THE HEADLINES ::
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi holds bilateral talks with U.S President Donald Trump at White House this morning; Says U.S. and India to target 500 billion dollars bilateral trade by 2030.
- President Trump announces F-35 Stealth Fighter deal with India; Says both countries will work together to fight against terrorism.
- Trump approves extradition of 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks accused Tahawwur Rana to India.
- Lok Sabha registers 112 per cent productivity in first half of budget session.
- 38th National Games to conclude today in Haldwani, Uttrakhand.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said India and the US have decided to double the bilateral trade to 500 billion dollars by 2030. Addressing the joint press meet after holding bilateral talks with US President Donald Trump at White House in Washington DC today, Mr Modi said India and the US will continue to advance India-US strategic partnership. The Prime Minister said, America plays an important role in India’s defense preparedness. He said, as strategic and trusted partners, both nations are actively moving towards joint development, joint production and transfer of technology.
Mr. Modi said, India and America have stood firmly together in the fight against terrorism and both agree that concrete action is needed to eliminate cross-border terrorism. The Prime Minister thanked the US President for his decision to extradite a criminal to India who committed genocide in 2008 in India.
The Prime Minister further added that India and the USA will work together to enhance peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region, with the Quad playing a special role in this effort. He noted that the people of America are familiar with President Trump’s motto, “Make America Great Again.” Similarly, he highlighted that the people of India are moving towards development with great speed and strength, blending heritage with progress, and aiming for a developed India by 2047 with firm resolve.
Saying that the Indian community in America serves as a vital link in the relationship, Mr Modi announced that India will open new consulates in Los Angeles and Boston.
Replying to a query on illegal immigration, the Prime Minister said, the question is not just for India, but those who live in other countries illegally and they don’t have a right to stay there.
US President Donald Trump said, there is a special bond between the US and India – the world’s oldest and largest democracies. He mentioned that, Prime Minister and he reached an important agreement on energy that will ensure the US to be the leading supplier of oil and natural gas to India.
The US President said, in the groundbreaking development for the US nuclear industry, India is also reforming laws to welcome US nuclear technology, which is at the highest level in the Indian market. He said, India and the US agreed to work together to help build one of the greatest trade routes, the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor.
Mr Trump said, US is also paving the way to ultimately provide India with F-35 stealth fighters. He said, India and the US will be working together like never before to confront threat of radical Islamic terror across the world.
This is the first visit of Prime Minister Modi to the US since the inauguration of the second presidential term of President Trump.
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Later briefing the media in Washington, D.C., Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the United States, within three weeks of President Donald Trump’s second-term inauguration, signals the priority both leaders place on the India-US relationship. He mentioned that several aspects of the relationship were addressed during the visit, including strategic and security cooperation, defense, trade and economic engagement, technology, energy security, people-to-people linkages, and regional and global issues of concern.
He added that both the leaders also announced plans to negotiate the first tranche of a mutually beneficial multi-sector bilateral trade agreement by the autumn of 2025. Mr Misri underlined that both the leaders announced plans to finalize a new 10-year framework for the US-India Major Defence partnership which will run till 2035.
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US President Donald Trump gifted his book to Prime Minister Modi titled ‘Our Journey Together’ which showcased several photos from ‘Howdy Modi’ and ‘Namaste Trump’ events.
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Both houses of Parliament went into recess until the 10th of next month as the first leg of the Budget Session came to a close. In the Lok Sabha, Speaker Om Birla announced that the first phase of the session had recorded 112 percent productivity. He informed that 177 members participated for over 17 hours in the discussion on the Motion of Thanks. Additionally, 170 members took part in the discussion on the General Budget for 2025-26. During this period, the report of the Joint Committee on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024 was also tabled.
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Prasar Bharati Chairman Navneet Sehgal has said that the broadcast of Mahakumbh on the Kumbhvani station is reflective of Prasar Bharati’s objective of delivering correct and reliable information. Mr Sehgal said this while addressing a program on the Kumbhvani radio station in Prayagraj after taking a holy dip in the Sangam yesterday. He praised the station and said that it has emerged as an important center for live and reliable coverage of the Mahakumbh.
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US President Donald Trump has said that Ukraine will be involved in peace talks with Russia, with a meeting among the three countries possibly taking place as early as today. President Trump said that the US and Russian officials would meet in Munich and that Ukraine had also been invited. The announcement comes amid growing concerns in Kyiv and among its European allies that they could be excluded from talks aimed at ending Ukraine’s nearly three-year-old war.
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Union Home Minister Amit Shah will participate as chief guest at the closing ceremony of the 38th National Games in Haldwani today.
“The closing ceremony of the 38th National Games is expected to be held with grandeur just like the opening ceremony. It will be held at the Indira Gandhi International Sports Stadium in Golapar, Haldwani, Uttarakhand. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has personally overseen the preparations to ensure that the National Games ends on a high note and to be recorded as a golden chapter in the state’s sports history. Union Home Minister Amit Shah will be the chief guest at the ceremony, while President of the Indian Olympic Association, P.T. Usha, the state’s Sports minister, and several dignitaries are also expected to grace the occasion. Like the opening ceremony, it is expected that the closing ceremony will be an exciting amalgamation of cultural performances and traditional sports presentation. The sporting events of the 38th national games ended yesterday with around 15 thousand medals being awarded in 456 categories across 35 sports. Sakshi Singh, Akashvani News, Dehradun.
Services Sports Control Board leads the medal tally, achieving the feat for the fifth time in the last six editions. Maharashtra holds second place while Haryana follows in third.
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In women’s cricket, the third edition of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2025 will kick off today. The opening clash will feature defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) taking on the Gujarat Giants in Vadodara this evening. India’s star opener Smriti Mandhana will captain RCB, while Australia’s Ashleigh Gardner will lead the Gujarat Giants. The match is scheduled to start at 7:30 PM IST.
The tournament, featuring five teams, RCB, Gujarat Giants, Delhi Capitals, UP Warriorz, and Mumbai Indians, will run until March 15, with the final scheduled at Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai.
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TODAY’S NEWSPAPERS HEADLINE,
- Union Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitaraman, introduced the Income Tax Bill, 2025 in the Lok Sabha yesterday and urged the Speaker to refer it to a select committee of the House, writes The Pioneer. “The new Income Tax bill to be simpler”, headlines the paper.
- “LoC tense as India and Pakistan exchange fire”, writes The Asian Age. The headline in Hindustan Times reads, “India retaliates, recovers explosives amid heightened hostility along LoC.”
- “Ahead of Trump meeting, Modi connects with Musk, top US officials, talks tech and trade” is the top headline in The Indian Express.
- Triggered by the loud sound of firecrackers during a temple festival procession in Kozhikode district of Kerala, two elephants went berserk, attacking each other, killing three persons and injuring 36 in the process, reports The Hindu.
- And finally, with AQI at 134 yesterday, the Capital breathes cleanest air in 4 months, writes The Times of India.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi holds bilateral talks with U.S President Donald Trump at White House this morning; Says U.S. and India to target 500 billion dollars bilateral trade by 2030.
- President Trump announces F-35 Stealth Fighter deal with India; Says both countries will work together to fight against terrorism.
- Trump approves extradition of 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks accused Tahawwur Rana to India.
- Lok Sabha registers 112 per cent productivity in first half of budget session.
- 38th National Games to conclude today in Haldwani, Uttrakhand.
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