The free trade agreement allows zero-duty market access for nearly 99% of India’s exports to the UK. Meanwhile, US senators have proposed a new bill to impose 100% tariffs on India for buying oil from Russia.
Missing Indian sailor confirmed dead
The body of an Indian sailor, who went missing after a ship was attacked off the coast of Oman, has been recovered, authorities confirmed on Wednesday.
The sailor’s father-in-law, an Indian sailor’s union and the Indian consulate in Dubai said the man was confirmed dead.
The sailor in question was a 30-year-old maritime engineer from western India. He had been declared missing after the Cypriot-flagged GFS Galaxy was attacked off the coast of Oman on Sunday.
The other 23 crew members, including at least 10 Indians, were rescued off the vessel.
The US Central Command accused Iran of the attack, as both Washington and Tehran vie for the control of the Strait of Hormuz.
At least five Indian sailors have lost their lives between June and July due to attacks on commercial vessels. India’s government has repeatedly condemned attacks on commercial shipping and lodged strong protests with both the US and Iran.
US tariff on Russian oil won’t impact trade talks: report
India does not expect a proposed US legislation that involves 100% tariffs on countries buying Russian oil to complicate its trade talks with Washington, a Reuters report cited an unnamed source within the Indian government as saying.
The source added that potential tariffs linked to purchases of Russian oil have not been a sticking point in trade negotiations.
New Delhi and Washington have long been negotiating the first phase of a Bilateral Trade Agreement, which was first announced in early 2025. In the last few months, both sides have said a deal was 99% complete but the final 1% remains under discussion.
Here’s a detailed analysis of the key sticking points of the US-India trade deal.
Delhi court hears petition to force-feed activist Sonam Wangchuk
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday issued a notice to the central and Delhi governments, seeking urgent medical aid for educational reform activist Sonam Wangchuk who is currently on his 18th day of hunger strike.
Wangchuk, members of the satirical Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and its supporters are demanding the removal of India’s Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan from office over a national-wide medical entrance exam scandal.
Over 2.2 million aspiring medical students were affected in May when a highly competitive entrance exam’s question paper was allegedly leaked. Some students committed suicide under the pressure of retaking the test.
Wangchuk’s health has deteriorated in the last 18 days, according to CJP Founder Abhijeet Dipke. He said the activist has lost over 8 kilograms (17.6 pounds), significant muscle mass and is visibly weak.
“This humble petition ventures to bring to the attention of this court a very sad and unfortunate situation whereby a social human rights activist who is on protest in exercise of his fundamental rights against a highly criticized government action is virtually committing Harakiri, the famous Japanese term for taking one’s own life in front of the nation,” the petitioner stated according to the Indian Express.
The plea also sought directions to force-feed Wangchuk, adding that measures have previously been taken to save the life of a protester.
In the last two days, several Indian politicians and public figures have urged Wangchuk to end his fast and continue the fight against the ruling government.
On Tuesday, Dipke quoted Wangchuk saying: “Don’t ask me to end my fast. Ask the government why they won’t even have a dialogue.”
Air India crash’s draft report likely to be ready by October, investigators say
A “draft final report” of the Air India Dreamliner crash in Ahmedabad, which killed over 250 people, is likely to be ready by October, investigators told the Supreme Court of India.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) said so in an affidavit filed ahead of a July 17 hearing on petitions seeking an independent judicial investigation into the crash, Indian media reported.
AAIB wrote it had conducted a psychological autopsy and evaluation, and had received the psychologist’s final report, which was part of the investigation.
However the filing did not identify whose psychological autopsy was conducted.
The bureau also said it has also prepared a cockpit voice recorder transcript.
Several petitioners and India’s pilot union have expressed lack of confidence in the AAIB’s probe and questioned its preliminary investigation report ,which allegedly sought to direct focus on one of the pilots without conclusive evidence.
Meanwhile, families of those killed are still waiting for answers.
Modi lauds India-UK trade deal
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday celebrated the partnership between India and the United Kingdom, hours after a free trade agreement became official.
“This is a significant moment in the India-United Kingdom partnership!” he said in a post on X.
Several government officials and Indian Embassies posted similar words on the deal, in what seems like a coordinated social media campaign.
India launches ‘Seafarer-First’ initiative to safeguard sailors amid Iran war
As Indian sailors face the brunt of the conflict in the Middle East, India’s Shipping Ministry has launched a “Seafarer-First” initiative to track and safeguard them.
After a review meeting with stakeholders on Tuesday evening, Indian Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal announced the measures in a post on X.
“I have ordered real-time, vessel-by-vessel monitoring and 24×7 coordination across Gulf waters and a comprehensive operational dashboard to account for every Indian on every vessel, operating in the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman,” he said.
Sonowal said a dedicated liaison officer would act as “single-point-of-contact for every affected Indian seafarer” for coordination and assistance to their families.
“Every Indian seafarer in the affected region will be individually accounted for, irrespective of the vessel’s flag,” he said.
The initiative comes after an Indian sailor was killed when Iran attacked two UAE-linked vessels as they passed through the Strait of Hormuz. Ten other Indian sailors were injured in the attack, two of whom were seriously hurt.
On Wednesday morning, Reuters reported that an Indian sailor who went missing after the GFS Galaxy was attacked off the coast of Oman, had died. The Report cited the sailor’s Father-in-law and did not elaborate on how he knew of the death.
Indian nationals make up around 12% of the global merchant shipping workforce, leaving them especially exposed to the risks of the escalating conflict in the Middle East.
US reveals revised bill with 100% tariffs on India over Russian oil
On Tuesday, US senators unveiled a revised version of the Russia sanctions bill that would impose a 100% tariff on five countries, including India, for their purchase of Russian oil.
This version eases a previous threat of a 500% proposed tariff.
The bill, backed by Republicans, Democrats and the White House, seeks to sanction Russian officials and pressure countries like India and China into reducing their dependence on Russian energy.
If it is passed, the bill would impose tariffs on major purchasers of Russian oil.
The top five Russian energy purchasers are India, China, Slovakia, Hungary and Azerbaijan.
India’s import of Russian oil has long been a point of contention with the US.
In 2025, US President slapped an additional 25% tariff on India for buying Russian crude, causing significant strain on diplomatic ties between New Delhi and Washington.
India has since diversifiedhas since diversified its oil Imports to Venezuela but also maintained that India’s policy on Russian oil is based on “cost and availability.”
In June, Indian’s Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar rejected western nations’ criticism at an event in Helsinki. Jaishankar accused the United States of hypocrisy on Russian oil, saying that “the US specifically asked India to buy Russian oil to help stabilize the world markets.”
“After first imposing tariffs on us last year for buying Russian oil, the US then lifted its sanctions on Russian oil. Let’s not pretend there is some great principle involved here,” he said.
The proposed US bill comes at a time when India and the US have been negotiation the first tranche of a Bilateral Trade Agreement.
Experts and reports have said that one of the reasons for the deal’s delay is that New Delhi wants assurance of no new tariffs from Washington.
What changes under the trade deal?
The deal is expected to boost India’s exports to the United Kingdom, make British imports cheaper and streamline social security contributions for expats in both nations.
Here’s what has come into effect:
- British products such as cosmetics, medical devices, Scotch whisky and English gin will be cheaper
- Lowered duties on Indian clothing, footwear and food products and spices exported to the UK
- UK universities have approval to open new campuses in India
- Indians temporarily living in UK will continue social security continue social security contributions in India without contributing to schemes in UK. And vice versa.