WE CALL IT CUSMA, 

TRUMP CALLS IT USMCA

Carney links Trump’s new tariff threat to N. America trade deal review


By AFP
January 26, 2026


Trump has threatened Canada with new tariffs and revived his insult of calling the country's prime minister a US 'governor' - Copyright AFP/File Mandel NGAN, Fabrice COFFRINI

Prime Minister Mark Carney on Monday downplayed US President Donald Trump’s latest tariff threat against Canada, saying the comments should be viewed with an eye toward an upcoming trade deal review.

Asked about Trump’s threat to impose 100-percent tariffs on Canadian imports should Ottawa finalize a new trade deal with China, Carney told reporters that the North American free trade deal is up for review this year and “the president is a strong negotiator.”

“I think some of these comments and positioning should be viewed in the broader context of that,” Carney said.

Trump has so far adhered to most of the existing United States-Canada-Mexico Agreement (USMCA), which the president negotiated and praised during his first term.

Canada has been hit hard by Trump’s sectoral tariffs — especially in the auto, steel and aluminum sectors — but more than 85 percent of bilateral US-Canada trade has remained tariff free through the ongoing trade war.

Substantial changes to the USMCA could upend the Canadian economy.

The USMCA review set for the first half of this year comes as Trump has escalated his rhetorical attacks on Carney.

The Canadian prime minister delivered a blistering denunciation of US global leadership at last week’s World Economic Forum in Davos, earning a rare standing ovation and capturing global headlines.

Trump shot back in his own Davos address, telling Carney to watch his words, as “Canada lives because of the United States.”

Carney slapped down that claim but has broadly sought caution when replying to Trump’s inflammatory remarks.

Trump called Carney “governor” in a social media post over the weekend, reviving an insult he directed at former prime minister Justin Trudeau — who Trump said was leading the 51st US state, rather than an independent country.

Carney was asked Monday if he was offended by being called governor.

“In this role, you get called a lot of things,” Carney said. “I’m not going to comment on every tweet…I can handle it.”

North Sea nations vow to boost wind power for energy independence


By AFP
January 26, 2026


Security fears will be high on the agenda - Copyright AFP/File ILIA YEFIMOVICH

Clement KASSER

A group of northern European nations vowed Monday to build up climate-friendly wind power in the North Sea to achieve greater energy independence from Russia and other foreign suppliers.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz was hosting a summit in the port-city of Hamburg as Europe faces a hostile Russia but also worries about the future strength of transatlantic ties and US designs on Greenland.

Aiming to make Europe more resilient in an uncertain world, the group of countries pledged to boost off-shore wind power in the North Sea and turn it into the “world’s largest clean energy reservoir”.

They agreed to build up an additional 100 gigawatts of wind turbines — enough to power about 100 million homes — through an “unprecedented fleet of joint offshore wind projects”.

The agreement is a “very clear signal to Russia”, said EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jorgensen after it was signed by Britain, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Norway.

“No more will we let you blackmail member states of the European Union and no more will we help indirectly fund the war in Ukraine,” he told a press conference.

Germany and other EU members have been scrambling to wean themselves off Russian energy imports since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

They have also been on heightened alert against suspected Russian sabotage and surveillance operations which they blame for severed seafloor cables and mysterious drone flights over airports and critical infrastructure.



– ‘Wind is for winners’ –



The European wind power push comes days after US President Donald Trump — a strong promoter of oil drilling who denies man-made climate change is real — last week branded wind farms “losers”.

British Energy Secretary Ed Miliband pushed back and said that “offshore wind is for winners” and “absolutely critical for our energy security”.

Wind farms provide “homegrown, clean energy that we control”, Miliband said, adding that the renewable energy source is not under “the control of the dictators and the petro-states”.

Proponents of wind energy argue it is not only good for the climate but also for security, as such decentralised systems are more resilient to sabotage and attack than traditional power plants, pipelines or oil tankers.

Simon Skillings of think tank E3G said much had been learnt from “hybrid attacks that have happened on infrastructure, but also looking at the Ukraine-Russia situation. We’ve learnt that dispersed assets are more resilient.

“A more dispersed infrastructure is more robust… You need basically multiple attacks rather than single attacks to knock out an energy supply.”



– Greenland tensions –



The talks come as the issue of Greenland and broader Arctic security loom large.

