In the coming weeks, the US and India will work toward finalising the interim agreement on trade with a view to concluding a mutually beneficial Bilateral Trade Agreement, the White House has said. The two countries will also continue negotiations to address remaining issues, including services and investment, labour and government procurement, it said. Days after India and the US announced in a joint statement the framework for an Interim Agreement regarding reciprocal and mutually beneficial trade, the White House issued a fact sheet on 'The United States and India Announce Historic Trade Deal (Interim Agreement).' The fact sheet highlights key terms of the agreement, including that India will eliminate or reduce tariffs on all US industrial goods and a wide range of US food and agricultural products. This includes dried distillers' grains, red sorghum, tree nuts,and fresh and processed fruit. certain pulses, soybean oil, wine and spirits, and additional products and India has committed to buy more American products and purchase over USD 500 billion of US energy, information and communication technology, agricultural, coal, and other products. On the 'Prosperous Path Forward', the fact sheet said that US President Donald Trump continues to advance the interests of the American people, enhancing market access for American exporters and lowering tariff and non-tariff barriers to protect our economic and national security. "India has maintained some of the highest tariffs on the United States of any major world economy, with tariffs as high as an average of 37 per cent for agricultural goods and more than 100 per cent on certain autos. India also has a history of imposing highly protectionist non-tariff barriers that have banned and prohibited many US exports to India," the fact sheet said. "In the coming weeks, the United States and India will promptly implement this framework and work toward finalising the Interim Agreement with a view to concluding a mutually beneficial BTA to lock in benefits for American workers and businesses," it said. The announcement provides a "tangible path forward" with India that underscores the President's dedication to realising balanced, reciprocal trade with an important trading partner. Further, it added that in line with the roadmap set out in the terms of reference for the BTA, the United States and India will "continue negotiations to address the remaining tariff barriers, additional non-tariff barriers, technical barriers to trade, customs and trade facilitation, good regulatory practices, trade remedies, services and investment, intellectual property, labour, environment, government procurement, and trade-distorting or unfair practices of state-owned enterprises." It said India will address non-tariff barriers that affect bilateral trade in priority areas. The United States and India will negotiate rules of origin that ensure that the agreed benefits accrue predominantly to the United States and India. India will remove its digital services taxes and committed to negotiate a robust set of bilateral digital trade rules that address discriminatory or burdensome practices and other barriers to digital trade, including rules that prohibit the imposition of customs duties on electronic transmissions. The United States and India committed to strengthening economic security alignment to enhance supply chain resilience and innovation through complementary actions to address non-market policies of third parties as well as cooperating on inbound and outbound investment reviews and export controls, it said adding that the two countries will significantly increase bilateral trade in technology products and expand joint technology cooperation. It noted that last Friday, Trump announced the trade deal with India that will open up the country's market of over 1.4 billion people to American products. The joint statement follows a call between Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week, "in which the leaders reached a framework for an Interim Agreement on reciprocal trade and reaffirmed their commitment to broader US-India Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) negotiations." It noted that Trump agreed to remove the additional 25% tariff on imports from India in "recognition of India's commitment to stop purchasing" Russian oil. Accordingly, the President signed an Executive Order last Friday removing that additional 25 per cent tariff. "Given India's willingness to align with the United States to confront systemic imbalances in the bilateral trade relationship and shared national security challenges, the United States will lower the Reciprocal Tariff on India from 25 per cent to 18 per cent. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. 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10 February,2026 06:21 PM IST | New York | PTIPresident Donald Trump on Monday threatened to prevent the opening of a new bridge between the United States (US) and Canada, escalating tensions with a country he has previously suggested should become the 51st state of the country, news agency AFP reported. Trump said the US should control “at least half” of the Gordie Howe International Bridge, which is still under construction and will connect Ontario with the US state of Michigan. Construction on the US 4.7-billion bridge—named after the late Canadian-born National Hockey League legend Gordie Howe—began in 2018 and is scheduled to open later this year. “I will not allow this bridge to open until the United States is fully compensated for everything we have given them, and also, importantly, Canada treats the United States with the Fairness and Respect that we deserve. We will start negotiations, IMMEDIATELY,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. The 79-year-old Republican argued that Canada owns both sides of the bridge and used “virtually” no US-made products in its construction, AFP reported. However, a factsheet from the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority states that the bridge was fully financed by Canada and will be jointly owned by the Canadian government and the state of Michigan. Trade tensions deepen as Trump attacks Carney over China ties Trump also criticised Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, saying, “And now, on top of everything else, Prime Minister (Mark) Carney wants to make a deal with China — which will eat Canada alive. We’ll just get the leftovers! I don’t think so.” Washington has threatened to impose 100 percent tariffs on Canada following Carney’s visit to Beijing last month, where he finalised a preliminary trade agreement with China. Trump meanwhile repeated the outlandish claim that Beijing would “terminate ALL Ice Hockey being played in Canada”, AFP reported. Since returning to office in January 2025, Trump has repeatedly clashed with Canada over trade. He previously called for the US to annex Canada, though he has largely stopped making that claim in recent months. Carney, for his part, warned at last month’s Davos forum that the US-led global system of governance is experiencing “a rupture,” a thinly veiled reference to Trump’s disruptive approach, and urged mid-level powers to work more closely together.
