This week’s headline features a story from Africa: India aims to utilise South Africa's legal action against the European Union's strict food safety regulations on citrus fruit to push for eased standards hindering a wide array of Indian food exports, aligning with Pretoria on global food safety concerns. This initiative underscores India's strategic move to address barriers limiting its exports to the EU and signals a potential shift in trade dynamics between India, South Africa, and the EU.

Europe:  EU official Thierry Breton is advocating for increased state spending to bolster domestic manufacturing, aiming to enhance competitiveness against China and the U.S.- a reversal of longtime policy to clamp down on national subsidies.

North America: Canada has introduced new limits on off-campus work hours for international students, reducing them from unlimited to 24 hours per week during the academic semester. Changes aim to balance work and academic commitments effectively, ensuring program integrity.

South America: The Brazilian government, led by leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, is set to establish an interministerial commission chaired by the Planning Ministry to propel South American integration projects. with $10 billion in funding.

Asia: Oxfam has called on the ADB to enhance its climate finance assessments, urging 'greater transparency and evidence-based reporting.

Australia: India and Australia aim to swiftly pursue a comprehensive trade deal post-Indian elections, covering areas like digital trade, goods, services, and government procurement to support India's role in future supply chains, leveraging economic complementarities.

Africa: India intends to leverage South Africa's challenge against the European Union's stringent food safety regulations on citrus fruit to advocate for relaxations in standards affecting a spectrum of Indian food exports, aligning with Pretoria on global food safety issues. Read Now !