UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has reshuffled his Cabinet. Three Indian-origin Labour MPs got front-bench posts. Kanishka Narayan is now Minister for Artificial Intelligence. Satvir Kaur and Harpreet Uppal also got key roles. With Uma Kumaran, a junior Foreign Office minister, the front bench now has two Hindu and two Sikh ministers. Seema Malhotra and Preet Kaur Gill, both close to former PM Keir Starmer, moved to the backbenches. Lisa Nandy stays on as Culture Secretary. Narayan was born in Bihar. Kaur's parents ran a saree shop in Southampton. Uppal once worked on Burnham's mayoral campaign.

A 23-year-old woman from Punjab, Damanpreet Kaur, was allegedly strangled to death at her home in Edmonton, Canada. Police have arrested her 22-year-old Indian-origin live-in partner, Ritish Kumar, and charged him with second-degree murder. Kaur was taken to hospital after officers found her with suspicious injuries on July 9. She died on July 12. Police said, “The case is being treated as an intimate partner homicide.” An autopsy confirmed she died from strangulation. Kaur had moved to Canada nearly five years ago on a student visa. A fundraiser is helping bring her body back to India. (PC: GoFundMe)

1 Indian sailor was killed after the commercial ship MV OMORFI came under attack in the Black Sea on July 18, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said. 2 other Indian crew members on board are safe. The ship had 10 crew members, including three Indians. The MEA said the Indian Embassy in Moscow is helping the family of the deceased. "India unequivocally condemns such attacks targeting commercial shipping," the ministry said. It also expressed concern over growing threats to global shipping and urged all sides to ensure the safety of civilian vessels and uninterrupted international trade.

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk rejected allegations of racism during an interview with The Economist, citing his personal and professional life. Musk said his partner, Shivon Zilis, is half-Indian and that one of their four children bears the middle name Sekhar, honouring Indian-American Nobel laureate Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar. He added that his companies employ senior executives “of all races” and insisted, “I’m not a racist.” Musk also admitted he “got carried away” while leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under the Trump administration, saying he should have focused more on his companies. He also defended his immigration views and reiterated criticism of Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey casting.

A Mozambique-flagged LPG tanker carrying 28 Indian crew members came under attack in Iranian territorial waters on Friday amid escalating Iran-US tensions. The Indian Embassy in Tehran confirmed the incident, identifying the vessel as DISHA, and said all 28 Indian nationals on board are safe. The embassy added that it is in close contact with Iranian authorities and is closely monitoring the situation. Officials have not disclosed the extent of damage to the tanker or identified those responsible for the attack. The incident has heightened concerns over the safety of commercial shipping in the region as hostilities between Iran and the United States continue to intensify. (PC: News18)

An Indian sailor was killed after commercial vessel MV Omorfi came under attack while transiting the Black Sea on July 18, prompting India to strongly condemn attacks on commercial shipping. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the ship was sailing in Russian territorial waters with 10 crew members, including three Indian nationals. One Indian died in the attack, while the two others are safe. India said its mission in Russia is assisting the victim's family and urged all parties to protect civilian seafarers, maritime navigation and global trade. The incident follows another deadly strike on MV Golden Leo, where four Indian sailors were killed and one critically injured.

India on Friday strongly objected to China's continued activities in parts of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, saying Beijing is undertaking projects on Indian territory under its illegal occupation. Responding to media queries, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said China has remained in illegal occupation of Indian territory in Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh since 1963, and India has consistently conveyed its objections. He reiterated that India respects China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, but Beijing has not reciprocated. The remarks followed External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar's statement that India, not China, has legitimate sovereignty concerns. New Delhi also reiterated its opposition to Chinese projects in Pakistan-occupied Jammu & Kashmir.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced stricter measures to curb examination paper leaks, with key decisions approved at Friday’s Union Cabinet meeting amid nationwide protests over the alleged NEET-UG leak. The National Testing Agency (NTA) dismissed 47 officials as part of a major organisational overhaul, with more corrective action and legal proceedings against some officials expected. The Cabinet also cleared a draft Bill to amend the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, proposing tougher penalties, including up to 10 years’ imprisonment and a maximum ₹10 crore fine for organised paper leak rackets. The reforms aim to strengthen examination integrity while ensuring candidates are not penalised under the law for unfair practices. (PC: PTI)

The United States has imposed a 10% tariff on imports from India as part of a wider trade action targeting 60 economies over concerns about forced labour in global supply chains. India secured the lower tariff rate after amending its foreign trade policy to prohibit imports made with forced labour, avoiding the higher 12.5% duty applied to some countries. The tariffs, introduced under Section 301 of the US Trade Act, aim to strengthen labour standards while affecting over 99% of US imports. The move could influence India-US trade ties and global supply chains. (PC: X)

Hollywood actor John Cusack has expressed support for the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-led student protest over the alleged NEET paper leak. Cusack shared an article by author Arundhati Roy on X that criticised the reported use of force against students during their march towards Parliament in New Delhi. Reacting to the post, he wrote, “Beautiful news from my favorite fellow cockroach.” Thousands of students have been protesting, demanding accountability for examination irregularities and the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Cusack had also voiced support for student protesters during the Citizenship Amendment Act demonstrations in 2019. (PC: Economic Times)