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Prime Minister Modi called it a productive conversation, a day after India's foreign minister said the two sides had reached broad understanding on a trade pact File Photo: @BohuslavskaKate on X Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to POTUS Donald Trump by telephone on Wednesday. The two leaders reviewed cooperation across trade, defence, energy and critical technologies, the Indian prime minister said. "Had a productive conversation with President Trump," Modi wrote on X. "We reviewed our bilateral cooperation in trade, defence, energy, critical technologies and other areas. We agreed to maintain close engagement to take our Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership forward." The two leaders also exchanged views on regional and international issues, he said, including efforts to advance global peace and security. The White House had not published its own account of the call at the time of writing. The conversation comes a day after India's externa...

United States President Donald Trump on Friday lashed out at the US Supreme Court after it ruled 6–3 that he exceeded his authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) by imposing sweeping tariffs, calling the decision “a disgrace” and announcing plans to pursue alternative legal routes to expand import duties. File Photo of POTUS Trump; Via: The Kobeissi Times In two posts on his Truth Social account, Trump said the Court had wrongly concluded that he could not “charge even $1 DOLLAR to any Country under IEEPA,” while allowing him to “cut off any and all Trade or Business” and impose embargoes.  He argued that the ruling effectively confirmed his authority to regulate trade and impose tariffs under other statutes, citing Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s dissent, which noted that “numerous other federal statutes authorize the President to impose tariffs and might justify most (if not all) of the tariffs issued in this case,” including Section 232 of the Trade Exp...

The US Supreme Court on Friday struck down President Donald Trump’s sweeping global tariffs , ruling in a 6–3 decision that he exceeded his legal authority by invoking emergency powers to impose broad import levies without clear congressional approval.  Chief Justice John Roberts, writing for the majority , said the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) does not grant the president unlimited authority to set tariffs, delivering a major setback to Trump’s second-term trade and foreign policy agenda. Representational Image of POTUS; Via: RepsAgainstTrump on X “The president asserts the extraordinary power to unilaterally impose tariffs of unlimited amount, duration, and scope,” Roberts wrote.  “In light of the breadth, history, and constitutional context of that asserted authority, he must identify clear congressional authorization to exercise it.” The court concluded that the emergency authority relied upon by the administration “falls short,” adding that “The U...

India’s Parliament saw a fresh political clash on Wednesday, February 11, after Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi used the Lok Sabha debate on the Union Budget 2026–27 to attack the India–US interim trade deal and allege that it compromises India’s interests on data, energy security and farming. This prompted the government to accuse him of making unsubstantiated claims and to signal action to remove or expunge parts of his remarks from the House record. Image Source: Who_Care on X Speaking during the Budget discussion, Rahul Gandhi argued that India is entering an era of heightened geopolitical conflict and “energy and financial weaponisation,” and said the country’s core strengths—its people, the data they generate, food supply and energy—must be protected.  He alleged that the interim deal represented a “wholesale surrender,” claiming it involved “free data flow” to the United States, no data localisation, limits on digital taxation, and no requirement for source code disclo...

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi used his reply to the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday to mount a broad political attack on the Congress, the Nehru-Gandhi family and other opposition parties, as opposition members raised slogans and later walked out. Representational Image of PM NaMo; via:NationPress This ultimately turned the Budget Session’s escalating confrontation into a sharper exchange over parliamentary conduct, identity politics and competing claims of national interest. In a nearly 100-minute speech delivered amid sloganeering, Modi accused the Congress leadership of habitual wrongdoing and made a pointed reference to Mahatma Gandhi’s surname, saying, “For some people, stealing is a family profession. What’s shocking is that those habitual thieves have also stolen surname of a Gujarati, Mahatma Gandhi.”  He followed with a separate jibe framed around “startup culture,” claiming the Congress “never promoted start...

India’s Parliament remained paralysed on Tuesday as Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi escalated his attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi , alleging that the recently announced India–United States trade agreement was concluded under “immense pressure” and linking the deal to what he described as two external “pressure points” involving industrialist Gautam Adani and the release of material connected to Jeffrey Epstein . Representational Image Source: LoP RaGa Speaking to reporters outside Parliament after repeated adjournments of the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi said the Prime Minister had been “compromised” and accused him of “selling the country” through the trade agreement that reduced U.S. tariffs on Indian exports to 18% from 25% . Rahul Gandhi said the agreement, which had been stalled for several months, was suddenly finalised because of pressure that could damage the Prime Minister’s image.  “There is extreme pressure on him. Narendra M...

