NAMASKAR! A warm welcome to 'World News: an Indian perspective on All India Radio. This is ADITI LOOMBA 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:

⦁ India's President Droupadi Murmu addresses nation on the eve of Republic day; Says, world looking at India with a new sense of respect, creating new opportunities and responsibilities.

⦁ Six-day mega event Bharat Parv to be organised at Red Fort in Delhi from 26th to 31st of this month as part of Republic Day Celebrations.

⦁ Prime Minister Narendra Modi holds talks with President of Egypt, Abdel Fattah El-Sisi in New Delhi.

⦁ Ruling Labour Party leader Chris Hipkins takes over as Prime Minister of New Zealand.

⦁ In Australian Open Tennis, Indian duo of Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna enter the mixed-doubles final at Melbourne.

⦁ And in Hockey World Cup, Germany beat England while the Netherlands defeat South Korea in Bhubaneswar to enter Semi-finals.

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PRESIDENT SPEECH

President Droupadi Murmu has said that the world has started to look at India with a new sense of respect and this has created new opportunities and responsibilities. The President was addressing the Nation on the eve of the 74th Republic Day on Wednesday. On this occasion, she extended her greetings to the people of India and Indians abroad by saying that from the day the Constitution came into effect to the present day, it has been an amazing journey that has inspired many other nations.

On India’s growing stature on the world stage, President Murmu said, India’s interventions at various world forums have started making a positive difference. She said, India’s G-20 presidency is an opportunity to promote democracy and multilateralism for shaping a better world and a better future.

The President also emphasised the need to maintain a balance between development and the environment by reconsidering the basic priorities and focusing on the scientific aspects of traditional life values. She highlighted the need to bring changes in lifestyle, especially in the dietary pattern. On the International Year of Millets, the President said, millets were essential ingredients of people's diet earlier and now the adoption of millets in the diet will help in conserving ecology and health.

Appreciating the initiatives taken in recent years by the Government to transform governance, and the lives of people and achieve the Mission of Sarvodaya, the President said, great strides have been made on the economic, education, digital and technological fronts. She said, India has now become the fifth-largest economy in the world despite the economic uncertainties, global headwinds and challenges posed by the COVID pandemic. She said, most sectors of the economy have shaken off the pandemic effect and this has been made possible by timely and proactive interventions, especially the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ initiative. Lauding the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana for ensuring food security for poor families, she said, the Government has undertaken the responsibility to take care of the weaker sections and enable them to benefit from economic development.

Highlighting the role of education in nation-building, President Droupadi Murmu highlighted the National Education Policy’s role in fulfilling the two-fold aims of education - first to become an instrument of economic and social empowerment and second to become the agent for exploration of truth. Exalting the progress made by India in the Digital and Space Technology sector, the President said, Digital India Mission is striving to make information and communication technology inclusive by bridging the rural-urban divide. She spoke about how more and more people in far-flung places have been reaping the benefits of the internet and are receiving a variety of Government services. Mentioning the 'Gaganyaan' programme to carry Indian astronauts into space which is in progress, the President said India has been among the handful of pioneers in space technology.

The President observed that the progress made by India in the sphere of women’s empowerment and gender equality is evident in the growing participation and rising stature of women in every sector. She lauded the people’s active participation in the ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ campaign. Speaking about the strides taken by India in empowering the marginalised communities including the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, the President said the Government’s aim is not only to remove hurdles and help them in development but also to learn from them.

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PM NCC NSS

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said the new opportunities available to the youth in the country are unprecedented. He was interacting with NCC cadets, NSS volunteers and performers on Wednesday in New Delhi who are a part of this year's Republic Day programme. He said NCC and NSS are organizations that connect the young generation with national goals and national concerns.

Mr. Modi added that youth has energy, enthusiasm, passion and an innovation mindset. The Prime Minister said, the country is running campaigns like Start Up India, Make in India, and Aatmanirbhar Bharat. He said India is working towards meeting global demands.

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REPUBLIC DAY PARADE (with VC)

India will celebrate its 74th Republic Day on 26th January. President Droupadi Murmu will lead the nation in celebrating Republic Day from Kartavya Path in New Delhi. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi will be the Chief Guest at the parade. During the Republic Day parade, the country's military prowess, cultural diversity, self-reliance initiatives, women empowerment and emergence of a ‘New India’ will be showcased.

