*☕ Your Expresso is ready!* *📬 Get this delivered straight to your inbox:* https://indianexpress.com/newsletters/ *Read this newsletter in a single page:* https://indianexpress.com/article/live-news/top-news-today-briefing-10512441/ Good morning, The India-US trade deal has raised concerns about farmers' welfare, given that India has agreed to cut tariffs on agri goods and buy more American products. However, Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on Tuesday said that the interests of sensitive sectors like agriculture and dairy have been fully protected. https://www.inexp.in/uEpuuh *So, what is part of the trade deal?* Well, The Indian Express has learnt that India has committed to purchasing $100 billion worth of US products annually for five years. This will include aircraft, technology items, precious gems, nuclear products and agricultural goods. https://www.inexp.in/td3d5D *Zoom in:* Given that a large part of India's population is engaged in agriculture, these sectors are both economically significant and politically sensitive. They remained a sticking point during the months of negotiations between India and the US. While the finer print of the deal is unavailable as of now, sources say that it maintains protection on genetically modified products, maize, soya meal, etc., while giving quota access to cotton, pulses and other items. However, data show that US farm exports to India were already surging even with no deal signed. Harish Damodaran explains. https://www.inexp.in/1M5xiN *Zoom out:* How will the trade deal impact India's economy? The outlook is generally positive as the deal is expected to boost exports and market sentiment. However, the consequences may not be as straightforward and would likely take time to materialise. https://www.inexp.in/8foZ9i *Also read:* Columnist C Raja Mohan analyses the implications of the India-US trade deal for the bilateral relationship, and examines how each country’s ties with the likes of Pakistan, Russia, and China shape their engagement with one another. https://www.inexp.in/x2WPUK 🎧 For more on the India-US trade deal, tune in to today’s ‘3 Things’ podcast episode. https://www.inexp.in/LAxbY4 *⚡Only in Express* *Bail diaries:* The Elgaar Parishad-Bhima Koregaon case has dragged on for more than eight years. The charges are yet to be framed, and the trial has still not begun. Of the sixteen accused, only one — Surendra Gadling — remains in custody. Father Stan Swamy passed away, while the remaining fourteen are out on bail, bound by stringent conditions that sharply limit their movement and interactions. Our reporters spoke to each of them to understand what life after bail looks like and how these restrictions shape everything from their work to something as basic as finding a home. https://www.inexp.in/dYgheL *📰 From the Front Page* *Mismatch:* Software-flagged discrepancies and voter hearings are in focus in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the poll-bound West Bengal. Two sets of Election Commission data, both dated January 18, paint starkly different pictures of how many voters were flagged for "logical discrepancies". An EC affidavit filed in the Supreme Court puts the number at around 13 lakh, while data generated the same day by the West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer’s office points to a far higher 50.89 lakh. So which of these figures reflects the reality on the ground? Ravik Bhattacharya and Damini Nath report. https://www.inexp.in/G7ZE+i *House rumble:* For the second day in a row, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi was stopped in the Lok Sabha from referring to former Army chief General M M Naravane’s unpublished memoir, a move that eventually led to the suspension of eight Opposition MPs for the remainder of the Budget Session. From allegations that the Prime Minister is "compromised" to a row over calling the Chair "yaar", we recap what went down in Parliament, and how party leaders view the latest standoff. https://www.inexp.in/71BFJT *📌 Must Read* *The Manipur churn:* After nearly a year of President’s Rule, the BJP has moved to bring back an elected government in Manipur, with former minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh set to take over as Chief Minister. The shift follows the ethnic violence between Meitei and Kuki-Zo groups in May 2023, which tore through the state, displaced thousands and steadily eroded Biren Singh’s standing. Now, with Assembly elections less than a year away, the new government will have to win back the people's trust. Deeptiman Tiwary maps the uncertain road ahead. https://www.inexp.in/jRcLSq *On trial:* A decade-long study on death penalty cases, to be released today, raises troubling questions about how trial courts award capital punishment. Consider this: between 2016 and 2025, trial courts sentenced 1,310 people to death, but higher courts upheld just 70 of those verdicts. The study by the Square Circle Clinic, a criminal law advocacy group with the NALSAR University of Law in Hyderabad, flags this as a systemic failure. Here's why. https://www.inexp.in/dHIhZh *⏳ And Finally...* In the run-up to the T20 World Cup, we are profiling the unknown faces that shape our cricket champions in an ongoing series. Today's spotlight is on Sanju Samson, whose first classroom, according to his maternal grandfather, Anthonis, was the sea. Between sandy pitches, tired fishing boats and stories of angry waves, lessons came casually about patience, bad days, and not fearing failure. When Sanju worried about getting out for ducks, Anthonis reminded him that the sea, like cricket, gives both feast and famine. Years later, watching his grandson bat, he sees those words play out, proof that long before stadium lights, the game had already begun on Vizhinjam’s shore. https://www.inexp.in/+qCuIq That’s all for today, folks! Until tomorrow, Sonal Gupta and Anupama Yadav