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India-Canada trade deal gets a second wind as diplomatic ties improve
Shreya Nandi Delhi
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After an acrimonious fallout late last year, India and Canada are tentatively trying to reset diplomatic relations, following the establishment of a new government in the north American nation, with the resumption of talks for an interim trade agreement.
The new push comes after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Canadian counterpart Mike Carney met on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Alberta, where they also agreed to restart senior ministerial as well as working-level engagements across various domains to 'rebuild trust' and 'bring momentum' to the relationship. Both leaders have also decided to designate new high commissioners
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Hindustan Times
15 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Trump says US could reach trade deal with India, casts doubt on deal with Japan
By Andrea Shalal and David Lawder Trump says US could reach trade deal with India, casts doubt on deal with Japan WASHINGTON -The United States could reach a trade deal with India that would help American companies compete in the South Asian country and leave it facing far lower tariffs, President Donald Trump said on Tuesday, while casting doubt on a possible deal with Japan. Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that he believed India was ready to lower barriers for U.S. companies, which could pave the way for an agreement staving off the 26% rate he announced on April 2, before pausing it until July 9. "Right now, India doesn't accept anybody in. I think India is going to do that, if they do that, we're going to have a deal for less, much less tariffs," he said. Earlier, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox News that the U.S. and India are nearing a deal that would lower tariffs on American imports to the South Asian country and help India avoid levies from rising sharply next week. "We are very close with India," Bessent told Fox News in response to a question about progress on trade negotiations. Indian officials extended a visit to Washington last week through Monday to try to reach agreement on a trade deal with President Donald Trump's administration and address lingering concerns on both sides, Indian government sources told Reuters. A White House official familiar with the talks said the Trump administration plans to prioritize securing trade deals with countries including India ahead of Japan in the days leading up to the July 9 deadline. India is one of more than a dozen countries actively negotiating with the Trump administration to try to avoid a steep spike in tariff rates on July 9, when a 90-day tariff pause ends. India could see its new "reciprocal" tariff rate rise to 27% from the current 10%. The U.S.-India talks have hit roadblocks over disagreements on import duties for auto components, steel, and farm goods, ahead of Trump's deadline to impose reciprocal tariffs. "We are in the middle hopefully more than the middle of a very intricate trade negotiation," Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar told an event in New York on Monday. "Obviously, my hope would be that we bring it to a successful conclusion. I cannot guarantee it, because there's another party to that discussion," said Jaishankar, who is in the U.S. for a meeting of the China-focused Quad grouping. He added that there "will have to be give and take" and the two sides will have to find middle ground. TRUMP SUGGESTS HIGHER TARIFF FOR JAN Bessent told Fox News that different countries have different agendas for trade deals, including Japan, which Trump complained about on Monday and again on Tuesday. Trump said he was not thinking of extending the July 9 deadline and would simply send letters notifying countries of the tariff rate they would face. "We've dealt with Japan. I'm not sure we're going to make a deal. I doubt it," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One as he returned to Washington from a trip to Florida. Trump suggested he could impose a tariff of 30% or 35% on imports from Japan - well above the 24% tariff rate he announced on April 2 and then paused until July 9. He said Japan was refusing to accept U.S.-grown rice, a demand made by Washington that he described as "an easy one," while selling millions of cars in the United States. "So what I'm going to do, is I'll write them a letter saying we thank you very much, and we know you can't do the kind of things that we need, and therefore you pay a 30%, 35% or whatever the numbers that we determine," he said. So far, only Britain has negotiated a limited trade deal with the Trump administration, accepting a 10% U.S. tariff on many goods, including autos, in exchange for special access for aircraft engines and British beef. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Hans India
36 minutes ago
- Hans India
Telangana's blanket ban is turbo-charging the offshore online sports betting and casino economy, kills domestic gaming industry: finds PRAHAR consumer survey
