DOVAL, SULLIVAN TAKE FORWARD TALKS ON AI, DEFENCE, TELECOM

As part of the US two-pronged strategy to isolate Russia by seeking to improve ties with both India and China, US National Security Adviser (NSA) Jake Sullivan met Ajit Doval in new Delhi yesterday.

The delegation-level talks covered the roadmap for Indo-US collaboration in seven specific high-technology areas, which was unveiled by the two NSAs on Tuesday. They include semiconductors, next-generation telecommunication, artificial intelligence and defence.

The intensive two days of engagement by Sullivan coincides with a phone call made by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to his Chinese counterpart Qin Gang. The call came ahead of Blinken’s visit to Beijing to “discuss the importance of maintaining open lines of communication to responsibly manage the US-China relationship”. “He will also raise bilateral issues of concern, global and regional matters and potential cooperation on shared transnational challenges,” stated a State Department readout.

While Blinken is attempting to repair ties with China, Sullivan is on a two-day India visit, promising to elevate India-US ties by offering to transfer cutting-edge technology, many of them with dual applications in the military and civilian spheres. Sullivan’s confabulations with Doval and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar come ahead of PM Narendra Modi’s visit to the US, which is less than a week away.

Sullivan has also met Jaishankar to discuss preparations for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the US. Following their meeting, Jaishankar tweeted, “Our conversation focused on preparing for the PM’s upcoming US visit. Also discussed global strategic developments from the perspective of our partnership.”

ZELENSKYY’S KEY AIDE ASKS INDIA TO JOIN UKRAINIAN PEACE FORMULA

Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak had a phone call with National Security Adviser Ajit Doval on Wednesday. Yermak also made a phone call to Celso Amorim, the Chief Advier to the Brazilian President the same day.

The two large developing countries have so far refused to condemn Russia for the conflict in Ukraine.

The phone call to Doval came days after Russia said it was keen to expand ties with Pakistan and the first shipment carrying discounted Russian oil reached Karachi Port. It also comes while India and the US are engaged to the highest levels to effect a decisive breakthrough in their strategic ties.

“The two discussed the implementation of the agreements reached by Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during the talks with PM Narendra Modi when he took part in the G7 Summit held in Japan on May 20,” stated the Ukrainian President’s website.

“The main topic of their conversation was the implementation of the Ukrainian Peace Formula, in particular, the consolidation of international support for the Ukrainian peace plan and the possibility of India joining the implementation of its individual points.

LAW PANEL SEEKS PUBLIC VIEW ON UNIFORM CIVIL CODE

Eight months after the Centre told the Supreme Court that the Constitution obligated the State to have a Uniform Civil Code for its citizens and said that people of different religions and denominations following different property and matrimonial laws was an “affront to the nation’s unity”, the 22nd Law Commission of India Wednesday sought the views of the public and religious organisations on the matter.

A notice issued by the Commission said those interested and willing may present their views within 30 days.

It said the 21st Law Commission had initially examined the subject of UCC and solicited the views of all stakeholders on October 7, 2016 with further public appeals/notices on March 19, March 27 and April 10, 2018. After an overwhelming response, the 21st Law Commission, it said, came out with a consultation paper on ‘Reforms of Family Law’ on August 31, 2018.

Since more than three years had lapsed after the issue of the consultation paper, and “bearing in mind the relevance and importance of the subject and also the various Court orders on the subject, the 22nd Law Commission of India considered it expedient to deliberate afresh over the subject”.

The notice said the stakeholders concerned are also at liberty to make submissions in the form of consultation/discussion/working papers on any of the issues pertaining to the UCC to the Member Secretary, Law Commission of India. “If need be, Commission may call upon any individual or organisation for a personal hearing or discussion,” it said.

The 22nd Law Commission is chaired by former Karnataka High Court Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi. Retired High Court judge Justice K T Sankaran, Professor Anand Paliwal, Professor D P Verma, Professor Raka Arya and M Karunanithi are its members.

