Iran Deploys Russian Missiles Near Nuclear Sites Amid Fears Of Israeli Strikes If Nuke Talks Fail
India-US Trade Deal Soon? | US Commerce Secretary Hints at Breakthrough | Bilateral Talks Soon
US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick has strongly hinted at an imminent India-US trade deal, stating that both nations have 'found a place that works.' Speaking at the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum Annual Leadership Summit, Lutnick emphasized the urgency and optimism surrounding the deal. He praised India's proactive approach and suggested that the agreement may close within a month, an unusually fast timeline for international trade pacts. Industry titan Kumar Mangalam Birla echoed the optimism, highlighting the synergy between leaders like PM Modi and President Trump. A US delegation is scheduled to visit New Delhi on June 5-6 to finalise terms of the Bilateral Trade Agreement, as per government sources.#indiaustradedeal #howardlutnick #moditrump #usindiaties #bilateraltradeagreement #indiaeconomy #uscommerce #kumarmangalambirla #strategicpartnershipforum #tradediplomacy #junetradetalks #btaindiaus #toi #toibharat
24.3K views | 2 days ago
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Today
39 minutes ago
- India Today
Partners must understand India's zero-tolerance on terror: Jaishankar in UK talks
India is firmly committed to a "zero tolerance" policy against terrorism and will not accept any equivalence between terrorists and their victims, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Saturday during discussions with UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy in New comments come amid the nation's concern over some countries drawing parallels between India and Pakistan following the recent military standoff. Lammy arrived in New Delhi for a two-day visit to review and strengthen the India-UK strategic his opening remarks, Jaishankar expressed appreciation for the UK's condemnation of the recent "barbaric" terror attack in Pahalgam and its continued support for India's counter-terrorism efforts. 'Let me thank the Government of the United Kingdom for the strong condemnation of the barbaric terrorist attack in Pahalgam in the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir and for your solidarity and support to India in the fight against terrorism,' Jaishankar said.'We practice a policy of zero tolerance against terrorism and expect our partners to understand it, and we will never countenance perpetrators of evil being put at par with its victims,' he the talks, India reportedly raised concerns about cross-border terrorism originating from Pakistan. The UK had previously engaged with both India and Pakistan last month, encouraging de-escalation during their military may be noted that before visiting India, Lammy had travelled to Islamabad on May 16, where he welcomed the May 10 agreement between the two neighbours to cease other developments, Jaishankar described the recently concluded India-UK Free Trade Agreement and the Double Taxation Avoidance Convention as major milestones in bilateral ties during the InMust Watch IN THIS STORY#Subrahmanyam Jaishankar
Hindustan Times
41 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
What more to expect from Paraguayan President's visit
A lot can happen over a maiden visit of a State leader. Paraguayan President Santiago Peña's three day long maiden visit to India from June 2- 4 presents a momentum in turning point in the ties of New Delhi and Asuncion, the capital of the landlocked, riverine nation. An economist by degree and occupation, President Peña brings a data-driven perspective to governance, viewing society through analytical metrics not just by his political ideology and preconceived principles, drawing from office. Prior to assuming the presidency, President Pena was the finance minister and once led the Central Bank of Paraguay. President Peña's maiden visit after a brief gap of any leader's visit to India occurs at an time when China has almost no naysayers in Latin America. Paraguay is the only country in South America that maintains diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Strategically, India and Paraguay share a common outlook on supporting Taiwan's autonomy. In December, Paraguay expelled Chinese envoy Xu Wei for alleged interference in its internal affairs. During his visit to New Delhi, President Peña held comprehensive talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on a wide range of issues. He emphasized that Paraguay produces enough food to feed ten times its own population. The nation possesses an intimate knowledge of the soil, yet remains bereft of technological acumen. Agritech and high-tech collaboration are essential between two aspiring nations. India is a perfect match in advancing its ambition for global food security through such partnerships. Interestingly, Paraguay also produces stevia, a natural sweetener permitted in India; however, Indian importers currently rely mostly on China and the US. There is clear scope for Indian players to tap into Paraguay as a new and reliable source. Paraguay's export portfolio is traditionally reserved to the periphery, with most of its trade directed to China, Brazil, and Argentina. However, it is now actively seeking to diversify its partners. As a landlocked nation with no coastline to secure, Paraguay benefits from a relatively low defence burden. It borders Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest—all trade