India, US hold strategic talks
Senior Indian and US officials held a virtual India-US 2+2 Intersessional Dialogue on Monday, reaffirming commitment to deepening bilateral ties. Led by officials from both nations’ foreign and defense ministries, the dialogue covered trade, energy security, civil-nuclear cooperation, critical minerals, and counterterrorism. A key focus was finalising a new 10-year Framework for the India-US Major Defense Partnership, enhancing defense industry collaboration, tech innovation, and military coordination. The two sides also discussed progress under the COMPACT initiative and reinforced their shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific through the Quad. The meeting concluded with a mutual pledge to strengthen cooperation.
Digvijaya, Nath rift reignites
A public spat between Congress veterans Digvijaya Singh and Kamal Nath has reignited old tensions within the Madhya Pradesh Congress, undermining Rahul Gandhi’s ongoing organisational revival efforts. Singh blamed the 2020 fall of the Kamal Nath Government on a personality clash between Nath and Jyotiraditya Scindia, while Nath countered that Scindia rebelled due to Singh’s perceived dominance. Their exchange comes just weeks after Gandhi launched the Sangathan Srijan Abhiyan, aimed at promoting unity. Party insiders fear the infighting weakens Congress’s credibility as a viable opposition, while observers say it exposes unresolved internal rifts that continue to plague the party.
THOUSANDS DISPLACED in PAK
Nearly 2,00,000 people have been evacuated from flood-prone areas in Pakistan’s Punjab province amid rising water levels in major eastern rivers like the Indus, Chenab, Ravi and Sutlej due to torrential monsoon rains. Rescue operations, especially in Kasur, Okara, and Narowal, are ongoing, with over 25,000 people relocated by boats. The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) has issued high flood alerts for multiple rivers and urban areas including Lahore and Rawalpindi. India issued a flood warning to Pakistan on humanitarian grounds, marking rare official contact after recent tensions. Hundreds of homes have been damaged as more rain is expected.