• India diversifies LPG sources with new US supply deal.
• India-US talks continue despite tariff, oil import disputes.
• US tariffs seen denting India’s GDP by up to 80 bps.
  

India said on Monday it had signed a “significant” deal that will see the United States supply nearly 10% of the Asian giant’s liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) imports, as it seeks to diversify its energy sources.

Relations between Washington and New Delhi plummeted in August after President Donald Trump raised tariffs on India to 50%, with US officials accusing the country of fuelling Russia´s war in Ukraine by buying its discounted oil.

Trump has claimed that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has agreed to cut its Russian oil imports as part of a prospective trade deal — something New Delhi has not confirmed.

India and the United States remain in talks, despite disagreements over a range of issues, including agricultural trade and the Russian oil purchases.

Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri said India had signed the one-year deal for 2.2 million tonnes per annum of LPG, sourced from the US Gulf Coast, providing “close to 10%” of India´s annual imports of the fuel.

Puri said it was “the first structured contract of US LPG for the Indian market”.

“In our endeavour to provide secure, affordable supplies of LPG to the people of India, we have been diversifying our LPG sourcing,” Puri said in a statement, adding that “one of the largest and the world´s fastest growing LPG market opens up to the United States”.

In October, Indian state-backed refiner HPCL-Mittal Energy said it halted purchases of Russian crude after Washington imposed sanctions on Moscow’s two largest oil companies.

Reliance Industries, the privately owned main Indian buyer of Russian crude, has also said it is assessing the implications of the US restrictions, as well as those imposed by the European Union.

India’s economy, the fifth-largest in the world, grew at its fastest pace in five quarters in the three months ending June 30, helped by higher government spending and improved consumer sentiment.

But US tariffs continue to overshadow the economy, with experts projecting that they could shave anywhere between 60 to 80 basis points off GDP growth this fiscal year, if there is no relaxation soon.

 

A Bangladesh court sentenced ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to death on Monday, concluding a months-long trial that found her guilty of ordering a deadly crackdown on a student-led uprising last year.

The Muslim-majority South Asian country of 170 million people has grappled with instability since Hasina fled to India in August 2024 at the height of the uprising. Here are the key events:

Deadly protests

Protesters led by the “Students Against Discrimination” group initially wanted quotas in public sector jobs, but the movement escalated in July 2024 as they demanded Hasina’s resignation and clashed with security forces and supporters of her Awami League party.

Protesters blamed the government for a crackdown that killed hundreds of people and injured thousands with unrest peaking on August 5 when Hasina was forced to flee to neighbouring India just before crowds stormed her official residence. She has stayed since in the Indian capital New Delhi.

Yunus as de facto PM

An interim government was formed and tasked with restoring stability and preparing for parliamentary elections. Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, 85, took charge as de facto prime minister.

Elections will be held in early February, he has said.

The interim government promised sweeping institutional reforms but progress has been slow and fragmented, despite broad consensus on key reforms such as restoring a non-partisan caretaker government to oversee elections, depoliticising state institutions and overhauling the Election Commission.

But deeper reforms have stalled in the face of sharp disagreements between political parties over proposals for constitutional change, judicial reform and introduction of a bicameral parliament.

Political analysts have pointed to a widening gap between public expectations and outcomes.

Elections

Yunus’ government is caught between the need for reform and pressure for early elections, its biggest challenge.

Further strain has been added by the controversy over the exclusion of Hasina’s Awami League party, after its registration was suspended, effectively barring it from contesting.

Many want it to participate, despite its top leadership being prosecuted for alleged violations of human rights during the protests. Without broad political inclusion, the legitimacy of a vote could be suspect.

The newly formed National Citizen Party (NCP), born out of the 2024 protests, is viewed by critics as being favoured by Yunus’ administration, which the government denies. But the suspicion could also cloud the credibility of the vote.

Fragility

Law enforcement remains a challenge. Political violence, mob attacks and harassment of journalists and minorities, especially women, are regularly reported.

Mob violence claimed at least 261 lives between August 2024 and October 2025, says rights group Ain o Salish Kendra.

New York-based Human Rights Watch warns that while some authoritarian practices have ended, the interim government has adopted troubling tactics of its own.

Among these are arbitrary detentions, mass arrests, and politically motivated prosecutions mostly targeted at supporters of Hasina’s party, the group said.

Torture in custody and use of the Special Powers Act continue, mirroring repressive tactics of the past, HRW said.

The interim government denies the charges.

‘July Declaration’

A charter called the ‘July Declaration’ after last year’s uprising has laid out the roadmap for democratic reforms.

Last week, Yunus said the interim government will hold a national referendum alongside the February parliamentary vote on implementing the charter for state reform, saying it will be implemented depending on the outcome of the referendum.

The charter will eventually become a part of the constitution if approved by the new parliament.

The July Charter seeks to reshape the country’s politics and institutions and give constitutional recognition to the 2024 uprising. ‘

It envisages increased representation of women, limiting the prime minister’s term, strengthening presidential powers, expanding fundamental rights and ensuring judicial independence.

The Saudi government has announced strict restrictions for seriously ill individuals wishing to perform Hajj 2026. Under a new policy, seriously ill pilgrims may be deported back to their home countries, with the cost of travel to be borne by the pilgrims themselves.

Sources in the Ministry of Religious Affairs added that action will be taken against doctors who issue fitness certificates to individuals who do not meet the health requirements.

According to directives from the Saudi Ministry of Health regarding medical conditions for Hajj 2026, patients with kidney diseases or those undergoing dialysis will not be permitted to perform the pilgrimage.

Similarly, individuals with heart conditions that limit physical activity, advanced lung or liver diseases, and severe neurological or psychiatric illnesses—including memory impairment, dementia, or severe disabilities—will also be restricted.

Additionally, elderly individuals with serious age-related health conditions, such as Alzheimer’s disease or epilepsy, will be barred from performing Hajj.

Pregnant women, as well as patients suffering from contagious diseases such as whooping cough, tuberculosis, or viral hemorrhagic fevers, will likewise not be allowed to participate in Hajj 2026.

Cancer patients have also been declared ineligible for Hajj. Medical officers will be authorised to prevent such individuals from travelling before departure.

Monitoring teams deployed by Saudi authorities will assess and verify the authenticity of each pilgrim’s fitness certificate.