Morning Digest: Trump’s ‘last warning’ to Hamas to release hostages; no response from India on Trump tariffs so far, and more

The Hindu Morning Digest gives a select list of stories to start the day. Read the top news today on March 6, 2025

U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday threatened further destruction of Gaza if all remaining hostages are not released, and issued an ultimatum to Hamas leaders to flee. Strongly backing Israel as a ceasefire teeters, Mr. Trump said he was “sending Israel everything it needs to finish the job” as his administration expedites billions of dollars in weapons.

India did not respond on Wednesday to U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement that his administration planned to go ahead with reciprocal tariffs against India.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has said that Pakistan vacating Pakistan Occupied Kashmir would resolve the Kashmir issue in its entirety. The Minister was responding to a question from a member of the audience at the Chatham House, the London-based thinktank. The question was about whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi could use his relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump to “solve” the Kashmir issue.

Citing the shifting geopolitical order, energy, tech and connectivity initiatives, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said that several priorities of U.S. President Donald Trump and his administration were promising for India. “I think we see a President and an administration which, in our parlance, is moving towards multi-polarity. And that is something which suits India,” he said, clarifying that by practicing multi-polarity, the Trump administration was in fact promoting it.

Border Roads Organisation (BRO) tunnel expert Colonel Parikshit Mehra, providing a detailed update on the progress in the rescue operation at Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel at Domalapenta in Nagarkurnool district, emphasised that significant strides had been made in clearing debris and stabilising the site on Wednesday.

The total seizure in the Kannada film actor Ranya Rao case stands at ₹17.29 crore, said an official release from the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), which also added that the haul of 14.2 kg is one of the biggest seizures of gold at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in recent times.

The Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday posted a video of his recent interaction with porters, who had risked their lives to help passengers during the stampede at the New Delhi Railway Station on February 15 and thanked them for saving many lives and helping in the relief work and assured them of “placing their demands before the government”.