The Apple Farmers' Federation of India (AFFI) has announced a protest outside Parliament during the Budget Session's second leg in March 2026, demanding the scrapping of the India-US interim bilateral trade agreement. AFFI convener and Jammu & Kashmir MLA M.Y. Tarigami and co-convener Rakesh Singha condemned what they described as the "total annihilation of import tariffs" on Washington apples, reduced from 50% to nil under the agreement. They called it an "unequal treaty" and a "death knell" for India's domestic apple industry. Farmers from Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand will be mobilised for the demonstration, protesting what they term a major surrender of India's economic interests. (PC: The Hindu)

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will skip Punjab and avoid Bhangra dancing during his first official visit to India, deliberately distancing himself from predecessor Justin Trudeau's widely mocked 2018 trip. Carney to arrive in Mumbai with the aim of reset strained Canada-India relations, soured after Trudeau alleged Indian government links to the assassination of a prominent Sikh separatist, a claim India repeatedly denied. Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand confirmed new measures are in place tracking criminal money, digital threats and diaspora surveillance. Some Sikh groups have criticised Carney's approach. After India, Carney will visit Australia and later meet Japanese PM Sanae Takaichi to explore trade in autos, energy and critical minerals. (PC: The Tribune)

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney arrived in Mumbai on 27 Feb 2026 for his first official visit to India, running through 2 March, aimed at strengthening diplomatic and economic ties with Narendra Modi. The four-day trip includes business engagements with industry leaders, discussions on trade, investment, energy and technology, and delegation-level talks in New Delhi. Both sides plan to review progress under the India-Canada Strategic Partnership and launch negotiations for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. The visit marks a diplomatic thaw after years of strained relations. (PC: Reuters)

US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick made an unscheduled visit to New Delhi, holding a "highly productive" lunch meeting with Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal to discuss deepening trade and economic ties between the two nations. The visit follows the US Supreme Court's February 20 ruling invalidating President Trump's sweeping global tariffs imposed under emergency powers. Trump subsequently invoked Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, imposing a 10% global tariff valid for 150 days. The court ruling disrupted a carefully negotiated interim bilateral trade agreement framework established through a February 6 joint statement. Experts warn any future tariff arrangement must operate within the constitutional constraints now reaffirmed by the Supreme Court. (PC: HT)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed a heartfelt "personal debt" to India during a joint press statement with PM Narendra Modi, revealing that his first or second date with wife Sara took place at an Indian restaurant in Tel Aviv. He praised the food as "unbelievable" and credited the restaurant to Reena Pushkarna, widely known as Israel's "Curry Queen," who is celebrated for introducing authentic Indian cuisine to Israel. Netanyahu had previously shared this anecdote during Modi's 2017 Israel visit. PM Modi's two-day official state visit to Israel included a special airport welcome by Netanyahu and his wife. Both nations pledged to deepen their defence partnership through joint development and technology transfers.

India and Israel elevated their bilateral relationship to a "Special Strategic Partnership" during PM Narendra Modi's second state visit to Israel. Following delegation-level talks with PM Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem, both nations signed wide-ranging agreements covering trade, agriculture, energy, cyberspace, and digital payments. A landmark agreement was reached for UPI adoption in Israel, while both sides committed to advancing a mutually beneficial Free Trade Agreement. Modi announced an India-Israel critical and emerging technologies partnership spanning AI, quantum technologies, and critical minerals. Defence cooperation will expand through joint development and military hardware production under a technology transfer framework. Modi also strongly backed the Gaza Peace Initiative, reaffirming India's zero-tolerance stance on terrorism and commitment to Middle East stability.

The Indian Army's Western Command has issued a stern warning to Pakistan, declaring that any future provocation will draw a far harsher response than Operation Sindoor. Lieutenant General Rajesh Pushkar, GOC of 2 Corps, confirmed Operation Sindoor 2.0 is ongoing with preparations on a significantly larger scale across land, sea, and air. He recalled how the original Operation Sindoor, launched after the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people in May last year, brought Pakistan to its knees within four days, forcing Islamabad to seek a ceasefire. Lieutenant General Manoj Kumar Katiyar dismissed Pakistan's nuclear threats as a bluff, reaffirming India's zero-tolerance policy on terrorism under PM Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

In a significant diplomatic shift, the Canadian federal government has stated it no longer believes India is linked to violent crimes in Canada. The announcement came during a media briefing ahead of Prime Minister Mark Carney's upcoming nine-day visit to India, which includes stops in Mumbai and New Delhi for talks with PM Narendra Modi. Senior Canadian officials confirmed that robust diplomatic engagement between national security advisers had resolved concerns about foreign interference. Relations between both nations had severely deteriorated following the June 2023 killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia, leading to diplomat expulsions and a prolonged standoff. Ottawa's reset signals a shift toward pragmatic foreign policy and deeper economic engagement with India. (PC: The Hindu)

Indian-origin paediatrician Dr Neha Gupta, 37, from Oklahoma, has been charged with murdering her four-year-old daughter Aria Talathi in Florida in June 2025. US authorities released her chilling 911 call, in which she claimed her daughter fell into a pool at a short-term rental home while they slept. Gupta told dispatchers she couldn't swim and was unable to rescue the child. However, autopsy results proved Aria was already dead before being placed in the pool as no water was found in her lungs or stomach. Investigators believe she was smothered. Aria's father, who was seeking full custody and had concerns about Gupta's mental state, was unaware his daughter had been taken to Florida. Gupta's next court appearance is in May.

India delivered a sharp rebuttal to Pakistan at the 61st Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, asserting that Jammu and Kashmir's development budget is more than double Pakistan's recent IMF bailout package. India's representative Anupama Singh categorically rejected allegations by Pakistan and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, accusing them of running an "echo chamber." Singh reaffirmed J&K as an integral part of India, calling its 1947 accession legally irrevocable. She cited the Chenab Rail Bridge, the world's highest railway bridge as proof of J&K's progress, mocking Pakistan's denials as "La-la-land" thinking. She also dismissed Pakistan's democracy lectures, highlighting its history of incomplete civilian government terms.