EAM Jaishankar, US secretary of state Rubio hold talks in Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur (PTI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday held talks with his American counterpart Marco Rubio amid efforts by the two sides to reset bilateral ties that have come under severe strain over punitive US tariffs on Indian goods.
Jaishankar and Rubio met in Kuala Lumpur on the sidelines of the annual summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
"Glad to meet @SecRubio this morning in Kuala Lumpur. Appreciated the discussion on our bilateral ties as well as regional and global issues," the external affairs minister said in a post on X.
Glad to meet @SecRubio this morning in Kuala Lumpur.
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) October 27, 2025
Appreciated the discussion on our bilateral ties as well as regional and global issues.
🇮🇳 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/mlrqoyZypB
The relations between New Delhi and Washington have been reeling under severe strain after US President Donald Trump imposed 50 per cent tariffs on India including an additional 25 per cent levies for its procurement of Russian crude oil.
India described the US action as "unfair, unjustified and unreasonable".
It is understood that Jaishankar and Rubio also broadly delved into the proposed trade pact between the two sides.
Five rounds of talks have been completed so far for the first phase of the bilateral trade agreement between India and the US.
According to an official, the proposed trade deal is "very near" to concluding.
On Sunday, Jaishankar held separate talks with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Singapore's Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan and his Thai counterpart Sihasak Phuangketkeow.
The 11-nation ASEAN is considered one of the most influential blocs in the region, with India and several other countries, including the US, China, Japan and Australia, being its dialogue partners.
Malaysia is hosting the annual ASEAN summit and related meetings in Kuala Lumpur in its capacity as the current chair of the grouping.
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NEET student hangs self in Rajasthan's Sikar
Jaipur (PTI): A student preparing for the NEET examination allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself in a rented room in Rajasthan's Sikar on Friday, police said.
According to the police, the student allegedly hanged himself from a ceiling fan using his sister's scarf while one sister was attending coaching classes and the other was in the bathroom.
He had appeared in the NEET UG exam 2026, which was cancelled due to paper leak, they said.
Udyog Nagar SHO Rajesh Kumar said that the deceased, identified as Pradeep Meghwal, was a resident of Kanika ki Dhani village in Jhunjhunu's Gudha Gaudji area.
He had been living in a rented room in Sikar's Jaldhari Nagar area with his two sisters while preparing for NEET over the last three years.
His elder sister later found him hanging and informed the landlord and police after bringing him down, officials said.
The SHO said the body was kept at SK Hospital mortuary, and a postmortem had not been conducted.
The student's father, Rajesh Kumar Meghwal, told police that Pradeep's NEET examination had gone well and the family was expecting him to score around 650 marks.
Former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot expressed grief over the incident and linked it to anxiety among students after reports of irregularities and paper leaks in NEET 2026.
Pilot said repeated paper leak incidents and cancellation of examinations were affecting students' mental health and demanded a time-bound investigation and strict action against those responsible.
