NAMASKAR! A warm welcome to 'World News: an Indian perspective on All India Radio. This is RENUKA bringing glimpses of the major developments of the day from across the globe. Over the next half an hour, we shall bring to you the latest from the world of politics, economy, sports, entertainment and more.

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THE HEADLINES:

⦁ President of Egypt, Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to be the Chief Guest of India's  74th Republic Day celebration on January 26.

⦁ India and Nepal Celebrate 75 years of diplomatic relations, organise sangeet sukoon and run for life marathon.

⦁ External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar says India stands in solidarity with Sri Lanka, ready to go the extra mile for the neighbour.

⦁ UNESCO dedicates 5th International Day of Education to Afghan girls and Women under the theme to invest in people, prioritize education.

⦁ And in Cricket, India wins the second ODI of the 3-match series against New Zealand.

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EGYPT PRESIDENT-R DAY  

President of Egypt, Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, will pay a state visit to India from the 24th to the 26th of this month. President El-Sisi will be the Chief Guest at India’s 74th Republic Day. He will be accompanied by a high-level delegation, including five Ministers and senior officials. This is for the first time that the President of Egypt has been invited as Chief Guest on India's Republic Day celebrations. A military contingent from Egyptian Army will also participate in the Republic Day parade. India and Egypt are celebrating 75 years of establishment of diplomatic relations this year.

India and Egypt are expected to sign around half-a-dozen Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) in areas ranging from agriculture to digital during Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi's visit to the country.

El-Sisi is scheduled to arrive in New Delhi on the 24th of January. President El-Sisi will be accorded a ceremonial welcome at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on the 25th of January.  President of Egypt will have a bilateral meeting and delegation-level talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on bilateral, regional and global issues of mutual interest.He will also meet Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar. External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar will call on President El-Sisi.The Egyptian President is also expected to interact with the Indian business community during the visit. A commemorative stamp marking 75 years of diplomatic ties between India and Egypt will be released during his visit.

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UNESCO-EDU INTERNATIONAL DAY

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO has decided to dedicate this year's International Day of Education to Afghan girls and women. The fifth International Day of Education will be celebrated on 24th January under the theme “to invest in people, prioritize education”. UNESCO said, girls and women in Afghanistan have been deprived of their right to education. It called for the immediate lifting of the ban restricting their access to education.

Director General Audrey Azoulay said, no country in the world should bar women and girls from receiving an education and it is a universal human right that must be respected. She further said that the international community has the responsibility to ensure that the rights of Afghan girls and women are restored without delay. According to UNESCO, currently, around 80 per cent of school-aged Afghan girls and young women are out of school under the Taliban rule, as they denied them access to secondary schools and universities.

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INDIA-NEPAL-CELEBRATE

To celebrate 75 years of diplomatic ties between India and Nepal, the Embassy of India in Kathmandu organised a music concert 'Sangeet Sukoon' on Friday.  The event also marked 75 years of India's Independence and the 74th Republic Day of India. The event was attended by Prime Minister of Nepal Pushpa Kamal Dahal, former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and other senior leaders.

Foreign Minister Bimala Rai Paudyal and Chief of Army Staff of Nepali Army General Prabhu Ram Sharma were also among other dignitaries who attended the event.

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Patan Durbar Square UNESCO heritage site becomes a witness to the memorable moments of the historical India-Nepal friendship today, as captivated by Sangeet Sukoon. Indian embassy organised Sangeet Sukoon evening in Patan Museum of Lalitpur in Bagmati Province. The present museum is the ancient royal palace where the Malla Kings of Lalitpur resided. The event was graced by the Mayor of Lalitpur and other dignitaries who were captivated by the musical evening.

Sangeet Sukoon is a celebration of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav as well as 75 years of India-Nepal diplomatic relationship.

  Musicians of Jyapu samaj yela performed in the Sangeet Sukoon event, which is a local community playing indigenous music for the audience.