The Republic Day parade will begin at 10:30 AM from Vijay Chowk and head towards Lal Quila. The parade ceremony will commence with the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the National War Memorial. He will lead the nation in paying solemn tributes to the brave hearts by laying a wreath. Afterwards, the Prime Minister and other dignitaries will head to the saluting dais at Kartavya Path to witness the parade. The National Flag will be unfurled followed by the National Anthem with a booming 21-gun salute. This time, a 21-gun salute will be given with 105-mm Indian Field Guns replacing the vintage 25-pounder gun which reflects the growing ‘Aatmanirbharta’ in defence. Four Mi-17 1V/V5 helicopters of 105 Helicopter Unit will shower flower petals on the audience present at Kartavya Path. The parade will start with the President taking the salute. The parade will be commanded by Parade Commander Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth.

For the first time, an Egyptian Military contingent will take part in the Republic Day parade. The contingent, having 144 soldiers will be led by Colonel Mahmoud Mohamed Abdel Fattah El Kharasawy. Eight marching contingents including six from the Indian Army, one from Indian Air Force and one from Indian Navy will take part in the Republic Day parade. Indigenously developed equipment like Arjun Tank, Nag Missile System, K9 Vajra-Howitzer Gun, and Akash Weapon System will be showcased during the parade. 45 aircraft including nine Rafale fighter aircraft will participate in the fly-past over the Kartavya Path.  

Twenty-three tableaux from 17 States and Union Territories and six from various Ministries and Departments will participate in the Republic Day Parade. Our correposndent reports that these tableaux will showcase the nation’s rich cultural heritage, socio-economic development, Nari Shakti, military might and economic progress.

"This year's Republic Day celebration has been planned in a way to ensure maximum public participation in the various events as envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The week-long celebrations commenced on 23rd January by paying tributes to great freedom fighter Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on Parakram Divas. A unique Military Tattoo and Tribal Dance Festival ‘Aadi Shaurya - Parv Parakram ka’ was organised in New Delhi on the 23rd and 24th of this month. The biggest drone show in India, comprising 3 thousand 500 indigenous drones, will light up the evening sky over the Raisina hills during the Beating The Retreat ceremony on the 29th of this month. The Republic day celebration will culminate on 30th January, which is observed as Martyrs’ Day. Delhi Police has made elaborate security arrangements in view of the Republic Day celebrations in the national capital. Around six thousand security personnel will be deployed. A total of 24 help desks have been set up in the New Delhi district to help people who come to attend the  Republic Day celebrations. This year, entry to the parade function would be based on the QR code given on the pass and no person without a valid pass or ticket would be allowed. Elaborate traffic arrangements and restrictions will be in place to ensure the smooth conduct of the Republic  Day Parade." With Bhupendra singh, Suparna saikia AIR News Delhi."

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POLICE MEDAL-REPUBLIC DAY

A total of 901 Police personnel have been awarded Police Medals on the occasion of the Republic Day, 2023. Police Medal for Gallantry has been awarded to 140, President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service to 93 and Police Medal for Meritorious Service has been awarded to 668 Police personnel.

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BHARAT PARV  

The six-day mega event Bharat Parv will be organised at Red Fort in Delhi from the 26th to the 31st of this month as part of the Republic Day Celebrations. India's Tourism Ministry said, during the event, some of the best Republic Day Parade tableaux will be showcased. Besides, Cultural performances by the Zonal Cultural Centres as well as cultural troupes from States and Union Territories, a pan - India Food Court and Crafts Bazaar with 65 handicraft stalls will also be set up. The event will be inaugurated on 26th January and will be open to the general public from 5:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. The Ministry said, from the 27th of January, it will be open to the general public from 12: noon to 10:00 p.m.

