Three suspected rebels killed in firefight in India-administered Kashmir

During fighting in a national park, the military claims that Indian security forces killed three suspected rebels in India-administered Kashmir.

About 30 kilometers (18 miles) east of Srinagar, the disputed region’s main city, the incident took place on Monday in Dachigam, in the mountains.

The Indian army said in a statement posted on social media that “Three terrorists have been neutralized in an intense firefight.” The “operation continues”

India and Pakistan, which both claim Kashmir in full and have a Muslim majority, have engaged in three wars to control it since 1947 when they were granted independence from British rule.

Kashmiri rebels have been fighting Indian rule since 1989, requesting regional integration or regional integration with Pakistan. Pakistan is accused of supporting the rebellion, but Islamabad claims that it only gives Kashmiris diplomatic support.

The three men who were killed on Monday, according to reports in Indian media, are thought to be responsible for the April 22 attack in Pahalgam, a resort town in India, that resulted in the death of 26 people.

More than 70 people were killed on both sides of the four-day military conflict with Pakistan in April, which Al Jazeera was unable to immediately confirm the men’s involvement in.

On the condition of anonymity, a police officer told the AFP news agency that all the victims were “foreigners.” The Indian military did not immediately identify them.

The Resistance Front (TRF), which is accused of being responsible for the Pahalgam attack, was officially designated a “foreign terrorist organization” by the US this month.

More than 350, 000 people from across India have travelled there on July 3 as part of an annual pilgrimage that started there. The incident occurred on Monday near the Hindu shrine of Amarnath.

In India-administered Kashmir, fighting between rebels and Indian government forces has drastically decreased over the past five years, but many local fighters have died, according to officials, since the Pahalgam attack.

India refutes US assertions.

In a related development, India’s defense minister Rajnath Singh claimed on Monday that New Delhi had successfully ended its military conflict with Pakistan in May because it had pursued all goals and had not relied on outside pressure.

US President Donald Trump claimed that he had broken the deal between the two neighbors in a discussion in parliament on April 22. However, Singh’s remarks at the time effectively rejected Singh’s assertion.

Because all the political and military objectives identified before and during the conflict had been fully realized, Singh said, “India halted its operation.” It is completely false to suggest that the operation was called off due to pressure.

According to New Delhi, Pakistanis were responsible for the Pahalgam killings. Pakistan demanded an impartial investigation and denied involvement.

Before Trump announced they had agreed to a ceasefire, the two sides engaged in a military conflict in May that involved fighter jets, missiles, drones, and other munitions, killing dozens of people.

India claimed that the US had no influence in the negotiations and that New Delhi and Islamabad had reached a truce to put an end to the conflict, while Pakistan thanked Trump for brokering it.

The government’s inability to capture the assailants and the government’s failure to stop the attack, which the opposition in India claim is a problem, are issues they are expected to raise during the parliament discussion.

They also criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for reportedly agreeing to end the fighting and being under pressure from Trump.

How European leaders are reacting to EU-US trade deal

A comprehensive trade agreement between the US and the European Union prevents a full-fledged transatlantic trade war by imposing a 15% import tariff on the majority of EU goods.

Before the steep tariffs’ introduction deadline of August 1st, US President Donald Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen reached a deal on Sunday in Scotland.

The US leader hailed the deal as the “biggest deal” ever made, and the EU chief praised it as a much-needed “stability” and “predictability,” according to both von der Leyen and Trump.

What, however, are European leaders’ opinions regarding the deal with the world’s largest trading partner? What responses have people had?

Denmark

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen stated that “the trade conditions will not be as good as they were before, and it is not our choice. However, a balance must be struck to stabilize the situation and allow both sides to live with.”

Finland

The deal, according to Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, “provides much-needed predictability to Finnish companies and the world economy.” “Trade barriers must be continued.” He claimed that only free transatlantic trade benefits both parties the most.

France

An alliance of free peoples, organized to affirm their shared values and advance their shared interests, resigns to submission, according to French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou.

Germany

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz claimed the agreement had prevented a trade war that had had had a significant impact on the export-focused German economy. The automotive industry, where the current tariffs of 27.5 percent will be almost halved to 15 percent, is one example.