10 February,2026 04:20 PM IST | Washington | mid-day online correspondentScientists from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) have developed a new spray that can instantly stop severe bleeding. The spray reacts with blood to turn it into a soft, rubbery gel in less than a second. This not only physically seals the wound but also helps accelerate the natural clotting process. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
10 February,2026 03:47 PM IST | Seoul | AgenciesFrench luxury group Kering reported Tuesday that its net profit sank in 2025, weighed down by its flagship brand Gucci. "The Group's 2025 performance does not reflect its true potential," said Kering CEO Luca de Meo in a statement, adding that the company will present a restructuring plan in April. Sales dropped by 13 percent while net profit plunged by 93.6 percent, it said. Kering announced in June that it had poached de Meo, then the head of French automaker Renault, to become chief executive and help turn around the company alongside Francois-Henri Pinault, who will remain board chairman. "On April 16, at our Capital Markets Day, we will present a clear roadmap to revive growth, with precisely defined brand strategies, a more efficient organisation and rigorous financial discipline," de Meo said. Kering has struggled to turn things around at Gucci, the Italian fashion house famous for its handbags, and in March it wooed the Georgian designer Demna to take over as artistic director. In 2025, sales of the Gucci brand alone are projected to fall by 22 percent to six billion euros ($7 billion), but Kering said the brand had seen improvement over the last quarters of the year. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.
10 February,2026 02:54 PM IST | Parice (France) | AFPA top Iranian security official will travel Tuesday to Oman, the Mideast sultanate now mediating talks between Tehran and the United States over the Islamic Republic' nuclear program aimed at halting a possible American strike. Ali Larijani, a former Iranian Parliament speaker who now serves as the secretary to the country's Supreme National Security Council, likely will carry his country's response to the initial round of indirect talks held last week in Muscat with the Americans. Larijani is due to meet with Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi, the chief intermediary in the talks, and Oman's Sultan Haitham bin Tariq, the state-run IRNA news agency reported. IRNA described the talks as "important," without elaborating on what message Larijani will carry. Iran and the U.S. held new nuclear talks last week in Oman. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, speaking Sunday to diplomats at a summit in Tehran, signaled that Iran would stick to its position that it must be able to enrich uranium - a major point of contention with U.S. President Donald Trump, who bombed Iranian atomic sites in June during the 12-day Iran-Israel war. That war disrupted earlier rounds of nuclear talks between Washington and Tehran. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is to travel to Washington this week, with Iran expected to be the major subject of discussion, his office said. The US has moved the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, ships and warplanes to the Middle East to pressure Iran into an agreement and have the firepower necessary to strike the Islamic Republic should Trump choose to do so. Already, US forces shot down a drone they said got too close to the Lincoln and came to the aid of a US-flagged ship that Iranian forces tried to stop in the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf. The US Transportation Department's Maritime Administration issued a new warning Monday to American vessels in the strait to "remain as far as possible from Iran's territorial sea without compromising navigational safety". The strait, through which a fifth of all oil traded passes, is in Iranian and Omani territorial waters. Those traveling into the Persian Gulf must pass through Iranian waters. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
10 February,2026 11:39 AM IST | Dubai | APBangladesh has secured a reduced 19 per cent tariff under a trade agreement with the United States that would exempt some textiles and garments manufactured with US materials, interim government chief Muhammad Yunus said. In an X post on Monday, he said Washington had "committed to establishing a mechanism for certain textile and apparel goods from Bangladesh using US-produced cotton and man-made fibre to receive zero reciprocal tariff in (the) US market". Yunus, known for his pro-US stance, said the deal was reached after nine months of negotiations since April last year. Meanwhile, the US Treasury Department or any office of the Trump administration made no immediate comment on the development. According to Commerce Secretary Mahbubur Rahman, Bangladesh's key export-earning ready-made garments (RMG) made from cotton and synthetic fibres imported from the US would enjoy zero reciprocal duty under the deal. He said the agreement was signed in Washington by Commerce Adviser Sheikh Bashir Uddin and US Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer. Commerce ministry officials said apart from cotton, the deal includes provisions for importing US wheat, soybean, and LNG, refraining from imposing tariffs on e-commerce, complying with US-mandated intellectual property rights standards, and supporting US proposals for reforming the World Trade