KUTCH BRACES FOR BIPARJOY LANDFALL: 74,000 EVACUATED FROM COASTAL DISTRICTS

The state government evacuated more than 74,000 people from eight coastal districts of Gujarat, including 35,822 along the coast of Kutch district, issued prohibitory orders, shut down public transport and advised people to remain indoors Wednesday as it braces for Cyclone Biparjoy that is likely to hit the district today around 5 pm. By Wednesday evening, 240 villages were without power in the Saurashtra and Kutch regions.

The IMD has issued a red alert for the Saurashtra-Kutch coast in view of the impending landfall of the cyclonic storm. Meanwhile, heavy to very heavy rainfall was witnessed in some parts of Kutch and Devbhumi Dwarka — two districts that are expected to be the most impacted by the cyclone, which the IMD designated as “very severe”.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

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TURKIYE WON’T BACK SWEDEN’S BID TO JOIN NATO, SAYS ERDOGAN

Sweden should not expect a change of attitude from Ankara on its Nato membership bid at the Western alliance’s summit next month unless it prevents anti-Turkiye protests in Stockholm, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan was quoted as saying on Wednesday.

Turkiye can’t approach Sweden’s Nato bid positively while “terrorists” were protesting in Stockholm, and Turkiye’s position would be made clear once again in talks with Swedish officials in Ankara on Wednesday, Erdogan was quoted as telling reporters on a flight from Azerbaijan on Tuesday.

Erdogan made his comments before officials from Turkiye, Sweden, Finland and Nato met on Wednesday in Ankara for talks to try to overcome Turkish objections that have delayed Sweden’s Nato membership bid.

Turkish-Swedish tensions were most recently fuelled by an anti-Turkiye and anti-Nato protest in Stockholm last month, when the flag of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group, outlawed in Turkiye as well as in the European Union, was projected on to the parliament building.

HAVE RECEIVED RUSSIAN BOMBS ‘MORE POWERFUL THAN HIROSHIMA, NAGASAKI’, SAYS BELARUSIAN PRESIDENT

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has said his country has started taking delivery of Russian tactical nuclear weapons, some of which he said were three times more powerful than the atomic bombs the US dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. The deployment is Moscow’s first move of such warheads – shorter-range less powerful nuclear weapons that could potentially be used on the battlefield.

The Russian leader announced in March he had agreed to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, pointing to the U.S deployment of such weapons in a host of European countries over many decades.

The United States has criticised Putin’s decision but has said it has no intention of altering its own stance on strategic nuclear weapons and has not seen any signs that Russia is preparing to use a nuclear weapon.

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3 YEARS AFTER GALWAN: RAMP-UP IN LAC INFRA, TROOP PRESENCE, OP LOGISTICS

June 15 marks three years of the Galwan Valley incident when Indian and Chinese troops clashed deep inside eastern Ladakh.

At the time of the clash, Indian military infrastructure in the region was sparse, with just a division strength of around 15,000 troops of the Leh-based XIV Corps guarding the LAC there.

Three years later, winds of change have swept this Union Territory in terms of sheer troop density and the scale of infrastructure developed there.

Nearly 50,000 additional troops – more than the population of Leh itself – were deployed to eastern Ladakh in the immediate aftermath of the Galwan Valley clashes.

While earlier, just one of XIV Corps’ two divisions were specifically tasked with looking at the border, there are now more than two divisions of troops deployed at the LAC including a Rashtriya Rifles force that was moved from J&K.

The last three years have also seen the deployment of a plethora of modern equipment for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) in eastern Ladakh and deployment of additional mechanised and armoured regiments, up from 4-5 regiments to 10-12. Additional repair and recovery elements have been put in place for armoured vehicles, and cater to wear and tear.

To facilitate quick deployment of soldiers to the LAC and their accommodation and living, the last three years have been devoted to aggressive construction of military infrastructure – additional roads, tracks, bridges, permanent defences, habitat and shelters for troops in areas unoccupied earlier.

IN MAINPUR, SECURITY FORCES FACE CHALLENGES

At least nine persons were killed and 10 injured in fresh violence in strife-torn Manipur when suspected miscreants attacked a Kuki village in the Khamenlok area around 1 am on Wednesday, officials said. In the gun battle that ensued, both sides suffered casualties and injuries.

