Mercosur hurdle: French objections and farm protests freeze EU trade deal; Brussels faces credibility test

France’s last-minute opposition and mounting farmer protests are threatening to derail the European Union’s long-delayed free-trade agreement with South America’s Mercosur bloc, raising fresh doubts over whether the pact can be signed this year, AP reported.Angry European farmers, fearing cheaper agricultural imports and tougher competition, have taken to the streets in Brussels just as EU…

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‘Can a dead economy grow at 8.2%?’: FM Sitharaman rebuts Trump remark in Lok Sabha; cites IMF ratings upgrade

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday cited India’s strong growth and sovereign rating upgrades to counter claims that the country was a “dead economy”, telling the Lok Sabha that such upgrades would not have been possible if the economy were weak, PTI reported.Responding to Opposition members who sought the government’s reaction to US President Donald…

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‘Trump’s tariffs pushing India away’: Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal warns US may lose trade ally to Russia and China

Indian-origin Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal criticised President Trump’s tariffs on Indian goods, saying they are raising prices for Americans and also pushing India closer to other global powers. In a post on X, Jayapal said, “Trump’s tariffs on India aren’t only raising prices for Americans — they are pushing India away as a trading ally and…

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