World politics
fromThe Cipher Brief
7 hours agoWhile the U.S. Focuses on Iran, Russia and China See Strategic Gain
Russia and China are leveraging Iran's instability to undermine U.S. influence while securing their own strategic interests.
Moody's Ratings has slashed India's economic growth projections for the current fiscal to 6%, from 6.8% earlier. The credit ratings agency said the US-Israeli war against Iran and its impact on the global energy market will weigh on India's growth momentum and heighten inflation risks.
India is an essential partner of the United States, and we fully anticipate that New Delhi will ramp up purchases of US oil. This stop-gap measure will alleviate pressure caused by Iran's attempt to take global energy hostage.
The Indian National Congress (INC) unequivocally condemns the targeted assassination of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ali Hosseini Khamenei, in a military strike carried out without a formal declaration of war.
India and Finland, both, believe in the rule of law, dialogue and diplomacy. We are in agreement that no issue can be resolved through military conflict alone. Be it Ukraine or West Asia, we will continue to support the swift end of conflicts and every effort towards peace.
The deal would forge a market of two billion people and nearly a quarter of global GDP, according to the European Commission. Follow DW for more. EU and India conclude trade negotiations after nearly two decades of on-off negotiationsImage: Altaf Hussain/REUTERS Skip next section What you need to know EU and India have finalized a trade deal after nearly two decades of negotiations
After nearly two decades of negotiations, India and the European Union announced Tuesday they have reached a free trade agreement to deepen economic and strategic ties. The accord, which the EU chief described as the "mother of all deals," could affect as many as 2 billion people. The deal between two of the world's biggest markets comes as Washington targets both India and the EU with steep import tariffs, disrupting established trade flows and pushing major economies to seek alternate partnerships.
Merz said Berlin also wants a closer security partnership with New Delhi, including deeper "cooperation between our defence industries" to cut India's traditional dependence on Russia for military hardware. Merz began his two-day India visit -- his first to Asia since taking office in May -- two weeks ahead of an EU-India summit and as India and the European bloc are working on a free trade agreement.
From Mahatma Gandhi's support for Palestine to Modi's Netanyahu embrace, we trace how India's ties have evolved over the decades. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to begin his two-day visit to Israel on February 25, nine years after his first trip to the country. His 2017 trip was the first ever by an Indian prime minister to Israel.
The United States is reportedly in discussions with Russia on a range of high-stakes infrastructure and trade projects, including a nuclear-powered datacenter and a tunnel under the Bering Strait, according to The Economist. Sources close to the talks indicate that associates within the orbit of former President Donald Trump are exploring potential stakes in Russian energy assets. In addition, negotiations are reportedly ongoing over rare-earth metals, oil, and gas projects in the Arctic region.
Chinese, Russian and Iranian ships were seen moving into and out of the harbour that serves South Africa's top naval base in Simon's Town, south of Cape Town, where the Indian Ocean meets the Atlantic Ocean. It was not immediately clear if other countries from the BRICS group which also includes Brazil, India and the United Arab Emirates, among others would take part in the drills.
Putin described the foreign policy ties between the two nations as an important stabilising factor amidst growing turbulence in the world, according to a transcript released by the Kremlin on Wednesday. He said Russia and China would continue close coordination on global and regional agendas, both bilaterally and within all the multilateral frameworks, including the United Nations, the BRICS coalition of economies, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, where he said the Russian-Chinese tandem plays an essential role.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government has unveiled its annual budget, aiming for steady growth in an uncertain global economy rocked by recent tariff wars. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the budget for the 2026-2027 financial year in Parliament on Sunday, prioritising infrastructure and domestic manufacturing, with a total expenditure estimated at $583bn. India's economy has so far weathered punitive tariffs of 50 percent imposed by United States President Donald Trump over New Delhi's imports of Russian oil.