Top 10 world news: Crucial NATO summit in Vilnius, Pak fires journo for asking questions to PM, and more

Thirty-one member countries have assembled in Lithuania’s capital Vilnius for the crucial NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) summit to discuss Sweden’s bid to join the alliance and the Russia-Ukraine war situation. Also, it is widely believed that Sweden would be accepted as the 32nd member after Turkey reportedly dropped its objections to the country joining the alliance. Over the course of two days, some major announcements with regard to providing military aid to Ukraine is expected to be made at the conclusion of the meeting.

In Pakistan, a senior journalist was fired for asking questions to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif about freedom of expression. Azam Chaudhry was expelled from state-owned PTV after he raised concerns about the “tacit” restrictions being faced by Pakistani media.

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What is NATO, and why Sweden was able to join and not Ukraine?

The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation was formed in 1949 by 12 countries, including the US, UK, Canada and France. It currently has 31 members across Europe and North America. They agree to help one another if they are attacked. The alliance’s primary original aim was to block Soviet expansion in Europe after World War Two. But following the Soviet Union's collapse in 1991, many Eastern European countries joined.

Pak journalist fired for asking questions to PM Shehbaz Sharif about freedom of expression: Report

Azam Chaudhry was expelled from state-owned PTV after he raised concerns about the “tacit” restrictions being faced by Pakistani media. Chaudhry, who was hired as an analyst, alleged that he was fired hours after raising the questions during a press conference.

Russian military official on Ukraine’s ‘blacklist’ for alleged war criminals, shot dead

Russian military official, Stanislav Rzhitsky, commander of a submarine in the Black Sea and who was placed on a blacklist for alleged war criminals by Ukraine was shot dead, early Monday (July 10) by an unknown assassin while he was on his morning run, reported Russian news agency TASS, citing local officials.

Indian government orders probe into Byju’s account books: Reports

A report by Bloomberg News citing people familiar with the matter, on Tuesday (July 11) reported that the Indian Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) has ordered an inspection into the ed-tech startup Byju’s accounts over alleged governance lapses and compliance failures.

Wimbledon 2023: 'Super Mom' Elina Svitolina upsets No.1 seed Iga Swiatek to reach semifinals

Super Mom Elina Svitolina has reached the semifinals of the Wimbledon ladies singles Championships after a major upset saw her get the better of number one seed Iga Swiatek. A contest that lasted three sets saw the majestic Svitolina run riot to claim a place in the last four having won the contest 7-5, 6-7, 6-2. The win now sees her face Czech Republic’s Markéta Vondroušová for a place in Saturday’s final of the Wimbledon Championships.

India: Video shows ‘Doomsday’ shelf cloud formation over Haridwar. What is it?

A viral video making rounds on social media shows a stunning yet terrifying cloud formation which is commonly known as a ‘shelf cloud’ or ‘Arcus cloud’. The video is said to have been taken amid the monsoon season in the Indian state of Uttarakhand’s Haridwar and has created quite a buzz on social media which has left many in awe, while some others were asking, “Is the world ending?”

Foxconn eyes incentives under India's chip scheme after withdrawing from $19.5bn semiconductor deal

A day after pulling out of a joint venture deal with Indian conglomerate Vedanta, Taiwan's Foxconn released a statement saying that it plans on applying for incentives under India's semiconductor manufacturing plan.

Australia: Controversy surrounds 'Special Operations Group' memoir as publisher takes it off market

Special Operations Group, a memoir by a former member of Australia's elite police force by the same name, has been pulled from sale by its publisher Hachette over allegations of 'inaccuracy'.The memoir as per a BBC report was released two weeks ago and it recounted Christophe Glasl's time as a member of the Special Operations Group (SOG).

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky slams NATO leaders over 'uncertainty' on country's membership

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday hit out at the NATO leaders saying that there was "no readiness"within the alliance, "neither to invite Kyiv to NATO nor to make it a member of the Alliance".

Shocking double murder in Bengaluru: Man kills former bosses using sword

In a shocking incident in Bengaluru, the Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of a tech company were allegedly murdered by a former employee. The suspect as per reports attacked the two victims with a sword while they were inside a flat in an apartment building located in Amrutahalli, in the North East part of the city, according to the police.