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First Post
an hour ago
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FirstUp: Modi to visit UK, Ukraine-Russia to hold new round of peace talks… Big events of the day
Prime Minister Modi will depart for a visit to the United Kingdom today, where he will meet his British counterpart Keir Starmer and sign the India-UK free trade agreement (FTA). Russia and Ukraine will hold a third round of ceasefire negotiations today. The Indian cricket team will take on England in the fourth Test match at Manchester. Here's what else to expect read more Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on the sidelines of the G7 Summit at Kananaskis, in Alberta, Canada. File image/PTI Are you prepared for a news-packed day? Wednesday, July 23, is set to be a busy, busy day in the world of news as well as sports. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a two-nation tour to the United Kingdom and the Maldives from July 23 until July 26. Today, Russia and Ukraine are also all set to hold new peace talks as a follow-up to the two rounds of peace talks held in Istanbul. Also, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will hold talks with French President Emmanuel Macron in Berlin on July 23, German government spokesperson Steffen Meyer said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In India, the funeral of VS Achuthanandan, Kerala's former chief minister, will be held today. Moreover, the Indian Air Force (IAF) will conduct a major, large-scale exercise in Rajasthan along the India-Pakistan border. Owing to this, a Notice to Airmen (Notam) has been issued in connection with the exercise. Today, also marks the start of the fourth Test match between India and England scheduled to be played in Manchester. Here's what to expect from this very busy Wednesday. Modi embarks on UK visit Starting today, July 23, PM Modi will begin his two-nation tour to the United Kingdom and Maldives. The Ministry of External Affairs said that Modi's visit to UK comes at the invitation of his British counterpart, Keir Starmer. This will be PM Modi's fourth visit to the nation since assuming office in 2014. 'The PM will embark on an official visit to the United Kingdom tomorrow, 23rd July, for discussions with Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He will also call upon King Charles III. Interaction is also planned with the business leaders, both from India and the UK. This will be Prime Minister's fourth visit to the UK since assuming office,' Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri announced. Modi's visit to UK will see him signing the much-awaited Free Trade Agreement (FTA). Moreover, he will hold wide-ranging discussions with Starmer on the entire gamut of India-UK bilateral relations, including the issue of Khalistani elements on British soil. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that a third round of negotiations will be held today in Turkey. File image/Reuters Russia-Ukraine peace talks On Wednesday, a third round of ceasefire negotiations between Russia and Ukraine is set to take place in Istanbul, Turkey. This comes after previous talks in May and June failed to yield any results. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that talks will be held today. Meanwhile, the Kremlin has downplayed any chances of a positive outcome from the meeting. The Russian side said on Tuesday that there was no basis to expect miracles from a proposed third round of direct Russian-Ukrainian peace talks, and declined to give any time frame for a potential agreement to end the war. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Macron to meet Germany's Merz in Berlin French President Emmanuel Macron will travel to meet German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Wednesday in Berlin, where the two will discuss the 30 per cent tariffs Trump has threatened on all EU goods if no agreement is reached. The two leaders, according to a report in Le Monde, will also discuss nuclear energy at the meeting today. The meeting is intended to lay the groundwork for the Franco-German Council of Ministers, planned for late August. France has long advocated that nuclear energy should not be penalised in Brussels, as atomic power accounts for nearly 70 per cent of its primary energy production. After years of fierce debate between Berlin and Paris, France hopes for a policy shift with the return of conservatives to power in Germany, especially since Merz presented himself as a staunch supporter of nuclear energy. The Indian Air Force is set to carry out a major military exercise in Rajasthan. Representational image/PTI IAF to hold exercises in Rajasthan A Notice to Airmen (Notam) has been issued for a large-scale Indian Air Force (IAF) exercise scheduled for July 23–25 in Rajasthan along the India-Pakistan border. According to sources, the Indian Air Force is set to carry out a major military exercise in Rajasthan, covering areas from Barmer to Jodhpur. 'The exercise is scheduled to take place in Rajasthan near the International Border, is part of the IAF's regular operational readiness drills. It could be between two or three commands of IAF. We keep issuing Notam during such exercise to keep airspace cleared of any civilian aircraft,' said the official. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The intensive drill will including frontline fighter jets including Rafale, Mirage 2000, and Sukhoi-30 aircraft, along with air-defence system and support systems. The drill will also involve preparedness during night operations. VS Achuthanandan's funeral in Kerala The state of Kerala in India is in mourning after news broke that former chief minister and Communist stalwart VS Achuthanandan passed away. Achuthanandan, known widely as VS, will be cremated today at the Valiyachudukadu funeral ground in his home district of Alappuzha. Earlier on Monday, his remains were kept at the party's former state headquarters, AKG Study Centre, in Thiruvananthapuram before being taken to his house. