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United States to complete the necessary formalities for the extradition of Tahawwur Rana, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Friday. Speaking at the weekly briefing, Jaiswal stated, you would have seen President Trump's comments regarding the extradition of Rana. The Joint Statement also reflects this sentiment. We are working closely with the US Government to complete the necessary formalities to allow for his extradition to India." Earlier on Thursday (local time), the US Supreme Court rejected the plea of the 26/11 Mumbai attack accused, Tahawwur Rana, seeking a stay on his extradition to India.

U.S. President Donald Trump signed on Thursday an executive order establishing a U.S. strategic bitcoin reserve, as well as a «digital asset stockpile» for other cryptocurrencies, but put potential limits on buying more of the tokens beyond what is held by the federal government.

Donald Trump’s frenzied tariff barrage has been marked by reversals and faulty rollouts, baffling US trading partners and businesses while raising questions about the aims of his signature policy. During his six weeks in office, Trump imposed sweeping Canada and Mexico tariffs, only to pull back with exemptions and deferrals. Confusion has surrounded new import taxes on China. An ambitious proposal to charge duties on previously exempt low-cost packages had to be hastily reversed when it became clear the government lacked the ability to actually collect them. Trump has said tariffs can help achieve his most ambitious goals, from remaking the US economy to raising trillions in revenue. But several hasty announcements have injected chaos into the economy and financial markets, casting doubts about the White House’s trade strategy.

S Jaishankar during a discussion at Chatham House in London. The shift, largely driven by US President Donald Trump’s foreign policy, is helping reshape global alliances. “If I were to look at the big priorities of this president, many of them work for us,” Jaishankar stated. “He seems to be committed to keeping energy prices reasonably affordable and stable—we welcome that. He is putting a lot of emphasis on tech and on the use of tech as a game changer in global politics. That offers a lot of possibilities for us.” Jaishankar noted that the US administration under Trump is actively moving towards multipolarity, a shift that aligns with India’s vision for the future. “We see a president and an administration moving towards multipolarity, and that is something which suits India.”

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Few brands have their image as closely tied to their CEO as Tesla. For most of the electric-car maker’s history, that was good for business.

Trump’s recent declaration of English as the official language of the US may seem relatively benign. Most residents already speak English and most immigrants are eager to learn it. Under most presidents, such a directive might have been largely symbolic. After all, 32 states already have English as their official language. But Trump isn’t most presidents. He has demonized immigrants for more than a decade, making them the scapegoats for nearly every societal ill. In his first term he complained that too many of them came from “[expletive] countries.” At a campaign event last March, he decried those who speak languages “that nobody in this country has ever heard of. It’s a very horrible thing.” In his address to Congress this week, he touted his new executive order and accused legal immigration of resulting in “beautiful towns destroyed.”

Sean Duffy, a former congressman and Fox News host, was confirmed as the 21st US Secretary of Transportation under President Donald Trump on 28 January 2025. At 53, he takes charge of a sprawling federal agency responsible for the nation’s highways, railways, and aviation systems. The Senate confirmed him with a 77-22 vote, reflecting bipartisan backing despite political tensions. During his confirmation, Duffy pledged to prioritise infrastructure reform, air traffic safety, and regulatory rollbacks in line with Trump’s agenda.

Lori Chavez-DeRemer is poised to become the U.S. Secretary of Labor under President Donald Trump, having cleared a key Senate procedural vote. A former congresswoman and Oregon mayor, she has a complex political history, once backing pro-labour policies but later aligning with Republican priorities. Her confirmation could shape labour laws, union rights, and workplace regulations in Trump's second term. With support from labour unions and some Democratic senators, her nomination signals both continuity and change for the Labour Department.

Scott Bessent, a seasoned Wall Street investor, was confirmed on January 28, 2025, as the 79th US Secretary of the Treasury, becoming the first openly gay cabinet member in a Republican administration. At 62, Bessent brings four decades of global investment experience to the role, having built strong ties with international financial leaders. His nomination secured bipartisan support in the Senate with a 68-29 vote. Republican Senator Mike Crapo praised Bessent’s commitment to economic growth, while Democratic Senator Ron Wyden expressed concerns about his alignment with President Donald Trump’s policies. «It is crucial to have a Treasury Secretary in place to navigate economic challenges, and I support his confirmation,» Wyden said. Despite reservations, several Senate Democrats backed Bessent, citing the need for stability in financial leadership.

