The actual signing of the India-US trade deal will take place only after the new tariff framework is implemented, commerce secretary Rajesh Agrawal said on Monday at trade data briefing.. US President Donald Trump and PM Narendra Modi during a news conference in the East Room of the White House in Washington DC on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. (Bloomberg). India is currently in discussions with the US on the details of the trade pact, news agency PTI quoted Agrawal as saying. 

 One person was killed and another injured in a landslide near a hydro-power project, while over 230 people, including women and children, were evacuated after they were caught in heavy snowfall at the high-altitude Sinthan top in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district, officials said on Monday.. Representative image. (ANI) (ANI). In view of the inclement weather, the authorities have ordered the closure of all educational institutions outside the municipal limits in Kishtwar and adjoining Doda district for Monday as a precautionary measure, the officials said.. A landslide, triggered by rain, struck a hydro-power project site near Dangduru in Kishtwar district on the intervening night of Sunday-Monday, trapping two workers, the officials said.. While one worker was later found dead, the other was rescued in an injured condition and shifted to a hospital, they said.. In another incident, the officials said, a joint rescue operation by the police, Army and the civil administration successfully evacuated 38 vehicles carrying 235 passengers to safety amid heavy snowfall at the Sinthan Top connecting Kishtwar in Jammu region with south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.. “On March 15, information was received that 235 civilians were stranded at Sinthan top due to heavy snowfall and severe weather conditions. Troops of the White Knight Corps were immediately mobilised to launch a swift rescue operation despite the treacherous terrain and relentless snowfall.. “Braving extreme weather and snow-blocked roads, the rescue teams reached Sinthan top and provided the stranded civilians with hot meals, drinking water and shelter. Repair and recovery teams restored the mobility of the stranded vehicles, while passengers from the unrecoverable vehicles were safely evacuated.. “Medical teams rendered assistance and essential medicines to those in need,” the White Knight Corps said in a post on X.. “The mission witnessed seamless coordination between the Army, J-K Police and the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation, reaffirming the Army’s unwavering commitment to safeguarding lives in the harshest conditions,” the post added.. Kishtwar Deputy Commissioner Pankaj Kumar Sharma, along with SSP Naresh Singh and the commanding officer of the 11 Rashtriya Rifles, supervised the rescue operation, which continued for several hours, the officials said. 

 One person was killed and another injured in a landslide near a hydro-power project, while over 230 people, including women and children, were evacuated after they were caught in heavy snowfall at the high-altitude Sinthan top in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district, officials said on Monday.. Representative image. (ANI) (ANI). In view of the inclement weather, the authorities have ordered the closure of all educational institutions outside the municipal limits in Kishtwar and adjoining Doda district for Monday as a precautionary measure, the officials said.. A landslide, triggered by rain, struck a hydro-power project site near Dangduru in Kishtwar district on the intervening night of Sunday-Monday, trapping two workers, the officials said.. While one worker was later found dead, the other was rescued in an injured condition and shifted to a hospital, they said.. In another incident, the officials said, a joint rescue operation by the police, Army and the civil administration successfully evacuated 38 vehicles carrying 235 passengers to safety amid heavy snowfall at the Sinthan Top connecting Kishtwar in Jammu region with south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.. “On March 15, information was received that 235 civilians were stranded at Sinthan top due to heavy snowfall and severe weather conditions. Troops of the White Knight Corps were immediately mobilised to launch a swift rescue operation despite the treacherous terrain and relentless snowfall.. “Braving extreme weather and snow-blocked roads, the rescue teams reached Sinthan top and provided the stranded civilians with hot meals, drinking water and shelter. Repair and recovery teams restored the mobility of the stranded vehicles, while passengers from the unrecoverable vehicles were safely evacuated.. “Medical teams rendered assistance and essential medicines to those in need,” the White Knight Corps said in a post on X.. “The mission witnessed seamless coordination between the Army, J-K Police and the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation, reaffirming the Army’s unwavering commitment to safeguarding lives in the harshest conditions,” the post added.. Kishtwar Deputy Commissioner Pankaj Kumar Sharma, along with SSP Naresh Singh and the commanding officer of the 11 Rashtriya Rifles, supervised the rescue operation, which continued for several hours, the officials said. 

