Junior Digest

BONN, June 13,2024: With just five months to go before this year’s U.N. climate summit, countries cannot agree on the size of a global funding bill to help the developing world fight climate change – let alone how to split it.

The decision is set to dominate the COP29 climate talks in Azerbaijan in November, where nearly 200 countries need to agree on a new annual financing target for helping poorer countries cut their emissions and protect their societies in a harsher, hotter world.

The new target will replace the yearly $100 billion that rich countries had pledged in climate finance from 2020. That goal was met two years late.

But preliminary talks this week in Bonn, Germany, have yielded no major breakthroughs. Instead, the talks ending on Thursday have again exposed the unyielding rifts among the world’s biggest economies over who should be paying most to fight climate change – and how much.

Representatives from climate-vulnerable nations said it was hard watching wealthy nations fall late with past payments of climate finance while quickly approving new funds for military responses to war or spending billions subsidising CO2-emitting energy sources.

“It seems like money is always there when it’s a more ‘real’ national priority for the country,” Michai Robertson, negotiator for the Alliance of Small Island States, told Reuters.

“It’s really tough to see that,” he said.
GETTING THE NUMBER RIGHT

The new financing target is the core tool that global climate talks can deliver to fund projects that reduce planet-warming emissions – such as renewable energy or low-carbon transport.

With all countries due to update their national climate targets next year, negotiators fear failure could lead to weaker efforts.

“How are you going to move forward if there’s no financing?” said South African climate negotiator Pemy Gasela. Her country is among many developing nations warning they cannot afford to cut emissions faster without more financial support – in South Africa’s case, to swap a heavy reliance on CO2-emitting coal for clean energy.

Yet wealthy countries are wary of setting a target too high and risking it going unmet. The missed $100 billion target became politically symbolic in recent U.N. climate talks, stoking mistrust between nations as developing countries argued the world’s economic powers were abandoning them.

Diplomats in Bonn have circled the issue of how much money to put on the table.

While countries agree $100 billion is too low, there is little chance they would agree to summon the $2.4 trillion per year that the U.N. climate chief in February said was needed to keep the world’s climate goals within reach.

Neither the European Union or the U.S. have suggested a number for the goal, although both acknowledged this week that it must exceed $100 billion. The 27-country EU is currently the biggest provider of climate finance.

The elephant in the negotiation rooms, some diplomats told Reuters, was the upcoming U.S. presidential election, in which Donald Trump is seeking to return to office.

The previous Trump administration pulled the world’s biggest economy out of the Paris climate agreement. Negotiators said they worry a future Trump administration could halt U.S. climate finance payments, leaving it to other wealthy nations to meet the annual pledge.

But some countries in Bonn have made suggestions.

India, and a group of Arab countries including Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt, have said the overall financing target should exceed $1 trillion per year, to reflect the spiralling needs of poorer countries as climate change worsens.

The Arab countries propose that rich nations provide $441 billion in public funding per year in grants, to leverage a total $1.1 trillion per year from broader sources.

Small island countries vulnerable to climate change have also pushed for stricter rules on what counts toward the target, suggesting preventing loans with interest rates above 1%, to avoid adding to poor nations’ already-high debts.

Most public climate funds provided by developed nations are loans, according to the OECD.
DECIDING WHO SHOULD PAY

Countries are also at odds over who should contribute.

There are about two dozen, long-industrialized countries currently obliged to contribute to U.N. climate finance. That list was decided during U.N. climate talks in 1992, when China’s economy was still smaller than Italy’s.

The EU wants China – now the world’s biggest CO2 emitter and second biggest economy – and high wealth-per-capita Middle Eastern countries to contribute for the new goal. The U.S. has also argued for adding more countries in the donor base.

However, the Arab countries and China firmly opposed this idea, with Beijing reiterating China’s status as a “developing country” under the U.N. climate convention.

“We, the developing countries, have no intention to make your number look good or be part of your responsibility, as we are doing all we can do to save the world,” China’s negotiator told other diplomats during negotiations on the finance target in Bonn on Tuesday.

Neither camp of countries has compromised on who should pay, said Joe Thwaites, who tracks climate finance negotiations for the non-profit Natural Resources Defense Council.

“Negotiations were difficult and things are moving slowly,” he said.