Organisation (WTO). Bangladesh recently agreed to purchase 25 aircraft from US aerospace giant Boeing, with an estimated cost of Tk 30,000-35,000 crore as part of broader efforts to ease the US tariffs. According to Bangladesh's Export Promotion Bureau (EPB), the US remains Bangladesh's largest export market. The South Asian nation in August last year secured a reduction in US tariffs on its exports to 20 per cent, down from 37 per cent initially proposed by Washington. Bangladeshi policymakers earlier said they expected the tariff could be brought down to 15 per cent. Business analysts, however, said the deal offered much-needed relief to Bangladesh's apparel exporters as the RMG sector accounts for more than 80 per cent of its export earnings and employs some 4 million workers, mostly women, and contributes about 10 per cent to gross domestic product (GDP). The US earlier this month announced to lower tariffs to 18 per cent from 50 per cent for India, seeking New Delhi to halt Russian oil purchases and lower trade barriers. The commerce secretary said the recently concluded US-India trade deal might have influenced Washington's decision to cut the tariff "possibly due to geopolitical considerations". Bangladesh's closest competitor, Vietnam, received a 20 per cent reciprocal tariff, while Pakistan, Cambodia and Indonesia have also been subjected to a 19 per cent tariff. The development comes as Bangladesh heads for the February 12 general election to choose new leadership and bring an end to the 18-month Yunus-led interim regime, which took charge after the fall of Sheikh Hasina's Awami League government following a violent student-led street campaign dubbed the July Uprising. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
10 February,2026 11:37 AM IST | Dhaka | PTIRebels backed by the Islamic State group killed at least 20 people in an attack over the weekend on a village in eastern Congo, the military said Monday. The attack by the Allied Democratic Forces, or ADF, took place early Saturday in the village of Mambimbi-Isigo in the Lubero territory of North Kivu province, military administrator Col. Alain Kiwewa Mitela told The Associated Press over the phone. There was no immediate comment from the ADF. The attack has caused a mass displacement of residents, aggravating an already dire humanitarian situation, Mitela said. According to civil society activists in the area, the rebels first raided several farmers' fields before attacking civilians with knives and firearms. "This toll is still provisional because many civilians are missing," Kinos Kitwa, head of civil society in Bapere, said. He criticised the small number of Congolese army troops in the area. Armed groups, including the ADF and Rwanda-backed M23 rebels, have carried out several deadly attacks in eastern Congo. The ADF, which pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group in 2019, operates along the border with Uganda and often targets civilians. At least 62 civilians have been killed since the beginning of the year by ADF fighters in the Beni and Lubero territories, according to the North Kivu Provincial Civil Society Coordination. On Monday, UN peacekeeping chief Jean-Pierre Lacroix began a two-day official visit to eastern Congo, including Beni, which has been particularly affected by ADF attacks. The ADF was formed by disparate small groups in Uganda in the late 1990s following discontent with President Yoweri Museveni. In 2002, following Ugandan military strikes, the group moved to neighbouring Congo and has been blamed for the killings of thousands of civilians. In July 2025, the group carried out a series of attacks that killed more than 100 people. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
10 February,2026 11:10 AM IST | Kinshasa | APChildren accompanying their parents to a polling station in Portugal’s presidential election Sunday got to try their hand at casting a vote. Fictional characters popular with children, such as Super Mario and Roblox, were on their ballot paper, not the two politicians. Parents hope the exercise would teach them about democracy. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
10 February,2026 09:56 AM IST | Lisbon | AgenciesBritish Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s position hung by a thread on Monday as he tried to persuade his Labour Party’s lawmakers not to kick him out of his job after just a year and a half in office. Starmer lost his chief of staff on Sunday and is rapidly shedding support from Labour legislators after revelations about the relationship between former British ambassador to Washington Peter Mandelson and the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Starmer is due to address Labour lawmakers behind closed doors later Monday in an attempt to rebuild some of his shattered authority. The political storm stems from Starmer’s decision in 2024 to appoint Mandelson to Britain’s most important diplomatic post, despite knowing he had ties to Epstein. Starmer fired Mandelson in September after emails were published showing that he maintained a friendship with Epstein after the late financier’s 2008 conviction for sex offences involving a minor. A new trove of Epstein files released in the US has brought more details about the relationship and new pressure on Starmer, who apologised last week for “believing Mandelson’s lies”. He promised to release documentation related to Mandelson, which the government says will show that Mandelson misled officials about his ties to Epstein. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
