Akashvani , National news, All India Radio News

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's Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Nepalese counterpart Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda hold talks in New Delhi; Both countries sign seven agreements in various fields.

• India's External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar and his South African counterpart review progress of strategic partnership; Agree to commemorate 30th anniversary of their diplomatic ties.

• India's GST collections rise 12 per cent to 1.57 lakh crore rupees in May this year.

• In a significant demonstration of long-range combat capabilities, Rafale fighter jets of Indian Air Force carry out drill in Indian Ocean Region.

• US House of Representatives passes debt ceiling bill.

• Afghanistan's Ministry of Public Health says, twenty-seven percent of Afghan citizens regularly use tobacco.

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NEPAL PM-INDIA

India and Nepal on Thursday signed seven agreements in various fields following delegation-level talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Nepalese counterpart Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda in New Delhi. The agreements were signed in several areas including trade and commerce, cross-border petroleum pipelines, development of Integrated Check Posts, hydroelectric projects and payment mechanism.

During the deliberations, both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to boost the Indo-Nepal relationship in areas of economy, energy, infrastructure, education and people-to-people contacts. Both Prime Ministers jointly flagged off the Indian Railway cargo train from Bathnaha to Nepal Custom yard. They also inaugurated an integrated Check Post between Rupaidiha-Nepalgunj and Sunauli-Bhairahawa. They also laid the foundation stone of the Motihari-Amlekhguj Oil Pipeline - Phase 2 project. The two leaders also initiated the construction work of the Gorakhpur-New Butwal sub station 400 kv cross-border transmission line.

Addressing a joint press conference, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, he had given the HIT formula for India-Nepal relations which stands for Highways, I-ways and Transways during his first visit to Nepal in 2014. 

Prime Minister Modi said, today, many important decisions have been taken to further elevate this partnership. Mr. Modi said, today the transit agreement has been concluded which will enhance connectivity between the two nations. 

Mr Modi also said India has set a target to import 10 thousand megawatt of electricity from Nepal in the coming 10 years. 

The Prime Minister said, they have decided that projects related to Ramayana circuit should be expedited to further boost cultural and religious ties between the two countries.

Speaking on the occasion, Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda lauded India's economic and developmental transformation under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 

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NEPAL PM-INDIA VISIT

Nepal's Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal also called on President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Speaking on the occasion, President Droupadi Murmu said, Sister City Agreements and improvement in financial connectivity can boost tourism between the two countries. The President emphasised the need of reviving the spiritual tourist circuit to promote people-to-people contact and tourism. Ms Murmu said, India looks forward to a positive agenda in India-Nepal bilateral relations to take the age-old partnership to new heights. She expressed confidence that this visit would further strengthen the strong bond between the two countries.

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FOREIGN SECY-INDIA NEPAL

India's Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra on Thursday said that Nepal occupies a very special place under India's 'Neighbourhood First Policy'. Briefing media after bilateral talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Nepal counterpart Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Foreign Secretary said, India's relationship with Nepal is unique. He said the discussions and outcomes covered the entire spectrum of bilateral cooperation.

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JAISHANKAR-SA FMs

India's External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar and his South African counterpart agreed to commemorate the 30th anniversary of their diplomatic ties in a fitting manner in Cape Town on Thursday. In a tweet, Dr Jaishankar said that they also reviewed the progress of the strategic partnership between India and South Africa. The discussions also held upon collaborations within prominent forums such as BRICS, IBSA, G20, and the United Nations, where both countries have a strong tradition of close cooperation.

Dr. Jaishankar also met Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan on Thursday. In the meeting with the Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister, both leaders expressed their commitment to advancing bilateral cooperation through the Strategic Partnership Council, reinforcing the strong ties between India and Saudi Arabia. They also exchanged views on the global situation.

Dr Jaishankar is on a two-nation tour of South Africa and Namibia from Thursday. This is the first visit by an External Affairs Minister of India to Namibia.

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GST-MAY

India witnessed a substantial increase in its Goods and Services Tax (GST) revenue in the last month reaching a total of One lakh 57 thousand 90 crore rupees. The figure noted a 12 per cent surge compared to the same month in the last year. The Government has settled 35 thousand 369 crore rupees to CGST and 29 thousand 769 crore rupees to SGST from IGST.

The total revenue of the Centre and the States in the last month after the regular settlement is 63 thousand 780 crore rupees for CGST and 65 thousand 597 crore rupees for the SGST.

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HOTSPOT

In today's hotspot section, we bring you a commentary on India’s New Generation Navigation Satellite.

Indiahas successfully launched its first satellite in the second-generationnavigation satellite series.
The NVS-01 satellite, that lifted off on May 29, marks a significant step inadvancing India's navigation technology. It was deployed into space onboard thepowerful Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle, GSLV F12, from the SatishDhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.