The latest round of killings is a stark reminder of the challenges security forces face in their attempts to restore normalcy.

Earlier on Monday afternoon, when a gunfight broke out between Meitei and Kuki groups in the Khamenlok area, security forces were rushed to the area. But they could not reach in time because women and children had blocked the road. By the time the route was cleared, nine persons from the two communities had sustained gunshot injuries.

Days earlier, in Sugnu which is east of Churachandpur, a contingent of Assam Rifles found the road dug up.

These episodes underline the challenge the security forces are facing in Manipur. Sources within the state security establishment say in almost every incident of arson or firing, there is resistance to intervention by security personnel.

A TN MINISTER IS ARRESTED BY ED

The Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday arrested Tamil Nadu electricity, prohibition and excise minister V Senthil Balaji under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, making him the first member in the MK Stalin-led Cabinet to face such an action from a central probe agency.

Balaji was arrested after a long session of questioning, they said, even as the 47-year-old minister was admitted to a city government hospital after he complained of uneasiness.

He underwent a coronary angiogram and was advised bypass surgery at the "earliest".

A court in Chennai on Wednesday sent Balaji to judicial custody till June 28.

Balaji was arrested around 1.30 am on Wednesday by the ED under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), following raids on his premises since Tuesday morning.

The case against Balaji and his aides pertain to his tenure as the state transport minister in the AIADMK government during 2011-15.

Chief Minister Stalin, who had slammed the ED raids against Balaji on Tuesday as "intimidation politics".

Also, Tamil Nadu yesterday joined the ranks of opposition-ruled states that have withdrawn a general consent for investigation that the CBI enjoys. The Central agency will now have to take the state government's permission to undertake investigation in the state and against its residents.

KARNATAKA CONG GOVT’S FOOD GRAIN GUARANTEE TAKES A HIT, CENTRE STOPS RICE, WHEAT SALE BY FCI TO STATES

In a setback to the Karnataka Congress government’s plans to roll out its second guarantee, the Anna Bhagya scheme providing 10 kg food grains per person per month to all BPL families, the Union government has stopped the sale of wheat and rice from Food Corporation of India (FCI) stocks to state governments.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah accused the BJP government at the Centre of taking a “political decision” to prevent Karnataka from supplying grains to the poor.

The Food Ministry called the measure part of steps to check prices.

GHULAM NABI AZAD ON PROSPECTS OF OPPN UNITY

Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) chief Ghulam Nabi Azad on Wednesday said he sees no benefit coming out of "opposition unity" ahead of the 2024 Lak Sabha polls.

Asked about a meeting of opposition parties called by Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, Azad said he has not been invited to it.

"Opposition unity will benefit only when there is something for both sides. There may be a difference in the share of benefits for the two -- it can be 50-50 or 60-40 -- but in this case, both sides have nothing to offer to the other," he said.

Referring to West Bengal, Mr Azad pointed out that the Congress and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) have no MLA in the state and wondered that just in case the two parties forge an alliance with the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC,what does the latter stand to gain?  "Why would Banerjee enter into an alliance? What benefit will she get out of it? Similarly, the TMC has no MLA in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. What would the Congress give her in these states? Nothing," he said.

The former Union minister, however, clarified that he wants the opposition to unite to defeat the ruling BJP in next year's general election.

BENGALURU COURT SUMMONS RAHUL, SIDDARAMAIAH, SHIVAKUMAR

The BJP has filed a defamation complaint against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), before the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court in Bengaluru.

The special court exclusively to deal with criminal cases related to elected former and sitting MPs/MLAs has taken cognisance of the offences under Sections 499 (defamation) and 500 (punishment for defamation) of the Indian Penal Code and posted the case for recording the sworn statement on July 27. Summons were ordered to be issued on Tuesday to all the respondents in this regard.

The private complaint alleging false claims in advertisements tarnishing the image of the Bharatiya Janata Party was filed by the party's state secretary S Keshavaprasad on May 9.

According to the complaint, the advertisement released by the KPCC in major newspapers on May 5, 2023 in the run-up to the assembly election claiming that the then incumbent BJP government indulged in '40 per cent corruption' and had looted Rs 1.5 lakh crore in the previous four years was 'baseless, prejudiced and defamatory'.