As talks continue beyond Bonn, some negotiators said government ministers could raise the issue at higher level meetings such as G20 ministers’ gatherings in Brazil ahead of COP29.

New Delhi, June 12,2024: The government announced on Tuesday the appointment of Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi as the next Chief of the Army Staff.

Dwivedi will succeed the present Chief of the Army Staff, General Manoj C Pande who demits office on June 30, 2024.

Born on July 1, 1964, Lieutenant General Dwivedi was commissioned into the Infantry (Jammu & Kashmir Rifles) of the Indian Army on December 15, 1984. During his long and distinguished service spanning nearly 40 years, he has served in a variety of Command, Staff, Instructional and Foreign appointments.

The Command appointments of Lt Gen Dwivedi include Command of Regiment (18 Jammu & Kashmir Rifles), Brigade (26 Sector Assam Rifles), Inspector General, Assam Rifles (East) and 9 Corps.

An alumnus of the Sainik School Rewa, National Defence College and US Army War College, Dwivedi has also undergone courses at the DSSC Wellington and Army War College, Mhow. He was conferred ‘Distinguished Fellow’ in the coveted NDC equivalent course at USAWC, Carlisle, USA. Dwivedi has an M Phil in Defence & Management Studies and two Master’s Degrees in Strategic Studies and Military Science.

Mumbai, June 7,2024: Taking note of rising frauds in the digital payment system, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Friday proposed setting up a “Digital Payments Intelligence Platform” for network level intelligence and real-time data sharing across the ecosystem.
The Reserve Bank has taken a number of measures over the years to deepen digital payments while ensuring their safety and security. These measures have boosted consumer confidence. Growing instances of digital payment frauds, however, highlight the need for a system-wide approach to prevent and mitigate such frauds, the RBI Governor Shaktakanta Das said while announcing the second bi-monthly monetary policy of the current fiscal 2024-25.

It is, therefore, proposed to establish a Digital Payments Intelligence Platform for network level intelligence and real-time data sharing across the digital payments’ ecosystem. To take this initiative forward, the Reserve Bank has constituted a committee to examine various aspects of setting up the Platform, he stated.

Looking at the way and speed at which the adoption of e-mandates for recurring payment transactions has been increasing, Das said that the RBI is also proposing inclusion of Recurring Payments with Auto-Replenishment Facility under the e-mandate Framework.

“It is now proposed to include payments, such as replenishment of balances in Fastag, National Common Mobility Card (NCMC), etc. which are recurring in nature but without any fixed periodicity, in the e-mandate framework. This will enable customers to automatically replenish the balances in Fastag, NCMC, etc. if the balance goes below the threshold limit set by them. This will enhance convenience in making travel / mobility related payments,” he added.

California,June 11,2024: Apple has revealed a slew of new artificial intelligence-powered features backed by a partnership with OpenAI, as the iPhone maker battles perceptions that it is falling behind in the race to capitalise on the technology.

Apple executives including CEO Tim Cook unveiled “Apple Intelligence” on Monday during a nearly two-hour-long presentation at the company’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference in Cupertino, California.

“All of this goes beyond artificial intelligence, it’s personal intelligence, and it is the next big step for Apple,” CEO Tim Cook said.

The upgrades include an overhaul of the virtual assistant Siri, which will be capable of hundreds of more tasks with the help of ChatGPT.

Apple users will also be able to create their own emojis based on language prompts and generate summaries of emails in the mailbox via the tech giant’s in-house technology.

Apple signalled that the company would differentiate itself from rivals Microsoft and Google by putting privacy “at the core” of AI, which is known for hoovering vast amounts of data.

Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering, Craig Federighi, said that “Apple Intelligence” puts AI models “right at the core of your iPhone, iPad and Mac” and “protects your privacy at every step”.

The upgrades will be available for free in Apple’s iOS 18 operating system, due for release later this year, although the full suite of features will only work on more recent models of the iPhone, iPad and Macbook.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said in a social media post that he was “very happy” to be partnering with Apple to integrate ChatGPT into its products.

But billionaire Elon Musk, the founder of OpenAI rival xAI, blasted the partnership, claiming Apple could not account for user data once it was shared with OpenAI and was “selling you down the river”.
“That is an unacceptable security violation,” Musk, who leads the electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla and rocket company SpaceX, said in a post on X.