The satellite will strengthen the Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC) system, developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). NavIC is India's home-grown alternative to the GPS navigation system, which is of the United States.

The NVS-01 is the first in a new generation of upgraded regional navigation satellites. The NVS series of satellites will sustain and augment the NavIC with enhanced features. This series incorporates L1 band signals additionally to widen the services. It will provide accurate and real-time navigation.

According to ISRO, the L1 navigation band is popular for providing position, navigation, and timing services for civilian users and for interoperability with other Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals.

For the first time, the payload carried an indigenous Rubidium atomic clock, developed by the Space Applications Centre, Ahmedabad. According to ISRO, it is an important technology that only a handful of countries possess. Earlier, scientists used imported Rubidium atomic clocks to determine date and location. The satellite is powered by two solar arrays capable of generating power upto 2.4 kilowatts and a lithium-ion battery during the eclipse.

The independent stand-alone NavIC is aimed at removing dependence on foreign satellite systems for navigation service requirements, particularly for "strategic sectors".

India's 2021 satellite navigation draft policy had stated that the government will work towards "expanding the coverage from regional to global" to ensure availability of NavIC signal in any part of the world.

ISRO developed the system to meet the nation's rising need for better location, navigation, and timing, particularly with regard to the civil aviation industry and the defence sector. The network would provide real-time positioning and timing services over India and a region 1,500 km beyond the Indian boundary.

Some of the applications of NavIC include terrestrial, aerial and maritime navigation, precision agriculture, location-based services in mobile devices and marine fisheries, resource monitoring, surveying and scientific research, time distribution and synchronisation, and for dissemination of life-saving alerts. NavIC is designed with a constellation of seven satellites and a network of ground stations that operate round-the clock.

NavIC is not in wide and regular use in the country, primarily because mobile phones have not been made compatible to process its signals. India has been pressing manufacturers of smartphones to add compatibility.

The new satellite will join India’s fleet of navigation spacecraft covering the Indian subcontinent and neighbouring regions. It will augment coverage provided by global navigation satellite fleets operated by the United States, Russia, China, and Europe. The mission life of NVS-01 is expected to be more than 12 years. Earlier, this system was known as IRNSS (Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System).

NavIC is akin to the American GPS, the European Galileo, the Russian GLONASS and China's Beidou, and can be used to track locations.

India has over the years expanded the use of NavIC. The first of these satellites, IRNSS-1A, was launched in 2013 and the last one in 2018.

The network provides more accurate domestic navigation and its use would benefit the economy. India wants to reduce dependence on GPS. India says that NavIC is "as good as GPS of the United States in terms of position accuracy."

The Global Positioning System or GPS can guide a user within 20 meters of the location, while NavIC is more precise. It has a position accuracy of 5 to 20 meters for general users and 0.5 meters for military use. This precision is crucial for the armed forces, like in the use of guided missiles.

Following the success of NVS-01, ISRO is busy preparing the launch one of the biggest missions of the year - Chandrayaan-3, the Moon Mission -- in July. Chandrayaan-3 is a follow-on mission to Chandrayaan-2 to demonstrate end-to-end capability in safe landing and roving on the lunar surface. The mission is aimed at demonstrating critical technologies to land the spacecraft on the south pole of the moon in less than two months.

Chandrayaan-3 would be followed by a series of critical tests for the Gaganyaan mission.

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RAFALE-INDIAN OCEAN

Four Rafale fighter jets of the Indian Air Force carried out a drill in the Indian Ocean Region, in a significant demonstration of their long-range combat capabilities.

The exercise was carried out a few days ago, but the IAF shared the details on Wednesday.

The exercise is seen as important in the Indian Ocean Region. The Indian Ocean serves as a strategic bridge with the nations in India's immediate and extended maritime neighbourhood.

The national and economic interests of India are inseparably linked with the Indian Ocean.

The role of India in the region is evident in its vision of 'SAGAR ', which means ocean and stands for "Security and Growth for all in the region".

The mission lasted six hours and involved mid-air refuelling of the Rafales that have significantly boosted the capabilities of the IAF.

The Indian Air Force inducted the Rafale fighter aircraft in 2020 only a few months after the stand-off with China started and was quickly operationalised.

The Rafale is a 4.5-generation aircraft and has helped India regain its supremacy over Indian sub-continent skies with long-range air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles along with advanced radar and electronic warfare capabilities.

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Y20-AMARKANTAK

A two-day Y-20 consultation on “Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction: Making Sustainability a Way of Life” began in Madhya Pradesh's Amarkantak on Thursday.

