Prime Minister Modi and President Trump held a productive conversation, reaffirming bilateral cooperation and discussing regional and global issues. The call signals renewed engagement, with progress noted in most areas except trade, where US tariffs remain a point of contention. Both leaders emphasized continued collaboration for global peace and prosperity.

NEW DELHI: Amidst ongoing efforts by India and the US to finalise a bilateral trade deal, PM Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump spoke on Thursday, reaffirming their shared commitment to carrying forward bilateral cooperation while also discussing regional and global issues.The conversation came within a week of Modi’s summit with Russian President Putin and in the middle of renewed efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war on the back of Trump’s peace plan.The two sides are looking to arrive at a common understanding on issues amid indications that US is still seeking access for its farm products like corn and soybean, among other issues. The two sides have been in talks for a bilateral trade pact since March.“Had very warm and engaging conversation with President Trump. We reviewed progress in our bilateral relations and discussed regional and international developments. India and the US will continue to work together for global peace, stability and prosperity,” Modi posted on X.PM-Trump call signals greater India-US willingness to engagePM Modi is learnt to have reiterated India’s position that it will support all international efforts for peace. “Modi and Trump reviewed the steady progress in India-US bilateral relations and exchanged views on key regional and global developments,” said an Indian readout. This was the first conversation between the two since they had a call days after Diwali.Thursday’s telephonic conversation signals a greater willingness on both sides to engage as there has been progress in most areas, barring trade, for which Trump has imposed 50% import duty on Indian products, comprising 25% reciprocal tariff and another 25% secondary tariffs for purchasing Russian oil and defence equipment.The move has hit several Indian exports, including textiles, leather, gems and jewellery and shrimps. While negotiators from the two sides have been engaging in a dialogue to resolve the issue, the Trump administration is yet to ease the tariffs, despite an acknowledgment by US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer that the offer on the table is the best received so far.The conversation follows recent efforts by both sides to revive bilateral engagements after the trade-related impasse. US also joined India and other Quad nations in condemning the Red Fort terror incident in a Quad counter-terrorism dialogue. Both sides also separately held their own terrorism dialogue.India and US held foreign office consultations this week with a focus on key bilateral issues, including trade and investment, defence, the TRUST initiative for cooperation in critical technologies, energy, including civil nuclear collaboration, and critical minerals.According to US, the meeting was an opportunity to translate President Trump and PM Modi’s vision from their Feb meeting this year into “concrete progress that enhances US security, jobs and competitiveness, while supporting India’s long-term goals”.“The Under Secretary emphasised US’ aim to deepen cooperation in defense, energy, technology, space, and trusted supply chains and the value of US-India cooperation that fuels US innovation while supporting India’s rise as a global technology leader,” a US embassy spokesperson said.While the US statement did not mention the Indo-Pacific, an Indian readout said that the discussions also covered regional and global developments of mutual interest, with both sides underscoring their shared commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.

NEW DELHI: Clarifying the procedure for inquiry into a sexual harassment at workplace complaint, when accused and survivor belong to two different offices or departments, Supreme Court on Thursday ruled it will be the jurisdiction of the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) constituted at the workplace of the aggrieved woman to hold inquiry and not by the ICC of workplace of the person facing complaint.A bench of Justices J K Maheshwari and Vijay Bishnoi said the aggrieved woman, who has allegedly suffered an act of sexual harassment at workplace, should not be compelled to file a complaint before the ICC constituted at the workplace of the ‘respondent’ – against whom allegation has been made.It rejected the plea of a 2010-batch IRS officer who alleged the inquiry against him on a complaint made by a 2004-batch woman IAS officer be conducted only by the ICC of his department and challenged the notice issued by the ICC of her department. The alleged incident happened in 2023.The court said if the IRS officer’s plea is allowed, then it would cause several procedural and psychological barriers for the aggrieved woman, and create a situation where the woman would have to appear before the ICC at an alien workplace to pursue her remedy in law. SC, however, made it clear the action against the erring employee can be taken only by his department as per its rule on the basis of the report prepared by the ICC of the aggrieved woman’s workplace.“The taboo around sexual harassment at workplace and the fear of stigma, which may be attached to the aggrieved woman as a consequence of a complaint regarding sexual harassment, already poses a massive psychological barrier for the aggrieved women, which actively dissuades them from pursuing their remedy in law.” “In such view of the matter also, the intent of the legislature behind giving such a wide meaning to the word ‘workplace’ to go beyond the bounds of the traditional meaning implying location of office, cannot be brushed aside by narrow construction of other provisions of the POSH Act. It is for the aforementioned reasons that we are constrained to reject the argument of the appellant,” it said. The bench said if an aggrieved woman has to approach the ICC constituted at the workplace of the ‘respondent’ for every third-party incident, it would fall short of the objective.“Any person against whom a complaint is filed by the aggrieved woman before the ICC constituted at her workplace under Section 9, is a ‘respondent’ under the Act, and as per the scheme of Section 11(1), if the ‘respondent’ is an ’employee’, his service rules shall apply and in the absence of service rules, inquiry shall be conducted as prescribed, but the ‘respondent’ need not necessarily be an employee of the same ‘workplace’,” the bench said.

