UK’s F-35B jet to leave Kerala after weeks-long delay
A British F-35B fighter jet stranded in Kerala, southern India, for over five weeks is set to depart on Tuesday, airport authorities confirmed.
The jet, part of the HMS Prince of Wales fleet, was forced to land at Thiruvananthapuram airport—located in Kerala’s capital—on June 14 due to bad weather and later developed a technical snag, according to Firstpost.
Its extended stay drew public attention and was even raised in the UK Parliament. Built by Lockheed Martin, the $110m stealth jet is known for its short take-off and vertical landing capabilities.
Iran to hold nuclear talks with Europe in Istanbul
Iran will resume nuclear talks with Britain, France, and Germany in Istanbul on Friday, marking the first meeting since US and Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear sites last month, Reuters reported.
The talks, confirmed by Iran’s Foreign Ministry, come after the E3 warned of renewed sanctions if Tehran failed to return to the negotiating table. A German official said the three countries remain united in preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and are working toward a lasting diplomatic solution.
Previous talks involving the US, mediated by Oman, collapsed following the joint US-Israeli offensive. Tensions have since escalated with direct military exchanges and further US strikes on Iranian targets, according to Reuters.
14 killed, 7 injured in bus crash in Russia's Far East
Fourteen people were killed and seven others injured early Monday when a shift bus fell off a 25-meter cliff in Russia’s Sakha Republic, local authorities reported.
The crash occurred on a road operated by the Denisovsky Mining and Processing Plant. The bus, carrying over 30 workers, veered off the road and overturned, according to Xinhua.
The driver was among the dead, while two of the injured remain in serious condition. Emergency crews deployed 44 personnel and 13 vehicles to the site.
An investigation into the cause is underway, Xinhua reported.
Russia to invest $2.3bn in border checkpoint upgrades
Russia will invest nearly 180bn rubles (about $2.3bn) over the next three years to modernize its border checkpoints, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin announced on Monday.
During a visit to the Kanikurgan checkpoint in the Amur Region, Mishustin said the funding will support construction, repairs, and the introduction of advanced digital systems, Xinhua reported.
More than a quarter of the country’s checkpoints are set for upgrades over the next five years, with over 30 in the Far Eastern Federal District alone. The move aims to improve cross-border logistics and support growing trade flows.