Addressing the inaugural session, Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Ashwini Choubey said that if India is emerging as a young country, youth should also be involved in thinking about the future, therefore Y-20 consultation is being organized. He said that there cannot be a better place than Amarkantak to think about protecting nature because nature and culture meet here. Mr. Choubey said that the G-20 countries have 85 percent participation in the global gross product and 65 percent of the world's population is also in these countries. He said it is a matter of pride for the country to be the chairman of such a group. The focus area decided by India for the G-20 Summit 2023 will be implemented by the world. Nineteen delegates from seven countries are participating in this consultation and will discuss the topic in different groups for two days.

More than 400 delegates from across the country are also participating. Youth 20 Consultations will provide a platform for open talks, presentations and interactive sessions focusing on the challenges faced by the youth and creating a road map for their development.

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J&K-INTRUDER

In the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, a suspected Pakistani intruder was shot dead by alert BSF troops along the International Border in Samba district during the wee hours of Thursday. The incident took place near the Mangu Chak border outpost (BoP) in Samba sector. Alert BSF troops noticed suspicious movement of a person, who crossed the International Border from the Pakistani side in Samba area. He was challenged by the alert troops but the intruder kept advancing towards the border fencing. The troops opened fire, killing him. This is the second such incident along the India-Pakistan border in the Jammu division in two days.

On Wednesday, Army foiled an infiltration bid along the LoC in Poonch district with the arrest of three terrorists along with a huge consignment of arms and narcotics.

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INDIA – VIETNAM

The 3rd India-Vietnam Maritime Security Dialogue was held in New Delhi on Wednesday.

Senior officials from both sides and Services concerned with maritime affairs participated in the Dialogue. The two sides discussed ways to sustain a secure maritime environment conducive to inclusive growth. They also reviewed maritime cooperation initiatives and avenues of reinforcing international and regional mechanisms for comprehensive maritime security.

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INDIA-CHINA MEETING

The 27th Meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) was held in person in New Delhi on Wednesday. Joint Secretary (East Asia) from Ministry of External Affairs led the Indian Delegation. The Chinese delegation was led by the DG of Boundary and Oceanic Affairs Department of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The two sides reviewed the situation along the LAC in the Western Sector of India-China border areas and discussed proposals for disengagement in the remaining areas in a frank and open manner. Restoration of peace and tranquillity will create conditions for normalising bilateral relations.

In order to achieve this objective, in accordance with existing bilateral agreements and protocols, they agreed to hold the next round of Senior Commander's meeting at an early date. The two sides agreed to continue discussions through military and diplomatic channels.

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US DEBT

In the United States, the House of Representatives has approved a deal to allow the US government to borrow more money, just five days before the world's biggest economy is due to start defaulting on its debt. The Fiscal Responsibility Bill to raise the debt limit and cap government spending in the US was passed by a wide margin last night in the House. 314 votes were cast in favour and 117 against it. The bill will now move to the Senate for a vote, before US President Joe Biden can sign it into law. The government is forecast to hit its borrowing limit of 31.4 trillion dollars on Monday. In a tweet, Mr. Biden said the House took a critical step forward to prevent a default and protect America’s hard-earned and historic economic recovery.

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AFGHANISTAN-TOBACCO

Afghanistan's Ministry of Public Health said that twenty-seven percent of Afghan citizens regularly use tobacco, of which nearly three percent are women. This statement came on World No Tobacco Day, which was observed around the world on Wednesday.

As per the Ministry, more than forty-five per cent of deaths in Afghanistan are caused by non-infectious diseases.

According to the Chamber of Commerce and Investment, annually nearly a thousand containers of tobacco are imported to the country from various ports.

As per the World Health Organization, every year, eight million people in the world die due to the use of tobacco.

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PAKISTAN-MEDIA

In Pakistan, the Association of Electronic Media Editors and News Directors (AEMEND) has expressed concerns about the disappearance of journalists in the country. This was reported by a Pakistani Daily as the plight of journalists in Pakistan continues to remain a grave concern. AEMEND also warned against undeclared censorship and unjustified government and state institution intervention with media operations. The association held an emergency meeting on Tuesday to discuss challenges faced by the media in the country. Attendees of the meeting lamented the censorship imposed by the government and other state institutions.

Meanwhile, Pakistan continues to remain one of the most dangerous countries for journalists.

According to a report, journalists in Pakistan have been killed by militants, insurgents and unidentified state actors. The common thread in these killings is that truth and justice are elusive, and killers walk free while families look for answers.

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SRI LANKA-FUEL REVISION

In Sri Lanka, power and energy minister Kanchana Wijesekara has announced a price revision in petrol and other petroleum products. The minister tweeted that the price revision will be applicable from Thursday. Price of the common 92 octane petrol has been reduced by 15 lankan rupees to 318 rupees. Kerosene and Industrial Kerosene have become cheaper by 50 and 60 rupees. The reduction in price for common 92 octane petrol, kerosene, and industrial kerosene is expected to bring some relief to the public, as it will alleviate the burden of transportation and cooking costs for many households.

