India, US call trade talks ‘positive’
India described the Sept 16 trade talks with the United States as “positive” and “forward-looking” after President Donald Trump eased his tone following tariffs over Russian oil imports.
US trade representative Brendan Lynch met Indian negotiator Rajesh Agrawal in New Delhi. Both sides agreed to intensify work toward a mutually beneficial deal, reported Reuters.
Talks covered bilateral trade and a possible agreement, with the sixth round of negotiations expected soon, India’s Commerce Ministry said.
Modi appeals for peace in Manipur
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his Sept 13 visit to Manipur, urged peace after two years of ethnic violence in the state that has left 260 dead and 60,000 displaced.
Calling Manipur a “land of hope,” he appealed to all groups to end unrest, reported Reuters.
Mr Modi also launched US$963 million worth of projects, including women’s hostels, roads and stadiums. It was his first visit since violence erupted between Meitei and Kuki communities in May 2023.
Supreme Court suspends parts of Waqf law
The Supreme Court on Sept 16 suspended key provisions of the Waqf (Amendment) Act 2025, which changed rules for managing Muslim-donated properties.
Critics argue the law infringes on community rights; the government insists it ensures transparency.
The bench, led by Chief Justice BR Gavai, refused to strike down the law entirely but halted the clause allowing government to decide whether disputed land is waqf. Waqf assets fund mosques, schools, and orphanages.
Heavy rains kill 18 in Uttarakhand, Himachal
At least 18 people have died in flash floods and landslides caused by torrential rains in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh since Sept 16.
Uttarakhand recorded 15 deaths, mostly in Dehradun, while three were killed in Himachal’s Mandi, reported NDTV.
Over 900 people remain stranded as swollen rivers washed away bridges and roads. The Met Department has issued an “orange alert”, citing unusual interaction of easterly and westerly winds behind the heavy downpour.
Missing Navy officer found dead near Mumbai
The decomposed body of Navy Master Chief Class II officer Surajsingh Amarpalsingh Chauhan, a 33-year-old posted at Colaba in Mumbai, was found in a gorge near Matheran hill station, police said on Sept 18.
The officer had gone missing during a trek from Bhivpuri to Garbett on Sept 7.
His family filed a police report after he failed to return.
A trekker later alerted the police, leading to the recovery of his body.
Kerala denies ‘cluster’ of brain-eating amoeba cases
Kerala Health Minister Veena George clarified there is no cluster outbreak of Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM), though 69 cases and 19 deaths have been reported this year.
The “brain-eating amoeba” infections, spread across the state, affect ages from infants to elderly, reported NDTV.
She stressed early detection is key, noting Kerala’s 24 per cent survival rate — well above the global 3 per cent — thanks to quick use of the drug miltefosine. Surveillance has been intensified across hospitals.
BMW Crash: accused not drunk, blood test shows
The accused in Delhi’s BMW crash, Gaganpreet Kaur, tested negative for alcohol consumption, her blood sample report confirmed.
On Sept 14, Gaganpreet’s speeding BMW X5 rammed into a motorcycle, killing Finance Ministry official Navjot Singh and seriously injuring his wife Sandeep, reported NDTV.
The couple had been returning home after visiting Bangla Sahib gurdwara. Police said Gaganpreet claimed she had “no idea” how the accident happened. Investigations into rash driving are ongoing.
Girl drowns after crocodile drags her in Rajasthan
A 15-year-old girl, Shivani Kevat, drowned after a crocodile dragged her into the Parvati River in Rajasthan’s Baran district on Sept 16.
Villagers chased the reptile and forced it to release her, but she disappeared in deep waters. Her body surfaced the next morning.
Post-mortem revealed death by drowning, with injury marks on her arms from the crocodile’s grip.
Family elopements stun Bareilly village
In a bizarre turn of events in Bareilly’s Kamalupur village, a man eloped with his sister-in-law, only for his brother-in-law to abscond with the man’s sister the next day.
Uttar Pradesh Police traced both couples. But, instead of pressing charges, families agreed to let them be, settling the matter amicably with community elders.
Court declares Yusuf Pathan an encroacher
Ex-India cricketer and MP Yusuf Pathan suffered a setback after the Gujarat High Court declared him an “encroacher” on government land in Vadodara.
The Vadodara Municipal Corporation had asked him to vacate the plot in 2024, citing illegal occupation since 2012. Pathan argued he sought the land for security reasons, but his petition was dismissed.
Justice Mauna Bhatt ruled celebrity status offered no leniency, directing civic authorities to remove the encroachment.
