NAMASKAR! A warm welcome to 'World News: an Indian perspective on AKASHVANI.This is GEETANJALI. 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 Defence Minister Rajnath Singh visits Rajouri and Poonch to assess the ground situation after the attacks.

• External Affairs Minister of India Dr S. Jaishankar calls out his pakistani counterpart regarding the terrorism menace.

• India's Vice president Jagdeep Dhankar interacts with the Indian Diaspora during his visit to the United Kingdom.

• UAE to host a special event to mark the first anniversary of UAE-INDIA Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement.

• Saudi Arabia to issue E-visas for 7 nations including India, amove to digitise consular services.

•  India bags 14 medals at Asia Cup 2nd Stage Archery World Cup Tournament at Tashkent.

• Indian Duo Akash Sangwan and Nishant Dev move to Quarterfinals at IBA's Mens' Wolrd Championship at Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

• And in IPL, Chennai Superkings won by 7 wickets, whereas the match between Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Bengaluru is underway at New Delhi.   

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Defence Minister Rajnath Singh today took stock of the security situation in the twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch,  Our Jammu Correspondent reports that the visit of the defence minister to Rajouri comes a day after five elite para commandos of Sepcial Force of the army were martyred during an anti-terrorist operation in the forested Kesari Hills of Kandi area of the district. Singh, accompanied by Army Chief, General Manoj Pande and Lt Governor Manoj Sinha, reached Ace of Spades Division headquarters in Rajouri after a brief stopover in Jammu, also interacted with the troops engaged in the ongoing operation against the terrorists. Five army personnel were killed and a major-rank officer was injured during a combing operation, ‘Operation Trinetra’ in the Kandi area on Friday. However a holed up terrorist was killed and one more is believed to be injured this morning.  Lt General Upendra Dwivedi, GOC in Chief Northern Command, Corps commander White Knight Corps, and Divisional Commissioner, Jammu are also accompanying Rajnath to Rajouri. After getting a brief on the operation in Kandi forest, the defence minister chaired a high-level security meeting to review the overall security situation in J&K, especially in twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch before returning to Jammu.

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The External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar said that the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) discussed multilateral cooperation among member countries to address regional and global issues of common interest. Addressing a press conference after the SCO Foreign Minister's Meeting in Goa last evening, the External Affairs Minister said the members also discussed the preparations for the upcoming SCO Summit in India. He said India has furthered its priority of moving “Towards a SECURE SCO” during India's presidency. The External Affairs Minister said that it has been a meeting's endeavour to create new verticles of cooperation in SCO.

On his Pakistani counterpart Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the External Affairs Minister said as a promoter, justifier and spokesperson of the terrorism industry, his position on the menace was called out at the SCO meeting. He said, Pakistan’s credibility in dealing with terrorism is depleting even faster than their forex reserves. Asked whether there could be talks between India and Pakistan, the External Affairs Minister said, victims of terrorism do not sit together with perpetrators to discuss terrorism. The Minister said that the progress on the admission of Iran and Belarus as full Member States was reviewed.

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In today's hotspot section, we bring you a News Commentary on SCO Foreign Ministers Council Meeting Council Meeting In GOA. In Converseation with Dr. ATHAR ZAFAR, Analyst on Central Asia.

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Interacting with the Indian diaspora in London, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar said India is proud of its 32-million-strong worldwide diaspora and it must continue to counter baseless narratives about the country as its ambassadors. Mr. Dhankhar, is in the United Kingdom on a two-day visit to attend the Coronation of King Charles III. In his address he urged the gathering to contribute to the growth of the nation and ensure that untenable, ill-premised, unfounded, baseless narratives do not take strides in the public domain. Mr Dhankar said, Indian democracy is functioning at an unmatched level. He spoke of the country's "Amrit Kaal" achievements under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, marking 75 years of India's independence and highlighted the Government's target to become the third-largest economy by the turn of the decade. Mr. Dhankhar went on to speak at length about India's achievements across various sectors, including digital transformation, healthcare and vaccines, space technology and infrastructure growth. The Vice-President is accompanied by his wife Dr Sudesh Dhankhar.

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India has opened a track of access road for the dry port up to Dodhara Chadani Municipality-1 of Kanchanpur. The access road track has been opened up to the Nepali border by cutting down around 2,000 trees in Indian territory for the dry port in Dodhara Chadani. Mayor of Dodhara Chadani Municipality Kishor Limbu shared that India has opened a track of access road up to the Nepal-India border from the national highway based in bordering Chakkarpur market. The construction of a dry port in Dodhara Chadani would directly connect Sudurapschim with India for trade. In addition, it would facilitate easy access to New Delhi and the industrial city of Rudrapur.  A track of a four-lane access road having a length of around four kilometers has been opened which established connectivity between Chakarpur of Chambawat district of Uttarakhand, India and Nepali territory Gadigoth. Executive Director at Inter Model Transport Development Committee, Ashish Gajurel said India has agreed to construct all structures from dry port to integrated check post. For this purpose, a four-lane cemented bridge has been constructed over the Mahakali River for the dry port.

