NEW DELHI 22 FEBRUARY 2026 SUNDAY `12 PAGES 24  facebook/TheMorningStandard  X.com/TheMornStandard THE MANY LIVES OF LOVE... THEN AND NOW https://epaper.morningstandard.in PLUS: 12 PAGES Seeing Red MAGAZINE The Cloud-capped Genius EXCLUSIVE VOICES A Classroom Without Walls Anand Neelakantan Shankkar Aiyar Ravi Shankar Satyajit Das Debashis Chatterjee Shyam Bhatia S Vaidhyasubramaniam The Improbable Vintage of Khao Yai ‘I am More than Just Pretty’ Missing in the Mist SWAMI SUKHABODHANANDA SPEAKS The Yoga of Love Day after, Trump India-Brazil pact on critical minerals jacks up global tariff to 15 pc LULA BATS FOR UNSC MEMBERSHIP J AYA N T H J A C O B @ New Delhi Indian exporters uncertain about the actual quantum of levy; govt studying the situation P U S H P I TA D E Y @ New Delhi Today’s Matches 3pm: England vs, Sri Lanka (Pallekele); 7pm: India vs South Africa (Ahmedabad) City turns into fortress after terror alert EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ New Delhi SECURITY has been beefed up at the city’s religious and heritage sites following intelligence inputs indicating a potential terror threat. Authorities have issued a high alert and stepped up surveillance as a precautionary measure, police said on Saturday According to the offi. cials, the Red Fort and a temple in Chandni Chowk are potential targets. The central intelligence agencies have indicated that Lashkar-e-Taiba is planning IED attacks to avenge the blast at a mosque in Islamabad on February 6. As per a recent input, LeT is planning attacks across big cities, including at a temple in the Chandni Chowk area. The Delhi Police has been coordinating with central agencies and increased surveillance. The bomb disposal squads, dog squads, and quick reaction teams have been deployed at strategic locations. The CCTV of the areas is being regularly monitored, police stated. Also, the vehicle checking and special pickets at bordering areas have been intensified. People have been urged to remain vigilant and inform them about any suspicious objects or activity . The officials said that there is no cause for panic and that the measures are precautionary in nature. BENGAL HC CANCELS LEAVE OF JUDGES FOR SIR Day after the Supreme Court order, Calcutta HC Chief Justice Sujoy Pal on Saturday cancelled leaves of all district judges, additional district judges till March 9 to finish SIR exercise. House said Executive Order 14257 of April 2, 2025 — which UNCERTAINTY prevails over regulates imports through rethe actual tariff Indian goods ciprocal tariffs to address large would attract after the US Su- and persistent US goods trade preme Court struck down the deficits — has been amended reciprocal levy imposed by the (not suspended or withdrawn). Trump administration on FriIndian exporters are awaitday. Shortly after the verdict, ing clarity on whether 15% or Trump announced a uniform 18% would apply For now, they . 10% global tariff on all nations. are in a wait-and-watch mode. On Saturday he scaled up that , Ashwin Chandran, Chairfigure to 15%, which is 3% man of the Confederation of short of the 18% levy he had Indian Textile Industry, said: announced for India early this “Greater clarity from authorimonth. ties, including on what During the next few happens to the intermonths, “the Trump im India–US trade administration will deal, would be most determine and issue helpful.” new and legally perThe Trump adminmissible tariffs”, he istration has also indisaid on social media. cated it may rely on With Trump claimSection 301 or Section ing on Friday that 232 provisions to imEffective “nothing has changed” pose higher tariffs. immediately, (I for India, confusion Section 301 of the am) raising the persisted on the actual 10% Worldwide Trade Act of 1974 emTariff on Countries powers the US Trade quantum of levy . ... to the fully The judgment came Representative to inallowed, and at a time when India is vestigate and respond on the verge of sign- legally tested, 15% to unjustifiable, unlevel ing of a Bilateral reasonable or discrimT r a d e A g re e m e n t inatory trade practicDonald J Trump with the US. The Modi es. Proposed probes government has not yet clari- are expected to cover issues fied the status of the interim such as industrial overcapacity , negotiations. On Saturday, it forced labour, digital services said it is analysing the develop- taxes, pharmaceutical pricing ments before taking a final and discrimination against US view. “We are studying all de- technology companies. velopments for their implicaTariffs under Section 232 of tions,” the Ministry of Com- the Trade Expansion Act of merce said. 1962, imposed on national secuMeanwhile, sections of the rity grounds, will also remain in US media reported that all tar- force. These sectoral duties — iffs imposed by the Trump ad- covering steel, aluminium and ministration on trading part- other strategic products — range ners have been suspended and between 10% and 50%. Some Inthat the new 15% tariff is now dian exports, including steel, applicable. However, a fact aluminium and auto parts, consheet issued by the White tinue to face 25–50% levy P9 . PIC: AFP INDIA and Brazil on Saturday agreed to deepen cooperation in critical minerals and rare earths while setting an ambitious bilateral trade target of over $20 billion annually within the next five years, following wide-ranging talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Lula is in India on a five-day visit, during which he is also attending the India AI Impact Summit. Addressing the media after delegation-level discussions, Modi described Brazil as India’s largest trading partner in Latin America and said the two were committed to expanding economic engagement. “We are committed to taking bilateral trade beyond $20 billion in the next five years. Our trade is not New Delhi: Lula said the global environment required deeper strategic ties between the two democracies. “This is a meeting of a digital superpower with a renewable-energy superpower,” he said, asserting that India Brazil were “natural candidates” for permanent UNSC membership President Droupadi Murmu and PM Narendra Modi greet Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva as he arrives in New Delhi on Saturday | SHEKHAR YADAV just a figure, it is a reflection of trust,” he said. Bilateral trade stood at $12 billion in 2024–25, with Indian exports at $6.77 billion and imports from Brazil at $5.43 billion. A key outcome of the talks was an agreement on cooperation in critical minerals and rare earths. The two countries also signed a joint declaration on digital partnership and MoUs 88 countries, world bodies adopt Delhi declaration on equitable AI R A K E S H K U M A R @ New Delhi AS many as 88 countries, including the US, UK, China and the EU, along with several international organisations, endorsed the New Delhi Declaration at the end of the India AI Impact Summit, which committed itself to ensuring an equitable AI. The declaration set out a shared approach to AI governance and development. “The advent of AI marks an inflection point in the trajectory of technological evolution. The choices that we make today will shape the AI-enabled world that future generations will inherit,” the declaration said. According to a statement from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), the declaration is built KLAEBO FIRST ATHLETE TO WIN SIX GOLDS AT WINTER OLY Norway’s Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo (pic) skis on his way to cross the finish line to win gold in the men’s cross country 50 km mass start final event of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium in Lago di Tesero (Val di Fiemme) on Saturday. This was the sixth race victory, setting the record for the most golds by one athlete in a single Winter Olympics. Klaebo’s victory in Saturday’s 50-km mass start race shattered the nearly 50-year record set by American speed skater Eric Heiden, who won five golds in the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics. around seven key pillars — democratising AI resources, promoting economic growth and social good, building secure and trusted AI, expanding access for social empowerment, advancing AI for science, developing human capital, and creating resilient and efficient AI systems. The document calls for affordable access to foundational AI resources and support for local innovation ecosystems. It also proposes platforms to scale successful AI use cases globally and encourage collaboration between countries. The declaration backs AI skilling, reskilling and literacy programmes to prepare nations for an AI-driven economy . Recognising the growing energy and infrastructure demands of AI, the declaration stressed the need for energyefficient systems and resilient infrastructure. It said affordable AI could widen access and boost local innovation. While calling for stronger international cooperation and multistakeholder engagement, the declaration also underlined respect for national sovereignty . The summit also launched several voluntary and nonbinding global initiatives. These include a charter for democratic diffusion of AI, a Global AI Impact Commons to share successful use cases, a Trusted AI Commons with tools and best practices, an international AI-for-science network, an AI workforce development playbook, and guiding principles on resilient and efficient AI infrastructure. At the previous summit held in Paris in 2025, around 60 countries had signed the final declaration. Karnataka BJP MLA caught accepting bribe MLA, in Lakshmeshwar town that. The accused had allegedly AN MLA from opposition BJP demanded `11 lakh and the and his two aides were caught first tranche of `5 lakh was beby the Lokayukta police in Kar- ing handed over when they fell nataka on Saturday