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

<><><>

THE HEADLINES:

⦁ G20 Sustainable Finance Working Group holds roundtable discussions in Udaipur city of Rajashtan on net zero carbon development.

⦁ India invited for G7 Hiroshima Summit in Japan.

⦁ Prime Minister Narendra Modi to inaugurate new International Telecommunication Union Area office and Innovation Centre in New Delhi on Wednesday.

⦁ US President Joe Biden signs bill that directs federal government to declassify intelligence about origins of Covid-19.

⦁ IMF approves Sri Lanka’s much-awaited bailout package.  

⦁ Indian boxers Nikhat Zareen, Nitu Ghanghas and Manisha Moun storm into quarterfinals of Women's World Championships in New Delhi.

⦁ Swiss Open badminton tournament begins in Basel, Switzerland.

<><><>

UDAIPUR-G20:

The second G20 Sustainable Finance Working Group meeting began in Udaipur, Rajasthan on Tuesday. Roundtable discussions were held on the need to do much more to achieve net zero carbon development. A workshop focusing on understanding the effectiveness of non pricing policy levers in enabling low carbon development was also held. It was mentioned that non-price-based policy levers have performed better than expectations, and are cost-effective. A discussion was also held stressing the need for development of an ecosystem for green finance.

<><><>

PM-JAPAN INVITATION:

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has formally invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the G7 Hiroshima Summit after the two leaders had delegation-level talks in New Delhi on Monday. In his statement after the talks, Mr Modi said, this meeting aims to give a voice to the global South and strengthen the India-Japan relationship. PM Modi emphasised that this year is unique as India is holding the presidency of G20 and Japan will hold the presidency of G7. Mr Modi said that strengthening the partnership between the two countries will play an important role in maintaining peace in the Indo-Pacific region. Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra said, India and Japan signed two documents on the sidelines of the bilateral talks. The agreements include Renewal of Memorandum of Cooperation in Japanese language, and Exchange of notes on JICA loan for 300 billion Yen on Mumbai-Ahmedabad high speed railway project.

<><><>

PM - INNOVATION CENTRE:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the new International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Area office and Innovation Centre in India in New Delhi on Wednesday. ITU is the United Nations specialised agency for information and communication technologies and its Headquarters is in Geneva. India had signed a Host Country Agreement in March last year with ITU for establishment of Area Office. The Area Office in India also envisaged to have an Innovation Centre, making it unique among other area offices of ITU. The Area Office, which is fully funded by India, is located on the second floor of the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DoT) building at Mehrauli in the national capital. It will serve India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Afghanistan and Iran, enhancing coordination among nations and fostering mutually beneficial economic cooperation in the region. During the programme, Prime Minister will also unveil Bharat 6G Vision Document and launch 6G Research and Development Test Bed.

<><><>

JAISHANKAR-US SECY:

External Affairs Minister Dr Jaishankar met US Secretary of Air Force Frank Kendall in New Delhi on Tuesday. They discussed the global strategic scenario and new opportunities for India-US defense cooperation.

<><><>

US-MEA-KHALISTAN:

The United States has condemned the attack on the Indian Consulate in San Francisco. The US State Department said that it pledges to defend the safety and security of such facilities as well as the diplomats who work within them. US National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said that the vandalism done is absolutely unacceptable. He said that the State Department's diplomatic security service is working with local authorities to properly investigate the case and added that the department will work on infrastructure perspective to repair the damage. The statement came after India registered a strong protest with a senior US diplomat over vandalism at the Indian consulate general in San Francisco by Khalistani extremists. Meanwhile, a statement by the ministry of external affairs said that India conveyed its strong protest at the vandalisation of the property of the Consulate General of India, in San Francisco in a meeting with the US Charge d’Affaires in New Delhi. It said that the US Government was reminded of its basic obligation to protect and the secure diplomatic representation. India asked the US to take appropriate measures to prevent the recurrence of such incidents.

<><><>

XI-PUTIN

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived at the Kremlin on Tuesday for formal talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, on matters of concern including the Ukraine conflict.

The Kremlin has said the two leaders would discuss proposals put forward by China to end more than a year of fighting in Ukraine, and that the talks were likely to end with Xi and Putin signing numbers of agreements.

Xi earlier also met with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.

Beijing and Moscow's trade ties have boomed since Russia's Ukraine campaign, linking the nations more closely and raising worries in Western capitals over how far the ties will go.

Xi, also invited Putin to visit China this year.

Xi's trip coincides with a surprise visit to Kyiv by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who visited Bucha, a towhere Russian forces were accused of committing atrocities during their occupation last year.

