilla assisted staff in packing biryani meals for Doorstep, a charity aiding families in temporary housing.

As she ladled food into a takeaway box, she joked: “Is that enough, or some more? They might still be a bit hungry after my portion.”

Charles, who was initially occupied with meeting guests, joined in with meal preparation, asking: “Is it chicken and proper basmati rice?” He was delighted to learn that some curry would be sent to Buckingham Palace for him.

The king and queen later packed dates into bags for iftar meals to be served in hospitals.

When Charles noticed the speed of the process, he laughed: “We don’t waste time. Paid by results!” Khan was impressed by their teamwork, saying: “You are packing them faster than I can seal them. I never realized this was such a speedy couple.”

The visit highlighted the royal couple’s long-standing support for interfaith initiatives in Britain and abroad, continuing Charles’ tradition of engaging with different religious communities across the UK and the Commonwealth.


China imposes a 34 percent tariff on imports of all US products starting April 10

Updated 5 sec ago
Follow

China imposes a 34 percent tariff on imports of all US products starting April 10

The new tariff matches the rate of the US “reciprocal” tariff of 34 percent on Chinese exports that Trump ordered this week
China’s customs administration said it had suspended imports of chicken from some US suppliers after detected furazolidone

BANGKOK: China announced Friday that it will impose a 34 percent tariff on imports of all US products beginning April 10, part of a flurry of retaliatory measures following US President Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” slate of double-digit tariffs.
The new tariff matches the rate of the US “reciprocal” tariff of 34 percent on Chinese exports that Trump ordered this week.
The Commerce Ministry in Beijing also said in a notice that it will impose more export controls on rare earths, which are materials used in high-tech products such as computer chips and electric vehicle batteries.
Included in the list of minerals subject to controls was samarium and its compounds, which are used in aerospace manufacturing and the defense sector. Another element called gadolinium is used in MRI scans.
China’s customs administration said it had suspended imports of chicken from some US suppliers after detected furazolidone, a drug banned in China, in shipments from those companies.
Separately, it said had found high levels of mold in the sorghum and salmonella in poultry meat from some of the companies. The announcements affect one company exporting sorghum, C&D Inc., and four poultry companies.
Additionally, the Chinese government said it had added 27 firms to lists of companies subject to trade sanctions or export controls.
Among them, 16 are subject to a ban on the export of “dual-use” goods. High Point Aerotechnologies, a defense tech company, and Universal Logistics Holding, a publicly traded transportation and logistics company, were among those listed.
Beijing also announced it filed a lawsuit with the World Trade Organization over the tariffs issue.
“The United States’ imposition of so-called ‘reciprocal tariffs’ seriously violates WTO rules, seriously damages the legitimate rights and interests of WTO members, and seriously undermines the rules-based multilateral trading system and international economic and trade order,” the Commerce Ministry said.
“It is a typical unilateral bullying practice that endangers the stability of the global economic and trade order. China firmly opposes this,” it said.
Other actions include the launch of an anti-monopoly investigation into DuPont China Group Co., a subsidiary of the multinational chemical giant, and an anti-dumping probe into X-ray tube and CT tubes for CT scanners imported from the US and India.
In February, China announced a 15 percent tariff on imports of coal and liquefied natural gas products from the US It separately added a 10 percent tariff on crude oil, agricultural machinery and large-engine cars.
Dozens of US companies are subject to controls on trade and investment, while many more Chinese companies face similar limits on dealings with US firms.
The latest tariffs apply to all products made in the US, according to a statement from the Ministry of Finance’s State Council Tariff Commission.
While friction on the trade front has been heating up, overall relations are somewhat less fractious.
US and Chinese military officials met this week for the first time Trump took office in January to shared concerns about military safety on the seas. The talks held Wednesday and Thursday in Shanghai were aimed at minimizing the risk of trouble, both sides said.

Indian patriotic movie ‘icon’ Manoj Kumar dies aged 87

Updated 04 April 2025
Follow

Indian patriotic movie ‘icon’ Manoj Kumar dies aged 87

  • Kumar, also a member of PM Narendra Modi’s Hindu-nationalist party, died in Mumbai due to heart-related complications
  • He was the recipient of several national awards, including the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India’s highest honor for cinema

MUMBAI: Indian actor Manoj Kumar, known for his roles in Hindi-language films with patriotic themes, died on Friday aged 87.
The death of the man dubbed “Bharat” Kumar — a reference to the ancient Sanskrit word for India steeped in Hindu religious symbolism — sparked tributes from across the country.
Kumar, who was also a member of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s governing Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), died in Mumbai due to heart-related complications.
Modi led the condolences, calling Kumar an “icon” of Indian cinema, saying that his works “ignited a spirit of national pride and will continue to inspire generations.”
Throughout his career, Kumar was known for acting — and at times directing — films that had a focus on unity and national pride.
Born Harikrishan Goswami, he renamed himself in Bollywood tradition — taking on the name Manoj Kumar.
He was the recipient of several national awards, including the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India’s highest honor for cinema.
Kumar made his debut in Indian cinema in the late 1950s.
He went on to star in several films, many with patriotic themes, including “Upkar” (1967), “Purab Aur Pachhim” (1970) and “Kranti” (1981).


