Two separate boat accidents this week in northwestern Congo killed at least 193 people dead and left scores missing, authorities and state media reported Friday.

The accidents happened on Wednesday and Thursday, about 150 kilometres apart in the Equateur province.

When she completed her Masters in Political Science from Banaras Hindu University 50 years ago, Sushila Karki may not have thought she would go on to create a record in Nepal's politics.

The first woman Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Nepal, Karki, 73, is now set to take oath as the first woman prime minister on Friday.

Veteran politician and four-time Meghalaya Chief Minister Donwa Dethwelson Lapang, fondly known as 'Maheh', died in a hospital here, his family said.

He was 93, and is survived by his wife Amethyst Lynda Jones Blah and two children.

The Meghalaya government will accord a state funeral to the former chief minister on Monday, officials said.

United States President Donald Trump on Friday said that imposing tariffs on India “is not an easy thing to do” and acknowledged that the move has created a rift between the two countries.

Asked about the crackdown on Russia during an interview with Fox & Friends, Trump said: “Look, India was their biggest customer. I put a 50 per cent tariff on India because they’re buying oil from Russia. That’s not an easy thing to do. That’s a big deal and it causes a rift with India.”

The Election Commission has asked its Bihar poll machinery to accept Aadhaar card as an additional document to establish the identity of electors following the Supreme Court's directives.

In a letter to the state Chief Electoral Officer on Tuesday, the Commission said "The Aadhaar card shall be treated as the 12th document, in addition to the 11 documents listed..."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday welcomed US President Donald Trump's offer to resume negotiations with India to address the "trade barriers" between the two countries.

In a post on X, PM Modi wrote, "India and the US are close friends and natural partners. I am confident that our trade negotiations will pave the way for unlocking the limitless potential of the India-US partnership.

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has made it easier for investors to access Infrastructure Investment Trusts (InvITs) and Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) by lowering the minimum ticket size for primary market investments.

Starting September, investors can participate in privately placed InvITs with ₹25 lakh, compared with the earlier steep thresholds of ₹1 crore or even ₹25 crore depending on the asset mix.

The Centre has permitted manufacturers, packers and importers of pre-packaged commodities to revise the maximum retail price (MRP) on unsold stocks until December 31, following recent changes in goods and services tax (GST) rates.

The GST Council has revised rates of a range of fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), effective from September 22, reducing them from 12 per cent or 18 per cent to 5 per cent.

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday (local time) urged the European Union (EU) to impose tariffs of up to 100 per cent on India and China as part of efforts to pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin, Reuters reported, citing sources. The request, conveyed via a conference call, sought to leverage the two Asian powers’ role as major buyers of Russian oil, which remains vital to Moscow’s economy amid the war in Ukraine.

NDA candidate C P Radhakrishnan on Tuesday won the Vice Presidential elections with 452 votes, beaing Opposition nominee B Sudershan Reddy, who managed only 300 votes. Radhakrishnan will become India's 15th Vice President when he takes the oath of office.

A soft-spoken and non-controversial figure, Radhakrishnan has been the Governor of Maharashtra since July 31, 2024.

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