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India buys Israeli missiles ahead of Netanyahu visit

India is to buy 131 surface-to-air missiles from Israel in a $70 million deal, the defence ministry announced Tuesday ahead of a visit by Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The Barak missiles made by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems are to be used for India's first aircraft carrier which is under construction.


Netanyahu will lead a business delegation to India on a four day trip expected in mid-January. Israel has become a major defence supplier to India, selling an average of $1 billion of military equipment each year.

Last April the two countries signed a military deal worth nearly $2 billion which includes the supply over several years of medium-range surface-to-air missiles, launchers and communications technology.

It was unclear whether the deal announced Tuesday was part of that.

The Indian defence ministry also said it had approved the purchase of 240 bombs from Russia's JSC Rosonboron Exports for $188 million.

"This procurement will address the deficiency of precision-guided munitions in the IAF (Indian Air Force) arsenal, besides enhancing the offensive capabilities of the IAF," it said in a statement.

India, which has longstanding territorial disputes with neighbours China and Pakistan, has signed several big-ticket defence deals since prime minister Narendra Modi came to power in 2014.

It has however been moving away from relying on traditional ally Russia for military hardware.

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TikTok users in the UK will soon be asked to pay £3.99 a month for an ad-free experience

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TikTok launches £3.99 ad-free subscription for UK users

  • TikTok users in the UK will soon be asked to pay £3.99 a month for an ad-free experience.
  • Users who continue using the free version will receive personalised adverts by default.
  • Experts say social media platforms are increasingly turning privacy into a paid feature.

TikTok is introducing a £3.99 monthly subscription for UK users who want to use the app without adverts, marking another major shift in how social media companies are monetising their platforms.

From July 14, the company will begin notifying users aged 18 and above about its new “TikTok Ad-Free” option through in-app pop-up messages. Those who choose to subscribe will no longer see adverts placed by TikTok across areas such as the platform’s “For You” feed.

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