MODI'S YOGA DAY EVENT AT UN CREATES GUINNESS WORLD RECORD

Calling for the use of “the power of yoga to build bridges of friendship, a peaceful world and a cleaner, greener sustainable future”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi led a historic Yoga Day event at the United Nations headquarters in New York Wednesday, saying yoga is “truly universal” and “free from copyrights and patents”.

The event created a Guinness World Record for the participation of people of most nationalities.

It was attended by top UN officials, diplomats and prominent personalities.

The prime minister thanked people for coming from far away to attend the celebration. "I'm delighted to see you all. And I thank you all for coming. Friends. I'm told that almost every nationality is represented here today," Modi told the gathering.

He was joined by President of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly Csaba Korisi, deputy Secretary General Amina Mohammed, and New York City mayor Eric Adams.

MODI REACHES WASHINGTON

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Washington, DC on Wednesday on the second leg of his maiden state visit to the United States during which he will hold bilateral talks with President Joe Biden and address a joint session of the US Congress.

"The Official State visit moves to its next phase. PM @narendramodi accorded a ceremonial welcome and guard of honour as he sets foot at the Joint Base Andrews airport in Washington DC. In Washington DC, PM will hold bilateral meeting with @POTUS @JoeBiden; address the Joint Session of the US Congress; and interact with CEOs and a cross-section of Indian diaspora," Arindam Bagchi, the Official Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, said in a tweet.

From the airport, Modi travelled to the hotel where Indian diaspora members were waiting for him. Indian diaspora members braved rain to welcome Modi at Freedom Plaza in Washington. Some of the community members staged cultural programmes including 'Garba' and other folk dances outside the hotel in Washington DC where Modi will stay.

Later Wednesday, Modi was to meet US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden for a private dinner at the White House.

This first meeting between Modi and the Bidens in White House will set the stage for the formal bilateral talks between the two sides on Thursday.

Describing the visit as a "watershed moment" in ties, US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti has said that this week would be one of those moments that could change the course of history as the two democracies get together for peace and prosperity.

PM Modi and United States First Lady Jill Biden on Wednesday visited the National Science Foundation in Alexandria, Virginia. Welcoming Modi to the United States, Jill Biden said, "With this official visit, we are bringing together the world's oldest and largest democracies. But our relationship is not just about governments, we are celebrating the families, and the friendship between both countries. The US-India partnership is deep and expansive as we jointly tackle global challenges. Education is an issue that is close to PM Modi's heart and mine.

Modi said his government's goal is to make this decade a "tech decade" as he shared his government's initiatives to empower young entrepreneurs.

AMIT SHAH CALLS ALL-PARTY MEET ON MANIPUR ON SATURDAY

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has convened an all-party meeting on June 24 in New Delhi to discuss the situation in Manipur which has witnessed sporadic violence since May 3.

So far, nearly 120 people have lost their lives and over 3,000 are injured, since the violence started on May 3.

UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi yesterday made an emotional appeal for peace and said the unprecedented violence in the state has left a “deep wound” in the conscience of the nation. Her rare statement comes at a time when the Congress has been attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his silence over the violence in the BJP-ruled state. Leaders of opposition parties of Manipur were in Delhi this week to meet the Prime Minister, but claimed they could get an audience with him before he left for the US.

Sonia, however, refrained from attacking the government or indulging in blame game. Expressing condolences to “all those who have lost their loved ones,” she said, “I am deeply saddened to see people forced to flee the only place they call home and leave behind all that they’ve built over a lifetime.”

STAGE SET FOR GRAND OPPN SHOW IN PATNA

A large poster of Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal (United) supremo Nitish Kumar put up outside his party’s headquarters on Bir Chand Patel Path in the heart of Patna shows him gesturing with his right hand to make a point. The message blazoned on the poster reads, “Mann ki nahi, kaam ki (not musings, but work),” which apparently takes a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Mann ki Baat” programme.

Alongside this poster is a banner that says: “Aagaaz hua, badlau hoga (we have made the beginning, change would follow)”. This is a reference to the first joint meeting of the Opposition parties to be held in Patna on June 23. Top leaders of about 20 Opposition parties from across the country are set to attend this mega rally, which is expected to unveil their common action plan to take on the ruling BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

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‘NOT A MOVIE’: ZELENSKY ADMITS COUNTER-OFFENSIVE ‘SLOWER THAN DESIRED’

President Volodymyr Zelensky was quoted on Wednesday as saying progress in Ukraine’s counteroffensive against Russian forces was “slower than desired”, but that Kyiv would not be pressured into speeding it up. “Some people believe this is a Hollywood movie and expect results now. It’s not,” BBC quoted him as saying.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow had observed a “lull” in Ukraine’s counteroffensive, which began early this month. Although Ukraine still had some offensive potential, Kyiv understood it had “no chance”, Putin said in televised remarks.

