impact

New Delhi says it has ‘made clear’ its determination to ‘protect its trade and economic interests’.

India has warned the United States that new measures to levy tariffs over the purchase of Russian oil could impact ⁠bilateral ties, hours after the US Congress approved a bill that would give President Donald Trump new abilities to punish buyers of Russian oil.

The US House of Representatives on Wednesday passed a sweeping sanctions and tariff bill intended to increase economic pressure on Russia over its invasion of ⁠Ukraine.

The bill targets Russia’s energy and defence sectors, President Vladimir Putin and other senior officials, as well as Moscow’s so-called shadow fleet of tankers used to circumvent Western sanctions.

It also authorises President Donald Trump to impose stiff tariffs of up to 100 percent on countries, including India, to reduce their dependence on Russian oil and gas, and⁠ extend sanctions on Iran.

The bill has been sent to Trump to sign into law.

India’s foreign ministry said on Thursday that it “remains firmly committed to ensuring energy security for its 1.4 billion people”.

The Indian foreign ministry said that it had noted the bill’s passage, adding that New Delhi had raised the issue with various US interlocutors in recent months, and had “very clearly articulated” the potential implications for the bilateral relationship and the international energy market.

“The Indian side has also made clear its determination to take all necessary measures to protect its trade and economic interests,” it said in a statement.

The government would work closely with trade and industry bodies to deal with the legislation’s implications, it added.

India, the world’s third-biggest oil importer, is among the biggest buyers of Russian oil, which is seen as helping Moscow replenish its budget since it launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and was hit with ⁠sweeping Western sanctions.

New Delhi has repeatedly sought to resist pressure to reduce its oil trade with Russia, saying its large population and economy need secure, affordable and reliable energy supplies.

RIYADH: “Ivan Toney is an exceptional striker, in every sense of the word,” said Faisal Zaid, director of the Al-Ahli media center. “He is a player that loves to win, is not fazed by challenges, and has a strong personality on the pitch.”

Zaid’s words came after Al-Ahli’s 3-2 defeat to Al-Qadsiah this week, which saw Toney reach a new milestone at the club: 80 goals in his first 100 games.

After Al-Ahli fell 3-0 behind in the first half, Toney rallied his teammates and scored a brace to bring them within a whisker of completing a remarkable comeback in Dammam — but Brendan Rodgers’ side ultimately held on.

Toney’s impact at Al-Ahli has been unmatched since his arrival in the summer of 2024.

In his first season, he finished among the top scorers in the Saudi Pro League, netting 23 in 30 league fixtures, in addition to a goal in the King Cup and six more on the way to Al-Ahli’s first-ever AFC Champions League Elite triumph.

He followed that with an even better campaign in 2025/26.

He scored 32 in 32 league fixtures to finish just one goal behind top scorer Julian Quinones — with 10 more across all competitions, bringing his season tally to 42 — as another AFC Champions League Elite title was added to his trophy cabinet.

He has shown no signs of slowing down in the current season, sitting at the top of the scoring charts six weeks in with eight goals already. That takes his overall tally to 80 goals in 100 games for Al-Ahli, with 17 assists taking his total contributions to almost one per game.

Perhaps the most striking statistic is just how much Toney has contributed to Al-Ahli’s attacking output since his arrival in 2024. Al-Ahli have scored 229 goals in that time, with Toney’s 80 accounting for 35 percent of that total.

“I remember when he signed in 2024 — his transfer was a huge shock for the English media,” Zaid told Arab News. “There were many questions surrounding whether he would return to the England squad.”

Initially, that seemed likely. Toney played just two minutes of international football between his move to Al-Ahli and the summer of 2026, with no indication he would be called up to Thomas Tuchel’s side.

The battle for a starting striker berth was fierce between Toney and recent Al-Hilal signing Ollie Watkins in the presence of Harry Kane — but Toney ultimately made his way back into the England squad after his stellar campaign at Al-Ahli.

“Toney proved that playing in the Saudi Pro League would not derail his path back to the England squad,” Zaid said.

The former Brentford striker is more than just a prolific goalscorer. He has consistently been a voice for Al-Ahli in the media, supporting his teammates and connecting with the fans at a level few other foreign players in Saudi Arabia enjoy.

“His value is not just in his goals,” Zaid explained. “He has a powerful presence in the dressing room, and he commands the love and respect of his teammates — foreign and Saudi alike.”

Toney’s character and leadership face their biggest test this season — his first at the club without Matthias Jaissle, now head coach at Newcastle.

Al-Ahli have had a rocky start, with their dreams of winning the Saudi Pro League title for the first time since 2016 dented by three defeats in their first six games. Life under Marino Pusic may have fans anxious, but if there is any player to rely on in difficult times, it is Toney.

He has already shown that this season.