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PM - EGYPT PREZ

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with President of Egypt, Abdel Fattah El-Sisi in New Delhi on Wednesday. On this occasion, India and Egypt exchanged MoUs in the fields of cyber security, culture, information technology, youth matters and broadcasting. In a joint press statement after the meeting, Prime Minister Modi said, terrorism is the most serious security threat to humanity and  India and Egypt are concerned about the propagation of terrorism around the world. Mr Modi said, both nations have decided to take bilateral relations to a strategic partnership level. Mr Modi said, there are lots of opportunities in the defence sector for both the countries. He said, India - Egypt strategic partnership can be a start of political, defence and scientific development. The Prime Minister said, both the nations have also decided to further strengthen cooperation between the defense industries and to increase the exchange of counter-terrorism information and intelligence. Mr Modi expressed confidence that in the next five years, both the nations will take bilateral trade to 12 billion dollars. Speaking on the occasion, President of Egypt Abdel Fattah El-Sisi said that discussion were held to increase Indian companies investments in  Egypt as lots of investment opportunities are available in his country. He said, both the countries talked about increasing cooperation in the field of trade and investment. President Sisi said, discussion were held on fighting against terrorism and radicalization and increasing defence cooperation between Egypt and India.

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INDIA - EGYPT - PRASAR BHARTI

India and Egypt have signed an MoU to facilitate content exchange, capacity building, and Co-Productions between Prasar Bharati and the National Media Authority of Egypt. The MoU was signed on Wednesday by Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Singh Thakur and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Government of Egypt Sameh Hassan Shoukry. The MoU was exchanged in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President of Egypt Abdel Fattah El-Sisi in New Delhi.

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PRESIDENT- VOTERS DAY

In India, the 13th National Voters’ Day is being celebrated on Wednesday. The theme of the day for this year is Nothing Like Voting, I Vote for Sure. It is dedicated to voters, conveying individuals' feelings and aspirations towards participation in the electoral process through the power of their vote. President Droupadi Murmu presented the National Awards for the year 2022 in New Delhi. News Services Division of All India Radio was given National Award in Media category for its contributions in Voters Awareness. Director General News of All India Radio, Dr Vasudha Gupta received the award. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has greeted the people on the occasion of National Voters’ Day. Mr Modi expressed hope that everyone will work together to further strengthen active participation in elections and strengthen the democracy inspired by this year’s theme of Nothing Like Voting, I Vote For Sure’. The Prime Minister also lauded the Election Commission of India for their efforts in this area.

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HOTSPOT

In today's Hotspot Section, we bring you a news commentary on “NATIONAL VOTERS DAY".

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JAISHANKAR JAPAN

India's External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar on Wednesday met Special Advisor to the Prime Minister of Japan, Dr. Masafumi Mori in New Delhi. In a tweet, Dr Jaishankar said that their discussion focused on the impact of Japanese technology on India’s growth and progress. He said, the High-Speed Rail project can make an even bigger difference than the Metro and Suzuki collaboration.

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GADKARI-JAPAN

Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday held a meeting with a Japanese Delegation over sustainable infrastructure development that strengthened the continued partnership between the two countries in New Delhi. The Japanese Delegation was led by Special Advisor to the Prime Minister of Japan and the Mumbai-Ahmedabad National High-Speed Rail Project Joint Committee Meeting co-chairman Dr Masafumi Mori.

During the meeting, both sides exchanged views and opinions in the field of Road Transport and Logistics service-related road infrastructure.

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J&K-ARMS AMMUNITION RECOVERED

In Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, the security forces on Wednesday recovered arms and ammunition in the Poonch district of the Jammu division. AIR Jammu Correspondent reports that during searches, police along with the army and CRPF in the area of Kalai Top, Shiendra, Ratta Jabbar and adjoining areas recovered war-like arms and ammunition. The arms recovery includes 2 AK-47 rifles, 3 AK-47 magazines and 35 live rounds of AK-47.

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NEW ZEALAND-PM

Ruling Labour Party leader Chris Hipkins has taken over as Prime Minister of New Zealand. He was sworn in as the 41st Prime Minister of New Zealand on Wednesday. Mr. Hipkins' appointment to the top job followed the surprise resignation by Jacinda Ardern as Prime Minister. First elected to Parliament in 2008, Mr Hipkins became a household name fronting the Government's response to the pandemic.

