Akashvani , National news, All India Radio News

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

• India gets a New Parliament Building; Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, it is a shining example of country's vision; President Droupadi Murmu calls it an important milestone in India's democratic journey.

• ISRO begins countdown for launch of navigation satellite NVS - 01 from Sathish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.

• US President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy reach agreement to raise federal government's 31.4 trillion dollars debt ceiling.

• In Turkiye, second round of voting held for first presidential runoff between Tayyip Erdogan and Kemal Kilicdaroglu.

• In Badminton, HS Prannoy clinches Men's Singles title of Malaysia Masters 2023 at Kuala Lumpur.

• IPL Cricket Final between Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings delayed due to rain in Ahmedabad.

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PM NEW SANSAD

India has got a New Parliament Building. Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated it to the Nation  in New Delhi on Sunday and installed the Sengol with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.

Prime Minister Modi, Lok Sabha Speaker Birla and Union Cabinet Ministers attended an all religion prayer meeting. To mark the historic occasion, the Prime Minister launched a 75 rupee denomination coin and a postage stamp.

Addressing the Nation in the Lok Sabha chamber of the New building, the Prime Minister said, the new building of the Parliament will call for the development of the world along with the development of India. He stressed that it is not just a building but a reflection of Atmanirbhar Bharat and aspirations and dreams of 140 crore Indians. He said this is the temple of democracy giving the message of India's determination to the world.

Mr. Modi said that India started its new journey after losing a lot during the slavery period.

He said the journey has entered the golden age of freedom after going through many ups and downs and overcoming many challenges.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla also addressed the gathering.

In her message, President Droupadi Murmu said, the inauguration of the New Parliament building will be written in golden words in the country's history. She said, it is a matter of pride and immense happiness for the entire country. Noting that the parliament is a guiding light for the country, the President termed it as an important milestone in our democratic journey.

In a tweet, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar said, it is eminently befitting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the first Prime Minister of the country born after Independence, has dedicated this magnificent building. The Vice President said, he firmly believe that Parliament is the 'North Star' of democracy and it is the most authentic constitutional forum reflecting the mandate of the people.

The Messages of the President and the Vice President were read out by Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha Mr Harivansh.

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HOTSPOT

In today's hotspot section, we bring you a discussion on inauguration of New Parliament Building. The participants are AIR correspondent Ishan Mittal and political analyst Shekhar Ayyar.

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PM- MANN KI BAAT

The Prime Minister shared his thoughts in his monthly radio programme Mann Ki Baat. This was the 101st episode of the programme on Akashvani. The Prime Minister highlighted the unique efforts of YuvaSangam in strengthening the spirit of Ek Bharat, Shrestha Bharat among the youth. Mr Modi said the Ministry of Education has taken up this initiative keeping in mind the unity and diversity of the nation.

Mr Modi also noted that CEOs and Business leaders of many big companies have spent time in India as Back-Packers. He expressed pride that leaders of other countries tell him about visiting India in their youth. Touching upon the subject of water conservation, the Prime Minister highlighted people's efforts in this direction. He also expressed happiness on construction of more than fifty thousand Amrit Sarovars.

Mr Modi mentioned some start-ups related to water conservation. The Start-Up - Fluxgen, provides water management options through I.O.T enabled technologies. This technology is useful in learning about the patterns of water usage. Prime Minister said it will help in the effective use of water.

Recounting his visit to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum during his recent tour to Japan, he called it an emotional experience. He said cherishing memories of history helps the coming generations. Mr Modi also spoke about the International Museum Expo which was organised in India a few days ago.  It depicted the specialities of more than 1200 museums of the world. Prime Minister noted that there are different types of museums in India, which display many aspects related to the country's past.

Mr Modi said, preparations are going on in the country and abroad to celebrate 'World Yoga Day' on 21st June.

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US-DEBT CEILING DEAL

US President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy have reached an agreement in principle to raise the federal government's 31.4 trillion dollars debt ceiling. It will end a month-long stalemate. The deal will avert an economically destabilising default which the Treasury Department warned would occur if the debt ceiling was not raised by the 5th of June. The deal still needs to receive an approval from the Congress. Mr Biden called the agreement an important step forward and termed it as a compromise. However, Mr McCarthy said there was still a lot of work to do, but called it an agreement worthy of the American people.

