Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the United States from February 12 to 13 and hold talks with President Donald Trump, Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said on Friday, reports Reuters.

The visit follows an invitation from Trump and comes just weeks after he returned to the White House for his second term. 

It also comes at a time Modi's government is facing criticism over the treatment of 104 Indian immigrants deported by Washington this week as part of Trump's immigration agenda.

Modi will visit France from February 10 to 12 before heading to Washington, Misri said.

Trump spoke with Modi on January 27, when he discussed immigration and stressed the importance of India buying more American-made security equipment and fair bilateral trading ties.

The two leaders also discussed meeting soon and "that is the promise and the commitment that is now unfolding", Misri told reporters, adding that Modi's visit will "give further direction and impetus to this very important partnership".

India, a strategic partner of the United States in its efforts to counter China, is keen to enhance trade relations with the US and make it easier for its citizens to get skilled worker visas.

It is also keen to avoid tariffs that Trump has threatened in the past, citing India's high tariffs on US products.

India plans to review import tariffs on over 30 items, including luxury cars, solar cells and chemicals, a senior finance ministry official told Reuters this week, potentially leading to increased imports from the US as global trade tensions grow.

Previously, the US-funded International Rescue Committee would have treated her and the tens of thousands of other refugees living in camps on the Thai-Myanmar border.

The United States is India's largest trading partner and two-way trade between the two countries surpassed $118 billion in 2023/24, with India posting a trade surplus of $32 billion.

MSH

At least 34 people, including two babies were killed when a contraband fuel depot exploded into flames in southern Benin near the border with Nigeria on Saturday.

According to Beninese Interior Minister Alassane Seidou, “a serious fire occurred in the town of Seme Podji. Another 20 people were seriously wounded in the incident.”

"I can't really give you the cause of the fire, but there is a large gasoline warehouse here and cars, tricycles and motorcycles come from morning to evening,” he added.

Nigeria is a main oil and gas producer where fuel smuggling is very common along its borders, particularly when the government maintains a subsidy to keep fuel prices low.

The majority of the victims were burnt and they could not be not be identified.

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