000 

Huge crowds have gathered to protest against President Donald Trump's policies in cities across the US - among them New York, Washington DC, Chicago, Miami and Los Angeles.

The rally in New York City's iconic Times Square drew thousands of people not long after it began on Saturday morning, reports BBC.

The streets and subway entrances were densely packed with people holding up signs with slogans like, "Democracy not Monarchy" and "The Constitution is not optional".

Ahead of the demonstrations, Trump allies accused the protesters of being linked with the far-left Antifa movement, and condemned what they called "the hate America rally".

Organisers and protesters out on Saturday said the events were peaceful. Non-violence is a core principle of No Kings events, the group states on its website, which urges all participants to de-escalate potential altercations.
In New York, sections of the crowd regularly erupted into chants of "this is what democracy looks like" as a near-constant drumbeat boomed in the background alongside cowbells and noisemakers.

Helicopters and drones could be seen flying overhead, and police stood on the sidelines.
One organiser with a loudspeaker announced that 100,000 had shown up, though it's not clear if he meant in the Times Square vicinity or across the city's five boroughs where smaller rallies and events were also being held.
A police officer standing by estimated that over 20,000 were marching down 7th Avenue.

Beth Zasloff, a freelance writer and editor, said she had joined the New York protest because she feels outraged and distressed at what she called a "move toward fascism and an authoritarian government" happening in the Trump administration.

"I care a lot about New York City," Ms Zasloff said. "It gives me hope to be out here with many, many other people."
Since returning to the White House, Trump has embraced an expansive view of presidential power, using executive orders to block funding approved by Congress and dismantle parts of the federal government, to introduce sweeping tariffs on other countries, and to deploy national guard troops to cities despite objections by state governors.

The president says his actions are necessary to rebuild a country in crisis and he has dismissed claims he's a dictator or fascist as hysterical. But critics warn some of the moves by the administration are unconstitutional and a threat to American democracy.

Massimo Mascoli, a 68-year-old retired electronic engineer and resident of New Jersey who grew up in Italy, said he was protesting because he can't watch the US descend into fascism as his home country did in the last century.
"I am the nephew of an Italian hero that deserted the Mussolini army and joined the resistance," Mascoli said. "He was tortured and killed by the fascists, and after 80 years, I didn't expect to find fascism again in the United States."
Mascoli is particularly concerned about the Trump administration's immigration crackdown, implementation of widespread tariffs, deployment of National Guard troops into US cities, and cuts to healthcare for millions of Americans.

"We cannot count on the Supreme Court, we cannot count on the government," Mascoli said. "We cannot count on the Congress. We have all the legislative, the executive and judiciary that are all against the American people right now. So we are fighting."

Protests are expected to continue across the country throughout the day. In Washington DC, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders delivered a keynote speech.

"We're not here because we hate America, we're here because we love America," he said to a crowd of thousands.
At the DC march, the BBC saw one man wearing a hat emblazoned with Trump's "Make America Great Again" slogan, who said he was in town to visit and decided to check out the protest. He declined to give his name, but said while he didn't really "get it", people had been civil. Shortly after, a woman shouted a derogatory comment at him.
Throughout Europe, protesters took to the streets in Berlin, Madrid and Rome earlier on Saturday to show solidarity with their American counterparts. A couple of hundred protesters also gathered outside the US embassy in London.
In Toronto, demonstrators near the US consulate general waved signs including "Hands off Canada".
US protest organisers said the gatherings would challenge Trump's "authoritarianism".

In an interview with Fox News, set to air on Sunday but teased on Saturday, Trump appeared to address the upcoming rallies.

"A king! This is not an act," Trump said in a preview clip of the interview. "You know – they're referring to me as a king. I'm not a king."

Mascoli is particularly concerned about the Trump administration's immigration crackdown, implementation of widespread tariffs, deployment of National Guard troops into US cities, and cuts to healthcare for millions of Americans.

"We cannot count on the Supreme Court, we cannot count on the government," Mascoli said. "We cannot count on the Congress. We have all the legislative, the executive and judiciary that are all against the American people right now. So we are fighting."

In Washington, DC, where the National Guard guard has been deployed since August at Trump's request, no troops were visible at the protest, although local police were.

One protester at the rally in the capital held up a sign that read "I am antifa".

Chuck Epes, 76, said it was a "loaded" term, and just meant he supported "peace, daycare, liveable wage, healthcare", as well as immigrants and people of colour.

"He's gaslighting everybody - or trying to, and it ain't working," he said.

Americans are deeply divided on Donald Trump. A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll found that only 40 percent approved of his performance as president, while 58 percent disapproved. This puts him about on par with his average approval rating during his first term, but lower than his 47 percent approval rating when he took office for the second time in January.