10 February,2026 09:43 AM IST | London | AgenciesJapan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) won a two-thirds majority in the House of Representatives in Sunday's general election, handing Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi a decisive mandate to advance her conservative policy agenda, Kyodo News reported. Crossing the two-thirds threshold of 310 seats in the 465-member lower house allows the LDP to pursue constitutional revision and pass legislation even if it is rejected by the upper House of Councillors, where the ruling coalition remains in a minority. The LDP is the first party in postwar Japan to achieve such a margin, according to Kyodo News. The landslide result marks a sharp increase from the party's pre-election strength of 198 seats and was widely attributed to Takaichi's personal popularity. The LDP and its coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party (JIP), will together command a dominant presence in the chamber, reinforcing Takaichi's position after she took office in October. "We bear an extremely heavy responsibility to focus on steadily delivering on the campaign pledges we have made," Takaichi said during a television program after the victory was reported, Kyodo News said. She also signalled she would largely maintain the current Cabinet lineup, which has enjoyed relatively strong public approval since its launch less than four months ago. The election delivered a major setback to the newly formed Centrist Reform Alliance, whose seats were halved from 167 before the vote. Its co-leaders, Yoshihiko Noda and Tetsuo Saito, hinted at possible resignations following the defeat, Kyodo News reported. Amid prolonged inflation and a deteriorating international security environment, Takaichi has pledged to pursue what she calls a "responsible yet aggressive" fiscal policy while strengthening Japan's defence capabilities. She also urged the JIP, known as Nippon Ishin, to share responsibility within the coalition, even as the party opted not to take Cabinet posts. The JIP added one seat to reach 35, though it struggled to match its senior partner's momentum. "It was an election in which we felt pressure from the LDP," JIP leader Hirofumi Yoshimura told a news conference in Osaka, according to Kyodo News. Among smaller parties, the populist Sanseito, campaigning on a "Japanese First" platform, won 13 seats, up from two, while Team Mirai, which promotes digital technology to boost political participation, entered the lower house for the first time with nine seats, Kyodo News said. Nearly 1,300 candidates contested the election, with 289 seats decided in single-member districts and 176 through proportional representation across 11 regional blocs. Early voting surged to a record 27.02 million ballots, about six million more than in the 2024 election. Voter turnout was estimated at 56.23 per cent, up around two percentage points from the previous race, according to Kyodo's early figures. Japan held a February general election for the first time in 36 years, a decision by Takaichi that drew criticism as heavy snowfall in many areas hampered campaigning and voting. With households under pressure from rising living costs, major parties campaigned on cutting tax burdens. The ruling bloc also sought support for boosting defense spending amid a worsening security environment. Takaichi said her government would accelerate discussions on a two-year suspension of the 8 per cent consumption tax on food, one of the LDP's key campaign pledges, Kyodo News reported. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
09 February,2026 10:20 AM IST | Tokyo | ANIIndia and Malaysia on Sunday vowed to expand their ties in the high-priority sectors of trade and investment, defence, energy, advanced manufacturin, and semiconductors with Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserting that both sides are committed to peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific. The two sides inked a total of 11 agreements and documents to expand cooperation in a range of key areas, including a framework pact for deeper engagement in the semiconductor sector. “We will pave the way for economic transformation through strategic trust,” Modi said, describing the India-Malaysia relationship as “special”. “We are maritime neighbours. For centuries, our peoples have had deep and cordial ties,” he said in his media statement. Modi also announced India’s decision to establish an Indian Consulate General in Malaysia. In his remarks, Ibrahim noted India’s economic growth and said his country would benefit immensely if it could secure more ways and opportunities to collaborate with New Delhi. “It [India’s economic growth] is one spectacular rise in the international eco and trade scene,” he said, describing use local currencies for bilateral trade as “remarkable”. Modi leaves after two-day visit PM Modi on Sunday left for home after concluding a two-day visit to Malaysia. “A memorable visit concludes! After a successful visit to Malaysia, marked by special warmth and hospitality and anchored in our close cultural bonds, PM @narendramodi has departed for India. The visit produced significant outcomes that will add substantial strength to India-Malaysia ties,” MEA said. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
09 February,2026 10:09 AM IST | Kuala Lumpur | AgenciesADVERTISEMENT
-1770713253193_d.png "Luca de Meo. Pics/X @KeringGroup")
