NAMASKAR! A warm welcome to 'World News: an Indian perspective on AKASHVANI. This is ABHINIT SHUKLA 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:

⦁ Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Sydney, Australia this evening on the last leg of his three-nation tour.

⦁ Prime Minister Narendra Modi conferred highest civilian Honours of Fiji and Papua New Guinea for his global leadership.

⦁ Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape says Pacific Islands nations are victims of global powerplay and these countries will rally behind Indian leadership at world forums.

⦁ Sudan’s army and rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces have agreed to a seven-day ceasefire beginning on Monday.

⦁ Greece's conservative prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has won national elections, hailing his party's big victory as a political earthquake.

⦁ In Jammu and Kashmir, 3rd Tourism Working Group meeting of the G20 began in Srinagar today.

⦁ Indian paddlers Sharath Kamal and G Sathiyan make winning start at World Table Tennis Championships in Durban, South Africa.

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PM-AUSTRALIA ARRIVAL

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Sydney, Australia this evening on the last leg of his three-nation tour. Briefing media about the visit, Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra said, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a bilateral meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. The Australian Prime Minister will also host a dinner for Mr Modi. He said, the Prime Minister will call on Governor General David Hurley. Mr Kwatra said, Mr Modi will also meet leading CEOs and also address the Indian community. Briefing about Prime Minister's visit to Papua New Guinea, the Foreign Secretary said, Forum for India-Pacific Islands cooperation FIPIC Summit has helped deepen considerably India's engagement, scope, breadth and intensity with the Pacific Islands Nations across various domains. He said, today's summit was an opportunity for leaders of Pacific Islands countries to share their views on regional priorities and interests and engagement with India.

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PM-AUSTRALIA INTERVIEW

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that bilateral relationship between India and Australia is being nourished by the fast-growing Indian diaspora which serving as a living bridge between the two nations. In an interview with newspaper 'The Australian', Mr Modi said that people-to-people contact is the strong pillar of the partnership between the two countries. The Prime Minister said, he wants to take India’s relationship with Australia to the next level. He said, closer defence and security ties between the two nations will help ensure an open and free Indo-Pacific. Mr Modi said, he is not a person who gets satisfied easil and he has seen that Prime Minister Albanese is the same. He expressed confidence that when he and Mr Albanese are together again in Sydney, they will get the opportunity to explore how they can take the relations to the next level. Mr Modi said, they will identify new area of complementariness and can expand the co-operation.

He denied that the bilateral relations would be harmed by India's refusal to criticise Russia as Australia has been high critical of the country over its war with Ukraine. Mr Modi said, an advantage of being good friends is that we can discuss freely and appreciate each other's viewpoint. The Prime Minister said, Australia understands India's position and it does not impact the bilateral relationship. He hoped the visit will allow both countries to identify new areas of cooperation, ranging from new technology, clean energy, critical minerals, mining, cyber space, building resilient supply chains to movement of skilled professionals. The Prime Minister said, since his last visit the bilateral relationship has been fundamentally transformed by annual summits, an economic cooperation and trade agreement and the elevation of relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership. He said, India and Australia have progressed significantly in the areas of defence, security, investment, education, water, climate change and renewable energy, sports, science, health, culture, among others.

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PM-FIPIC

The Prime Minister on Monday co-chaired the 3rd Summit of the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC III Summit) with his Papua New Guinea counterpart James Marape. Making the opening remarks at the FIPIC III summit, Prime Minister said the whole world is facing new challenges on Monday and the hurdles have been seen in the global Food, Fuel, Fertilizers and Pharma Supply chains. Prime Minister Modi added that when the COVID and other testing times affected the world, and reliable countries didn't come for help but the India was very much there to support the Pacific Island friends. Prime Minister said India considers its responsibility to convey the concerns, expectations and aspirations of the Global South to the world through the G-20. Speaking at the event, Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape said that Pacific Islands nations are victims of global powerplay. He said these countries will rally behind Indian leadership at global forums. Mr Marape also urged Mr Modi to be an active voice for the small island nations at global forums such as G20 and G7 attributing him as the leader of Global South. Leaders of 14 countries participated in the summit. FIPIC was launched during Mr Modi's visit to Fiji in 2014. The Prime Minister arrived in Papua New Guinea on Sunday evening from Japan where he attended the summit of the G7 advanced economies and held bilateral meetings with several world leaders. Prime Minister Modi was conferred with Fiji's Highest Civilian Honour "The Companion of the Order of Fiji" for his global leadership. Mr Modi received the medal from his Fiji counterpart Sitiveni Rabuka. Mr Modi thanked Mr Rabuka for the award. He also expressed his gratitude to the people and government of Fiji. He said, it is an honour for the people of India and a recognition of the strong ties between both the countries. Governor-General of Papua New Guinea Bob Dadae also bestowed upon Mr. Modi the nation's highest civilian award, the Grand Companion of the Order of Logohu. He received the award for championing the cause of unity of Pacific Island countries and spearheading the cause of global south. Earlier, Mr Modi held a meeting with his Papua New Guinea counterpart James Marape and discussed a broad range of bilateral relations. In a tweet, Mr Modi said that Prime Minister James Marape and he had very productive talks, covering the full range of bilateral relations between India and Papua New Guinea. Mr Modi said he and his counterpart discussed ways to augment cooperation in commerce, technology, healthcare and in addressing climate change.  Prime Minister Modi also held talks with the island nation's Governor-General Bob Dadae separately and stressed on strengthening the partnership between the two countries across multiple sectors. In a tweet, Mr Modi said he had a wonderful meeting with Governor General of Papua New Guinea and talked about ways to deepen bilateral relations between both the nations across different sectors.

