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Russian State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin met North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang, delivering greetings from President Vladimir Putin and expressing gratitude for Pyongyang’s support of Russia’s war in Ukraine, Reuters reported.

The visit came shortly after a phone call between Putin and Kim, ahead of Putin’s planned talks with US President Donald Trump in Alaska on Friday.

According to Reuters, Kim marked the 80th anniversary of liberation from Japanese rule with a letter to Putin, praising the “friendship and unity” of Russian and North Korean soldiers. Both governments confirmed North Korean troop deployments to aid Russia’s offensive, while South Korea warned more forces could be sent.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday urged greater self-reliance in manufacturing, from fertilizers to jet engines and EV batteries, while vowing to protect farmers amid rising trade tensions with Washington, according to Reuters.

In his Independence Day address, Modi promoted “Swadeshi” goods, announced lower GST rates from October, and said India would soon launch homegrown semiconductor chips and boost critical mineral exploration.

The remarks follow US President Donald Trump’s steep new tariffs — up to 50 percent on some Indian exports — over New Delhi’s continued Russian oil imports. The move hit key sectors like textiles and jewellery and came after trade talks collapsed over farm and dairy market access. While avoiding direct mention of the US, Modi pledged to shield farmers from any harmful policy, Reuters reported.

Israel plans to build over 3,000 homes in the E1 area of the occupied West Bank, drawing criticism from the UN and EU for threatening a two-state solution and breaching international law.

Meanwhile, Gaza’s humanitarian crisis deepens. Four more Palestinians died of hunger, bringing the total to 239, including 106 children. Israeli strikes killed at least 32 people, including aid seekers, according to Al Jazeera.

The conflict has so far killed over 61,700 in Gaza and 1,139 in Israel, with more than 200 taken captive

US President Donald Trump has vowed to help jailed Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai, who faces national security charges over his pro-democracy activism. “I’m going to do everything I can to save him,” Trump told Fox News.

Lai, 77, founder of the now-closed Apple Daily, faces charges of colluding with foreign forces and sedition under Hong Kong’s 2020 national security law, and could face life imprisonment if convicted.

Detained since 2020, Lai has spent over 1,600 days in solitary confinement and has faced restrictions on legal and medical access. His trial, delayed for health reasons, is expected to conclude soon, Fox News reported.