Trump last week backed away from his threat to seize Greenland by force, and to level punitive tariffs against European NATO allies who stand in his way.

Among the leaders in Hamburg are Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who visited Greenland on Friday, and representatives of NATO and the European Commission as well as Iceland.

Jorgensen — himself from Denmark — said that “the question of Greenland is one that is on the mind of everybody”.

“All of the ministers that I’ve met today has been extremely supportive and loyal, and I think it’s fair to say that everybody in Denmark is extremely happy that our friends have stood by our side,” he said.

Jorgensen also addressed the issue of whether the EU wants to reduce its dependence on US gas imports in the wake of Trump’s recent threats to annex Greenland.

“We want to trade and deal with the US on as many issues as possible,” he said, but he added that “we are not aiming at replacing one dependency with a new dependency”.

“We want to grow our own energy, and our strategy in the future is to become free of gas.”

burs/fz/sr/jh

North Sea nations look to wind to resist Russian energy ‘blackmail’


By AFP
January 26, 2026


Nine European nations want to develop 300 gigawatts of clean energy capacity in the North Sea by mid-century - Copyright AFP Henry NICHOLLS

Nine European nations vowed Monday to build up North Sea offshore wind power with the aim of boosting climate-friendly energy while reducing dependence on Russia and other foreign powers.

Germany, France, the UK and Denmark were among the countries which signed an agreement pledging to turn the North Sea into the “world’s largest clean energy reservoir”.

The EU’s Commissioner for Energy and Housing, Dan Jorgensen, said at the signing ceremony that the agreement was a “very clear signal to Russia”.

“No more will we let you blackmail member states of the European Union and no more will we help indirectly fund the war in Ukraine”.

The European Union has been scrambling to wean itself off Russian energy imports since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Leaders and ministers were meeting in the German port city of Hamburg for the third North Sea summit, after they pledged in 2023 to develop 300 gigawatts of clean energy capacity in the North Sea by mid-century.

An intermediate target of 120 GW by 2030 was also set at the time, although experts have said this will not be met on current trends.

The “Hamburg Declaration” signed on Monday envisages that 100 GW of the targeted 300 GW will be quickly delivered through an “unprecedented fleet of joint offshore wind projects”.

That would be enough to power roughly 100 million homes.

According to the UK’s energy ministry, the new projects will include wind farms at sea directly connected to more than one country through interconnectors.

The agreement aims to strengthen Europe’s “resilience” and “security of supply,” said Katherina Reiche, Germany’s minister for economic affairs and energy.

In response to recent comments from US President Donald Trump branding wind farms “losers”, British Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said that “offshore wind is for winners”.

Wind farms are “absolutely critical for our energy security” to provide “homegrown, clean energy that we control”, he said, adding that this energy is not under “the control of the dictators and the petro-states”.

Jorgensen also addressed the issue of whether the EU wanted to reduce dependence on US gas imports in the wake of Trump’s threats to annex Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory.

“We want to trade and deal with the US on as many issues as possible,” Jorgensen said, but he added that “we are not aiming at replacing one dependency with a new dependency”.

“We want to grow our own energy, and our strategy in the future is to become free of gas.

ICYMI

Greenland, Denmark set aside troubled history to face down Trump


By AFP
January 23, 2026


Greenland and Denmark put their difficult past to one side to face the greater threat from the United States - Copyright AFP Jonathan NACKSTRAND

Nioucha ZAKAVATI

Greenland and Denmark have formed a united front to face down US President Donald Trump, momentarily setting aside the troubled history between them.

The Arctic island, a Danish colony for three centuries, still has a complicated relationship with Denmark, which now rules it as an autonomous territory.

Greenland’s main political parties all want independence, but disagree on how exactly to get there. Trump’s designs on the island led them to forge a coalition government in March last year.

Greenland’s leaders made clear last week they had no interest in Trump’s bid to take over the vast island — an idea he pushed hard, before backing off on Wednesday after reaching what he called a framework deal on Arctic security with NATO’s secretary-general.

“Greenlanders still have a lot of grievances concerning Denmark’s lack of ability to reconsider its colonial past,” said Ulrik Pram Gad, a researcher at the Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS).

“But Trump’s pressure has prompted the wide majority of the political spectrum that forms (Greenland’s) coalition government to put independence preparations — always a long-term project — aside for now,” he told AFP.