“And visitors will have to check their Apple devices at the door, where they will be stored in a Faraday cage.”

Apple, which has long avoided the term “artificial intelligence”, has been under mounting pressure to show that it is keeping pace with rivals Microsoft and Google in the competition to roll out AI.

Investors, however, appeared to be unimpressed with Monday’s announcements, with shares of Apple down by nearly 2 percent.

Vijayawada (Andhra Pradesh), June 12,2024: Telgugu Desam Party (TDP) supremo N Chandrababu Naidu took oath as Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday.
The ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Ministers Amit Shah, JP Nadda, and Nitin Gadkari among others.
After taking oath as Chief Minister Naidu shared a hug with PM Modi on stage.
This is the fourth time that Naidu is assuming charge as Andhra Chief Minister and the second time after the bi-furcation in 2014.
Naidu became chief minister first in 1995, before the Andhra bifurcation and he led the state until 2004 for nine consecutive years. The TDP supremo returned as the chief minister of the bifurcated Andhra in 2014 and served until 2019
Andhra governor S Abdul Nazeer, former Telangana governor Tamilisai Soundarajan were present at the swearing-in.
Naidu’s son and TDP general secretary Nara Lokesh, Union Minister Rammohan Naidu, actors Chiranjeevi, Rajnikanth, Nandamuri Balakrishna were also present on occasion.
Naidu had led the TDP- BJP-Janasena National Democratic Alliance to a landslide victory in the Assembly as well as parliamentary elections.
TDP holds the majority in Andhra Pradesh 175-member assembly with 135 MLAs, while its allies, the Janasena Party, has 21 and BJP has eight. The opposition YSR Congress Party has 11 legislators.
The Cabinet have 21 MLAs from the TDP, three from the Janasena Party and one from the BJP.

BRUSSELS, June 13,2024: In a rare reference to the Western nuclear arsenal, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg on Wednesday highlighted the alliance’s efforts to adapt its capabilities to current security threats, taking note of Russia latest nuclear rhetoric and drills.

Talking to reporters before a two-day NATO defence ministers’ meeting in Brussels that will include a gathering of the alliance’s nuclear planning group, he called nuclear weapons NATO’s “ultimate security guarantee” and a means to preserve peace.

While it is well known that the U.S. has deployed nuclear bombs to several locations in Europe, NATO rarely talks about these weapons publicly.

Discussing what he called “the ongoing adaptation” of NATO’s nuclear arsenal, Stoltenberg said the Netherlands in June declared the first F-35 fighter jets ready to carry nuclear arms and said the U.S. was modernising its nuclear weapons in Europe.

He described increasing Russian activity around its nuclear capabilities. “What we have seen over the last years and months is a dangerous nuclear rhetoric from the Russian side…. We also see some more exercises, nuclear exercises on the Russian side,” he said.

On Tuesday, Russia said its troops had started the second stage of drills to practise the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons alongside Belarusian troops after what Moscow said were threats from Western powers.

Since sending thousands of troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly said Moscow could use nuclear weapons to defend itself in extreme situations.

Russia accuses the U.S. and its European allies of pushing the world to the brink of nuclear confrontation by giving Ukraine billions of dollars worth of weapons, some of which are being used against Russian territory.

Stoltenberg also referred also to the modernisation of China’s nuclear weapons, saying Beijing was expected to boost the number of nuclear missiles within a few years and many of them would be able to reach NATO territory.

June 13,2024:French President Emmanuel Macron has called on moderate politicians to unite against the far right and far left.
The French leader said on Wednesday that he wants “our compatriots and political leaders who do not recognise themselves in the extremist fever” to join together. He made the call as he faces a challenge from the far-right in snap elections on June 30 and July 7.
Macron was speaking for the first time since Sunday when the poor performance of his centrist Renaissance party in European Union elections led him to announce a surprise dissolution of parliament and national elections.

During Wednesday’s press conference, he called on “men and women of goodwill who were able to say ‘no’ to extremes to join together to be able to build a joint project” to best serve France.