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said VS's death marked the end of an era. 'His death is a loss for the party and the state. His life was a remarkable chapter in the history of Kerala as well as of the revolutionary movement. He has been a symbol of struggle, unflinching determination and uncompromising fighting spirit. As chief minister, he had been instrumental in taking Kerala forward. He got involved in several issues, including human rights, women's rights and the environment. He played a crucial role in bringing several social issues to mainstream politics,' Vijayan said. Indian captain Shubman Gill and coach Gautam Gambhir during a practice session. File image/PTI India take on England in fourth Test match The historic Old Trafford ground in Manchester will play host to the penultimate Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy from Wednesday. While India strive to bounce back from their painstaking defeat at Lord's and draw level at 2-2, the hosts will aim to seal the fate of the series with a decisive lead. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD However, things won't be easy for the Indian side. Nitish Kumar Reddy has been ruled out of the remainder while Arshdeep Singh will also miss it due to injury. England, meanwhile, has made just one change to their squad; Liam Lawson will replace Shoaib Bashir, who has also been ruled out of the remainder due to finger injury sustained in the 3rd Test. The match will start today at 3.30 pm IST. With inputs from agencies
Mint
an hour ago
- Mint
Dassault Reiterates Goal to Lead Franco-German Warplane Project
(Bloomberg) -- France's Dassault Aviation SA reiterated it wants to lead the Franco-German next-generation Future Combat Air System fighter jet, giving it sweeping oversight over the project that's caused friction with partner Airbus SE. Chief Executive Officer Eric Trappier said his company would like to pilot the program with the ability to choose subcontractors and drop any of those that don't perform. Trappier, speaking in a press conference in Paris on Tuesday, denied reports that Dassault was seeking an 80% share in the FCAS project. French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will seek to quell growing friction over the fighter jet program when they meet for high-profile consultations in Berlin on Wednesday. Dassault is jointly developing the FCAS warplane with Airbus SE and Spain's Indra Sistemas SA. Berlin has opposed attempts by Dassault to take a larger share of the project, and Germany's aviation lobby, BDLI, said it risks dooming the joint European fighter jet plan. In stark contrast, British defense company BAE Systems Plc is speeding ahead with the development of its next-generation Tempest fighter jet, with test aircraft on track to fly within three years. The program includes Italy's Leonardo SpA, Japanese partners, Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc and missile company MBDA. Also, Sweden's Saab AB program to build the Gripen D fighter jet is gaining momentum after struggling to win sales from other countries. Earlier this year, Trappier said he backed a leading role on FCAS, pointing to Dassault's experience when it pulled from a venture project in the 1980s and went solo to build the Rafale fighter jet. Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine has heightened Europe's focus on territorial security, while President Donald Trump has prodded NATO allies to boost military spending, even as he raises doubts about the US commitment to the region's defense. As European governments supersize defense budgets, some are considering alternatives to American-made weapons such as Lockheed Martin Corp.'s F-35. The US, China and Russia are also developing sixth-generation aircraft, which are likely to include enhanced stealth, sensor and autonomous capabilities as well as the improved ability to coordinate with other aircraft and drones. More stories like this are available on
Scroll.in
11 hours ago
- Scroll.in
Europe's Palestine divide: Politicians target their own people for protesting
After over 21 months of live-streamed killings in Gaza that leading experts have unanimously called a genocide, even European politicians had begun to feebly question Israel's inhumane offensive. However, Israel's 'pre-emptive' strikes on Iran last month, which led to a 12-day war, tautly pulled European politicians back into Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's embrace. Rehearsed statements about European values and Israel's 'right to exist' were pronounced immediately, delivered with the smug and bureaucratic indifference perhaps most easily identified with the European Commission's President Ursula von der Leyen. To these proceedings, the German Chancellor, Frederic Merz, added some blunt intensity when he commended Israel for doing the West's drecksarbeit or ' dirty work '. This 'dirty work', since October 7, 2023, has ostensibly included over 35,000 attacks across five countries, the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Iran. Some weeks earlier, in a press conference with US President Donald Trump where the American leader was uncharacteristically better behaved than usual, Merz had asserted that he saw the defeat of the Nazis as a liberation of Germany. Meanwhile, he has repeatedly blamed the rise in antisemitism in Germany on immigrants. Put together, these statements from the leader of Europe's largest country signify a stunning re-wiring of historical