US judge blocks Trump from canceling legal status for Venezuelans, Haitians
A federal judge in San Francisco has blocked the Trump administration’s attempt to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for over 1m Venezuelans and Haitians in the US. Judge Edward Chen ruled that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem lacked the authority to revoke the program, calling the decision racially biased and unsupported by reason, Reuters reported.
The ruling preserves protections for roughly 600,000 Venezuelans and 521,000 Haitians, noting that sending them back could expose them to dangerous conditions amid instability in their home countries. The Trump administration plans to appeal, while the Department of Homeland Security has not commented.
TPS, created in 1991, shields individuals from deportation and grants work authorization for those from countries facing conflict, disasters, or extraordinary conditions. Under the Biden administration, the program was extended to cover these communities, a move Noem later attempted to reverse.
This decision is a major judicial check on the administration’s immigration policies, reinforcing protections for vulnerable immigrant populations, according to Reuters.
Google fined €2.95bn by EU for abusing advertising dominance
The EU has fined Google €2.95bn (£2.5bn) for abusing its dominance in online advertising by favouring its own ad exchange, AdX, over rivals, BBC reported. Regulators said the practice raised costs for competitors and cut publishers’ revenues.
Google called the decision “wrong,” vowed to appeal, and argued it would harm European businesses.
President Donald Trump condemned the ruling as “very unfair” and threatened tariffs in response, accusing the EU of targeting US companies.
The case adds to growing global scrutiny of Google’s dominance in digital advertising, according to BBC.
Sri Lanka bus plunges off precipice, 15 dead
A Sri Lankan bus carrying local tourists visiting lush tea plantation hill towns plunged nearly 1,000 feet (300 metres), with the crash killing 15 people, AFP reported.
The accident took place on Thursday night in the mountainous Ella area, about 130 kilometres (81 miles) east of the capital. Sixteen others on board were injured.
According to AFP, the group was returning home after a holiday in the cooler hills when the bus hit another vehicle, crashed through guardrails and then shot over the side.
The accident is the worst since May, when 23 passengers died in a bus crash in Kotmale.
The island's winding roads are considered among the most dangerous in the world. Sri Lanka, a nation of 22 million people, records an average of 3,000 road fatalities each year.
India makes ACs, tea, school supplies cheaper to mitigate shock of US tariffs
India has cut Goods and Services Tax (GST) rates to spur consumption and soften the blow of steep US tariffs, BBC reported.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the tax structure has been simplified to two slabs—5 percent and 18 percent—with a 40 percent levy on cigarettes. Essentials like food, school supplies and insurance will become cheaper, while imported liquor and premium cars will cost more. The new rates take effect on 22 September, ahead of the festive season.
Markets cheered the move, with analysts saying lower taxes could lift demand, ease inflation and support corporate earnings, though states fear revenue losses of up to $6bn.
The cuts follow earlier income tax relief and coincide with lower borrowing costs. Economists believe stronger consumption could offset losses and cushion the impact of President Donald Trump’s 50 percent tariffs on Indian goods, according to BBC.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the reforms a promise delivered, saying they will benefit farmers, the middle class, small traders and youth while making business easier.