“The clear European support has made this easier in the sense that the relation to Denmark feels a lot less claustrophobic when joined by others,” he added.

While the main Greenland parties differ on how to achieve independence, the growing US pressure led them in March 2025 to put their differences to one side to form their coalition.

Only the Naleraq party, which wants a fast track to independence, stayed in opposition.

At the height of the crisis, Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen made it clear that if the government had to choose between the United States and Denmark, it would choose Denmark.



– Colonial past –



Trump’s talk of a framework deal negotiated with NATO chief Mark Rutte prompted Denmark and Greenland to reiterate that only they can take decisions concerning them.

In the last month of diplomatic back-and-forth, Greenland and Denmark have presented a united front, speaking with one voice.

On January 14, Greenland’s Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt was in Washington alongside her Danish counterpart Lars Lokke Rasmussen for talks with US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

By Monday, she was in Brussels for talks with Rutte, this time with Denmark’s Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen.

But that unity conceals the scars of their colonial past.

Greenland was a Danish colony from the early 18th century. It became a Danish territory in 1953, a full part of Denmark — before becoming an autonomous territory in 1979, a status that was strengthened in 2009.

“It’s a long history. It has gone through different stages,” said Astrid Andersen, a specialist in Danish-Greenlandic relations at the Danish Institute for International Studies.

“Any colonial relation is a question of domination and there have been some injustices committed.”



– Forced sterilisation –



Those injustices include a 1951 social experiment in which 22 Inuit children were forcibly separated from their families and prevented from speaking Greenlandic — part of bid to create a Danish-speaking elite.

In 2021, the six still alive were each awarded compensation of 250,000 crowns (33,500 euros).

Another dark chapter was Denmark’s efforts from the 1960s and for three decades on to reduce the birth rate in Greenland.

Several thousand women and teenagers — at least 4,000 — had IUDs fitted without their consent to prevent them conceiving.

Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has presented her apologies to the women concerned — nearly half of whom were unable to have children — and a compensation procedure is underway.

Denmark’s social services even used controversial psychological tests to — as they saw it — evaluate if Greenlandic mothers were fit to be parents.

A 2022 study showed that in metropolitan Denmark, children born to Greenlandic families were five to seven times more at risk of being placed in children’s homes than those born to Danish families.

The use of such tests was only discontinued last year.

The recent debate over these issues has, for the moment, been put to one side, said Andersen.

“Right now I think there’s a general agreement with a few exceptions that the common opponent right now is Trump and we kind of need to face this together somehow.”

US military to prioritize homeland and curbing China, limit support for allies

By AFP
January 23, 2026


An aerial view of the Pentagon - Copyright AFP/File Daniel SLIM

The US military will prioritize protecting the homeland and deterring China while providing “more limited” support to allies in Europe and elsewhere, a Pentagon strategy document released on Friday said.

The 2026 National Defense Strategy (NDS) marks a significant departure from past Pentagon policy, both in its emphasis on allies taking on increased burdens with less backing from Washington, and its softer tone on traditional foes China and Russia.

“As US forces focus on homeland defense and the Indo-Pacific, our allies and partners elsewhere will take primary responsibility for their own defense with critical but more limited support from American forces,” the strategy said.

The previous NDS — released under President Donald Trump’s predecessor Joe Biden — described China as Washington’s most consequential challenge and said that Russia posed an “acute threat.”

The new document however urges “respectful relations” with Beijing — while making no mention of US ally Taiwan, which China claims as its territory — and describing the threat from Russia as a “persistent but manageable” one affecting NATO’s eastern members.

Both the Biden and Trump strategies say homeland defense is important, but their descriptions of the threats facing the US differ significantly.

The Trump administration’s NDS takes aim at the past administration for neglecting border security, saying this led to a “flood of illegal aliens” and widespread narcotics trafficking.

“Border security is national security,” and the Pentagon “will therefore prioritize efforts to seal our borders, repel forms of invasion, and deport illegal aliens,” it said.

– ‘Restore military dominance’ –

Biden meanwhile focused on China and Russia, saying they posed “more dangerous challenges to security and safety at home” than even the threat of terrorism.

The 2026 NDS also includes no mention of the dangers of climate change — which Biden’s administration had identified as an “emerging threat.”