memory in which, first, Germany becomes a victim of both the Nazis and antisemitism and second, the real threat to Europe emerges from Islamic countries and people. The fundamental premise of the Jewish state being left to do the 'dirty' work – since Europe itself is too civilised to deal with it – is of course foundationally antisemitic. It is a stunningly perverse exceptionalism, where Israel must operate outside the remit of international law and ethics because Europe can't. While European politicians have been predictably obsequious towards Israel, and their hatred of Muslims in general (as is evident in their anti-immigrant rhetoric) and towards Palestinians specifically, has been conveniently bubble-wrapped with the charge of antisemitism, there is also a visible shift in the public mood on the issue. People's protests Large numbers of Europeans have regularly thronged the streets to protest their governments' complicity in the genocide. In June 2025 alone, hundreds of thousands of people marched in protest across various European cities. London, which has held monthly pro-Palestine protests – a protest in November 2023 saw over a million people attend – hosted two large protests last month. Over 300,000 people took to the streets in Rome, nearly 150,000 in The Hague, which houses the International Court of Justice where South Africa has accused Israel of genocide as well as the International Criminal Court which has issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu, and 110,000 people marched in Brussels, where the EU is headquartered. The French were, characteristically, drawn to the barricades when Israeli forces detained activists on board the flotilla 'Madleen', which included the French-Palestinian European parliament member Rima Hassan. Several thousands also showed up at the Paris Air Show, calling for an end to Israeli participation. About 125 cities in Spain held simultaneous protests on June 14. A protest in Madrid a month before saw an attendance of 50,000 people. Cities across Europe, including Lisbon, Berlin, Bern, Copenhagen, Athens and Stockholm, showed their solidarity towards Palestinians and their opposition towards their governments. In many of these protests, protesters wore red clothes, creating a symbolic 'red line' against the governments' complicity. Both the numbers and the widespread nature of these protests indicate a groundswell of public opinion against their governments' support for Israel. A recent UK poll revealed that 57% of the British public supported an arms embargo on Israel and 54 percent supported expelling Israel from the UN. College campuses across Europe and Britain have become the chief sites of Palestinian solidarity. Another poll shows that between the age groups of 18-24, support for Palestine has grown from 16% in November 2019 to 58% in June 2025. Furthermore, the most recent YouGov EuroTrack Survey indicates that public support for Israel has drastically plummeted across six tracked countries, ie, Britain, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy and Spain, with 63%-70% people polled taking an unfavourable view of Israel. The American think tank, Pew Research Center, also confirms these findings. Meanwhile, as people have streamed onto the streets, politicians have swiftly deployed their police forces. In late 2024, the European Civil Forum, a transnational network spread across 27 countries, had reported that at least 836 incidents 'rang[ing] from threat of legal action to harassment, intimidation, violence, threats to citizenship or residency status, smear campaigns, cyber-attacks and surveillance' had taken place across Europe states since October 7, 2023. The German state led with 281 such incidents, followed by the UK (244), the Netherlands (87), France (79), Italy (58), Switzerland (20), Austria (17) and 50 incidents in other European states. The Civil Forum's updated report for 2025 notes several more incidents, including Germany deporting pro-Palestine protesters and carrying out coordinated police raids against activists for pro-Palestinian crimes, the Austrian police using drones, surveillance vans, police dogs, lorries, and a crane to clear out an encampment in Vienna, and a general increase in rights violations and arrests in other European countries. There is, in general, an alarming increase in criminalisation of pro-Palestinian protests. Denmark has proposed to grant new powers to the police to combat 'antisemitic crimes', emphasising on antisemitism that is 'generated out of a contempt for the State of Israel'. The most egregious recent example is the passing of a bill in the UK parliament on July 2 that bans Palestine Action, a prominent campaign group, as a terrorist organisation for the crime of spraying red paint on two planes at a military base. The gulf between the people and their governments couldn't be starker. In his powerful anticolonial essay Discourse on Colonialism, the Martinique writer-politician Aimé Césaire had written: 'colonialism works to decivilize the colonizer, to brutalize him in the true sense of the word'. Israel's colonial war in Palestine has found the most willing defenders in Europe's politicians. But this is not just a faraway war. As people rise in indignation and horror at the daily massacres unfolding on their screens, European politicians are slowly but surely enacting a whole set of legal, political and technological infrastructure to constrict freedoms in Europe, to take away rights, and to block every space for meaningful action in solidarity with a people being genocided. They serve a politics that unleashes and legitimises rampant Islamophobia in the name of preventing antisemitism. '…[S]lowly but surely, the continent proceeds towards savagery', Césaire had warned.
