Trump announces US-India trade deal, tariffs cut to 18%

US President Donald Trump announced a significant trade agreement with India on Tuesday, saying Washington and New Delhi have agreed to reduce reciprocal tariffs and expand economic cooperation after months of negotiations. The deal was unveiled following a telephone call between Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Incidents of hate speech targeting religious minorities in India increased by 13 percent in 2025, according to a new report released on Tuesday by the Washington-based India Hate Lab, raising renewed concerns over the country’s social and political climate.

India and the European Union have finalised a long-awaited free trade agreement that will cover nearly a quarter of the global economy, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Tuesday, marking a major shift in global trade ties amid growing uncertainty in relations with the United States.

India has decided to recall family members and dependents of its diplomats and officials stationed in Bangladesh, citing security concerns ahead of the country’s February 12 national elections, Indian media reported, quoting official sources.

US President Donald Trump has formally invited Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to join a proposed international “Board of Peace” for Gaza, an initiative Washington says is aimed at ending the conflict and laying the groundwork for long-term stability in the Middle East.

Iran and India have held high-level diplomatic talks as tensions continue to simmer across the Middle East, with Tehran strongly criticising what it described as ongoing US interference in regional affairs.

India is planning to set up a new naval facility in Haldia, West Bengal, as part of efforts to bolster maritime surveillance amid growing Chinese naval activity and evolving regional dynamics involving Bangladesh and Pakistan, according to defence sources quoted by India Today.

US President Donald Trump has thrown his support behind a bipartisan Russia Sanctions Bill aimed at pressuring major buyers of Russian oil, including China, India and Brazil, as Washington seeks to choke off revenue streams funding Moscow’s war in Ukraine.

The United States Department of Defense’s 2025 annual report on China’s military and security developments, though written for a domestic American audience, carries far-reaching implications for India’s strategic and defence planning. 

Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said New Delhi expects its relations with Bangladesh to grow stronger once political normalcy is restored through elections, underscoring India’s broader vision of regional cooperation and stability.

India has moved closer to strengthening its air defence shield after successfully completing user evaluation trials of the next-generation Akash missile system, clearing a key hurdle for its induction into the armed forces.

India on Tuesday summoned Bangladesh’s High Commissioner to New Delhi, Riaz Hamidullah, to convey serious concerns over what it described as a deteriorating security situation in Bangladesh and potential threats to Indian diplomatic premises.

The United States and India have jointly pressed the United Nations to impose new sanctions on affiliates of the Islamic State (IS) group and Al Qaeda, as well as on South Asia–focused militant outfits Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and what they described as their associated proxy networks.

Nearly 900,000 Indians have given up their citizenship in the last five years, official government data presented to Parliament shows, highlighting a sustained rise in the number of people opting to become foreign nationals.

A deadly fire tore through a nightclub in India`s Goa early Sunday, killing at least 23 people and injuring several others, officials confirmed. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin begins a two-day visit to India on Thursday, seeking to revitalise Moscow’s energy and defence partnership with New Delhi at a time when Western pressure and shifting global oil flows have strained the traditionally close ties between the two countries.