<h1>Weaker currency and foreign outflows as minister warns trade deal must respect red lines, fueling market uncertainty</h1> The national currency weakened slightly to 88.75 per US dollar in early trade, attributed to a stronger dollar, sustained foreign capital outflows and geopolitical developments; equity markets opened modestly higher while foreign institutional investors recorded net equity sell-offs. A government minister indicated that any bilateral trade agreement must respect the country's non-negotiable 'red lines,' acknowledging unresolved issues that impede finalizing the proposed deal and suggesting limits on negotiable matters. The commentary, alongside macroeconomic indicators including a cooling services PMI and rising oil futures, underscores legal and policy negotiation risks affecting market confidence.