partners, not threats. Given its strategic central location in South America, Paraguay could serve as a valuable regional hub for India to access broader Latin American markets. Both countries are eager to strengthen and expand their existing trade links under the India-MERCOSUR Preferential Trade Agreement. However, consensus among all five MERCOSUR member states is required to expand any talks between India and MERCOSUR. Paraguay's trade with China is about $5 billion plus whereas with India time to time differs from $130 million to $470 million. India wouldn't be in a position to reach anything near that China's export but it should rapidly increase the trade volume. India's advances in IT, digitalisation, innovation, and platforms like UPI and UIDAI have drawn interest from many South American countries, including Paraguay. Paraguay has historically maintained modest defence expenditures, but recent years have seen a shift in strategy. As India begins producing AK-203 assault rifles in Uttar Pradesh in collaboration with Russia, there is growing interest in expanding defence cooperation. Paraguay may consider imports of defence and surveillance items for traditional as well as cyber threats, including Indian-manufactured small arms and police equipment. Paraguay has overcome its traumatic past marked by two wars - the War of the Triple Alliance (1864–1870) against Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay, which resulted in the loss of a large part of its territory and left the nation devastated for decades. And the other, Chaco War against Bolivia (1932–1935). Despite being landlocked, Paraguay is crisscrossed by large rivers and generates nearly all its electricity from hydroelectric sources. The Itaipu Dam, a joint operation with Brazil, supplies about 90% of Paraguay's electricity. India's capabilities in riverine and flood data management, as well as weather prediction, could be of immense value to Paraguay's hydro-focused energy sector. Given Paraguay's extensive river systems, there may also be opportunities for India and Paraguay to exchange knowledge or develop initiatives related to riverine connectivity - benefiting from each other's experience as major riverine nations. A member of the Lima Group, Paraguay is a vocal supporter of reforming the United Nations Security Council and other multilateral institutions, including global financial systems. India, with its rich civilizational heritage and growing global influence, is well-positioned to build a deep and enduring relationship with Paraguay—one that spans not just trade, but also for a defiant advocate of multipolarity. For an economist or a social scientist, society is the largest laboratory. During his visit, President Peña has already engaged with numerous leaders and heads of institutions. He showed particular interest in the Vande Bharat trains and connectivity projects, signalling plans to explore and possibly collaborate in these areas. Paraguay, a nation of around seven million people is a vast agrarian country, with approximately 40% of its territory covered in forest. It also possesses rich mineral resources, including critical minerals such as uranium and lithium which are in demand in India. Paraguay has had its share of challenges despite being a high performer in the agriculture sector. India should come forward identifying and helping to eradicate them. With its brigade of travel influencers, India must promote the nation's civilisation-based tourism and Spanish speaking youtubers bring more visitors to India. Paraguay is dire need of applied technology especially IT. Business ties between India and Paraguay could expand beyond meat and soybean exports. Major Indian automobile companies are already present in Paraguay, but there is scope for exporting superior tech-driven mobility equipment such as two-wheelers, lifts, elevators, and goods transporters. This article is authored by Ayanangsha Maitra, journalist, Center of Geoeconomics for the Global South, UAE.
NDTV
an hour ago
- NDTV
NDTV Exclusive: Who Feeds Gaza? Inside The US-Israel Aid Distribution Model
New Delhi: Nearly all of Gaza's livestock has been wiped out. Local meat production has collapsed. Food shipments remain heavily restricted. And while Israel blames the Hamas militant group for hijacking aid, many humanitarian agencies say Israel's blockade is strangling the civilian population in the besieged Palestinian enclave. Caught in the middle are Gaza's 2.3 million residents, whose access to essentials increasingly depends on how logistics, security, and politics play out in Jerusalem. Speaking exclusively with NDTV, Israeli embassy spokesperson Guy Nir gave a rundown on how aid distribution works in a region that has seen near-total devastation ever since Hamas' multi-frontal attack on Israel on October 7 in 2023. Mechanics Of Aid Delivery: Who Distributes What? At the core of the new aid structure is the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a US-backed non-profit organisation that Israel says it supports but does not control. "The people who are distributing the aid are the GHF," said Mr Nir. "The IDF - the Israeli Defence Force - is coordinating their entry and security while they're in Gaza. There are four distribution centres. GHF is an American-backed NGO. Israel is not the one distributing the aid, but we are 100 per cent facilitating and arranging the security of the GHF to do this." NDTV Exclusive | How Rs 5 Indian Biscuit Is Being Sold For Rs 2,400 In