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NASA astronaut Anil Menon begins his ISS mission as security, diplomatic and humanitarian developments unfolded across regions. The mix of space, conflict and cooperation underscored a volatile international moment.
Image used for representational purposes only
Newdelhi,UPDATED: Jul 13, 2026 20:10 IST
A series of international developments unfolded on Monday and Tuesday, ranging from space travel and diplomatic moves to security actions and accident fallout. NASA astronaut Anil Menon is set to travel to the Space Station, while the UK announced plans to ban Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and a linked group over alleged attacks and threats on British soil.
India and Sri Lanka signed an agreement for a grant to equip a hospital in southern Sri Lanka, and the bodies of 15 Indian tourists killed in a speedboat accident in Vietnam were flown back home. Elsewhere, counter-terrorism police in the UK took over the probe into the murder of a former minister, Nepal began investigating suspicious vehicles parked outside key locations in Kathmandu, Pakistan said it had deported more than 2.6 million Afghan nationals in three years, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif left for Qatar to offer condolences on the death of the former emir, and the US and Iran each claimed control of the Strait of Hormuz after fresh exchanges of fire.
Anil Menon, a NASA astronaut of Indian descent, is set to begin an eight-month mission to the Space Station on Tuesday. He will travel from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan along with two Russian cosmonauts.
In London, the UK on Monday announced plans to proscribe Iran's powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and a second group linked to Tehran. The move follows alleged antisemitic attacks and threats to life on British soil.
In Colombo, India and Sri Lanka signed an agreement that will help Sri Lanka secure a 600 million Sri Lankan rupee grant, or USD 1.8 million, from New Delhi. A top Indian diplomat said the money will be used to supply advanced medical equipment to the Base Hospital in the south of the island nation.
In Vietnam, the bodies of the 15 Indian tourists killed in a speedboat accident off Phu Quoc Island were flown to India on Monday, the Indian Embassy in Hanoi said.
Britain's counter-terrorism police on Monday took charge of the investigation into the murder of a former Tory minister and outspoken far-right politician. She was found dead at her home in south-west England.
In Kathmandu, Nepal Police launched an investigation after suspicious cars were found parked outside three media houses, the residence of a senior opposition leader and a supermarket.
In Pakistan, an official said on Monday that more than 2.6 million Afghan nationals, including women and children, had been deported in the last three years as part of a wider crackdown.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif left for Qatar on a one-day visit on Monday to offer condolences on the death of former emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani.
The United States and Iran each said on Monday that they controlled the Strait of Hormuz after a weekend of attacks across the Middle East. The renewed exchange further raised tensions and threatened diplomatic efforts to end the war.
In sum, the day saw major developments across regions, including a space mission involving an astronaut of Indian descent, a new India-Sri Lanka agreement, the return of Indian tourists' bodies from Vietnam, and fresh security and diplomatic moves in the UK, Nepal, Pakistan, Qatar and the Gulf.
With PTI Inputs
- Ends
Published By:
India Today Web Desk
Published On:
Jul 13, 2026 20:10 IST
