Briefly

INDIA

Aircraft carrier to be relaunched after refit

India is preparing to relaunch its INS Vikramaditya aircraft carrier after a major refit, a critical step toward fulfilling its plan to deploy two carrier battle groups as it seeks to strengthen its regional maritime power. The Vikramaditya, a former Soviet carrier acquired from Russia, is expected to be launched imminently and will join India's first domestically built carrier that was launched in September, the INS Vikrant, in undergoing outfitting and sea trials, with the plan to have both fully operational later this year.

JAPAN

Renault, Nissan approve 'rebalanced' alliance

The boards of French automaker Renault and Japanese partner Nissan have approved a major overhaul of their rocky 24-year alliance following months of negotiations, the companies said on Monday. The carmakers said in a joint statement that they "rebalanced" their relationship, with Renault reducing its stake in the Japanese firm from 43.4 percent to 15 percent, the same size as Nissan's share in its French counterpart. The Renault board approved the deal on Sunday while Nissan signed off on it on Monday, a week after the agreement was announced.

MIDDLE EAST

5 Palestinians killed in Jericho raid by Israelis

Israeli forces on Monday killed five alleged Palestinian militants in a raid in the occupied West Bank, an Israeli official said, after a search for suspects in a shooting near Jericho. Hamas Islamists confirmed its fighters were among the dead, saying in a statement the Gaza-based group was mourning members of its military wing killed in the armed clash. The early morning Israeli raid came amid a spike in Israeli-Palestinian violence and after days of what Jericho authorities have described as a "siege" on the city since the shooting attack late last month.

GREECE

5 dead after migrant boat sinks off Leros

Four children and a woman died on Sunday after a boat carrying around 40 migrants from Turkiye sank off the Greek island of Leros, Greece's Coast Guard said. Leros lies close to the Turkish coast. Boats loaded with migrants — many inflatables but also yachts and speedboats — regularly leave Turkiye bound for Greece, with some even attempting to reach Italy, irrespective of weather conditions.

Agencies Via Xinhua