However, the 95 octane petrol and Super diesel are now dearer. The price of a litre of 95 octane fuel has been increased by 20 rupees to 385 rupees while Super Diesel now costs 340 rupees with a 10 rupees increase. The price of Diesel has been kept unchanged. The revision was expected as the Lankan rupee has strengthened against the US dollar by over 20 percent so far from its lows bringing down the import costs of fuel.

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LADAKH - AIR TRAVEL

Defence Ministry has approved a proposal of Ladakh Administration seeking the resumption of air travel facilities for civilians of the union territory in the Indian Air Force aircraft.

Lieutenant Governor Brigadier BD Mishra in a tweet has said the request for travel of Ladakhi citizens in IAF aircraft has been approved by Goverment of India. He also expressed gratitude to the  Defence Ministry on behalf of people of Ladakh for according  sanction to request of UT Admininstration for starting the much needed service for people of Ladakh. As per the Defence Ministry order, civilians belonging to Ladakh can travel to other parts of the country through three airports namely Leh, Thoise and Kargil. Civilian will be provided the facilities to travel against the vacant seats of the aircraft with the payment of airlift charges which would be notified from time to time.

The  move comes after three years of discontinuation during Covid pandemic. 

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WORLD NEWS CAPSULE

Key domestic indices on Thursday closed with marginal losses amid mixed cues from global share markets. The Sensex at the Bombay Stock Exchange ended below the 62,500 mark while the Nifty at the National Stock Exchange settled below the 18,500 level. A report from the business desk-  

The Sensex declined 194 points to finish at 62,429. The Nifty also slipped 47 points to end at 18,488.

Asian stocks ended mixed. Japan's Nikkei-225 gained 0.8 per cent and Singapore's Straits Times index rose 0.2 per cent while China's Shanghai Composite ended flat. On the other side, Hong Kong's Hang Seng index fell 0.1 per cent and South Korea's Kospi declined 0.3 per cent. European Markets were trading up in intra-day trade.

Oil prices steadied in intra-day trade. Brent crude was trading at 72 dollars and 70 cents a barrel.

Back Home, Gold prices, at Multi Commodity Exchange for June contracts, were trading at around 59,900 rupees per 10 gram. On the other hand, silver was trading at 71,620 rupees per kilogram for July Contracts.

And... In the forex market, the rupee appreciated 31 paise to close at 82 rupees and 41 paise against the US dollar. Rajesh Lekh for World News, AKASHVANI.

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THAILAND OPEN 2023

In Badminton, Indian badminton ace Lakshya Sen progressed to the men’s singles quarter-finals while Saina Nehwal was knocked out in the round of 16 of the women’s singles at the Thailand Open 2023 in Bangkok on Thursday. Lakshya Sen, defeated the fourth seed and reigning All England Open champion from the Republic of China, Li Shi Feng, 21-17, 21-15.

He will now face Leong Jun Hao in the last eight.

Kiran George was the other Indian to join Lakshya Sen in the men’s singles quarters after beating China’s Weng Hong Yang 21-11, 21-19. George will take on France’s Toma Junior Popov for a place in the semi-finals.

Earlier, Olympic medallist Saina Nehwal went down to China’s He Bing Jiao 21-11, 21-14 in the women’s singles round of 16. This was Saina’s first loss to the Chinese shuttler in three meetings.

The top-seeded men’s doubles pair of Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy was also ousted from the BWF Super 500 tournament. Double Olympic medallist PV Sindhu and world championship silver medal winner Kidambi Srikant had faced losses in their opening-round matches.

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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, NATO faces pressure on clear membership path for Ukraine.

• The Guardian writes, Zimbabwe outlaws criticism of government before August elections.

• Le Monde reports, US House votes for debt ceiling bill to avoid default.

• The Japan Times reports, North Korea's failed launch puts focus on U.S.-Japan-South Korea cooperation.

• South China Morning Post writes, China seeks stronger economic ties with Saudi Arabia beyond crude oil as Middle East seeks ‘ideal partner’.

• Financial Times writes, Eurozone inflation falls to lowest level since Russia invaded Ukraine.

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A QUICK LOOK AT THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN:

• India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Nepalese counterpart Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda hold talks in New Delhi; Both countries sign seven agreements in various fields.

• India's External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar and his South African counterpart review progress of strategic partnership; Agree to commemorate 30th anniversary of their diplomatic ties.

• India's GST collections rise 12 per cent to 1.57 lakh crore rupees in May this year.

• In a significant demonstration of long-range combat capabilities, Rafale fighter jets of Indian Air Force carry out drill in Indian Ocean Region.

• US House of Representatives passes debt ceiling bill.

• Afghanistan's Ministry of Public Health says, twenty-seven percent of Afghan citizens regularly use tobacco.

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