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NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to embark on a historic multi-nation tour from July 2 to July 9, marking a series of firsts and revitalizing India’s global partnerships. The tour will see the PM visiting Ghana, Trinidad & Tobago, Argentina, Brazil, and Namibia, with a focus on enhancing bilateral relations and participating in the Brics summits.Ghana: First PM visit in 30 years; focus on trade, energy, and defencePrime Minister Modi’s visit to Ghana on July 2-3 will be the first by an Indian Prime Minister in three decades, reflecting the importance of this West African nation in India’s foreign policy. The visit aims to bolster economic, energy, and defense collaborations, as well as development cooperation. Discussions with Ghanaian President will focus on strengthening ties and enhancing India’s engagement with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union.Trinidad & Tobago: Strengthening historical tiesContinuing his tour, Prime Minister Modi will visit Trinidad & Tobago from July 3-4, marking the first Prime Ministerial visit to the Caribbean nation since 1999. Invited by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Modi will engage in talks with both the President and Prime Minister of Trinidad & Tobago. The visit is expected to rejuvenate the deep-rooted historical ties between the two countries, with Modi addressing a Joint Session of the Parliament.Argentina: Expanding strategic partnershipsOn July 4-5, Prime Minister Modi will travel to Argentina, where he will meet President Javier Milei. The visit aims to enhance cooperation in defense, agriculture, mining, oil and gas, renewable energy, and trade. This visit is poised to deepen the strategic partnership between India and Argentina, reflecting a commitment to mutual growth and collaboration.Brazil: Brics Summit and state visitPM Modi’s visit to Brazil from July 5-8 will be marked by his participation in the 17th Brics Summit in Rio de Janeiro. The summit will address global governance reforms, climate action, and economic matters. Following the summit, PM will engage in a State Visit to Brasilia, where discussions with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will focus on broadening the strategic partnership in trade, defense, and technology.Namibia: Reaffirming historical tiesOn his last leg of the tour, Prime Minister Modi will visit Namibia on July 9, marking his first visit to the country. The visit will include bilateral talks with President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah and a homage to Namibia’s Founding Father, Dr. Sam Nujoma. PM Modi’s address at the Namibian Parliament is set to reiterate India’s commitment to its historical ties with Namibia.

England defeated India by five wickets in the first Test at Headingley, chasing down a target of 371, with Ben Duckett scoring a remarkable 149. Shubman Gill’s captaincy debut faced scrutiny from former captains Nasser Hussain and Ravi Shastri, who questioned his on-field leadership and tactical decisions.

NEW DELHI: England registered a five-wicket win over India in the opening Test of the five-match series at Headingley, successfully chasing a challenging target of 371 on Tuesday. Ben Duckett led the charge with a brilliant 149, sealing a memorable victory for the hosts. For India, the match marked a tough beginning to Shubman Gill’s tenure as Test captain, despite the team producing five individual centuries. The result drew sharp scrutiny from former captains Nasser Hussain and Ravi Shastri, who expressed concerns over Gill’s on-field leadership and tactical decisions.Former England captain Nasser Hussain compared Gill’s presence and authority to his predecessors.

“I thought I saw someone just finding his way, honestly. You’ve got to be very careful in the first Test match, the people he’s taken over from, Kohli, and then Rohit Sharma. I thought he didn’t quite have that on-field aura as the names I mentioned there. You look down on those two previous names, and you immediately see who was in charge of India,” Hussain said on Sky Sports.Hussain also pointed out that Gill appeared to be sharing responsibilities with multiple senior players, which can sometimes happen when a new leader is still finding his feet.

“I looked down from the press box, the commentary position, there were a lot of captains; it was a bit captaincy by committee, which can happen in your early days as a leader because you’re still senior players like Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul want to try and help you out as much as possible. I thought he followed the ball a lot. I thought he was reactive as opposed to proactive,” he said.He also questioned India’s bowling tactics during the match — particularly the use of Ravindra Jadeja — and suggested Gill could have been more assertive in guiding his senior spinner.“A word with Jadeja, maybe as a young captain, to go to such an experienced spinner, and go, you do know the rough is out there. Ravi Shastri and Mark Butcher are up there, going, show us where that ball is pitching, and it was pitching nowhere near the rough,” Hussain explained.Hussain wrapped up his assessment with a comment on the final result and the lack of on-field communication around key bowling strategies.“Ravi was saying, a bit slow, a bit wide, bowl in the rough. I was surprised that not one of the senior players or captains went to Jadeja and said, Can we go a little bit wider. But Ravi’s right, they lost the game for two things that he couldn’t control,” he added.As India look ahead to the second Test, questions are already being raised about Gill’s tactical instincts and whether he can grow into the leadership role as the series progresses.

Lauren Sanchez and Jeff Bezos

Billionaire Jeff Bezos and journalist Lauren Sanchez tied the knot at a sumptuous ceremony on an island in Italy’s Venice on Friday, with several A-listers in attendance for the couple’s wedding.Amazon founder Bezos exchanged vows with Sanchez on the iconic San Giorgio Maggiore island, news agency AFP reported citing Italian media.Later, the bride posted a photo on Instagram under a new name – laurensanchezbezos – showing her in a long flowing white dress and the groom in black tie.Bezos, 61, and Sanchez, 55, are staying at the Aman hotel, a luxury 16th-century palazzo on the Grand Canal with a view of the famous Rialto bridge.Their celebrity guests are staying at the Gritti Palace and the St. Regis.The celebrations are set to end on Saturday with a party likely at the Arsenale – a vast shipyard complex dating back to when the Italian city was a naval powerhouse.While Bezos was previously married to novelist MacKenzie Scott, Sanchez’s ex-husband is businessman Patrick Whitesell.However, the wedding was not without its share of controversy. Protesters wondered how long Venice can “endure” – while the billionaires party, activists say the “fragile” city is “sinking”, overrun by tourists, and is a victim of depopulation as locals unable to pay soaring rents are forced out.Environmental activists have also pointed to the carbon footprint of the mega yachts and dozens of private jets – at least 95 – bringing the rich and famous to Venice, which is known for its canals and waterways, and also hosted the 2014 wedding of Hollywood star George Clooney and human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin.On the other hand, Italy’s tourism ministry said it expects the festivities to generate nearly one billion euros, of which about 895 million is estimated to come from the “media visibility.”The newly-married couple are donating three million euros ($3.5 million) to the city, according to Luca Zaia, the regional president of the Veneto region of which Venice is the capital.