A new report from Delhi-based civil society group PRAHAR (Public Response Against Helplessness and Action for Redressal) has uncovered the persistent rise of offshore online sports betting and casino platforms in Telangana despite a sweeping state-wide ban on all kinds of online real-money platforms. The study reveals how sports betting and casino operators—most of them foreign offshore entities—continue to engage users directly through aggressive digital marketing, celebrity endorsements, and encrypted platforms, circumventing enforcement and raising critical threats to digital sovereignty and public safety. The study titled Click. Bet. Repeat: Consumer Survey on Forces Driving Online Betting and Gambling in Telangana, is based on a comprehensive field study of 2,671 respondents who indulge in real money gaming . It uncovers how foreign betting operators target Indian users through online ads, YouTube videos, Telegram groups, and meme pages, often using local influencers to add legitimacy. Explains Mr. Abhay Raj Mishra, President & National Convenor of PRAHAR: 'Telangana led the way in 2017 with a blanket ban on all online real-money plays—skill or chance—without even drawing a line between legal and illegal play. What was hailed as a bold move has, in reality, created the perfect storm for offshore sports betting and casino to thrive unchecked.' 'Eight years on, the evidence is undeniable: the ban has failed. Instead of protecting citizens, it has driven domestic operators out and handed the market on a silver platter to offshore betting syndicates. This has left users more vulnerable than ever. The newly formed SIT has its work cut out—but let's be clear: more bans and crackdowns won't solve what is now a deep-rooted menace undermining national security.', he adds Calling out strong recommendations, Mr. Mishra said 'Telangana has a rare second chance. The first, cautious step was a blanket ban; the wiser next step is bold, inclusive policy. Citizens have already moved on—real-money gaming isn't vanishing, it's evolving. The ask isn't to rubber-stamp vice, but to stay ahead of its risks by providing clean avenues for people to play real money games of skill, instead of sports betting and casino. Lead with foresight, not fear, and turn a growing reality into a safer, transparent system that works for everyone.' KEY FINDINGS Illegal, but popular, making national security a casualty 96% of users know real money gaming in Telangana is banned, yet participate in sports betting and casino, with 87% playing daily. This has pushed domestic online platforms away from Telangana, paving way for more sinister activities, with a significant national security risk. Who's Playing — a young, mostly male, broadly educated crowd Nearly two-thirds of users are under 30 (45 % are 18-25 and 17 % are 26-30), and men outnumber women four to one (78 % vs 22 %), yet at 22% women participation is significant. Education is mixed: while 42 % stopped after school, 50% hold a college degree. Students (35 %) and salaried professionals and self-employed (52 %) dominate the occupation split, and the activity cuts across income levels even though 60 % come from households earning under ₹30 000 a month. Getting In and Paying Up — offshore apps, easy work-arounds, anonymous wallets Stake, colour-prediction apps, 1xBet, 1win and Teen Patti are the five most-tried platforms (each 47–70 %). Access is effortless for 89 % of players, with 69 % relying on VPNs to hide their real identity and another 20 % using Telegram links to dodge geo-blocks, and also because they are provided with VPN links in these Telegram groups. Almost everyone plays incognito: 94 % skip real-name KYC, and 86 % fund accounts via UPI transfers routed through friends or agents, indicating existence of mule accounts, far ahead of wallets (14 %), cash (8 %) and cards (6 %). Usage Intensity — daily play, modest tickets for most Engagement is extreme: 87 % log in every day. Seven in ten spend ₹500–₹2 000 a month and 73 % keep wagers below 1 % of household income, yet 12 % already risk 5 % or more, signalling an at-risk minority. Wins, Losses and the 'I'm Ahead' Illusion Losses are almost universal (99 %), but so are wins (99 %). Four-fifths have lost between ₹1 000 and ₹10 000, while 71 % have won in the same band; about one in five have crossed the ₹10 000 mark on winnings and 5 % on losses. The near balance feeds the belief—held by 83 %—that they are net positive overall. Mindset & Motivations — chasing quick cash and social proof A spectacular 97 % play for the chance of quick money, 61 % cite entertainment, and half mention social acceptance. Tales of huge payouts lure 87 % into their first game and remain the chief reason (86 %) that grim media stories of debt or suicide do not scare them off. Players also underestimate danger: 64 % think fewer than 1 % of gamblers get into serious trouble. Consumer Sentiment — ban rejected, legalizing welcomed Almost everyone (96 %) knows the pastime is illegal in Telangana, yet plays anyway; 94 % now want the state to legalise and regulate real-money gaming, while only 6 % back the current blanket ban.
