A US Congressional delegation led by Indian-American Congressman Ro Khanna called on Indian PM Narendra Modi on Wednesday. During the visit, the PM appreciated the consistent and bipartisan support of the US Congress for India-US relations. The PM and the US delegation highlighted “shared democratic values, respect for the rule of law, and strong people-to-people ties” during their meeting.
Indian PM Narendra Modi welcomed the Director General of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, to India on Wednesday. Modi used the name “Tulsi Bhai” for the WHO Director General — a name the PM gave him on his last visit. Ghebreyesus will participate in the WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, on 17-18 August.
The UN World Food Programme (UNWFP) in Afghanistan lauded India’s contribution to providing life-saving food to 16 million people in the country in the first half of 2023. The Indian government has partnered with UNWFP for internal wheat distribution in Afghanistan.
Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov stated on Wednesday that Russia insists the US stop looking for Russian nationals in third countries and prioritise repatriating those citizens imprisoned in the US. Antonov emphasised that Moscow advocates the immediate return of all Russians detained in American prisons. “It is an absolute priority for us. This is why we consider speculations on this issue unacceptable. […] We fight for these people to get back to their homeland,” he added.
Russian state space corporation Roscosmos announced that Russia’s Luna-25 automatic lunar station entered Earth’s natural satellite orbit on Wednesday. “For the first time in Russia’s modern history, an automatic station was delivered into the orbit of the Moon’s artificial satellite at 12:03 p.m,” the federal space agency stated, adding that all Luna-25 systems were operational and that connection with the lunar probe was stable.
Satellite imagery shows China constructing an airstrip on a disputed island in the South China Sea, also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan. The work on Triton Island in the Paracel group is similar to construction on seven human-made islands in the Spratly group, which China has equipped with airstrips, docks and military systems.
New York City on Wednesday banned TikTok on government-owned devices, citing security concerns, joining several other US cities and states that have put such restrictions on the Chinese app. Employees are required to remove the app within 30 days.
Violent clashes between rival militias erupted in Tripoli, Libya, on Wednesday, killing 55 people and injuring over 140, in what was the deadliest fighting in the politically unstable country in over a year.