Asian Games: Harmanpreet Singh and Lovlina Borgohain to be flag-bearers of Indian contingent in Hangzhou
Discussion underway in Rajya Sabha on Women's Reservation Bill
Mizoram: Govt appoints retired IPS officer John Neihlaia as State Chief Information Commissioner
Nepal Electricity Authority exports power worth over Rs 5.43 billion to India
Govt advises television channels to refrain from giving platform to terrorist
Nashik’s Guardian Minister Dada Bhuse urges traders to resume participation in onion auctions
Centre issues orders to Traders, Big Chain Retailers for mandatory disclosure of stock position of sugar
Pakistan’s General Elections to be held in last week of January 2024, announces Election Commission
Members across party lines in Lok Sabha laud success of Chandrayaan -3 Mission
Sri Lanka’s Transport Ministry signs contract with India’s IRCON International Limited for Signalling system
NAMASKAR! A warm welcome to 'World News: an Indian perspective on AKASHVANI.This is SAIRA MUJTABA 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 and Cambodia discuss ways to enhance development cooperation and people to people ties.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh says growing structure of India on the world stage owing to its fast-expanding economy and progressive government efforts.
Prime Minister of Nepal Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda to reach New Delhi on Wednesday on an four day visit to India.
US Ambassador to India says US Court approves extradition of 26/11 Mumbai attacker Tahawwur.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi to chair 22nd Summit of SCO Council of Heads of State on 4th of July.
Drone strike hits residential area in Moscow; Russia accuses Ukraine for the attacks.
United States and Saudi Arabia welcome extension of a ceasefire deal between Sudan's warring military factions for another five days.
Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro visits Brazil for first time since he was banned by former far-right President Jair Bolsonaro in 2019.
President Droupadi Murmu held productive talks with King of Cambodia Norodom Sihamoni at Rashtrapati Bhawan on Tuesday evening. The agenda covered furthering the cultural and civilisational connect between India and Cambodia. They also discussed ways to enhance development cooperation and people to people ties. President Murmu hosted a State Banquet in honour of the visiting dignitary.
Providing a filip to India-Cambodia ties, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also held a warm meeting with King of Cambodia Norodom Sihamoni in New Delhi. They reviewed bilateral relations and discussed ways to advance India-Cambodia partnership in domains of capacity building, human resource development, tourism, culture and defence. They also exchanged views on regional and multilateral issues. King of Cambodia Norodom Sihamoni also met Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar. They had wide-ranging discussions on bilateral relations and other issues of mutual interest.
Earlier, Mr Norodom Sihamoni was accorded the guard of honour at Rashtrapati Bhavan.The King of Cambodia arrived in New Delhi on Monday on a three-day visit to India.
Defence Minister of India Rajnath Singh interacted with the Indian diaspora in Abuja, Nigeria on Monday. During the interaction, Mr Singh spoke about the growing stature of India on the world stage owing to its fast-expanding economy and progressive government efforts. He appreciated the positive contribution made by the Indian community in Nigeria and expressed confidence that they will continue to keep the Indian flag flying high.
Defence Minister emphasised on the government’s focus on Aatmanirbharta and the significant progress made in defence exports in recent years towards achieving the objective of Make in India, Make for the World. He also lauded the capabilities of the Armed Forces in effectively countering any threat or challenge from adversaries. Later, Mr. Singh interacted with the senior Nigerian dignitaries, including the Chief Justice and Acting Minister of Defence, at the dinner hosted by the Indian High Commissioner.
Prime Minister of Nepal Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda will reach New Delhi on Wednesday afternoon on an four day official visit to India. This will be his the first bilateral visit abroad after assuming office in December last year. He will be accompanied by a high-level delegation.
During the visit, the Nepalese Prime Minister will call on the President and Vice-President and will hold extensive talks with Prime Minister Modi to discuss the diverse areas of the bilateral partnership between India and Nepal.
In addition to the official engagements, Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda will be visiting Ujjain and Indore as part of his visit.
Ministry of External Affairs said, the visit continues the tradition of regular high level exchanges between India and Nepal in furtherance of India's Neighbourhood First policy. It said, the bilateral relations between the two countries have significantly strengthened in the last few years in all areas of cooperation. This visit underscores the importance given by both sides in adding further momentum to the bilateral partnership.
US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti has said that the United States Court has approved extradition of 26/11 Mumbai attacker Tahawwur Rana and it is a sort of collaboration and cooperation where both US and India are working together to bring terrorists to justice. He said, US and India stand together and a recent demonstration of this was one of the funders of that attack can be extradited from the United States to India.
Rana was arrested in the US on an extradition request by India for his role in the Mumbai attacks in which 10 Pakistani terrorists laid a more than 60-hour siege, attacking and killing over 160 people, including six Americans, at iconic and vital locations in Mumbai.
