India news: Rubio holds talks with counterpart Jaishankar

At least three people were killed when suspected militants alleged to be from the ethnic Kuki community opened fire on 14 villagers from the Meitei community in India’s northeastern state of Manipur.

The Meitei villagers were cutting and transporting firewood when the alleged attack took place, Lhari Dorjee Lhatoo, a senior police official, told reporters.

“Three individuals succumbed to bullet injuries. Others sustained injuries and are undergoing further medical treatment,” Lhatoo told Reuters.

Meitei groups have blamed “militants” from the Kuki community for the attack, while Kuki groups have denied the allegations.

The incident sparked protests in the state capital, Imphal, with villagers carrying two bodies to the residence of the chief minister.

Bordering Myanmar, Manipur is home to various ethnic communities. The hilly state has witnessed ethnic violence between its mostly Hindu Meitei majority and largely Christian Kuki minority since 2023 over economic benefits and job quotas.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said India made significant progress in reducing its reliance on Russian energy imports.

“What India has expressed repeatedly is their desire to diversify their energy portfolio, which is a smart thing to do,” Rubio said on a visit to India’s economic capital, Mumbai.

“Obviously, it’s not easy to do that from one day to the next, so I think they’ve made substantial progress in that regard, and we’re happy to see that.”

India remained one of the largest buyers of Russian oil, while Washington sought to increase US energy exports to the country.

His visit came as India and the US worked to finalize a long-awaited trade agreement.

“We’re very very close; I would say we’re about as close as you can be without having an executed agreement. I think there’s a small number of items left to wrap up,” Rubio said.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio landed in Mumbai, for his second official visit to the country this year.

Rubio is on a two-day visit to India and is expected to meet Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar and billionair Mukesh Ambani.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Rubio will meet Jaishankar around 4 p.m. local time. He will also pay tribute to the 26/11 memorial at Taj Palace hotel and attend the US @250 event.

Speaking at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council of Heads of Government meeting in Tajikistan, India’s Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said there can be no justification for terrorism and no double standards in combating it.

Singh described terrorism as “one of the gravest threats to development” and said it not only costs lives but also harms investment and trade.

“Terrorism radicalises societies and keeps our youth devoid of opportunities that they deserve,” Singh said.

He said there can be “no place for those who finance, support or provide safe havens to terrorists. The entire ecosystem of terrorism must be firmly and collectively dismantled,” he said.

Singh’s remarks came in the presence of Pakistan’s Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar.

In a post on X, Singh reiterated his message, saying: “Terrorism is a serious threat to peace and development. It not only takes the lives of innocent people but also impacts investment, commerce, and the future of the youth.”

wo Indian nationals were among 28 green card holders caught by authorities in the United States for alleged election fraud.

According to the US Justice Department, Amandeep Kaur, 30, and Kamlesh Shah, 67, have been charged with fraudulently registering to vote and casting ballots in the November 2024 US elections.

The Justice Department said both have been charged with felonies carrying a maximum sentence of five years in prison.

The investigations were conducted under “Operation Protect the Vote,” an effort to combat and root out fraud in US elections and uphold electoral integrity.

In a statementthe Justice Department said Kaur, an Indian national living in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, who is seeking to become a US citizen, fraudulently registered to vote in December 2022 and voted in the November 2024 US election.

Shah, who lives in Sacramento, California, fraudulently registered to vote on the day of the November 2024 general election and voted that day. He is charged by information, the statement said.

The Delhi Police transferred the case of Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka to the Crime Branch for further investigation.

Das and Ranka were arrested on October 14 for trespassing at the recently delisted Jantar Mantar, a prominent protest site in the heart of Delhi.

The duo’s judicial custody, initially set for five days, was extended by two days on Monday.

Delhi Police sought further custody of the two, claiming their release could disrupt “peace and tranquillity.”

“We’re in an emergency. There is no justice. This is a police court and you see what is happening. Just look at the ground that they have taken,” Das yelled from a police van when he appeared in court on Monday.

CJP legal affairs chief Ratna Singh alleged a “deliberate use of delaying tactics” to keep Das and Ranka “behind bars.”

She called it an “attempt to stifle dissenting voices” and alleged delays in taking up the case.

Das and Ranka’s case has been assigned to the Inter State Cell of the Crime Branch. Police registered two FIRs in connection with the protest.

On Oct. 10, the CJP called for protests demanding the resignation of India’s election chief, Gyanesh Kumar, over allegations of vote theft and mass voter deletions during the controversial voter roll revision exercise.

The protests were thwarted by Delhi Police amid heavy barricading, heightened security and mass detentions.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to land in Mumbai as he begins his second official trip to India this year and holds talks with Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.

The meeting between Rubio and Jaishankar is expected to focus on “energy, trade and investment, defense, critical and emerging technologies,” according to a report in the Indian newspaper The Indian Express.

During his visit, Rubio is also expected to travel to Jamnagar, in the western state of Gujarat, where he is set to visit billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance oil refinery.

Rubio’s trip comes amid tensions in relations between the US and India over visa restrictions and tariff threats.

However, speaking in Samarkand on Monday, Rubio said Washington and New Delhi were “very close” to an agreement. The visit is being seen as part of a US effort to repair ties.

The trip also comes days after the US paused sanctions on Russian oil imports.

Speaking in Samarkand, Rubio also said the US had considered the India-US trade deal when deciding to waive sanctions on Russian oil. India is a major importer of Russian oil.

Rubio said Washington had to juggle multiple factors “including our bilateral relationships with other countries and what they realistically are capable of being able to do in terms of their own energy supplies.”

“You also can’t unravel the economy of other countries because of one central issue,” he said.

Hello! This is Midhat from DW’s New Delhi bureau, bringing you the latest updates from across India.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to arrive in India, where he’ll meet Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in Mumbai. The visit comes a day after Rubio said trade deal talks between India and the United States are close to being wrapped up.

Meanwhile, in Delhi, Cockroach Janta Party leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka will remain in custody after a court extended their judicial custody beyond the initial five-day period. Delhi Police has also transferred the case to its crime branch.

Stay tuned for more updates from India throughout the day.