HEADLINES
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarks on a five-nation visit; To reach Ghana on the first leg this afternoon.
- External Affairs Minister, Dr. S Jaishankar and US Defence Secretary discuss plans for a new ten year Framework for India-US Major Defence Partnership.
- Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha flags off first batch of Amarnath Yatra pilgrims from Jammu.
- US Senate passes President Donald Trump’s ambitious ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ following a tense 50-50 vote.
- In Himachal Pradesh 51 people killed and 21 missing amidst monsoon fury.
- In Women’s T20 cricket, India defeat hosts England by 24 runs in the second match at Bristol.
- In Wimbledon Tennis, World Number 1 Jannik Sinner and 24 time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic advance to the second round; World Number 2 Coco Gauff knocked out of women’s singles.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has embarked on a five-nation visit to Ghana, Trinidad and Tobago, Argentina, Brazil, and Namibia a short while ago. On the first leg of his visit, the Prime Minister will undertake a visit to Ghana. The Prime Minister will hold talks with the President of Ghana John Dramani Mahama.
On the second leg of his visit, Mr. Modi will be visiting Trinidad and Tobago from tomorrow. On the third leg of his visit, which begins on Friday, the Prime Minister will travel to Argentina.
In the fourth leg, the Prime Minister will travel to Brazil from 5th to 8th July to attend the 17th BRICS Summit 2025 followed by a State Visit.
In the last leg of his visit, Prime Minister Modi will visit Namibia on 9th July.
Our correspondent covering the Prime Minister’s visit to Ghana reports that the visit seeks to further strengthen the warm and longstanding ties between the two nations.
“PM Modi upon arrival in Accra, the capital of Ghana, this afternoon, is expected to receive a ceremonial welcome and Guard of Honour.
Thereafter, there will be bilateral engagements with President of Republic of Ghana, John Mahama at the Jubilee House. The presidential palace building was constructed with a grant of $30 million dollars from India.
Bilateral relations will be reviewed during the delegation-level talks.
Discussions are also expected to cover regional and global issues. Key agreements are expected to be signed, followed by a joint press conference.
President Mahama will then host a State Dinner in honour of PM Modi and his delegation. PM Modi’s trip further advances India’s outreach to the Economic Community of West African States and the African Union. Alok Rai, Akashvani News, Accra.”
In his departure statement the Prime Minister said, Ghana is a valued partner in the Global South and plays an important role in the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States.
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External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar met US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon in US last night. He highlighted the strategic importance of India-US defence ties, describing them as “one of the most consequential pillars” of the bilateral relationship. The meeting comes in the wake of the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Washington, marking another key engagement in a series of high-level India-US interactions. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth expressed enthusiasm about the growing defence partnership between the two countries.
During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the US in February this year, he announced along with US President Donald Trump the plans to sign a new ten-year Framework for the US -India Major Defence Partnership.
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Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has said that India reserves the right to respond and defend against terrorism and pre-empt as well as deter any further cross-border attacks. During a telephonic conversation with the US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth, the Defence Minister said, India’s actions were measured, non-escalatory, proportionate and focused on disabling terrorist infrastructure during Operation Sindoor.
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Union Cabinet has approved around one lakh crore rupees employment-linked incentive scheme to boost employment generation in the country. Briefing media about the Cabinet decisions in New Delhi, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that the scheme is aimed to incentivise the creation of over 3.5 Crore jobs in the country over a period of two years. Out of these, 1.92 Crore beneficiaries will be first timers, entering the workforce.
The Cabinet has also approved the National Sports Policy 2025, aimed at transforming the country’s sporting landscape and encouraging greater public participation in sports. The Cabinet also gave node to Research Development and Innovation Scheme with a corpus of one lakh crore rupees.
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The Indian Navy has welcomed two new additions, stealth frigate Udaygiri and INS Tamal to its fleet to bolster its maritime presence and command. The second ship of Project 17A stealth frigate, Udaygiri was delivered to the Indian Navy yesterday. Udaygiri is a modern Avatar of its predecessor, erstwhile INS Udaygiri which was a Steam Ship, decommissioned in 2007.
Meanwhile, the Indian Navy has commissioned INS Tamal at Yantar Shipyard, Kaliningrad in Russia.
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Amid chants of “Bum Bum Bhole” and “Har Har Mahadev”, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha flagged off the first batch of Amarnath Yatra pilgrims from the Yatri Niwas base camp in Bhagwati Nagar early this morning.
A tolal of 5892 pilgrims left for valley of which 2489 shall perform yatra via Baltal route whereas 3403 will follow the longer Anantnag route to reach the holy cave. Pilgrims of the first batch expressed happiness and lauded the arrangements.
“The 38-day yatra to the 3,880-metre-high Amarnath shrine shall formally begin tomorrow ie July 3 via both the routes routes – the traditional 48-kilometre Nunwan-Pahalgam track in Anantnag and the shorter but steeper 14-kilometre Baltal route in Ganderbal. The pilgrimage will conclude on Shravan Poornima that is Raksha Bandhan that falls on August 9 this year.
The pilgrims are being escorted by a robust security convoy along the 270-km Jammu-Srinagar National Highway (NH-44) to ensure their safety.
More than 3.31 lakh devotees have already registered for this year’s yatra so far whereas On-the-spot registration has also begun at Jammu, with nearly 4,000 tokens distributed over the last two days. Authorities have implemented a robust security plan with a multi-tiered grid, CCTV surveillance, and daily traffic advisories. The Security Wing of J&K Police has taken charge of the Bhagwati Nagar base camp, while CRPF is managing perimeter security. Traffic restrictions will remain in place along the Jammu-Srinagar highway from July 2 to August 9, with designated cut-off timings and sector-wise monitoring. Jagmohan Sharma, Akashvani News, Jammu.”