A sophisticated crime syndicate in Delhi used hidden cameras in commercial vehicles to record traffic

NEW DELHI: At first sight, it seemed like a regular traffic enforcement operation in the capital — a commercial vehicle driver being pulled up for a violation and a cop issuing a challan before letting him pass. However, there was a twist — many of these drivers, equipped with hidden spy cameras, were acting on the instruction of a highly organised crime syndicate to record the action in a high-tech sting operation. Once collected, the raw footage became the foundation of a sophisticated blackmail operation. Many of the recordings were doctored to trap the police personnel, forming the basis for threats and extortion demands. To increase the pressure, repeated false complaints of alleged corruption were lodged against the targeted officers, triggering departmental inquiries and severe professional stress. Once the syndicate, mainly operating in northeast Delhi, successfully extorted the targets, the false complaints were withdrawn, leaving the officers vulnerable and financially drained.Some time ago, the accused even demanded sexual favours from a few woman traffic personnel in lieu of not making their videos viral, a senior officer said. Many traffic officers even opted for transfer out of the circles where this gang was active, he added.After the gang, run by Raju Meena and Jeeshan Ali, was busted, there were mixed feelings in the traffic unit. While some breathed a sigh of relief, others were rattled as the probe also focused on colluding officers. The initial probe has indicated that some traffic cops were hand in glove with the gang.

Clips Doctored, Gang Targets Traffic Police To Run Syndicate

A traffic cop told TOI that the group might have more than 100 members. “Meena would ask traffic cops to allow trucks to pass during no-entry timings. One of his men would be stationed at pickets or specific locations to facilitate the passage and collect money, which was then shared. If a policeman refused to cooperate, Meena would target him,” he added.Another officer said the gang would initially try to lure traffic policemen by offering money. If the cop refused, the gang would still secretly record them — whether while issuing on-the-spot challans or during routine activities like making purchases and payments at shops — and manipulate the footage to intimidate or pressure them.“In one case, the gang tried to trap a sub-inspector while the officer was making a payment at a shop and transferred excess money, which the shopkeeper was returning in cash. The entire incident was recorded and a complaint was filed 15 days later. During the inquiry, the shopkeeper, however, said he did not know the SI and recounted the full sequence,” he added.“If, despite the intimidation, an officer continued to oppose Meena’s illegal activities, he would send an associate posing as a complainant, along with the video, to a govt agency, falsely alleging bribery and prompting the agency to conduct a raid or take action against the staffer,” the officer said.DCP Sanjeev Yadav said the syndicate used to change the illegal stickers every month — their design, colour and codes — to avoid detection. “The mobile numbers displayed on the stickers were also changed on a monthly basis,” he added.

Passengers wait in queues at IndiGo airline’s counter at Kempegowda International Airport, in Bengaluru (Picture credit: PTI)

NEW DELHI: IndiGo on Thursday said it will offer Rs 10,000 travel vouchers to passengers who were stranded for long hours during the widespread flight disruptions between December 3 and 5. The airline said the move aims to compensate customers affected by severe congestion at several airports after a large-scale crew shortage triggered delays and cancellations. The vouchers will remain valid for any IndiGo flight for the next 12 months.The airline said refunds for most cancelled flights have already been processed, while remaining transactions are expected to reflect soon. For bookings made through travel platforms, IndiGo said refund actions have begun and advised customers to write to customer.experience@goindigo.in if their contact details are incomplete in its system.In a detailed statement, IndiGo said: “Our foremost priority continues to be the care of our customers. As part of this, following the operational disruption, we have ensured that all necessary refunds for cancelled flights have been initiated, most of which have already reflected in your accounts, with the remainder following shortly.”

