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Chinese copper wire manufacturer Wellascent will start production later this year at its Texas plant, producing 3,000 metric tons annually by 2028 for clients including automaker Stellantis. The facility shields US customers from a 50 percent tariff on imported copper wire, while refined copper remains exempt, Reuters reported.

Hazel Zhu, a Wellascent board member, said US factory has turned tariffs into a “golden opportunity,” with the plant expected to generate over half of the company’s overseas revenue within three years.

According to Reuters, Wellascent’s investment is a rare example of a Chinese firm benefiting from US trade measures. A temporary 145 percent equipment tariff earlier this year almost halted plans, but a trade truce allowed construction to continue. Experts say the case may guide other Chinese firms eyeing US investment.

The price of gold has dropped by Rs 300 per tola in the domestic market on Monday.

According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the yellow metal is being traded at Rs 192, 500 per tola today. It was traded at Rs 197, 500 per tola on Sunday.

The price of silver, however, has increased by Rs 5 and is being traded at Rs 2, 355 per tola.

Elon Musks' SpaceX postponed Sunday’s tenth Starship launch from Texas about 30 minutes before liftoff due to a ground system problem. The 232-foot Super Heavy booster and 171-foot Starship were fully stacked and fueled at Starbase, according to Reuters.

The delay slows progress on the next-generation rocket, which has faced multiple test failures this year. Starship’s upgraded design includes stronger heat shields, improved flaps, and increased thrust, crucial for reentry and rapid reuse. A new launch date has not been announced.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, on his first visit to Kyiv since taking office, voiced strong backing for Ukraine’s demand for lasting post-war security guarantees. Speaking alongside President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Independence Day, Carney said Canada would not rule out sending troops under such a framework, stressing that Ukraine’s safety cannot rely solely on its armed forces, Reuters reported.

The visit came as US President Donald Trump leads international peace efforts and Kyiv works with allies on guarantees modeled on NATO’s Article 5. Zelenskiy said the goal was to ensure future generations inherit peace, not the threat of war.

Carney and Zelenskiy also signed a drone co-production deal, while Canada confirmed Ukraine will receive more than C$1bn in military aid next month, according to Reuters.

Maryland health officials have confirmed a case of the New World screwworm parasite in a person who recently traveled from Guatemala. The parasite, which attacks cattle and other warm-blooded animals, is spreading north from Central America and southern Mexico, Reuters reported.

The individual received treatment in Maryland. State veterinarians were notified last week, and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention deferred questions to the state, with officials citing communication through state channels.

According to Reuters, the case follows US government efforts to combat the pest, including plans announced last week to build a sterile fly facility in Texas.

India fears a planned Chinese mega-dam in Tibet could cut Brahmaputra River flows by up to 85 percent in the dry season, a government analysis shows. Beijing’s $170bn project, the world’s largest hydropower dam, could divert over a third of annual flows before the river enters India, Reuters reported.

In response, New Delhi is fast-tracking the proposed Upper Siang Multipurpose Dam in Arunachal Pradesh, which would be India’s biggest. Officials say it could offset water losses, stabilize supplies, and absorb potential surges from Chinese releases.

China insists its project will not harm downstream nations, but Indian officials view it as a strategic risk. The Brahmaputra supports more than 100m people across China, India, and Bangladesh, according to Reuters.

Russia and Ukraine exchanged 146 prisoners each on Sunday in a swap mediated by the United Arab Emirates, officials from both sides confirmed.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said many of those freed had been in captivity since 2022 and included a journalist taken early in the war. He thanked the UAE for its role in the exchange, according to Reuters.

Russia said the released soldiers were receiving care in Belarus and noted that eight civilians from the Kursk region were also returned. Russian negotiator Vladimir Medinsky accused Kyiv of delaying the return of other Kursk residents, calling the process “painful bargaining.”

National Guard troops in Washington, D.C., will begin carrying pistols and rifles Sunday night as part of President Donald Trump’s crime crackdown, officials confirmed. The Guard said weapons would only be used as a last resort, according to Reuters.

Trump signaled he may expand deployments to Chicago and Baltimore, criticizing Democratic leaders despite data showing crime has fallen in both cities.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker said Trump lacks authority to send troops into Chicago, calling the move an attempt to “manufacture a crisis.”

While Trump holds direct authority over the D.C. Guard, any effort to deploy troops to Democratic-led cities would likely face legal challenges, Reuters reported.