RELIANCE

New Delhi/Washington, October 2, 2026: A much-anticipated trade agreement between India and the United States remains uncertain despite a recent phone call between U.S. President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with Washington signalling that significant differences still need to be resolved. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said on Thursday that negotiations with India were continuing but that a deal was not imminent. He said officials from both countries had identified the major issues still standing in the way of an agreement and were working to address them. “I don’t think it is imminent,” Greer told reporters, while describing his recent discussions with Indian Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal as constructive. The comments came a day after Trump and Modi spoke by telephone about bilateral cooperation, including trade, defence, energy and critical technologies. According to New Delhi, the two leaders also discussed broader regional and glob...

New Delhi, October 2, 2026: Protests were held in several Indian cities on Friday demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over allegations of irregularities in the revision of electoral rolls and the exclusion of large numbers of voters from the lists. The demonstrations, held on Gandhi Jayanti, Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary, brought together opposition political parties, student organisations and civil society groups in cities including New Delhi and Mumbai. Protesters accused the Election Commission of mishandling the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and alleged that eligible voters had been removed from the lists. The Election Commission has rejected allegations of political manipulation and maintained that the revision process is being conducted under established procedures. It has also said that eligible voters who were inadvertently left out can seek inclusion through the prescribed process. Protests in New Delhi In the cap...

UJJAIN, India — Tensions escalated in the central Indian city of Ujjain on Monday after authorities began removing a portion of the Shahi Masjid as part of a road-widening project ahead of the 2028 Simhastha religious gathering. The development triggered clashes between police and local residents who had gathered near the mosque to oppose the removal. Police used tear gas after protesters allegedly threw stones at security personnel, according to reports. The dispute centres on a section of the mosque that falls within the proposed alignment of a road being widened to about 15 metres. The project is linked to preparations for Simhastha 2028, a major Hindu religious gathering expected to draw large numbers of pilgrims to Ujjain. Overnight Protest Turns Into Confrontation Members of the Muslim community had gathered at the mosque on Sunday and remained there overnight, opposing the proposed removal. Representatives of the mosque and local administration held discussions during the night...

New Delhi, September 28, 2026 — Political tensions over the functioning of India’s Election Commission intensified on Monday as Congress supporters protested outside the ancestral residence of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in Agra and spray-painted slogans including “Gyanesh Gaddar” and “Vote Chor” on the property. The demonstration came as Congress and other opposition groups stepped up nationwide protests demanding Kumar’s resignation amid a growing political dispute over the Election Commission’s handling of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Congress workers and members of affiliated organisations gathered outside Kumar’s residence in Vijay Nagar, Agra, on Monday morning, raising slogans and displaying posters and pamphlets. Some protesters used black spray paint on the main gate and an exterior wall of the house. Images and videos of the incident were subsequently circulated widely on social media. The Indian Youth Congress also shared footage ...

Phagwara, Punjab | September 27, 2026 A major student protest erupted at Lovely Professional University (LPU) in Punjab’s Phagwara after allegations emerged that a female student had been sexually assaulted by an outsider, triggering overnight unrest, clashes and property damage on the university campus. Hundreds of students joined the demonstration, which began around midnight and intensified in the early hours of Sunday. The protest later spilled beyond the campus, with students blocking part of the Jalandhar-Phagwara national highway and disrupting traffic. Dramatic scenes were reported from inside the university grounds, where students climbed onto military equipment displayed on campus. Videos circulating on social media showed one student sitting on an Indian Air Force MiG-23UM fighter aircraft, while around 10 students were seen standing on top of a military tank installed as part of a campus display. Protest intensifies amid allegations According to police, the initial protest ...

RIYADH, September 24, 2026 — Saudi authorities have lifted emergency warnings issued earlier in five areas of the kingdom, including Mecca, Taif, Tabuk, Jeddah and the Red Sea port city of Yanbu, after declaring that the reported danger had passed. The Saudi Civil Defense said on Thursday that the alerts, issued through the National Early Warning Platform, had been withdrawn after conditions returned to normal. Residents were nevertheless urged to continue following official safety instructions and to remain alert. The warnings had referred only to a “potential danger” and did not specify the nature of the threat. Authorities also did not report any casualties or damage in connection with the alerts. Civil Defense separately advised residents to avoid gathering unnecessarily at incident sites or other potentially hazardous locations. People were also asked not to photograph or record video at such sites, reflecting the authorities’ emphasis on public safety and orderly response durin...

