NEW DELHI: The ministry of external affairs on Friday rejected recent claims by Donald Trump, declaring that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the US President “share a friendly relationship based on mutual respect.”Addressing the weekly media briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “Prime Minister Modi and President Trump have a friendly relationship and have always addressed each other with mutual respect as per diplomatic norms.”

The statement came in response to remarks made by Trump earlier this week at the House GOP Member Retreat, where he claimed that PM Modi had personally raised concerns with him over delays in the delivery of US-made Apache attack helicopters and had addressed him as “sir” .Trump said, “Prime Minister Modi came to see me, ‘Sir, may I see you please’,” claiming PM Modi sought a meeting to flag the slow pace of helicopter deliveries. The US president has often claimed that everyone, including foreign leaders (except Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping) addresses him as “sir.”He further alleged that India had ordered 68 Apache helicopters and had been waiting for years for delivery. However, as per official records India has only ordered a total of 28 AH-64E Apache Guardian helicopters from the United States, all of which had been delivered by December 2025. The procurement took place in two separate phases and not as a single large order. India has also purchased 15 CH-47F Chinook heavy-lift helicopters from Boeing, delivered between 2019 and 2020.Even when combined, the two deals account for 43 helicopters, not 68. There is no record with India’s Ministry of Defence or under US Foreign Military Sales (FMS) of any additional Apache orders, earlier TOI reported.Trump’s remarks appear to exaggerate figures and timelines, a pattern critics say is common in his public statements. He has repeatedly claimed that he forced India and Pakistan into a truce by threatening tariffs as another example.The MEA, however, limited its response to reaffirming the nature of ties between the two leaders, stressing mutual respect and established diplomatic norms. It also rejected remarks by US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick that “PM Modi’s reluctance to call Trump” had delayed a US-India trade deal, calling them “inaccurate.” Jaiswal noted that, “PM Modi and President Trump have spoken on eight occasions in 2025.”

NEW DELHI: The ministry of external affairs on Friday again questioned Bangladesh over “recurring attacks on minorities”, and demanded strict action against the perpetrators. It said that the attempts to dismiss such incidents as “personal or political disputes” only “emboldened the perpetrators”. The remarks came as the reported cases of communal violence in December 2025 rose to 51, including 10 murders, according to Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council (BHBCUC).“We have repeatedly addressed this issue in earlier briefings and continue to see a disturbing pattern of recurring attacks on minorities, their homes, and businesses by extremists in Bangladesh,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.“These communal incidents must be dealt with swiftly and firmly. Attempts to dismiss them as personal or political disputes only embolden perpetrators and deepen fear and insecurity among minorities,” he added.Earlier this week, a 25-year-old Hindu man was killed in northwestern Bangladesh after leaping into a canal while fleeing a mob that had accused him of theft, marking the latest episode of violence against the minority community.Meanwhile, police detained former madrasa teacher Yasin Arafat, the main suspect in the murder of Hindu worker Dipu Chandra Das on December 18.Bangladesh’s Hindu community has faced a wave of attacks on minorities following the December killing of youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi. Among the victims was 40-year-old grocery shop owner Moni Chakraborty, who was hacked to death by unidentified assailants at Charsindhur Bazar in Palash Upazila on the night of January 5. The same day, Rana Pratap Bairagi, 38, an ice factory owner and acting editor of the Narail-based newspaper Dainik BD Khabar, was shot dead in the head by unknown attackers in Jessore district. In another incident, 50-year-old Khokon Chandra Das was viciously assaulted, hacked and set ablaze while returning home after shutting his shop on December 31. He succumbed to his injuries at a hospital on January 3.

The UAE halted scholarships for UK studies, citing Muslim Brotherhood concerns, sharply reducing Emirati student enrolment/Image: AP

The United Arab Emirates has taken a decisive step to limit government funding for emirati students who want to study at British universities, reflecting rising tensions over the UK’s stance on the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood. The move signals deeper strains in a historically close relationship and raises questions about the future of UK-UAE educational ties.

