Feb 21 News Live: India 'studying developments' of US SC order on Trump tariffs
Catch all the important news updates from India and across the world
Here is the top, trending news of Saturday, February 21, 2026, including Indian politics, states' politics, geopolitics, federal issues, economics, development issues, sports, entertainment, and so on.
Read updates below.
Live Updates
- 21 Feb 2026 4:42 PM IST
Reviewing impact of US tariff ruling: Commerce Ministry
The Union Commerce Ministry said Saturday that it is assessing recent moves on US tariffs and weighing what they could mean for India.
The response followed a decision by the US Supreme Court to invalidate reciprocal tariffs that had been imposed by President Donald Trump.
"We have noted the US Supreme Court judgement on tariffs yesterday (Friday). US President Donald Trump has also addressed a press conference in this regard," the ministry said.
"Some steps have been announced by the US administration. We are studying all these developments for their implications," the ministry stated in a release.
- 21 Feb 2026 4:00 PM IST
All languages should be honoured, protected: Mamata on Mother Language Day
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee greeted people on the occasion of International Mother Language Day (February 21), asserting that all languages are equally worthy of respect and must be protected from any form of “attack”.
Paying tributes to those killed during language movements, the veteran politician said her Trinamool Congress government honours linguistic diversity and has accorded official recognition to several languages.
Mamata said Bengali is not only a language of great literary heritage but part of a broader commitment to respecting all linguistic communities.
“We have also ensured that every person, whatever the language they speak, has the opportunity to study in their mother tongue in the state,” she said in a post on X.
- 21 Feb 2026 3:42 PM IST
Rajnikanth, Kamal Haasan's reunion movie promo launched
Production house Red Giant Movies on Saturday (February 21) officially launched the first promotional video for the historic reunion of superstars Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan, ending nearly over four decades of wait.
The 3-minute-46-second quirky promo, which dropped at the symbolic time of 12.07 pm, formally confirmed that the project -- tentatively titled 'KHxRK' -- will be written and directed by Nelson Dilipkumar, fresh off his success with Rajinikanth's 'Jailer'.
The "fun-filled" video features a trademark Nelson-style narrative, showing the director in a comic dilemma while pacing a corridor, unsure of which superstar’s room to enter first. He is joined by music composer Anirudh Ravichander, who adds to the humour by asking the director to help him choose between two classical raagas for the film’s score.
The promo showcases the two legends in a "retro-cool" avatar, featuring a playful sequence where they second-guess each other’s wardrobe choices, from blazers to shoes. The video culminates in a high-octane moment where the duo, exuding "swag", walks toward a vintage Mercedes in a garage. In a meta-cinematographic twist, both actors turn to Nelson and demand to know: "Who is the hero?" While the technical crew has been bolstered by the addition of veteran cinematographer Rajiv Menon and editor R Nirmal, the plot details remain a closely guarded secret. However, the promo’s tone suggests a blend of dark comedy and action, typical of Nelson’s filmography.
- 21 Feb 2026 3:38 PM IST
Pentagon presented Trump with plan to assassinate Khamenei: Report
US President Donald Trump has been given a range of military options by the Pentagon that reportedly include a proposal to assassinate Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and his son Mojtaba, even as diplomatic efforts over Iran’s nuclear programme continue, Axios reported, citing senior US officials and advisers.
"They have something for every scenario. One scenario takes out the Ayatollah and his son and the mullahs," a presidential adviser reportedly said. The proposal was first presented to Trump several weeks ago. The White House declined to elaborate, with spokeswoman Anna Kelly stating: "Only President Trump knows what he may or may not do."
At the same time, Trump is weighing a possible nuclear agreement that would allow Iran limited or “token” uranium enrichment without enabling a weapons pathway. He has said regime change in Tehran “may be the best thing that can happen”.
Khamenei responded in a public address, saying, "This is a good confession. You will not be able to do this either," according to Iranian state media.
Indirect talks mediated by Oman were recently held in Geneva. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said, "The path toward an agreement has started, but we will not reach it quickly." Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei told AFP: "We are ready to continue these talks as long as it takes. There is no trust between the two parties."
- 21 Feb 2026 3:29 PM IST
‘You still can’t break the Constitution’: Indian origin lawyer on SC tariff win
Neal Katyal, the Indian-origin lawyer who represented small businesses in the high-stakes tariff case against President Donald Trump’s administration, described the Supreme Court’s decision as a demonstration of how the American system works.
Katyal, the son of Indian immigrants, argued the case that challenged the legality of the tariffs and ultimately prevailed. Reflecting on the outcome in an interview, he said, "One of the great things about the American system is what just happened today. I was able to go to court - the son of immigrants - able to go to court and say on behalf of American small businesses, 'Hey, this President is acting illegally.'"
He recounted the intensity of the proceedings, noting, "I was able to present my case, have them ask really hard questions at me, it was a really intense oral argument and at the end of it, they voted, and we won," he said as quoted by NDTV.
Calling the verdict extraordinary, Katyal added, "That is something so extraordinary about this country. The idea that we have a system that self-corrects, that allows us to say, 'You might be the most powerful man in the world, but you still can't break the Constitution. That to me is what today is about," he added.
