Investment protection and geographical indications (GIs) are being negotiated separately, narrowing the FTA's focus to goods, services and trade rules. The pact would be India's ninth trade agreement in four years, reflecting New Delhi's push to secure market access as global trade turns more protectionist. The EU is among India's top trading partners, along with the United States and China, with total bilateral goods and services trade exceeding US$190 billion in 2024/25. India exported about US$76 billion in goods and US$30 billion in services to the 27-nation bloc. Whether the pact delivers balanced gains will depend on how carbon levies, services mobility and non-tariff barriers are ultimately handled.

(Jan 23): SpaceX has lined up four banks to lead its initial public offering (IPO), according to people familiar with the matter, as Elon Musk’s rocket and satellite firm moves forward with plans for the biggest-ever listing. The Financial Times reported the lead banks earlier. Additional banks are in talks for roles on SpaceX’s IPO, the people said. A SpaceX representative didn’t immediately respond to a Bloomberg request for comment. The company is moving forward with an insider share sale that values it at about US$800 billion, Bloomberg News reported in December.

BANGI (Jan 23): The Madani government has given full latitude to authorities to combat corruption and abuse of power, including activities related to the illegal importation of electronic waste (e-waste) into the country. “Based on our experience with contracts and tenders, despite strong pressure and continuous reminders, we still observe weaknesses and inconsistencies. “The decision by the Cabinet is to completely prohibit Malaysia from becoming a dumping ground for e-waste. “Their task is to clean up the remaining traces of corruption and abuse of power,” he said. He said the government, through the relevant ministries, would review and restructure all procurement processes to ensure transparency within the existing system.

KUALA LUMPUR: A special health insurance/takaful calculator will be launched soon to help patients make informed decisions about healthcare costs. The calculator, to be launched next month, will help Malaysians plan monthly savings for premiums and co-payments throughout their coverage period, says Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad. “In 2026, in addition to progressing on the pilot for the base MHIT plan, we will advance three critical initiatives,” he said. Amir Hamzah said the new insurance base plan complements the universal coverage provided by the government. “The public healthcare system remains our mainstay, supported by a record RM46.5bil allocation for public healthcare in 2026,” he said.

PENAMPANG (Jan 23): Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) has expressed full support and an unwavering commitment to helping secure victory for the two Barisan Nasional (BN) candidates in the Kinabatangan parliamentary and Lamag state by-elections on Saturday. “PBS remains consistent in its political stance and will give its full support to BN candidates in the Lamag state and Kinabatangan parliamentary by-elections. Joachim also stressed that PBS would not compromise on any actions that run counter to the party’s decisions. The Kinabatangan by-election features a three-cornered contest involving Mohd Kurniawan Naim Moktar (BN), Datuk Saddi Abdul Rahman (Warisan) and Goldam Hamid (Independent), while the Lamag seat is a straight fight between Mohd Ismail Ayob (BN) and Mazliwati Abdul Malek (Warisan). The by-elections were called following the death of the incumbent Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin, 66, on Dec 5 last year.

(Jan 23): China will set a lower economic growth goal for 2026 than last year, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported, in a sign top leaders may refrain from measures to reverse a slowdown that intensified in recent months. For policymakers to reach their goal of making China a moderately developed economy by 2035, growth needs to average 4.17% over the next decade. Net exports contributed a third of economic growth in 2025, the highest level since 1997, official data showed. A less ambitious growth target and less stimulus could hold back China’s purchases of foreign goods, given domestic demand is stagnating, according to Louis Kuijs, the chief Asia-Pacific economist of S&P Global Ratings. “Reducing the growth target somewhat would acknowledge the pressure on organic growth, requiring less ‘artificial’ growth from stimulus, while allowing continued focus on technological innovation and autonomy,” Kuijs said.

KINABATANGAN (Jan 23): Barisan Nasional (BN) candidates for the Kinabatangan parliamentary by-election, Mohd Kurniawan Naim Moktar, and for the Lamag state seat, Mohd Ismail Ayob, have urged all eligible voters to turn out and exercise their civic duty at the polls on Saturday. “I urge all voters to turn up early and cast their ballots," Mohd Kurniawan Naim said after visiting GiatMara Kinabatangan on Friday, with Mohd Ismail also in attendance. The Kinabatangan and Lamag by-election campaigns wrap up on Friday at 11.59pm. The Kinabatangan by-election sees a three-cornered contest involving Mohd Kurniawan Naim of BN, Datuk Saddi Abdul Rahman (Warisan) and Goldam Hamid (Independent), while the Lamag state seat features a straight fight between Mohd Ismail Ayob (BN) and Mazliwati (Warisan). The by-elections were called following the death of the incumbent Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin, 66, on Dec 5 last year.