GREATER NOIDA SOCIETY ISSUES DRESS CODE FOR RESIDENTS, WITHDRAWS IT LATER

A Greater Noida group housing society issued a dress code for its residents, advising them not to wear ‘lungis’ or ‘nighties’ within the complex, only to withdraw the diktat on Wednesday.

The dress code was issued via a notice by the residents’ body of Himsagar Apartments on June 10 following a complaint about “objectionable dressing” by some residents.

“All of you are expected to take care of your behaviour and dressing when venturing out in the society so that nobody gets a chance to raise any objection. Your children also learn from you. Hence, it is requested to you that lungi or nighty, which are worn inside homes, should not be used outdoors,” the notice issued by the secretary of the residents’ body stated.

However, the move drew divergent reactions from the residents and apparently “hurt” the sentiments of some, prompting the society to withdraw it after four days.

6,500 MILLIONAIRES EXPECTED TO LEAVE INDIA IN 2023

About 6,500 high net worth individuals (HNWIs) are expected to leave India in 2023, lower than the net outflows of 7,500 individuals the previous year, according to Henley Private Wealth Migration Dashboard 2023 - which tracks wealth and investment migration trends worldwide.

‘Millionaires’ or ‘high-net-worth individuals’ or ‘HNWIs’ refer to individuals with an investable USD 1 million or more wealth.

According to the estimate, China is expected to top the list with 13,500 Chinese millionaires likely to exit the country as against the exodus of 10,800 people from the country in the year 2022.

While China has a total of 780,000 HNWIs, in India there are an estimated 344,600 high net worth individuals.

UK, Russia and Brazil are expected to witness HNWIs outflow of 3,200, 3,000, and 1,200 respectively in the year 2023.

Perhaps most notably, the United Kingdom’s anticipated HNWIs flight is double that of last year, when it saw a net exodus of 1,600 millionaires.

According to the Henley Private Wealth Migration dashboard HNWIs are likely to choose Australia, UAE, Singapore, the US, and Switzerland as their preferred destinations in 2023.

INDONESIA OPEN: LAKSHYA SEN, SRIKANTH ENTER SECOND ROUND IN STYLE

Commonwealth Games champion Indian shuttler Lakshya Sen and compatriot Kidambi Srikanth eased into the second round of the men’s singles at the Indonesia Open World Tour Super 1000 event with straight-game wins over their respective rivals here on Wednesday.

While Lakshya, a world championship bronze medallist and ranked 20th in the world, took just 32 minutes to quell the challenge of world no.11 over Zii Jia Lee of Malaysia 21-17 21-13, Srikanth beat Guang Zu Lu of China 21-13 21-19.

But it will be curtains for either Lakshya or Srikanth in the next round as they will take on each other.

INDICATORS

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GBP 0.79 /US$, Euro 0.92 /US$, Jap.Yen 139.87 /US$, Aus$ 1.47 /US$, Sing 1.34 /US$, Bang Taka 107.74 /US$, Can$ 1.33 /US$, Mal Ring 4.61 /US$, Pak Re 284.71 /US$, Phil Peso 55.90 /US$, Russian Rouble 84.11 /US$, NZ$ 1.61 /US$, Thai Baht 34.62 /US$, Ukraine Hryvnia 36.67 /US$

Bitcoin - USD 25,199, Dollar Index 102.63, Brent Crude 73.44, BDI 1,079

Gold world Spot Price USD/aoz 1,937 India (Rs. pera gm 24k/22k) 6,005 / 5,505, Silver (Rs. Per KG) 74,000

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

It's pretty hard to tell what does bring happiness. Poverty an' wealth have both failed. - Kin Hubbard

OFF TRACK

Harry was finally a groom and was very excited about his upcoming marriage.

He was on his way out of the office when his boss came over to him with an outstretched hand, "Congratulations Harry! I just wanted to tell you I've been married for twenty two years, and I am sure that you will always remember this day today with the fondest of memories, as the happiest day of your life."

"But sir", said Harry, a little bit confused, "I'm getting married tomorrow, not today!"

"Yeah, I know," said his boss.