Myanmar military limiting aid in earthquake areas, UN says

Updated 04 April 2025
Follow

Myanmar military limiting aid in earthquake areas, UN says

  • The humanitarian situation in earthquake areas, especially those out of the military’s control, was catastrophic
  • UN human rights office: The need for aid was particularly urgent in Myanmar’s Sagaing region

GENEVA: Myanmar’s military is limiting critically needed humanitarian aid for earthquake victims in areas where it sees opposition to its rule, the United Nations human rights office said on Friday. The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights also said it was investigating 53 reported attacks by the junta against its opponents since the earthquake struck on March 28, including air strikes, of which 16 came after a ceasefire on April 2.
On Friday, the office was made aware of a further eight attacks which it was looking into, it said.
A spokesperson for Myanmar’s ruling junta did not respond to calls from Reuters seeking comment.
The humanitarian situation in earthquake areas, especially those out of the military’s control, was catastrophic, UN rights office spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani told reporters in Geneva.
The 7.7 magnitude quake, one of the strongest to hit Myanmar in a century, jolted areas home to 28 million people, toppling buildings, flattening communities and leaving many without food, water and shelter. Myanmar’s junta says the death toll has risen to more than 3,100.
“Limitations of aid is part of a strategy to prevent aid getting to the populations it sees as not supporting its seizure of power back in 2021,” said James Rodehaver, head of OHCHR’s Myanmar team, speaking via video link from Bangkok.
The need for aid was particularly urgent in Myanmar’s Sagaing region, and time was working against humanitarian agencies to help those in need, he added.
“Air strikes are alarming, shocking and need to stop straight away – the focus needs to be on humanitarian recovery,” Shamdasani said.
The government on state-run MRTV late on Wednesday announced a 20-day unilateral ceasefire effective immediately to support post-quake rehabilitation, but warned it would “respond accordingly” if rebels launched attacks.
Millions of people have been affected by Myanmar’s widening civil war, triggered by the coup that ousted the government of Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.
It has decimated the mainly agrarian economy, driven more than 3.5 million people from their homes and crippled essential services such as health care.


Woman found guilty in UK abortion free speech case monitored by US

Updated 04 April 2025
Follow

Woman found guilty in UK abortion free speech case monitored by US

  • Livia Tossici-Bolt was prosecuted for breaching a ‘safe zone’ in the immediate area around the abortion clinic in Bournemouth on two days in March 2023

POOLE, England: An anti-abortion activist, whose case has attracted the attention of the United States over free speech concerns, was found guilty on Friday of breaching an order which banned protest outside a clinic in southern England.
Livia Tossici-Bolt, 64, the leader of a branch of US Christian group ‘40 days for Life’, was prosecuted for breaching a “safe zone” in the immediate area around the abortion clinic in Bournemouth on two days in March 2023. She was holding a sign that read “Here to talk, if you want.”
Following a trial last month, Tossici-Bolt was on Friday convicted of breaching the order at Poole Magistrates’ Court, on the grounds the impact on those using the clinic outweighed her right to free speech under human rights laws.
The case comes amid growing accusations in the US of infringements on free speech in Britain. US Vice President JD Vance confronted Prime Minister Keir Starmer face to face at the White House on the issue, and said in February he feared free speech in Britain was “in retreat.”
Tossici-Bolt was taken to court after refusing to pay a fixed fine for breaching a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO), brought in around the British Pregnancy Advisory Service clinic in 2022 in response to concerns that women who attended were being subjected to harassment and intimidation.
An intervention on Sunday by the Democracy, Human Rights, & Labor (DRL) department of the US State Department propelled the case to the front pages of UK newspapers, with suggestions it could have far-reaching diplomatic implications.
“We are monitoring her case. It is important that the UK respect and protect freedom of expression,” the DRL said on X.


Trump unveils first $5 million ‘gold card’ visa

Updated 04 April 2025
Follow

Trump unveils first $5 million ‘gold card’ visa

  • Republican president tells reporters that the special visa would probably be available ‘in less than two weeks’
  • Trump said that sales of the new visa would bring in job creators and could be used to reduce the US deficit

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump unveiled the first “gold card,” a residency permit sold for $5 million each, aboard Air Force One on Thursday.
Holding a prototype that bore his face and an inscription “The Trump Card,” the Republican president told reporters that the special visa would probably be available “in less than two weeks.”
“I’m the first buyer,” he said. “Pretty exciting, huh?”
Trump previously said that sales of the new visa, a high-price version of the traditional green card, would bring in job creators and could be used to reduce the US national deficit.
The billionaire former real estate tycoon, who has made the deportation of millions of undocumented migrants a priority for his second term, said the new card would be a route to highly prized US citizenship.
He said in February that his administration hoped to sell “maybe a million” of the cards and did not rule out that Russian oligarchs may be eligible.