Russia resumes Moscow-Pyongyang commercial flights
Russia and North Korea have pulled closer in the last year, with Pyongyang sending weapons and troops to aid Moscow's war in Ukraine -- likely in exchange for technical assistance, experts say.
Tracking site Flight Aware showed Russia's Nordwind Airlines' Boeing 777 landing in Pyongyang at 09:15 am (GMT 00:15).
"This is a historical event, strengthening the ties between our nations," Oleg, a Nordwind employee on the flight who did not give his full name, told AFP at the airport in Moscow Sunday.
A video posted on Russian news agency RIA Novosti's Telegram account showed North Korean officials and flight attendants welcoming the Russian passengers with flowers at Pyongyang's international airport.
One North Korean official is seen checking the temperatures of the disembarking Russians with an electronic thermometer.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
24 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Will defend national interest, says Centre after tariff shock
India will take 'all necessary steps' to secure its national interest, commerce minister Piyush Goyal told parliament on Thursday, a day after US President Donald Trump announced punitive tariffs on Indian goods. While acknowledging Donald Trump's Wednesday post as reason for making a suo moto statement in Parliament, Piyush Goyal on Thursday reiterated the Trump administration's April 2 executive order.(File/ANI) 'The implications of the recent development are being examined by the government,' Goyal said in a suo motu statement, making a tacit reference to Trump's Truth Social post on Wednesday that India will face a 25% reciprocal tariff plus an unspecified additional penalty for purchasing Russian crude oil from August 1. The minister said the commerce ministry is engaged with all stakeholders, including exporters and industry for taking feedback on their assessment of the situation. Trump's reaction was an outcome of India refusing to budge on retaining protections for its agriculture, dairy and micro, small and medium enterprises from unfettered American imports. On Thursday, the American president continued his targeting of India. 'I don't care what India does with Russia,' Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Thursday. 'They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care.' In Washington, a US appeals court sharply questioned whether Trump's tariffs were justified by the president's emergency powers, after a lower court said he exceeded his authority with sweeping levies on imported goods from a wide variety of countries. The US emergency powers law 'doesn't even say tariffs, doesn't even mention them,' one of the judges said. 'The government attaches the utmost importance to protecting and promoting the welfare of our farmers, workers, entrepreneurs, exporters, MSMEs and all sections of Industry. We will take all necessary steps to secure and advance our national interest,' Goyal told both houses of Parliament. People close to the development said the Trump administration is yet to send any formal communication over the tariffs or the quantum of the penalty. 'Situation will be clear in the next two days, which will help to assess the impact for considered action,' one of them said. 'The government is in touch with stakeholders and the industry is willing to cooperate with the government,' a second person said. Both people requested anonymity. They said negotiations for the proposed first tranche of the India-US bilateral trade agreement (BTA) are continuing, and so far, the New Delhi visit of the American negotiating team is unchanged on August 24 for the sixth round of talks. Federation of Indian Export Organisations (Fieo) director general Ajay Sahai said: 'The current development seems temporary as both sides are negotiating a BTA, which will resolve issues of punitive tariffs. Meanwhile, during this temporary phase, both exporters and importers may absorb the impact of the US tariff action.' Industry experts said not all Indian goods would be subjected to reciprocal or punitive tariff as about 45-50% goods by value fall in the exempt category. India exported goods worth about $86 billion to the US in 2024-25. Sectors such as electronics, energy, pharmaceutical ingredients, and precious metals remain exempt from additional duties under existing US trade regulations, potentially protecting billions in Indian exports. However, key export sectors such as textiles, engineering goods, and processed foods face the full tariff burden. According to the people mentioned above, since Trump's message came informally through a social media handle, the minister ostensibly chose not to mention specific details of the President's Wednesday post in Parliament. Instead, he recounted the last official position of the White House in the executive order. While acknowledging Trump's Wednesday post as reason for making a suo moto statement in Parliament, Goyal on Thursday reiterated the Trump administration's April 2 executive order. 'I would like to apprise the House about the statement by the President of the United States of America (US) on 30th July 2025 regarding the applicable tariff on bilateral trade from 1st August 2025. On 2nd April 2025, the US President had issued an executive order on reciprocal tariffs imposing additional duties ranging from 10% to 50% on imports from its trading partners. A baseline duty of 10% has been effective from 5th April 2025,' he said. 'The additional duty on India was announced at 26% including baseline tariff of 10%. Originally, the full country specific additional duty was to be effective from 9th April 2025 but was postponed initially for 90 days on 10th April 2025 and further extended up to 1st August 2025,' his statement in Parliament said. India and the US entered into negotiations for a fair, balanced and mutually beneficial bilateral trade agreement (BTA) in March 2025 with a target to complete the first tranche of the agreement by fall of 2025, the minister said. 'The two sides finalised the detailed Terms of Reference (ToR) to enter into negotiations of the BTA on 29th March 2025 during the first physical round of discussions held at New Delhi. Thereafter, four physical rounds of negotiations have taken place between both sides, in New Delhi and Washington D.C., to work towards finalisation of the BTA in accordance with the agreed ToR. In addition, there have been many virtual meetings between the two sides,' he added. On Wednesday, Trump indicated that the two countries were still negotiating. US secretary of state Marco Rubio on Thursday offered a more nuanced view of the relationship in a Fox News podcast, describing India as a strategic partner while acknowledging the energy purchases as a 'point of irritation.' 'Like anything in foreign policy, you're not going to align a hundred percent of the time on everything,' Rubio said. 'India has huge energy needs and that includes the ability to buy oil and coal and gas that it needs to power its economy like every country does, and it buys it from Russia, because Russian oil is sanctioned and cheap.' However, Rubio emphasised the administration's frustration with the arrangement. 'Unfortunately that is helping to sustain the Russian war effort. So it is most certainly a point of irritation in our relationship with India—not the only point of irritation. We also have many other points of cooperation with them.' 'What you're seeing the President express is the very clear frustration that with so many other oil vendors available, India continues to buy so much from Russia, which in essence is helping to fund the war effort and allowing this war to continue in Ukraine,' he added.