Like Trump’s national security strategy, which was released last month, the NDS elevates Latin America to the top of the US agenda.

The Pentagon “will restore American military dominance in the Western Hemisphere. We will use it to protect our Homeland and our access to key terrain throughout the region,” the NDS said.

The document called that the “Trump Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine,” a reference to the declaration two centuries ago by the then-young United States that Latin America was off limits to rival powers.

Since returning to office last year, Trump has repeatedly employed the US military in Latin America, ordering a shocking raid that captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife, as well as strikes on more than 30 alleged drug-smuggling boats that have killed more than 100 people.

Trump’s administration has provided no definitive evidence that the sunken vessels were involved in drug trafficking, and international law experts and rights groups say the strikes likely amount to extrajudicial killings as they have apparently targeted civilians who do not pose an immediate threat to the United States.

German auto supplier ZF axes electric projects as demand stalls


By AFP
January 24, 2026


ZF Friedrichshafen is the latest German automotive company to face troubles with its electric transition - Copyright AFP/File ANGELA WEISS

Major German automotive supplier ZF Friedrichshafen said Friday it had scrapped some of its electric vehicle projects due to lacklustre demand, leading it to expect an annual loss.

ZF had agreed with customers to “end earlier than planned several projects that were not proving as profitable as expected due to the slow ramp-up in e-mobility”, it said in a statement.

Ending the projects early would likely tip ZF into the red for the year, finance boss Michael Frick said, adding that he nevertheless thought the hit would be worth it in the long run.

“The special charge in the e-mobility sector will result in an accounting loss for 2025, but it frees us from legacy burdens and lays the foundation for new opportunities,” he said.

The move makes ZF Friedrichshafen the latest German company to report bumps in the road when it comes to the electric vehicle ramp-up.

Europe’s largest carmaker Volkswagen in October reported its first quarterly loss since the Covid pandemic after its luxury brand Porsche pushed back electric car launches citing weak demand.

Battery electric vehicles made up just 16.4 percent of new car sales in Europe in the first ten months of 2025, according to industry figures, far behind the more optimistic expectations of earlier years and off-target to meet strict European Union environmental rules.

In 2024, the most recent full year available, ZF posted sales of 41.4 billion euros ($48.6 billion).

The firm reports full results for 2025 and its outlook for 2026 on 19 March.

France probes deaths of two babies after powdered milk recall


By AFP
January 24, 2026


French investigators are looking into the cause of death of two infants who may have consumed contaminated milk - Copyright AFP/File ANGELA WEISS

France’s health minister on Friday sought to reassure consumers that all suspicious infant formula had been withdrawn, as an investigation began into the deaths of two babies who drank possibly contaminated powdered milk.

The infant formula industry has been rocked in recent weeks by several firms recalling batches that could be contaminated with cereulide, a toxin that can cause diarrhoea and vomiting.

The potentially contaminated milk has been “withdrawn” from the market, Health Minister Stephanie Rist said.

In particular, Nestle pulled batches of infant milk in several European countries on January 6.

French investigators are looking into the cause of death of two infants who allegedly consumed Nestle milk.

One was a two-week-old who died on January 8 in Bordeaux, southwest France, after drinking milk from the now-recalled batches, a prosecutor in the city said on Thursday.

The second, aged just 27 days, died on December 23 in the western city of Angers, the local prosecutor said.

The mother contacted the authorities this week, saying her baby had drunk Nestle milk from one of the lots removed from the market.

At this time, there was no established causal link between the formula and their deaths, according to French authorities.

Nestle told AFP on Friday it would cooperate with the probes, adding there was “no evidence” at this stage linking its products to the infant deaths.

In another recall, Danone on Friday said it would “withdraw from targeted markets a very limited number of specific batches of infant formula” to comply with the latest guidance from local food safety authorities.

A source close to the matter said the move followed changes introduced by authorities, notably in Ireland.

Danone later told AFP in a statement it was voluntarily recalling two batches in France as a precaution “in light of new recommendations from a European authority”.

It comes after Singapore authorities on Saturday recalled Dumex baby formula, a brand owned by the French food giant.

French group Lactalis on Wednesday also said it was recalling batches in France and other countries over worries they contained cereulide.

Lactalis did not name the supplier behind the tainted ingredient.

