Following are the top foreign stories at 2000 hours

     FGN60 ASEAN-JAISHANKAR-2NDLD BILATERALS
     * Jaishankar meets Russian FM Lavrov & other counterparts in Laos; exchange views on ways to further boost bilateral ties
     Vientiane (Laos): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday met his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov and leaders from South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Laos and others and discussed various aspects of bilateral collaboration, including education and agriculture technology. *
    
     FGN31 ASEAN-2NDLD JAISHANKAR
     * ASEAN cornerstone of India's Act East Policy and its Indo-Pacific vision: EAM Jaishankar
     Vientiane (Laos): The Association of Southeast Asian Nations is the cornerstone of India's Act East Policy and its Indo-Pacific vision, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Friday, as he sought to expand political, economic and security cooperation with the 10-member influential regional bloc. *

     FGN32 BIMSTEC-LD DOVAL
     * NSA Doval calls for increased BIMSTEC cooperation in counter-terrorism, combating drug trafficking, arms smuggling
     Naypyidaw (Myanmar): National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on Friday called on BIMSTEC nations to strengthen cooperation in counter-terrorism; combating drug trafficking, arms smuggling and organised crime. *
    
     FGN63 US-OBAMA-HARRIS-2NDLD ENDORSEMENT
     * Barack and Michelle Obama endorse Kamala Harris for president
     Washington: Kamala Harris will be a "fantastic President of the United States," former president Barack Obama said on Friday, as he and his wife Michelle endorsed the US Vice President and vowed to do "everything we can" to enable her to win the high-stakes election against Donald Trump in November. *
    
     FGN55 PAK-IMRAN-OXFORD-CHANCELLOR
     * Jailed ex-Pak PM Imran Khan set to run for Oxford University chancellor position
     Islamabad/London: Oxford-educated former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan is likely to run for the position of the chancellor of his alma mater in the UK from his prison cell through an online ballot, according to his close aide and media reports. *

     FGN62 UK-CAMBRIDGE-DICTIONARY
     * ‘Boop’, ‘the ick’, 'chef's kiss' new additions to ‘Cambridge Dictionary’
     London: Informal words used as slang, such as ‘boop’ and ‘the ick’, are among more than 3,200 new words and phrases added to the ‘Cambridge Dictionary’ in its latest update this week. *
        
     FGN41 US-HARRIS-LD NETANYAHU
     * Kamala Harris urges Benjamin Netanyahu to end devastating war in Gaza
     Washington: US Vice President Kamala Harris has urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to quickly conclude a ceasefire deal with Hamas and reach a "durable end" to the devastating war in Gaza, amidst mounting civilian casualties and the humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian enclave. *
    
     FGN14 LANKA-PREZ POLL-LD DATE
     * Sri Lanka's presidential election to be held on September 21
     Colombo: Sri Lanka will hold the presidential poll on September 21, the election commission announced on Friday, ending the months-long speculation over the key contest which is likely to determine the future of economic reforms in the cash-strapped country. *
    
     FGN46 LANKA-ELECTION-WICKREMESINGHE
* Sri Lankan President Wickremesinghe to fight presidential election as independent
     Colombo, Jul 26 (PTI) Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Friday declared his candidacy to contest the presidential election in September as an independent candidate by depositing money to contest the upcoming polls.
    
     FGN20 MALDIVES-INDIA
'Special' ties with Maldives based on shared democratic values: Indian High Commission
     Male: India's "special relationship" with the Maldives is based on shared democratic values, the Indian mission here has said, expressing confidence in intensifying Parliamentary linkages with the archipelago nation. *** PY
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(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)