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Monday that the United States and India had finalised a trade deal that lowers U.S. reciprocal tariffs on Indian goods to 18%, linking the agreement to India’s future energy purchases and its role in global efforts to end the war in Ukraine, following a telephone conversation with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi . POTUS Trump with PM Modi, file photo; Via US Ambassador to India Announcing the agreement on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump said it was “an Honor to speak with Prime Minister Modi, of India, this morning,” describing Modi as “one of my greatest friends and, a Powerful and Respected Leader of his Country.”  Trump said the two leaders discussed trade and “ending the War with Russia and Ukraine,” adding that Modi had “agreed to stop buying Russian Oil , and to buy much more from the United States and, potentially, Venezuela.” Trump said this shift “will help END THE WAR in Ukraine, which is taking place right now, ...

Sergio Gor formally assumed office as the United States Ambassador to India on Monday, pledging to deepen the strategic partnership between Washington and New Delhi while strongly hinting at a potential visit by President Donald Trump in the near future. Speaking after taking charge, Gor struck a tone of personal diplomacy and strategic intent. He described Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Trump as “real friends,” noting that the bilateral relationship is rooted in mutual respect and sustained by direct ties at the highest political level.  Image Source: USAmbassadorIndia Gor’s remarks included repeated references to his proximity with Trump, whom he has accompanied across the world, and underlined the former president’s continued interest in India. “I spoke with President Trump just yesterday,” Gor said, “and I bring his warm wishes to all the people of India, especially his dear friend, the incredible Prime Minister Modi.”  He also suggested a visit by Trump could ...

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on May 30 that a Pakistani delegation is expected to arrive in Washington next week to explore a potential agreement on tariffs. However, he made it clear that any trade engagement would be off the table if Pakistan and India were to resume hostilities. Speaking to reporters, Trump stated, “Representatives from Pakistan are coming to the United States next week to discuss a tariff deal.” He added, “But I have no interest in making a deal with countries that are at war with each other.” The remarks come after India and Pakistan engaged in four days of intense military conflict earlier this month, involving the use of fighter jets, drones, artillery, and missile strikes—their most serious clashes in decades. Trump reiterated that stability in the region is a prerequisite for continued trade and diplomatic engagement. His comments reflect growing international concern over the escalation between the two nuclear-armed neighbors and underline Washing...

Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met with U.S. Under Secretary for Industry and Security Jeffrey Kessler in Washington on Tuesday. The engagement focused on fortifying India–US ties in critical and emerging technologies , with both sides affirming the importance of convening the next India–US Strategic Trade Dialogue at the earliest. Image Source: MEA/FM on X According to a statement by the Embassy of India in Washington, the meeting is part of Misri’s broader three-day official visit to the United States from May 27–29 , aimed at advancing diplomatic and technological dialogue following the momentum of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s February 2025 visit to the U.S. “Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met Under Secretary Jeffrey Kessler to advance India-US cooperation in critical and emerging technologies. They also discussed early convening of the India-US Strategic Trade Dialogue to deepen tech and trade collaboration.” — Embassy of India in Washington The upcoming Ind...

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri  will arrive in Washington on a three-day official visit. His meetings with top officials from the US administration are expected to further operationalize the outcomes of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s high-profile February 2025 summit with President Donald Trump . Image Source: IndianDiplomats on X The centerpiece of that bilateral exchange was the formal launch of India-US COMPACT — Catalysing Opportunities for Military Partnership, Accelerated Commerce & Technology — a comprehensive framework that seeks to expand defense, digital innovation, and economic cooperation into the next decade. Misri’s visit coincides with a parallel public diplomacy campaign being executed by India’s all-party parliamentary delegation led by Dr. Shashi Tharoor . Tharoor, a seasoned former UN diplomat, has drawn sharp parallels between India’s domestic terror tragedies and global threats, using symbolic venues like the 9/11 Memorial in New York to drive India’s m...