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s allies pledged several billion dollars in non-military aid on Wednesday at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London to rebuild its war-ravaged infrastructure, fight corruption and help pave the country's road to membership in the European Union. The World Bank has estimated the cost of the reconstruction at more than $400 billion. Politicians from Europe and the US vowed that Russia would one day be made to pay for the destruction.

AUSTRALIA GIVES TWITTER 28 DAYS TO CLEAN UP "TOXICITY AND HATE"

Australia's internet safety watchdog on Thursday threatened to fine Twitter for failing to tackle online abuse, saying Elon Musk's takeover had coincided with a spike in "toxicity and hate".

E-safety commissioner Julie Inman Grant -- a former Twitter employee -- said the platform was now responsible for one-in-three complaints about online hate speech reported in Australia.

Inman Grant said Twitter had 28 days to show it was serious about tackling the problem or face fines of Aus$700,000 for every day it missed the deadline.

Since Musk bought the platform in October 2022, he has slashed more than 80 percent of the global workforce, including many of the content moderators responsible for stamping out abuse.

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INDIA RAISES HUMAN RIGHTS, HATE CRIME ISSUES IN US

India has raised its concerns about human rights and religiously motivated hate crimes in the United States, a senior Biden administration official said on Wednesday, asserting that it's vital for America's national security that the US engages a rising India. "It is vital for America's national security and economic prosperity that we engage a rising India. At the same time, as a genuine partner and friend of India, we speak honestly and constructively about our areas of difference. India certainly does that with us," the official told a group of reporters in Washington, DC.

"They have raised concerns about human rights and religiously motivated hate crimes here in the United States. We have also raised our human rights and religious freedom concerns regularly with senior government officials (in India). We do this in an atmosphere of mutual respect,” the official said. The official said that India is a true democracy with a vibrant civil society, a free press and an independent judiciary.

SOMETHING WRONG WITH UN SANCTIONS REGIME, INDIA AT UN

India reacted strongly to yet another hold put by China on its joint proposal with the US to designate as global terrorist LeT commander and Mumbai attacks mastermind Sajid Mir who is stated to be serving a jail sentence in Pakistan for similar crimes.

“The mastermind of the Mumbai terror attacks Sajid Mir – was listed as a proscribed terrorist – under the national laws of India, of the United States, and of several other countries. But when the proposal for listing Sajid Mir did not get through the Global Listings of the UNSC sanctions regime despite several member states co-sponsoring it, we have righteous reasons to believe that something is genuinely wrong with the global counter-terrorism architecture,” said Prakash Gupta, Joint Secretary UN (Political) at MEA.

“If we cannot get established terrorists who have been banned across global landscapes proscribed by the United Nations – for petty geopolitical interests – then we really do not have the genuine political will to sincerely fight this challenge of terrorism,” said Gupta while urging UNSC members to “avoid double standards and this self-defeating justification of good terrorists vs bad terrorists”.

PM MODI INVITES G20 DELEGATES TO WITNESS ‘FESTIVAL OF DEMOCRACY’

Asserting the ethos of 'Atithi Devo Bhava', Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday invited G20 delegates to visit India during the 2024 general elections and witness the "festival of democracy" in all its diversity. A recorded message from Modi was played at the inaugural session of the G20 Tourism Ministerial Meeting in Goa on Wednesday, in which, he underlined that "terrorism divides, but tourism unites".

The prime minister expressed confidence that the deliberations and the 'Goa Roadmap' would "multiply the collective efforts to realise tourism's transformative power".

In his address, he extolled the virtues of tourism and its potential to unite people. "It is said that terrorism divides, but tourism unites. Tourism has the potential to unite people from all walks of life thereby creating a harmonious society," he said.

ADHIR WAS TOLD MULTIPLE TIMES ABOUT GANDHI PRIZE JURY MEET: CULTURE MINISTER

Union Culture Minister G Kishan Reddy Wednesday rebutted Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury’s allegation that he was not consulted on the Gandhi Peace Prize despite being a jury member, saying information about the jury meeting was conveyed to him multiple times by the Ministry of Culture.

Chowdhury, however, stuck to his stand that he had not received any invitation.

In a series of tweets with clippings, Reddy said: “It is disappointing to see someone like Chowdhury, with the stature of the LoP, stoop this low to further his political agenda and lie about such incidents.”

The Gandhi Peace Prize jury is chaired by the Prime Minister. Its other members are the Chief Justice of India, Leader of the Opposition or the leader of the largest Opposition party in Lok Sabha (in this case, Chowdhury) and two “eminent persons”.

"NOT INTERESTED IN LEADER OF OPPOSITION, ASSIGN ME PARTY POST": AJIT PAWAR

Senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar on Wednesday appealed to the party leadership to relieve him of the responsibility as Leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly and assign him any role in the party organisation. Ajit Pawar came up with this demand at the 24th Foundation Day event of the Nationalist Congress Party held in Mumbai.

In a remark that could fuel fresh speculation, Mr Pawar said, "I am told that I don't act tough as the leader of the opposition."

