Early on Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin landed in Beijing for discussions with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, aiming to bolster the two countries’ strategic partnership. Informal conversations between the leaders and senior officials over tea and dinner are anticipated to play a pivotal role during the two-day visit. Kremlin foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov indicated that the discussions would cover a range of topics, including Ukraine, Asia, energy, and trade.
Slovak PM Robert Fico was critically wounded in an apparent assassination attempt on Wednesday. Fico was shot multiple times while meeting citizens in Handlová, and his condition has been deemed life-threatening. The attack, believed to have a political motive, occurred following the presidential election victory of Fico’s coalition ally.
During her testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Wednesday, US Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines stated that China did not attempt to sway the outcome of the 2020 US presidential election, and there is no indication Beijing will increase its involvement in this year’s election.
The first set of citizenship certificates was issued on Wednesday following the notification of Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024. Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla handed over the certificates to 14 applicants in New Delhi.
The India-gifted ‘Suwaseriya 1990’ ambulance service in Sri Lanka, which has been providing critical pre-hospital care across the country for eight years, is in dire need of support. While the service has received global acclaim for its efficiency earlier, sustaining it has been challenging since the economic crisis and outbreak of COVID-19 in Sri Lanka.
India and Russia held bilateral consultations on Afghanistan in New Delhi on Wednesday. Russian Special Presidential Envoy for Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, and Joint Secretary (Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran Division), Ministry of External Affairs, J.P. Singh, discussed the current situation in the country and highlighted the need to provide development assistance for the Afghan people.