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Music Band Carnatic 2.0 from India performed classical carnatic music for the Nepali audience.

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In another event, 5 km marathon “Run for Life” was organised by Indian Embassy in Kathmandu today. Hundreds of college-going students, Rescued human trafficking victims, sportspersons, health enthusiasts, medics, and children ran the marathon promoting running as a healthy lifestyle.

On the occasion of the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav celebration in Nepal, Indian Ambassador Navin Shrivastav emphasised adopting a healthy lifestyle. He informed that the Run for life marathon celebrates 75 years of diplomatic ties between India and Nepal as well as 75 years of India’s Independence.

The marathon started from Pashupatinath Temple premises and the participants took a route of 5 km back to Pashupatinath within an hour-long duration. The event was graced by Everest climbers and youth sports stars who inspired people to actively run on a daily basis to be mentally agile and physically fit. The Marathon winner was awarded gold medal after completion of the marathon.

VC run Hindi

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NEW ZEALAND PM

Chris Hipkins is set to become New Zealand's next Prime Minister as he was the sole contender for the post to replace Jacinda Ardern. Forty-four years of age, Chris Hipkins now needs to be formally endorsed by the Labour Party in the House of Representatives tomorrow before he can become the leader. Jacinda Ardern’s surprise resignation sparked a Labour Party leadership contest.

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PREZ. VP. PM STATEHOOD

President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have extended greetings on the statehood day of Manipur, Meghalaya and Tripura. President Murmu said, the rich culture, natural beauty and abiding traditions of these States enrich the nation's diversity. She said that the people of these States are known for their talent and spontaneity.

The Vice President lauded the people of these States for their remarkable contributions to national development and wished for their prosperous future.

Prime Minister Modi said, Tripura has witnessed a great growth trajectory in the last five years. He wished for this trend to continue. He added that Meghalaya is known for its vibrant culture, particularly music, art and passion towards sports and its people have excelled in diverse fields. He also prayed for the aspirations of the people of Manipur to be fulfilled and for the State to keep strengthening India’s growth trajectory.

Several Union Ministers including Home Minister Amit Shah, I&B Minister Anurag Singh Thakur also wished the states on their statehood day.

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HOTSPOT

In today's Hotspot Section, we bring you a news commentary on

India Cements ties with Sri Lanka.

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JAISHANKAR VISIT

External Affairs Minister Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar has said that India is a reliable neighbour, a trustworthy partner and one who is prepared to go extra mile when Sri Lanka feels the need. He said his visit expresses India’s solidarity with Sri Lanka in difficult times in line with the ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy of Prime Minister Modi. Dr Jaishankar made the announcement during his just concluded two day visit to Sri Lanka.

The Sri Lankan Foreign minister Ali Sabry thanked Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the generous and timely assistance India extended during the previous year.

Earlier, Dr Jaishankar called on Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremasinghe and discussed the political and economic situation, and stressed on the need to pay special attention to the requirements of Indian Origin Tamils. Dr Jaishankar met Sri Lankan Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, former president Mahinda Rajapaksa and leader of the opposition Sajith Premadasa. He also handed over Ashok Leyland buses to Transport minister Bandula Gunawardena. Dr. Jaishankar interacted with representatives of the business community in Colombo and discussed the importance of economic growth as a solution to current challenges. More from our correspondent:

"The assurance comes at a time when Sri Lanka makes efforts to unlock a 2.9 billion dollar bridge financing from the global bank. He also stressed on the bilateral cooperation between the two countries in the spheres of trade, energy security, connectivity and tourism. In his interaction with the Sri Lankan President, Dr Jaishankar shared India’s considered view on full implementation of 13th amendment and early conduct of provincial elections. He also spoke on special attention to the requirements of Indian Origin tamils. The minister extended Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s invitation to Mr. Wickremasinghe to visit India to take the discussion forward on India’s partnership in Sri Lanka’s recovery. For AIR News Ahmed Muyeen Farooqi, Colombo."