Voters in France dealt a huge blow to the president in the elections for the European Parliament last week. Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally secured more than twice the ballots won by the president’s party, which finished second, trailed by the centre left.
The president’s call for unity among democratic forces followed an announcement by Eric Ciotti, leader of the conservative Republican Party, of plans to form an alliance with Le Pen.

Left-wing parties are also mobilising despite divisions. The Greens, Socialists, Communists and far-left France Unbowed agreed on Monday to form an alliance.
Macron said on Wednesday that Ciotti had made “a pact with the devil” and criticised alliances on both the left and right.
“We have unnatural alliances at both extremes who agree on nothing except the jobs to be shared and who will not be able to implement any programme,” the president said.

He called on the “centrist, progressive, democratic and republican” bloc to unite and counter those alliances, either before or after the elections.

Ciotti, meanwhile, has faced a storm of criticism from inside the Republican Party for “betrayal” of its legacy.

Bhubaneswar,June 12,2024: Four-time MLA Mohan Charan Majhi, a tribal, was named next chief minister of Odisha by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). BJP leader Mohan Charan Majhi took oath as the Chief Minister of Odisha, in Bhubaneswar. Governor Raghubar Das administered him the oath to office.

Majhi, who represents tribal-reserved Keonjhar assembly seat, is a graduate and is known for his non-controversial and vocal nature. He has risen through the ranks, starting his career as a sarpanch in 1997-2000.

Majhi has worked as secretary of State Advasi Morcha (BJP). A native of Raikala village under Keonjhar Sadar police station in Keonjhar district, Majhi belongs to Santhal tribe, mostly distributed in Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal.
After a meeting of BJP MLAs, Union minister Rajnath Singh announced Majhi’s name.

Odisha will also have two deputy CMs: KV Singh Deo and Pravati Parida.

Midrand (South Africa),June 3,2024: South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa has called on the country’s political parties to work together for the good of the country as final results from last week’s election confirmed his African National Congress (ANC) lost its majority for the first time.

The result, announced on Sunday, is the worst election showing for the ANC – Africa’s oldest liberation movement, once led by Nelson Mandela – since it came to power 30 years ago, ending white minority rule.

Voters, angry at joblessness, inequality and rolling blackouts, slashed support for the ANC to 40.2 percent, down from 57.5 percent in the 2019 parliamentary vote.

The main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), had 21.6 percent and uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK), a new party led by former president and ANC leader Jacob Zuma, managed to grab 14.7 percent – pulling away votes from the ANC.

Official results showed the ANC winning 159 seats in the 400-seat National Assembly, down from 230 previously.

“It has to find a partner in order to be able to govern. Otherwise, it could try to form a minority government, which could make it very difficult to pass any form of legislation or advance ANC policy,” he said.
Plotting a path forward

ANC officials earlier said the party was humbled by the result and had “nothing to celebrate” but stood by Ramaphosa, once Mandela’s lead negotiator to end apartheid, and said they would not bend to pressure for him to step down.

The poor showing has fuelled speculation that Ramaphosa’s days might be numbered, either because of the demands of a prospective coalition partner, or as a result of an internal leadership challenge.

Political parties now have two weeks to work out a deal before the new parliament sits to choose a president, who would likely still hail from the ANC, since it remains the biggest force.

Local media reported the DA could be open to entering a cooperation pact with the ANC, supporting it in key decisions in exchange for top jobs in parliament. The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) would also be part of such a deal.
The ANC’s leadership will meet on Tuesday to plot the path forward.

