According to the authorities, the Russian attack on the city of Kherson resulted in two deaths

 According to the authorities, the Russian attack on the city of Kherson resulted in two deaths

Two men were killed after Russian troops shelled the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson, the regional governor said on Friday.

 

“In the city of Kherson, the occupying forces attacked a municipal transport company with precision fire. You meet civilian workers who ensure the life of the city. Unfortunately, a 55-year-old man died at the scene of the accident. Five other of his colleagues were injured and hospitalized,” Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said on Telegram.

In a later Telegram post, Prokudin said another 43-year-old man died from his injuries at a medical facility, despite doctors trying to save his life.

 

Kherson: For eight months last year, residents of Kherson lived under brutal occupation, with reports of torture and disappearances. But in November, Ukrainian forces rushed into the session, driving Russian troops east and liberating the city. Cheering crowds filled the city's Freedom Square with blue and yellow Ukrainian flags and chanted "Slava Ukraine" - glory to Ukraine.

 

The withdrawal dealt a severe blow to Russian President Vladimir Putin's war effort in Ukraine. At the time, Kherson was the only Ukrainian regional capital that Russian forces had captured since the invasion began.

 

But since then the city has been subjected to intense Russian bombardment. In two days in February, the city suffered more than 130 rocket, artillery, and mortar attacks and even direct tank fire from Russian forces across the Dnipro River.

 

Since Ukraine's counteroffensive began, officials in Kyiv have repeatedly warned that Moscow's troops have launched offensives of their own, most recently Friday's shelling of Kherson, as its forces try to drive out Russian invaders from territories they hold.

 

Biden and Modi's deals include drones, jet engines, and chips:

 Biden and Modi's deals include drones, jet engines, and chips:

Leaders will announce pacts during the state visit to the White House

Micron plans a $2.75 billion semiconductor fab in India

President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will announce a series of defense and trade deals designed to improve military and economic ties between their nations during Thursday's state visit to the White House, senior US officials said.

General Electric Co. unveiled plans to jointly manufacture F414 engines with Indian state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. for the Tejas light attack aircraft, as part of an effort to improve defense and technology exchanges as China grows more assertive in the Indo-Pacific.

Biden and Modi will discuss a deal for General Atomics' MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones and a new defense pact that will allow US Navy ships to carry out major repairs at Indian shipyards.

And the two leaders plan to launch a series of semiconductor deals aimed at using Indian subsidies to enable the South Asian country to manufacture cutting-edge technology.

Micron Technology Inc. will announce an investment of more than $800 million in a $2.75 billion semiconductor assembly and test facility in India, while Applied Materials Inc. will announce a new commercialization center and semiconductor innovation. Chipmaker Lam Research will also announce a training program in India for up to 60,000 engineers.

The deals are unfolding as India seeks to increase its engagement on the world stage both diplomatically and economically, the officials, who detailed the plans ahead of their official announcement on condition of anonymity, said in a call. with journalists.

The announcements - which also include closer cooperation between the countries space programs as well as US efforts to facilitate visas for Indian workers - come on a day of elaborate pageantry for Modi, who will attend his first-ever official state visit to the White House.

The visit includes meetings with Biden and senior US officials, a brief press conference - a rarity for the Indian leader - and an afternoon address to the US Congress. Upon his arrival on Wednesday evening, the Bidens presented Modi with a vintage American camera, a book of American wildlife photography and a signed first edition of Robert Frost's Collected Poems.

The US State Department also plans to launch a pilot program that would allow certain visas to be renewed domestically, meaning workers would not have to return to their home countries to extend their US residency. United. Some Indians in the United States on H-1B and L-1 visas — frequently used by skilled workers and business executives — would be eligible for the program.

US aides said Indian officials were pleased with their efforts to cut red tape that had hampered past deals, and said they were determined to ensure that the deals announced on Thursday materialize.

However, moments of tension are also expected in the meetings between the two leaders. India has been reluctant to impose sanctions on Russia since the invasion of Ukraine and has been aggressively buying Russian oil. The South Asian nation received 1.96 million barrels a day from Russia last month, 15% more than the previous record in April, according to data from Vortexa Ltd.

White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters earlier this week that the United States hoped India would continue to adhere to the price cap on Russian oil that Washington helped set. negotiate.

Biden is also expected to raise human rights issues with Modi, and the addition of Thursday's press conference - which was not included in an initial White House visit schedule - has been seen as a minor victory by some in the White House.

US officials declined to say whether Biden would advocate for the release of specific journalists who have been jailed as part of a crackdown by Modi's government against journalists and opposition leaders. Instead, an official said the US president would likely approach the discussion with humility, acknowledging the challenges he saw the United States also faces on human rights and democracy.