Trump envoys to visit Pakistan for Iran talks as cautious progress reported
Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and senior adviser Jared Kushner will travel to Islamabad on Saturday for Pakistan-mediated talks ...
U.S. President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening economic and security partnerships during a high-level meeting at the White House.
Modi set an ambitious target to double bilateral trade between the two nations to $500 billion by 2030, while Trump emphasized his goal of reducing the U.S. trade deficit with India. The agreements come in the wake of Trump's recently unveiled reciprocal tariff roadmap, which imposes duties on nations that place tariffs on U.S. imports.
Speaking at the meeting, Trump highlighted the $100 billion U.S. trade deficit with India and announced the commencement of negotiations to address long-standing trade disparities.
“Today, the U.S. trade deficit with India is almost $100 billion, and Prime Minister Modi and I have agreed that we’ll begin negotiations to address the long-running disparities… We can make up the difference very easily with the sale of oil and gas,” Trump stated.
As part of the discussions, the U.S. will expand its energy exports to India, positioning itself as a key supplier of liquefied natural gas and nuclear technology.
In a significant move to bolster defense ties, Trump confirmed that the U.S. will increase military sales to India beginning in 2025. As part of the deal, India will receive F-35 fighter jets, a decision widely viewed as a strategic counterbalance to China’s expanding military influence in the region. Security concerns also took center stage, particularly in the realm of counterterrorism. Trump announced the approval of an extradition request for a suspect linked to the 2008 Mumbai attacks.
“Today, I’m pleased to announce that my administration has approved the extradition of one of the plotters of the horrific 2008 Mumbai terrorist attack to face justice in India,” Trump said.
Echoing Trump’s sentiments, Modi emphasized India's dedication to the fight against terrorism.
“We stand strongly together in the fight against terrorism… That criminal is now going to be handed over to India, and appropriate action will be taken,” Modi affirmed.
Beyond trade and security, the discussions extended to tariffs, energy exports, and strategic collaboration in the Indo-Pacific region. Trump reiterated India's role as a key buyer of U.S. energy resources.
“The Prime Minister and I reached an important agreement on energy that will restore the United States as a leading supplier of oil and gas to India,” he stated.
With negotiations set to commence on a formal trade deal, both nations are poised to strengthen their economic and security partnership, with defense and energy agreements slated to take effect in the coming years.
The U.S. military has intercepted at least three Iranian-flagged tankers in Asian waters and is redirecting them away from their positions near India, Malaysia and Sri Lanka, shipping and security sources said on Wednesday, exclusively to Reuters.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards targeted three vessels, seizing two of them for alleged maritime violations and transferring them to Iranian shores, as U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington is extending its ceasefire with Iran until Tehran submits a proposal.
Two local trains collided head-on north of Copenhagen on Thursday (23 April), injuring 17 people, five of them critically, according to emergency services.
The U.S. military is redirecting at least three Iranian-flagged tankers after intercepting them in Asian waters near India, Malaysia and Sri Lanka, shipping and security sources said on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Tehran said U.S. breaches, blockades and threats are undermining “genuine negotiations.”
The European Union is preparing its 20th round of sanctions against Russia over the war in Ukraine. The measures are close to being approved, after earlier delays linked to energy concerns in Slovakia and Hungary eased following repairs to the Druzhba oil pipeline.
China has urged the European Union to take its concerns seriously over new cybersecurity and digital regulations, warning they could create difficulties for Chinese companies operating in Europe.
Russia and Ukraine have swapped prisoners of war, according to officials on both sides. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said 193 prisoners, including soldiers and border guards, had been returned from Russia, some injured and facing criminal charges.
Türkiye and the United Kingdom on Thursday signed a wide-ranging strategic partnership agreement to boost bilateral cooperation, especially in defence. The deal, signed in London, signals a “new era” in relations between the two NATO allies.
The U.S. and the European Union are set to sign a memorandum of understanding on Friday to establish a partnership on the procurement and production of critical minerals, the U.S. State Department confirmed late on Thursday.
Russian emergency services have contained a major fire at the Tuapse oil refinery on the Black Sea coast, local officials said on Thursday, ending a four-day effort after a Ukrainian drone strike.
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