"I was never interested to work as Leader of Opposition but accepted the role on demand of the party MLAs," he said. "Assign me any post in the party organisation, and I will do complete justice to whatever responsibility I am entrusted with," he added.

Notably, NCP chief Sharad Pawar recently entrusted the responsibility of Maharashtra to his daughter and MP Supriya Sule by appointing her as a working president. Praful Patel is another working president for other states.

GOVT WITHDRAWS LIVESTOCK BILL AMID CRITICISM BY ANIMAL RIGHTS ACTIVISTS

The government has withdrawn a draft Live-stock and Live-stock Products (Importation and Exportation) Bill after concerns over a provision in the legislation to allow for the import and export of “live animals”. The Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying has issued an office memorandum dated June 20 withdrawing the draft bill amid concerns raised by animal rights activists and other groups.

Some animal rights activists criticised certain provisions which they said were cruel to animals as the proposed legislation allowed for unregulated and large-scale import/export of animals. This could impact the gene pool of native animals.

ONLINE FACT-CHECKERS MAY NEED TO REGISTER WITH GOVT

Online fact-checking platforms could be required to obtain a registration from the Centre, as part of a government plan to seek greater accountability from them. The measure is currently being considered as a key provision under the upcoming Digital India Bill, successor to India’s core Internet law. The registration plan could be carried out in phases, with fact-checking units of “legacy and reputed” media companies being allowed to seek registration in the first phase, a senior government official said.

A key reason behind the classification is that the Centre wants to prescribe specific rules to different types of intermediaries. For fact-checking platforms, one of those rules could be to seek registration from a government body, it is understood.

The upcoming legislation is a key component of a “comprehensive legal framework” that the government is preparing for the online space. It also includes the draft Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2022, the proposed Indian Telecommunication Bill, 2022, and a policy for governance and handling of non-personal data.

UNDER NPS, PENSION UP TO 45% OF LAST SALARY LIKELY

The Central government is in the final stages of working out a via media to resolve the clash between the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) and the New Pension System (NPS). The committee set up by the Centre in April to review the pension system for government employees is likely to recommend pension up to 45% of their last-drawn salary.

Under the New Pension System, employees contribute 10% of their basic salary and the government pitches in 14%. The eventual payout depends on the market returns on that corpus, which is mostly invested by the government

In contrast, the OPS guarantees a fixed pension of 50% of an employee’s last-drawn salary, without requiring them to contribute anything during their working life.

The government is planning to amend the current scheme so that while both employees and the government still make contributions, employees get an assured pension of up to 45% of their last-drawn salary.

The new scheme, the government believes, will assuage the concerns of states that went back to the OPS and cover the whole country with one fiscally sustainable pension scheme.

The Opposition has been promising restoration to the more-attractive OPS which, however, puts an onerous burden on the state exchequer. So far, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh have turned their backs on the NPS and reverted to the OPS.

RAPPER HONEY SINGH ALLEGES DEATH THREAT FROM GOLDY BRAR

Popular singer Honey Singh has alleged that he is receiving death threats from fugitive gangster Goldy Brar. The singer visited the Delhi police headquarters on Wednesday to lodge a complaint and seek security.

Speaking to television channels, Honey Singh said, “Fear has gripped me and my entire family. It’s only natural to be afraid of death. This is the first instance of such a threat directed towards me. I have been fortunate to receive immense love from people.”

The rapper said both he and his staff had received calls from international numbers, along with voice notes from a person claiming to be Goldy Brar. “I have presented all the evidence to the Commissioner and urged him to provide me with security and initiate an investigation into the matter. At present, I am feeling extremely unsettled and disturbed.”

Goldy Brar, as associate of Lawrence Bishnoi, is the main accused in the killing of singer Sidhu Moosewala. He has now been listed as one of Canada’s 25 most wanted fugitives by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

NO CHOICE, TWITTER HAS TO OBEY LOCAL RULES: ‘FAN’ MUSK AFTER MEETING PM

On the first day of his US visit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met prominent US personalities from different walks of life in New York though media attention was captured by Tesla CEO Elon Musk who was confident that his futuristic car company will be in India and (he) “will do so as soon as humanly possible.”

“We do not want to jump the gun on an announcement but I think it is quite likely that it will be a significant investment in our relationship with India,” he said.

In a separate video, he confessed to being a fan of Modi and said the PM “really cares about India because he is pursuing us to make significant investments in India.”

After meeting PM Modi, he said Twitter does not have a choice but to follow rules prescribed by the local government. “The best we can do is to follow the laws in any given country…we will do our best to provide the freest speech that is possible under the law,” he said, adding that it is impossible for “us to do more than that”.

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THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

All progress occurs because people dare to be different. - Harry Millner

OFF TRACK

The American tourist noticed by the license that his London cab driver's name was "Winston Churchill." Trying to make conversation, he said, "I see your name is Winston Churchill."   The driver simply said, "Yep”

The passenger, not willing to give up yet on some banter said, "That's a pretty famous name."  

The driver responded: "Well it should be too. I've been driving a cab here for over forty years."