Outside France, countries concerned included Australia, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo-Brazzaville, Ecuador, Spain, Madagascar, Mexico, Uzbekistan, Peru, Georgia, Greece, Kuwait, the Czech Republic and Taiwan, a Lactalis spokesperson told AFP.

burs/jxb/jhb

India’s solar-panel boom: full throttle today, uncertain tomorrow


By AFP
January 24, 2026


India, driven by soaring electricity demand is rapidly producing solar panels, fuelling a booming yet uncertain market - Copyright AFP Shammi MEHRA
Philippe ALFROY

The race for green energy is on. India, driven by soaring electricity demand and a push to reduce reliance on China, is rapidly producing solar panels, fuelling a booming yet uncertain market.

At the Adani Group’s factory in Mundra, in India’s western state of Gujarat, assembly lines churn out photovoltaic panels around the clock.

Up to 10,000 a day come off the line, with most sent straight to Khavda, further north, where the Indian conglomerate is finishing what will be the world’s largest solar park.

But Adani Solar’s CEO, Muralee Krishnan, says operations are “actually lagging”.

“Our capacity needs to be fully used — we should work 48 hours a day.”

The intensity is matched by other major producers in the world’s most populous nation.

At the Tata conglomerate factory in Tirunelveli, in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, 4,000 mostly women employees also work non-stop shifts.

“They operate 24/7, so you get better yield, better efficiency, better productivity,” said Praveer Sinha, CEO of Tata Power.

“You cannot stop the production line… there is a rush to produce to maximise the output.”

With the twin imperatives of development and lower carbon emissions, India has set itself ambitious renewable energy targets.

Last year, it said half its electricity-generation capacity was now “green”, five years ahead of the timeline set in the Paris Agreement on lowering emissions.

But 75 percent of electricity is still generated by coal-fired power plants, with inflexible operations and long-term coal power purchase agreements hampering renewable uptake.



– ‘Make in India’ –



There are signs of change.

Last year, coal-fired power generation fell three percent, only the second full-year drop recorded in half a decade, according to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air.

Renewable capacity of 230 gigawatts (GW) is set to rise to 500 GW by 2030, including 280 GW of solar.

But Prime Minister Narendra Modi has placed another constraint on the industry: “Make in India.”

That means there is no question of importing solar panels from China, which supplies 90 percent of the world’s market.

All public tenders require “local” production, which India supports with substantial subsidies that have attracted big businesses.

Tata, a pioneer in solar panels since the 1990s, has been joined by Adani and Reliance, which have built state-of-the-art, highly automated factories.

“The quality of the product is very, very critical,” said Ashish Khanna, CEO Adani Green Energy.

“When you are building a project of this size, you also need to be very reassured of the supply chain. We cannot have a disruption or interruption in that particular process.”

But for now, the technology and raw materials still come from China.

And Beijing has complained to the World Trade Organization over the subsidies and restrictions on its solar panels.

The solar push is so intense that Adani is considering silicon mining to secure a key raw material, company insiders say, and there are suggestions Tata Power is eyeing in-house silicon-wafer production.



– ‘A huge market’ –



Growth in the sector is already staggering, with solar manufacturing capacity expected to soon exceed 125 GW, according to consultancy Wood Mackenzie said.

But that is triple current domestic demand, according to Wood Mackenzie analyst Yana Hryshko.

Government incentives have “been highly effective in spurring factory announcements, but the industry is now seeing warning signs of rapid overcapacity”, Hryshko said in a report last year.

The sector’s long-term sustainability may therefore depend on exports, with some companies already targeting global markets.

“Solar is a huge market: the world will see it doubling, from 2,000 GW to 4,000 GW in four years,” said Ashish Khanna, head of the International Solar Alliance.

“The question is now — will Indian manufacturers be globally competitive compared to China?”

Tejpreet Chopra, from the private power company Bharat Light and Power, points out that “the problem is that it’s cheaper to import from China than to buy local”.

And the level of manufacturing in China “is so much higher that it’s very difficult to match”, he added.

The sector also faces “geopolitical” headwinds from US President Donald Trump’s tariffs, with Chopra adding that they make it “very difficult to sell to the United States”.

Despite these challenges, the head of Tata Power, which does not yet export, remains convinced his business has a bright future.

