The first batch of 360 rescued citizens arrived in New Delhi, India, from the crisis-hit Sudan as a part of the evacuation process under Operation Kaveri. The 72-hour ceasefire, which began on 24 April, has enabled five batches of evacuees to be moved from Port Sudan to the Indian transit facility in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, so far.
During his virtual address at the 6th edition of the One Earth One Health — Advantage Healthcare India 2023 summit on Wednesday, Indian PM Narendra Modi emphasised that “India’s goal is to make healthcare accessible and affordable not only for our citizens but for the whole world.” The PM appreciated the impact Indian doctors have had globally, adding, “When it comes to holistic healthcare, India has many important strengths like talent, technology, track record, and tradition.”
A senior Iranian cleric, Ayatollah Abbas Soleimani, 75, was assassinated on Wednesday by a security guard in a bank in Iran’s Mazandaran province. CCTV footage shows the guard shooting Soleimani, who was sitting on a bench inside the bank. Soleimani was a member of the Assembly of Experts, supervised by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The Assembly is charged with appointing a new Supreme Leader if needed.
Indian PM Narendra Modi congratulated his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu on the 75th anniversary of Israel’s independence on Wednesday. “Heartiest congratulations to my friend Netanyahu and the people of Israel on the 75th anniversary of independence. Mazel Tov!” Modi tweeted.
Argentina will pay for Chinese imports in yuan rather than dollars to ease the burden on the country’s dwindling dollar reserve, Economy Minister Sergio Massa said on Wednesday. This month, it plans to pay around $1 billion of Chinese imports in yuan, and thereafter $790 million of monthly imports will be paid in yuan.
China’s top legislative body made significant expansions to its Counter-Espionage Law on Wednesday, including banning the dissemination of any information pertaining to national security and broadening the definition of spying. The new changes will take effect from 1 July.
US President Joe Biden is set to make an official visit to Papua New Guinea (PNG), said PNG Foreign Minister Justin Tkatchenko on Thursday. The trip, which will see Biden stopping in at Port Moresby in May as he travels between the G7 Summit in Japan and the Quad Summit in Australia, will make him the first sitting US president to have visited PNG in over a century.
Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry released a statement on Wednesday saying that a new batch of 198 individuals, including five Saudi citizens, had been evacuated from war-torn Sudan and brought to Jeddah via the HMS Abha. The statement added that, thus far, the Kingdom has helped evacuate 2,351 people from Sudan, of whom 119 are Saudi citizens, and 2,232 belong to 67 different nationalities.
The US State Department stated on Wednesday that the Governor of Sri Lanka’s North Western Province, Wasantha Karannagoda, and his family were banned from entering the States due to serious human rights violations during his tenure as a naval commander. The charges of infringement of rights against Karannagoda were supported by documentation from NGOs and independent investigations deemed “serious and credible.” The US reaffirmed its commitment to defending human rights and seeking justice for the Sri Lankan civil war victims.
Australian PM Anthony Albanese stated on Wednesday that Australia would host the Quad Leaders’ Summit on 24 May at the Sydney Opera House, saying that he is looking forward to receiving the leaders of India, the US, and Japan. Indian PM Narendra Modi thanked Albanese for hosting the summit and said he is looking forward to his visit and discussions on enhancing collaboration among the four nations, which will support efforts to guarantee a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific.