The US and India are close to sealing a trade deal, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, as the two sides work to wrap up months of negotiations. Speaking to reporters in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, during a diplomatic tour of Central Asia, Rubio stated that Washington and New Delhi are actively working to resolve the
Hundreds of thousands of people marched across France on Saturday, 17 October, in demonstrations that began peacefully but were marred in several cities by arson, looting and clashes with police. The interior ministry put turnout at about 550,000, including around 110,000 in Paris, while the CGT union claimed 800,000. The unrest was severe. A tourist
Top Pentagon officials plan to delay an internal report on the bombing of a school in southern Iran until after the US midterm elections at the earliest, Bloomberg reported, according to the Democracy Now headlines of 16 October. The attack killed at least 156 people, including 120 children. I could only confirm this through that
India is among the economies that joined a US-led statement on 7 October committing to tackle excess industrial capacity, a move aimed largely at China. The Office of the US Trade Representative said 14 economies reached the agreement, with the European Union also supporting it. Countries named in reports include Argentina, Australia, Canada, France, Germany,
Young protesters have taken to the streets of New Delhi to demand the resignation of Election Commission chief Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in a large-scale revision of India’s voter lists. On 3 October, the second straight day of demonstrations, police detained protesters near Jantar Mantar, the designated protest site, which was sealed off. AFP
Student-led protests demanding the Albanian government’s resignation turned violent in the capital, Tirana, for a third consecutive day this week, and parliament cancelled a scheduled session. Protesters are objecting to the planned sale of part of the country’s southern coastline to a luxury resort development backed by Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of US President Donald
Yemen’s Houthi movement struck the presidential palace complex in the southern city of Aden on Thursday, 15 October, killing five people and wounding 16, according to the country’s health minister. The prime minister and cabinet members were unharmed. The Houthis said they had bombed a “Saudi military operations headquarters”, a claim Reuters could not verify.
While India’s talks with Washington drag on, its trade agreement with the European Union is moving through the final stages of approval. The two sides concluded negotiations on 27 January 2026 after more than two decades of on-and-off talks. Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal has described the agreement as balanced and fair. It would cover a
Indian equities closed higher for a second straight session on Friday, 16 October, led by technology stocks and helped by softer crude oil prices and a firmer rupee. The Sensex gained 413.70 points, or 0.56 percent, to finish at 74,729.27. The Nifty 50 rose 148.80 points, or 0.65 percent, to 23,146.15, moving back above the
Brazil’s presidential election is heading to a second round after neither candidate won an outright majority on 4 October. Right-wing Senator Flavio Bolsonaro finished first with about 47.5 percent of valid votes, ahead of leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on roughly 44.7 percent, with just over 97 percent of ballots counted. The two
