HT Morning Brief Sept 17: Russia sanctions bill clears US House, Manoj Jarange ends 20-day fast and more

The US House of Representatives passed a sanctions bill on Russia with a 262-159 vote on September 17th. The legislation, known as the Lindsey Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, grants the Trump administration the authority to impose tariffs of up to 100% on the five largest importers of Russian oil and gas, which includes India.

Additionally, the bill may target China, Slovakia, Hungary and Azerbaijan. This bill has already passed the Senate, so it will now be sent to President Trump for his signature. Meanwhile, Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil concluded a 20-day hunger strike after a minister's delegation visited him and pledged to act on his demands within three months.

Jarange-Patil had called for a march to Mumbai to demand his return home. In other news, Pakistan's Navy vessel collided with an Indian warship in the Arabian Sea after the Pakistani ship maneuvered "unprofessionally and unsafely," leading to New Delhi summoning Pakistan's top diplomat to lodge a strong protest. This marks the first incident of military confrontation between the two nations since Operation Sindoor in May 2025.

Finally, India's T20I opener Abhishek Sharma has moved up to the number two position in the latest ICC rankings, surpassing his Pakistani archrival Sahibzada Farhan. Sharma achieved this ranking through strong performances in recent T20I matches against Afghanistan, including a 32-ball 82 and a 39-ball 39 in the same series.