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G20 ROUNDUP

Now let's have a look at g20 event this week

India is hosting a series of meetings for G20 delegates across the country. This week the cities in focus were Pune in the Western Indian state of Maharashtra where the first G20 Infrastructure Working Group meeting was held from 16th to 17th January. Another big-ticket event was the first G20 Health Working Group meeting at Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala from 18th to 20th January. In keeping with the theme of One Earth, One Family, One Future, participants deliberated upon global cooperation to tackle the issues related to urban infrastructure and healthcare. We take a close look at G20 Events in India this week

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PUNE-G20 MEETING

The first G20 Infrastructure Working Group meeting under India’s G20 Presidency was held in Pune from 16th to 17th January. The meeting was hosted by the Department of Economic Affairs under the Union Ministry of Finance. India is the chair while Australia and Brazil are the co-chairs. 64 delegates from 18 countries, 8 invited nations and 8 international organizations attended the meeting. The G20 Infrastructure Working Group discussed the 2023 Infrastructure Agenda under the Indian G20 Presidency. Joint Secretary in the Department of Economic Affairs under the Ministry of finance, Solomon Arokiaraj, outlined the priorities and the outcome of the deliberations.

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In this two-day meeting, the flagship theme of “Financing Cities of Tomorrow- Inclusive, Resilient and Sustainable”, was discussed. The Workshop also discussed how cities and governments could prepare themselves to increase private financing for Cities of Tomorrow. The foreign delegates also experienced the rich cuisine, history and culture of Pune.

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G20-INDIA-HEALTH

The other major event of the week was the first G20 Health Working Group meeting at Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala from 18th to 20th January. Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar inaugurated the 3-day event. She said pandemic policy must be a defining part of our health policy. The Minister said that the learnings must form the agenda for our preparedness and response together as Covid-19 will not be the last pandemic.

In his keynote address, Union Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan highlighted India’s strong culture of medical practices and innovation.

The three-day meeting focussed on three main priorities - health emergencies prevention, preparedness and response; strengthening cooperation in the pharmaceutical sector, and digital health innovations to aid universal health coverage.

Day one of the G20 Health Working Group meeting saw discussions on ways to tackle the urgent challenges in the health sector mainly by microbial resistance. The participants took stock of cooperation in the pharmaceutical sector and the provision of safe and low-cost healthcare systems.  

On the second day, discussions were held on digital health innovations to aid universal health coverage. Solutions to urgent challenges in the health sector and international cooperation in the field of pharmaceuticals and digital health were among other key areas.

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G20 : KERALA

Union Minister of State for Health Bharti Praveen Pawar emphasized that India's aim during the G-20 presidency is to focus on value-based healthcare and Universal Health Coverage. She was speaking at the inaugural session on Medical Value Travel on the sidelines of the 1st Health Working Group meeting in Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala on Thursday. The Minister highlighted  India's delivery of anti-covid drugs to 101 countries through the Vaccine Maitri mission.

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KARNATAKA-G20 WORKING GROUP

A sensitisation workshop on G-20 Environment and Climate Sustainability was held in Bengaluru on Friday. The participants include the Forest departments of all the states, associated international organisations, Knowledge partners, local influential persons, media and community representatives. The idea is to deliberate on the identified themes and sub-themes listed for discussion during the first G-20 working group meeting on Environment and Climate Sustainability. It will document, compile and collate the best practices from across the states in the country and present them during the G-20 Working Group meeting next month.

 The event is significant since the first meeting of the G-20 Working Group on Environment and Climate Sustainability is scheduled in Bengaluru from the 9th to the 11th February. The G-20 Working Group will focus on Arresting Land Degradation Restoration of Degraded Lands and Enhancement of Biodiversity. It will put specific emphasis on the restoration of areas affected by Forest Fire and Mining. Four meetings of the G-20 Working Group on Environment will be held across the country.

