Briefly

UNITED KINGDOM

Postal workers to hold 4 days of strikes

British postal workers will hold four days of strikes in August and September in protest over pay, marking the latest announcement of industrial action in the country as workers demand wage rises to cope with soaring inflation. Rising prices and stagnant real wage growth have forced unions representing workers in industries including railways and airlines to strike or trigger industrial action as Britain faces its worst cost of living crisis in decades. The Communication Workers Union, representing staff at postal group Royal Mail, said more than 115,000 postal workers will go on strike on Aug 26 and 31, as well as Sept 8 and 9. If the strike goes ahead, it would be the biggest industrial action taken by workers this summer.

MIDDLE EAST

4 Palestinians killed in West Bank clashes

Four Palestinians were killed on Tuesday during clashes with Israeli soldiers in the West Bank, the Palestinian health ministry said. Among the victims were three from the northern West Bank city of Nablus and one from the southern city of Hebron. Clashes in Nablus broke out when Israeli special forces stormed the city before dawn, hunting for wanted Palestinians over their suspected involvement in carrying out attacks against Israel. The Israeli police said in a statement that Israeli forces encircled the home of Ibrahim al-Nabulsi, wanted by Israel for carrying out a series of shooting attacks in the West Bank this year, in the old city of Nablus.

INDIA

Modi's party loses third most populous state

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party on Tuesday lost power in Bihar, the third most populous state in India, after its regional ally broke ranks to join an opposition alliance that now has the majority to form the next government. Bihar sends the fourth most number of elected lawmakers to parliament and with the fall in government there is a rare setback for Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party, or BJP.The party dominates politics in the country. Bihar's coalition collapsed ahead of the 2024 general election, which the BJP is still expected to win for a third straight term unless disparate opposition parties are able to come together to overcome Modi's popularity. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, from the regional Janata Dal party, said he resigned after his party colleagues recommended exiting the BJP coalition.

Agencies Via Xinhua