CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOgGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI ■ ■ BHUBANESWAR l sunday l february 22, 2026 l `12.00 l PAGES 24 l LATE CITY EDITION Canada is seeking to withhold sensitive evidence in the murder trial of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, citing international security Day after, Trump jacks up India-Brazil pact on global tariff to 15 per cent critical minerals P u s h p i ta D e y @ New Delhi WITH THIS ISSUE The Many Lives of LOVE Then and Now PLUS 12 P AGES Uncertainty prevails over the actual tariff Indian goods would attract after the US Supreme Court struck down the reciprocal levy imposed by the Trump administration on Friday. Shortly after the verdict, Trump announced a uniform 10% global tariff on all nations. On Saturday, he scaled up that figure to 15%, which is 3% short of the 18% levy he had announced for India early this month. During the next few months, “the Trump administration will determine and issue new and legally permissible tariffs”, he said on social media. With Trump claiming on Friday that “nothing has changed” for India, confusion persisted on the actual quantum of levy . The judgment came at a time when India is on the verge of signing of a Bilateral Trade Agreement with the US. The Modi government has not yet clarified the status of the interim negotiations. On Saturday, it said it is analysing the developments before taking a final view. “We are studying all developments for their implications,” the Ministry of Commerce said. Meanwhile, sections of the US media reported that all tariffs imposed by the Trump administration on trading partners have been suspended and that the new 15% tariff is now applicable. However, a fact sheet issued by the White House said Executive Order 14257 of April 2, 2025 — which regulates imports through reciprocal tariffs to address large and persistent US goods trade deficits — has been amended (not suspended or withdrawn). Indian exporters are awaiting clarity on whether 15% or 18% would apply. For now, they are in a wait-and-watch mode. Ashwin Chandran, Chairman of the Confederation of Indian Textile Industry, said: “Greater clarity from authorities, including on what happens to the in- terim India–US trade deal, would be most helpful.” The Trump administration has also indicated it may rely on Section 301 or Section 232 provisions to impose higher tariffs. Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 empowers the US Trade Representative to investigate and respond to unjustifiable, unreasonable or discriminatory trade practices. Proposed probes are expected to cover issues such as industrial overcapacity, forced labour, digital services taxes, pharmaceutical pricing and discrimination against US technology companies. Tariffs under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, imposed on national security grounds, will also remain in force. These sectoral duties — covering steel, aluminium and other strategic products — range between 10% and 50%. Some Indian exports, including steel, aluminium and auto parts, continue to face 25–50% levy . j aya n t h j a c o b @ New Delhi 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 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. K’para horror 4 teachers, peon held for sexual assault of student A s h i s S e n a pat i @ Kendrapara 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 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 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. Kendrapara police on Saturday arrested three teachers and peon of a private school for allegedly sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl multiple times over the past two years. A woman teacher was also held on charges of abetment. The five have been booked on charges of gang-rape of a minor, criminal intimidation under Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita and provisions of POCSO Act. The woman teacher was additionally booked for abetment and concealment. The disturbing incident came to light after the mother of the survivor, who currently studies in Class VII, lodged an FIR on Saturday The 24-year. old private English-medium school, located in Rajkanika police limits, has around 600 students and 20 Continued on P5 teachers.