India and New Zealand will sign a Free Trade Agreement on April 27, giving Indian exporters 100% duty-free access to the New Zealand market. The deal is notable for how quickly it came together: negotiations were announced in March 2025 and wrapped up by December of the same year, making it one of the fastest trade agreements India has concluded. That nine-month turnaround is unusually quick for India, which has historically taken years to close FTAs. Duty-free access means Indian goods enter New Zealand without tariffs applied at the border, directly lowering costs for exporters and improving their price competitiveness against rivals. The sectors that stand to benefit most are not specified in the announcement, but the blanket 100% coverage suggests broad eligibility across product categories. The signing date is now confirmed, so the next milestone to watch is ratification and the date the deal formally enters into force.
India's Expenditure Finance Committee has cleared a Rs 1.25 lakh crore outlay for India Semiconductor Mission 2.0, up 64 percent from ISM 1.0's Rs 76,000 crore. The proposal now goes to the Cabinet, as two chip plants begin commercial output and a third, CG Semi, is set to open July 4, 2026.
The Supreme Court blocked Trump from firing Federal Reserve board member Lisa Cook, preserving the Fed's independence from presidential removal power. A separate ruling the same day gave Trump broader authority to dismiss leaders of other independent federal agencies.
The US Supreme Court has blocked President Trump's attempt to fire Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook, who faced unproven mortgage fraud allegations. The ruling preserves Fed independence for now and keeps a politically charged removal case alive in the courts.
The US Supreme Court, splitting along ideological lines, has allowed the Trump administration to end Temporary Protected Status for Haitian and Syrian immigrants.