In Al-Ahli’s 5-0 victory over Al-Riyadh, new signing Artem Bondarenko was booed by fans at halftime. Toney — alongside Roger Ibanez — stepped forward to shield the new signing from the crowd’s hostility.

Toney may have been a central figure in Al-Ahli’s stellar back-to-back campaigns, but the biggest challenge lies ahead.

Can he help drive Al-Ahli’s resurgence in a season where they look to compete for the FIFA Intercontinental Cup, the King Cup, the Saudi Pro League and the AFC Champions League Elite?

WASHINGTON: President ‌Donald Trump said he did not regret going to war against Iran despite the impact the conflict may have ​on the November US midterm elections.

“I don’t believe in the word ‘regret.’ You can always question yourself a little bit,” Trump said in an interview with Fox News host Laura Ingraham when asked if he regretted the Iran war due to the impact it may have on the elections.

“If ‌I had ‌it do again, I would ​do ‌exactly ⁠as ​I did,” ⁠Trump said in the interview broadcast on Thursday on “The Ingraham Angle” show.

Trump dismissed suggestions that some of his supporters were upset and demoralized about the war.

“I don’t think they’re demoralized. I think they’re very proud of the fact that I’m not letting ⁠Iran have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said.

Trump ‌reiterated his thinking that ‌the war will end immediately after ​the midterm election.

“It ‌ends right after the election,” Trump said in ‌the interview. He made similar comments on Wednesday, alleging Tehran was trying to influence the elections that will determine whether Trump’s Republican Party retains control of Congress.

The rise in ‌oil and gas prices due to the US-Israeli war on Iran has become ⁠a major ⁠issue for Republicans in the lead-up to the elections.

The US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28 and Iran responded with its own strikes on Israel and Gulf states that host US bases. US-Israeli strikes on Iran and Israeli attacks on Lebanon have killed thousands and displaced millions.

Trump has cited weakening Iran’s nuclear capabilities as one of his war objectives. Iran does not have ​nuclear weapons and says ​its uranium enrichment program is for peaceful purposes. The US is nuclear-armed.

Cheer captain. Student body president. Leader for Shoes for Souls, a nonprofit that gives out shoes to people in need.

Sarah Sobel is one busy teenager at Sierra Canyon High. She knows how to be organized, which her father, David, an assistant athletic director, probably offered some tips to follow.

Sarah took over running Shoes for Souls from her sister, Lindsay, who created the organization in 2016. More than 70,000 shoes have been donated.

High school is a balancing act between academics, school activities and other responsibilities. So far, Sarah is finding time to do all of it.

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.

Santa Margarita’s Southern Section Division 1 championship football team lost some impressive players to graduation in the spring, but the Eagles (2-0) have already showed off two impressive freshmen to help overcome the loss of Trent Mosley (USC) and Dash Fifita (Arizona).

Kiyan Callis, a receiver, started his high school career with nine catches for 105 yards and one touchdown, then came back with three receptions against Corona Centennial. Aydan Steen, a linebacker, delivered seven solo tackles in a opening win, followed by four more solo tackles against Corona Centennial.

Santa Maragarita is back to No. 1 in The Times’ top 25 rankings after finding players to replace nine of 11 starters on defense, including several more freshmen besides Steen. It’s important to know the best days for the Eagles are ahead as their young replacements receive early-season experience in anticipation of becoming much better later in the season.

Sana Margarita wasn’t the state’s best team to start last season, but by the end, no one had a chance to beat the Eagles as their defense and offense reached another level under first-year coach Carson Palmer and his staff.

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.

A quartet of true freshmen pass-catchers trotted onto the Coliseum field around noon Saturday, taking their places to either flank of USC’s far-older quarterback. None of the four — neither Trent Mosley, nor Kayden Dixon-Wyatt nor Tron Baker or Mark Bowman — had ever played in a college football game. But the significance of their presence, on the first play of an especially critical campaign for USC and its coach, Lincoln Riley, was no small thing.

This USC season, if only by sheer numbers, is sure to be defined by how fast its freshmen can grow up, which, after Saturday’s season-opening, 42-26 win over San José State, might not sound so bad after all.

First impressions, of course, can only say so much. With redshirts no longer a concern, Riley had promised to acclimate as many young players as possible. He stuck to a mostly conservative play script, leaning on the run and relying primarily on short passes through the air. Still, USC tallied more than 500 total yards in a mostly ho-hum debut, with star quarterback Jayden Maiava completing 25 of 29 passes for 286 yards and three total touchdowns.

However, there were also plenty of glimpses that suggest the kids will be all right.

The most memorable came from Mosley, who took off with his first-ever collegiate punt and ping-ponged his way down the field, refusing to go down until he gained 41 yards.

