Maharashtra transport minister Pratap Sarnaik defied his own government by joining an MNS protest and daring police to arrest him over denied rally permissions. A parliamentary panel questioned aviation officials over the AI-171 crash probe. In Tamil Nadu, DMK blamed language barrier for the tragic school van accident. Germany summoned China’s envoy after accusing a Chinese warship of a laser attack on its aircraft in the Red Sea. Meanwhile, Donald Trump claimed a US-India trade deal is near and announced new tariffs affecting 14 nations. Here are today’s major developments at a glance:‘Let them arrest ‘me’—Minister sides with MNS, snubs own governmentPratap Sarnaik, the transport minister for Maharashtra, joined the protest and even challenged the police to arrest him after criticizing his own administration on Tuesday for refusing to provide permission for a Marathi rally in Mira Road. “The Marathi Ekikaran Samiti and several other organizations had applied for the rally but were denied permission. I am going—if the police dare, let them arrest me,” Sarnaik told reporters. Read moreParliamentary panel grill aviation officials over AI-171 crash probe progressA parliamentary panel on Tuesday questioned senior officials from the aviation ministry, airline, and airport authorities over the Air India jet tragedy, news agency PTI reported, citing sources. On the topic of “levy and regulation of fees, tariffs, user charges, etc. on public infrastructure and other public utilities,” the Lok Sabha website states that the meeting’s agenda included hearing oral testimony from representatives of the ministry, DGCA, AERA, AAI, AAICLAS, BCAS, and other relevant organizations, such as airport operators and airlines. Read moreTamil Nadu school van tragedy: DMK blames language barrier for accident that killed 3 childrenA new political angle has surfaced in the horrific school van collision in Tamil Nadu that killed three children on Tuesday. The ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has claimed that the tragedy was caused in part due to language barrier, as the railway gateman stationed at the crossing was not fluent in Tamil. The DMK claims that the fatal crash may have been caused by a crucial communication breakdown brought on by the lack of knowledge of the local language. Read moreBerlin accuses China of laser attack on aircraft in Red Sea, summons ambassador over ‘unacceptable’ actGermany said Tuesday that the Chinese ambassador was summoned to Berlin after a Chinese military vessel used a laser to target a German surveillance plane in the Red Sea, sparking intense diplomatic outrage. The plane was a component of the EU-led ASPIDES mission, which safeguards civilian ships traveling through dangerous waters where Houthi militants from Yemen pose a threat. The act was deemed “entirely unacceptable” by the German foreign ministry, which further charged that the Chinese warship was putting operational and personnel safety at risk. The previously unstable maritime area is now even more tense as a result of the occurrence. Read moreTrump says India-US trade deal near; releases tariff letters to countriesDonald Trump declared that in addition to agreements with China and the UK, the US is close to signing a trade agreement with India. On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump declared that the US was “close to making a deal with India” following the announcement of new tariffs for 14 countries. Several trading partners received tariff letters detailing reciprocal rates that went into effect on August 1, 2025. South Korea and Japan were hit with new 25% tariffs, and if agreements aren’t reached quickly, the higher April rates will be applied again. Read more