KOTA BARU: Two more senior officers of the Armed Forces, both holding the title Datuk, are expected to be charged next week, it was revealed. Azam said the proposed charges against duo were to prioritise MACC action against highest-ranking officers. Azam said clean-up operations at identified corruption and leakage hotspots must be carried out aggressively, including close monitoring of enforcement officers stationed at border checkpoints. Azam said leakages often stemmed from the involvement of a handful of enforcement officers, asserting that these activities would not thrive without elements of collusion. “Before we take action against smugglers, we must first ensure our officers possess the highest level of integrity,” he added.

KYIV, Jan 22 (Reuters) - President ‌Volodymyr Zelenskiy criticised Europe on Thursday as a "fragmented ‌kaleidoscope of small and middle powers" lacking courage ‌to act decisively and facing a dark future unless it stood up to U.S. and Russian power. In some of his toughest remarks ‍to key allies of Kyiv, Zelenskiy urged ‍Europe not to "degrade" itself ‌by failing to stand up to Russian aggression and ‍U.S. "Europe can and must be a global force," he told ⁠global leaders at the World Economic Forum ‌in Davos as Russia's war in Ukraine neared its four-year mark. He spoke after meeting Trump in Davos for talks on ending the war which both leaders described as positive. But he urged European leaders to be more robust in defending democratic values in their region, ‌as U.S. attention turns away.

The bill proposes allocating public funding to parties based on the number of votes obtained by eligible political parties in elections. The bill introduces a key element of sturdy political financing regulation: fair allocation of public funding to reduce political party dependency on private donors. Understanding public fundingGlobal benchmarks show that equitable public funding can help reduce these resource disparities and support a healthier, more inclusive democratic system. Across many democracies, public funding is used to support political parties and candidates in ways that promote level playing fields. Public funding for political parties is not a cure-all for corruption — there is no proof of that.

PETALING JAYA: It was not the result professional men’s singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia was hoping for after his campaign at the Indonesian Masters came to an end yesterday. However, there were still plenty of positives for Zii Jia to draw on as he looks ahead to a long and demanding tournament calendar this year. Zii Jia bowed out after losing to Thailand’s Panitchaphon Teeraratsakul 21-15, 17-21, 8-21 in a 57-minute match at the Istora Senayan. “A lot of positives to take from Indonesian Masters. The Indonesian Masters was Zii Jia’s third tournament of the year, and he will next turn his attention to the Thailand Masters starting on Tuesday.

Istora Senayan may hold no fear for Wei Chong-Kai Wun, who lifted the title here last year and finished runners-up at the Indonesian Open the year before. Wei Chong-Kai Wun reached the quarter-finals after defeating Hariharan Amsakarunan-M.R. World champions Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei are through to the last eight but will face a unique challenge against Indonesia-Singapore pairing of Terry Hee-Gloria Widjaja. The biggest surprise for the national camp came from women’s singles shuttler K. Letshanaa, who sent world No. Letshanaa last faced Yu-shun three years ago at the Indonesian Masters, with the encounter going the way of the Taiwanese player.

Vampire thriller "Sinners” (pic) stormed into Oscars history on Thursday with a record 16 nominations, positioning the Warner Bros film as the frontrunner for best picture and pitting star Michael B. Jordan against Timothee Chalamet and Leonardo DiCaprio as rivals for best actor. The Warner Bros film also earned nominations for director Ryan Coogler, supporting actor Delroy Lindo, supporting actress Wunmi Mosaku and cinematography, costume design, original screenplay and visual effects. Netflix has never won best picture despite nominations for "Roma," "Emilia Perez" and "The Irishman." The movie has collected $16 million at global box offices, compared with $368 million for "Sinners" and $206 million for "One Battle After Another." The highest-grossing best picture nominee is Brad Pitt racing drama "F1," with nearly $632 million in worldwide ticket sales.

“At its core, the project is about bringing food systems back into urban housing,” he explains. Tang would like to build resilient food systems within urban housing communities. Instead of focusing only on one-time output, the food forest is designed as a regenerative urban system. With years of experience rehabilitating urban gardens and farmland, Chua is tasked with shaping how the food forest will look, function and grow. This is a climate adaptation that people can see, touch and benefit from daily.”Chua foresees at least 200 species in the food forest.

KULAI: The Johor Road Transport Department (JPJ) has taken action against 459 foreigners as part of a special operation targeting illegal foreign drivers. State JPJ director Zulkarnain Yasin said the department carried out the Ops Khas Pemandu Warga Asing (Pewa) between Jan 1 and 23 to curb traffic offences involving foreign motorists amid a rise in public complaints. “Under Ops Pewa, the department inspected 1,109 vehicles and issued 459 notices for various offences, with 235 vehicles seized. Zulkarnain said the most common offences detected were driving without a licence (325 individuals), expired motor vehicle licences or road tax (202) and lack of insurance coverage (185). He added other offences, including those involving vocational licences, which made up another 184 cases.