New Delhi, June 07,2024: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday termed NDA as the most successful alliance in India’s history, saying, “Our aim will be to reach unanimity in all our decisions.”
Addressing the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) parliamentary meeting at Centre Hall in old Parliament building, PM Modi said,
“Today, the NDA shines as an organic alliance in the political system of Bharat and it becomes synonymous with good governance.”
During the meeting, the NDA Parliamentary Party members have unanimously elected Narendra Modi as its leader.
Senior BJP Leader and Union Minister Rajnath Singh moved a proposal to elect Modi as NDA leader and it was supported by the leaders of all NDA constituents.
The Prime Minister was also elected as the leader of BJP in Lok Sabha, and BJP parliamentary party.
Talking about the alliance, the Prime Minister said the NDA was not a grouping of parties that have come together for power, but an organic alliance committed to the principle of ‘nation first’.
He further added, “Today, the NDA shines as an organic alliance in the political system of Bharat…adding The NDA government has given good governance to the country and in a way, just saying NDA becomes synonymous with good governance. Poor welfare and good governance have been paramount in the focus of all of us.”
Thanking the newly elected members for choosing him as NDA leader, PM Modi said, ” It is my good fortune that all of you have unanimously chosen me as the leader of the NDA and given me a new responsibility.”
He also took a swipe at the opposition INDIA alliance, saying those questioning EVMs and the Election Commission during the elections were silenced on June 4.
He claimed that the Opposition’s attempts to paint the 2024 Lok Sabha results as a loss for the BJP-led NDA were thwarted by the people, who “know we never lost”. In a snide dig at the Congress, he said the grand old party couldn’t touch the 100-mark in the Lok Sabha polls even after a decade.
“I strongly feel people of INDI alliance belong to the previous century when they question tech advancements like EVMs, Aadhaar,” said Narendra Modi, bringing up speculations of rigging of EVMs ahead of results.”

While Proposing the name of Narendra Modi as NDA leaders, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said, ” He is the most suitable person for this post and this alliance is not a compulsion but it is our commitment.”
Supporting the proposal, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said, “This is not only the wish of leaders sitting in the NDA Parliamentary Party meeting but of 140 crore people of this country.”
TDP Chief Chandrababu Naidu, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar and other NDA allies supported the proposal of naming Narendra Modi as the leader of Lok Sabha, leader of the BJP and NDA Parliamentary Party.
Bihar CM Nitish Kumar said, “All the pending works of Bihar will be done. It is a very good thing that all of us have come together and we will all work together with you (PM Modi). You will be swearing in as the Prime Minister on Sunday, but I wanted you to do it today itself.”
Making initial remarks, TDP Chief Chandrababu Naidu said, “NDA government under the visionary leadership of Narendra Modi has taken significant initiatives in the last ten years.”
He said the country has witnessed remarkable progress and transformation.
“We are congratulating all of us as we have won a wonderful majority. I have seen during the election campaign, for 3 months PM Modi never took any rest. Day and night he has campaigned. He started and ended with the same spirit.”
He added, “Balancing regional aspirations, national interest must run parallel to ensure holistic development for all strata of society.”
Union Ministers Piyush Goyal, Anurag Singh Thakur, LJP (R) Chief Chirag Paswan, NCP leader Ajit Pawar, RLD Chief Jayant Chaudhary, Jan Sena Chief Pawan Kalyan, Apna Dal (S) leader Anupriya Patel, JD (S) leader H D Kumaraswamy were among others present in the meeting.
Following the meeting, the NDA will stake a claim to form the government. All NDA constituents are expected to present letters of support to President Droupadi Murmu, endorsing Modi as the new Prime Minister.
Narendra Modi will take oath as the Prime Minister of India for the third consecutive time on June 9 at 6 pm.

New Delhi, June 4,2024: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that the BJP-led NDA will form its third successive government and that it is the victory of resolve of Viksit Bharat, of ‘Sabka Sath Sabka Vikas’ and of strong faith of people in India’s Constitution.
Addressing party workers and leaders at the BJP central office here after the results of Lok Sabha polls, PM Modi said people have reposed faith in the BJP and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
He said it is the first time after 1962 that a government that completed two full tenures has got a third successive term in office. He said “new history” has been created after six decades.
The Prime Minister made a special mention of BJP’s performance in Odisha where the party is poised to form government for the first time. BJP has also performed very well in the Lok Sabha polls in the state.
“On this sacred day, it is confirmed that NDA is forming the government for the third time. We are grateful to the people, they reposed full faith on the BJP, NDA. This is the victory of the world’s largest democracy, it is a victory of strong faith on India’s Constitution, it is the victory of the resolve of Viksit Bharat. It is the victory of ‘Sabka Sath Sabka Vikas’,” he said.
The Prime Minister also lauded the Election Commission for successfully conducting the world’s largest democratic exercise.
“They carried out such a huge election with so much efficiency in this scorching heat. Our security forces have also effectively carried out their work. Every Indian is proud of the credibility of India’s election process and system,” he said.
The Prime Minister was welcomed by BJP workers as he arrived at the party headquarters. Some workers also raised chants of “Jai Jagannath”.
According to the latest trends from the Election Commission, NDA is leading or has won 291 seats and the INDIA bloc has won or is leading on 234 seats.
The BJP is poised to win 240 seats on its own.

