Trump raises U.S. global tariff rate from 10% to 15%

President Donald Trump said on Saturday (February 21, 2026) that he was raising the global tariff he wants to impose to 15%, up from 10% he had announced a day earlier. Mr. Trump said in a social media post that he was making the decision “Based on a thorough, detailed, and complete review of the ridiculous, poorly written, and extraordinarily anti-American decision on Tariffs issued yesterday,” by the U.S. Supreme Court.

India ‘studying’ U.S. tariff moves: Commerce Ministry

While the Supreme Court of the United States has struck down the reciprocal tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump on various countries, including India, several other tariffs remain in place that continue to hurt various sectors, trade analysts and export data show. In a February 20 ruling, the Court held that Mr. Trump’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose tariffs on other countries exceeded his authority as President, and so struck down the duties. In a statement issued on Saturday, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry said it had “noted” the U.S. Supreme Court’s judgement, but did not clarify what would happen to India’s interim agreement with Washington.

Comparing separation of powers jurisprudence between India and U.S. based on recent SCOTUS ruling

The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS), in a 6:3 ratio judgment, declared that President Donald Trump overreached his authority to unilaterally impose unbounded tariffs and change them at will using the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) of 1977 during peacetime. Mr. Trump criticised the Supreme Court for being “very unpatriotic and disloyal to the Constitution”, suggesting the ruling was influenced by “foreign interests”.

Nearly 8% of voters removed from final electoral lists across six States and three U.T.s in SIR second phase

Nearly 8% of voters have been removed across nine States and Union Territories in the final electoral rolls published after the second phase of the special intensive revision (SIR). While the final lists of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Andaman and Nicobar, Chhattisgarh, and Goa were published on Saturday (February 21, 2026), that of Gujarat were released on February 17 and Puducherry and Lakshadweep on February 14.

JPMorgan concedes it closed Trump’s accounts after January 6 attack

JPMorgan Chase acknowledged for the first time that it closed the bank accounts of U.S. President Donald Trump and several of his businesses in the political and legal aftermath of the January 6, 2021, attacks on the U.S. Capitol, the latest development in a legal saga over the controversial practice of “debanking.” The acknowledgement came in a court filing submitted this week in Mr. Trump’s lawsuit against the bank and its leader, Jamie Dimon. The President sued for $5 billion, alleging that his accounts were closed for political reasons, disrupting his business operations.

Ghislaine Maxwell fights release of more Epstein documents, calling disclosure law unconstitutional

Lawyers for imprisoned British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell are fighting the requested release of 90,000 pages related to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein and Maxwell, saying a law used to force the public release of millions of documents is unconstitutional. The lawyers filed papers late Friday (February 20, 2026) in Manhattan federal court to try to block the release of documents from a since-settled civil defamation lawsuit brought a decade ago by the late Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre against Maxwell. The Justice Department recently asked a judge to lift secrecy requirements on the files.

Bangladesh moving towards restoring visa for Indians, say Diplomatic sources

Days after the Bangladesh Nationalist Party-led (BNP) government took charge after scoring a major electoral in, Bangladesh is moving towards normalising visa facilities for Indian visitors, a diplomatic source has confirmed to The Hindu. However, a formal notification in this regard is yet to be issued by Bangladesh. Bangladesh had halted issuing of visas in December 2025 when Indian missions faced protest and several incidents of stone pelting targeting Indian missions and visa centres were reported in Bangladesh. Subsequently, protests were held in India targeting Bangladesh’s High Commission in New Delhi as well as visa centres in West Bengal. Against this backdrop, the High Commission of Bangladesh had paused visa issuance and issued a public notice in this regard.

Government studying implications of U.S. tariff, says Commerce Ministry

The Indian government is studying the developments on the U.S. tariff and their implications, the Commerce Ministry said on Saturday (February 21, 2026). India now faces a lower tariff rate of 10%, down from 18%, after U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday (February 20, 2026) announced a new global levy in the wake of the Supreme Court verdict against his tariffs. The proclamation said a “temporary import surcharge of 10% ad valorem” on articles imported into the U.S. is effective for a period of 150 days starting February 24.

Shirtless protest: Court sends arrested Youth Congress workers to five-day police custody

A Delhi court on Saturday (February 21, 2026) sent the four Indian Youth Congress (IYC) workers, who were arrested for protesting at the AI Impact Summit venue a day ago, to five-day police custody. Judicial Magistrate Ravi allowed the Delhi Police’s plea seeking five days of custodial interrogation of the accused persons. A detailed order is awaited. The arrested protesters were Krishna Hari, national secretary of Youth Congress from Bihar; Kundan Yadav, IYC state secretary, Bihar; Ajay Kumar, IYC state president, Uttar Pradesh; and Narasimha Yadav from Telangana.

BJP workers show black flags to Rahul Gandhi in Mumbai over Youth Congress AI summit protest

BJP workers staged a black-flag protest against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in Mumbai on Saturday (February 21, 2026), calling it a response to the Youth Congress’s protest at the AI Summit. Mr. Gandhi landed at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in the morning and travelled by road to Bhiwandi in neighbouring Thane district to appear before a court in the 2014 defamation case. A group of BJP supporters staged a protest at Mulund toll naka and raised slogans against him. Speaking to reporters, protesters alleged that Mr. Gandhi consistently opposes the initiatives of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and accused him of tarnishing the country’s image.

