INDIA: The government has slapped tariffs on a range of US imports in retaliation for the Washington’s withdrawal of trade privileges.

The tariffs, mostly on agricultural products such as walnuts, apples and almonds, are designed to hurt the economies of Republican states.

India, like Mexico, China and other countries, has been targeted by the Donald Trump administration over trade deficits it blames on unfair trading practices.

ISRAEL: Sara Netanyahu, wife of Prime Minister Benjamin, has been fined 10,000 shekels (£2,200) and ordered to repay 45,000 (£9,900) for misusing state funds.

The ruling is the result of a plea bargain that avoids a fraud conviction and possible jail sentence. It settles allegations that she spent hundreds of thousands of shekels of public funds on lavish meals at luxury restaurants.

Ms Netanyahu has previously had to pay damages to a cleaner who took her to court for mistreatment and is being sued by a housekeeper who alleges mistreatment and harassment in the Netanyahu residence.

GERMANY: The director of Berlin’s Jewish Museum has stepped down after being targeted over a tweet linking to an open letter opposed to declaring support for the BDS (boycott, divestment and sanctions) campaign anti-semitic.

The campaign argues for a boycott of Israeli goods and cultural activities over its illegal occupation and colonisation of Palestinian land, but Germany’s Bundestag has ruled support for it anti-semitic. The open letter was signed by 240 Jewish and Israeli scholars arguing that the law undermines the fight against real anti-semitism.

German Central Council of Jews chief Josef Schuster said the tweet showed the museum was “completely out of control.” Director Peter Schafter resigned, saying he did not want to do any damage to the museum’s reputation.