US Senate Passes Bill Granting Trump Wider Powers on Tariffs and Sanctions

The US Senate has passed a sanctions bill that will give President Donald Trump more authority to impose fines and penalties on countries buying Russian oil and natural gas.

The legislation, which was introduced by Senators Lindsey Graham and Richard Blumenthal, aims to put pressure on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine and Iran's energy trade.

Under the bill, the US president could impose a 500 percent tariff on Russian goods entering the US and a 100 percent tariff on imports from the world's top five buyers of Russian oil and gas.

India is among the countries that may be affected by this legislation as it has been one of the biggest buyers of discounted Russian crude oil since the Russia-Ukraine war began.