It would be ‘fine’ if Israel took over entire West Asia region, says U.S. Envoy Mike Huckabee

Israel has “historical and biblical rights” to West Asia and “it would be fine if they took it all”, the U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, said in a newly released interview with podcaster Tucker Carlson. He later appeared to walk back on the remark, describing it as a “hyperbolic statement”. Mr. Huckabee, a former Republican Governor of Arkansas appointed Ambassador to Israel by the Trump administration, discussed with Mr. Carlson Israel’s “biblical rights” to the land and interpretations of the Old Testament.“This is a small population of people. They have a connection to this land, historically, biblically,” said Mr. Huckabee about the Jews. “This particular area we are talking about now, Israel, is a land that God gave through Abraham to a people that he chose. It was a people, a place, and a purpose We can look at it that way,” he said.

Maoism to be eliminated from India by March 31: Home Minister Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday (February 21, 2026) asserted that the forces responsible for internal security would eliminate Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) from the country by March 31. Addressing the 87th Raising Day parade of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) at a multi-sports complex in Guwahati, Mr. Shah praised the force for successfully containing the Maoist issue in three years. “My confidence in the CRPF makes me reiterate that we will rid the country of the Maoist problem by March 31,” he said. “When the red terror ends in the country, I will say without hesitation that the CRPF and its CoBRA battalions had a big role in it. The nation should always remember this,” Mr Shah said.

India now faces lower tariff rate of 10% with Trump’s proclamation on new levies after U.S. Supreme Court verdict

India now faces a lower tariff rate of 10%, down from 18%, after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a new global levy on items imported into America in the wake of the Supreme Court verdict against his sweeping tariffs. In a proclamation titled ‘Imposing a Temporary Import Surcharge to Address Fundamental International Payments Problems’, Mr. Trump said he is imposing, for a period of 150 days, a “temporary import surcharge of 10% ad valorem” on articles imported into the United States, effective February 24. Given this new tariff rate of 10%, which will be applicable on countries around the world, Indian goods being imported into the U.S. would no longer be subject to the 18% tariff rate that had been decided on following the announcement of a framework for an Interim Agreement on trade between India and the U.S.

India, Brazil set bilateral trade target of over $20 billion in five years

India and Brazil on Saturday (February 21, 2026) set a bilateral trade target of more than $20 billion in the next five years, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi held wide-ranging talks with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva, focussing in the areas of critical minerals and security. Mr. Modi said the relations between India and Brazil have long benefitted from President Lula’s visionary outlook and inspiring leadership.

Monks criticise Sri Lankan Govt over ‘organised campaign to sully Buddhism’

A section of the powerful Buddhist clergy in Sri Lanka has criticised the government over what they termed an “organised campaign being run by vested interests to sully Buddhism”, the majority religion, and monks. Issuing a 10-point ultimatum, the monks said the stature of Buddhism and monks was being “politically undermined” and called for urgent government attention. Addressing a gathering, leading monk Muruththettuwe Ananda said President Anura Kumara Dissanayake had called him to persuade him from going ahead with the meeting, attended by monks from all provinces. “He asked me to come to have talks with him and to stop this,” Ananda said. Article 9 of the country’s constitution warrants the head of state and the government to foster Buddhism, the religion of 74% of the population, while preserving the rights of other religions.

Aus. Women vs Ind. Women third T20I: India beat Australia by 17 runs, seal series 2-1

Smriti Mandhana’s blazing fifty was complemented by a superlative bowling display as India defeated Australia by 17 runs in the deciding third and final Women’s T20I to seal the three-match series 2-1 in Adelaide on Saturday (February 21, 2026). Opting to bat, India rode on a half centuries from vice-captain Smriti Mandhana (82) and charismatic batter Jemimah Rodrigues (59) to score a huge 176 for 6. Mandhana and Rodrigues stitched together a 121-run stand to guide India to an imposing total.

Alcaraz downs Fils to win Qatar Open, extends perfect start to the year

World number one Carlos Alcaraz cruised past ​Frenchman Arthur Fils 6-2 6-1 ‌to win the Qatar Open ​on Saturday (February 21, 2026) and ⁠extend his perfect start to the year. Alcaraz, whose second trophy of ‌2026 came 20 days after he completed the ‌career Grand Slam at ‌the ⁠Australian Open, dictated the ⁠match from the outset and won a remarkable 89% of his first-serve ​points while ‌never facing a break point during the 50-minute encounter.

India will be up against it if de Kock gets going

It was only a couple of months back that South Africa played a white-ball series in India after blanking the home side in the preceding Test series. That T20I series was not only a good warm-up for the World Cup but also gave both teams an idea about each other’s strengths and weaknesses. Don’t forget that South Africa are still smarting over that defeat in the World Cup final in Barbados in June 2024 and are thirsting for revenge.