Modi begins two-nation tour to UK and Maldives
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi has embarked on a two-nation visit to the United Kingdom and the Maldives from July 23 to 26. His UK visit, at the invitation of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, marks his fourth trip to the country since taking office in 2014, according to Firstpost.
During his stay, Modi will meet Prime Minister Starmer for talks on strengthening bilateral ties, with a focus on finalising the India-UK Free Trade Agreement. He is also scheduled to call on King Charles III and engage with leading business figures from both nations.
Discussions will cover a broad range of issues, including concerns over Khalistani activities in the UK, Firstpost reported.
UN body says Israeli forces have killed over 1,000 aid-seekers in Gaza since May, as hunger worsens
More than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since May while trying to get food in the Gaza Strip, mostly near aid sites run by an American contractor, the U.N. human rights office said Tuesday, Associated Press reported.
Meanwhile, Israeli strikes killed 25 people across Gaza, according to local health officials.
Desperation is mounting in the Palestinian territory of more than 2 million, which experts say is at risk of famine because of Israel’s blockade and nearly two-year offensive. A breakdown of law and order has led to widespread looting and contributed to chaos and violence around aid deliveries, according to Associated Press.
Trump says trade deal struck with Japan includes 15% tariff
President Donald Trump on Tuesday said the U.S. and Japan have struck a deal that will lower the hefty tariffs Trump had threatened to impose on goods from its Asian ally while extracting commitments for Japan to invest $550 billion in the U.S. and open its markets to American goods, Reuters reported.
The agreement - including a 15% tariff on all imported Japanese goods, down from a proposed 25% - is the most significant of the string of trade deals the White House has reached ahead of an approaching August 1 deadline for higher levies to kick in.
"This is a very exciting time for the United States of America, and especially for the fact that we will continue to always have a great relationship with the Country of Japan," Trump said on his Truth Social platform.
Industry and government officials briefed on the agreement said the deal also lowers the tariff to 15% from 25% on Japanese autos, which account for more than a quarter of all the country's exports to the U.S, according to Reuters.
Protests in Ukraine as Zelensky signs bill targeting anti-corruption bodies
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has signed a bill that critics say weakens the independence of the country's anti-corruption bodies, sparking protests and drawing international criticism, BBC reported.
Critics say the new law undermines the authority of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (Nabu) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (Sapo) - placing them under the control of the prosecutor general.
In an address on Wednesday, Zelensky said both agencies would still "work", but needed to be cleared of "Russian influence".
After the bill passed, hundreds of people gathered in Kyiv for the biggest anti-government protest since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, according to BBC.