“We strongly believe,” said Praveer Sinha, “that solar will play a very important role in the renewable space of India.”
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EU, India successfully conclude major trade deal: New Delhi

 capping nearly two decades of negotiations between the economic behemoths

By AFP
January 26, 2026


Facing challenges from China and the United States, Brussels and New Delhi have sought closer ties - Copyright AFP Money SHARMA

India and the European Union have finalised a massive free trade deal, Indian government officials said on Monday, about two decades after negotiations were first launched.

Facing challenges from China and the United States, Brussels and New Delhi have sought closer ties, producing a pact that is to be unveiled in the Indian capital on Tuesday.

Feted Monday as guests of honour at India’s Republic Day parade, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council president Antonio Costa are to meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a summit.

“Official level negotiations are being concluded and both sides are all set to announce the successful conclusion” of talks at the Tuesday summit, Indian commerce secretary Rajesh Agrawal told AFP.

The EU has eyed India — the world’s most populous nation — as an important market for the future, while New Delhi sees the European bloc as an important source of much-needed technology and investment to rapidly upscale its infrastructure and create millions of new jobs.



-‘Mother of all deals’ –



Bilateral trade in goods reached 120 billion euros ($139 billion) in 2024, an increase of nearly 90 percent over the past decade, according to EU figures, with a further 60 billion euros ($69 billion) in trade in services.

India’s Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal has described the new pact as “the mother of all deals”.

“Final negotiations have been focused and fruitful, and we are now very optimistic that we will land this historic trade deal,” an EU official said Monday speaking on condition of anonymity.

Under the agreement, India is expected to ease market access for key European products, including cars and wine, in return for easier exports of textiles and pharmaceuticals, among other things.

“The EU stands to gain the highest level of access ever granted to a trade partner in the traditionally protected Indian market,” von der Leyen said on Sunday, adding that she expected exports to India to double.

“We will gain a significant competitive advantage in key industrial and agri-good sectors.”

Talks went down to the wire on Monday, focusing on a few sticking points, including the impact of the EU’s carbon border tax on steel, according to sources familiar with the discussions.

The accord comes as both Brussels and New Delhi have sought to open up new markets in the face of US tariffs and Chinese export controls.

India and the EU were also expected to conclude an accord to facilitate movement for seasonal workers, students, researchers and highly skilled professionals, and a security and defence pact.

“India and Europe have made a clear choice. The choice of strategic partnership, dialogue and openness,” von der Leyen wrote on social media. “We are showing a fractured world that another way is possible.”

New Delhi, which has relied on Moscow for key military hardware for decades, has tried to cut its dependence on Russia in recent years by diversifying imports and pushing its own domestic manufacturing base.

Europe is doing the same with regard to the United States.

EU council president arrives in India to seal trade pact

By AFP
January 25, 2026

European Council president Antonio Costa arrived in India on Sunday, as the EU and New Delhi seek to seal a free trade pact, capping nearly two decades of negotiations between the economic behemoths.

Costa and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen are chief guests for this year’s Republic Day celebrations in New Delhi on Monday before an EU-India summit Tuesday, where they hope to shake hands on the accord, described as the “mother of all deals”.

“President Costa is in New Delhi for the 16th EU-India summit taking place on Tuesday,” the EU Council said on X.

“The summit will be an opportunity to build on the EU-India strategic partnership and further strengthen collaboration across key policy areas.”

India, the world’s most populous nation, is on track to become the world’s fourth largest economy this year, according to International Monetary Fund projections.

While the EU eyes India as an important market for the future, New Delhi sees the European bloc as an important source of much needed technology and investment to rapidly upscale its infrastructure and create millions of new jobs for its people.

“We are on the cusp of a historic trade agreement,” Leyen said ahead of the summit.

Bilateral trade in goods reached 120 billion euros ($139 billion) in 2024, an increase of nearly 90 percent over the past decade, according to EU figures, with a further 60 billion euros ($69 billion) in trade in services.

The pact would be a major win for Brussels and New Delhi as both seek to open up new markets in the face of US tariffs and Chinese export controls.

“The EU and India are moving closer together at the time when the rules-based international order is under unprecedented pressure through wars, coercion and economic fragmentation,” the EU’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas said Wednesday.

Negotiations, however, are still ongoing with talks focusing on a few sticking points, including the impact of the EU’s carbon border tax on steel exports and safety and quality standards in the pharmaceutical and automotive sectors, according to people familiar with the discussions.

