India said it has never formally recognised the existence of the "so-called Court of Arbitration" and emphasised that its creation under the Indus Waters Treaty was a "serious breach." The Foreign Ministry said that any award or decision taken by the court is "illegal."
Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif admitted the country had to seek bailouts from multiple nations to support an International Monetary Fund programme, saying such dependence comes at a cost of self-respect.
The India–European Union trade agreement expanded mobility for Indian students and professionals. Officials said the pact secured post-study work, longer stays and clearer access to Europe.
India and Saudi Arabia held a high-level security dialogue focusing on counter-terrorism. The talks follow India's recent defence pact with the UAE amid regional security concerns.
The development comes as India has also concluded negotiations on a free trade agreement with the European Union, which includes a comprehensive mobility framework to facilitate the temporary entry and stay of Indian professionals across the 27-nation bloc.
To boost India's ongoing diplomatic engagements with Washington, External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar will travel to the United States next week. The visit comes days after the India–European Union free trade agreement was concluded.
Marking January 27 as a milestone, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India and the EU were working toward what he described as one of the largest free trade agreements in history, involving the bloc's 27 member states.
By linking one of the world's fastest-growing major economies with a bloc that remains a central pillar of global trade, the deal would reshape supply-chain flows at a time when governments are rethinking their economic dependencies.
A ferocious winter storm, unofficially dubbed Winter Storm Fern, is battering much of the United States with heavy snow, ice, sleet and extreme cold, prompting emergency declarations in at least 18 states and Washington, DC. Ice accumulations and sub-zero temperatures threaten power outages, dangerous travel, and prolonged storm impacts well into next week. Authorities have mobilised emergency response teams and resources as communities brace for widespread disruption.
A key outcome of the visit was the signing of a Letter of Intent to work towards concluding a framework agreement for a Strategic Defence Partnership between India and the UAE.
