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Ukraine has proposed a new round of peace talks with Russia, President Volodymyr Zelensky has said, in a move aimed at restarting negotiations that halted last month, BBC reported.

Senior security official Rustem Umerov has offered to meet the Russian side next week, Zelensky said in his evening address, adding that everything had to be done to get a ceasefire.

Zelenksy also repeated his readiness to meet Russia's Vladimir Putin face-to-face. "A meeting at the leadership level is needed to truly ensure peace," he said.

The proposal came hours after Ukraine was hit with another widespread air bombardment by Russia, which killed three people, according to BBC.

At least 34 people have died and several are still missing after a tourist boat capsized in Vietnam during bad weather, BBC reported.

The incident took place in Ha Long Bay, a popular tourist destination in the north of the country.

Most of the passengers were reportedly Vietnamese families visiting from the capital Hanoi.

Heavy rain has been hindering the search for survivors, rescuers say, but so far 11 people have been pulled from the water alive, according to BBC.

Sectarian clashes have continued in southern Syria despite an "immediate ceasefire" announced by the country's president, BBC reported.

Over the past week fighters from the minority Druze community have been battling armed Bedouins in Suweida Province, with both sides accused of atrocities.

Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa deployed troops but the government forces were accused of joining in attacks on the Druze. More than 900 people are reported to have been killed in the violence. 

Israel declared support for the Druze earlier this week and intervened, hitting government forces and the defence ministry in the capital Damascus, according to BBC.

Gelephu (Bhutan), has been an important tourist destination at India-Bhutan crossing.

Roughly 41km from Kajalgaon, headquarter of Chirang, 50 km from Bongaigaon, and 340 km from Siliguri, India.

Conventionally, this border crossing is mostly used for shipping and business between Bhutan and India. However, in the wake of India-Bhutan cooperation for the 2500 square kilometers "Zero Carbon City" in Gelephu and giving a solid traction to "Gelephu Mindfulness City", its new positioning is of a hub of knowledge, technology, and finance, grounded in the values of mindfulness, sustainability and harmony.

As said by the Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, "Gelephu embodies the co-operative spirit, as every citizen of Bhutan is both a shareholder and a stakeholder, actively participating in this significant initiative." 

Since the announcement of plans for the Gelephu city in December 2023, situated to the south of Bhutan and bordering Assam, Bhutanese King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck has visited India twice to discuss his plans for the city, and to seek investment and collaborations from the Indian private sector in infrastructure development, bringing projects in the areas like hotels and hospitality, educational institutions, IT and wellness centres.

India responded positively to it and Gelephu is fast becoming an attractive investment destination, giving the city a new dimension of development.

To further enhance the bilateral economic cooperation between India and Bhutan besides the subregional/regional cooperation (including Nepal as an important trilateral ally of India and Bhutan) with focus on "India's Look East Policy" as part of its South East Asia outreach, in association with Vis Inc and The Bengal Chamber of Commerce & Industry (BCCI) and under the aegis of its “India-Nepal Centre”, PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) organised the "Gelephu Roadshow - Where Mindfulness Meets the Future: Connecting India and Bhutan for Sustainable Development and Global Cooperation" on 17 July 2025 at Kolkata, India. The Roadshow witnessed the participation of leading industry captains and stakeholders of India-Bhutan businesses besides concerned diplomats.

The Gelephu Mindfulness City was represented by Kinley P Dorji, Communication Lead (Director, GMC Affairs & Secretary, GMC Board), Gelephu Mindfulness City Authority, Bhutan and Ugyen Tenzin, CEO, DK Bank. In GMC’s detailed presentation, Kinley P Dorji called for partnerships and invited potential investors to explore a long-term promising project “Gelephu Mindfulness City” that will have significant focus on specialized (in nature’s surrounding) infrastructure, sustainable tourism, wellness, education and spiritualism.

Atul K Thakur, Secretary, India-Nepal Centre, PHDCCI moderated the sessions. Among other key speakers were: Dr Shiladitya Chatterjee, Economic Adviser (National Economic Affairs Committee), The Bengal Chamber of Commerce & Industry (BCCI); Anand Jha, Vice President(Head of Government Engagement: India & South Asia), Visa Inc; Anirudha Barooah, Regional Head, Kolkata Regional Office, Export-Import Bank of India (India Exim Bank); Jhakka Prasad Acharya, Consul General of Nepal, Kolkata, India; Dr Vidyanand Jha, IIM Calcutta; Dushyant Thakor, Deputy Executive Director, World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA); Binod Homagai, Co-Founder & COO, WoW Momo; Bikas Rauniar, Executive Director, Interstate Multi Modal Transport (P) Ltd; Subir Bhaumik, Contributing Editor (South Asia), Eurasia Review (Formerly: Eastern India Bureau Chief, BBC)

The “Gelephu Roadshow 2025”, held in Kolkata (India) shall further help Bhutan’s ambitious strategic development project “Gelephu Mindfulness City” with drawing institutional collaborations and investment.

A snappy tune by a blogger that mockingly laments his poor internet connection in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don has gotten over a half-million views on Instagram in two weeks, Associated Press reported.

“How to say you’re from Rostov without saying a word? Show one bar of cellphone service,” Pavel Osipyan raps while walking around the city, smartphone in hand. “We have internet until 12 o’clock, and recently there’s been no connection at all. No need to be angry, just get used to it already.”

The complaints by Osipyan — unable to pay electronically for groceries, or having to use paper maps while driving — aren’t isolated to Rostov-on-Don, which borders Ukraine and, as home to Russia’s Southern Military District, is targeted frequently by drones.

In the last two months, cellphone internet shutdowns, which officials say are needed to foil Ukrainian drones, have hit dozens of Russian regions — from those near the fighting to parts of Siberia and even the Far East. Some Wi-Fi outages also have been reported, according to Associated Press.

The House gave final approval to President Donald Trump’s request to claw back about $9 billion for public broadcasting and foreign aid early Friday as Republicans intensified their efforts to target institutions and programs they view as bloated or out of step with their agenda, Associated Press reported.

The vote marked the first time in decades that a president has successfully submitted such a rescissions request to Congress, and the White House suggested it won’t be the last. Some Republicans were uncomfortable with the cuts, yet supported them anyway, wary of crossing Trump or upsetting his agenda.

The House passed the bill by a vote of 216-213. It now goes to Trump for his signature, according to Associated Press.

“We need to get back to fiscal sanity and this is an important step,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.

Felix Baumgartner, who once broke the world record for the highest skydive by jumping from the edge of space, has died in a motorisedparagliding accident in Italy, BBC reported.

The 56-year-old fell to the ground near the swimming pool of a hotel while flying over the village of Porto Sant'Elpidio in the eastern Marche region.

Porto Sant'Elpidio's mayor, Massimiliano Ciarpella, said reports suggested he may have suffered a sudden medical issue mid-air.

The Austrian daredevil made headlines in 2012 when he broke the world record - and the sound barrier - for the highest-ever skydive, jumping from a balloon more than 39km (128,000 ft) up in the stratosphere, according to BBC.

The price of gold has increased by Rs 200 per tola in the domestic market on Friday. 

According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the precious yellow metal is being traded at Rs 192, 500 per tola today. It was traded at Rs 192, 300 per tola on Thursday.

Similarly, the price of silver has increased by Rs 15 and is being traded at Rs 2, 280 per tola today.