<><><>

CBI-MEHUL CHOKSI:

Central Bureau of Investigation, CBI has said that its Global Operations Centre continues to closely monitor movements of wanted criminals like Mehul Choksi in close coordination with foreign law enforcement agencies. It said that CBI is not reliant only on INTERPOL channels. The agency said, extradition request regarding Mehul Choksi, made by India is under active consideration before authorities in Antigua and Barbuda and remains fully unimpacted by Red notice related communications with INTERPOL.

<><><>

KISHIDA-BANGLADESH:

Japan views Bangladesh and other areas to the south as a single economic zone and it will seek to promote the Bay of Bengal-Northeast India industrial value chain concept in cooperation with India and Bangladesh to foster the growth of the entire region, says Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. He said Northeast India, surrounded by land, still has unexploited economic potential. Delivering the 41st Sapru House lecture in New Delhi yesterday, Prime Minister Kishida outlined his vision of a Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) as the guiding perspective to be shared by the international community.

<><><>

HOTSPOT

In today's hotspot section we bring you a News Commentary on India-Bangladesh Maitri Pipeline Inaugurated.

<><><>

BIDEN-COVID BILL:

US President Joe Biden has signed a bipartisan bill that directs the federal government to declassify intelligence about the origins of Covid-19. In a statement, he said, US needs to get to the bottom of COVID-19's origins including potential links to the Wuhan Institute of Virology. The legislation, which passed both the House and Senate without dissent, cites potential links between the research that was done in the Wuhan lab and the outbreak of Covid-19, which the World Health Organisation declared a pandemic on March 11, 2020.

<><><>

SL-IMF BAILOUT:

The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund has approved Sri Lanka’s bailout package under an Extended Fund Facility. The package of 2.290 billion dollar special drawing rights equivalent to about 3 billion dollars will be available over 4 years. The Executive Board’s decision will enable an immediate disbursement of 333 million dollars. More from our Colombo Correspondent:

"With IMF’s approval of the extended fund facility, Sri Lanka will be hoping to turn around its economy which has been hit by forex shortages. Sri Lanka had entered into a staff level agreement with the IMF in September last year, and had been making efforts to obtain the approval of the bailout. India’s generous assistance during the crisis and proactive efforts in the form of financing assurances as earlier this year have been notable in the island nation’s path to recovery. At the same time, Sri Lanka has taken several tough measures including cutting subsidies and raising of taxes which have been met with considerable protest from trade unions. Dr. Ahmed Muyeen Farooqi, AIR News, Colombo."

<><><>

FRANCE-NO-CONFIDENCE:

The French government has survived a vote of no-confidence, which was triggered when it forced through an increase in the pension age to 64. It sparked new anti-government protests in Paris, where 101 people were arrested after stand-offs with police. The vote, tabled by centrist MPs, had 278 votes in favour, falling short of the 287 votes needed. A second no-confidence motion, tabled by Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally party, also did not pass.

<><><>

THAI PARLIAMENT- DISSOLVED:

Thailand's king Vajiralongkorn has dissolved parliament, paving the way for a general election in early May. Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha's new conservative, royalist party faces a strong challenge from the Pheu Thai party, led by exiled former PM Thaksin Shinawatra's daughter Paetongtarn. Mr Prayuth, who led a 2014 coup against the last pro-Thaksin government, has trailed in opinion polls for months. Although the election date has not been set, but as per the constitution, it must be held within 60 days of dissolution.

<><><>

BHUPENDER ENVIRONMENT:

India's Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav has released fourteen guidelines to address Human-Wildlife Conflict. For details we have a desk report:

"The guidelines aim to facilitate a common understanding among key stakeholders, on what constitutes effective and efficient mitigation of Human-Wildlife Conflict in India. These are advisory in nature, and will facilitate in further development of site-specific HWC mitigation measures. These guidelines are developed under the Indo-German cooperation project on HWC Mitigation. There are ten species-specific guidelines which include Guidelines for mitigating Human-Elephant, Human-Leopard, Human-Snake, and Human-Crocodile Conflict. There are four guidelines on cross-cutting issues. These include Guidelines for cooperation between Forest and Media sector, and Addressing Health Emergencies and Potential Health Risks Arising Out of Human-Wildlife Conflict Situations. Swati Rakheja, World News."

<><><>

INS SUJATA:

INS Sujata, a ship based at Southern Naval Command, Kochi, visited Port Maputo, Mozambique as a part of Overseas Deployment from 19 to 20 of this month. The ship was received by Captain Nitin Kapoor, DA Pretoria, Commandant NRN Siva Babu, Coast Guard Afloat Support Team and Captain Florentino Jose' Narciso from Mozambican Navy amidst the fanfare of Mozambican Navy Band and traditional dance performances at the jetty. Ministry of Defecne said that about 40 personnel of the Mozambican Navy visited the ship for Cross deck training, which included walkaround of training facilities, briefing about diving ops, training on VBSS and light weapons, visual communication and maintenance of machinery and hygiene onboard. It said, various other activities such as combined morning yoga session, soccer match were organised between the personnel of both the Navies. The Ministry said that this visit further enhanced the mutual cooperation and bilateral ties between the two Navies.

