THE HEADLINES:
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi to leave on a visit to Italy today to participate in G7 Summit.
- BJP leader Pema Khandu to be sworn-in as Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh this morning.
- Around 40 Indians killed and 50 injured in Kuwait apartment fire; Prime Minister Modi announces ex-gratia of 2 lakh rupees to kin of deceased.
- Retail inflation eases to 12-month low of 4.75 percent in May.
- US Federal Reserve keeps interest rate unchanged for seventh straight time.
- In Cricket, India beat US by 7 wickets to reach Super Eights round of T20 World Cup.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a visit to Apulia, Italy today to participate in the G7 Summit tomorrow. Briefing media in New Delhi, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said India has been invited as an Outreach Country. This will be the Prime Minister’s first overseas travel after assuming office in his third consecutive term. He said the visit will also be an opportunity to engage with other world leaders present at the G7 Summit on issues of importance to India as also to the Global South.
The G7 Group was established as a platform for economic and financial cooperation in response to the 1973 energy crisis. It comprises of United States, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Japan and Britain. This will be India’s 11th participation in the G7 Summit and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s fifth consecutive participation in the Summit. The three day G7 Summit is beginning today (13.6.24). The Prime Minister will participate in the Outreach Session tomorrow (14.6.24). At this Session, the focus would be on Artificial Intelligence, Energy, Africa and the Mediterranean. On the sidelines of the Summit, Prime Minister is expected to hold bilateral meetings with the leaders of the G7 countries. Mr Modi will hold bilateral meeting with his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni. The two Prime Ministers last met during the COP 28 Summit in Abu Dhabi last year. Suparna Saikia, Akashvani News, Delhi.
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BJP leader Pema Khandu will be sworn-in as Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh today. The swearing-in ceremony will be held at the Dorjee Khandu Convention Centre in Itanagar at 11 AM. Mr Khandu met Governor Lt General KT Parnaik at Raj Bhavan yesterday evening and staked the claim to form a new government. Subsequently, the Governor invited him to form the new government. Earlier yesterday, Mr Khandu was unanimously elected leader of Arunachal Pradesh BJP legislature party in the presence of Central Observers – Ravi Shankar Prasad and Tarun Chugh.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP President JP Nadda, and party’s general secretary BL Santosh are among those who will attend the swearing-in ceremony.
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The External Affairs Ministry has said that around 40 Indians are understood to have died and over 50 injured in the fire-incident in a Labour housing facility in Mangaf area of Kuwait. It said the Embassy is ascertaining the full details from the concerned Kuwaiti authorities and the company. Ministry said in a statement that those injured are presently admitted in five government hospitals and receiving proper medical care and attention. According to hospital authorities, most of the admitted patients are stable.
Following the incident, Ambassador of India in Kuwait, Adarsh Swaika immediately visited the location of the incident and also the hospitals to ascertain the welfare of the Indian nationals
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a review meeting on the fire tragedy in Kuwait at his residence in New Delhi. Prime Minister expressed his sorrow at the incident and extended condolences to the families of the deceased. He wished speedy recovery of those injured.
Minister of State for External Affairs, Kirti Vardhan Singh rushed to Kuwait to oversee the relief measures and facilitate expeditious repatriation of the mortal remains.
The Prime Minister announced ex- gratia relief of two lakh rupees to the families of the deceased India nationals from the Prime Minister Relief Fund.
Earlier, External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar also spoke to his Kuwaiti counterpart Abdullah Ali Al-Yahya on the fire tragedy in Kuwait yesterday evening. In a social media post, Dr Jaishankar said he was apprised of the efforts made by Kuwaiti authorities in that regard.
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Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha called upon the members of artist community to play their part against terrorism. The Lt Governor was addressing the Artists at Jashn-e-Bahar Traditional Folk Festival at Tagore Hall in Srinagar.
The Lieutenant Governor said we must stand united in the fight against terrorism. He expressed full faith in Police and Security forces and said that they are working round the clock and will ensure a safe and secure environment for the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Manoj Sinha further maintained that he will not rest till terrorism and its supporters are rooted out from the soil of Jammu and Kashmir.
Yesterday, Doda and Kathua districts of Jammu and Kashmir were struck by two separate terror attacks, resulting in the death of a CRPF jawan while six security personnel were injured. The Jammu region has seen four major militant attacks since Sunday, including Reasi district in which nine pilgrims were killed and 41 others injured.
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Haryana’s Minister of State for Irrigation and Water Resources, Dr Abhay Singh Yadav said that Haryana is giving sufficient quantity of water to Delhi, in fact, more water than its share is being given. The Haryana government has never been negligent in giving water in the past and will never do so in the future, he added. He said that the management and use of the given water is the responsibility of the Delhi government.
Dr Yadav said that from the beginning, efforts have been made to ensure that no chaos spreads in this regard.
The Delhi government has decided to deploy Additional District Magistrate and Sub Divisional Magistrate level officers in each zone to act as a quick response team to provide water tankers and resolution of water related complaints.