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A cyclonic circulation has formed and lay over the southeast Bay of Bengal and the neighbourhood extending up to the middle tropospheric level this morning.  Under its influence, a low-pressure area is likely to form over the same region by the morning of 8th May. The India Meteorological Department said, it is likely to concentrate into a depression over the Southeast Bay of Bengal around the 9th of this month.  Thereafter, it is likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm, Mocha, while moving nearly northwards towards the central Bay of Bengal.  The IMD added that the system is under constant watch and being monitored regularly. The MeT Department has said moderate rainfall at most places from the 8th to 12th of this month will occur over Andaman and  Nicobar Islands.  It has advised fishermen, small ships, boats and trawlers not to venture into the southeast Bay of Bengal and adjoining areas of the Andaman Sea from tomorrow onwards and into the southeast and adjoining central Bay of Bengal from the 9th of this month onwards. Those who are over the southeast Bay of Bengal are advised to return to safer places before tomorrow and those over the central Bay of Bengal are advised to return before the 9th of this month.  The IMD has also asked for regulation of tourism and offshore activities and shipping over the Andaman and Nicobar Islands from 8th to the 12th of this month.

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 In the run up to G20 Summit in New Delhi in September this year, 125 meetings are scheduled to be held in the next four months. Till date, 105 meetings under various engagement groups, Sherpa tracks and ministerial meetings have taken place ever since India assumed the G20 Presidency in December 2022. Let us take a look at the upcoming events in May -June.

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The UAE Ministry of Economy is hosting a special event to mark the first anniversary of the UAE-India Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) during the Annual Investment Meeting at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center on May 8. The event, called CEPA Beyond Trade, will showcase the positive impact of the agreement on commercial and cultural exchange between the two countries over the past 12 months. CEPA Beyond Trade will include panel discussions with industry leaders from both the UAE and India, who will discuss the main successes of the partnership to date and explore how the two sides are collaborating in areas such as food, fashion, and the arts. The event will also feature a street food festival, fashion display, and live entertainment.  The event is also being supported by AIM, the Lulu Group, The Indian People's Forum (IPF), and Texmas. CEPA Beyond Trade will take place at the Annual Investment Meeting on May 8 at 2 pm. The program aims to showcase the success of the partnership and strengthen the bonds of friendship and collaboration between the UAE and India. The Government of Kerala has been announced as a Gold Sponsor for the upcoming Annual Investment Meeting.

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The Liberation War Fighters Organisation, Muktijuddha Manch has asked the government of Bangladesh to remove China from the Teesta Project and complete it with its own funds as it did for the Padma bridge.

The Muktijuddha Manch formed a human chain and brought out a protest march in Rangpur on Saturday accusing China of pushing Bangladesh towards a debt trap in the name of Teesta Project which will destroy agricultural land, river basin and environment. They also accused China of destabilising Bangladesh by building an undeclared military base near the Teesta river.

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Ten Indian fishermen who were rescued from Maldivian waters have been safely brought to Visakhapatnam by Indian Coast Guard  today. Ministry of Defence in a statement said that out of them,  eight belong to Vizhinjam in Kerala while two are from Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu. Preliminary medical examination of all these fishermen was carried out on-board the Coast Guard ship and all were found to be in healthy state.

The Ministry said that these fishermen had ventured into sea from Thengapatnam near Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu on 16th of last month. However, their boat developed engine failure and they were adrift to Maldivian region without any help for five  days. The Ministry added that the fishermen were rescued by MV Furious from Maldives search and  rescue region in coordination with Indian Coast Guard Maritime Rescue Coordination Center on 26th April.  Based on information received at  this Centre,  Indian Coast Guard Ship Vigraha was dispatched to embark these rescued fishermen from the merchant vessel transiting off Campbell Bay in Andaman and Nicobar islands.

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In Japan, the emergency services said that aftershocks have rattled the country a day after a powerful  6.5 magnitude earthquake left at least one person dead and damaged buildings. Japan’s disaster management agency said, approximately 55 aftershocks, some of them strong, hit today morning. The agency warned that heavy rain could trigger landslides in affected areas. It said, at least 23 people had been injured. Earlier on Friday, a 65-year-old man died when he fell from a ladder during the earthquake that hit the central Ishikawa region. Houses and a shrine were also damaged while train services were disrupted.