Cairo, June 11,2024: About 660,000 refugees are registered in Egypt, most of them Sudanese, a spokesperson for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Christine Beshay, said.

A significant increase in the number of refugees occurred due to the crisis in Sudan, Beshay told reporters in Cairo on Monday, adding that 378,000 refugees of the total number are Sudanese nationals.

On April 15, 2023, clashes broke out between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. The parties to the conflict have since introduced a number of temporary nationwide ceasefires, but none has helped settle the conflict. In late October, the parties resumed negotiations, mediated by Saudi Arabia in Jeddah, but the hostilities in the country continue.

UNITED NATIONS, June 11,2024: The United Nations Security Council on Monday backed a proposal outlined by President Joe Biden for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip and urged the Palestinian militants to accept the deal aimed at ending the eight-month-long war.

Hamas welcomed the adoption of the U.S.-drafted resolution and said in a statement that it is ready to cooperate with mediators over implementing the principles of the plan “that are consistent with the demands of our people and resistance.”

Russia abstained from the U.N. vote, while the remaining 14 Security Council members voted in favor of the resolution supporting a three-phase ceasefire plan laid out by Biden on May 31 that he described as an Israeli initiative.

The resolution welcomes the new ceasefire proposal, states that Israel has accepted it, calls on Hamas to agree to it and “urges both parties to fully implement its terms without delay and without condition.”

Algeria, the only Arab member of the council, supported the resolution because “we believe it can represent a step forward toward an immediate and lasting ceasefire,” Algeria’s U.N. Ambassador Amar Bendjama told the council.

“It offers a glimmer of hope to the Palestinians,” he said. “It’s time to halt the killing.”

The resolution also goes into detail about the proposal, and spells out that “if the negotiations take longer than six weeks for phase one, the ceasefire will still continue as long as negotiations continue.”

Balod (Chhattisgarh), June 3,2024: Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Monday highlighted the administration’s achievements and outlined future plans once the election code of conduct is lifted.
Despite the constraints of the recent election period, Sai emphasized his commitment to development and promised to fulfill the demands of the public once the restrictions due to the model code of conduct are over.
Addressing a public meeting in Balod, Chhattisgarh CM Vishnu Deo Sai stated, “The past two months were occupied with elections. However, during the 100 days of governance I had, I made significant efforts. We took our oath on December 13, and by December 14, 18 lakh PM Awad Yojana houses were approved. Once the model code of conduct is lifted and we receive funds from the Centre, we will begin constructing houses for these 18 lakh people. Additionally, our government has provided a two-year bonus, and has given 3716 crore rupees to more than 12 lakh farmers”
Notably, two months after BJP took over in Chhattisgarh after gaining majority in the Assembly elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in February 2024, inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of multiple development projects worth Rs 34,400 crores in Chhattisgarh under ‘Viksit Bharat, Viksit Chhattisgarh’.
The projects cater to several important sectors including Roads, Railways, Coal, Power, and Solar Energy among others.
Addressing the programme virtually, the Prime Minister hailed the development undertaken in Chhattisgarh saying that the dream of building a Viksit Chhattisgarh will be realised through the empowerment of farmers, youth and Nari Shakti.
“Today, we are moving ahead with the resolve of ‘Viksit Chhattisgarh’! The BJP has made it, and only BJP will improvise it! Chhattisgarh has hardworking farmers, talented youth and a wealth of nature. Whatever is needed to develop, Chhattisgarh had it earlier and is there even today. But those who ruled the country for a long time after independence did not have a big vision,” the Prime Minister said.

June10,2024:Far-right parties have made major gains in the European Union parliamentary elections, delivering humiliating defeats to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron and Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer.

While mainstream parties kept control of the 705-member European Parliament on Sunday, the 27-member bloc swung palpably to the right in a sign of the durability of anti-establishment sentiment on the continent.
In France, Marine Le Pen’s National Rally delivered such a crushing defeat to Macron’s centrist Renaissance that the French leader called snap legislative elections, a risky manoeuvre which could inflict further losses on his party and hobble the remaining three years of his presidential term.
National Rally was projected to win about 33 percent of the vote and 31 seats in the incoming European Parliament – more than double the tally of the Macron ticket’s 15 percent.

