INDIA
India's rising music star Diljit is breaking the Bollywood mold
Diljit Dosanjh, a 41-year-old musician, actor and producer from Punjab, is rewriting the formula for success in the world's fastest-growing music market
WORLD
Global bond selloff ramps up in Asia as Japan yields rise
Shares in Japan and South Korea rose while Chinese stocks fluctuated in opening trade
BUSINESS
US weighs one-month delay of auto tariffs on Canada, Mexico
Administration officials met Tuesday to discuss the matter with the heads of Ford Motor Co., General Motors Co. and Stellantis NV, according to some of the people, who weren’t authorized to discuss details publicly. Another meeting on possible tariff relief is set for Wednesday at the White House, people familiar said.
BUSINESS
Saudi Aramco weighs bid for BP’s Castrol lubricant assets
Aramco is particularly interested in Castrol’s operations in fast-growing markets like India, the people said, asking not to be identified because the information is private. Its Mumbai-listed subsidiary Castrol India Ltd. has a market value of about $2.5 billion.
BUSINESS
Traders Watch for Trump Put After Lutnick Hints at Relief
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent expressed confidence in President Trump’s expansive plans to tariff foreign nations despite the stock market.
WORLD
Taiwan is ‘praying’ for stronger US ties after Ukraine fallout
President Lai Ching-te announced in February that Taiwan will raise its defense spending to 3% of gross domestic product.
WORLD
Fact-checked: What Trump said about the US Economy
Here are the president’s key economic statements from the address, fact-checked and contextualized
BUSINESS
Traders wonder if Trump put is in as Lutnick hints at relief
Lutnick’s comments coming on the heels of another market selloff underscore the idea that Wall Street strategists expect Trump to be attuned to the mood on America’s financial markets, and potentially adjust policy accordingly.
WORLD
Behind BlackRock play for Panama Canal, a direct line to Trump
The deal, which will hand the seller $19 billion, reflects an extraordinary confluence of Trump’s America First vision and Wall Street’s globe-spanning quest for profit
WORLD
Trump warns of tariff ‘disturbance’ as he touts trade plans
Trump used the address to defend his use of tariffs and unveil new projects.
WORLD
China to mandate steel output cuts to ease glut, restore profits
Authorities will promote industry restructuring to reduce production, the nation’s economic planning agency said at the National People’s Congress in Beijing on Wednesday
BUSINESS
Carlyle Group hunts for wealth assets in India alongside rivals
The New-York based firm that counts PNB Housing Finance Ltd. and Yes Bank Ltd. in its India portfolio, is keen to acquire wealth and asset management companies as local households move their savings toward financial assets.
BUSINESS
Adani’s new $2.1 billion Mumbai airport draws low-cost carriers
IndiGo will shift part of its operations to the new airport, according to people familiar with the matter. Tata Group’s low-cost carrier Air India Express and smaller rivals SpiceJet and Akasa are also in discussions to eventually relocate all of their operations.
WORLD
China sets GDP target at about 5% despite US tariffs
Premier Li Qiang is expected to officially announce the target Wednesday morning as he delivers his report to the national parliament in Beijing
WORLD
China ramps up spending on its military as US looks to cut costs
The announcement is set to be made at an annual gathering of the nation’s legislature in Beijing that the government uses to roll out major plans and policies for the year.
WORLD
Asian stocks advance after whipsawing on tariffs
Hong Kong shares outperformed, and a regional gauge rose after China set a 5% growth target, following mayhem on Tuesday
WORLD
Putin agrees to help Trump broker nuclear talks with Iran
Top US and Russian officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, discussed Washington’s interest in Moscow helping with Iranian issues during a February 18 meeting in Riyadh, according to people with knowledge of the situation.
WORLD
CK Hutchison sells Panama ports to BlackRock amid Donald Trump pressure
Hutchison has run the ports in Panama’s Balboa and Cristobal under a concession that was first signed in 1997 and, in 2021, extended until 2047
TECHNOLOGY
Anthropic finalizes megaround at $61.5 billion valuation
Late last year, the company’s annual revenue run rate was about $1 billion, according to a person familiar with the matter. So far this year, that number has increased by 30%, said the person, who asked not to be identified discussing private information.
BUSINESS
Prudential is said to seek $12-billion valuation for ICICI Pru AMC IPO
Prudential may seek to file an initial draft prospectus for the Mumbai IPO as soon as May, according to people familiar with the matter
BUSINESS
Oyo speeds up IPO plans as founder's debt repayment date looms: Report
Founder Ritesh Agarwal had borrowed $2.2 billion in 2019 to increase his stake in Oyo. That loan was restructured in 2022, and Agarwal is yet to pay back its first tranche, the report said
BUSINESS
DeepSeek’s ‘theoretical’ profit margins are just that
Companies that want to make money from AI have to do a much better job explaining why customers should pay for these services
BUSINESS
Canada retaliates, imposes tariffs on $107 billion of US products
It’s a trade war that will disrupt one of the world’s largest bilateral trade relationships, worth more than $900 billion in annual goods and services.
BUSINESS
Asian stocks decline after tariffs spark US rout
Investors are increasingly becoming wary about rising geopolitical tensions and the prospect of tit-for-tat tariffs worsening the global trade spat.
