A series of developments across Europe, West Asia, South Asia and the United States on Tuesday ranged from diplomacy and conflict to leadership changes and economic policy.

President Droupadi Murmu spoke in North Macedonia of India’s ancient philosophy of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam”, saying it calls for “building bridges, not walls” at a time when the global landscape is fractured by conflict and economic division. Separately, India’s National Security Advisor Ajit Doval met Saudi Arabia’s top leadership to review bilateral ties and discuss the regional situation, along with steps to strengthen “energy security” and protect “maritime corridors”.

In Skopje, Murmu said India’s civilisational idea of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” remained relevant in a divided world. She said the philosophy calls for “building bridges, not walls” when countries are facing conflict and economic fault lines.

In another key diplomatic engagement, Doval visited Saudi Arabia and held talks with the kingdom’s top leadership. The discussions covered progress in bilateral relations, the current regional situation, and efforts to strengthen “energy security” and the protection of “maritime corridors”.

In Islamabad, a high-level Iranian delegation led by Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni held talks with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir. The meetings came amid an ongoing escalation involving the United States. At the same time, diplomats were trying to salvage the collapsed interim deal between Iran and the US even as both countries continued to launch attacks in the 10th day of renewed fighting.

In Britain, Andy Burnham chaired his first Cabinet meeting as prime minister at 10 Downing Street and said he would lead a “cost-of-living government”. He announced that it would begin with a tax cut aimed at bringing down household electricity bills. Burnham also finalised his top team within hours of taking charge, promoting British Indian artificial intelligence minister Kanishka Narayan to the Cabinet and removing allies of predecessor Keir Starmer from the government.

In Washington, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the country’s tariff policy had been “wildly successful”. He said the Trump administration was preparing further measures to replace those that were overturned by the Supreme Court.

Also in the US, a senior official said a ministerial meeting on political terrorism hosted by Secretary of State Marco Rubio had decided to deepen information sharing. The meeting also agreed on coordination over imposing travel restrictions on people supporting political terrorism, with a focus on far-left groups.

In Nepal, the government withdrew the three per cent equity tax imposed on private education and health sectors after widespread public criticism. The rollback came amid backlash against the measure.

Taken together, the day’s developments reflected a mix of diplomatic outreach, conflict-related engagement, domestic political change and economic policy moves across several countries.

With PTI Inputs

- Ends

Published By:

India Today Web Desk

Published On:

Jul 21, 2026 20:34 IST