According to The Financial Times report, the UAE’s Ministry of Higher Education published a revised list of international universities eligible for state scholarships in June 2025. While institutions in the United States, Australia, France, and Israel were included, British universities were notably absent.Officials told UK representatives that the exclusion was intentional, not an oversight. Sources familiar with the discussions explained that Abu Dhabi’s primary concern was preventing Emirati students from exposure to what it views as potential Islamist radicalisation on UK campuses. A person with direct knowledge said, “They don’t want their kids to be radicalised on campus.” UK officials responded by emphasising the importance of academic freedom.Officials with knowledge of the policy also told The Times UK that federal funding was being limited for citizens hoping to study in the UK, but that the government was not imposing a blanket ban on enrolments. Wealthier families can still send their children to British universities if they cover the costs themselves, while state funding continues to be available for students studying in other countries.The decision comes after federal funding for Emiratis pursuing UK studies had already declined prior to June. Students who had already enrolled in British universities continue to receive support, but the new rules mean that Emirati students starting courses in the UK will face limited or no government funding.

The impact has been tangible. In the year ending September 2025, only 213 Emirati students were granted visas to study at UK universities, marking a 27 percent decrease from the previous year and a 55 percent decline from 2022.Beyond scholarship restrictions, the UAE has also stated that qualifications from universities not on the approved list, including most British institutions, will not be recognised domestically. This diminishes the value of UK degrees for Emirati students seeking employment or further study in the UAE.

The UAE’s move is closely tied to its long-standing concerns about Islamist movements, particularly the Muslim Brotherhood. Since the Arab uprisings of 2011, Abu Dhabi has imposed strict controls on domestic Islamist activity and sought to limit political Islam regionally. Under President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, the UAE has repeatedly questioned the UK’s decision not to proscribe the Brotherhood.Official UK data shows that during the 2023-24 academic year, 70 students at UK universities were referred for possible participation in the government’s Prevent deradicalisation programme for signs of “Islamist radicalisation,” nearly double the previous year, out of a total higher education population of almost three million students. While one UK academic downplayed the scale of Islamist activity on campuses, they noted that events such as the Israel-Gaza conflict have contributed to heightened tensions and protests on campus.The UK government’s 2015 review concluded that the Muslim Brotherhood had not been linked to terrorist activities in or against Britain. Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s administration stated last year that the matter remained under “close review.” Separately, Nigel Farage, leader of the Reform UK party, has pledged to ban the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes prime minister. The UAE government funded Farage’s visit to the country in 2025.

The scholarship restrictions are part of wider strains in UK-UAE relations. Past disagreements have included Abu Dhabi-backed attempts to acquire The Daily Telegraph in November 2023, allegations of UAE support for paramilitary groups in Sudan, which the UAE denies, and a legal dispute in the English Premier League involving Emirati-owned Manchester City football club.Despite these tensions, the UK continues to expand its educational footprint in the UAE. Several British universities, including the University of Manchester and Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, operate campuses in Dubai. Nevertheless, the exclusion of UK institutions from government scholarships highlights the challenges faced by Emirati students seeking to study in the UK.

Bharat Coking Coal Ltd’s initial public offering (IPO) saw strong demand from investors from the moment bidding opened on Friday, with the issue getting fully subscribed within minutes. According to NSE data till 11:15 am, bids were received for 84,15,46,800 shares, far exceeding the 34,69,46,500 shares on offer, resulting in an overall subscription of 2.43 times. Interest was strongest in the non-institutional investors’ segment, which was subscribed 3.79 times. Retail individual investors followed closely with 3.35 times subscription, while the qualified institutional buyers’ portion saw 1% subscription.Ahead of its public issue, Bharat Coking Coal Ltd (BCCL) has raised more than Rs 273 crore from anchor investors, the company said on Thursday. The IPO, which has a grey market premium of 43.5%, is a Rs 1,071-crore issue and will remain open for subscription until January 13. The price band for the issue has been set at Rs 21 to Rs 23 per share. At the upper end of the band, the company’s valuation works out to more than Rs 10,700 crore. As per the red herring prospectus, the issue is entirely an offer for sale of 46.57 crore equity shares by parent company Coal India, with no fresh equity being issued. The proposed listing of BCCL is part of the government’s wider divestment drive in the coal sector, aimed at unlocking value in Coal India’s subsidiaries and bringing in greater transparency through market participation. In its prospectus, the company said the IPO would help it realise the advantages associated with being a listed entity. Incorporated in 1972, Bharat Coking Coal Ltd is engaged in the mining and supply of coking coal, with its operations primarily located in the Jharia coalfields of Jharkhand and the Raniganj coalfields of West Bengal. The offering comes amid a strong rush for India’s primary markets. In 2025, companies raised nearly Rs 1.76 lakh crore through IPOs, marking a record year. This surpassed the Rs 1.6 lakh crore raised by 90 companies in 2024 and the Rs 49,436 crore mobilised by 57 firms in 2023, supported by strong domestic liquidity, steady investor sentiment and a favourable macroeconomic environment.