The Hindu
24 minutes ago
- The Hindu
India's purchases of Russian oil 'point of irritation' in bilateral ties with US: Rubio
India's purchases of Russian oil are helping to sustain Moscow's war efforts in Ukraine and it is "most certainly a point of irritation" in New Delhi's relationship with Washington, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday (July 31, 2025). "Look, global trade – India is an ally. It's a strategic partner. Like anything in foreign policy, you're not going to align 100 per cent of the time on everything,' Rubio said in an interview with Fox Radio. Mr. Rubio was responding to a question on President Donald Trump's announcement of the 25% tariff on India and an additional penalty for buying Russian military equipment and energy, and how disappointed Washington is with Delhi because of this. Mr. Rubio acknowledged India has 'huge energy needs and that includes the ability to buy oil and coal and gas and things that it needs to power its economy like every country does, and it buys it from Russia, because Russian oil is sanctioned and cheap and – meaning they have to – in many cases, they're selling it under the global price because of the sanctions.' He added that "unfortunately, that is helping to sustain the Russian war effort. So it is most certainly a point of irritation in our relationship with India – not the only point of irritation. We also have many other points of cooperation with them. "But I think what you're seeing the President express is the very clear frustration that with so many other oil vendors available, India continues to buy so much from Russia, which in essence is helping to fund the war effort' and allowing this war to continue in Ukraine. His comments came a day after Mr. Trump announced the imposition of a 25% tariff on all goods coming from India starting August 1, plus an unspecified penalty for buying Russian crude oil and military equipment. Mr. Trump's surprise announcement on Wednesday is being seen as a pressure tactic to get New Delhi to agree to demands made by the U.S., which has, in recent days, got favourable trade deals with major partners like Japan, the U.K. and the European Union. India has said it will take all necessary steps to safeguard and promote national interest and that the implications of the tariffs are being examined.
Mint
24 minutes ago
- Mint
Banks brace for key UK Supreme Court ruling on car finance commissions
LONDON, - The UK's Supreme Court will announce a long-awaited ruling on car finance commissions on Friday that could influence whether major banks face a multibillion-pound compensation bill. British lender Close Brothers and South Africa's FirstRand want to overturn a landmark Court of Appeal judgment which said brokers must have fully informed consent from customers in order to receive a commission from lenders. The ruling in three linked cases sent shockwaves through the 40 billion-pound a year motor finance industry and has weighed heavily on the stocks of the most exposed players, such as Close Brothers and Lloyds. Lloyds has set aside 1.15 billion pounds for potential payouts, while Banco Santander's UK arm has set aside 290 million pounds and Barclays 95 million pounds. The Financial Conduct Authority, which regulates the sector, is mulling a redress scheme that analysts have warned could end up costing the banking industry tens of billions of pounds. The FCA has said it will confirm whether it will implement a redress scheme within six weeks of the Supreme Court's ruling. The Court of Appeal said in October 2024 that lenders are liable to consumers when the commission is "secret", and can be liable when disclosure of the commission is insufficient to obtain informed consent. Lawyers for the FCA argued at April's Supreme Court appeal that the Court of Appeal went "too far", boosting lenders' hopes that any hit they face may be pared back. The potential wider impact of the case was highlighted by media reports that British finance minister Rachel Reeves might legislate to prevent lenders from taking a financial hit, which in turn could hurt her attempts to boost economic growth. The Treasury did not respond to a request for comment. The Supreme Court will give its ruling after 1535 GMT on Friday, once financial markets have closed in London. The court said: "No inference should be drawn from the timing of the hand-down as to the outcome of the appeals." This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
