Page 22 - International News

ASEAN-India trade pact under review to expand market access: Envoy

The ASEAN-India trade pact is currently undergoing a comprehensive review to transform it into a more trade-facilitating, balanced and responsive framework aligned with current economic realities, a senior diplomat said on Thursday. Speaking virtually from Jakarta at an Assocham event organised in partnership with the Ministry of External Affairs, India's Ambassador to ASEAN Srinivas Gotru said the Department of Commerce is leading the discussions to modernise the pact and "expressed hope" that the review would conclude at the earliest. He noted that if a conclusion happens this year, it could unlock significant value and improve market access for both economies from the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA). "The idea is to make this agreement more responsive to current economic realities," Gotru said, adding that the government is impressing upon ASEAN partners the need for a swift conclusion. Highlighting the depth of the relationship, Gotru said trade between India and

Why Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella launched a low-budget personal blog

Nadella opted for a minimalist, cookie-cutter blog template with zero bells and whistles. Nadella's name doesn't even appear on the site, though there are two links to his social media profiles

US will run Venezuela, rebuild it very profitable way, says Donald Trump

According to the NYT, Trump, during the interview, did not provide any indication of when elections would be held in Venezuela

India, Germany in talks for $8 billion submarine manufacturing deal

The agreement, negotiated ahead of Chancellor Friedrich Merz's visit to the South Asian nation next week, would for the first time include technology transfer for submarine production

French farmers drive tractors into Paris to protest EU free trade deal

Farmers drove about a hundred tractors into Paris on Thursday morning to protest the European Union's intention to move forward with a free trade deal with five South American nations, the French Interior Ministry said. French farmers for years have denounced the trade deal with the Mercosur nations of Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay and Uruguay, arguing that the deal would hurt French farmers' livelihoods. Thursday's protest was staged by the Rural Coordination union to put further pressure on France's government, which has opposed the deal. Jose Perez, President of the Rural Coordination in the Lot-et-Garonne region in southwestern France, said, The goal today is to come to Paris to express our demands closer to those who have the power. It's a strong symbol, he told The Associated Press. The Interior Ministry said about 20 tractors were in the Paris city centre, some at the Arc de Triomphe monument and others in the Eiffel Tower neighbourhood, despite a ban issued by ...

Trump discussing range of options to acquire Greenland: White House

Trump has in recent days adopted a more expansionist foreign policy posture, including a renewed focus on Greenland, following the US capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro

UK names new road safety rules 'Dev's Law' after Indian-origin victim

The UK on Wednesday unveiled a series of stricter road safety norms, including Dev's Law named after an eight-year-old Indian-origin boy killed in a 2018 accident on a busy highway. The Department for Transport (DfT) said its new road safety strategy will save thousands of lives on UK roads by tackling drink driving, improving training for young learner drivers and introducing mandatory eye tests for older motorists. It will also make Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) compulsory in new vehicles, something Dev's mother Meera Naran has been campaigning for since losing her son in the tragic road collision over seven years ago. I welcome this much-anticipated road safety strategy and am pleased to see a number of measures set out to reduce road deaths and serious injuries, said Naran, a senior lecturer at De Montfort University in Leicester. I am especially grateful to the Secretary of State [Heidi Alexander] for giving me her word that she would honour Dev and recognise the importan

BlueScope Steel rejects $9 billion takeover offer for fourth time

BlueScope shares closed 1.12 per cent higher on Wednesday at A$29.87, just below the A$30 per share offer made public on Monday

Dollar dips for second day as Venezuela concerns give way to optimism

The impact of the shock US capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro over the weekend was short-lived across most asset classes with stocks around the world trading at record highs

Pak, Afghan agree to establish joint committee to reopen border

Pakistan and Afghanistan on Monday agreed to establish a 13-member joint committee of business leaders to hold formal negotiations for the opening of the border for trade. The border has been shut since October last year after the two sides clashed over the issue of militancy emanating from Afghanistan. The Express Tribune newspaper reported that the joint committee comprises six members from Pakistan and seven from Afghanistan. The Pakistani delegation will be led by Syed Jawad Hussain Kazmi, Adviser to the President of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), while the Afghan side will be headed by Mohammad Wali Amini. Speaking to the media, Kazmi said the primary objective of the talks is the immediate reopening of Pak-Afghan trade routes, the removal of obstacles in border management, and ensuring the continuity of bilateral trade. He added that a comprehensive and practical roadmap would be formulated to provide a lasting solution to the issues fa