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Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav will launch the PM Shri Tourism Air Service today to enhance connectivity for tourist destinations. The Chief Minister will inaugurate the first flight from Bhopal to Jabalpur at Raja Bhoj International Airport at 9 AM. We have more on this:-
The first flight of PM Shri Tourism Air Service will go from Bhopal to Jabalpur via Rewa, and from there it will land in Singrauli. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav will also inaugurate the ticket booking counter at Bhopal Airport and provide boarding passes to the passengers.
Eight cities of the state including Bhopal, Indore, Jabalpur, Rewa, Ujjain, Gwalior, Singrauli, and Khajuraho will be connected through air service.
The PM Shri Tourism Air Service is being operated by the Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board on a Public Private Partnership basis through Jetserve Aviation Private Limited. This service between Bhopal and Gwalior will be inaugurated on June 15 from Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia Airport Maharajpura. Sanjeev Sharma, akashvani news, Bhopal
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India’s headline retail inflation eased to the lowest in a year at 4.75 percent in May 2024, according to the data released by the ministry of statistics and programme implementation. In the previous month of April 2024, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation was at 4.83 percent. The headline rate for last month is the lowest after May 2023 and has now been under the 5 percent-mark for three consecutive months starting March 2024. The downward trajectory for the headline inflation rate is because the major sub-groups either witnessed a softening or remained unchanged as compared to the previous month.
Core inflation, which excludes volatile components such as food and fuel, is now at an all-time low of 2.97 percent. On the other hand, food and beverages inflation remained the same at 7.87 percent.
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India’s Index of Industrial Production (IIP) recorded a growth of 5 percent for the month of April 2024 over the corresponding period of previous year. The IIP growth rate in April 2023 was 4.6 percent. According to the data released by Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, growth rates of mining sector for the month of April 2024 over April 2023 was 6.7 percent while the manufacturing sector recorded a growth of 3.9 percent and electricity for the same period grew by 10.2 percent.
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The US Federal Reserve kept the interest rate unchanged but hinted that there could be one cut between now and the end of the year as they continue the fight against inflation. The Fed announcement came last night after a two-day meeting of its top officials. The benchmark interest rates remain unchanged between 5.25 per cent and 5.5 per cent for the seventh straight meeting.
The Federal Reserve expected to announce three cuts in 2024 as inflations showed signs of coming down, but decided against it every time as inflation stayed stubbornly high. The Fed aims to bring inflation under two per cent.
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In the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Cricket, India defeated United States by 7 wickets at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York last night.
With a fiery win against USA last night, India secured the Super 8 qualification with a game in hand in Group A. Put into bat first, United States scored 110-runs as Arshdeep Singh delivered a beautiful spell to clinch four wickets by conceding just 9 runs in four overs.
Chasing the target of 111, India were off to the worst start with left-arm pacer Saurabh Netravalkar getting rid of Virat Kohli at a golden duck and Rohit on three runs, in successive overs. However, Surya Kumar Yadav’s gritty half century and his partnership with Shivam Dube guided India to a hard-fought win. Shefali Singh, Akashvani News, New Delhi.
In other matches, hosts, West Indies have posted a target of 150 runs before New Zealand at the Brian Lara Stadium in Trinidad. Chasing the target, the visitors were 34 for One in 5.2 overs, a shortwhile ago.
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India Meteorological Department-IMD has predicted heat wave to severe heat wave conditions to continue over parts of Uttar Pradesh, Gangetic West Bengal, Bihar and Jharkhand during next 3 to 4 days. IMD also forecasts heat wave conditions over some pockets of Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu Division and Odisha during the same period.
IMD said that weather conditions are favourable for further advance of Southwest Monsoon into some more parts of Odisha, Coastal Andhra Pradesh and northwest Bay of Bengal during next 2-3 days. IMD has predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall over Sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Sikkim and Northeast India during the next 4 to 5 days.
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TODAY’S NEWSPAPERS HEADLINE:
- News about terror strikes in Jammu and Indians killed in Kuwait building fire, dominates the front pages of dailies today. “Terror strikes Jammu: 3 gunfights in 26 hours”, headlines Hindustan Times. On the fire in Kuwait, The Asian Age reports that Prime Minister Modi has asked Minister of State for external affairs to rush to Kuwait, and Kuwaits’ Emir has vowed action.
- The top headline in Financial Express reads, “FM hints at more reforms, steps for ‘ease of living'”, Budget likely in the week starting July 15.
- The Supreme Court asked the Delhi Government to rein in tanker mafia and water wastage, which it said is to blame for scarcity every summer, reports The Hindu.
- The Tribune quotes IMD as stating that the monsoon is sluggish and the heatwave will continue for some time.
- And finally, using Artificial Intelligence analysis of trumpeting, scientists have found evidence that like people, elephants call each other by name, reports The Indian Express.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN:
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi to leave on a visit to Italy today to participate in G7 Summit.
- BJP leader Pema Khandu to be sworn-in as Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh this morning.
- Around 40 Indians killed and 50 injured in Kuwait apartment fire; Prime Minister Modi announces ex-gratia of 2 lakh rupees to kin of deceased.
- Retail inflation eases to 12-month low of 4.75 percent in May.
- US Federal Reserve keeps interest rate unchanged for seventh straight time.
- In Cricket, India beat US by 7 wickets to reach Super Eights round of T20 World Cup.
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