Daily Briefing: What to expect from India-EU summit today

On that note, let’s get into the rest of today’s edition👇

🚨 Big Story

Top European leaders, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Luis Santos da Costa, were the chief guests at the Republic Day parade yesterday. Today, they will co-chair, along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the India-EU summit. Here’s what’s on the agenda:

👉 The two sides will enhance their Defence and Security Partnership. On Monday, a contingent of the EU military took part in the R-Day celebrations, which von der Leyen said was a powerful symbol of deepening bilateral security cooperation.

👉 They will also sign a memorandum of understanding on facilitating the mobility of Indians to Europe. The framework would include students, researchers, seasonal workers and highly skilled professionals.

👉 The two sides will announce the conclusion of negotiations for the Free Trade Agreement (FTA), which has been decades in the making. The deal would be signed later in the year after “legal scrubbing” and “internal consultations”. However, both sides have agreed to minimise the time for operationalising the FTA.

Crucially, the FTA comes against the backdrop of global uncertainties unleashed by US tariffs. A key driver of the deal has been the shared China challenge, as India worries about being priced out in certain sectors, while the EU has concerns over China’s dominance over critical minerals. New Delhi is yet to finalise a trade deal with the US, which has imposed steep 50% tariffs on Indian goods, straining bilateral ties. Senator Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, has blamed US President Donald Trump, Vice-President J D Vance and White House economic adviser Peter Navarro for resisting a trade deal with India, according to his leaked recordings reported by Axios.

⚡Only in Express

In a bid to regulate online content, the government is keen to introduce rules against obscenity. The publication or transmission of such content could attract imprisonment and/or a fine. The Centre has come up with draft IT (Digital Code) Rules, 2026, that spell out clear red lines – such as attacks on religion or suggestive innuendos – and also propose rating digital content by age suitability. Amrita Nayak Dutta brings you the details.

📰 From the Front Page

Purge: A top Chinese military general, Zhang Youxia, has come under fire for reportedly “leaking information about the country’s nuclear weapons program to the US”. Zhang was placed under official investigation amid China’s ongoing purge of allegedly “corrupt” military officials. Zhang has also been accused of “accepting bribes” and forming “political cliques”.

Zhang’s ouster comes just a month after the US Pentagon flagged the removal of senior officers of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in China. In October alone, nine top generals were expelled. Rishika Singh explains the purge and why the latest one stands out.

📌 Must Read

It’s all yellow: The historic gold rally is showing no signs of slowing down, and everyone from small investors like households to bigger institutions is continuing to pile in on gold. Among these big investors are central banks, including the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). In the RBI’s case, gold now makes up 17% of its forex reserves, up from 12$ a year ago. The reason, directly or indirectly, is Trump. We explain why.

No entry? The temple committees of Char Dham may pass a resolution to ban the entry of “non-Hindus” into the temple premises. A decision would be taken in the upcoming board meeting, according to Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee president Hemant Dwivedi. However, a senior office-bearer of the Board has said that the matter has not been discussed so far.

⏳ And Finally…

The internet is missing 2016. Some have even asserted that it was the last “best year”, despite the tumultuous politics that hit us in 2016. So, why does 2016 feel simpler than today? The answer lies in the way algorithms, which are today feeding us this nostalgia, changed the internet in 2016 into a hyper-optimised, engagement-baiting ecosystem. So, when a trend goes viral today, it’s hard to guess: did we choose it, or did the algorithm? Read on.

🎧 Before you go, do tune in to the latest ‘3 Things’ podcast episode. Today’s lineup: Pollution’s toll on athletes, a SIM card fraud, and how gangs hire shooters.

That’s all for today, folks! Until tomorrow,
Sonal Gupta

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