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RAKSHA MANTRI -NIGERIA VISIT

India's Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh is on a three-day visit to Nigeria. He will attend the swearing-in ceremony of Nigeria’s President-elect, Mr Bola Ahmed Tinubuat Eagle Square in Abuja on Monday. In his tweet, Raksha Mantri expressed confidence in further strengthening the India-Nigeria bilateral relations. The Defence Ministry said, discussions will also be held with Nigerian industry representatives and Armed Forces to explore how the Indian defence industry can support Nigeria's requirements. Mr. Singh will also address the Indian diaspora in Abuja, which is home to an estimated 50 thousand members of the Indian community.

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PRADHAN-SINGAPORE VISIT

India's Education and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Minister Dharmendra Pradhan is proceeding on a three-day visit to Singapore. The visit is aimed at strengthening existing ties and exploring the possibility for widening the scope of bilateral engagement in education and skill development. During the visit, Mr Pradhan will be meeting various key Ministers of Singaporean government, including Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Lawrence Wong, Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Foreign Minister Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong and Education Minister Chan Chun Sing. Mr Pradhan will also visit various educational institutions, including Singapore Spectra Secondary School, Nanyang Technological University, Institute of Technical Education and Educational Services, Singapore University of Technology and Design. The Minister will interact with the Skills Future Singapore, the nodal agency under Singapore government which drives the implementation of Skills Future Movement. During his visit, Mr Pradhan will be meeting members of Indian Diaspora.

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ISRO-ROCKET LAUNCH

The countdown for the launch of ISRO's GSLV F12/NVS - 01 began at 7.12 AM on Sunday.  ISRO will be sending the rocket at 10.42 a.m. on Monday from the second launch pad at Sathish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota. The geosynchronous satellite launch vehicle mission is designed to deploy the NVS - 01 navigation satellite weighing about 2,232 kilograms. This is the first of the second generation satellites envisaged for the Navigation with Indian constellation series. NVS series of satellites will sustain and augment the NavIC with enhanced features. NavIC offes two services one is the standard position service for civilian users and Restricted service for  strategic users. India will join the list of three other countries in the World after this mission. The satellite will be injected into a geosynchronous transfer orbit at around 20 minutes after the launch . Subsequent orbit raising maneuvers will be used for taking the satellite to the intended orbit. The satellite will also carry an indigenously developed rubidium atomic clock which will be used for gps precise location timing.

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PM-ASSAM VANDE BHARAT

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off Assam’s first Vande Bharat Express in Guwahati on Monday via video conferencing. The train will connect Guwahati with New Jalpaiguri. On regular days, the train will start from Guwahati at 4:30 p.m. and reach New Jalpaiguri at 10 p.m. It will operate on all days except Tuesday. Our correspondent reports that it will save about an hour's journey time as compared to the current fastest train connecting both the places. The new service will cover the distance of 411 kilometres.

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TURKIYE-ELECTIONS

In Turkiye, voting was held on Sunday for a second time in two weeks, in one of the most decisive presidential races in the country's history. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan led Turkiye for 20 years and is seeking another five-year term. Kemal Kilicdaroglu, a political veteran backed by a diverse coalition of opposition parties is running against him.

In the first round on the 14th of May, Erdogan received the most votes with 49.5 per cent, compared to Kilicdaroglu's 44.9 per cent. Turkiye holds elections every five years. The candidate who receives more than 50 per cent of votes in the first round is elected president, but if no candidate gets a majority vote, the election goes to a second round between the two candidates who received the highest number of votes in the first round.

The election comes as Turkiye is grappling with an economic crisis as well as struggling to recover from devastating earthquakes in February.

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BANGLADESH-G-20

In Bangladesh, the High Commission of India, in partnership with local organisations, organised the ‘G20 Mega Beach Clean Up’ programme at Patenga Beach in Chattogram, on Sunday. The event, organised under the rubric of India’s G20 Presidency in 2023, witnessed enthusiastic participation from distinguished members of Bangladesh government, local administration, civil society and media as well as students and youth volunteers. During the event, a pledge was taken to protect the oceans from pollution and waste. The assembled people pledged to spread awareness about the harmful impact of pollution on marine life.