Security scare at JD Vance's Ohio residence; windows damaged, suspect held

The United States Secret Service said the vice president's family was not in Ohio when the incident took place

Indian envoy urged Trump to relieve tariffs on oil imports: US Senator

US Senator Lindsey Graham has claimed that Indian Ambassador to the US Vinay Kwatra informed him about New Delhi reducing its purchases of Russian oil and asked him to convey to President Donald Trump to "relieve the tariff" imposed on India. Graham, accompanying Trump on Air Force One Sunday, spoke about his tariff bill that seeks to impose 500 per cent levies on imports from countries buying Russian oil. He said that to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict, pressure must be put on Russian President Vladimir Putin's customers. Trump said that the sanctions are hurting Russia very badly, and then mentioned India. Graham then said that the US put a 25 per cent tariff on India for buying Russian oil. I was at the Indian Ambassador's house about a month ago, and all he wanted to talk about was how they are buying less Russian oil," Graham said. He added that the Indian envoy conveyed to him, "Would you tell the President to relieve the tariff?" There were no immediate comments from India

Swiss bar fire: Managers probed after fire kills 40 at New Year party

Swiss authorities have opened an investigation into the managers of the bar where a fire at a New Year's party left 40 people dead, police said Saturday. The two are suspected of negligent homicide, negligent bodily harm and causing fire by negligence, police said in a statement. They said that the investigation was opened on Friday night, but didn't give further details. More than 100 people were injured in the blaze that broke out about 1:30 am on Thursday at the Le Constellation bar in the Alpine resort town of Crans-Montana. The process of identifying the dead and injured was still underway on Saturday, leading to an agonising wait for relatives desperate for news. Investigators said Friday that they believe sparkling candles atop Champagne bottles ignited the fatal fire when they came too close to the ceiling of the crowded bar. Many of the injured were in their teens to mid-20s, police said. Authorities planned to look into whether sound-dampening material on the ceiling ...

Micheal Martin to visit China, first trip by an Irish leader in 14 years

Ireland's Prime Minister Micheal Martin will visit China from Sunday and meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping in the first visit by an Irish leader in 14 years, the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced on Saturday. Beijing has been strengthening ties with individual members of the European Union despite tensions with the EU bloc over tariffs and human rights issues. In late 2025, French President Emmanuel Macron and Spanish King Felipe VI met with Xi in separate trips to China. During his five-day trip, Martin will also meet with Chinese Premier Li Qiang, who had invited him, and Zhao Leji, chairperson of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the ministry said in a statement. Besides Beijing, he will travel to Shanghai, it added. Through the visit, the ministry said, China is ready to work with Ireland to expand cooperation and foster China-EU relations. In December, China imposed up to 42.7 per cent of provisional tariffs on dairy products, including milk and .

Neuralink plans 'high-volume' brain implant production by 2026, says Musk

The company began human trials of its brain implant in 2024 after addressing safety concerns raised by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration

US drew bulk of state-owned investments in 2025: Global SWF report

Funneling investments to the US came at the expense of emerging markets, however - despite their outsized performance in 2025

UN clears 7% reduced budget for 2026 as US arrears strain finances

The US usually contributes 22% of the UN's regular budget, but the Trump administration has not paid the $826 million bill for 2025 and it still owes some $660 million in arrears

Warner Bros likely to reject Paramount's $108.4 bn hostile bid: Report

Paramount had said that Ellison was open to personally guarantee equity financing backing the bid, a move aimed at easing doubts that had dogged its earlier proposal

Louis Gerstner, who steered IBM through historic turnaround, dies at 83

IBM chairman and CEO Arvind Krishna announced Gerstner's death in an email sent Sunday to employees, but did not provide a cause of death

US clears Samsung, SK Hynix chip tool shipments to China for 2026

The approval is a temporary relief for the South Korean firms and follows a U.S. decision earlier this year to revoke licence waivers given to some tech companies