NEW DELHI — India’s Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) has given Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar 48 hours to resign , warning that it will launch a nationwide protest if he refuses to step down. CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke issued the ultimatum at a news conference in New Delhi on Thursday, amid growing political and public scrutiny of the Election Commission’s handling of electoral rolls and its ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. Dipke accused the Election Commission of undermining voters’ rights and questioned the conduct of the poll panel under Kumar’s leadership. He said the proposed nationwide protests would follow the pattern of an earlier demonstration organised by the party at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar in June. “We believe the Chief Election Commissioner should resign to ensure free and fair elections,” Dipke said, according to reports of the news conference. Dispute over voter-roll revision At the centre of the controversy is the Election Commission’s SIR prog...

MUMBAI: The death by suicide of IIT Bombay student Sahil Wakode has sparked protests and renewed debate over caste discrimination, institutional accountability and student welfare at India’s premier higher-education institutions. Wakode, a Dalit student at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, died after allegations emerged that he had faced caste-based humiliation and sustained institutional pressure. His family has alleged that a professor made derogatory caste-related remarks against him after accusing him of using unfair means during an examination. They have also alleged that he was subjected to prolonged mental harassment. The allegations have not been established as fact. IIT Bombay has disputed aspects of the family’s account and has said the examination-related incident involved a breach of academic rules. The circumstances surrounding Wakode’s death remain under investigation. The case has nevertheless prompted student protests and brought wider attention to concerns...

BANKURA, India: The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) has launched a fundraising campaign to collect ₹5 million to support Sheikh Abdul Hafiz, a 25-year-old man whose father died after an alleged assault in Bankura, West Bengal. The party says Hafiz and his father, Mafik, were attacked at their home after Hafiz raised concerns about the poor condition of a government school in their village. According to the CJP, several armed men entered Hafiz’s home in Karisunda village, under the Indas police station area of Bankura district, on August 13 and assaulted both him and his father. Hafiz reportedly suffered serious injuries to his neck, while his father sustained severe head injuries. Mafik died in hospital on August 15, the party said. The CJP has linked the alleged attack to Hafiz’s participation in its “Fix the School” campaign. The party said Hafiz had visited a local government school on August 13 as part of the initiative and highlighted what it described as serious deficiencies in th...

ISTANBUL — Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan are set to hold the first committee meeting under their newly signed Mecca Joint Defense Pact , bringing senior diplomatic and military officials from the three countries together in Istanbul on Monday. The meeting comes after the three countries signed the defense agreement on August 7, establishing a new framework for closer military and security cooperation amid growing tensions across the Middle East. Focus on Collective Defense A central objective of the agreement is to strengthen the three countries’ collective deterrence and defense capabilities against potential external aggression. Under the pact, an armed attack against any one of the three member states is to be treated as an attack against all three. The principle has drawn comparisons with NATO’s collective-defense framework , although the precise mechanisms for military coordination and response remain to be developed. The Istanbul meeting is expected to provide an initial op...

WASHINGTON: Barron Trump, the youngest son of US President Donald Trump, has largely withdrawn from public view as security concerns surrounding his family intensify amid a broader climate of political violence in the United States. Now 20, Barron is reportedly living a highly private life under enhanced security, with his movements kept to a minimum. A person close to the Trump family told The Post that he rarely goes out. Barron recently completed his second year at New York University. Much of his summer was reportedly spent with his mother, First Lady Melania Trump, at the Trump National Golf Club Bedminster in New Jersey. People familiar with him describe him as a private and reserved young man who generally avoids the spotlight. Growing security concerns The security environment surrounding the Trump family has become increasingly tense following several serious threats against the president. Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt in July 2024 when he was wounded by gun...

DHAKA: Bangladesh could gain opportunities to strengthen its defence capabilities, expand military technology cooperation and deepen strategic ties with countries such as Turkey and Pakistan if it eventually joins the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, analysts say. The agreement between Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan has attracted international attention because of its military dimension. Although some have informally described the grouping as a “Muslim NATO”, Turkish geopolitics professor Murat Aslam says that comparison is misleading. Aslam, a professor at Hasan Kalyoncu University and an international geopolitics analyst, said the agreement should primarily be viewed as a defensive arrangement rather than an offensive military alliance. He said the grouping was not established against any specific country. Its initial objectives include preventing conflicts among member states and strengthening their collective defence capabilities. The agreement could also carry wider commercia...