THE HEADLINES:-
- India condemns attack on commercial vessel GFS Galaxy off coast of Oman; 10 Indians rescued, one reported missing; New Delhi expresses concern over continuing attacks on commercial shipping in the region.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi returns to New Delhi after concluding several agreements during his visit to Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand.
- Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurates and lays foundation stones of several development projects in Ahmedabad.
- Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation introduces a six-month Amnesty Scheme for establishments operating private provident fund trust, to regularise their status.
- In Wimbledon, Jannik Sinner to lock horns with Alexander Zverev for Men’s Singles title this evening.
- In FIFA World Cup, England and Argentina enter semifinals.
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India has condemned the attack on the commercial vessel GFS Galaxy off the coast of Oman today. The External Affairs Ministry informed in a statement that of the 11 Indian nationals on board, 10 have been rescued so far, while one Indian National is reportedly missing. It said the Indian Embassy in Oman is closely monitoring the situation and proactively coordinating with the Omani authorities in the ongoing Search and Rescue operation. India has thanked the Omani authorities for their support.
New Delhi has expressed concern over the continuing incidents of attacks on commercial shipping in the region. It reiterated the call for immediate de-escalation of tensions, and the conclusion of ongoing negotiations for a diplomatic solution so that peace and stability can return to the region. The External Affairs Ministry said the targeting of commercial shipping and civilian infrastructure in the region must end, and free and unimpeded navigation and commerce through the international waterways in the region, in keeping with international law, must be restored at the earliest.
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The United States launched fresh airstrikes on Iran this morning. The airstrikes came after Tehran attacked a commercial vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, setting it ablaze and forcing its crew to abandon ship. US Central Command said it targeted around 140 Iranian military sites, including missile, drone and communications facilities.
Iran retaliated with missile and drone attacks targeting Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Qatar and Kuwait said they intercepted the incoming projectiles, while Bahrain also activated missile alerts. Iran also claimed to have carried out strikes on a US military base in Jordan.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said it has closed the Strait of Hormuz until further notice and warned of further action if US strikes continue.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has returned to New Delhi after concluding several agreements during his six-day visit to Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand. A report by our correspondent :
“In the first leg of his three-nation tour, Mr Modi visited Indonesia. During the visit, the Prime Minister held bilateral discussions with the Indonesian President and reviewed the progress. The two nations exchanged MoUs and agreements in the fields of defense, critical and rare earths minerals, agriculture, maritime security and space. During his visit, Prime Minister Modi was conferred the highest civilian medal of honour Bintang Adipurna of the Republic of Indonesia. In the second leg of his tour, Prime Minister Modi travelled to Melbourne, Australia, where he participated in the third India-Australia Annual Summit with Australian Prime Minister. The visit also enabled the supply of Uranium from Australia to India. During the visit, AustralianSuper announced to invest five hundred million Australian dollar to India’s National Investment and Infrastructure Fund. On the final leg of his three-nation visit, the Prime Minister visited Auckland. During the visit, Prime Ministers of India and New Zealand announced the creation of the India-New Zealand Strategic Partnership and set a target to double bilateral trade by 2030. With Dipendra Kumar, Saklen Akhtar, Akashvani News Delhi.”
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BJP has said that India has emerged as a stabilising force in the Indian Ocean and Indo-Pacific region. Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Party spokesperson Sambit Patra said, Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently visited Seychelles and Indonesia to further strengthen these strategic ties.He said, the Free Trade Agreement between India and New Zealand is a significant achievement.
Mr Patra highlighted ten important outcomes from his visit to Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand. This includes the Indian Ocean Indo-Pacific Strategic Alliance, Defence and maritime cooperation, Critical mineral cooperation, Energy security, Economic and investment outcomes, Digital public infrastructure and educational partnership.
Mr Patra also highlighted that India and Australia have issued a Joint Declaration on Defence and Security Cooperation.
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Former Qatar Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, who transformed the Gulf nation into a major global player in diplomacy, media and investment, has died at the age of 74. He ruled Qatar for 18 years before voluntarily handing over power to his son in 2013, breaking with regional tradition. Under his leadership, Qatar emerged as a global energy powerhouse, launched the Al Jazeera news network, expanded its international investments, and successfully hosted the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed grief over the demise of Father Amir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad binKhalifa Al Thani. In a social media post, Mr Modi said that he was a visionary leader who led Qatar to great levels of development and prosperity. The Prime Minister added that India remembers him asa true friend. Mr Modi conveyed his condolences to the Amir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and the entire royal family and people of Qatar.
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The Indian Embassy in Vietnam today informed that the mortal remains of the 15 Indian nationals who lost their lives in yesterday’s boat capsize, near Phu Quoc Island in Vietnam, are being transported to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. In a social media post, the Embassy said that after the completion of necessary formalities there, the mortal remains will be transported to India at the earliest.