Gaza A recent Reuters report claimed violence at aid delivery sites, specifically an incident in Rafah where local health officials say Israeli fire killed at least three Palestinians near a GHF site. "Both the GHF and the IDF released statements that there was no shooting in or around the aid distribution centres. These reports are misleading," he said. "There are masked gunmen who are Hamas, who are shooting at the Gazans because Hamas doesn't want this operation to succeed. The thing is, for the first year and a half, most of the aid trucks that went into Gaza were looted. Hamas looted about 80 per cent of all trucks." According to Mr Nir, Hamas is selling the contents to civilians at inflated prices. This system, he claims, allowed Hamas to exert economic and political control over the population. "The amount of humanitarian aid that came into Gaza during the first year and a half was astronomical," Mr Nir said. "We delivered over 3,500 calories per person per day. If everybody ate everything we brought in, they would be fat. The new distribution system allows us to give the aid directly to the people, without Hamas being involved." Preventing Aid Theft: The "New" Distribution System Israel had suspended traditional UN food deliveries. Instead, an alternative was introduced on May 27 called the Secure Distribution Site 1 (SDS1) model, developed by the GHF. "We went to a new method with the GHF," Mr Nir explained This method, according to Mr Nir, involves smaller, family-sized boxes rather than bulk commodities like 100-kg rice bags, which were more vulnerable to mass looting. "We're talking about one box with, say, rice, pasta, of oil and other materials, enough food for one family for one week," Mr Nir said. "Looting these small boxes is much more difficult. We are still seeing some looting from Hamas, but maybe 5 per cent or less." He conceded that the system is "not perfect," but said it is an improvement. The Blockade And International Criticism When pressed on international criticism of Israel's blockade and its humanitarian implications, Mr Nir responded with a redirection. "The responsibility for the people of Gaza is Hamas - like the responsibility for the people of Israel is the IDF," he said. He accused Hamas of having spent 20 years diverting foreign aid to build "underground tunnels" and fund its "terror infrastructure", while neglecting education, health, and infrastructure for the civilian population. "Israel cares more about the Gaza population than Hamas," he said. "Israel is the one providing the aid, Hamas is just shooting them." On the matter of Gazan access to work inside Israel, he cited a key turning point. "Up to October 6, 20,000 Gazans had work permits and came to Israel daily. They were getting Israeli salaries, helping their families, their economy," he said. "October 7 changed all of that." Mr Nir rejected the idea that Israel should be held responsible for the economic and humanitarian toll since then. "Why should we allow terrorists to come into Israel, as we did up until October 6?" he asked, Local Partners: Safe Reach Solutions The SDS1, located in Rafah, features caged corridors forcing Palestinians into narrow queues, guarded perimeters manned by Safe Reach Solutions, a US-based private security firm, which has been accused of carrying out intelligence operations in Gaza using Israeli data. "There are four aid distributions in Gaza. The GHF comes every day with IDF security to access these locations, prepare the distribution, and then the gates are open to allow all the population to come and collect the boxes. At the end of the day, we close the centre and go back across the border to Israel." On SRS, Mr Nir offered only limited insights. "From what I understand, they are responsible for facilitating the distribution and protecting the area so that it can be done safely, and to prevent ammunition from reaching Hamas. Responding to reports that SRS is involved in intelligence operations, as suggested in some Israeli and international media, he said: "That's part of the responsibility. But from what I understand, they are not a defence force." What Happens After Hamas? According Gaza officials, at least 4,402 people have been killed since Israel resumed its offensive on March 18 after a brief ceasefire announcement. The subsequent military action has taken the war's overall death count, according to Hamas, to 54,677. "The majority of them are Hamas terrorists and operatives, and victims of Hamas' misfired rockets," said Mr Nir. "We are open to multiple solutions. We are not going to govern Gaza. We don't want to be in Gaza," he explained. "[The Palestinians] need to govern themselves, as long as it's not a terror organisation that is terrorising its own citizens and terrorising us in the process. As long as there is no threat to Israel, we are okay with that." There have been reports of Israel considering clan-based governance models, similar to what exists in some Gulf states, but Mr Nir said Israel would not interfere with internal arrangements, so long as they ensure stability and security. "They just need to find something that works and is of no harm to their neighbours," he said. Asked whether Israel would engage with a reformed Palestinian political body in Gaza, one that excludes Hamas, Mr Nir said: "Of course. We want Gaza to be independent. We want Gaza to be successful. We don't want Gaza to be a threat to Israel. We are willing to cooperate with a reasonable government on their side."
