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U.S. President Donald Trump said a trade deal with India has yet to be finalised and warned of possible higher tariffs ahead of an August 1 deadline to seal an agreement, Reuters reported.

His comments followed a Reuters report that India was preparing to accept higher tariffs of 20%-25% on its exports to the U.S. in the absence of a trade deal, as it holds off on offering fresh concessions ahead of Friday's deadline.

"India has been a good friend, but India has charged basically more tariffs, almost more than any other country," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Tuesday, adding that would come to an end, according to Reuters.

Asked about the Reuters report, Trump said a trade deal had not been finalised and India could face steeper tariffs

US President Trump said India may face tariffs of 20 to 25 percent, though no final decision has been made as trade talks continue ahead of the August 1 deadline, Firstpost reported.

Calling India a “good friend,” Trump criticised its high tariffs and trade barriers, saying, “You just can’t do that.” He previously imposed a 26 percent tariff in April, later pausing it during negotiations.

US officials say more talks are needed, citing concerns over India’s digital taxes and strict import rules. With a $129bn trade relationship at stake, both sides are pushing for a deal, according to Firstpost.

India has said its security forces killed three militants who shot dead 26 civilians near a tourist town in Indian-administered Kashmir in April, triggering a brief military conflict with Pakistan, BBC reported.

Home Minister Amit Shah told parliament the men had been killed by Indian forces near the disputed region's main city Srinagar on Monday. 

He claimed the attackers were Pakistani nationals, a charge Islamabad denies. The men's identity was confirmed through forensic and ballistic tests, Shah told MPs. 

Pakistan has not commented on the claims, which have not been independently confirmed and come amid mounting criticism of India's government for alleged security lapses in Kashmir, according to BBC.

At least 18 Kanwariyas lost their lives and several others were injured in a tragic road accident early Tuesday morning on the Godda-Deoghar road in Jharkhand’s Deoghar district, India.

The incident occurred around 5:30 am near Jamunia More in the Mohanpur area, when a bus carrying pilgrims collided with a truck. The devotees were on their way to offer holy water during the Kanwar Yatra in the month of Shravan, according to Firstpost.

Emergency teams reached the site promptly and took the injured to a nearby hospital. The deceased have been sent for post-mortem.

India's showpiece software industry is facing a moment of reckoning.

The country's biggest private sector employer Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) - also its largest IT services company - has announced it will cut more than 12,000 jobs at middle and senior management levels. This will reduce the firm's workforce by 2%, BBC reported.

The Mumbai-headquartered software behemoth employs over half-a-million IT workers and is considered a bellwether for business sentiment across India's $283bn software industry. It forms the backbone of formal, white-collar employment in the country.

The decision, TCS says, was taken to make the company "future ready" as it invests in new areas and deploys artificial intelligence at scale amid seismic disruptions in its traditional business model, according to BBC.

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said the country is “very close” to a trade deal with the US after meeting Secretary of State Marco Rubio, though Washington has not confirmed a timeline. Both sides discussed expanding trade, especially in critical minerals and mining, according to Firstpost.

Meanwhile, India and the US are finalizing the first phase of a Bilateral Trade Agreement aimed at boosting market access, reducing trade barriers, and strengthening supply chains. US President Donald Trump recently said a deal with India is also “very close.”

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met former Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed and other top leaders during his visit to the Maldives, calling the country a “valued pillar” of India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy and Mahasagar vision, Firstpost reported.

He will attend the Maldives’ Independence Day celebrations as chief guest. The visit marks a reset in ties following recent tensions.

India announced a $565m line of credit and signed six agreements in fisheries, digital infrastructure, meteorology, and finance. The two sides also agreed to cut Maldives’ annual debt repayment burden by 40 percent, according to Firstpost.

Modi called the talks productive, adding, “Our relations are older than history and as deep as the ocean. For us, it is always friendship first.”

India and Israel have agreed to develop an institutional framework to deepen defense cooperation, following talks in New Delhi between Defense Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh and Israeli Defense Ministry DG Major General (Res) Amir Baram, according to Firstpost.

Both sides reviewed ongoing collaborations and condemned recent terror attacks. Israel reaffirmed support for India’s fight against terrorism, while India condemned the October 2023 attacks on Israel and called for the release of hostages.

The visit marks a key step in advancing the strategic partnership, Firstpost reported.