Reliance Industries Ltd has said it may return to buying Venezuelan crude oil, provided sales are permitted to companies outside the United States. The conglomerate, which operates world’s largest refining complex, said that it is waiting for regulatory clarity before taking a decision. “We await clarity on access for Venezuelan oil by non-US buyers and will consider buying the oil in a compliant manner,” a Reliance Industries spokesperson told Reuters. Industry sources cited by the firm further added that state-run refiners Indian Oil Corp and Hindustan Petroleum Corp are also prepared to consider Venezuelan oil if non-US companies are allowed to purchase it. Reliance had stopped buying Venezuelan crude last year in March, after US President Donald Trump announced a 25% tariff on countries purchasing oil from Venezuela. Its last cargo of Venezuelan oil was received in May last year.After the capture of Venezuela President Maduro by US forces on January 3, Caracas and Washington agreed to allow the export of up to $2 billion worth of Venezuelan crude, estimated at 30 to 50 million barrels, to the US. The company’s refining operations in Gujarat, with a combined capacity of around 1.4 million barrels per day, are designed to process heavier and cheaper crude grades, including Venezuela’s Merey oil. “If Venezuelan barrels re-enter global markets, they are likely to come at a discount, improving feedstock optionality and economics for compatible refiners, even if volumes remain limited,” Sumit Ritola, lead research analyst, refining and modelling at Kpler was quoted as saying by Reuters. According to LSEG trade flow data, several Indian refiners, including HPCL-Mittal Energy, Nayara Energy, Indian Oil Corp and Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals, have imported Venezuelan oil in the past. Ritola said Venezuelan crude could serve as a “politically acceptable diversification option” for India as it reassesses its energy sourcing. Meanwhile, India has faced growing pressure from Western nations to reduce purchases of Russian oil following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, amid concerns that oil revenues could be supporting Russia’s war effort. Last year, the United States doubled tariffs on Indian goods to 50%, alleging that New Delhi’s continued purchase of Russian oil fuels Moscow’s ‘war machine’ in Ukraine.Earlier on Wednesday, Trump cleared legislation intended to “punish” countries that continue doing business with Russia. While some state-owned refiners and Nayara Energy are expected to keep importing Russian crude, Reliance has said it will not take any Russian oil in January, a step that could drive India’s intake of Russian crude for the month to its lowest level in years. “We’ve already seen that Reliance has reduced its intake of Russian crude, which indicates refiners are willing and able to adapt when compliance or trade risks rise,” Ritola said.

The TOI correspondent from Washington: US commerce secretary Howard Lutnick has offered a blunt and unusually personal account of why a long-anticipated US–India trade agreement failed to materialise, placing the blame squarely on timing, political hesitation in New Delhi, and what he described as President Donald Trump’s deliberately competitive approach to deal-making. Among the reasons the deal did not happen: Prime Minister Modi’s reluctance to call the US President. Speaking to the All-In podcast hosted by Sri Lankan-origin venture capitalist Chamath Palihapitiya, Lutnick said India “did not grab the opportunity the United States presented” and waited too long to conclude negotiations, only to later seek terms comparable to those secured by the United Kingdom. By then, he said, the moment had passed.

