21012026-TTC-01.qxd 1/21/2026 12:32 AM Page 1 13 CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 146 NO. 21 | 14 PAGES | ~5.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2024-2026 ESTABLISHED IN 1881 MANN GOVT GETS TOUGH ON GANGSTERS, OVER 1,300 NABBED PUNJAB /thetribunechd ARMY PAYS TRIBUTES TO BRAVEHEART KILLED IN KISHTWAR J&K 210 MAOISTS KILLED IN NAXAL-HIT AREAS IN 2025 NATION RUSSIA: GREENLAND NOT ‘NATURAL PART’ OF DENMARK WORLD wednesday | 21 january 2026 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com EU on cusp of ‘mother of all trade deals’: Ursula on R-Day visit eve Says after pact with India, combined market to be quarter of global GDP Ujwal Jalali Tribune News Service New Delhi, January 20 India and the European Union are on the verge of a landmark trade agreement that could reshape global commerce and create a market spanning two billion people, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Tuesday, signalling a possible breakthrough ahead of her upcoming visit to New Delhi. In a special address at the World Economic Forum in Davos, von der Leyen said she would travel to India next week, underscoring the urgency attached to the negotiations. “There’s still work to do, but we are on the cusp of a historic trade agreement. Indeed, some call it the mother of all deals,” she said. If concluded, the agreement would create a combined market accounting for nearly a quarter of global GDP giving , Europe a “first-mover advantage” in one of the world’s fastest-growing regions. “Europe wants to do business with the growth centres of today and the economic continued on page 8 Indiaasksfamilies ofdiplomatsto returnfromB’desh Tribune News Service New Delhi, January 20 India has declared its High Commission in Bangladesh a “non-family posting” for diplomats and officials in view of the security situation ahead of the elections there next month. Dependents of diplomats and officials have been asked to return to India. The decision, described as a precautionary measure, comes amid mounting political tensions and sporadic incidents of violence reported across Bangladesh in the runup to the February 12 poll. “Given the security situation, as a precautionary measure, we have advised the dependents of officials to return to India. The mission in Bangladesh continues to remain operational,” official sources said. Punjab defends Amritpal’s third detention in HC Tribune News Service Chandigarh, January 20 The Punjab Government has told the Punjab and Haryana High Court that there is absolutely no merit in Lok Sabha member Amritpal Singh’s petition challenging the third detention order dated April 17, 2025, either factually or legally. This came as the Bench headed by Chief Justice Sheel Nagu imposed costs of Rs 10,000 on the state for filing its reply on the date of hearing itself. The reply was to be filed last Saturday. At the outset, Chief Justice Nagu questioned the “late” challenge to the detention order. “I am told they challenged it seven months after the order was passed,” the Chief Justice observed. continued on page 8 ❝ ADDITIONAL US TARIFFS MISTAKE The proposed additional tariffs (by the US) are a mistake, especially between long-standing allies... the EU’s response, if necessary, would be unflinching, united & proportional. — Ursula von der Leyen <
The Tribune, now published from Chandigarh, started publication on February 2, 1881, in Lahore (now in Pakistan). It was started by Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia, a public-spirited philanthropist, and is run by a trust comprising four eminent persons as trustees.
The Tribune, the largest selling daily in North India, publishes news and views without any bias or prejudice of any kind. Restraint and moderation, rather than agitational language and partisanship, are the hallmarks of the paper. It is an independent newspaper in the real sense of the term.
The English edition apart, the 133-year-old Tribune has two sister publications, Punjabi Tribune (in Punjabi) and Dainik Tribune (in Hindi).
