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Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced plans to significantly upgrade the UK's military capabilities, including the development of new nuclear-powered attack submarines and increased army preparedness for potential conflict in Europe, according to Firstpost.

Speaking at a naval shipyard in Scotland, Starmer said that the threat from Russia is more serious and immediate than at any time since the Cold War.

The announcement comes amid a broader reassessment of defense strategies by NATO members following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Starmer described the upgrades as the most substantial in over three decades, Firstpost reported.

Ukraine and Russia are set to resume peace negotiations in Istanbul on Monday, Turkish authorities announced. The talks will take place at 1:00 p.m. local time (1000 GMT) at the historic Ciragan Palace on the European side of the city, along the Bosphorus Strait.

This meeting follows the most recent round of direct talks, which ended on May 16 without a ceasefire. It will be the first face-to-face negotiation between the two parties since March 2022, as diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict continue, Xinhua reported.

China has accused the United States of significantly breaking a recent trade agreement, threatening severe repercussions. According to the Ministry of Commerce, Washington undermined the Geneva agreement made in May, in which both countries promised to reduce tariffs — the US from 145 percent to 30 percent and China from 125 percent to 10 percent, Associated Press reported.

Beijing also blamed a breakdown in consensus during a January phone chat between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump. It denounced previous US steps such as restricting chip design software, prohibiting the use of Huawei chips, and canceling student visas.

Meanwhile, President Trump accused China of violating the agreement. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer claimed Beijing failed to remove non-tariff barriers as promised, according to Associated Press.

Karol Nawrocki has won Poland’s presidential runoff election, according to the final results released by the National Electoral Commission (PKW) on Monday.

Nawrocki, an independent candidate supported by the opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party, secured 50.89 percent of the vote, narrowly defeating Civic Coalition (KO) candidate and Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski, who received 49.11 percent, according to Xinhua.

Nawrocki, a historian and director of the Institute of National Remembrance, ran his first presidential campaign as an underdog, consistently trailing in polls. Despite early exit polls predicting defeat, he emerged victorious.

Born in 1983 in Gdansk, Nawrocki will take office on August 6, succeeding President Andrzej Duda at the end of his second and final term, Xinhua reported.

The World Bank (WB) has approved a loan totaling USD 257 million aimed at enhancing electricity distribution services and improving irrigation services to boost agricultural productivity.

The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors on May 29 approved the loan for two projects for Nepal, the WB stated in a press release.

The Electricity Supply Reliability Improvement Project (USD 120 million) will strengthen the electricity distribution network and enhance electricity supply to users in Koshi, Bagmati, Karnali, and Sudurpashchim Provinces.

The project, led by Nepal Electricity Authority, will focus on constructing new distribution substations, upgrading existing networks, and implementing an automated system for real-time monitoring of distribution networks to enhance operational efficiency, it said.

The Modernization of Rani Jamara Kulariya Irrigation Project - Phase 3 (USD 137 million) aims to improve irrigation services and agricultural productivity by expanding access to year-round irrigation services, increasing farm productivity, and enhancing climate resilience in Kailali district, Sudurpaschim Province.

Jointly implemented by Nepal’s Department of Water Resources and Irrigation and Department of Agriculture, this project will scale year-round irrigation to an additional 17,500 hectares benefiting 160,000 people.

“An uninterrupted electricity supply and adequate, year-round irrigation services are fundamental inputs for Nepal’s sustainable development,” said David Sislen, Country Division Director for Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.

“The projects emphasise improved connectivity and the promotion of clean electricity generated from hydropower, alongside integrated agricultural support services to farmers to help build resilience against climate and disaster risks.”

The projects also include capacity-building initiatives for the Nepal Electricity Authority and the Water Users Association to promote innovative solutions and strengthen institutional systems for the effective management and sustainability of infrastructure.

The government and the transport entrepreneurs reached an agreement on Monday.

The government called the transport operators for talks after the Public Transport Protection Struggle Committee announced an indefinite transport strike across the country starting today.

A meeting held at the Home Minister this morning formed a committee comprising representatives from various ministries and transport entrepreneurs under the headship of the joint secretary of the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport, informed Home Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Ram Chandra Tiwari.

There will be eight members from various ministries on behalf of the government and four members from transport entrepreneurs and workers in the committee.

The meeting has decided not to implement the law related to ride-sharing services introduced recently by the Gandaki Province.

The Gandaki Province government had passed the regulations pertaining to ride-sharing through the Cabinet meeting on May 14.

The Supreme Court on June 27, 2024 had urged the government to fast-track the regulation of ride-sharing services.

Visiting International Monetary Fund (IMF) Mission Chief Sarwat Jahan today paid a courtesy call on Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Bishnu Prasad Paudel.

During the meeting held at the Finance Ministry, the two made the sixth review of the Extended Credit Facility (ECF), discussing the economic structural issues.

Due to a sharp decline in foreign exchange reserves, Nepal reported a significant deficit in its balance of payments and subsequently obtained an Extended Credit Facility equivalent to USD 395.9 million in 2022.

This amount equals 180 percent of Nepal's Special Drawing Rights (SDR) quota.

The IMF agreed to disburse the loan in several installments over a four-year period to support budget financing.

An IMF mission team is presently in Nepal for the sixth review of this loan facility.

Ukraine carried out its largest long-range drone attack, hitting four Russian military bases in an operation involving 117 drones. President Zelensky said the strikes damaged 34 percent of Russia’s strategic missile carriers.

Russia confirmed attacks in five regions, calling them a “terrorist act”, BBC reported.

The strikes occurred before of peace talks in Istanbul, where hopes are low.

Meanwhile, Ukraine reported missile strikes on Kharkiv that injured six people, and Russia claimed to have prevented a railway sabotage attempt, according to BBC.