
Amid Trump pressure tactics, PM Modi calls Russian President Putin, commits to deepen India-Russia strategic partnership
In a post on social media platform X, Modi said the two leaders also reaffirmed the commitment to 'further deepen the India-Russia Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership'.
The PM also said he was looking forward to hosting President Putin in India later this year.
PM Modi's social media post said: 'Had a very good and detailed conversation with my friend President Putin. I thanked him for sharing the latest developments on Ukraine. We also reviewed the progress in our bilateral agenda, and reaffirmed our commitment to further deepen the India-Russia Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership. I look forward to hosting President Putin in India later this year.'
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Mint
11 minutes ago
- Mint
Increasing the danger: Journalist killing in Gaza sends a chilling message
Israel's targeted killing of an Al Jazeera correspondent in Gaza over the weekend was noteworthy even for a conflict remarkably blood-soaked for journalists, leaving some experts to marvel that any news at all emerges from the territory. An Al Jazeera executive said Monday that it won't back down from covering what is going on there and called for news organizations to step up and recruit more journalists. A total of 184 Palestinian journalists and media workers have been killed by Israel in the Gaza war since its start in October 2023, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. That compares to the 18 journalists and media workers killed so far in the Russia-Ukraine war, CPJ said. Aside from rare guided tours, Israel has barred international media from covering the 22-month war in Gaza. News organizations instead rely largely on Palestinian Gaza residents and ingenuity to show the world what is happening there. Israel often questions the affiliations and biases of Palestinian journalists but doesn't permit others in. 'You simply are in awe when stories show up,' said Jane Ferguson, a veteran war correspondent and founder of Noosphere, an independent platform for journalists. She can't recall a conflict that has been more difficult for reporters to cover, and she's reported from South Sudan, Syria and Afghanistan. Correspondent Anas al-Sharif knew he was a target, and left behind a message to be delivered upon his death. He and seven other people — six of them journalists — were killed in an air strike outside of Gaza City's largest hospital complex on Sunday. Israel swiftly claimed responsibility, saying without producing evidence that al-Sharif had led a Hamas cell. It was a claim the news organization and al-Sharif had denied. Agence France-Presse, The Associated Press, BBC News and Reuters are among the organizations regularly reporting from Gaza. An Aug. 7 AP dispatch vividly described the hunger faced by many in Gaza: 'A single bowl of eggplant stewed in watery tomato juice must sustain Sally Muzhed's family of six for the day. She calls it moussaka, but it's a pale echo of the fragrant, lawyered, meat-and-vegetable dish that once filled Gaza's kitchens with its aroma.' Other recent AP reports carried images and text reporting from the aftermath of an Israeli strike on Gaza's only Catholic church, and a profile of an 18-year-old aspiring doctor now trying to survive sheltered in a tent. Journalists from The Washington Post and the Guardian recently accompanied a Jordanian relief mission and took images of Gaza from the air, despite some restrictions from Israel. The Guardian's Lorenzo Tondo wrote: 'Seen from the air, Gaza looks like the ruins of an ancient civilization, brought to light after centuries of darkness.' None of the organizations match the power and immediacy of Al Jazeera, however, in part because their correspondents have been in front of cameras. They've also paid the heaviest price: CPJ estimates that 11 journalists and media workers affiliated with AJ have been killed in the Gaza conflict, more than any other single organization. In a social media post written in June to be sent if he was killed, al-Sharif wrote that 'I have lived through pain in all its details, tasted suffering and loss many times, yet I never once hesitated to convey the truth as it is, without distortion or falsification — so that Allah may bear witness against those who stayed silent.' In another posting on X on Aug. 10, the day that he was killed, al-Sharif wrote of the challenges covering the aftermath of one attack. He said he lost his strength and ability to express himself when he arrived at the scene. 'Body parts and blood were all around us, and corpses were scattered on top of each other,' he wrote. 'Tell me what words and phrases could help any journalist describe this horrific image. When I told you on air that it was an 'indescribable scene,' I was truly helpless in the face of this horrific sight.' Salah Negm, news director at Al Jazeera English, said Monday it is very difficult to get people in to Gaza. But it is full of educated people and those with training in journalism who can help get stories out. He called on other news organizations to step up. 'We get the news from several sources on the ground in Gaza — not only journalists but also doctors, hospitals, civil servants, aid workers,' Negm said. 'A lot of people in Gaza talk to us.' Many of the journalists working in Gaza are facing the same struggles to find food, for themselves and their families, as the people they are covering. Noosphere's Ferguson said she's never before had to ask a reporter whether she had enough food for herself and her child. In an interview in May on 'Democracy Now!,' 22-year-old journalist Abubaker Abed described the difficult decision he made to leave Gaza to pursue his education in Ireland. Not only was he suffering from malnutrition, he said, but his mother was concerned that his work as a journalist would make him and his family targets. 'If I stayed, I would die,' he said. Jodie Ginsberg, CEO of the Committee to Protect Journalists, said she's concerned about the implications for journalists in future conflicts if what is happening in Gaza is allowed to continue without international condemnation that has real teeth. 'They're essentially admitting in public to what amounts to a war crime,' Ginsberg said, 'and they can do that because none of the other attacks on journalists have had any consequences. not in this war and not prior. It's not surprising that it can act with this level of impunity because no international government has really taken it to task.' Given all that they face, 'to me, the most remarkable thing is that journalists are continuing to cover (Gaza) at all,' she said. Laurie Kellman and Danica Kirk in London, Samy Magdy in Cairo and Sam Metz in Jerusalem contributed to this report. David Bauder writes about the intersection of media and entertainment for the AP. Follow him at and