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UP-G20 WALKATHON

Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh is gearing up for the upcoming G20 meetings in the state. A G-20 walkathon was organized in its four major cities on Saturday morning. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath flagged off the Run in Lucknow while other senior Ministers were present in the walkathon organised in Agra, Noida and Varanasi. Youth, NCC cadets, senior citizens and students participated in large numbers in the walkathon held in the four cities.

A total of 11 meetings related to the G-20 Conference will be organised in UP. Related events will be held in four cities of the State, including Varanasi, Lucknow, Agra and Greater Noida.

v/c up Yogi Adityanath

Before we wrap up the G20 Events in India this week, here is a quick look at the upcoming events :

The first meeting of the Financial Architecture Working Group will take place in Chandigarh from 30-31st Jan, under the Finance track.

Besides the 1st meeting of the Education Working Group under the Sherpa track will be held from 31st January to 2nd February in Chennai.

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I&B MINISTRY BBC

The Information and Broadcasting Ministry has issued directions to YouTube and Twitter to block multiple YouTube videos which published the first episode of the BBC Documentary “India: The Modi Question”. Sources said, orders were also issued to Twitter for blocking of over 50 tweets containing the links of the concerned YouTube videos. The directions were reportedly issued by Information and Broadcasting Secretary yesterday using the emergency powers under the IT Rules, 2021. Sources said that both YouTube and Twitter have complied with the directions.

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WOMEN HOCKEY

Indian Women's Hockey Team has defeated South Africa 4-0 in their third match of the four-match Test series in Cape Town yesterday. Vandana Katariya, Deep Grace Ekka, Rani Rampal and Sangita Kumari scored for India to give the visitors an unstoppable 3-0 lead in the Test series.  

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HOCKEY FIH

In the FIH Hockey Men’s World Cup, India will take on New Zealand in Bhubneswar tomorrow in a crossover match to qualify for the quarterfinals. The match will begin at 7 PM Indian Time.

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CRICKET-ODI-INDIA

In Cricket, India defeated New Zealand by eight wickets in the second One Day International at Raipur to clinch the three-match series, 2-Nil. Chasing a target of 109 runs, India overhauled the score, posting 111 runs with the loss of two wickets in 20.1 overs. Skipper Rohit Sharma smashed a half-century, contributing, 51 runs off 50 balls while Shubman Gill remained unbeaten on 40 off 53 deliveries.

The third and final ODI will be played in Indore on Tuesday.

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Now let us take a look at the major developments around the world, as reported in the Foreign Press.

⦁ The Strait Times writes, China says Covid-19 outbreak has infected 80% of population.

⦁ The Global Times writes, Chinese travel agencies ramp up efforts preparing overseas trips following the reopening of outbound group tour services.

⦁ The Financial Times writes, Germany defies allies’ pressure to send tanks to Ukraine.

⦁ The Guardian also writes, Kenya declares war on millions of birds after they raid crops.

⦁ The New York Times writes, One of the Most Influential Ambassadors in Washington Isn’t One.

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REPEAT HEADLINES

⦁ President of Egypt, Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to be the Chief Guest of India's  74th Republic Day celebration on January 26.

⦁ India and Nepal Celebrate 75 years of diplomatic relations, organise sangeet sukoon and run for life marathon.

⦁ External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar says India stands in solidarity with Sri Lanka, ready to go the extra mile for the neighbour.

⦁ UNESCO dedicates 5th International Day of Education to Afghan girls and Women under the theme to invest in people, prioritize education.

⦁ And in Cricket, India wins the second ODI of the 3-match series against New Zealand.

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And now, before we end, let us listen to Mahatma Gandhi's favourite bhajanVaishnav Jan, by artists from HAITI.  

AND WITH THAT, WE END THIS BULLETIN. WE'LL BE BACK AT THE SAME TIME TOMORROW WITH THE NEXT EDITION OF WORLD NEWS.

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