Delhi Intelligence Alert Warns of Possible Lashkar-e-Taiba IED Attack Near Red Fort
Security agencies in Delhi have issued a high-level intelligence alert following inputs about a potential terror threat targeting the historic Red Fort and Chandni Chowk area. According to sources, Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba is allegedly plotting an improvised explosive device (IED) attack, with key religious places in the vicinity reportedly on their radar.
The alert specifically mentions intelligence suggesting terrorists may target a temple in the Chandni Chowk area. Some inputs claim the group might be seeking retaliation for a February 6 mosque blast in Islamabad, though authorities have not publicly confirmed these specific details. Security has been significantly tightened at sensitive locations across the capital.
This development comes against the backdrop of the deadly November 10 car explosion near Red Fort that claimed 15 lives. While the intelligence alert has prompted heightened security measures, official sources emphasize that specific operational details remain under investigation and security agencies are taking all necessary precautions.
PM Modi and Brazilian President Lula Set Ambitious $20 Billion Trade Target
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva have established an ambitious bilateral trade target of $20 billion over the next five years during the Brazilian leader's state visit to New Delhi from February 18-22. The two leaders signed three significant agreements covering digital partnership, rare earths cooperation, and mining supply chains.
Prime Minister Modi described the trade goal as reflecting "trust" between the two nations and emphasized the importance of expanding the India-MERCOSUR preferential trade agreement. Brazil remains India's largest trading partner in Latin America, and both leaders pledged deeper cooperation in emerging technologies, renewable energy, and sustainable fuels.
President Lula characterized the engagement as a meeting of two major Global South democracies and praised India as a "digital superpower." The agreements signal a strategic deepening of economic ties between the world's largest democracy and Latin America's largest economy.
Youth Congress Workers Sent to Custody for AI Summit Protest
A Delhi court has granted five-day police custody for four members of the Indian Youth Congress arrested for staging a shirtless protest inside Bharat Mandapam during the AI Impact Summit. Delhi Police alleged the demonstration was part of a larger conspiracy possibly linked to protest patterns observed in Nepal and aimed at defaming India internationally.
According to police submissions to the court, the accused raised anti-national slogans against the India-US trade deal, wore T-shirts carrying messages targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and injured three policemen during the protest. The court's custody order allows investigators to further probe the alleged conspiracy aspects of the incident.
India Studies Implications of US Supreme Court Ruling on Trump Tariffs
The Indian government is closely examining the developments and implications of the US Supreme Court's ruling that struck down sweeping global tariffs imposed by former US President Donald Trump. The commerce ministry has taken cognizance of both the judgment and subsequent steps announced by the US administration.
In a 6-3 verdict authored by Chief Justice John Roberts, the court held that the tariffs violated federal law. Following the decision, Trump called the ruling "terrible" and announced plans to impose a fresh 10% global tariff under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 while maintaining existing Section 232 and 301 tariffs. The former president asserted that the India-US trade deal would remain unaffected by these developments.
Microsoft Appoints Indian-Origin Asha Sharma as Gaming Division CEO
Microsoft has appointed Asha Sharma, widely reported to be of Indian origin, as chief executive officer of its gaming division, succeeding longtime Xbox head Phil Spencer. Spencer is retiring after nearly four decades with the company but will remain as an adviser through the summer.
Sharma will report directly to Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella. The leadership transition comes as Microsoft Gaming faces multiple challenges including slowing growth, rising costs, and intense competition in the global gaming market. The appointment represents a significant leadership change for one of Microsoft's key entertainment divisions.
