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The Prime Minister has stated that the truce deal in Gaza "could not have happened without President Trump's leadership," yet avoided endorsing the American leader for a Nobel Prize.

Ceasefire Deal Hailed as a "Relief to the Globe"

The prime minister remarked that the first phase of the deal would be a "welcome news globally" and noted that the UK had contributed significantly in private discussions with the US and negotiators.

Addressing the media on the final day of his business trip to the Indian subcontinent, the British leader stressed that the deal "needs to be put into action in full, without postponement, and accompanied by the immediate lifting of all limitations on life-saving humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Nobel Prize Question Answered

However, when asked if the Nobel committee should now grant Trump the prestigious prize, the Prime Minister implied that time was needed to determine if a longer lasting peace could be attained.

"The priority now is to move forward and execute this ... my focus now is transitioning this from the stage it's at now ... and ensure the success of this, because that matters to me more than anything else," he stated at a press conference in India's financial capital.

Trade and Investment Announced During India Visit

The Prime Minister has celebrated a number of deals sealed during his visit to the country – his maiden visit there – joined by over a hundred executives and cultural leaders. The trip marks the passing of the countries' trade pact.

• No 10 has unveiled a range of financial commitments, from fintech to higher education facilities, as well as the making of three Bollywood films in the UK.
• On the final day, Starmer signed a defence deal worth £350m for UK missiles, produced in Northern Ireland, to be used by the Indian military.

"The shared history is deep, the human connections between our citizens are truly special," Starmer said as he left Mumbai. "Building on our landmark agreement, we are reinventing this alliance for our era."

Digital ID System Studied

The Prime Minister has dedicated time in Mumbai studying the national digital identification program, including consulting key figures who developed the comprehensive platform used by more than 1 billion people for social services, payments, and identification.

He suggested that the United Kingdom was considering expanding the scope of digital identification beyond making it compulsory to verify eligibility to work. He proposed that the UK would eventually look at linking it to financial and transaction networks – on a optional basis – as well as for official procedures such as home loan and school applications.

"It has been adopted on a voluntary basis [in India] in massive scale, not least because it means that you can retrieve your own money, make payments so much more easily than is possible with others," he explained.

"The efficiency with which it allows citizens here to utilize facilities, particularly banking options, is something that was recognized in our talks yesterday, and in fact a financial technology discussion that we had today. So we're examining those instances of how digital identification helps individuals with processes that sometimes take excessive time and are too cumbersome and simplifies them for them."

Public Support for Changes

Starmer acknowledged that the administration had to make the case for the initiatives to the UK citizens, which have declined sharply in popularity since Starmer announced them.

"In my view now we need to go out and make that case the significant advantages ... And I believe that the more people see the benefits that accompany this ... as has occurred in different nations, citizens say: 'That will make my life easier,' and therefore I want to proceed with it," he affirmed.

Rights Issues and International Relations Discussed

Starmer confirmed he had brought up a number of difficult topics with the Indian leader regarding human rights and ties with the Russian Federation, though he seemed to have made little headway. He acknowledged that he and Modi talked about how India was continuing to buy oil from Russia, which is facing extensive international restrictions.

"For both Prime Minister Modi and me the priority on ending this situation and the multiple measures will be implemented to that end," he commented. "And that was a broad spectrum of discussion, but we did set out the steps that we are undertaking in regarding energy."

Starmer also said he had raised the situation of the British Sikh activist the individual, from Dumbarton, who has been detained in an Indian jail for nearly eight years without facing a complete legal process. It is often cited as one of the most egregious cases of unfair treatment among UK nationals still held overseas.

But, he did not indicate much progress had been achieved. "Indeed, we brought up the diplomatic matters," he stated. "We consistently address them when we have the opportunity to do so. I must add that the top diplomat is scheduled to meet the relatives in coming weeks, as well as discussing it now."

Future Plans

The prime minister is widely expected to take a similar trade-focused visit to the People's Republic of China in the next 12 months as part of a mission to improve relations between the UK and the Asian nation.

That relationship is receiving attention because of the collapse of a espionage investigation, reportedly occurring because the British authorities has been unwilling to provide new proof that the country is considered a security risk.

The Prime Minister clarified the United Kingdom was keen to pursue other trading relationships but emphasized that a commercial agreement with the nation was not currently planned. "It is not a priority, for a trade deal as such, but our position is to work together where we are able, confront where we need to, and this has been the consistent policy of the administration in regarding China."