“We’re ready to turn the country around, ready to defend the interests of the French, ready to put an end to mass immigration,” Le Pen said.

Macron acknowledged the scale of the defeat.

“I’ve heard your message, your concerns, and I won’t leave them unanswered… France needs a clear majority to act in serenity and harmony,” Macron said, adding that calling a snap election demonstrated his commitment to democratic ideals.
In Germany, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) took second place, underscoring the party’s strength ahead of next year’s federal election.

The Eurosceptic party was projected to secure more than 16 percent of the vote, its best-ever showing and a higher share of the tally than all three parties in Scholz’s coalition.

The conservative alliance of the Christian Democratic Union and the Christian Social Union, who are in opposition at the federal level, topped the poll with about 30 percent of the vote.

Germany’s Greens were the biggest losers on Sunday, falling by 8.5 percentage points to 12 percent, punished by voters for the cost of policies to reduce CO2 emissions – in line with expectations for environmental parties across Europe.

Scholz’s Social Democratic Party (SPD) and the third coalition partner, the pro-business Free Democratic Party (FDP), were projected to win about 14 percent and 5 percent of the vote respectively, down from 15.8 percent and 5.4 percent in the previous election.

The AfD’s strong showing comes as Germany’s party landscape undergoes its biggest upheaval in decades, with new populist parties competing to fill the vacuum left by the decline of mainstream parties that dominated the post-reunification era.

The shift looks set to make it much harder for established parties to form viable coalitions and has been blamed for a coarsening of the political climate, including instances of violence against politicians and activists.

The AfD’s gains come despite a series of scandals and controversies, including their lead candidate declaring that the SS, the Nazis’ main paramilitary force, were “not all criminals”.

In Austria, the far-right Freedom Party gained nearly 26 percent of the vote, topping a nationwide ballot for the first time.

The governing conservative People’s Party (OeVP) picked up over 24 percent of the vote, followed by the Social Democrats with about 23 percent and the Greens at nearly 11.

Chancellor Nehammer pledged to address voters’ concerns ahead of national elections due to be held in Autumn, including cracking down on undocumented migration.

Meanwhile, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni saw her position bolstered after her right-wing populist Brothers of Italy more than doubled its seats in parliament.

The far-right also performed well in the Netherlands, with Geert Wilders’s anti-immigration Party for Freedom projected to win six seats, just two seats shy of the total picked up by centre-left and green parties.

Left-wing and green parties had a better showing in the Scandinavian countries, with far-right and populist parties in Sweden, Denmark and Finland seeing their vote shares decline.
n Hungary, Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s nationalist Fidesz won the most votes but lost significant ground compared with the 2019 elections.

Fidesz had 44 percent of the vote with nearly 90 percent of votes counted, down from 52 percent.

Still, Orbán claimed victory in a speech to supporters at a party event on Sunday night.

Orbán’s main challenger, Peter Magyar’s Tisza party, picked up about 30 percent of the vote.

Overall, mainstream and pro-European groups remained the dominant forces, with centre-right and centre-left parties on track to secure a slimmed-down majority in the 705-member parliament.

The European People’s Party (EPP) was on track to be the biggest grouping with a projected 189 deputies, bolstered by centre-right victories in Spain and Poland, following by the centre-left Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats with 135 seats.

The European Conservatives and Reformists group, which includes the Brothers of Italy, were projected to win 72 seats, followed by the far-right Identity and Democracy with 58.

Green and liberal, pro-European parties suffered the heaviest losses, with Greens–European Free Alliance and Renew Europe losing more than 40 seats between them.
Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, said that the results showed that the “centre is holding”.

“We won the European elections. This election has given us two messages,” von der Leyen said.

“First, there remains a majority in the centre for a strong Europe, and that is crucial for stability. In other words, the centre is holding. But it is also true that the extremes on the left and on the right have gained support, and this is why the result comes with great responsibility for the parties in the centre.”