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HOTSPOT

In today's hotspot section, we bring you a news commentery on

India at G7 Hiroshima Summit.

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SUDAN CEASEFIRE

Sudan’s army and the rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have agreed to a seven-day ceasefire after talks in the Saudi city of Jeddah, is due to come into effect from Monday evening with an internationally supported monitoring mechanism. Under this agreement, both sides promised to stop their forces from occupying new areas and not to impede aid groups and workers from providing lifesaving assistance. The warring groups also agreed not to loot civilian properties or humanitarian supplies, nor seize critical infrastructure such as electricity, fuel and water installations. The agreement came after US secretary of state Antony Blinken spoke with General al-Burhan about efforts to stop the fighting and restore essentialservices. Blinken urged both sides to uphold the truce to deliver humanitarian aid for the millions of Sudanese suffering after more than five weeks of fighting between the generals’ forces.

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GREECE ELECTIONS

Greece's conservative prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has won national elections, hailing his party's big victory as a political earthquake. He said in a victory speech, people wanted the choice of a Greece run by a majority government and by New Democracy without the help of others, His centre-right New Democracy party were heading for almost 41% of the vote, five seats short of a majority. His centre-left rival Alexis Tsipras congratulated him, with his Syriza party set for a poor result of 20%. Mr Mitsotakis said the result showed that Greeks had given his party a mandate for a four-year government. Mr Mitsotakis's party won 146 seats, five seats short of the 151 required for a majority. An interior ministry vote map showed all but one of Greece's electoral districts coloured in New Democracy blue. The prime minister's remarks were taken as indication that he would not look to share power with another party but go for a second election in late June, when the winning party picks up bonus seats. Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou will offer him a mandate to form a coalition, which he is likely to refuse. She will then pass it to the next two parties, and if that fails she will arrange a caretaker government until new elections.

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EU-RALLY

A huge pro-EU rally has taken place in Moldova's capital Chisinau, organised by the country's President Maia Sandu. An estimated 75,000 people turned out to support Moldova's push to join the European Union.  Her pro-Western government has accused Russia of stoking tensions by supporting Moldova's pro-Russian opposition Sor party. Moscow denies meddling in the country's affairs. Ms Sandu told demonstrators her country no longer wanted to be an outlier. She pledged  that Moldova would become a European Union member nation by 2030. Moldova, a former Soviet republic which has a population of about 2.6 million, applied last year to join the EU and in June 2022 became a candidate country, alongside Ukraine. The country, which sits between Ukraine and Romania, is also dependent on Russian gas - something Moscow exploited last year by cutting its supply to Moldova by half.

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PALESTINE-DEAD

Three Palestinians have been shot dead and several wounded by Israeli forces in Nablus, in the occupied West Bank. Witnesses described hearing gunfire and explosions as Israeli troops raided several houses in the crowded Balata refugee camp, in what they said was the biggest operation there in years.The Israeli military says gunmen shot at its soldiers, who returned fire. Israeli-Palestinian violence has been intensifying for months with near-nightly Israeli military raids in the West Bank and rising settler violence as well as a series of deadly attacks by Palestinians on Israelis.

Funerals have taken place for the three men who were killed during the latest raid in Nablus. Palestinian sources say these two men were killed in an exchange of fire with Israeli forces, while it was unclear if the third man had joined in the fighting. In a statement, the spokesman for the Palestinian presidency, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, condemned what he called "a real massacre and a continuation of the all-out war Israel is waging against the Palestinian people". He called for the US administration to intervene to put a stop "to the Israeli madness that will drag the region towards an explosion".