<><><>

WORLD DOSYNDROME DAY

World DoSyndrome Day, WDSD is observed every year on 21st March. It is a global campaign which is observed annually to spread awareness about DoSyndrome. The day helps educate the public on what DoSyndrome is and how to encourage those with DoSyndrome to participate in daily activities so they can live a full life and play a vital role in their community. On the occasion, National Gallery of Modern Art, NGMA is organising a painting and pottery workshop on Tuesday. Talking to AIR, NGMA Director Temsunaro Tripathi briefed about the workshop.

WDSD is officially observed by the United Nations since 2012. March 21 was selected to signify the uniqueness of the triplication of the 21st chromosome which causes Dosyndrome, a disorder that affects approximately 6,000 babies at birth every year. It is usually associated with physical growth delays, mild to moderate intellectual disability, and characteristic facial features. The average IQ of a young adult with Dosyndrome is 50, equivalent to the mental ability of an eight- or nine-year-old child, but this can vary widely.

<><><>

PM-NAVROZ

Navroz or the Parsi New Year is being celebrated on 21st March.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has extended his greetings on the occasion of Navroz. In a tweet, the Prime Minister also prayed for everyone's happiness and good health. He wished that the year ahead brings greater prosperity and further the spirit of togetherness in the society.

<><><>

DUBAI-STARTUP

The sixth pitching session of the second season of "Elevate" concluded in Dubai on Tuesday. The event saw the participation of six Startups in India and an unprecedented registration of 180 investors. The six startups which participated in the Elevate session, were winners of National Startup Awards 2023.

This edition of ‘Elevate’ saw Film board Movie Technologies inc, Trascender Services Pvt Ltd, Cogos Technologies Pvt Ltd, Changejar Technologies Pvt Ltd, Makerinme Technologies Pvt Ltd, Revamp Moto Pvt Ltd pitching their innovative ideas in-front of plausible investors looking for additional rounds of funding.

<><><>

WORLD NEWS CAPSULE

The Key domestic share markets on Tuesday posted gains of more than half a percent. The Sensex at the Bombay Stock Exchange closed above the 58,000 mark while the Nifty at the National Stock Exchange ended above the 17,100 level. Both indices rose amid positive global cues. A report from the business desk-

"The Sensex climbed 446 points, or 0.77 percent, to finish at 58,075. The Nifty also surged 119 points, or 0.7 percent, to settle at 17,108. In Asian markets, Hong Kong's Hang Seng surged 1.3 per cent and Singapore's Straits Times rose 1.1 per cent. China's Shanghai Composite gained 0.6 per cent and South Korea's Kospi added 0.4 per cent. While Japan's Nikkei-225 was closed due to holiday. European shares were also up intra-day trade. Oil rose, recovering from a 15-month low hit in the previous session. The crude added as the rescue of Credit Suisse eased worries about global banking sector risks that could hit economic growth and fuel demand. In intra-day trade, Brent crude was trading at around 73 dollars and 95 cents per barrel. Back home, Gold price at Multi Commodity Exchange for April contracts was trading at around 59,140 rupees per 10 gram. Silver was trading at around 68,890 rupees per kilogram for May Contracts. Anubha Rohatgi for World News, All India Radio."

<><><>

BOXING

Indian boxers Nikhat Zareen, Nitu Ghanghas and Manisha Moun have stormed into the quarterfinals of the Women's World Championships in New Delhi. Nikhat in 50kg, Nitu in 48kg and Manisha in 57kg categories recorded victories in the first session to advance to the quarterfinals of the tournament at the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex on Tuesday. Defending champion Nikhat defeated Mexican pugilist Fatima Herrera comfortably by unanimous decision. She will face Thai boxer Chuthamat Rakshat in the quarterfinals on Wednesday.

2022 Commonwealth Games champion Nitu defeated Tajikistan’s Sumaiya Qosimova while Manisha registered victory over Turkey’s Nur Turhan. Nitu will face Japan’s Madoka Wada of Japan while Manisha will take on French pugilist Amina Zidani in the quarter-finals.

<><><>

SWISS OPEN 2023:

The 2023 Swiss Open badminton tournament has started in Basel, Switzerland. The tournament will be played till 26 of this month. Indian shuttler PV Sindhu will begin her campaign on Wednesday against local wildcard Jenjira Stadelmann. In men’s singles on Wednesday, H S Prannoy will face China's Shi Yu Qi in his opening-round fixture. While, Lakshya Sen will take on Lee Cheuk Yiu of Hong Kong and former silver medallist Kidambi Srikanth will be up against China’s Weng Hong Yang in their first-round matches.

