India says U.S. forced labour tariff approach inconsistent; exempts 1,600 items deemed critical to its needs

Brij Mohan Mishra (second from left), Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Commerce, at the USTR panel. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement India has flagged inconsistencies in the U.S. approach to tariffs at a public hearing on the U.S. Trade Representative’s (USTR) proposal to impose levies on goods linked to forced labour. Testifying before a USTR…

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PM Modi calls for deeper India-Australia strategic ties amid global uncertainty

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese shake hands during the Australia-India Economic Roadmap Business Reception in Melbourne, Australia, on July 9, 2026. | Photo Credit: Reuters Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday (July 9, 2026) joined his Australian counterpart, Anthony Albanese, at the India-Australia CEO Forum and Economic Roadmap Business Reception,…

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Iran chief negotiator says Hormuz strait to open only under ‘Iranian arrangements’

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. File | Photo Credit: Reuters Iran’s chief negotiator said Thursday (July 9, 2026) that the Strait of Hormuz would be opened only under “Iranian arrangements”, after Tehran and Washington traded strikes in West Asia. “The United States still has not learned that bullying and breaking its promises no longer…

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West Asia war LIVE: Missile alerts sound in Bahrain and Qatar after U.S. launches new round of airstrikes against Iran

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a media conference at the end of the NATO summit as Secretary of State Marco Rubio, right, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth listen in The Hague, Netherlands, June 25, 2025. | Photo Credit: AP Kuwait, Bahrain, and Qatar sounded missile alert sirens early Thursday (July 9, 2026) morning warning…

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Russia denounces NATO summit decisions on aid for Ukraine, defence

Spokeswoman of Russia’s Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova. File | Photo Credit: Reuters Russia denounced NATO’s decisions at the summit in Turkey on Wednesday (July 8, 2026), saying they ​could have catastrophic consequences, after the alliance announced military aid ‌to Ukraine and reaffirmed members’ commitment ​to collective defence. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria ⁠Zakharova said NATO’s…

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