Following are the top foreign stories at 1700 hours- The Week

     FGN49 INDIA-UK-LD FTA
     *India, UK ink historic trade deal
     London: India and the UK on Thursday inked a landmark free trade agreement (FTA) that will cut tariffs on British whisky, cars and an array of items, besides boosting bilateral trade by around USD 34 billion annually.

     FGN76: PM-STARMER-LD TALKS
     Historic day for India-UK relations: PM Modi on free trade deal
     London: India and the UK on Thursday inked a landmark free trade pact that will increase market access, cut tariffs on British whisky and cars among other items and double bilateral trade by 2030 as the two strategic partners vowed to chart a new growth path amid growing global concerns over Washington's trade policies.

     FGN23 UK-INDIA-LD LAMMY
     FTA, UK-India Vision 2035 mark step-change in bilateral ties: Foreign Secretary Lammy
     London: A new UK-India Vision-2035 roadmap will be unveiled by Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on Thursday to set "clear goals and milestones" across a range of areas such as defence, technology and energy, British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said.

     FGN78: UK-INDIA-FTA-INDUSTRY
     Indian industry hails FTA with UK as ‘transformational milestone’ for trade
     London: The India-UK free trade agreement, termed the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), signed off by Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Keir Starmer at Chequers near London on Thursday has been hailed as a “transformational milestone” for trade by Indian business and industry chiefs.

     FGN20 INDIA-UK-PARTNERSHIP
     India, UK to unveil mega roadmap to boost ties, ink landmark FTA
     London: The India-UK free trade agreement (FTA) will significantly improve market access and will boost bilateral trade by around USD 34 billion annually, the British government said on Thursday, hours before formalising the landmark deal.

     FGN38 UK-INDIA-BIZ-REAX
     Businesses operating in India-UK space enthused by FTA boost
     London: Business leaders and industry experts operating within the India-UK corridor on Thursday expressed enthusiasm around the FTA to be signed between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his UK counterpart, Keir Starmer, significantly cutting tariff lines and regulatory processes across sectors.

     FGN17 UN-INDIA-GAZA
     India calls for ceasefire in Gaza, says intermittent pauses 'not enough'
     United Nations: Voicing concern over the persisting humanitarian crisis in Gaza, India asserted that a ceasefire must be put in place, emphasising that “intermittent pauses in hostilities” are "not enough" to address the scale of challenges facing the region's people.

     FGN24 US-TRUMP
     Days of US tech companies building factories in China, hiring workers in India 'over': Trump
     New York/Washington: US President Donald Trump has criticised American tech companies for building factories in China and hiring workers in India, warning that under his presidency, "those days are over".

     FGN41 CHINA-INDIA-BORDER
     China says talks on border situation with India 'candid'
     Beijing: China on Thursday said its diplomatic talks with India on the border situation was "candid".
     The two sides held talks under the framework of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) on border affairs in New Delhi on Wednesday.

     FGN48 BANGLA-EX CJ
     Bangladesh’s former chief justice Khairul Haque detained in sedition, forgery cases
     Dhaka: Bangladesh’s former chief justice ABM Khairul Haque was detained here on Thursday in connection with three criminal cases, including a sedition charge, officials said.

     FGN68 AUS-TEMPLE
     Hindu temple defaced with racist graffiti in Australia: Report
     Melbourne: A Hindu temple was defaced with racist graffiti along with two Asian-run restaurants in Melbourne, raising concerns among the community members in Australia, a media report said on Thursday.

     FGN69 ISRAEL-INDIA-DEFENCE
     India key strategic ally, partnership proven resilient through difficult times: Israel
     Jerusalem: Terming India a 'key strategic ally' and the relationship with it 'resilient through difficult times,' Israel on Thursday said it has discussed expanding defence and strategic partnerships centreing around R&D collaboration and joint manufacturing initiatives with New Delhi.

     FGN71 CHINA-INDIA-ARTIST
     Chinese artist calls for India-China reconnect through civilisational bond
     Beijing: Renowned Chinese Buddhist painter and scholar Yue Yu, whose unique artwork was presented to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his China visit in 2015, says India and China should rediscover their deep-rooted civilisational friendship.

     FGN74 BANGLA-BANK-DRESS CODE
     Bangladesh Bank revokes new dress code amid controversy
     Dhaka: Bangladesh’s central bank on Thursday revoked a new dress code directive, three days after its human resources department created a controversy by asking employees – especially females – to dress in 'modest and professional' attire.*

Following are the top foreign stories at 1700 hours

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