into the trap laid by while accepting a bribe the Lokayukta police. of `5 lakh from a Pujar, a Class 1 concontractor. tractor, wanted the Dr Chandru Lamaproject to construct a ni, representing Shiraretaining wall at Devihatti in Gadag district, hal village in Shiraand his two personal hatti taluk of Gadag assistants, Manjunath district at a cost of `1 Dr Chandru Valmiki and Guru La- Lamani, BJP MLA crore. mani, had allegedly After the bribe dedemanded the money to get a mand was made, Pujar had approject awarded to the contrac- proached the Lokayukta police, tor. They had called the con- which filed a case and laid the tractor, Vijay Sannahanumap- trap for Lamani. After the arpa Pujar of Chinchali village, rest, the residence of the MLA to Balaji Hospital, owned by the was raided. R A G H O T TA M K O P PA R @ Gadag Sweet tooth and a secret admirer help cops nab mobile snatchers E X P R E SS N E WS S E R V I C E @ New Delhi CRIME-SOLVING just got a little sweeter. In a clever mix of tech and strategy the Delhi Po, lice has tracked down a pair of mobile phone snatchers, using nothing more than a chocolate order and a touch of “secret admirer” charm. The case began on February 9, when two men on a scooter snatched a young woman’s cellphone outside her society as she was booking a cab. They sped off, leaving police with little to go on. After reviewing CCTV footage and checking multiple suspected areas, including Sangam Vihar and Wazirabad, officers traced a mobile number linked to one of the accused, Mohammad Namir alias Namiruddin. To zero in on his location, police hatched a sweet plan. They placed a Blinkit order for chocolate under the guise of a secret admirer. DCP (Central) Anant Mittal said that following the delivery partner discreetly led officers straight to Namir. He was arrested in Wazirabad, and his accomplice Faizan was nabbed the same day . Further investigation led to the arrest of Sameer, the middleman who sold snatched phones. Arrested from Burari on February 17, he was found with a phone full of photos of stolen devices and call recordings with buyers. Police explained the gang’s method. First, they stole a scooter from Sadar Bazar, then used it to strike at isolated locations. Stolen phones were handed to Sameer and sold via WhatsApp. So far, three mobile phones have been recovered. In the end, a sweet strategy brought the snatchers down, proving sometimes a little chocolate really can catch the bad guys. DELIVERY APP Incident happened on February 9 Suspects tracked using a Blinkit chocolate order Accused: Mohammad Namir (Namiruddin), Faizan, & middleman Sameer Modus operandi: Stolen scooter used for snatchings; phones sold via WhatsApp covering mining, MSMEs, healthcare and traditional knowledge systems. Cooperation in defence, renewable energy, digital public infrastructure and advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors and blockchain also figured prominently . “Our cooperation in defence is growing… We will continue to strengthen this win-win partnership,” Modi said. EXPRESS READ JYOTIRMATH SIMMERS Admin seals public hall over namaz The administration in Jyotirmath in Uttarakhand has sealed the municipal hall and issued strict instructions to Muslims to perform namaz within their homes. The move comes after a video went viral on social media showing Muslims offering namaz inside the Jyotirmath Municipal Board building. The video sparked protests from right-wing outfits. Canada seeks to withhold info in Nijjar murder trial H A R P R E E T B A J W A @ Chandigarh CLAIMING that it could be “injurious to international relations and national security”, the Canadian government has decided to reserve a significant portion of the sensitive security evidence in the killing of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a wanted Khalistani terrorist in India, unNijjar der wraps. As reported by Global News, the Attorney General of Canada moved an application under the Canada Evidence Act on December 24, 2025, in the Federal Court, requesting permission to suppress specific evidence. The trial is not expected to begin before August, as per the British Columbia Prosecution Service. Four Indian nationals, Karan Brar, Kamalpreet Singh, Karanpreet Singh, and Amandeep Singh, have been accused of allegedly being involved in Nijjar’s killing and were arrested. The Canadian media and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police alleged that India tapped gangster Lawrence Bishnoi to arrange the killing. The case has remained a major irritant in India-Canada relations since then Canadian PM Justin Trudeau alleged Indian involvement in September 2023. Denying any role, India termed the accusations “absurd and motivated”. Delhi had also said that Ottawa has failed to provide “specific and relevant” evidence to back its claims of India’s involvement. Nijjar was shot on June 18, 2023 in Surrey .