At the heart of Lutnick’s explanation is what he called Trump’s “staircase” model of trade negotiations — a strategy designed to reward speed and decisiveness while penalising hesitation. Under this approach, the first country to conclude a deal receives the most favorable terms, setting a baseline that subsequent agreements must exceed. Each new deal, Lutnick said, moves “up and to the right,” making later bargains progressively more expensive or restrictive.“The first stair gets the best,” Lutnick explained. “After that, everyone says, ‘I want the UK deal.’ And the answer is no — they were first.”The United Kingdom, he said, moved quickly under a tight deadline. Lutnick recalled telling British officials they had “two Fridays” to finalise the agreement before the opportunity disappeared. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, he said, personally called Trump as the deadline approached, and the deal was concluded and publicly announced within days.India, by contrast, was given what Lutnick described as three Fridays — a “shot clock” to complete negotiations. During that window, Trump publicly signaled that India could be next, a message Lutnick said was meant to encourage urgency. But New Delhi hesitated, in part because of internal political considerations and discomfort with the optics of Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally calling Trump to seal the agreement.“I said, you’ve got to have Modi call the president,” Lutnick recounted. “They were uncomfortable doing so. Modi didn’t call.”As the deadline passed, the administration moved on. Over the following weeks, Washington announced a series of trade deals across Asia, including agreements with Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam. Those deals, Lutnick said, were negotiated at higher tariff and market-access levels than what India had been offered, precisely because the staircase had already moved upward.When Indian officials later returned to the table, Lutnick said, they were seeking terms that no longer existed — effectively asking for a deal “in between the UK and Vietnam,” which would have between 15 per cent and 20 per cent tariff. That, he said, was impossible.“They said, ‘But you agreed,’” Lutnick recalled. “And I said, then — not now.”Lutnick framed India’s predicament through an extended metaphor drawn from his early career as a trader, likening it to being stuck on the wrong side of a seesaw — a position where every move seems to make matters worse. In his telling, India repeatedly missed the moment when action would have paid off, while other countries stepped in and secured agreements.Despite the sharp tone, Lutnick suggested the breakdown was not the result of hostility but of misaligned timing and domestic political constraints. He acknowledged that trade negotiations are “deeply complex,” often requiring parliamentary approval and consensus-building that can slow decision-making. Still, he emphasised that the Trump administration had little patience for delay.“There are a lot of countries,” Lutnick said, “and each has its own deep internal politics. But the train doesn’t wait.”The episode underscores a broader shift in US trade policy under Trump, one that prioritises leverage, speed and visible wins over protracted negotiations. Lutnick portrayed the president as the ultimate “closer,” with himself as the “table setter” who structures deals but leaves final decisions to Trump. While Lutnick expressed confidence that the US and India would “work it out” eventually, his remarks make clear that any future agreement would come on less favorable terms than those once on offer. Trump too has not expressed any overt hostility towards India or Modi, insisting that the Prime Minister is a “great guy” and a “good friend.” But for India, the missed deal has become a cautionary tale about the cost of hesitation in a White House that sees trade not as a slow diplomatic process or a strategic subset, but as a competitive race with clear winners and losers.

NEW DELHI: Several Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders, including MPs Mahua Moitra and Derek O’Brien, were detained by Delhi police on Friday while protesting outside Union home minister Amit Shah’s residence and office. The protest was staged against the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids conducted at the office of the political consultancy firm I-PAC in Kolkata on Thursday.TMC MPs gathered with placards reading “Bengal rejects Modi-Shah’s dirty politics”, highlighting their opposition to the ED action, which they termed politically motivated and aimed at intimidating the party ahead of the West Bengal Assembly elections.Speaking to the media during the protest, Mahua Moitra said, “Yesterday, entire India, Bengal witnessed how ED was misused by the Home Ministry. The ED was sent to steal our party’s political, strategic information. Mamata Banerjee is a lioness, she protected our party’s properties.”TMC MP Kirti Azad added, “They are acting undemocratically; even the raid was illegal. They loot and accuse us of scams. They took away our strategy and candidate lists. BJP’s internal survey shows they won’t get more than 25 seats. But Mamata Banerjee will secure a massive mandate as CM and go on to become the Prime Minister.”The protest comes ahead of a planned march in Delhi led by West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee. Banerjee will lead the march from Jadavpur 8B Bus Stand to Hazra More at 2 pm to protest the ED raids, news agency PTI reported.The raids at I-PAC offices targeted two locations in Kolkata on Thursday. Apart from providing political consultancy to TMC, I-PAC manages the party’s IT and media operations, making the action sensitive for the party’s electoral preparations. Banerjee visited the I-PAC premises during the ongoing search, accusing the central agency of attempting to seize internal documents, hard disks, and digital data linked to the party’s election strategy.The TMC has described the ED action as politically motivated harassment, intensifying the standoff between the ruling party in West Bengal and the Union government ahead of the assembly elections.