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BANGLADESH PRESIDENT  

The election for the next President of Bangladesh will be held on February 19. Announcing the schedule of elections in Dhaka on Wednesday, Chief  Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal said that the nomination for the post will be filed on February 12. Scrutiny of the nomination papers will be done on February 13 and the withdrawal of candidature can be done till February 14.  The voting will take place at the Bangladesh Parliament, Jatiya Sangsad on February 19 between 2 pm to 5 pm. The tenure of the current President Abdul Hamid is coming to an end on April 23..

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PAKISTAN SALARY CUT  

Pakistan is considering slashing the salaries of government employees by 10 per cent across the board, amid a deepening economic crisis in the cash-strapped country. Pakistan is grappling with one of the country's worst economic crises in recent years amid dwindling foreign exchange reserves. According to media reports, the National Austerity Committee constituted by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is also considering cutting down expenditures of ministries by 15 per cent, reducing the number of federal Ministers, Ministers of State, and advisers.

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WORLD NEWS CAPSULE

A report from the business desk:  

"The Sensex declined 774 points, or 1.27 per cent, to finish at 60,205. The Nifty-50 also fell 226 points, or 1.25 per cent, to settle at 17,892.

Among global stock markets, Asian shares ended with gains. Singapore’s Straits Times ended 1.8 per cent up, South Korea’s KOSPI rose 1.4 per cent and Japan's NIKKEI-225 gained 0.4 per cent. Trade did not place in Hong Kong’s Hang Seng and China’s Shanghai Composite index. European shares were down in intra-day trade.

At the Multi Commodity Exchange, Gold futures for February was trading at 56,790 rupees per ten grams. Silver futures for March was trading at 68,000 rupees per kilogram when reports last came in. S. RANGABASHIAM for World News, All India Radio."

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AUSTRALIAN OPEN

Indian duo of Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna have entered the Australian Open mixed-doubles final at Melbourne. They outclassed third-seeded Great Britain's Neal Skupski and USA's Desirae Krawczyk 7-6, 6-7 in the semi-final.

They will now take on the Brazilian pair of L. Stefani and R. Matos, who defeated O. Gadecki and M. Polmans of Australia in the other semi final on Wednesday.

In Men's singles, Novak Djokovic and Tommy Paul entered the Semifinal. Djokovic defeated  Andrey Rublev while Paul overpowered Ben Shelton.

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FIH-HOCKEY

 In the FIH Hockey Men’s World Cup, the last two quarter-finals were played in the Kalinga stadium in Bhubaneswar in Odisha on Wednesday.

Germany defeated England in the 3rd quarter-final, by 4-3, in a penalty shootout. While the Netherlands beat South Korea by 5-1 in the 4th quarter-final. Belgium and Australia have already reached the semi-finals.

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FPR

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

⦁ The Washington Post writes, Germany approves Leopards for Ukraine, as U.S. promises M1 tanks.

⦁ The Golobe and Mail reports, Setback in Cameroon shows challenges of Canada’s new Africa strategy.

⦁ The Guardian says North Korea locks down capital Pyongyang over respiratory illness.

⦁ The Financial Times writes Ukraine officials resign as Volodymyr Zelenskyy moves to ease corruption concerns.

⦁ South China Morning Post writes Finland’s top diplomat hints at joining Nato without Sweden, amid row with Turkey.

⦁ The Japan Times reports, Heavy snow continues across much of Japan as cold snap maintains grip.

⦁ The Strait Times reports Tornado strikes near Houston as severe weather moves east.

⦁ Le Monde writes Berlin airport cancels all flights over pay strike.

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REPEAT HEADLINES

⦁ India's President Droupadi Murmu addresses nation on the eve of Republic day; Says, world looking at India with a new sense of respect, creating new opportunities and responsibilities.

⦁ Six-day mega event Bharat Parv to be organised at Red Fort in Delhi from 26th to 31st of this month as part of Republic Day Celebrations.

⦁ Prime Minister Narendra Modi holds talks with President of Egypt, Abdel Fattah El-Sisi in New Delhi.

⦁ Ruling Labour Party leader Chris Hipkins takes over as Prime Minister of New Zealand.

⦁ In Australian Open Tennis, Indian duo of Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna enter the mixed-doubles final at Melbourne.

⦁ And in Hockey World Cup, Germany beat England while the Netherlands defeat South Korea in Bhubaneswar to enter Semi-finals.

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

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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