At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee opened at 87.13 and lost further to trade at 87.18 against the greenback in early deals, registering a depreciation of 6 paise from its previous closing level.

Oil prices were little changed on Friday but were set for their biggest weekly decline since October as the uncertainty around U.S. tariff policy is creating concerns about demand growth at the same time major producers are set to increase output. Brent futures rose 13 cents, or 0.19%, to $69.59 a barrel by 0217 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures rose 8 cents, or 0.08%, to $66.44 a barrel.

Microsoft will invest an additional 5.4 billion rand ($296.81 million) by the end of 2027 to expand its cloud and artificial intelligence infrastructure in South Africa to meet the growing demand for the company's Azure services in the region. Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith said at an event in Johannesburg on Thursday that the world's biggest software maker would pay for technical certification exams for 50,000 individuals in high-demand digital skills. The certification will be for cloud architecture, AI and cybersecurity, he added.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. In any word association test, ‘Diego’ would cue the name of football legend Maradona. But for elderly Indians, it recalls Diego Garcia, a geopolitical bugbear of the Cold War era, when India wanted the US to withdraw its forces from an air-base on a small island by that name in the Indian Ocean.

jobs data due later in the day. Another reprieve of levies aimed at Mexico and Canada announced by U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday offered little relief, keeping the safe-haven yen not far off its strongest against the greenback since early October.

President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that goods from Canada and Mexico covered by the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement (USMCA) will be exempted for a month from the 25% tariffs imposed earlier this week. The development comes a day after Trump exempted automotive goods from the tariffs.

Gold prices inched lower on Friday but were on track for a weekly rise as uncertainty around U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff plans firmed demand for bullion, while investors awaited for U.S. non-farm payrolls data later in the day.

strategic bitcoin reserve, a day before meeting with executives from the cryptocurrency industry at the White House. The reserve will be capitalized with bitcoin owned by the federal government that was forfeited as part of criminal or civil asset forfeiture proceedings, the White House crypto czar, billionaire David Sacks, said in a post on social media platform X.

NATO allies, saying he would not do so if they are not paying enough for their own defense. «It's common sense, right,» Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. «If they don't pay, I'm not going to defend them. No, I'm not going to defend them.» Trump said he has been of this view for years and shared it with NATO allies during his 2017-2021 presidential term. Those efforts prompted more spending from other members of the 75-year-old transatlantic alliance, he said, but «even now, it's not enough.»

Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller said on Thursday he leans strongly against a rate cut at the Fed's upcoming policy meeting this month, although he reckons cuts later in the year remain on track if inflation pressures continue to abate. In discounting an easing at March 18-19 Federal Open Market Committee, Waller indicated he simply will not have the inflation data in hand to know whether cutting what's now a 4.25% to 4.5% federal funds rate range is justified, especially amid the heavy uncertainty created by President Donald Trump's trade agenda.

Scale AI, a data labeling startup backed by tech giants Nvidia, Amazon and Meta, for its compliance with the Fair Labor Standards Act, the California-based firm said on Thursday. The investigation is looking into Scale AI's compliance with fair pay practices and working conditions and was initiated nearly an year ago under the former President Joe Biden's administration, the company said. The startup said over the last year it has worked with the department to explain its business model and the emerging artificial intelligence industry.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Current market price: ₹513.65 | Buy range: ₹495-518 | Profit goal: ₹610 | Stop loss: ₹470 | Timeframe: 2-3 months Current market price: ₹6,174.90 | Buy range: ₹6,000-6,200 | Profit goal: ₹7,700 | Stop loss: ₹5,500 | Timeframe: 2-3 months India’s benchmark stock index Nifty 50 extended its rally for a second consecutive session following a sharp fall in Brent crude oil prices and US President Donald Trump’s tariff concessions. Crude oil prices fell sharply after the OPEC+ bloc of major petroleum exporting nations announced plans to gradually ease voluntary production cuts.