The airline added: “If the booking was made through a travel partner platform, the necessary actions for your refund have also been initiated. As we may not have your complete details in our system, we request you to write to us at customer.experience@goindigo.inso we can continue to assist you promptly.”IndiGo acknowledged that many passengers travelling on December 3, 4 and 5 were stranded for hours. “IndiGo regrettably acknowledges that part of our customers travelling on December 3/4/5 were stranded for many hours at certain airports and number of them were severely impacted due to congestion. We will offer travel vouchers worth Rs 10,000 to such severely impacted customers. These travel vouchers can be used for any future IndiGo journey for the next 12 months.“The airline said this is in addition to compensation mandated by government rules. “This compensation is in addition to the commitment under the existing Government guidelines as per which, IndiGo will provide compensation of Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000 depending on the block time of the flight, to those customers whose flights were cancelled within 24 hours of departure time.”IndiGo said it is working to restore the travel experience expected by passengers. “At IndiGo, we are committed to restoring the experience you expect from us safe, smooth, and reliable. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to serve you again.”

L-R: India cricketers Deepti Sharma, Smriti Mandhana, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli

NEW DELHI: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is expected to take up a long-awaited revision of domestic match fees for women cricketers during the Apex Council meeting scheduled for December 22. The meeting, which will be held virtually, comes in the wake of India’s triumphant ODI World Cup campaign and growing calls for stronger financial support for women competing in domestic tournaments.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!While pay parity exists at the international level, significant gaps remain in the domestic structure. With the women’s game gaining momentum, the BCCI is now poised to address the issue formally, with the proposal listed as a key agenda item.

Another major point of discussion will be the annual central contracts for the men’s team. Much attention will be on the grading of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, both of whom stepped away from Tests and T20Is over the past year and now play only ODI cricket. Their revised workload may prompt adjustments to their contract categories.In contrast, all-format players such as India captain Shubman Gill, vice-captain Ravindra Jadeja, and lead pacer Jasprit Bumrah are expected to feature in the A+ bracket, reflecting their central roles across formats.

The BCCI will also evaluate a proposal to revise match fees for umpires and match referees, a long-pending demand within the domestic circuit. An update on the board’s digital properties, which includes streaming rights, website upgrades, and fan-engagement platforms, is also slated for discussion.This will be the first Apex Council AGM since the recent administrative changes within the BCCI. Mithun Manhas took over as president in September, while Raghuram Bhatt assumed charge as treasurer. Devajit Saikia and Prabhtej Singh Bhatia were appointed secretary and joint secretary, respectively, and Saurashtra Cricket Association chief Jaydev Shah joined as councillor.Apex Council Agenda (Key Items):

US President Donald Trump unveiled the long-awaited Gold Card visa at the White House on Wednesday, billing it as a million-dollar fast track to US citizenship and a tool for companies to retain foreign graduates. He said it was “somewhat like a green card, but with big advantages,” adding that firms could “go to any school, buy a card, and keep that person in the United States.” The White House began accepting applications from Wednesday afternoon. The card costs $1 million for individuals and $2 million for corporate sponsors.Also Read: ‘Direct path to citizenship’: Donald Trump launches Gold Card, cites corporate demand — what it means

What is the Gold Card?

The Gold Card is a new US visa pathway based on an applicant’s ability to deliver substantial benefit to the United States. It carried a $15,000 DHS processing fee and a $1 million gift after vetting. Successful applicants received lawful permanent residence under an EB-1 or EB-2 classification.

What does it cost?

– $15,000 DHS processing fee (non-refundable) – $1 million gift for individuals after background checks – Extra Department of State fees may apply

What is Trump platinum card?

Foreign nationals can sign up now and secure their places on the waiting list for the Trump Platinum Card. When launched, and upon receipt of a $15,000 DHS processing fee and $5 million contribution, they will have the ability to spend up to 270 days in the United States without being subject to US taxes on non-US income.

What is the Trump Corporate Gold Card?

Companies could sponsor foreign workers by paying a $15,000 processing fee per employee and a $2 million gift (Rs 16.6 crore) per employee after vetting. Corporations could reuse their $2 million contribution for a replacement employee without paying again. A 1 per cent annual maintenance fee and 5 per cent transfer fee applied.

