World News Live Updates: Zelensky says Putin recruiting citizens from India, 46 nations for Ukraine war

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump greet Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan as they arrive at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Wednesday. (Source: AP)

Chinese President Xi Jinping called for China and US to be partners rather than rivals, saying the two countries can find the right way to coexist in a new era. Speaking after arriving in Washington, Xi said China and US should work towards a stable relationship centred on cooperation, while managing competition and differences.

He said the interests of the two countries were connected and that China’s national rejuvenation and US President Donald Trump’s goal of “making America great again” could complement each other and benefit the world.

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Pakistan airstrikes in Afghanistan

In other news, Pakistan said it carried out airstrikes on 10 sites in Afghanistan that it claimed were being used to launch drone attacks against Pakistan. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the strikes targeted military sites linked to the attacks and were deliberate, precise and proportionate. Kabul has not immediately responded, while Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid denied that Afghan forces had attacked Pakistan, the Associated Press reported.

These strikes come days after Pakistan carried out airstrikes in eastern Afghanistan, which Islamabad said targeted militant hideouts and Kabul said killed civilians.

USS Abraham Lincoln deployment saw eight suicide attempts: Navy

Eight sailors assigned to the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group attempted suicide during its lengthy deployment in the Middle East, Acting US Navy Secretary Hung Cao stated. In a letter to Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Cao said the sailors were from the carrier crew, air wing, strike group and destroyer squadron staff, as well as escorting ships and aviation squadrons. The disclosure came after concerns raised by sailors’ families over deteriorating mental health and living conditions during the deployment, which began in November and was repeatedly extended, according to BBC reports. Cao said five chaplains and several mental health professionals were on board. The Navy stated temporary problems with plumbing, water desalination and food supplies, but denied reports of a wider mental health crisis on the carrier.

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