New Delhi, which has relied on Moscow for decades for key military hardware, has tried to cut its dependence on Russia in recent years by diversifying imports and pushing its own domestic manufacturing base. Europe is doing the same vis-a-vis the United States.

EU says WhatsApp to face stricter content rules


By AFP
January 26, 2026


WhatsApp faces greater EU oversight after meeting the threshold set by the Digital Services Act 

- Copyright AFP/File Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV

WhatsApp is set to face greater EU scrutiny after the European Commission on Monday added the platform to its list of digital firms big enough to face stricter content rules.

The Meta-owned service joined Facebook, TikTok, X and others in a list of 26 “very large online platforms” after its “channels” feature passed 45 million monthly active users in the European Union.

The channels feature will face tougher obligations under the bloc’s Digital Services Act (DSA) because it is considered a broadcasting feature distinct from its core messaging service.

“These obligations include duly assessing and mitigating any systemic risks, such as violations of fundamental human rights and freedom of expression, electoral manipulation, the dissemination of illegal content and privacy concerns,” said a commission statement.

WhatsApp will have until late May to comply with the content law, which has been labelled as “censorship” and discriminatory by US President Donald Trump’s government.

The platform said in its latest DSA transparency report published last year that its channels had around 51.7 million monthly active users in the 27-nation EU.

WhatsApp is already in the EU’s crosshairs over its AI features, with an antitrust probe opened in December to determine if the way Meta is rolling out the tool breaches the bloc’s competition rules.

– US anger –

The EU has stepped up regulatory enforcement against the world’s biggest digital platforms, including many American platforms, despite strong US pushback and threats of retaliation.

Last month, it imposed its first-ever DSA fine, hitting Elon Musk’s X with a 120-million-euro ($140-million) penalty for violating transparency rules — and on Monday it opened a new probe into the generation of sexualised deepfake images by X’s AI tool Grok.

Meta’s other platforms already face the risk of heavy fines under DSA.

In October 2025, the EU accused Facebook and Instagram of failing to grant researchers sufficient access to public data and not providing user-friendly ways to flag illegal content or challenge content-moderation decisions.

Brussels is also investigating Facebook and Instagram over fears they are not doing enough to combat the addictive nature of the platforms for children.

And under the DSA’s sister competition law known as the Digital Markets Act, Brussels slapped a 200-million-euro fine on Meta, which has appealed.

Stricken games giant Ubisoft seeks rare French job cuts


By AFP
January 26, 2026


Although Ubisoft has slashed around 3,000 jobs in recent years, shrinking headcount to 17,000 worldwide, almost none of the cuts had fallen in its home country of France - Copyright AFP/File Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV

French video games giant Ubisoft said Monday it aims to shed up to 200 staff at its Paris headquarters, days after investors gave a frosty reception to a drastic restructuring plan.

Managers told AFP they would seek voluntary departure agreements covering that number of employees, a sizeable chunk of the 1,100 in Paris and around five percent of the group’s French workforce.

Although Ubisoft has slashed around 3,000 jobs in recent years, shrinking headcount to 17,000 worldwide, almost none of the cuts had fallen in its home country.

“There will be no final decision until a collective agreement has been reached with worker representatives and approved by the French authorities,” Ubisoft said.

The planned job cuts announcement follows Ubisoft’s commitment to reorganise many of its dozens of development studios around the world into “creative houses” focused around different game genres.

On top of the restructuring and a new 200-million-euro ($240 million) cost-cutting drive, Ubisoft also cancelled six games in development and said seven more upcoming titles would be delayed.

Fans were particularly vocal online about the scrapping of “Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time”, a remake of a historic Ubisoft hit.

The moves left the company facing an operating loss of around one billion euros in its 2025-26 financial year, bosses said.

Financial woes and multiple disappointing game releases have already prompted Ubisoft to make 300 million euros in annual savings and close studios, including in San Franciso, Stockholm, Osaka, Halifax in Canada and Leamington in the UK.

Investors sent Ubisoft’s stock plunging on Thursday, the day after the strategy was revealed, in its worst intraday performance ever.

At around 4.50 euros Monday, the shares are down around 30 percent so far in 2026 and over 95 percent in five years — trading at around 85 euros in January