India and the UK will sign a trade agreement on July 24 during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit, aiming to double bilateral trade to $120bn by 2030.

The deal is expected to boost Indian exports in textiles, leather, gems and jewellery, pharmaceuticals, and engineering goods by removing duties and easing market access. It may also simplify UK approvals for Indian drugs and open new opportunities for IT and professional services, according to Firstpost.

India has extended its ban on Pakistani aircraft entering its airspace until August 23, 2025, citing ongoing security concerns.

Civil Aviation Minister Murlidhar Mohol announced the update, which applies to all Pakistani-registered commercial and military aircraft. The move follows Pakistan’s extension of its airspace restrictions on Indian flights amid continued diplomatic tensions, according to Xinhua.

India will resume issuing tourist visas to Chinese nationals from July 24, marking the first such move since the 2020 Galwan clashes. The announcement, made by the Indian Embassy in Beijing, signals a cautious thaw in bilateral ties, Firstpost reported.

The decision follows Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri’s recent visit to Beijing, where he and Chinese vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong discussed ways to improve relations. Both sides agreed on people-centric initiatives, including cooperation on trans-border rivers and resuming hydrological data sharing.

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi has embarked on a two-nation visit to the United Kingdom and the Maldives from July 23 to 26. His UK visit, at the invitation of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, marks his fourth trip to the country since taking office in 2014, according to Firstpost.

During his stay, Modi will meet Prime Minister Starmer for talks on strengthening bilateral ties, with a focus on finalising the India-UK Free Trade Agreement. He is also scheduled to call on King Charles III and engage with leading business figures from both nations.

Discussions will cover a broad range of issues, including concerns over Khalistani activities in the UK, Firstpost reported.

India and Nepal share a long and open border stretched across five Indian states of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Sikkim. On Nepal’s side, Madhesh, Koshi, Bagmati, Lumbini and Sudurpaschim touch India’s border. A mix of Himalayan hills and Tarai marks up the geography of its open borders, effective since 1950. Indian paramilitary force Shashatra Seema Bal (SSB) guards these borders from the Indian side while the Armed Police Force (APF) of Nepal guards Nepal’s side. Barring some contention, the India-Nepal open border has served its purpose effectively, whether it is keeping the tradition of Roti-Beti alive or contributing to the economies of both countries. Open borders also kept the bioregion of the Himalayas intact, whose impact is visible on the flora and fauna between the borders. 

Nevertheless, for states, security is a non-negotiable, as is the question of the security of open and porous borders and people living around and beyond them. India has been a victim of terrorism for a very long time, and Nepal also has been a victim of organized violence for decades. In 2020, during diplomatic tensions, Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli backed India’s call for a standard definition of terrorism during the UNGA. Five years down the line, we do not have a standard comprehensive convention against international terrorism, which rocked South Asia two months back in Pahalgam. India and Nepal have an extradition treaty, and the political elites and intellectuals see the border security with grave concern. 

However, there are growing anxieties from both sides about illegal migration. Elites in Kathmandu point out the illegal migration coming from India, while India also occasionally finds people from Myanmar and Bangladesh on the border regions with Nepal. There has also been a growing movement of countries from the Gulf and Turkey promoting their specific ways of Islam through many organizations in the Tarai region of Nepal, which is home to the majority of the Muslim population of the country. The mushrooming of many infrastructure projects backed by Turkey near the border areas needs closer scrutiny. The Turkish NGO Foundation for Human Rights and Freedoms and Humanitarian Relief (IHH) has been flagged by Indian agencies as an entity of concern. Many reports in Indian as well as Nepali media from time to time report the activities of this organisation working with the Islamic Sangh Nepal as a security threat to both nations. A recently-released report has flagged specific concerns in India. 

After Operation Sindoor and Turkey’s open support to Pakistan in the same, Turkey and Pakistan are being viewed by India as security threats. This is why these new developments in the border regions of both countries are being viewed cautiously. It is also worth noting here that Indian anxieties over these developments are not only part of rhetoric, but India has faced multiple security risks, most notably the IC-814 hijacking and the fake Indian currencies printed with the help of Pakistan’s ISI. They have also used the traditional criminal networks between India and Nepal to further their means. Well-documented sources suggest that ISI has used Nepali soil to harm India since the 1980s. It has also harmed Nepal, as the country is currently on the FATF’s grey list due to ‘deficiencies in anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorist financing (CFT) regimes.’ Terrorists and financiers use any loopholes in any country to achieve their end results. The Nepal government, however, has taken the list very seriously, and the officials are working to remove the country from the list. 

