Feb 26 News Live: Rahul Gandhi alleges US pressure on PM over trade deal
Catch all the important news updates from India and across the world
Here is the top, trending news of Thursday, February 26, 2026, including Indian politics, states' politics, geopolitics, federal issues, economics, development issues, sports, entertainment, and so on.
Read updates below.
Live Updates
- 26 Feb 2026 4:22 PM IST
Govt to introduce grade-based driving license system to curb road mishaps
To promote responsible driving and prevent road mishaps, the government is planning to introduce a grade-based driving license system with stricter provisions, including license cancellation for certain traffic rule violations.
Every year, around 1.8 lakh people die across the country due to factors such as using a mobile phone while driving, overspeeding, wrong-side driving and drunken driving, Union Minister for Road, Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari said.
Explaining the graded point system in driving license concept, Gadkari said some points may be deducted for traffic offences. When all the points are deducted, the driving license of the offender may be suspended for six months or even cancelled for repeat offences.
- 26 Feb 2026 4:17 PM IST
Rahul Gandhi alleges US pressure on PM over trade deal
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday (February 26) alleged that US President Donald Trump had used the Epstein files to threaten Prime Minister Narendra Modi into signing a trade deal that would “sacrifice” Indian farmers.
The Leader of the Opposition was speaking at a farmers’ convention in Peravoor, Kannur district.
He said the simple fact that farmers are the foundation of India is not understood by the government.
Gandhi alleged that the Prime Minister had signed a deal with the US President that was “like digging the foundation”.
The Congress leader claimed that no previous prime minister would have allowed American farmers to sell products such as soybeans, vegetables and fruits in India.
- 26 Feb 2026 3:22 PM IST
Youth Congress protests after jackfruit falls on elderly man at Kerala hospital
Youth Congress activists staged a protest on Thursday (February 26) after a jackfruit fell on the head of an elderly man at the Pathanamthitta District General Hospital.
Officials at the hospital said the incident occurred on Wednesday when Gangadharan Nair (78) of Omalloor reached the hospital.
According to officials, Nair was waiting under a tree near the casualty wing when a jackfruit fell on him.
Nair, who briefly lost consciousness, was immediately attended to by casualty doctors and admitted for further tests.
Hospital authorities said the tree was maintained by the Social Forestry wing of the Forest Department and that a request had been made earlier for its removal.
Nair’s condition is stable and he is likely to be discharged soon, an official said.
Youth Congress activists carried out a protest at the hospital on Thursday morning following the incident.
Youth Congress leader Nahas Pathanamthitta said the incident reflected how the hospital was being managed, alleging that patients coming for treatment were ending up injured.
"This is not an isolated incident. Even during construction work, people were injured after materials fell on them," he said.
He added that, as part of the protest, the Youth Congress would soon distribute helmets to patients and hospital staff for their safety.
- 26 Feb 2026 1:53 PM IST
Sanjay Raut alleges cover-up in Ajit Pawar crash case
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Thursday accused the Maharashtra government of dragging its feet in the Ajit Pawar plane crash case, alleging attempts to shield the DGCA and VSR Ventures. He questioned why Mumbai Police declined to register an FIR sought by Rohit Pawar, hinting at outside pressure.
"This matter is being suppressed. You are hiding something. Many politicians have invested money in this VSR company. Information is coming to light that current ministers also have financial links with this company. The DCP received a phone call. It came from the Vidhan Bhavan (Legislative Assembly). You register FIRs in normal cases, so why was it not done here? A call came from an influential person, after which the behaviour of the commissioner changed. The Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is a corrupt department, and no one has been able to act against them. They have the blessings of many politicians," said Raut.
He added, "Rohit Pawar met me yesterday. Some people from the aviation sector also met me, and we discussed this matter. Rohit Pawar has studied this entire issue thoroughly, which is commendable. He has also examined who is responsible in this case. I have understood everything in detail. We did not call the accident involving Maharashtra leader Ajit Pawar an "accident," but people are taking it lightly. Your colleague died under suspicious circumstances, and what are you doing about it? Regarding the Deputy Chief Minister, a relative of his wanted to file a complaint, but the police did not register it. Who made that call?" he added.
Pressing for action, he stated, "cases should be filed against VSR and DGCA. Sunetra Tai also has the authority; she should ask the Chief Minister why the case is not being registered. All parties will raise this issue together. Why do you object to registering the case? Do you need anyone's permission for this? So far, CBI has investigated several accidents--what were the results? How many investigations has the DGCA completed, tell us. The black box is secure, and the DGCA is lying."
Rohit Pawar had earlier visited Mumbai’s Marine Drive police station to lodge an FIR, but alleged senior officers blocked the move. Ajit Pawar died on January 28 when a Learjet 45 crashed-landed near Baramati airport, killing all five on board.
- 26 Feb 2026 1:42 PM IST
Rashmika Mandanna, Vijay Deverakonda wed in Udaipur
Rashmika Mandanna and Vijay Deverakonda were married on February 26 at ITC Mementos, a secluded resort near Udaipur, in an intimate gathering of family and close friends. The day featured a traditional Telugu ceremony in the morning and a Coorg (Kodava) ritual in the evening, reflecting both their roots.
Announcing the celebration earlier, they called it "the Wedding of VIROSH." In a joint note, they wrote, "Our dearest loves, before we made any plans or chose anything for ourselves—you were already there. With so much love, you gave us a name. You called us 'VIROSH'."
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also conveyed his congratulations.