<><><>

WPL RESULT

In Women's Premier League Cricket, Mumbai Indians (MI) defeated Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) by 4 wickets at the Dr DY Patil Sports Academy, Navi Mumbai. MI won the toss and put RCB to bat. RCB scored 125 for 9 wickets in the stipulated 20 overs, in reply MI achieved the target while 21 balls remaining. In another match Delhi Capitals defeated UP Warriorz by 5 wickets at Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai. Delhi surpassed the target of 139 runs by scoring 142 for 5 wickets in just 17.5 overs.

<><><>

ISSF - WORLD CUP SHOOTING

The International Shooting Sports Federation- ISSF World Cup Shooting Championship was inaugurated on Tuesday in Bhopal, the capital of Madhya Pradesh.

Around 200 shooters from 30 countries are participating in the World Shooting Championship. The matches for the medals will start on Wednesday.

This is the first ever Shooting World Cup to be held outside New Delhi in the country.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan inaugurated this championship at Kushabhau Thackeray International Convention Center in Bhopal. ISSF President Luciano Rossi was the guest of honour at the event.

<><><>

ANURAG YOUTH

Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Anurag Thakur today said there is incredible transformation and digitalisation happening across sectors. He highlighted that there cannot be a more auspicious and exciting time in the history of the world to work on harnessing the power of the youth. He was speaking at FICCI Global Young Leaders Summit in Delhi today.

<><><>

FPR

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

⦁ The Guardian writes, US calls conditions in Rwanda’s detention centres harsh to life-threatening.

⦁ The Guardian writes, Xi invites Putin to China in show of support as Moscow talks continue.

⦁ The Washington Post writes, U.K. scientists plead for return of rare shark’s head, promise ‘no judging’.

⦁ The Globe and Mail reports, Rare seven-judge Supreme Court hearing begins for pivotal federalism case.

⦁ The Globe and Mail reports, Canada’s inflation rate eases by most since early in the pandemic, but grocery costs still rising.

⦁ The Financial Times writes, Janet Yellen to signal further US support for deposits at smaller banks.

⦁ South China Morning Post says, Singapore’s Lee family feud: Lee Hsien Yang, wife must choose between fugitive status and returning home to clear name, minister says.

<><><>

LS-URBAN FOREST COVER

Government has said that as per the India State of Forest Report ISFR 2011 and 2021 reports, the forest cover of Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad and Mumbai has increased over a period of 10 years. In a written reply in the Lok Sabha yesterday, Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Aswini Kumar Choubey said, the Forest Survey of India FSI, Dehradun, an organization under the Ministry carries out the assessment of forest cover of the country biennially since 1987 and the findings are published in ISFR. He said, the FSI has published a study for the first time on the decadal change in forest cover in seven major mega cities between ISFR 2011 and ISFR 2021.

The Minister said, as per the study, there is an increase in forest cover in some mega cities while there is decrease in forest cover in few other cities. He said, overall, there is an increase of 68 square kilometers in the forest cover of seven major mega cities between ISFR 2011 to ISFR 2021. Mr Choubey said, the increase in forest cover may be attributed to conservation measures, afforestation activities, enhanced protection measures in plantation as well as in traditional forest areas, expansion of Tree Outside Forest. He said his Ministry has not undertaken any study regarding correlation between reduction of forest and increase in pollution.

<><><>

INDIA - JORDAN

The second Consultative Meeting on Defence Cooperation between India and Jordan was held in New Delhi today. The two countries discussed a range of issues including military training and courses, Cyber Security, military exercises, military medicine and capacity building in various areas to enhance defence engagements. Both sides also exchanged their respective capabilities in defence industry and research and development for forging collaborations in mutually beneficial areas. The Jordanian delegation also interacted with the representatives of defence industry.

<><><>

REPEAT HEADLINES

⦁ G20 Sustainable Finance Working Group holds roundtable discussions in Udaipur city of Rajashtan on net zero carbon development.

⦁ India invited for G7 Hiroshima Summit in Japan.

⦁ Prime Minister Narendra Modi to inaugurate new International Telecommunication Union Area office and Innovation Centre in New Delhi on Wednesday.

⦁ US President Joe Biden signs bill that directs federal government to declassify intelligence about origins of Covid-19.

⦁ IMF approves Sri Lanka’s much-awaited bailout package.  

⦁ Indian boxers Nikhat Zareen, Nitu Ghanghas and Manisha Moun storm into quarterfinals of Women's World Championships in New Delhi.

⦁ Swiss Open badminton tournament begins in Basel, Switzerland.

<><><>

And now, before we end, let us listen to Mahatma Gandhi's favourite bhajanVaishnav Jan, by artists from JAPAN on their Independence day.

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

<><><>