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Home Minister Amit Shah today inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for a series of development projects of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation worth 405 crore rupees in Ahmedabad. On this occasion, he launched a massive tree plantation drive under the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign, which saw the planting of over one crore 25 lakh saplings across his Lok Sabha constituency, Gandhinagar today.
Addressing the gathering, Mr Shah highlighted a long-term environmental roadmap to increase the green cover of the constituency to 20 percent by the 2029 elections. We have a report from our correspondent:
“The Home Minister stressed that planting indigenous species like Banyan, Peepal, Jambu, and Arjun will help lower the city’s temperature by 5 percent and ensure a livable environment for future generations. The Minister also issued a strong call to action for the universal adoption of solar rooftops, urging every household and residential society to contribute to environmental sustainability. As part of the environmental push, 101 new oxygen parks were inaugurated, and a dedicated e-book mapping their details was also released. In a major boost to public transport, 333 new electric buses were inducted into the AMTS and BRTS fleets, making the Ahmedabad BRTS the first in the country to operate a 100 percent electric, zero-pollution fleet. Aparna Khunt, Akashvani News, Ahmedabad.”
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Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has emphasised that planting trees is extremely important for protecting the environment and ensuring a sustainable future. Addressing the Vriksh Mitra Programme and Paryavaran Sanrakshan Sankalp event in New Delhi, Mr Chouhan said, today the entire world is concerned about climate change and global warming. He noted that since 1880, rising ocean temperatures and melting glaciers have led to an increase in global sea levels by about 20 to 23 centimetres. He added that the Earth’s average temperature has risen by nearly 1.5 degrees Celsius compared to 1900, which is a serious warning sign of climate change.
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The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation has introduced the Amnesty Scheme, 2026, providing a one-time opportunity for establishments operating ‘Exempted Provident Fund’ to regularise their status. Labour and Employment Ministry said that the scheme will remain open for a period of six months. This Scheme applies to establishments that have been operating a Provident Fund Trust recognized under the Income Tax Act, 1961. The Ministry said, eligible establishments shall submit a formal application through email to the concerned Regional Office.
An ‘Exempted Provident Fund’ is an employer-managed PF scheme that handles its own provident fund contributions internally through a private trust, rather than depositing them directly into the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation. We have a report:
“The EPFO’s introduced Amnesty Scheme provides a one-time opportunity for eligible establishments that have been operating recognised PF trusts to regularise their status retrospectively. It is intended to bring such trusts within a uniform statutory framework while ensuring compliance with the applicable legal provisions. For employees, the scheme is expected to provide greater certainty regarding the legal status of their employer’s provident fund trust. It also requires that member accounts should have received contributions and interest at par with or better than the statutory EPFO rates for the prescribed reliefs to apply. By regularising exempted PF trusts, the scheme is also expected to make the administration of provident fund benefits more streamlined and legally compliant. WITH DIPENDRA KUMAR, VISHNU PS, Akashvani News Delhi.”
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In Tennis, two Wimbledon titles will be decided today as the men’s singles and women’s doubles finals are played. World Number One Jannik Sinner will face Germany’s Alexander Zverev in the men’s singles final at 8:30 PM IST. Sinner booked his place in the title clash with a straight-sets victory over Novak Djokovic, while Zverev entered his first Wimbledon final after defeating British wildcard Arthur Fery.
The women’s doubles final will begin at 5:30 PM IST.
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In the FIFA World Cup, England booked their semifinal berth with a 2-1 extra-time win over Norway, while Argentina entered the semifinal defeating Switzerland 3-1 this morning.
In the first semi-final, France and Spain will face off on Wednesday. The match will kick off at 12:30 a.m. Indian Standard Time. France reached the semi-finals after defeating Morocco 2-nil in the quarter-finals, while Spain advanced with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Belgium. The second semi-final will be played on Thursday between England and Argentina at 12:30 a.m. Indian Time.
The winners of the two semi-finals will meet in the FIFA World Cup final on July 20 at New York New Jersey Stadium. The losing teams will play the third-place play-off on July 19 in Miami.
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The India Meteorological Department has issued an orange alert for heavy to very heavy rainfall over Assam, Meghalaya, Bihar, Sub Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim today. It has predicted heavy rainfall conditions at isolated places over Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, East Uttar Pradesh, Gangetic West Bengal, and Himachal Pradesh today.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN:-
- India condemns attack on commercial vessel GFS Galaxy off coast of Oman; 10 Indians rescued, one reported missing; New Delhi expresses concern over continuing attacks on commercial shipping in the region.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi returns to New Delhi after concluding several agreements during his visit to Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand.
- Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurates and lays foundation stones of several development projects in Ahmedabad.
- Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation introduces a six-month Amnesty Scheme for establishments operating private provident fund trust, to regularise their status.
- In Wimbledon, Jannik Sinner to lock horns with Alexander Zverev for Men’s Singles title this evening.
- In FIFA World Cup, England and Argentina enter semifinals.
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