As the US reciprocal tariffs deadline looms, hectic parleys are currently underway in Washington, DC, between officials of India and the US on finalising the proposed interim trade deal in the next couple of days.

While New Delhi is seeking greater market access for its labour-intensive goods such as garments, footwear, and leather — which are major job creators — Washington wants duty concessions for its agricultural and daily products, according to officials.

The Indian trade negotiators have extended their stay in US, signalling a last-minute push to iron out key differences. They have maintained that broader tariff cuts, especially on high-employment goods, are needed to reach the goal of doubling bilateral trade to $500 billion by 2030.

A huge fire broke out in a shop near Sri Govindaraja Swamy temple in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, early Thursday. There were no casualties.

The fire started from a shop dealing in iron scrap and spread to adjoining shops. Fire services personnel rushed to the spot and controlled the fire.

Three fire engines were deployed for the firefighting operation. According to police, the fire started around 3 a.m.

Preliminary investigation by the authorities indicates that a short-circuit caused the fire. Two shops were completely gutted, while canopies set up in front of the temple were also damaged.

Police registered a case and took up further investigation.

Meanwhile, a huge fire broke out in a rubber factory in Hyderabad on Thursday. No loss of life was reported in the incident.

President Lee Jae Myung said on Thursday the government has made utmost efforts on tariff negotiations with the United States, but he can't say whether the talks could be concluded by July 8, a deadline set by US President Donald Trump.

Lee made the remark during the press conference marking his first month in office, as Seoul and Washington continue talks to reduce the 25 percent reciprocal tariffs imposed by the Trump administration, reports news agency.

South Korea is "doing our best" for tariff talks with the U.S., but Lee said, "At this point, it is difficult to say with certainty whether they can be concluded by July 8."

Rescuers resumed the search operation in Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi district on the third day on Thursday to locate 34 people who went missing after cloudbursts and heavy rain triggered massive landslides and flash floods.

The India Meteorological Department has predicted a moderate flash flood risk in Kangra, Mandi, Hamirpur, Shimla, Sirmaur and Solan districts till Friday.

Amid heavy rain and broken roads, the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) team on Wednesday set an example of courage and dedication by carrying a pregnant woman in a palanquin for miles to reach a hospital in the Thunag area in Mandi district.

Torrential rain on Tuesday caused severe flooding, washing away 14 bridges, 148 houses and two shops, resulting in 11 deaths, largely in Mandi district. The death toll could rise as the survival of the missing people after more than 48 hours of disaster is getting dim.

South Korea's foreign reserves rebounded in June from the lowest level in five years, central bank data showed on Thursday.

The country's foreign reserves stood at US$410.2 billion as of end-June, up $5.61 billion from a month earlier, according to the data from the Bank of Korea (BOK). It marked the largest amount since January when the foreign reserves amounted to $411.01 billion.

The figure had declined for two consecutive months since April, reaching the lowest level since April 2020, when foreign reserves stood at $403.98 billion, reports news agency.

Last month's increase was attributed to a rise in the U.S. dollar-converted value of foreign currency assets denominated in other currencies due to a weaker dollar, as well as higher investment returns, the BOK said.

The Indian benchmark indices opened higher on Thursday amid positive global cues, as buying was seen in the IT, pharma and auto sectors in the early trade.

At around 9.25 am, Sensex was trading 68.28 points or 0.08 per cent up at 83,477.97 while the Nifty added 19.30 points or 0.08 per cent at 25,472.70.

Analysts said they are only consolidating the bullish rectangle breakout and as long as the 25,200-25,270 area is protected, bulls are merely taking a breather.

“Under 25,200, we risk 25,000. On the upside, the recent swing high at 25,670 is where the bullish trigger lies," said Akshay Chinchalkar, Head of Research, Axis Securities.

With the deadline for the US tariff pause expiring next week, it will be interesting to see if the current optimism globally holds up.

The Maharashtra cabinet subcommittee, headed by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, on Wednesday gave approval for investment proposals worth Rs 1,35,371.58 crore for the thrust sector and high technology-based projects in the state.

The move is expected to promote industries and generate one lakh direct and indirect jobs in the state. These projects will also boost technological innovation, research and development.

An encounter is underway between security forces and terrorists at Chatroo area of Kishtwar district in Jammu and Kashmir, an army official said on Wednesday.

He said that based on a specific intelligence report, a joint search operation was launched in Kanzal Mandu, Kishtwar.

“Contact has been established with the terrorists, and the operation is in progress,” he said.

The Telangana government has constituted a four-member expert committee to investigate Monday’s explosion at Sigachi Industries in Pashamylaram, which claimed the lives of 40 workers and left several others injured.

The committee, to be headed by B. Venkateshwar Rao, Emeritus Scientist, CSIR-IICT, will identify the causes and establish the reasons and events that led to the major explosion.

The members of the committee are T. Prathap Kumar, Chief Scientist, CSIR-IICT, Surya Narayana, retired scientist, CSIR-CLRI and Santosh Ghuge, Safety Officer, CSIR-NCL, Pune.

In a chilling case, a 22-year-old woman sustained severe burn injuries after her childhood friend allegedly hurled acid on her face out of jealousy and personal vendetta.

The incident occurred on the night of June 29 in Awadhpuri Colony under the jurisdiction of the Gwarighat police station in Jabalpur.

The accused, identified as 21-year-old engineering graduate Ishita Sahu, was arrested shortly after the attack.