India news: India-US trade deal 'pretty close,' says Trump

US President Donald Trump hints at a potential trade deal with India, while UN experts call for an investigation into Indian authorities' crackdown on protesters.

The full report

US President Donald Trump has hinted that the US-India trade deal could look different from previous ones, according to DW News. Trump made the comments while addressing journalists at the White House, citing Bloomberg. The deal has been under discussion for over a year. Trump stated, "They want to make a deal. We’re going to make a deal. Pretty close, yeah," regarding the trade agreement between India and the US.

UN experts have called for an independent investigation into Indian authorities' crackdown on protesters, as reported by DW News. The experts stated that demonstrators had sustained injuries and some reported being subjected to ill-treatment. The UN experts called on Indian authorities to respect, protect, and fulfill the right to peacefully protest, and ensure justice for human rights violations reported during these and previous protests.

The UN experts' statement follows a police crackdown on protesters in Delhi, who are demanding the resignation of India's election chief Gyanesh Kumar over alleged vote theft and mass voter deletions from electoral rolls. The experts expressed concern over the use of force against unarmed students, including lathi charges, and the prevention of thousands from joining the protests.

US Secretary Marco Rubio is on a two-day visit to India, which is seen as a repair attempt by Washington amid tensions in relations between the US and India over visa restrictions and tariff threats. Rubio alleviated concerns by stating that the tariffs are not meant to "punish India" and the visa restrictions are "not targeted" at the country.