Morning Digest | Zelensky meets Joe Biden in U.S., pledges no compromise in bid to end war; Omicron subvariant linked to China spike was first found in India in July, and more

Here’s a select list of stories to read before you start your day

Zelensky meets Joe Biden in U.S., thanks Congress and the ‘ordinary people’ of America for their support

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy paid a defiant wartime visit to Washington on Wednesday to thank U.S. leaders and “ordinary Americans” for their support in fighting off Russia’s invasion and pledged there would be “no compromises” in trying to bring an end to the war. President Joe Biden and Congress responded with billions in new assistance and a pledge to help Ukraine pursue a “just peace.”

Omicron subvariant BF.7, linked to China spike, first found in India in July

The BF.7 variant of COVID-19, believed to be driving the recent surge of cases in China, was first identified in India as far back as July.

Four instances of the Omicron subvariant had been genome-sequenced in people in Gujarat and Odisha in subsequent months, but it was not linked to increased severity or infectiousness in the two States, two senior officials who were part of a meeting convened by Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Wednesday independently confirmed to  The Hindu.

Supreme Court stands up for a retired sweeper’s right to pension

The Supreme Court stood up for the little man against the power of the state by putting an end to “frivolous” rounds of litigation waged by the School Education Department of the Tamil Nadu government against a sweeper-cum-sanitary worker who wanted his pension after putting in 20 years of work for a starting wage of ₹150 a month.