A US court in California on 16th of this Month had ruled that Imprisoned Pakistani-origin Canadian businessman Tahawwur Rana who is sought for his involvement in the 2008 Mumbai terror attack, can be extradited to India.
The 7th round of Foreign Office Consultations between India and Austria was held in New Delhi on Tuesday. It was co-chaired by Secretary (West) in Ministry of External Affairs Sanjay Verma and Political Director in Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs of Austria Gregor Koessler. Ministry of External Affairs said, the Foreign Office Consultations provided an opportunity for reviewing bilateral engagements and exchanging views on regional and global issues of mutual interest. These include developments in the respective neighbourhoods, Eureopean Union, Ukraine conflict, India’s Presidency of G20, cooperation in multilateral fora and UNSC reforms.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair the 22nd Summit of the SCO Council of Heads of State on 4th July. It will be held in the virtual format. India assumed the rotating Chairmanship of SCO at the Samarkand Summit on 16 September last year.
All the SCO Member States, China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan have been invited to attend the Summit. In addition, Iran, Belarus and Mongolia have been invited as Observer States. As per SCO tradition, Turkmenistan has also been invited as the guest of the Chair. Heads of the two SCO Bodies - the Secretariat and the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure RATS - will also be present. Further, Heads of six international and regional organizations have also been invited. The organisations are United Nations, Association of Southeast Asian Nations ASEAN, Commonwealth of Independent States CIS, Collective Security Treaty Organization CSTO, Eurasian Economic Union, EAEU and Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia, CICA.
Ministry of External Affairs MEA said, the theme of the Summit is ‘Towards a SECURE SCO’. The SECURE acronym was coined by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the 2018 SCO Summit and stands for Security, Economy and Trade, Connectivity, Unity, Respect for Sovereignty and Territorial Integrity and Environment. These themes have been highlighted during India's Chairmanship of SCO.
In today's hotspot section, we bring you a Interview with Brendan Mullarkey, Minister Counselor for Consular Affairs at the US Embassy in New Delhi on Students Visas to US.
Russia has accused Ukraine of launching an early morning drone attack on Moscow, the first time the city has been targeted by multiple drones since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The Russian defence ministry said Kyiv had staged an attack using at least eight drones and causing minor damage to several buildings. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said no-one was seriously injured. Russia's defence ministry said all eight drones had been intercepted.
Ukraine has denied carrying out the drone strikes.
Earlier Russian media reports had said as many as 30 drones were involved. Authorities have also said several of them fell on buildings after being downed.
The US and Saudi Arabia have welcomed the extension of a ceasefire deal between Sudan's warring military factions for another five days. Washington and Riyadh announced the latest deal, as well as brokering the previous week-long truce. In a joint statement, they acknowledged that the ceasefire had not been fully observed, but said it had allowed the delivery of aid to two million people in Sudan.
The UN World Food Programme said the relative lull in fighting had allowed it to send supplies to residents trapped in the capital, Khartoum, for the first time since fighting erupted six weeks ago. The Sudanese army and its rivals from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have accused each other of repeated violations, particularly in the Darfur region.
Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro has visited Brazil for the first time since he was banned by former far-right President Jair Bolsonaro in 2019. Mr Maduro was received by the new president, fellow leftist Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, ahead of a summit of Latin American leaders in Brasilia. Lula said the importance of Maduro coming here is that it's the beginning of Maduro's return. Mr Maduro talked of a "new era" in bilateral relations. Lula said the region should tackle poverty. Mr Maduro said Venezuela was open for Brazilian investors, stressing that the two countries must be united, from now on and always.
President Maduro last visited Brazil in 2015. Jair Bolsonaro was ideologically opposed to the leftist Venezuelan leader and unlikely to extend an invitation.
In Sri Lanka, an Amendment Agreement to extend the tenure of a USD 1 billion Credit Facility was signed on Tuesday. The agreement marks an important step in continuing the financial support provided by the Indian side to the Sri Lankan government for the procurement of essential items.
The signing ceremony took place in the presence of Sri Lanka's state minister of finance, Shehan Semasinghe, along with senior officials from the Ministry of Finance of Sri Lanka and representatives from the High Commission of India in Colombo. The officials from the State Bank of India joined the event virtually. A report:
AHEMAD MUYEEN FAROOQI
With the signing of amendment agreement, the billion dollar credit line that was made available to Sri Lanka last year has been extended until March 2024. The credit line was extended last year when Sri Lanka was in the midst of its worst ever economic crisis since its independence. The facility has been instrumental in the urgent procurement of critical supplies for the island nation such as fuel, medicines, food items, and industrial raw materials. This extension of financial support further underscores the strong commitment of the Government of India, as it continues to assist Sri Lanka with a comprehensive package of approximately USD 4 billion, in line with India's 'Neighbourhood First' Policy. For akashvani NEWS, AHMED MUYEEN FAROOQI, for Colombo.
Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan was summoned by authorities on Tuesday in connection with the violent attack on historic Corps Commander House in central Punjab Province. A joint investigation team will inquire into the May 9th violence at the historical building and military mansion which were set on fire after Imran Khan's arrest on corruption charges.
China’s government has called on protesters to turn themselves in after a crowd clashed with police over plans to demolish a mosque in the country’s southwest.President Xi Jinping’s government has tightend control over religion and society.
Protesters threw water bottles at officers with helmets and shields outside the blue-domed Najiaying Mosque in Yuxi, a city in Yunnan province, according to the voideos in social media. One punched a police officer’s helmet but little other violence was shown.
Police called on criminal suspects to turn themselves in following Saturday’s incident and said those who do might receive lighter punishment. A police statement vowed zero tolerance toward criminal activities that impede social management.
A court in 2020 ordered the Najiaying Mosque demolished after ruling it was built without official permission, according to a document on the court website. The protesters were Hui, whose ancestors were members of China’s majority Han ethnic group and adopted Islam, according to the videos.
The G20 Digital Innovation Alliance (G20-DIA) recently hosted an international roadshow at the Taj Business Bay in Dubai, bringing together industry leaders, policymakers, and innovators to discuss the significant impact of digital public goods on humanity's upliftment.
Co-hosted by FICCI, the Consulate General of India, and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), the event shed light on various aspects of digital innovation and entrepreneurship. The panel discussion, titled "Digital Public Goods: Impact on Humanity Upliftment," delved into the transformative power of digital innovation in addressing societal challenges.
Faisal Toukan, CEO of ZIINA, emphasized the revolutionary impact of the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), while Nandi Vardhan Mehta, CFO of KAAF Investments, highlighted the challenges faced within the digital ecosystem. Mehta also drew a distinction between digital public goods, which should be shared with other countries and for the greater good of humanity, and digital goods primarily managed by the private sector.
During the discussion, it was revealed that approximately 400 million people worldwide still lack access to the internet, underscoring the urgency of bridging the digital divide.
Wildfires in the Atlantic Canadian province of Nova Scotia have destroyed homes and caused thousands of people to evacuate. On Monday, around 16,400 people have been forced to leave their homes near Halifax, Nova Scotia's largest city.
The region has seen over 100 more wildfires than last year, fuelled by drier than normal conditions.
Evacuation orders have also been issued in British Columbia as fires continue to blaze in the country's west. In a tweet on Monday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the fires in Nova Scotia incredibly serious and said his government is on standby to offer assistance if needed.
A total of seven wildfires were burning in Nova Scotia on Tuesday morning one of which is estimated to cover 788 hectares northwest of Halifax, according to the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources. The blaze led officials to declare a local state of emergency in Halifax late on Sunday.
No injuries have been reported, but at least 200 homes and structures are believed to have been damaged by the fire, officials in Halifax said on Monday night.
Key domestic indices on Tuesday closed with marginal gains of 0.2 percent. The Sensex at the Bombay Stock Exchange finished near 63,000 mark while the Nifty at the National Stock Exchange settled above 18,600 level. Both indices rose amid mixed cues from global share markets. A report from the business desk-
BUSINESS CAPSULE
The Sensex climbed 123 points to finish at 62,969. The Nifty also appreciated 35 points to end at 18,634. Asian Stocks gained except Singapore's Straits Times index which fell 0.2 percent. South Korea's Kospi rose one percent while Japan's Nikkei-225, China's Shanghai Composite index and Hong Kong's Hang Seng index slipped marginally up to 0.2 percent.
European Markets were mixed in intra-day trade. Oil prices fell around one and half percent in intra-day trade. The crude prices fell amid concerns about the US debt ceiling pact and mixed messages before OPEC meeting on 4th June. In intra-day trade, Brent crude was trading at 75 dollars and 75 cents a barrel. Back Home, Gold prices, at Multi Commodity Exchange for June contracts, were trading at around 59,780 rupees per 10 gram. On the other hand, silver was trading at 71,170 rupees per kilogram for July Contracts. And In the forex market, the rupee closed at 82 rupees and 72 paise against the US dollar. Anubha Rohtagi for World News, AKASHVANI.
Now let us take a look at the major developments around the world, as reported in the Foreign Press.
The Wall Street Journal reports, China’s fading recovery reveals deeper economic struggles.
The Guardian writes, US may restrict visas for Ugandan officials in wake of anti-LGBTQ laws.
Le Monde reports, North Korea says it will launch its first military spy satellite.
The Japan Times reports, Taiwan rushes to prevent China from cutting off internet and phones.
Washington Post reports, Erdogan becomes an era-defining electoral autocrat.
South China Morning Post writes, US President Joe Biden and Kevin McCarthy push for votes on spending deal as US debt default looms.
A QUICK LOOK AT THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi to chair 22nd Summit of SCO Council of Heads of State on 4th July.