FirstUp: Shubhanshu Shukla to start return journey from ISS and other top news today

It is set to be a busy Monday with several events lined up for the day.

Firstly, Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla and the rest of the crew of the Axiom-4 mission are set to begin their return journey from the International Space Station today. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court of India will hear a plea seeking intervention to save Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya from execution in Yemen.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is scheduled to be on a two-day visit to China beginning today to participate in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting. US President Donald Trump is set to issue a major statement on Russia today. The reciprocal tariffs on US products will come into effect from today.

Here is all that is set to take place throughout the day.

Shubhanshu Shukla, crew to undock from ISS

Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla and the three other crew members of the Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission to undock from the International Space Station (ISS) today. This will mark the end of their over two-week stay in orbit. This was confirmed by Nasa, which stated the undocking is targeted for that date, pending favourable orbital conditions and weather.

The crew was originally slated to begin their return journey on July 10. The crew is now scheduled to undock from the Space Station no earlier than 7:05 am ET (approximately 4:30 pm IST), according to Axiom Space.

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The #Ax4 crew is scheduled to undock from the @Space_Station no earlier than Monday, July 14, at 7:05 a.m. ET. pic.twitter.com/o6olQx50II

— Axiom Space (@Axiom_Space) July 10, 2025

Shukla, who serves as the mission’s pilot, made history by becoming the first Indian to visit the ISS and only the second Indian astronaut to travel to space after Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma in 1984. The four-member crew, which also includes veteran Nasa astronaut Peggy Whitson, Polish specialist Slawosz Uznanski and Hungarian astronaut Tibor Kapu, launched aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft on June 25.

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SC to hear plea seeking intervention to save Nimisha Priya

The Supreme Court will hear the Nimisha Priya case today. The case was petitioned by the “ Save Nimisha Priya – International Action Council ,” seeking urgent Centre intervention to prevent the execution of Indian nurse Nimisha Priya, currently on death row in Yemen, with her execution tentatively set for July 16.

A bench led by Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Joymalya Bagchi posted the appeal for Monday, directing the Attorney General of India to inform the court of any proactive steps undertaken by the government. Senior advocates, including Ragenth Basant and Subhash Chandran KR, pressed for exploring the Sharia‑law provision of blood money (diyah), which might offer a legal pathway for a pardon if the victim’s family agrees.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to visit China

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will head to China’s Tianjin today for a two-day visit to attend a meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member states. This gathering is a crucial preparatory stage for the upcoming SCO summit, which is slated to take place from August 30 to September 1.

During the SCO foreign ministers’ meeting, discussions are expected to focus on the current state and future development of the organisation’s activities, along with other pressing international issues. This visit will lay stress on deepening the strategic partnership between Russia and China, particularly within the framework of multilateral organisations like the SCO, which both countries view as essential for fostering a “multipolar world order” that challenges what they perceive as a Western-dominated global system.

Trump to issue statement on Russia

US President Donald Trump is set to make a major announcement on Russia today. This follows a string of remarks criticising Vladimir Putin and Moscow’s intensified military actions in Ukraine that the US president made recently.

In a July 10 interview with NBC News, Trump said he was “disappointed in Russia” and that “we’ll see what happens over the next couple of weeks.” He went on to preview, “I think I’ll have a major statement to make on Russia on Monday (July 14),” declining to divulge further details.

That same interview emphasized Trump’s dissatisfaction with Putin’s handling of the war, noting June was the deadliest month for Ukraine since the invasion in 2022. Trump also appeared to tie this statement to upcoming US sanctions, mentioning Senator Lindsey Graham’s new legislation that would grant him wide authority to enact “biting” sanctions on Russian oil, gas and banking sectors if he chooses.

EU tariffs on US products come into force

The tariffs implemented by the European Union on US products will come into effect from today. Initially, the EU had suspended its counter-tariffs on US goods until July 14 after the US had implemented a 90-day pause on its own broad “reciprocal tariffs.” These EU countermeasures, which had been approved, targeted over 20 billion euros worth of US products, including soybeans, motorcycles and beauty products, in retaliation for previous US duties on steel and aluminium and the broader universal tariffs President Trump announced in April 2025.

Now, the US has pushed the deadline of tariffs on EU goods from July 9 to August 1. The European Union has expressed a strong desire to reach a trade deal with the United States, acknowledging that the uncertainty around these tariffs is weighing on its economy and investment decisions. EU officials have been engaged in intense talks, pushing for exemptions for key sectors and aiming to avoid a full-blown trade escalation.

With inputs from agencies