Who can apply for Gold Card?

According to the site, Applicants must be eligible for lawful permanent resident status, admissible to the United States, and a visa must be available.

Are family members included?

Spouses and unmarried children under 21 could be added to the application. Each required an additional $15,000 processing fee and $1 million gift.

Can Gold Card status be revoked?

Yes. As with any visa, national security or significant criminal concerns could trigger revocation.

Application timeline

Once the processing fee was submitted, the vetting and approval process typically took weeks. Applicants had to attend a visa interview and respond quickly to document requests.

How to apply

Applications were submitted through the official website: https://trumpcard.gov/ Steps included: • Choose between Gold Card (individual), Corporate Gold Card or Platinum waitlist • Fill in personal information (name, birth details, citizenship, address, family count) • Create a myUSCIS.gov account when instructed • Pay the DHS processing fee of $15,000 • Complete the vetting and later wire the $1 million or $2 million gift

How do applicants pay?

Applicants or their corporate sponsors must pay a nonrefundable processing fee of $15,000. Payment must be made by credit card (U.S. and international) or ACH debit (U.S. bank accounts only). Depending on the type of applicant, a gift payment of $1 million or $2 million is required. “Upon receiving an email after vetting is complete, applicants or their corporate sponsors should instruct their banks to use an ACH debit or Swift Wire Transfer (U.S. and international bank accounts) according to the instructions provided at that time.” Visa-related fees will be communicated directly by the US Department of State, which will provide information on submitting the visa application fee and payments for the required medical examination.

How long does it take?

Processing typically took weeks once fees were paid and documents submitted. Some nationalities faced delays based on visa availability. Gold Card holders were taxed like US permanent residents. Platinum Card holders were exempt from US tax on foreign income for up to 270 days of annual presence.

‘Dhurandhar’ starring Ranveer Singh, Akshaye Khanna, R Madhavan, Arjun Rampal and more, has been hogging the limelight for several reasons, one of which is its impressive box office collection. In just six days of its theatrical run, it has surpassed the lifetime box office score of several previous releases. According to the latest trade report, the high-octane action drama is eyeing the Rs 200 crore milestone, which, considering the current pace of the movie, is not a far-fetched goal. Read to know more about ‘Dhurandhar’s box office.Dhurandhar Movie Review

‘Dhurandhar’ box office collection day 6: Ranveer Singh and Aditya Dhar film to join Rs 200 crore

Helmed by the ‘Uri’ fame director Aditya Dhar, ‘Dhurandhar’ made an impressive opening with Rs 28 crore at the box office on Friday. It further benefited from the weekend surge, making Rs 32 crore and Rs 43 crore on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.

Then on day 4, it had to face its first Monday, which was expected to record a drop. However, the number game was still strong with the movie collecting Rs 23.25 crore. Tuesday saw a further rise, with ‘Dhurandhar’ minting Rs 27 crore, and on Wednesday, with a strong hold, the film made around Rs 26.50 crore. With these numbers, in India, the net collection of ‘Dhurandhar’ after 6 days of box office run stands at Rs 179.75 crore. Since the movie has been making over Rs 20 crore even on weekdays, with the Thursday numbers, it is expected to join the Rs 200 crore club.‘Dhurandhar’ has become the second-highest opener of 2025, beating ‘Saiyaara.’ In the list of Ranveer Singh starrers, ‘Dhurandhar’ currently is in the fourth spot amind the highest grossers. It’s on the path to beat ‘Bajirao Mastani.’

Ranvir Shorey reviews ‘Dhurandhar’

Along with the box office collection, the movie has been gaining rave reviews from all around. Actor Ranvir Shorey also recently took to X to appreciate the film and wrote, “Watched Dhurandhar with a full house on a Monday night, and loved it! It’s a kicka** spy thriller with 0 hate for anything except the terror infrastructure in Pakistan. Really dunno what the whining is about. AdityaDharFilms and the entire cast and crew have done a superlative job, and ought to be commended.”DISCLAIMER: The box office numbers in this article are compiled from our proprietary sources and diverse public data. We strive for accuracy, and all figures are approximate unless explicitly mentioned. We offer a fair representation of the project’s box office performance. We are open to feedback and suggestions at entertainment@timesinternet.in.