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Saudi Arabia has officially stopped issuing visa stickers and replaced them with e-visas in seven countries. According to the Saudi Foreign Ministry, the decision to issue e-visas with QR codes came into effect from May 2023. Countries that will benefit from this initiative include Jordan, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Egypt, India, Bangladesh, the Philippines, and Indonesia. The move to introduce e-visas is aimed at digitizing the consular services by the Saudi Foreign Ministry and creating a new way to issue work, residency, and visit visas in the countries mentioned above.

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In the United Kingdom, King Charles has been crowned as the new King in London today. Charles III has taken his oath and been crowned King in a ceremony witnessed by over two thousand guests and dignitaries in Westminster Abbey. The Archbishop of Canterbury placed the St Edward's Crown on the King's head during a ceremony at Westminster Abbey. After the King was crowned, his wife Camilla was crowned Queen in a simpler ceremony. She was crowned with queen Mary's crown.

Gun salutes were made at 13 locations across the UK, including in London, Edinburgh and Hillsborough, at the moment King Charles was crowned, while the bells of Westminster Abbey rang for two minutes.

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India has bagged 14 medals, including seven gold, five silver and two bronze at the Asia Cup Stage 2 World Ranking Tournament to top the event in Tashkent on Friday. India’s compound archers bagged all the medals on offer to stamp their authority. They made a clean sweep in the Men’s and Women’s section to have a share of five gold, two silver and two bronze and the Recurve archers added two gold and three silver to propel India to the top spot in final standings with 14 medals.

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Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Singh Thakur has congratulated  Weightlifter  Bindyarani Devi  on clinching silver medal   in the 55 Kilogram category at the Asian Weightlifting Championships. In a tweet, Mr Thakur said that the country  is proud of her achievement.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has congratulated Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra for his 88.67 meters javelin throw at Doha Diamond League. In a tweet today, Mr. Modi expressed happiness over Neeraj's first event of the year with first position. He said, with the world lead throw of 88.67 meters, Neeraj Chopra shined at the Doha Diamond League. The Prime Minister conveyed his best wishes for the endeavours ahead.

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In Boxing, Akash Sangwan (67kg) and Nishant Dev (71kg) recorded comprehensive wins and moved into the pre-quarterfinals of their respective weight classes at the IBA Men’s World Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan today. Akash defeated Chinese boxer Fu Mingke, while Nishant beat Korean Sangmin Lee with an identical 5-0. Now, Akash Sangwan will fight fifth-seeded Dulat Bekbauov of Kazakhstan in the last 16, while Nishant Dev will face Palestinian Foqahaa Nidal next.

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The Global Chess League (GCL), the world's largest and first franchise-based chess league, has announced Dubai as the venue for its inaugural edition. The joint venture between FIDE (International Chess Federation) and Tech Mahindra, a part of the Mahindra Group, revealed the news at a press conference  in the presence of key dignitaries including Dr Aman Puri, Consul General of India in Dubai, Viswanathan Anand, five-time world chess champion, and Deputy President, FIDE, CP Gurnani, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, Tech Mahindra, Parag Shah, EVP & Head, Mahindra Accelo, and Member, Global Chess League Board, and Jagdish Mitra, Chairperson, Global Chess League Board.

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In IPL Cricket, in a match between Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai,  Chennai Superkings won by 6 wickets. Earlier Chennai Super Kings had won the toss and opted to bowl.  THe second match of the day between Delhi Capitals and  Royal Challengers Bangalore at Arun JAitely Stadium is underway. RCB has given a targate 181 Runs to DC.

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

The Financial Times writes, Russia arrests two theatre workers on ‘justifying terrorism’ charges.

The Wall Street Journal reports, Russia Tightens Grip in Occupied Zone as Locals Await Ukraine’s Forces.

The Straits Times reports, Record ocean temperatures trigger concern as El Nino looms.

Le Monde reports, Russian nationalist writer Zakhar Prilepin injured in car 'explosion'.

South China Morning Post writes, ‘Social phobia’ a problem for most young Chinese, survey finds.

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REPEAT HEADLINES

• India's Defence Minister Rajnath Singh visits Rajouri and Poonch to assess the ground situation after the attacks.

• External Affairs Minister of India Dr S. Jaishankar calls out his pakistani counterpart regarding the terrorism menace.

• India's Vice president Jagdeep Dhankar interacts with the Indian Diaspora during his visit to the United Kingdom.

• UAE to host a special event to mark the first anniversary of UAE-INDIA Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement.

• Saudi Arabia to issue E-visas for 7 nations including India, amove to digitise consular services.

•  India bags 14 medals at Asia Cup 2nd Stage Archery World Cup Tournament at Tashkent.

• Indian Duo Akash Sangwan and Nishant Dev move to Quarterfinals at IBA's Mens' Wolrd Championship at Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

• And in IPL, Chennai Superkings won by 7 wickets, whereas the match between Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Bengaluru is underway at New Delhi.   

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

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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