It is common for presidents to become more unpopular as their term wears on. Joe Biden had a 55 percent approval rating, according to Reuters/Ipsos, in January 2021. By October of that year, his approval had declined to 46 percent.

000

Officials of India and the US on Saturday concluded a round of talks on a proposed bilateral trade agreement. According to government sources, news is moving forward in a positive direction. The team of US officials in this meeting was led by Brendan Lynch, Assistant US Trade Representative for South and Central Asia.

Trump's statement and the importance of trade agreements
US President Donald Trump described Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a very sensible person and a good friend. He also said that tariff negotiations between the two countries would yield good results. Even before this, Donald Trump has been accusing India of imposing high tariffs on American goods. The US has announced retaliatory tariffs on several countries, which may include India.

US tariffs and impact on India
The US has imposed additional tariffs on China before. Apart from this, 25 percent duty has been imposed on steel and aluminum from March 12. At the same time, 25 percent tariff will be applicable on completely finished vehicles (CBUS) and auto parts from April 3. Along with this, it has been announced to levy a 25 percent duty on countries that buy oil from Venezuela, which may affect oil trade in India.

Target of trade agreement between the two countries
India and the US are aiming to complete the first phase of this agreement by September-October 2025. The two countries are working on a plan to increase bilateral trade to over $500 billion by 2030. America's demand is that tariffs on industrial textiles, automobiles, petrochemicals, dairy, agricultural products should be reduced. At the same time, India's priorities are to stay in the tariff for textiles and other labor-intensive industries. At the same time, Indian industries and exporters are demanding relief from American tariffs from the government. The US is India's largest trading partner, so higher tariffs could hurt Indian exporters.

Key Highlights of the Agreement:

- Targeted Completion Date: The first phase of the agreement is expected to be completed by September-October 2025.
- Bilateral Trade Goal: India and the US aim to increase bilateral trade to over $500 billion by 2030.
- Tariff Reductions: The US is pushing for reduced tariffs on industrial textiles, automobiles, petrochemicals, dairy, and agricultural products, while India prioritizes maintaining tariffs on textiles and labor-intensive industries.
- Relief from American Tariffs: Indian industries and exporters are seeking relief from American tariffs, which could negatively impact Indian exporters given the US is India's largest trading partner.

000

California / USA : The police have conducted a large-scale raid in connection with the shooting incident that took place last month at a Gurudwara in Sacramento, California, USA. It has been told that raids were conducted at 20 places regarding that incident of firing. 17 people have been arrested regarding that incident. Police recovered AK-47s, machine guns and several handguns in the raids.

It has been told that most of the people who have been arrested belong to the Sikh community. The police carried out a major operation to nab them in the Gurdwara firing case. California Attorney General Rob Bonta, Yuba City Police Chief Brian Baker, Sutter County District Attorney Jennifer Dupree gave this information in a shared press conference. He said that of the 20 people arrested, two are criminals with mafia links and are wanted in India for murder.

Not only this, the arrested people are associated with two rival criminal gangs. They face charges of violence, shootings and attempted murder in Sutter, Sacramento, San Wolkin, Solano, Yolo and Merced counties in California. Those captured are also reportedly responsible for a shooting at a Sikh gurdwara in Stockton. The incident took place on August 27 last year. Now their strings are also linked to the shooting incident that took place on March 23 this year.

000

New York : The US Justice Department said that two citizens of Chinese origin, 61-year-old Liu Jianwang and 59-year-old Chen Jinping, have been arrested. In early 2022, the two opened a secret police post in Manhattan's Chinatown.

US authorities have arrested two Chinese-American citizens in New York City. It is alleged that these people were passing information to China by running a secret police station.

The US Justice Department said that two citizens of Chinese origin, 61-year-old Liu Jianwang and 59-year-old Chen Jinping, have been arrested. In early 2022, the two opened a secret police post in Manhattan's Chinatown.

Accused of working for the Chinese government - Brian Peace, US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said these people were engaged in international repression targeting Chinese immigrants in New York and the United States at the behest of Beijing. The two arrested men are charged with conspiracy to act as agents of the Chinese government without notifying US authorities, as well as obstruction of justice.

The accused destroyed the evidence - Officials said that when these people came to know that they were being investigated, they removed the information about the conversation with the Public Ministry of China. These people were doing the work of provoking the people of China living in America, which is a violation of American laws.

what is chinese law - Let us tell you, according to Chinese law, any Chinese citizen living outside China or any Chinese company operating inside or outside China, is bound to give all information abroad to the Communist Party of China. Any Chinese citizen can be spied on at any time, whether they live in the country or abroad.

Presented in court - US officials said that these police stations were being used horribly. Both the accused were produced in the Brooklyn court on Monday, from where they have been sent to jail. Spain's human rights organization Safeguard Defenders said China has dozens of such secret police stations around the world, including in the United Kingdom and the United States.

000