Category: 2. World

New Delhi has put on hold its plans to procure new US weapons and aircraft, according to three Indian officials familiar with the matter, in India’s first concrete sign of discontent after tariffs imposed on its exports by President Donald Trump dragged ties to their lowest level in decades.

India had been planning to send Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to Washington in the coming weeks for an announcement on some of the purchases, but that trip has been cancelled, two of the people said.

Trump on Aug 6 imposed an additional 25 per cent tariff on Indian goods as punishment for Delhi’s purchases of Russian oil, which he said meant the country was funding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. That raised the total duty on Indian exports to 50pc — among the highest of any US trading partner.

The US president has a history of rapidly reversing himself on tariffs, and India has said it remains actively engaged in discussions with Washington. One of the people said the defence purchases could go ahead once India had clarity on tariffs and the direction of bilateral ties, but “just not as soon as they were expected to”.

Written instructions had not been given to pause the purchases, another official said, indicating that Delhi had the option to quickly reverse course, though there was “no forward movement at least for now.”

India’s defence ministry and the Pentagon did not respond to Reuters’ questions. Delhi, which has forged a close partnership with America in recent years, has said it is being unfairly targeted and that Washington and its European allies continue to trade with Moscow when it is in their interest.

Reuters is reporting for the first time that discussions on India’s purchases of Stryker combat vehicles made by General Dynamics Land Systems and Javelin anti-tank missiles developed by Raytheon and Lockheed Martin have been paused due to the tariffs.

Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had in February announced plans to pursue procurement and joint production of those items.

Singh had also been planning to announce the purchase of six Boeing P8I reconnaissance aircraft and support systems for the Indian Navy during his now-cancelled trip, two of the people said. Talks over procuring the aircraft in a proposed $3.6 billion deal were at an advanced stage, according to the officials.

Boeing, Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics referred queries to the Indian and US governments. Raytheon did not return a request for comment.

Russian Relations

India’s deepening security relationship with the US, which is fuelled by their shared strategic rivalry with China, was heralded by many US analysts as one of the key areas of foreign-policy progress in the first Trump administration.

Delhi is the world’s second-largest arms importer, and Russia has traditionally been its top supplier. India has, in recent years, however, shifted to importing from Western powers like France, Israel and the US, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute think-tank.

The shift in suppliers was driven partly by constraints on Russia’s ability to export arms, which it is utilising heavily in its invasion of Ukraine. Some Russian weapons have also performed poorly in the battlefield, according to Western analysts.

The broader US-India defence partnership, which includes intelligence sharing and joint military exercises, continues without hiccups, one of the Indian officials said.

India also remains open to scaling back on oil imports from Russia and is open to making deals elsewhere, including the US, if it can get similar prices, according to two other Indian sources.

Trump’s threats and rising anti-US nationalism in India have “made it politically difficult for Modi to make the shift from Russia to the US,” one of the people said. Nonetheless, discounts on the landing cost of Russian oil have shrunk to the lowest since 2022.

India’s petroleum ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

While the rupture in US-India ties was abrupt, there have been strains in the relationship. Delhi has repeatedly rebutted Trump’s statements that the US brokered a ceasefire between India and Pakistan after four days of fighting between the nuclear-armed neighbours in May. Trump also hosted Pakistan’s army chief at the White House in the weeks following the conflict.

In recent months, Moscow has been actively pitching Delhi on buying new defence technologies like its S-500 surface-to-air missile system, according to one of the Indian officials, as well as a Russian source familiar with the talks.

India currently does not see a need for new arms purchases from Moscow, two Indian officials said.

But Delhi is unlikely to wean itself off Russian weapons entirely as the decades-long partnership between the two powers means Indian military systems will continue to require Moscow’s support, one of the officials said.

The Russian embassy in Delhi did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Friday that Berlin would not approve German weapons exports to Israel for use in the Gaza Strip “until further notice.” 

The announcement marks a major change of course for Germany, which has been one of Israel’s staunchest international allies.

It came as Israel’s Security Cabinet approved a plan to take over Gaza City, with the government saying it was a necessary move to destroy Hamas and free the remaining hostages held in the Gaza Strip. 