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BANGLADESH-US NAVAL DRILL EXERCISE

The Joint Bangladesh-US Naval drill Exercise ‘Tiger Shark 40’ started at BNS Nirvik in Chattogram on Sunday. The objective of the exercise is to increase strategic capabilities of both the countries and to acquire mutual technical and procedural knowledge. An official press release of the Bangladesh Inter Services Press Relations (ISPR) issued on Monday said, it is being undertaken to improve the existing good relations between the armed forces of the two countries. Special Forces of Bangladesh Army and Navy and US Special Forces participated in this training exercise held under the management of Commodore Swords Command. Chattogram Naval Area Commander Rear Admiral Abdullah AL Mamun Chowdhury attended the event as the Chief Guest. Some of the representatives of the US Embassy in Bangladesh also participated in the event. Among others, the Armed Forces Department, Army, Navy and other officials of Chittagong Naval Region and invited guests were present in the exercise. The joint exercise will end on June 15, 2023.

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US-BIDEN

President Joe Biden and top Republican Kevin McCarthy are due to meet at the White House on Monday for talks on lifting the US debt ceiling.

The pair spoke on the phone on Sunday as the president was travelling back from the G7 summit in Japan. The two sides remain at odds over budget cuts demanded by the Republicans as a condition for raising the ceiling. The debt ceiling is a spending limit set by Congress which determines how much money the government can borrow. Failure to raise it beyond the current cap of roughly $31.4tn (£25.2tn) by June could result in the US defaulting on its debt.

That would mean the government could not borrow any more money or pay all of its bills. It would also threaten to wreak havoc on the global economy, affecting prices and mortgage rates in other countries.

As he left Japan on Sunday, Mr Biden told reporters that proposals by Republicans - who control the House of Representatives - were "simply, quite frankly, unacceptable".

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CHINA-BAN

China says products made by US memory chip giant Micron Technology are a national security risk. The country's cyberspace regulator announced on Sunday that America's biggest maker of memory chips poses serious network security risks. The CAC did not give details of the risks it said it had found or in which Micron products it had found them.

It means the firm's products will be banned from key infrastructure projects in the world's second largest economy. It is China's first major move against a US chip maker, as tensions increase between Beijing and Washington.

The announcement is the latest development in a deepening row between the US and China over the technology crucial to economies around the world. The long-running dispute has seen Washington impose a series of measures against Beijing's chip making industry and invest billions of dollars to boost America's semiconductor sector.

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US-PAPUA NEW GUINEA

The United States signed a new security pact with Papua New Guinea on Monday as it competes with China for influence in the Pacific.The State Department said the new agreement provides a framework to help improve security cooperation, enhance the capacity of Papua New Guinea’s defense force and increase regional stability. The full agreement will be made public once politicians in both countries have an opportunity for input, likely in a couple of months.

The U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told US has deeply invested in the Indo-Pacific because planet’s future is being written here. Papua New Guinea is playing a critical role in shaping that future.

Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape said the pact is mutually beneficial and “secures our national interests” in “becoming a robust economy in this part of the world.

But the agreement sparked student protests in the second-largest city, Lae. And many in the Pacific are concerned about the increasing militarization of the region.

Papua New Guinea’s location just north of Australia makes it strategically significant. It was the site of fierce battles during World War II, and with a population of nearly 10 million people, it’s the most populous Pacific Island nation.

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KASHMIR-G20 TOURISM MEET

In Jammu and Kashmir, the 3rd Tourism Working Group meeting of the G20 began in Srinagar this afternoon. The proceedings started with a side event on Film Tourism for Economic Growth and Cultural Preservation. While addressing the gathering, Minister of Tourism and Culture, G Kishen Reddy described Srinagar as one of India's oldest and beautiful city.  He said that the Government's aim is to revive film tourism not just in J&K but across India and also promote eco-tourism.  Mr. Reddy said that films have a great potential to attract tourists from across the globe. He said that film induced tourism helps in boosting many other sectors like hospitality, transportation etc.  In his address, Dr Jitendra Singh said that the event is a moment of rejuvenation and reincarnation. He listed a number of films that have been shot in Kashmir before 1990. He said that J&K provides a natural destination for filmmakers and is cost-effective as well. Speaking on the occasion, India’s G20 Sherpa, Amitabh Kant said that Kashmir has a huge potential for film tourism. He informed that 370 filmmakers have sought permission to shoot films in Kashmir, and the Government of India and the UT administration will go out of the way to facilitate the filmmakers.

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G-20 BEACH CLEANING-MUSCAT

The Embassy of India in Muscat, in collaboration with Oman’s G20 team, organized a highly successful Beach Cleaning Drive  at Shati Al Qurum Beach, Muscat. This initiative was carried out as part of India's G20 Presidency, with the aim of promoting environmental sustainability and fostering community engagement.

