NEW DELHI -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has refuted the United States' accusations on India's oil purchases from Russia, according to private media network "India Today."

In an interview with the news channel released on Thursday, shortly before he arrived in New Delhi for a two-day state visit to India, Putin said, "The U.S. itself still buys nuclear fuel from us for its own nuclear power plants. That is also fuel." (India-Russia-Oil Purchases)

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HONG KONG -- Alice Mak Mei-kuen, secretary for home and youth affairs of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government, said on Thursday that the living allowance for families affected by the Tai Po fire has been increased from 50,000 Hong Kong dollars (about 6,423.98 U.S. dollars) to 100,000 Hong Kong dollars per household.

The HKSAR government has so far distributed 10,000 Hong Kong dollars in emergency subsidies to each of the 1,929 families. Social workers from the Social Welfare Department of the HKSAR government have so far reached out to over 1,700 affected households, offering emotional support, coordinating supplies, and practical daily assistance. (HK-Fire-Allowance)

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COLOMBO -- The death toll from adverse weather caused by Cyclone Ditwah has risen to 607 in Sri Lanka, the country's Disaster Management Center (DMC) said Friday.

Another 214 people remain missing, while more than 2 million people from 586,464 families have been affected nationwide, said the DMC, adding that 4,164 houses have been destroyed and 67,505 others have suffered partial damages. (Sri Lanka-Extreme Weather)

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NEW DELHI -- India and Russia on Friday inked several agreements and Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in such fields as migration and mobility, health and food safety, maritime cooperation, and commerce.

The bilateral agreements were signed here in the presence of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin, who was on a two-day state visit to India, concluding Friday. (India-Russia-Agreements) Enditem