If we look at the Turkish involvement in this already complex scenario, which is constantly working in tandem with Pakistan, it fuels more of India’s anxieties. There are multiple infrastructure projects IHH is taking with other organizations in the Tarai region, making up a thorny issue for Indian agencies. IHH’s record also backs these issues, as the organization has been accused of planning a bombing in Los Angeles in 1999 and is said to have ties with Al Qaeda. Many international agencies also flagged their concern about IHH, which is also known to support Erdogan and is said to have close relations with the Turkish government. 

In this context, the broader border security arrangements between India and Nepal need to be examined. The India-Nepal open border stands today at the intersection of tradition and shifting geopolitics. As external actors with divergent strategic ambitions insert themselves into the region, the onus is on India and Nepal to jointly future-proof the border against vulnerabilities that neither side can tackle alone. The task is straightforward: border management must evolve from merely guarding physical space to understanding and disrupting transnational networks that exploit social, religious and financial channels.

This calls for institutionalised cooperation, not just between security agencies, but also through shared platforms for intelligence, financial scrutiny and civic engagement along the border regions. A proactive approach would also mean enhancing community resilience in the Tarai and adjoining areas, ensuring that developmental gaps are not filled by opaque foreign entities with unclear agendas. Both governments can explore structured dialogues at the level of home ministries and central banks to counter emerging threats like terror financing and ideological radicalisation. At stake is not just bilateral security, but the health of the broader Himalayan bioregion, where open borders have historically sustained both people-to-people ties and ecological continuity. Preserving this openness while safeguarding sovereignty will require vigilance, trust-building and a strategic alignment that reflects the realities of an interconnected and contested neighborhood. India and Nepal have the history, goodwill and institutional frameworks to achieve this; what is needed now is the political will to update and act on them with clarity and foresight.

The author is a PhD Candidate at the School of International Studies, JNU, New Delhi

The Embassy of India, Kathmandu, Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration, Government of Nepal and Project Implementing Agencies of Government of Nepal today signed Memorandums of Understandings (MoUs) for undertaking five High Impact Community Development Projects (HICDPs) in Nepal under the grant assistance of Government of India in education and health sectors at a total estimated cost of Rs 390 million.

These five projects—Construction of Shree Jan Shakti Secondary School Building, Bateshwor-3 Bateshwor Rural Municipality, Dhanusha, Construction of Shree Mahobani Padam Secondary School, Pokhariya Municipality, Parsa, Construction of Shree Basuki Secondary School, Mellekh Rural Municipality, Achham, Construction of School Building, Hostel and Library of Benga Sah Secondary School, Prasauni Rural Municipality-2, Bara and Construction of five Bed Hospital Building, Nashon Rural Municipality -5, Manang   in Nepal shall be implemented through local authorities and institutions of the Government of Nepal including municipalities and rural municipalities.

The construction of these facilities will help provide better education and health facilities to the people in Nepal, reads a statement issued by the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu.

Since 2003, the Government of India has taken up 579 High Impact Development Projects (HICDPs) in Nepal, including the five projects whose MoUs have been signed today. 

Out of these, 496 projects have been completed in the areas of health, education, drinking water, connectivity, sanitation and creation of public utilities across all seven provinces of Nepal at the grassroot level. The remaining  projects are ongoing at various stages. 

As close neighbours, India and Nepal share wide- ranging and multi-sectoral cooperation. 

The implementation of HICDPs reflects the continued support of the Government of India in bolstering the efforts of the Government of Nepal in empowerment of its people by augmenting infrastructure in priority sectors.

China has started construction of the world’s largest hydropower dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo River in Tibet, raising concerns in India and Bangladesh.

The $167bn Motuo Hydropower Station is expected to surpass the Three Gorges Dam in capacity. Beijing says the project will support clean energy and local development, BBC reported.

However, India and Bangladesh fear it could disrupt downstream water flow, impact livelihoods, and pose environmental risks. Critics also warn of threats to Tibet’s biodiversity and local communities.

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.