- 26 Feb 2026 1:32 PM IST
Dual quakes jolt Sikkim, none injured, say officials
Officials reported that Sikkim experienced two earthquakes with magnitudes of 4.6 and 3.5 on Thursday.
The initial quake, measuring 4.6 in magnitude, struck the Himalayan state at 11:24 am. According to the National Centre for Seismology (NCS), the epicentre of the quake was located 4 kilometres (km) northeast of Yuksom in the Gyalshing district in western Sikkim, at a depth of 10 km.
The second earthquake of 3.5 magnitude jolted Mangan district in the state's northern part at 12:17 pm. The epicentre was 11 km northwest of Gangtok, the state capital, and also at a depth of 10 km.
Officials said that there was no immediate report of any loss of life or damage to property in the quakes.
- 26 Feb 2026 1:27 PM IST
Eight tigers dead in Bandhavgarh reserve in over 2 months: Report
According to a report presented to the Madhya Pradesh High Court, the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve has lost eight tigers, four of which were due to electrocution, in just two-and-a-half months between 2025 and early 2026.
The status report, which was submitted by the field director of the protected forest, said while four big cats died within the animal's reserve, as many died in the “general forest area”.
The cause of death for all four tigers within the tiger reserve was natural, while electrocution killed the remaining four in the general forest area, the report revealed. It said the carcasses of all the dead animals were completely intact.
The report was submitted to a division bench of the HC on Wednesday (February 25) in response to a petition that claimed deaths of tigers under suspicious circumstances in MP’s forests.
- 26 Feb 2026 12:34 PM IST
Modi visits Israeli tech innovation exhibition, invites firms to invest in India
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has invited Israeli technology companies to invest in India and partner with Indian youth as he visited an exhibition here showcasing pioneering innovations in areas such as artificial intelligence, healthcare, and agriculture.
Modi was accompanied by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the visit to the exhibition on Wednesday.
In a social media post on Thursday, Modi said the exhibition showcased "special innovations" from the world of technology.
"Got a glimpse of pioneering work by Israeli youth in areas such as AI, Quantum, healthcare, cyber security, water resources, agriculture and more. Urged Israeli companies to invest in India and work with our talented youth," he said.
According to a press release, the exhibition featured leading Israeli companies and research entities specialising in agri-tech, water-tech, climate-tech, health-biotech, smart mobility, AI, cybersecurity, and quantum technologies.
"Innovation and technology partnership is a key pillar of India-Israel bilateral ties. The two countries are working together to build solutions to address modern-day challenges through the 'India-Israel Innovation Bridge' initiative," it said.
During the walk-through, PM Modi interacted with scientists, tech entrepreneurs and chief executives of several companies.
- 26 Feb 2026 12:16 PM IST
Canadian PM Carney begins 4-day India visit on Friday
India on Thursday (February 26) said the talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney next week will provide an opportunity to advance a forward-looking partnership between the two nations. Carney will undertake a four-day visit to India beginning Friday, in his first trip to the country as the prime minister.
The visit is largely aimed at imparting a new momentum to the bilateral ties that came under severe strain following a diplomatic row over the killing of a Khalistani separatist in 2023. The Canadian prime minister's first stop will be Mumbai, where he will participate in separate business engagements, interact with top Indian and Canadian corporate leaders, financial experts and innovators. Carney will arrive in New Delhi on Sunday, and the two prime ministers will hold wide-ranging talks on Monday.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said both leaders will review the progress achieved till date across diverse areas of the India-Canada Strategic Partnership, building on their earlier meetings in Kananaskis in June last and Johannesburg in November last. "The visit comes at an important juncture in normalisation of India-Canada bilateral relations," the ministry said. "The two prime ministers have earlier agreed to pursue a constructive and balanced partnership grounded in mutual respect for each other's concerns and sensitivities, strong people-to-people ties, and growing economic complementarities.
"The forthcoming meeting between the leaders will provide an opportunity to reaffirm the positive momentum and shared vision of India and Canada in building a forward-looking partnership," the MEA said in a statement.
26 Feb 2026 12:13 PM ISTSalim Khan’s health is improving, says Aamir Khan
Superstar Aamir Khan has said he has been touch with the family of veteran screenwriter Salim Khan and they told him that his health is improving.
Aamir, a close friend of Salim Khan’s superstar son Salman Khan, said he recently went to visit the 90-year-old writer at Lilavati Hospital here but could not meet him as he is in the ICU. “I went to meet Salim Sahab, and we are all praying that he recovers soon. Since he is in the ICU, I couldn’t meet him personally, but I sat with the family. “Alvira ji tells me every day that his health is improving. We are all praying that he returns home soon and that his health fully recovers,” the actor told reporters on Wednesday evening.Salim Khan is best known for his iconic writing partnership with Javed Akhtar. The celebrated duo, known as Salim-Javed, penned some of Hindi cinema's most popular films, including “Sholay”, “Deewar”, “Zanjeer” and “Don”. He was admitted to the ICU of Lilavati hospital in Bandra on Tuesday. Dr Jalil D Parkar, who has been treating Salim Khan with the other doctors, said last week that the screenwriter suffered a brain haemorrhage which has been treated, and he is on ventilator support as a safeguard and stable. The doctors have since then refrained from giving any statement about Salim Khan’s health to maintain the privacy of the family.Aamir was talking on the sidelines of the prize distribution ceremony of a photo competition at the Press Club of Mumbai.“In the beginning, I would get upset that everywhere (we’ve to give) photos but as time passed, I realised that they wait for hours, sometimes they don’t even get to eat something, it hurts me then. Since then, I’ve never said no to photographers for a photo wherever they meet me,” he said.