Guwahati (Assam), June 3,2024: A total of 14 people have died in floods that inundated parts of Assam, according to official estimates.
Three more deaths were reported on Sunday which took the tally of deaths to 14 since May 28 according to a bulletin by the State Disaster Management Authority.
On June 1, the death toll stood at eight in the aftermath of incessant rainfall in the State following the landfall of Cyclone Remal.
According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), two people were reported missing on June 2.
Kopili, Barak and Kushiyara rivers are flowing above the danger level.
13 districts reported to be affected in the floods- Hailakandi, Karimganj, Hojai, Dhemaji, Kamrup, Dibrugarh, Nagaon, Morigaon, Cachar, South Salmara, Karbi Anglong West, Golaghat and Dima-Hasao.
Nagaon is the most affected district with more than 3 lakh people impacted, followed by Cachar where the number of affected persons is more than one lakh.
The water level of the Brahmaputra River has been rising following incessant rainfall in many parts of Assam and other neighbouring states in the past couple of days.
The flood waters have submerged 4931 hectares of crop area in the flood-hit districts.
The administration has set up 275 relief camps and distribution centres where 39,269 people are taking shelter.
Flood waters damaged 103 roads across several districts of the state.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund to the kin of each deceased due to the natural disasters in the aftermath of Cyclone Remal in Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Tripura and West Bengal.
The Prime Minister has also announced that those injured in the aftermath of Cyclone Remal would be given Rs 50,000 each.
“An ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased due to the natural disasters in the aftermath of Cyclone Remal in Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Tripura and West Bengal. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000 each: PM,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a post on ‘X’.

New Delhi, June 3,2024: A spiritually rejuvenated prime minister on board his flight from Kanyakumari to Delhi addressed the citizen of Bharat and implored them not to limit their aspiration and dreams, rather resolve to weave new ones and go ahead and fulfill them with purpose.

“We must move forward in every aspect of life,” wrote Prime Minister Narendra Modi after concluding his 45-hour meditation at the Vivekananda Rock Memorial. Modi in his letter to the citizens said: “We need to dream new dreams, convert them into reality and begin living those dreams”.

Modi wrote down his thoughts between 4.15 and 7 pm on June 1 onboard his flight to Delhi.

PM Modi said, “Now, without wasting a single moment, we must step forward towards greater duties and larger goals. We need to dream new dreams, convert them into reality and begin living those dreams”.

“The development trajectory of Bharat fills us with pride and glory, but at the same time, it also reminds the 140 crore citizens of their responsibilities,” wrote PM Modi.

The letter titled “Kanyakumari ke Sadhna se Naye Sankalp” talked about how “from Kashmir to Kanyakumari… there is a common identity that is deeply ingrained in the heart of every citizen of the country”.

Recounting his 10 years achievement the Prime Minister said, “Today, Bharat’s governance model has become an example for many countries around the world. Empowering 25 crore people to rise above poverty in just 10 years is unprecedented.”

“Our efforts, from empowering the poor to last-mile delivery, have inspired the world by prioritising individuals standing at the last rung of society”.

Talking about the ‘Viksit Bharat’ (developed India) by 2047, the Prime Minister mentioned that the world of the 21st century is looking towards Bharat with many hopes and we will need to make several changes to move forward in the global scenario.

“We also need to change our traditional thinking regarding reform. Bharat cannot limit reform to just economic reforms. We must move forward in every aspect of life towards the direction of reform,” he wrote.

PM Modi said to make our country a ‘Viksit Bharat’, “We need to work quickly in all four directions: Speed, Scale, Scope, and Standards”.

Alongside manufacturing, we must also focus on quality and adhere to the mantra of zero defect-zero effect.”

Invoking the words of Swami Vivekananda, who once said, “Every nation has a message to deliver, a mission to fulfil, a destiny to reach,” Modi reminded all citizen what the future expects them.

“For thousands of years, Bharat has been moving forward with this sense of meaningful purpose. Bharat has been a cradle of ideas for thousands of years. We have never considered what we have acquired as our personal wealth or measured it purely by economic or material parameters. Therefore, Idam-na-mama (this is not mine) has become an inherent and natural part of the character of Bharat.”

Inspiring the way forward, Modi said: “We must redefine our heritage in a modern way while embracing ancient values in a modern context.”