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
Residents of enclave exchange detained in Delhi on suspicion of illegal Bangladesh migrants, later released
About a decade after they chose to come to India after an historic enclave exchange with Bangladesh, eight members of the families of migrant labourers, hailing from Cooch Behar district of West Bengal, were detained in Delhi on suspicion of being illegal Bangladesh nationals. They were detained by the Delhi Police from a brick kiln during a drive against illegal Bangladeshis. They have now been released. 'Our team had detained them from a brick kiln on Monday. After they produced their resident cards issued by the West Bengal government and other relevant documents, they were allowed to leave on Tuesday,' Deputy Commissioner of Police (Northwest Delhi) Bhisham Singh told The Indian Express. After news of their detention reached Cooch Behar, the district police got in touch with their Delhi counterparts. 'This is happening every day to migrants from West Bengal. The police of different BJP-ruled states and that of Delhi did not even bother to inform the West Bengal government. We, on our own, have made verifications and sent them the requisite documents. In this case, the district administration got in touch with the Delhi police authorities,' chairman of the state's migrant welfare board Samirul Islam told The Indian Express. 'In 2015, Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) and our chief minister (Mamata Banerjee) welcomed them to India after the historic exclave exchange. Now they are being detained as illegal Bangladeshi citizens. And that too in the national capital,' the TMC MP in Rajya Sabha added. Those who were detained by the Delhi Police were identified as Samsul Haque and his brother Rejaul Haque, Md Rayhan Haque, Md Rabiul Haque, and his wife Rashida Begum. Rabiul's three children, aged 15, 10, and 4, were also detained. Their family members said they hailed from Dashiar Chhara, an Indian exclave in Bangladesh. After the enclave exchange, they moved to an apartment complex in Dinhata made exclusively for enclave dwellers who came to India. 'My father, Samsul Haq, and my uncle Rezaul Haq worked in a brick kiln in Delhi. They worked there for the past eight months. Police raided the brick kiln and picked them up. They were taken to the Shalimar Bagh police station. My father (Samsul Haque ) was away in the market. He later went to the police station with all documents relating to residential proof. He, too, was detained,' said Sharmin Khatun, daughter of Samsul Haq, over the phone. 'Our fathers chose to come to India to have a better life. We did not want to lose our homeland. But we never dreamt that we would be branded as illegal Bangladeshis,' said Sharmin. The enclave exchange took place on August 1, 2015. One hundred and eleven 'Indian' enclaves spread over 17,160 acres inside Bangladesh went to Bangladesh, while 51 'Bangladeshi' enclaves occupying 7,110 acres in India became a part of India. The residents of these enclaves were given the option of accepting citizenship of either country. At least 921 residents had then crossed over to the Indian side with much fanfare. The incidents come close to heels for detention of West Bengal residents in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh. Recently, seven residents of West Bengal were detained by Mumbai police and pushed into Bangladesh by the BSF. They were later brought back from Bangladesh after the West Bengal government's intervention. With ENS, Delhi Ravik Bhattacharya is the Chief of Bureau of The Indian Express, Kolkata. Over 20 years of experience in the media industry and covered politics, crime, major incidents and issues, apart from investigative stories in West Bengal, Odisha, Assam and Andaman Nicobar islands. Ravik won the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award in 2007 for political reporting. Ravik holds a bachelor degree with English Hons from Scottish Church College under Calcutta University and a PG diploma in mass communication from Jadavpur University. Ravik started his career with The Asian Age and then moved to The Statesman, The Telegraph and Hindustan Times. ... Read More