It was just the start for the former Santa Margarita High standout. In the second quarter, Mosley caught a pass over the middle and broke three tackles for 33 yards. In the third, he burst open in the red zone and reeled in a 14-yard touchdown. He finished with seven catches for 118 yards and a touchdown, becoming the first Power Four freshman receiver to meet those marks in a debut since Purdue’s Rondale Moore in 2018.

There were standout moments for other members of the Trojans’ 2026 class, too. Defensive end Luke Wafle looked unblockable at times off the edge. Dixon-Wyatt dusted his defender off the line to catch a red-zone slant for a score. And quarterback-of-the-future Jonas Williams led a seamless fourth-quarter scoring drive.

USC wide receiver Trent Mosley breaks a tackle by San José State linebacker John Norwood during the first quarter Saturday.

(Ronaldo Bolanos / Los Angeles Times)

But arguably the most encouraging results for USC came on the defensive end, where, for one half at least, Gary Patterson’s unit stood strong in his debut as Trojans defensive coordinator.

USC didn’t allow the Spartans to score until midway through the third quarter, when they opted for a field goal, down four touchdowns, just to wipe the zero off the scoreboard. San José State added another score after that, albeit long after USC’s starters had been replaced.

The defense held San José State to just 102 yards in the first half. It also gave up just 93 yards on the ground.

USC was at its best early, even with its fleet of freshmen needing time to find their footing. The Trojans immediately ripped off a 13-play touchdown drive to start the game. Fans were still filing in, braving 90-degree heat with novelty beer swords in hand, as Maiava moved USC methodically down the field, punching in a one-yard keeper for an early score.

A fourth-down stop at the goal line gave San José State a brief respite from USC piling on points. But Wafle, the five-star pass rusher, nearly added to the scoreboard anyway, when he slipped past the Spartans’ right tackle on third down, blew up the Spartan running back, and came up a split second short of a safety.

USC quarterback Jayden Maiava, right, hands off the ball to running back Riley Wormley during the second quarter Saturday.

(Ronaldo Bolanos / Los Angeles Times)

USC still turned the sterling field position into points. While Waymond Jordan and King Miller did most of the damage on the ground, combining for 111 yards, redshirt freshman Riley Wormley was the first USC running back to score. He was one of five to see work Saturday.

Miller led the way, with 63 yards. And he added his touchdown later, just before the half, as the Trojans took a 28-0 lead into the locker room.

San José State played USC a lot closer after that, actually outscoring the Trojans 26-14 in the second half.

It was the sort of lacking finish that probably left both Riley and Patterson wanting a bit more. But as far as first impressions go, it did the job for one Saturday at least.

WASHINGTON — A new National Park Service report backs President Trump’s proposed arch, despite what it says are adverse effects to the sightline between a host of landmarks in Washington, including the Washington Monument and Lincoln and Jefferson memorials.

The report released Friday says the 250-foot-tall arch is likely to disrupt the historically significant layout of dozens of sites near its planned location adjacent to Memorial Bridge.

Many of Washington’s monuments, buildings and sites have been carefully planned over decades to reflect significant moments in the nation’s history and to evoke symbolism through sightlines that connect them to other sites. The arch will disturb the sightline between more landmarks than anticipated, the report said.

But the Park Service report says “the same characteristics that make Memorial Circle sensitive from a preservation perspective are also the characteristics that make it the historically appropriate location for the undertaking.”

The project’s effects cannot be “fully avoided without either relocating the Arch away from the historically identified site or eliminating the principal commemorative feature, both of which would fail to meet the undertaking’s purpose and need,” the report said.

“For this reason, alternative locations outside Memorial Circle are not reasonable avoidance alternatives,” the report said.

The 133-page report by the Park Service supports Trump’s plans for the controversial arch and could play an important role in bolstering the administration’s case in its fight against a legal challenge filed by three veterans and a group of historians.

The proposed towering arch, which last month received initial approval from a key federal commission, would impact the “integrity” of dozens of historic properties because it would change “character-defining visual and spatial relationships” between them.

One of the most obvious elements the report cited is that the arch would break alignment between the Lincoln Memorial, Memorial Bridge and Arlington House that was formerly Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee’s home. That alignment was “intended to physically and symbolically unite North and South through a coordinated monumental composition extending across the Potomac River,” the report said.

The Lincoln Memorial Arlington House connection was one of dozens of historic sites and structures listed as being impacted directly by the proposed structure. It added that the National Mall, the U.S. Capitol, Washington Monument, Jefferson Memorial, Georgetown Historic District, Old Naval Observatory, Key Bridge, National Cathedral and other sites also would be affected.

Nicolas Sansone, an attorney with Public Citizen Litigation Group representing the plaintiffs, said the report again “confirms what we’ve been saying all along: the project will have an enormous impact and transform that National Mall.”

The report underscores the legal challengers’ claim that a project of this size and importance “is a decision for Congress to make” and should not be rushed through by executive decree, Sansone said.

Daly writes for the Associated Press.