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US President Donald Trump will host leaders from Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania, and Senegal at the White House on July 9 to explore commercial opportunities, a White House official confirmed.

The meeting, which will include a discussion and a working lunch, is part of the administration's broader push to prioritize trade and investment above traditional foreign aid. According to the official, Trump sees Africa as a region having "incredible commercial opportunities" that will benefit both parties, Reuters reported.

The summit, scheduled for July 9-11, aligns with the administration's shift away from charity-based aid models. Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized this approach, stating that support will favor nations showing “ability and willingness to help themselves.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin told US President Donald Trump that Russia remains committed to its objectives in Ukraine but is willing to continue peace talks, according to Russian officials.

In their nearly hour-long phone call, Trump called for a swift end to the war, while Putin emphasized the need to address what he described as the root causes of the conflict, Reuters reported.

Putin also informed Trump about recent agreements between Russia and Ukraine on exchanging prisoners and fallen soldiers.

The two leaders discussed broader Middle East tensions, including the situation in Iran, and agreed to keep communication open.

Russia stressed that all conflicts should be settled through political and diplomatic means. The pause in US arms deliveries to Ukraine was not discussed, according to Reuters.

Northern and western China remain under red alerts as torrential rains threaten more flash floods and landslides. In Taiping, Henan province, five people died and three are missing after a river overflowed, prompting the deployment of over 1,000 rescue workers. In Gansu, two people were killed by a landslide at a construction site, according to Al Jazeera.

Xianfeng in Hubei province recorded over a month’s rainfall in just 12 hours, forcing the evacuation of 18,000 people and the suspension of schools and public transport.

Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing, during a visit to Hebei, urged officials to expand evacuation efforts. While China has a national weather monitoring system, experts warn that predicting extreme weather in rural areas remains difficult due to climate change and complex terrain, Al Jazeera reported.

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking at the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) Summit in New Delhi, called for urgent reforms in global governance. He said legacy institutions are ill-equipped to address current challenges such as climate change, pandemics, terrorism, and cybersecurity, according to Firstpost.

Modi emphasized the need to amplify the voice of the Global South in international decision-making and highlighted the African Union’s inclusion as a permanent G20 member under India’s presidency as a step toward greater global equity.

Thailand appointed its second interim prime minister this week, after Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra was suspended by the Constitutional Court after a controversial phone talk with former Cambodian leader Hun Sen.

Interior Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, 71, was appointed on Thursday as interim prime minister, just two days after Paetongtarn’s suspension. He took over from Suriya Jungrungreangkit, who held the position for only one day, following approval at a cabinet meeting endorsed by King Maha Vajiralongkorn, according to Al Jazeera.

Paetongtarn’s suspension stems from a leaked June phone call in which she referred to Hun Sen as “Uncle” and criticized a Thai army commander. The Constitutional Court, acting on a petition by 36 senators, is investigating possible breaches of ministerial ethics.

Meanwhile, her father, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, faces a separate royal defamation case. A court review this month of his previous hospital detention may determine whether he returns to jail, Al Jazeera reported.

Liverpool's Portuguese forward Diogo Jota, 28, died in a fiery car crash near Zamora in northwestern Spain with his brother, Spanish state-owned TV station said on Thursday, citing local firefighters, AFP reported.

The Spanish civil guard confirmed to The Associated Press that Jota and his brother Andre Silva, 25, were found dead after their car went off a road. Police were investigating the causes. They said there were no other vehicles involved.

The regional fire department of Castille-Leon, where Zamora is located, said on its website a car crashed shortly after midnight on Thursday and burst into flames, with two men, aged 28 and 25, found dead.

Jota, who got married on June 28, helped Liverpool win the Premier League last season and also won the FA Cup and League Cup with the Merseyside outfit, according to AFP.

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, who is currently in Spain, interacted with officials and representatives of the Overseas Nepali Forum, Spain.

The Prime Minister, who departed for Spain last Saturday (June 28) to attend the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FFD4) organized by the United Nations in Seville from June 30 to July 3, met with the Nepali community last night following the official events of the conference.

The meeting took place at the residence of Nepali Ambassador Shanil Nepal where the Prime Minister urged members of the Nepali Diaspora to return home and utilize the skills, experience, and capital they have acquired in Spain for the development of the nation.

Prime Minister Oli, who leads a coalition government comprising the Nepali Congress (NC) and the CPN-UML, announced that he would hand over power to NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba a few weeks earlier than the timeline agreed upon in their previous deal.

He also took the opportunity to dismiss rumours of internal disputes within the coalition and his party. "We have no issues or disputes," he clarified.

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) gained 10.98 points to close at 2,705.81 points on Thursday.

Similarly, the sensitive index surged by 2.74 points to close at 465. 02 points.

A total of 24,976,366-unit shares of 311 companies were traded for Rs 9. 64 billion.

Meanwhile, Nepal Finance Ltd. (NFS) was the top gainer today, with its price surging by 9. 98 percent. Likewise, Saptakoshi Development Bank Ltd (SAPDBL) was the top loser as its price fell by 10.00 percent.

At the end of the day, total market capitalization stood at Rs 4. 50 trillion.