Israel’s decision has prompted international condemnation and opposition from hostage families, who say the plan endangers their loved ones. 

Why is Germany imposing a partial arms exports ban?

Merz reiterated that “Israel has the right to defend itself against Hamas terrorism.” 

“The release of the hostages and determined negotiations for a ceasefire are our top priority,” he said in a statement. 

However, “the even tougher military action by the Israeli army in the Gaza Strip” that was approved by the Israeli Security Cabinet “makes it increasingly difficult to see how these goals can be achieved,” he added. 

With the planned expansion of Israel’s offensive in Gaza, the Israeli government “bears even greater responsibility” for providing aid to civilians in the Palestinian territory, Merz said. He called for comprehensive access for UN organizations and other non-governmental institutions.

Merz also said that “the German government urges the Israeli government not to take any further steps toward annexing the West Bank.”

From 2020 to 2024, Germany accounted for about a third of Israel’s incoming arms supply. Germany’s arms supply to Israel has included armored vehicles, trucks, anti-tank weapons and ammunition.

A change of tone 

Germany, with its history of the Holocaust, has long had a “special relationship” with Israel and has been among its staunchest supporters — regardless of which government is in power. 

But according to a recent poll, a clear majority believes that the chancellor should increase pressure on Israel. The fate of the hostages still being held captive in Gaza remains the main concern for German voters.

Merz’s government has already expressed criticism of Israel’s operations in Gaza amid international concern has been growing over the suffering of Palestinians.

Germany, however, did not join the announcements by French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer of plans to formally recognize a Palestinian state in September. 

It was not immediately clear which military equipment from Germany would be halted. 

Export licences for military equipment to Israel worth 485 million euros ($564 million) were granted between October 7, 2023 and May 13, 2025, according to German parliament figures released in June.

Edited by: Wesley Dockery

Good morning.

Israel’s security cabinet has approved a plan to take over Gaza City, the prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has said, marking another escalation in the 22-month offensive that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, destroyed most of Gaza and pushed the territory into famine.

Ahead of the security cabinet meeting, which began Thursday and ran through the night, Netanyahu had said Israel planned to retake control of the entire territory and eventually hand it off to friendly Arab forces opposed to Hamas.

The announced plans stop short of that, perhaps reflecting the reservations of Israel’s top general, who reportedly warned it would endanger the remaining 20 or so living hostages held by Hamas and further strain Israel’s army after nearly two years of regional wars. Many families of hostages are also opposed, fearing further escalation will doom their loved ones.

• If signed off by the full cabinet, what will the plan mean? It will involve sending ground troops into the city – one of the few areas of Gaza that has not been turned into an Israeli buffer zone or placed under evacuation orders.

• What has the reaction to the Israeli security cabinet’s decision been? It has ignited protests at home and abroad, and the UN has called for the plan to be “immediately halted”.

Neo-Nazi leader sentenced to 20 years for plot to attack Maryland’s power grid

The founder of a Florida-based neo-Nazi group has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for planning an attack on Maryland’s power grid.

Brandon Russell, 30, was convicted earlier this year for conspiring to plan the attack with his girlfriend. Prosecutors detailed his long-term links to white supremacist groups and his recent efforts to organize “sniper attacks” on electrical substations around Baltimore. The attack aimed to trigger societal collapse by targeting the energy infrastructure of the majority-Black city.

• What had Russell planned to do after the attack? Russell and his co-defendant, Sarah Beth Clendaniel, aimed to “create their own bizarre utopia populated by people who only look and think like they do”, according to the US district judge James Bredar.

Trump says he will meet Putin despite Kremlin’s refusal to talk to Kyiv

Donald Trump has said he will meet Vladimir Putin despite the Russian leader’s refusal to meet his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Friday marks Trump’s original deadline for Russia to take action on ending its invasion of Ukraine, or face sanctions and further tariffs.

Trump’s latest announcement quashes speculation that the US had demanded direct talks between the two warring presidents as a prerequisite of a Trump-Putin summit.