More than 100 enthusiastic volunteers, including students and members of Oman's G20 team, actively participated in the Beach Cleaning Drive. Their dedicated efforts and commitment contributed to the cleaning and rejuvenation of Shati Al Qurum Beach, transforming it into a more pleasant environment for all visitors.

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G-20-ECSWG

The 3rd Environment and Climate Sustainability Working Group (ECSWG) meeting is being held in Mumbai. Union Minister of State for Panchayati Raj Kapil Patil delivered his inaugural address today. Addressing the delegates, the Union Minister said that the impacts of degrading biodiversity and environment are becoming increasingly apparent globally, presenting significant obstacles to preserving development progress and promoting well-being and prosperity. He added that it is imperative for G20 countries to collectively address the interrelated matters of climate change and biodiversity loss through joint international efforts. He reiterated that India’s G20 Presidency is committed to be inclusive, ambitious, decisive and action-oriented.

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ITALIAN OPEN-TENNIS

Indian paddlers Sharath Kamal and G Sathiyan made a winning start at the World Table Tennis Championships in Durban, South Africa. Ranked 56th in the world, Kamal defeated Austria's David Serdaroglu, ranked 170th, in a thrilling encounter, winning 4-1 to advance to the second. Sathiyan alsoi beat England’s Tom Jarvis 4-3 in another men’s singles contest. The Indian duo then teamed up for Men's doubles and defeated Egypt's Mohamed Shouman and Mohamed El-Beiali 3-0. In the women's singles, India's highest-ranked woman paddler Manika Batra also won her opening match against Algeria's Lynda Loghraibi. Sreeja Akula had won her round of 128 clash against Nicole Arlia of Italy.

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WORLD NEWS CAPSULE

Key domestic indices ended with modest gains today. The Sensex at the Bombay Stock Exchange closed near 62,000 level while the Nifty at the National Stock Exchange settled above 18,300 mark. Both indices rose amid mixed cues from global share markets. A report from the business desk-  

The Sensex climbed 234 points or 0.38 per cent to finish at 61,964. The Nifty appreciated 111 points or 0.61 percent to end at 18,314. Asian Stocks ended mostly higher. Japan's Nikkei-225 and China's Shanghai Composite index climbed 0.9 per cent each, South Korea's Kospi jumped 0.8 percent and Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 1.2 percent and Singapore's Straits Times index added 0.3 percent. In intra-day trade, European Markets were trading mixed.  Oil prices were trading steady as caution relating to US debt ceiling talks dragged on optimism over oil demand later in the year. In intra-day trade, Brent crude was trading at 75 dollars and 73 cents a barrel. Back Home, Gold prices, at Multi Commodity Exchange for June contracts, were trading at around 60,225 rupees per 10 gram. On the other hand, silver was trading at 72,950 rupees per kilogram for July Contracts when reports last came in. And. In the forex market, the rupee closed at 82 rupees and 82 paise against the US dollar. Arjun Choudhary for World News, AKASHVANI.

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FOOTBALL-KILLED

At least twelve people have died after a crush at a football stadium in El Salvador's capital, San Salvador, officials have said.

The incident occurred during a match between local team Alianza and the Santa Ana-based team Fas at Cuscatlán Stadium. The match was subsequently suspended. President Nayib Bukele described the event as unprecedented, and said an exhaustive investigation would be launched.

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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 Wall Street Journal reports, Russia Says Ukrainian Commandos Stage Cross-Border Incursion.

⦁ The Guardian writes, Anti-Putin militia claims to have overrun Russian border village.

⦁ Washington Post reports, Ukraine pushes to surround Bakhmut in a new aim of ‘tactical encirclement’.

⦁ The Japan Times reports, South Korean nuclear experts to tour Fukushima plant amid water concerns.

⦁ The Japan Times writes; Riding on G7 success, Fumio Kishida eyes early election.

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REPEAT HEADLINES

⦁ Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Sydney, Australia this evening on the last leg of his three-nation tour.

⦁ Prime Minister Narendra Modi conferred highest civilian Honours of Fiji and Papua New Guinea for his global leadership.

⦁ Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape says Pacific Islands nations are victims of global powerplay and these countries will rally behind Indian leadership at world forums.

⦁ Sudan’s army and rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces have agreed to a seven-day ceasefire beginning on Monday.

⦁ Greece's conservative prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has won national elections, hailing his party's big victory as a political earthquake.

⦁ In Jammu and Kashmir, 3rd Tourism Working Group meeting of the G20 began in Srinagar today.

⦁ Indian paddlers Sharath Kamal and G Sathiyan make winning start at World Table Tennis Championships in Durban, South Africa.

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

And With That, We End This Bulletin. We'Ll Be Back At The Same Tomorrow With The Next Edition Of World News.

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