Berlin sees the need for further negotiations, according to a government spokesman. At a press conference in Berlin, the spokesperson stated, “We see a need for further negotiations. It is undoubtedly no secret.” He added that “the EU Commission and the German government are now fully committed to this” and that more details of the agreement were still to be worked out.

Hungary

Viktor Orban, the prime minister of Hungary, criticized the agreement. We suspected this would occur because the US president is a heavyweight in negotiations, while Madame President is featherweight, he said, adding that “this is not an agreement.” Donald Trump ate von der Leyen for breakfast, which is what happened, according to him.

Ireland

The deal, according to Irish Trade Minister Simon Harris, provides “a measure of much-needed certainty for Irish, European, and American businesses, who together represent the world’s most integrated trading relationship.”

Ireland regrets the agreement’s inclusion of the 15% base tariff, but he said it is important for us to now have more certainty about the foundations of the EU-US trade relationship, which are essential for jobs, growth, and investment.

Italy

Giorgia Meloni, the prime minister of Italy, said, “It’s good that there is an agreement, but I can’t judge it in the best way if I don’t see the details.” She stated at a summit in Ethiopia that “trade escalation would have had unanticipated and potentially devastating consequences.”

Meloni, a Trump ally on a number of issues, earlier this month, warned of a “trade war within the West.”

Romania

Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan “salutes that a trade agreement was reached and… feels it is a good omen,” the Romanian government’s press office said in a statement. It eliminated the uncertainty and disruptions that had previously caused transatlantic trade relations, according to the statement.

Spain

Pedro Sanchez, the prime minister of Spain, declared he was in favor of the agreement but “without much enthusiasm.”

“I value the European Commission president’s approachable and cooperative behavior. In any case, he declared at a press conference that he supports this trade agreement without being enthusiastic.

Sweden

“This agreement may be the least least bad option, but it does not make anyone richer.” According to an initial assessment, the agreement appears to have some predictability, according to Swedish Trade Minister Benjamin Dousa.

EU and US announce deal: A breakdown of the trade agreement

A month’s delay and the United States’ close to a comprehensive trade agreement have resulted in a full-fledged trade war, just days before President Donald Trump’s deadline to impose high tariffs.

Most goods, including cars, will be subject to 15% tariffs in the EU. Trump had threatened to implement the tariffs starting on Friday, but this one is only 30% higher. Additionally, Brussels and other nations agreed on Sunday to add hundreds of billions of dollars to already-depensed US weapons and energy products.

Trump praised the deal as the “biggest deal ever made” while speaking to reporters at his Scottish resort at Turnberry. “I believe it will be wonderful for both parties,” he said. It will bring us closer together, he continued.

Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, stated that the agreement would “bring stability” and “bring predictability that’s very important for our businesses on both sides of the Atlantic.”

Von der Leyen defended the agreement, claiming that the goal was to restore a trade surplus between the US and China. Trump has never made it a secret to evade US trade restrictions by using tariffs.

Although neither side disclosed the full details of the pact or made any written announcements, Sunday’s agreement marked the end of months of frequently tense shuttle diplomacy between Brussels and Washington.

Following a 90-day trade pact with China and preliminary trade agreements with Japan, the United Kingdom, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines, the US signed them.

How will the agreement affect the two parties, who control almost a third of global trade, and put an end to the threats of a tariff war?

What was agreed upon?

Von der Leyen stated at a news event that the country’s cars, pharmaceuticals, and semiconductors, which are crucial components of the European economy, would be subject to a 15% tariff.

Trump, for his part, criticized industry in the bloc for rejecting US levies on steel and aluminum, which he has set at 50% on many nations. For the time being, aerospace tariffs will be at zero elsewhere.

Trump claimed that the bloc would “open up their countries at zero tariff” for American exports in exchange for the 15% tariff on EU goods.

He added that the EU would invest $600 billion in US energy products, spend an additional $750 billion on military equipment, and purchase “hundreds of billions of dollars” of military equipment.

Von der Leyen stated that starting in 2027, the EU would aim to purchase an additional $250 billion worth of US energy products annually.

She said, “We are securing access to our largest export market with this agreement.”

She also acknowledged that some of Europe’s industries would face challenges as a result of the 15% tariffs.

With nearly $ 2 trillion in two-way trade in goods and services in 2017, the EU is the largest trading partner of the US.

