US President Donald Trump personally welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. It was the first time a US president received a Chinese leader at the airport. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump greeted Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, on the tarmac. The welcome included a 100-foot red carpet, a 21-person honour cordon and US and Chinese flags. Two B-1 bombers also flew over the base. Xi is visiting Washington for three days. He will attend a formal ceremony and state dinner. Talks are expected to cover trade, technology, Taiwan, Iran and security issues.  

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of recruiting citizens from 47 countries through “deception and tricks,” including Indians. Speaking at the UN General Assembly, he urged countries to protect their nationals and said, “Do not let Putin drag you into this war.” India’s foreign secretary Vikram Misri said 227 Indians had been recruited by Russian forces. Of them, 139 have been discharged and 51 have died. Zelensky also urged India, China and Turkey to reduce energy trade with Russia. He said cutting Russia’s oil revenue could limit Moscow’s ability to continue the war.  

Snow leopard tracking in Ladakh has been ranked the world’s fourth-best wildlife experience, scoring 85.5 out of 100 in Bailey Robinson’s Wildlife Experience Index. The index evaluated 30 wildlife encounters using six criteria: rarity, remoteness, conservation importance, exclusivity, accessibility and encounter potential. Ladakh followed mountain gorilla trekking in Rwanda and Uganda, emperor penguin expeditions in Antarctica, and saiga antelope tracking in Kazakhstan, while ranking above Arctic polar bear expeditions. India’s Snow Leopard Population Assessment found 718 snow leopards nationwide, including 477 in Ladakh. The recognition highlights community-based conservation and responsible tourism, while increasing attention on protecting high-altitude habitats from tourism-related pressures. It underscores the importance of ensuring tourism benefits local communities. (PC: @sascha.fonseca/Instagram)

Roshibina Devi Naorem won silver in the women’s 60kg Sanda event at the 2026 Asian Games, becoming the first Indian Wushu athlete to win medals at three consecutive editions. The 25-year-old defeated Indonesia’s Thania Kusumaningtyas 2-0 in the semifinal before losing 0-2 to China’s Zhang Xiaoyu in the gold-medal bout. Roshibina previously won bronze at the 2018 Jakarta Games and silver at the 2023 Hangzhou Games. Her latest medal came after she entered India’s squad as an injury replacement for Divyanshi Choudhary, who was ruled out with a partial high-grade ACL tear. Roshibina’s silver was India’s 11th Asian Games Wushu medal and its 14th medal overall at the ongoing Asian Games. (PC: HT)

Satnam Singh and Salman Khan won bronze in the men’s double sculls at the 2026 Asian Games, securing India’s maiden medal in the event. The Indian pair clocked 6:13.25 at the Nagaragawa International Regatta Course, finishing behind China’s Yi Xudi and Yide Nie, who won gold, and Uzbekistan’s Pavel Sorin and Mekhrojbek Mamatkulov, who took silver. Satnam and Salman remained second at the 500m, 1,000m and 1,500m marks before slipping to third in the final 500m. The duo had reached the medal race after finishing second in their heat. Balraj Panwar finished fourth in the men’s single sculls final after also holding second place through 1,500m for India at the Games. (PC: X/@OlympicKhel)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia is using citizens from 47 countries in its war against Ukraine, naming India, Nepal, Ghana, Tajikistan, Yemen, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Cuba, Belarus, Sudan and South Africa. Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly, Zelenskyy accused Moscow of bringing foreigners to Russia through deception and tricks and sending them to the battlefield. He urged governments to protect their citizens and prevent recruitment. India has previously been identified among countries whose nationals joined Russian forces. Ukraine has alleged that some foreigners were lured by job offers, financial incentives or benefits. Zelenskyy also highlighted Russia’s military cooperation with North Korea and called for greater pressure on Moscow’s war capabilities.

Leaders of artificial intelligence companies warned the United Nations Security Council about risks from powerful AI systems, urging governments to cooperate on safeguards. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei said AI could become a risk to humanity if managed poorly. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Hugging Face co-founder Clément Delangue addressed the council during a meeting convened by France at the UN General Assembly. Discussions focused on international standards, safety measures and concerns that advanced AI could become difficult to control. The meeting highlighted divisions between the United States and China over regulation. Washington has opposed centralized AI governance, while Beijing supports international standards and a greater UN role in shaping AI oversight.

Eight US Navy personnel assigned to the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group attempted suicide during a deployment that included combat operations against Iran, Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao disclosed in a letter to Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. The attempts involved sailors across the carrier, air wing, destroyer squadron staff, escorting destroyers and embarked aviation units, rather than only the carrier itself. Between 6,000 and 7,000 personnel served across the group, which spent more than six months at sea. Cao said no service member died by suicide during the deployment. The disclosure has intensified concerns about prolonged operations, limited port visits, combat stress and the mental health of sailors and available support. (PC: X)

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Washington on Wednesday for a three-day state visit, receiving a tarmac welcome from US President Donald Trump at Joint Base Andrews. Trump and Melania Trump greeted Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, during an arrival ceremony featuring a military band and cannon fire. The visit is Xi’s first US trip in three years and his first state visit to Washington in more than a decade. Trump and Xi are expected to discuss trade, technology, artificial intelligence, Iran and Taiwan. Taiwan is likely to remain a key sticking point, with Xi expected to reiterate Beijing’s claims while Washington maintains restrictions on sensitive technology exports to China.

India will have several medal opportunities at the Asian Games on Thursday, September 24, with Roshibina Devi leading the country’s challenge in wushu. She will face China’s Xiaoyu Zhang in the women’s 60kg sanda final at 6:10 am IST.   Indian rowers will also compete in several finals, while shooting features 10m air pistol and mixed-team skeet events. Athletics will begin with Indian athletes competing in the heptathlon, triple jump, 100m and 10,000m. India’s men’s hockey team will face South Korea, while the men’s and women’s kabaddi teams take on Chinese Taipei and Japan respectively. (PC: NDTV)