India-United States: Trump and Modi announce agreement on 18% tariffs

Today's headlines: Nuclear talks Friday in Turkey between US envoy Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Araqchi; Record snowfall in Japan: over 30 deaths in the last two weeks; Record number of millionaires fleeing South Korea; China inaugurates air hospital for ophthalmological and ENT care in peripheral areas; Concern over prison conditions in Russia for historian who chronicled Stalinist repression.

INDIA

US President Donald Trump announced on Monday a new trade agreement with India that provides for lower reciprocal tariffs and expanded market access, while also claiming that Delhi would halt purchases of Russian oil and significantly increase imports of American goods. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi confirmed the part of the agreement relating to the reduction of tariffs on “Made in India” products to 18%, but did not mention any commitment to halt purchases of Russian oil or to reduce all tariffs and non-tariff barriers to zero, as Trump had claimed.

IRAN-UNITED STATES

Iran and the United States will resume talks on nuclear issues on Friday 6 February in Turkey, officials from both countries told Reuters. US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi will meet in Istanbul in an attempt to revive diplomatic negotiations and allay fears of a new regional war. Tensions remain high due to the strengthening of the US naval presence near Iran, following the violent crackdown on anti-government demonstrations last month.

JAPAN

Unusually heavy snowfall in northern Japan is believed to have caused the deaths of 30 people in the last two weeks. Among them was a 91-year-old woman found under a three-metre-high snowdrift outside her home. The central government has deployed troops to help residents of Aomori, the worst-hit region, where up to 4.5 metres of snow remains on the ground in remote areas.

SOUTH KOREA

South Korea is one of the countries most affected by the exodus of millionaires. An analysis by British consulting firm Henley & Partners shows that the net outflow of Korean millionaires last year was estimated at 2,400 people, double the 1,200 recorded in 2024. This figure was the fourth highest globally, after the United Kingdom, China and India. ‘The inheritance tax rate, which can be as high as 60%, may have been the main factor accelerating capital migration,’ said an official from the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

CHINA

The People's Republic of China has launched its first airborne hospital. The ‘Five Senses Health Aircraft Hospital’ is a modified aircraft that provides ophthalmological and otolaryngological care in remote areas. The project, developed by Fudan University and approved by the local authorities in Shanghai, aims to reduce inequalities in access to healthcare. After test flights and diagnostic activities, the flying hospital has begun performing surgeries, with the aim of extending the service to other regions of the country.

RUSSIA

Yuri Dmitriev, historian of Stalinist repression and former director of the Memorial section in Karelia, has turned 70. He has been in prison for nine years on implausible charges. Acquaintances say he is extremely frustrated and has many health problems, hoping to be included in the “exchange lists” of Russian political prisoners with Westerners, taking into account his social merits rather than the false and defamatory accusations.

TAJIKISTAN

Tajikistan's Energy Minister, Daler Džuma, has announced that measures will be taken to guarantee electricity for the entire population during the holy month of Ramadan, assuring that it will be much better than last year, thanks in part to the water level in the Nurek reservoir, which remains sufficient to produce energy even on cold days, while it is currently distributed from 5 to 8 in the morning and from 5 to 9 in the evening.

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