 The Supreme Court on Monday closed criminal proceedings against Ashoka University professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad over his social media posts on cross-boder Operation Sindoor against Pakistan after the Haryana government agreed to the court’s suggestion to refuse sanction for his prosecution as a “one-time magnanimity”.. Ashoka University professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad.. A bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi recorded the statement of the state and directed the closure. “Very gracefully, the state, as a one-time magnanimity, has decided not to grant sanction for prosecution. Consequently, the proceedings pending before the Judicial Magistrate First Class Sonepat, where a charge sheet is already filed, are directed to be closed for want of prosecution.”. Additional solicitor general (ASG) SV Raju, appearing for the Haryana government, told the court that, pursuant to the court’s suggestion on January 6, the state considered, as a one-time measure, that the case could be given closure by refusing a sanction for the prosecution. “This case is now a closed chapter. As a one-time magnanimity, the state has decided to refuse sanction.” Raju requested the court to pass an order that Mahmudabad should not indulge in such acts in the future.. The bench said it has no reason to doubt that Mahmudabad, a highly learned professor and domain expert, will act prudently. “We are all responsible citizens, but sometimes the situation becomes so sensitive,” the court said. “We do not want any discussion in open court, as things may be read between the lines.”. Senior advocate Siddharth Luthra, appearing for Mahmudabad, said, “This is a sufficient hint for the petitioner.” He requested the court to return Mahmudabad’s passport deposited with the trial court.. Mahmudabad was arrested in May 2025 over Facebook posts regarding Operation Sindoor, following complaints regarding his comments on military restraint and “performative patriotism”. The Supreme Court granted him interim bail on May 21, 2025, and relaxed conditions to allow him to write online. It formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate Mahmudabad’s posts.. The SIT informed the court in January that it applied for the prosecution sanction from the state government on August 22, 2025. Prior sanction of either the Central or state government is required under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for trials for offences of promoting enmity (section 196), assertions prejudicial to national integrity (section 197), and statements related to public mischief (section 353). The Supreme Court had earlier quashed criminal proceedings against Mahmudabad in one of the two cases and directed the trial court not to proceed in the second case. In November, the SIT recommended the closure of one case as the same allegations were covered in the second, in which the Haryana Police filed the charge sheet. 

 Air India and its budget carrier Air India Express on Monday announced the cancellation of all its flight to and from Dubai, hours after a drone strike was reported near the airport.. Air India and Air India Express have announced the cancellation of all flights to and from Dubai. (REUTERS). In a tweet, Air India said that the decision was taken because the Dubai International Airport has temporarily suspended all flight operations. It also said that passengers can either reschedule their flights for another date or cancel their booking and get a full refund.. Follow live updates on the situation in Dubai here.. “We sincerely regret the inconvenience caused by these unavoidable operational constraints,” the airline said, adding that the staff would be available to assist all passengers.. While the Dubai flights stand cancelled, Air India Express’ ad-hoc flight operations to and from Abu Dhabi, Ras Al Khaimah, and Sharjah will continue as announced, the airline said.. A fire was reported near Dubai’s international airport on Monday after a drone-related incident, authorities said. “A drone incident in the vicinity of Dubai International Airport (DXB) affected one of the fuel tanks,” the Dubai Media Office posted on X.. Shortly after, the Dubai airport announced the suspension of flights for the day and major airlines like Emirates also advised passengers to not approach the airport. A Dubai-bound flight of the airline from Kochi returned hours after take-off following the drone incident near the airport.. Among all Middle Eastern countries targeted by Iran, the UAE has been worst hit, having engaged in 1,600 drones and more than 300 missiles since the conflict began.