They also pledged to strive for a sustainable  and environment friendly lifestyle. The assembled people, including the students and local volunteers, distinguished guests, people of the local administration and civil society members undertook a cleaning activity at the Patenga beach. High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh Pranay Verma in his remarks said that acceptance of India’s invitation to participate as a Guest Country during India's G20 presidency reflected the extensive and in-depth partnership shared by both countries. He added that India-Bangladesh bilateral relations are multifaceted and manifest in active cooperation in wide-ranging areas, including protection of shared natural ecosystems.

Speaking as the Chief Guest on the occasion, Bangladesh Minister of Land, Saifuzzaman Chowdhury stressed that Bangladesh has always been at the forefront of climate action.  

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NEPAL PM INDIA VISIT

Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ will be on an official visit to India from the 31st of this month to the 3rd of next month at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He will be on his first bilateral visit to India after assuming office in December 2022. He will be accompanied by a high-level delegation.

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SRI LANKA-TRAIN SERVICE

The resumption of Train services from Colombo to Kankesanthurai is expected to bring relief to thousands of passengers who have been eagerly awaiting this moment. According to Maho-Omanthai Railway Project Director Asoka Munasinghe, train operations from Colombo to Kankesanthurai may recommence as early as the 15th of July. At present, trains on the northern line are only operating up to Anuradhapura due to ongoing renovation activities on the railway tracks. The renovation of the track from Anuradhapura to Vavuniya is scheduled to be completed by June, paving the way for the extension of train services further north.

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BADMINTON

India’s ace shuttler HS Prannoy has clinched Malaysia Masters badminton title. He defeated Weng Hong Yang of China 21-19, 13-21, 21-18 in men’s singles final in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday. World number nine Prannoy received a walkover in his semi-final clash on Saturday to final after Indonesia’s Christian Adinata pulled out with an injury towards the end of the first game. In women's singles, PV Sindhu's campaign ended after a loss in the semi-final.

Sindhu was defeated by Indonesia’s Gregoria Mariska Tunjung.

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IPL- CRICKET

Heavy rain in Ahmedabad has delayed the toss ahead of the IPL final between Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans.

Defending champions Gujarat Titans are up against the four time champions Chennai Super Kings in the summit clash at the Narendra Modi Stadium.

The win for Mahendra Singh Dhoni led Chennai will bring them at par with the Mumbai Indians with most IPL trophies.

On the other hand, the Hardik Pandya led Gujarat team reached its second final in a row. If they win the final, Gujarat would become the first team to win back-to-back titles in their first two years.

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ATHLETICS-RACE

Indian runners Jyothi Yarraji and Amlan Borgohain won their respective events at the Kurpfalz Gala athletics meet, in Weinheim, Germany on Saturday. In this Continental Tour Challenger event,  Jyothi clocked an impressive 12.84 second in women's 100 meter hurdles.

This is her season best timing and the second best of her career behind her national record 12.82 second run last year. Amlan Borgohain, on the other hand, emerged as the fastest men's 200 meter runner with a timing of 20.66 second.

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FPR

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

• Washington Post reports, Biden, McCarthy reach ‘agreement in principle’ to raise debt ceiling as default looms.

• The Wall Street Journal reports, The Dollar Is Still King in Europe, and It’s Swaying Interest Rates.

• Le Monde reports, Italy's 'fourth mafia' is spreading terror and death in Puglia.

• The Japan Times reports, Indo-Pacific nations vow to fortify supply chains for critical items; Japan slowly wakes up to health risks of PFAS ‘forever chemicals’.

• South China Morning Post writes, Afghanistan reopens direct flight to China with Kabul-Urumqi service.

• The Globe and Mail writes, Sudan military ruler seeks removal of UN envoy in letter to the organization’s chief, who is ‘shocked’ by the demand.

• Khabarhub writes, Nepali Congress leader Koirala criticizes removal of MP’s speech from Parliament records.

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A QUICK LOOK AT THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN:

• India gets a New Parliament Building; Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, it is a shining example of country's vision; President Droupadi Murmu calls it an important milestone in India's democratic journey.

• ISRO begins countdown for launch of navigation satellite NVS - 01 from Sathish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.

• US President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy reach agreement to raise federal government's 31.4 trillion dollars debt ceiling.

• In Turkiye, second round of voting held for first presidential runoff between Tayyip Erdogan and Kemal Kilicdaroglu.

• In Badminton, HS Prannoy clinches Men's Singles title of Malaysia Masters 2023 at Kuala Lumpur.

• IPL Cricket Final between Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings delayed due to rain in Ahmedabad.

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