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A US Senate tariff bill and tighter visa rules put India in focus on a day of major global developments. The wider churn stretched from Britain's leadership change and China's sharp rebuttal to security operations and a deadly landslide.
Newdelhi,UPDATED: Jul 17, 2026 17:24 IST
A cluster of international developments on Friday ranged from moves in the US on trade, visas and law enforcement to political changes in the UK, sharp exchanges involving China, and security, business and sports-related developments in South Asia.
In Washington, a US Senate bill sought 100 per cent tariffs on five countries, including India and China, for buying Russian oil, while the US also tightened visa rules for foreign students, exchange visitors and journalists. Elsewhere, Andy Burnham was confirmed as the new leader of the UK's governing Labour Party and prime minister-designate, China rejected Donald Trump's claims of election interference, and President Xi Jinping called for global collaboration in artificial intelligence.
The bill introduced in the US Senate has the support of more than 60 lawmakers and seeks to impose 100 per cent tariffs on five countries, including India and China, for buying Russian oil. The measure would exempt European nations that purchase gas from Moscow. In a separate move, the US tightened visa rules for international students, exchange visitors and journalists, ending a decades-old policy that allowed them to stay in the country indefinitely without government oversight. The change is likely to affect a large number of Indians. The FBI also said it had arrested gangster Nitish Kaushal in Vermont. He is allegedly involved in murder, kidnapping and drug trafficking in the US and was arrested days after being added to the agency's list of most wanted criminals.
In the UK, Andy Burnham was confirmed on Friday as the newly elected leader of the Labour Party, making him the prime minister-designate set to take charge at 10 Downing Street next week. In another development, Indian-origin academic Swaran Singh, a leading figure in psychiatry, and London Mayor Sadiq Khan were conferred peerages ahead of Keir Starmer's exit as British prime minister next week.
China pushed back strongly against Donald Trump's allegations that Beijing had meddled in US elections. On Friday, it described the claims as "fabricated" and a "malicious smear", and urged him to stop making "baseless allegations". Separately, Xi Jinping said the development of artificial intelligence should not be a "solo performance" by one country, but a "symphony of global collaboration".
In Shanghai, Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on ways to advance ties in trade, investment, the digital economy and artificial intelligence. In Colombo, Sri Lanka's sports anti-corruption investigators arrested a former Indian under-19 cricketer who is a co-owner of Lanka Premier League franchise Jaffna Kings over allegations of attempting to bribe a player. In Singapore, a chartered accountant said NRIs could bring USD 70-80 billion into India through FCNR deposits under the ongoing initiative in which banks are offering higher interest rates for a limited period.
Pakistan's army said 24 terrorists were killed in a series of intelligence-based operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. In southwest China, a landslide in Chongqing buried residential buildings, forced more than 1,100 people to evacuate and trapped others, according to state media.
Overall, the day's developments included a proposed US tariff action that could affect India, tighter American visa rules, political changes in the UK, Chinese responses on election allegations and AI, India-linked developments in Sri Lanka and Singapore, counter-terror operations in Pakistan, and a major landslide in China.
With PTI Inputs
- Ends
Published By:
India Today Web Desk
Published On:
Jul 17, 2026 17:24 IST