- 21 Feb 2026 3:28 PM IST
TN launches 4th volume of Tamil-Indo-European root words dictionary
Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin on Saturday (February 21) released the fourth volume of the 'Tamil-Indo-European Root Words Comparative Dictionary' and inaugurated an international conference on the subject.
The dictionary project, a collaborative effort between the Tamil Nadu Textbook and Educational Services Corporation and Oxford University Press, aims to explore the deep-rooted linguistic links between Tamil and Indo-European languages. The fourth volume was received by Professor Klaus Peter Sauer from Norway on the occasion of International Mother Language Day.
The project was initially announced in the 2022-23 State Budget with an allocation of Rs 8 crore. Under the supervision of the Tamil Nadu Textbook Corporation, a team of 20 scholars led by Editor-in-Chief K Arasendran has been working on this four-year initiative since July 2022.
The research is based on findings by English etymologist Walter Skeat, who identified 461 root words as the basis of Indo-European languages. The project committee believes that 300 of these root words share a direct relationship with Tamil.
According to the official release, the fourth volume traces how 19 Tamil root words served as the foundation for words in Western Indo-European languages -- including Latin, Greek, German, French, and English -- as well as Eastern Indo-European languages like Sanskrit, Pali, and Sinhala, based on established hypotheses.
The state government had previously signed an agreement with Oxford University Press on January 13, 2025, to publish the research findings in 12 volumes. Chief Minister M K Stalin had released the general introduction and the first volume in March 2025, followed by the second and third volumes during the Chennai International Book Fair in January 2026.
- 21 Feb 2026 2:56 PM IST
Pawan Khera slams Centre over US trade deal timing
Congress leader Pawan Khera criticised the Centre after US President Donald Trump imposed a fresh 10 per cent global tariff, days after the US Supreme Court curtailed his earlier emergency tariff powers. Khera questioned why New Delhi advanced its trade understanding with Washington when, he said, it "could have waited 18 days."
"The Supreme Court of the United States of America has stopped the emergency powers under which Donald Trump was imposing tariffs on different countries of the world. The fact that on the 20th of February, the Supreme Court had to pass an order was known to everybody in the world, including our Indian officials and the Indian government," Khera told ANI.
He alleged haste on India’s part. "What forced or compelled Narendra Modi to suddenly, on the 2nd of February, call up Donald Trump and accept all his conditions, including the fact that we will not buy cheap oil from Russia? That in itself is a huge loss for us," he said.
Calling the arrangement uneven, Khera said, "It's not a reciprocal tariff. The products of America that come to India will get 0 per cent tariff. So why did we accept this? There is some reason." He added, "Is it because Mr. Gandhi was talking about the Naravane book or the Epstein files? There is something which ensures that Mr. Narendra Modi surrenders and gets compromised in front of the United States of America."
He claimed farmers and the textile sector were suffering and said, "Somebody needs to be accountable," urging responsibility be fixed on either the Commerce Minister or the Prime Minister.
The Supreme Court, in a 6-3 ruling, held that the administration exceeded its authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977, saying the law does not authorise the president to impose duties. Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Neil Gorsuch, Amy Coney Barrett and the three liberal justices formed the majority, while Justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas and Brett Kavanaugh dissented. Trump termed the verdict a "terrible decision" and said he would invoke Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 to levy a temporary tariff.
- 21 Feb 2026 2:45 PM IST
Security beefed up in Delhi after terror threat alerts
Security was tightened across key religious and heritage sites in Delhi on Saturday, including areas around the Red Fort and parts of Chandni Chowk, following intelligence inputs suggesting a possible terror threat, an official said.
Security agencies issued an alert on a possible explosion threat near Red Fort, a major tourist destination and high-security zone, after Central intelligence agencies indicated that Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) has allegedly kept prominent religious places in India on its target list.
- 21 Feb 2026 2:43 PM IST
Macron backs rule of law after US SC strikes down Trump's tariffs
French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday said the US Supreme Court’s decision on President Donald Trump’s tariffs highlighted the importance of institutional balance and legal oversight in democratic systems.
Speaking at the annual agricultural salon in Paris, Macron remarked, "It is not bad to have a Supreme Court and the rule of law." He went on to add, "It is good to have power and counterweights to power in democracies," reported the Hindustan Times.
His comments followed the court’s ruling against Trump’s tariff measures. Macron indicated that France would assess how the newly announced 10 per cent global tariff might affect its economy. At the same time, he signalled that French exports would continue despite the development, suggesting that Paris would study the practical consequences while maintaining its trade activities.
The French president’s remarks framed the ruling as an example of how democratic institutions function when executive authority is tested.
- 21 Feb 2026 2:41 PM IST
Tariff blow lands mid-meeting on Trump, he calls SC verdict ‘disgrace’: Report
US President Donald Trump had only just started a closed-door meeting with governors at the White House when a trade adviser approached and passed him a note, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.
“So it’s a loss, then?” Trump asked the adviser after reading it, people present in the State Dining Room told the newspaper. The adviser confirmed that the Supreme Court had ruled his global tariffs illegal, a decision that struck at the centre of his economic programme.
Those in the room said the president informed the governors of the development shortly afterwards. While he maintained a composed demeanour during the meeting, he was said to be seething privately. Trump described the court’s judgment as a disgrace, the people added, as the ruling dealt a significant setback to the administration’s trade policy.
