The Indian rupee has fallen past 87 against the United States dollar, sinking to an all-time low amid a slump in Asian currencies after US President Donald Trump’s new tariffs. The rupee opened at 87 and dropped further to 87.29, a fall of 67 paise from its previous close of 86.62 on Friday.

Trump on Saturday imposed 25% tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico and 10% on those from China. Canada and Mexico announced retaliatory tariffs. China said it would take countermeasures and challenge the decision at the World Trade Organisation, triggering fears of a larger trade war.

The rupee remains under pressure due to foreign fund outflows and higher US dollar demand from oil importers, according to experts. Foreign institutional investors sold equities valued at $32.6 billion on a gross basis in January, with a net outflow of $7.6 billion.

On Monday, the Chinese yuan also fell 0.5% to 7.35 per US dollar. Read on.

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday paid tribute to the “thousands” who died in the January 29 stampede at the Maha Kumbh pilgrimage site in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj, triggering an uproar in the Rajya Sabha. Officials have said that 30 people were killed and 60 injured, though media reports suggested the toll could be significantly higher.

Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar urged Kharge to retract his remark, saying such figures carry weight and could be misleading. Kharge said his estimate was not meant to blame anyone and asked the government to provide the official figures.

The stampede occurred between 1 am and 2 am on Mauni Amavasya, a day of spiritual significance in the Hindu calendar. The administration delayed releasing an official toll, though Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences to the victims’ families.

Opposition MPs protested in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, demanding a discussion on the stampede in the House and the full list of victims. Read on.

The Supreme Court has directed the Central Forensic Science Laboratory to submit in a sealed cover its report on audio clips allegedly linking Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh to ethnic violence in the state. The order was issued by a bench of Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar on a petition by the Kuki Organization for Human Rights Trust, which has sought an independent investigation into the audio clips.

Advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing the petitioner, said the tapes were analysed by forensic laboratory Truth Labs, which confirmed with 93% certainty that the voice in the recordings was Singh’s. The recordings allegedly feature Singh taking credit for “how and why the conflict started” and defying Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s order against the use of “bombs”.

Manipur Police had claimed in August that the clips were doctored and aimed at inciting communal violence. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the court that an FIR had been registered and an investigation was underway. The bench scheduled the next hearing in the week of March 24.

At least 258 people have been killed and over 59,000 displaced since ethnic clashes erupted between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo-Hmar communities Manipur in May 2023. Read on.

The Delhi High Court has summoned Congress MP Shashi Tharoor in a defamation suit filed by Bharatiya Janata Party leader Rajeev Chandrasekhar. The court issued notice to Tharoor and sought his response by April 28.

Chandrasekhar’s suit alleges that Tharoor made false and defamatory remarks about him during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, damaging his reputation. Chandrasekhar, who lost to Tharoor in Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram constituency, later sent a defamation notice and approached the court seeking a restraining order, a public apology from Tharoor and Rs 10 crore in damages.

Tharoor was also booked for allegedly running a false campaign against Chandrasekhar. The case was registered on April 15 on a complaint by BJP leader JR Padmakumar.

Padmakumar alleged that Tharoor accused Chandrasekhar of using illegal means to influence voters. Chandrasekhar, in a legal notice, said the Congress MP’s statements also harmed religious and community organisations. Read on.

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