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The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued orange alert for rain in North and Central India including Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and parts of Gujarat, Rajasthan and Maharashtra. Heavy to very heavy rainfall conditions will also prevail at isolated places in Konkan, Goa, Madhya Maharashtra today. In East India, similar weather conditions will continue over Arunachal Pradesh and Odisha today. Heavy rainfall is predicted in Assam, Meghalaya, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Coastal Karnataka, Jharkhand, Kerala and Mahe.
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The monsoon is fully active in Himachal Pradesh, and the recent heavy rainfall, landslides, and cloudburst incidents have caused significant loss of life and property. So far, 51 people have died in rain-related incidents, over a hundred have been injured, and 21 people are still missing.
During the past 48 hours, heavy monsoon rains, landslides, and cloudbursts have caused extensive devastation in the state. Mandi district has been the worst affected due to cloudbursts and heavy rains, where five people have died and 15 are still missing. NDRF, SDRF, and administrative teams are actively engaged in relief and rescue operations. In the district, 24 houses and 12 cowsheds have also been damaged. Across the state, 406 roads are blocked for traffic due to heavy rains and landslides. In addition, 1,515 electricity transformers and 171 water supply schemes have also been affected. The Meteorological Centre in Shimla has predicted heavy rainfall in most parts of the state even today.Ritesh Kapoor, Akashvani News, Shimla.
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In Uttarakhand, Clear weather prevailed over most parts of Uttarakhand today allowing authorities to expedite the restoration of roads blocked due to recent rainfall and landslides. In Uttarkashi work is underway on a war footing to repair the damaged Yamunotri National Highway near Silai Band. District Magistrate Prashant Arya stated that the pilgrimage to Yamunotri Dham remains unaffected
On the other hand, yatra to Badrinath, Kedarnath, and Gangotri Dhams is continuing without disruption. Meanwhile, the Met Department has forecast light to moderate rainfall in some parts of the state in the coming days.
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The US Senate has passed US President Donald Trump’s ambitious budget proposal, dubbed as the “One Big Beautiful Bill” Act, after a tense 50-50 vote. Vice President JD Vance cast the decisive tie-breaking vote, securing a major victory for the Trump administration’s domestic agenda. Despite opposition from Democrats and some Republican holdouts, the bill cleared its first major hurdle with a vote of 59-41 to begin debate, followed by the critical 50-50 vote to pass it.
The bill will now head to the House of Representatives for a final vote before reaching the President’s desk.
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The ISKCON Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple in Utah, US, came under attack in suspected hate crimes over the past several days, according to a recent announcement shared on ISKCON’s official social media handle.
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In Women’s T20 cricket, India defeated England by 24 runs in the second of the five- match series at Bristol last night. Here is more in the sports round up:
“Put into bat first, the Women in Blue posted 181 runs for 4 in the stipulated 20 overs. For visitors, Amanjot Kaur scored unbeaten 63 runs in 40 balls and was declared Player of the Match.
In Men’s cricket, the second test of Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series between India and England will begin at Edgbaston in Birmingham today. The match will start at 3:30 PM IST.
In Tennis, World No. 1 Jannik Sinner defeated fellow Italian Luca Nardi in straight sets in the first round of the Men’s Singles at Wimbledon. Twenty-four-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic began his bid for an eighth Wimbledon title with a four-set win in his first-round clash against Frenchman Alexandre Muller. In one of the biggest upsets of the Wimbledon Championships so far, France’s Arthur Rinderknech defeated third seed Alexander Zverev in a gripping five-set battle to reach the second round. In the Women’s Singles, World No. 2 Coco Gauff suffered a major upset, getting knocked out in the opening round after losing to Dayana Yastremska in straight sets. India will open its campaign today in the men’s doubles first-round events. Rohan Bopanna, Yuki Bhambri, Sriram Balaji, and Rithvik Choudary Bollipalli will be in action. MANIK SHARMA, NEWS DESK.”
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TODAY’S NEWSPAPERS HEADLINE,
- With the Union Cabinet clearing a scheme for accelerating development in the sunrise sectors, “Rupees 1 lakh crore R&D push for private sector unveiled “, is the opening headline in the Hindustan Times.
- Calling the Digital India initiative a people’s movement, quoting the Prime Minister, The Asian Age headlines, ” Digital India transformed country in 10 years.”
- ” We’re ‘very close’ with India: US on trade deal ” ‘ Jaishankar says he’s hopeful but can’t guarantee pact’ writes The Business Standard.
- And finally, a symbol of tradition and smart branding, ” Kalaburagi’s Jolada rottis are flying off the shelves, upcountry online orders surge after PM’s Mann Ki Baat mention about women entrepreneurs” writes the Hindu Business Line.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN,
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarks on a five-nation visit today; To reach Ghana on the first leg this afternoon.
- External Affairs Minister, Dr. S Jaishankar and US Defence Secretary discuss plans for a new ten year Framework for India-US Major Defence Partnership.
- Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha flags off first batch of Amarnath Yatra pilgrims from Jammu.
- US Senate passes President Donald Trump’s ambitious ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ following a tense 50-50 vote.
- In Himachal Pradesh 51 people killed and 21 missing amidst monsoon fury.
- In Women’s T20 cricket, India defeat hosts England by 24 runs in the second match at Bristol.
- In Wimbledon Tennis, World Number 1 Jannik Sinner and 24 time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic advance to the second round; World Number 2 Coco Gauff knocked out of women’s singles.
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