In other news …

Stat of the day: 64% of the DRC’s forests could be directly affected if oil licenses are awarded

For the second time in three years, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is auctioning off vast tracts of the Congo basin rainforest – one of the best-preserved tropical ecosystems left on Earth and home to rare wildlife. While the last attempt failed, environmentalists fear the current political climate, shaped by the Trump administration, could mean there is less resistance. The awarding of these licenses could directly affect 39 million Congolese people and 64% of the DRC’s forests, a campaigner warned.

Don’t miss this: ‘I’m a scam hunter who got scammed’

Bringing home the point that anyone – no matter how smart they are or knowledgable about scams – can become the victim of a con, today’s Guardian Experience hears from a scam hunter who had a £16,000 ($21,500) loan taken out in her name. Fortunately, she was able to have it canceled after she proved she had been scammed, but discusses the emotional toll a scam can take: “I worried about whether to share that I’d been scammed. It’s common for people to victim blame and say they’d never fall for it, but it can happen to anyone.”

Climate check: Scientists blast Trump energy chief’s plan to ‘update’ climate reports

Scientists have slammed the US energy secretary, Chris Wright, after he revealed that the Trump administration would “update” national climate assessment reports published by past governments. One said their “worst fears” had been confirmed while another senior climate scientist said the revisions were “exactly what Joseph Stalin did”, referring to the Russian dictator’s use of his power to doctor historical records. The development comes days after the agency produced a report claiming concern over the climate emergency was exaggerated – a report decried by scientists as a “farce”.

Last Thing: Just when you thought it was warm enough to go back in the water …

If you’ve been for a swim in the sea recently and found the experience more bracing than refreshing, you might appreciate Stephen Collins’s latest cartoon. When was the last time you ran into the ocean with childlike joy?

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TEL AVIV: Israel’s decision to take over Gaza City was met with resignation and defiance by Palestinians who have survived two years of war and repeated raids. Many Israelis responded with fear and anger, worried it could be a death sentence for hostages held in Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Friday that Israel would intensify its 22-month war with Hamas by taking over Gaza City, large parts of which have been destroyed by past bombardment and ground incursions.

A major ground operation is almost sure to cause more mass displacement and worsen an already catastrophic humanitarian crisis.

“What does (Israel) want from us? … There is nothing here to occupy,” said a woman in Gaza City who identified herself as Umm Youssef. “There is no life here. I have to walk every day for more than 15 minutes to get drinking water.”

Ruby Chen, a dual US-Israeli citizen whose son, Itay, is a hostage held in Gaza, told The Associated Press that the decision puts the remaining hostages in danger.

“What is the plan now that is different from the last 22 months?” he said.

Ehud Olmert, a former prime minister and harsh critic of Netanyahu, told the AP “there’s not any objective that can be achieved that’s worth the cost of the lives of the hostages, the soldiers” and civilians, echoing concerns expressed by many former top security officials in Israel.

‘I will die here’

Netanyahu says military pressure is key to achieving Israel’s war goals of returning all the hostages and destroying Hamas. On Thursday, he told Fox News that Israel intends to eventually take over all of Gaza and hand it over to a friendly Arab civilian administration.

But Hamas has survived nearly two years of war and several large-scale ground operations, including in Gaza City. In a statement, the militant group said the people of Gaza would “remain defiant against occupation” and warned Israel that the incursion “will not be a walk in the park.”

Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fled Gaza City in the opening weeks of the war, the first of several mass displacements. Many returned during a ceasefire earlier this year. Now, residents say they are too busy searching for food and trying to survive amid the city’s bombed-out buildings and tent camps to think about another exodus.

“I have no intention to leave my home, I will die here,” said Kamel Abu Nahel from the city’s urban Shati refugee camp.

Israel already controls and has largely destroyed around 75 percent of the Gaza Strip, with most of its population of some 2 million Palestinians now sheltering in Gaza City, the central city of Deir Al-Balah and the sprawling displacement camps in the Muwasi area along the coast.

The offensive has killed over 61,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not say how many were fighters or civilians. It says women and children make up around half the dead. The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government and staffed by medical professionals. The United Nations and other experts consider its figures to be the most reliable estimate of casualties, while Israel disputes them.