Hindustan Times
11 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
India holds firm in US trade talks, eyes EU pact amid tariff tensions
In a key meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Foreign Secretary and the Commerce Secretary briefed members on India-US relations and ongoing trade negotiations, sources said on Monday Regarding the upcoming US delegation visit for trade negotiations, the government indicated there is no change in schedule.(REUTERS) The government outlined three categories under which the US has been imposing tariffs. The issues included Global Tariffs - measures applied to all countries, not just India, sector-specific tariffs - designed to attract certain industries to the US, such as automobiles, leather, and textiles and revenue-oriented tariffs - targeting sectors like agriculture and oil for revenue generation. Officials stressed that negotiations with the US are continuing, but India will not compromise in the agriculture and dairy sectors. The government is actively assessing the impact of tariffs in consultation with stakeholders, including exporters, and is exploring alternative trade partnerships. Talks on trade agreements with the EU are being expedited, and new agreements with other countries are also under consideration. On broader ties, the government noted that India-US relations remain strong beyond trade. Recent developments include resolutions passed at the UN Security Council and the QUAD on the Pahalgam attacks, the extradition of Tahawwur Rana from the US, and the designation of TRF as a terrorist organisation. There has been no India-US dialogue regarding Pakistan in the current trade discussions. Committee Chairperson Shashi Tharoor confirmed that around 50 questions were raised in the meeting. He reiterated that trade is only one dimension of the India-US partnership. On Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir's nuclear threat remark, the government stated that such statements are unacceptable, especially when made from the soil of a friendly country. Regarding the upcoming US delegation visit for trade negotiations, the government indicated there is no change in schedule. On whether the nuclear threat issue would be raised with Washington, officials deferred to the Foreign Secretary but affirmed that such rhetoric is unwelcome. Commenting on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy following his conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the government noted that if the war ends, 25 per cent of existing tariffs--imposed due to India's purchase of Russian oil--would be lifted. However, India remains focused on addressing the remaining 25 per cent tariff impact.


The Print
25 minutes ago
- The Print
Will convey displeasure to US over Munir's nuclear threat from American soil—Centre tells House panel
MPs who attended the meeting said Misri told the Lok Sabha Committee on External Affairs headed by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor that New Delhi's position remains that BRICS was not an anti-Western grouping but should be seen instead as a 'non-Western grouping'. The committee, it is learnt, was told by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri that US President Donald Trump's imposition of steep tariff on Indian exports was not just a response to New Delhi's purchase of Russian crude oil but could also be connected to its presence in BRICS. New Delhi: The Centre told a parliamentary committee Monday that New Delhi will convey to Washington DC its displeasure over Pakistan's army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, delivering nuclear threats from the soil of the United States, sources told ThePrint. Sources said Misri told the MPs that India would not tolerate such nuclear blackmail. ThePrint exclusively reported on 10 August that Munir, speaking at an event in the US, said, 'we are a nuclear nation, if we think we are going down, we'll take half the world down with us.' 'India's position will be conveyed to the US,' sources quoted Misri as having said. Misri is also learnt to have told the panel that the US's trade deficit with India may also have been a trigger for Trump, who first announced the imposition of 25 percent tariff on Indian exports to the US and later raised it to 50 percent citing the 'direct or indirect import of Russian oil'. The foreign secretary is learnt to have added that India will not cross certain 'red lines'—a reference to US's demand for India to open up its agriculture and dairy sectors—in its trade negotiations with Washington. 'The three issues that India believes could have acted as a trigger for Trump are purchase of Russian crude oil, trade deficit and India's presence in the BRICS multilateral grouping. India's position is very clear. Misri said New Delhi never considered BRICS to be an anti-Western bloc but believes it can be categorised, if at all, as a non-Western bloc,' an MP who was part of the meeting told ThePrint. Sources in the Indian establishment have previously argued that New Delhi's sale of processed Russian crude oil was necessitated by various European countries, who stopped importing from Moscow, becoming dependent on supplies from India. Apart from Misri, Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal was also present in the meeting that lasted over three hours. The officials told the MPs that the latest developments would not have any impact on India's 'friendship' with the US. 'Trade is just one aspect of India-US relations. There are many positives also,' one official is learnt to have told the committee. The officials added that India's trade relations, including defence purchases, would not be affected by Trump's announcements. In response to questions from MPs, they underlined that India is not trying to 'enhance' or recalibrate its relations with China or Russia in light of the US President's remarks and announcements. (Edited by Amrtansh Arora) Also Read: Proxy pushback: After Rajnath, now Gadkari & Venkaiah; BJP is running out of patience with Trump