What has the leadership of Europe said?

Friedrich Merz, the German chancellor, applauded the deal, citing its preventative effect on “transatlantic trade relations.”

He claimed that a trade war “would have severely affected Germany’s export-oriented economy,” noting that US tariffs would have been reduced from 27.5 percent to 15 percent for the German auto industry.

The bloc had caved in to the US president with an unbalanced deal that spared US imports from any immediate European retaliation, according to French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou, who described the deal as “dark day” for Europe.

An alliance of free peoples, organized to affirm their shared values and advance their shared interests, submits to the “von der Leyen-Trump deal” in his op-edition of X.

The deal with the EU was “accepting painful tariffs,” according to Wolfgang Niedermark, a trade body member on the board of the Federation of German Industries.

He predicted that a 15% tariff would “significantly harm Germany’s export-oriented industry.”

The trade agreement, according to France’s European affairs minister Benjamin Haddad, will provide temporary stability to economic actors who are threatened by the rise in American tariffs, but it is unbalanced.

Dutch Foreign Trade Minister Hanneke Boerma echoed that sentiment and demanded that the commission hold talks with Washington in response.

The entire bloc’s trade negotiations are handled by the European Commission.

This week, EU ambassadors will talk about the deal with the commission.

Before the deal, how was trade conducted?

If the two sides can’t agree on a deal by this Friday, the day that Trump’s “reciprocal tariffs,” which he imposed on nearly all of the world’s nations, will be implemented, he threatened to impose tariffs of 30 percent on EU goods on July 12.

In addition to the 25% tariffs on cars and car parts and the 50% levy on steel and aluminum products that Trump has already in place, these “reciprocal tariffs” are scheduled to go into effect.

If negotiations had broken down, it is believed that Brussels would have pushed ahead with a retaliatory tariffs package on 90 billion euros ($109bn) of US goods, including car parts and bourbon.

Trump frequently targeted the EU with his accusations that the bloc was “ripping off” the US.

In 2024, the US ran a $235.6bn goods deficit with the EU. According to EU data, pharmaceuticals, automotive parts, and industrial chemicals accounted for Europe’s biggest exports to the US.

What effects will the US and EU have on the deal?

A no-deal outcome, according to Bloomberg Economics, would have increased Friday’s effective US tariff rate to nearly 18%.

That figure is decreased by 16 percent thanks to the new agreement, which provides a temporary respite for European exporting companies. Trade barriers remain significantly higher than they were before Trump’s 2025 take office.

At the end of 2024, the average US tariff rate on EU exports was only 1.5 percent, according to a research group called Bruegel.

The Milken Institute’s chief economist, William Lee, stated to Al Jazeera, “I think the Trump strategy has been crystal-clear from the beginning. It’s brinkmanship, I suppose. … or be subject to high tariffs if you partner with the US.

When justice fails: Genocide and colonialism in Palestine

Stage of the Center

Rula Shadid, an expert on refugee law and co-director of the Palestine Institute for Public Diplomacy (@rabetbypipd), joins Stage of the Center to discuss the global perception of Palestine and the complicity of Western nations in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza. She highlights how international silence enables Israel’s atrocities and sustains its illegal occupation of Palestinian territories.

Five people killed in shooting at market in Thailand’s Bangkok

According to police, a shooting in Bangkok, Thailand’s capital, resulted in the deaths of five people and the injuries of one.

According to the Royal Thai Police, the shooting took place on Monday at 12:31 PM (05:31 GMT) at Or Tor Kor Market in the Bang Sue district of northern Bangkok.

The suspected perpetrator committed suicide at the market, which all five of the deceased victims were, according to police, were security guards.

“Police are looking into the motive,” the statement read. According to Worapat Sukthai, deputy police chief in the Bang Sue district, “it’s a mass shooting right now,” he was cited as saying to the AFP news agency.

According to the official, the police are looking into “any possible link” to the ongoing border clashes between Thailand and Cambodia.

According to the Thai Public Broadcasting Service, the shooter was spotted on surveillance footage with a backpack hung over his chest and a black T-shirt, a cap, camouflage shorts, and a backpack.

In Thailand, compared to much of the rest of Southeast Asia, gun violence is still prevalent.