Ismail Zaydah said he and his family had remained in Gaza City throughout the war.

“This is our land, there is no other place for us to go,” he said. “We are not surrendering … We were born here, and here we die.”

‘This madman called Netanyahu’

Hamas-led militants abducted 251 people in the Oct. 7, 2023 attack that started the war and killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians. Though most of the hostages have been released in ceasefires or other deals, 50 are still in Gaza, less than half of them believed by Israel to be alive.

Relatives of many of the hostages and their supporters have repeatedly protested against the continuation of the war, demanding that Israel reach a ceasefire with Hamas that would include the return of their loved ones. The long-running talks broke down last month.

“Somebody’s got to stop this madman called Netanyahu,” said Yehuda Cohen, whose son Nimrod is held hostage. He said faith in the United States to help is also dwindling. “I lost hope with Donald Trump … he’s letting Netanyahu just do whatever he likes,” he said.

But other Israelis voiced support for the decision.

“They need to go after Hamas,” said Susan Makin, a Tel Aviv resident. “Why are they not asking why Hamas has not given back the hostages and put (down) their arms?”

The agony around the plight of the hostages has worsened in recent days as Palestinians militants have released videos showing two of the captives emaciated and pleading for their lives. Families fear their loved ones, who may be held in other parts of Gaza, are running out time.

Amir Avivi, a retired Israeli general and chairman of Israel’s Defense and Security Forum, said there are a few hostages in Gaza City and the army will have to decide how to manage the situation.

He said they might be able to surround the hostages and negotiate directly with their captors or leave those areas untouched. Under pressure, Hamas might decide to release the captives, he said.

That strategy carries great risk. Last year, Israeli forces recovered the bodies of six hostages who were killed by their captors when troops approached the tunnel where they were being held.

President Xi Jinping orders ‘all-out’ rescue operations to save the missing people, CCTV says.

At least 10 people have been killed and 33 are missing in flash floods in northwestern China’s Gansu province, according to state media.

“From August 7, continuous heavy rain … has triggered flash floods. As of 3:30pm (07:30 GMT) on August 8, 10 people have died and 33 are missing,” state broadcaster CCTV reported on Friday.

Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered “all-out” rescue operations with “utmost effort” to save the missing people, CCTV said.

Due to the “frequent occurrence of extreme weather”, Xi ordered all regions to “resolutely overcome complacency” and strengthen efforts to identify risks, the broadcaster added.

Footage shared by Chinese fire authorities on the social media platform Weibo showed rescuers guiding people through rushing grey water in a village.

Photos posted by Gansu’s government showed roads covered in silt and large stones.

Record rainfall has lashed China’s north and south in recent weeks in what meteorologists describe as extreme weather linked to climate change.

Heavy rains and flooding have killed at least 60 people across northern China, including Beijing, since late July.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has announced that it will formally seek an explanation from Ukraine over a recent claim made by the Ukrainian president. The Foreign Office spokesperson said the government rejects the allegation that Pakistanis are involved in the Ukraine conflict. The statement came during the weekly media briefing in Islamabad.

The spokesperson made it clear that no Ukrainian officials have contacted Pakistan about the accusation. So far, no credible evidence has been provided to support the claim. Pakistan has expressed strong concerns and plans to raise the issue through official diplomatic channels. The government demands a clear and formal clarification from Ukraine.

Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reportedly claimed that Pakistani citizens were involved in the Russia-Ukraine war. Pakistan has firmly denied this. The Foreign Office stressed that the claim is baseless and damaging. Islamabad also emphasized that it has maintained a neutral stance on the conflict from the beginning.

During the same briefing, the spokesperson commented on the broader Middle East situation. He said that Israel’s expansionist policies are pushing the region toward further tension. He added that Pakistan does not recognize Israel and cannot consider any contact while Israel continues its actions against Palestinians. The spokesperson reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for Palestinian rights.

The Foreign Office also addressed questions about the Afghan Foreign Minister’s expected visit to Pakistan. The spokesperson clarified there is no cancellation or delay. A final date for the visit is still being discussed between the two sides. Once confirmed, the Foreign Ministry will officially announce the visit.

PA Media