Russia launched a fresh wave of air strikes on Kyiv overnight, with authorities in the Ukrainian capital reporting that air defence systems shot down more than 20 cruise missiles. Serhiy Popko, the head of Kyiv’s military administration, stated on his Telegram channel, “All (missiles) were shot down, there were no hits.” The officials said that there were no casualties based on initial information.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in Jeddah, the Saudi Press Agency reported early Tuesday. During the meeting, the leaders reviewed bilateral ties, discussed possibilities to enhance cooperation in all fields, and addressed issues of mutual interest. Senior Saudi and Venezuelan officials also attended the meeting.
Experts say that the Coromandel Express accident last week resulted from a lack of investment and modernisation of the colonial-era railways in India. The incident resulted in 275 deaths and 1,200 injuries.
British PM Rishi Sunak has confirmed that the UK government plans to house 1,000 asylum seekers on two ships as they await decisions on their status. He also lauded the success of his administration in bringing down small boat crossings by 20%.
Indian Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Gen. Manoj Pande, arrived on a two-day visit to Bangladesh yesterday. He is expected to explore the possibilities of increasing defence cooperation between the countries. Pande will participate in the passing out parade of officer cadets of the 84th Long Course at the Bangladesh Military Academy (BMA), Chattogram. During the event, he will be presenting first ‘Bangladesh-India Friendship Trophy’ to the best cadet belonging to a friendly foreign country of BMA. He will also interact with the Chief of Army Staff, Bangladesh Army, and the Principal Staff Officer of the Armed Forces Division to further bilateral cooperation.
The US has come out strongly in support of the democratic credentials of India, dismissing concerns about the health of democracy in the country. John Kirby, Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the National Security Council in the White House, said, “India is a vibrant democracy. Anybody that, you know, happens to go to New Delhi can see that for themselves.” When asked questions about the state of Indian democracy, he said that the US engages with friends and never shies away from pointing out our concerns. On the proposed state visit of Indian PM Narendra Modi, Kirby hoped the bilateral relationship would be further enhanced. He added that India remains a crucial friend in the region, and the visit will increase defence cooperation between the two countries.
In a rare move, award-winning Hong Kong journalist Bao Choy won an appeal on Monday that quashed her conviction related to research for an investigative documentary on a mob attack on protesters inside a train station during massive anti-government protests in 2019. Judges of the city’s top court unanimously ruled in Choy’s favour and set aside her fine of $765 for two counts of making false statements at that time.
Forty professionals from Myanmar, who are working in the power sector, are in India to attend two training programmes being offered by the country’s largest integrated energy company NTPC Limited — one on “Microgrids” and the other on “Electric Vehicles, Batteries & Charging Stations.”