1. Malabar-16: India, US, Japan to start joint exercise from 10 June
Four Indian naval ships including two stealth frigates and elite Marine Commandos (Marcos) will take part in a trilateral maritime exercise Malabar-16, starting from Friday, that will see India, US and Japan playing war games in seas off Japan.
The Indians ships participation in Malabar-16 with the US Navy and JMSDF , reflects the vital strategic importance of the region to India.
The exercise also assumes significance as it is conducted in East Asia at a time when the South China Sea issue is a raging issue in the region. On NEW DELHI 's part the exercise also reflects demonstration of its operational reach and commitment to India's Act East policy.
India has deployed two of its multi-role stealth frigates, INS Sahyadri and INS Satpura, equipped with weapons and sensors, missile corvette Kirch and fleet tanker INS Shakti for the exercise, official sources said today.
Led by Eastern Fleet commander Rear Admiral S V Bokhare, Sea King-42B and Chetak helicopters have also been deployed by the India for the military exercise starting from June 10 to 13 in the first phase at Sasebo in Japan.
The second phase from June 14 to 17 will be off Okinawa .
2. Disasters: India, Nepal seek to enhance mutual cooperation
India and Nepal decided to enhance mutual cooperation in matters of disaster response, management and effective preparedness against them.
A 15-member Nepalese delegation today met the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) here and discussed issues related to sharing and cooperation in these subjects.
The Nepal delegation, led by Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs P K Suvedi, was briefed about the Indian disaster profile and scenario and its control and response mechanisms by NDRF chief O P Singh.
3. India beats Japan in oil use, only next to US, China
India has surpassed Japan to become the world's third-largest oil consumer, with its oil demand galloping 8.1 per cent in 2015, according to BP Statistical Review of World Energy released today.
With demand of 4.1 million barrels per day, India is the third-largest consumer behind US (19.39 million bpd) and China (11.96 million bpd). India accounted for 4.5 per cent of world oil consumption in 2015.
India's demand growth surpassed China's 6.3 per cent expansion. US oil consumption grew 1.6 per cent, which accounts for 19.7 per cent of the total world pie of 95 million bpd in 2015.
Japan slipped to the fourth spot after its oil usage contracted 3.9 per cent to 4.15 million bpd in 2015. In 2014, it used 4.3 million bpd, ahead of India's 3.84 million bpd.
The review shows that global demand for primary energy grew only 1 per cent in 2015, which is significantly slower than the 10-year average.
4. German star Mesut Ozil announced as Laureus Ambassador
Just days before the start of the European Championship, Germany and Arsenal's star midfielder Mesut Ozil was announced as Laureus Sport for Good Ambassador.
Ozil took time out of his preparations to inspire young people from the Laureus-supported KICKFORMORE project.
In 2013, Ozil signed for Arsenal, where he currently plays and regularly tops the assist charts.
Internationally, Ozil made his Germany debut in 2009. In 2010 he helped his country towards a third-place finish at the South Africa World Cup. In 2014, Ozil played a central role in the Germany team which won the World Cup in Brazil.
5. India ranks low at 141st place in global peace index
India was ranked at 141st place on a Global Peace Index -- making it less peaceful than countries like Burundi, Serbia and Burkina Faso -- with violence taking a US $680-billion toll on its economy in 2015.
In a ranking of 163 countries, compiled by global think tank Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), Syria has been named as the least peaceful, followed by South Sudan, Iraq, Afghanistan and Somalia.
On the other hand, Iceland was ranked as the world's most peaceful country, followed by Denmark and Austria.
India has moved up two position, from 143rd last year, but the study said the country's peace score has "deteriorated" over the past year -- which means the slight rise in ranking could be due to worse performance of others.
The report said that in the last decade, India's position has deteriorated when it comes to peace "by 5 per cent largely due to deteriorations in the indicators measuring UN peacekeeping funding and the level of political terror".
Within South Asia, Bhutan was ranked best (13th overall rank), while India was fifth followed by Pakistan at sixth (overall 153rd) and Afghanistan at sixth place (global 160th).
6. Naresh Goyal re-elected to IATA Board of Governors
Jet Airways said its chairman Naresh Goyal has been re-elected to IATA's Board of Governors.
This would be the fifth successive tenure for Goyal at the International Air Transport Association's (IATA) Board of Governors, the airline said in a release.
Goyal is the only representative from India on this board.
7. Maria Sharapova banned for two years for doping
Maria Sharapova has been suspended for two years by the International Tennis Federation for testing positive for meldonium at the Australian Open.
The five-time Grand Slam champion was provisionally suspended by the International Tennis Federation in early March, when she announced at a news conference in Los Angeles that she failed a doping test in January.
Sharapova said then she was not aware that the World Anti-Doping Agency had barred athletes from using meldonium, also known as mildronate, as of January 1.
8. World Bank cuts 2016 global growth forecast to 2.4%
The World Bank has lowered its forecast for the global growth in 2016 to 2.4 per cent, saying that the world economy is facing stronger headwinds.
In its Global Economic Prospects Report, the Washington-based institution expected the world economy to grow 2.4 per cent in 2016, 0.5 percentage point lower than the bank’s forecast in January, Xinhua news agency reported.
Growth continues to falter in advanced economies, while there is considerable divergence of performance across emerging market and developing economies, and their overall growth remains below potential, said Mr. Basu.
According to the report, developing economies are forecast to expand by 3.5 per cent in 2016, 0.6 percentage point lower than its January’s projection; advanced economies are expected to grow 1.7 per cent this year, 0.5 lower than its January’s forecast.
9. Modi becomes 6th Indian PM to address US Congress
Narendra Modi became the sixth Indian Prime Minister to address the joint session of the US Congress. Before this Jawaharlal Nehru, Rajiv Gandhi, P V Narasimha Rao, Atal Behari Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh have addressed US Congress.
10. Indian Among Time Magazine's 10 Millennials Changing The World
A 30-year old Indian entrepreneur has been named by Time magazine to its 2016 list of "10 millennials who are changing the world" for building a phone which can help people to interact and access critical services by communicating in their native languages.
Umesh Sachdev has been named by Time to its 2016 list of "10 millennials who are changing the world" for his work on "building a phone that can understand almost any language". Mr Sachdev, along with his college friend Ravi Saraogi, founded Uniphore Software Systems.
The Chennai-based start-up produces software allows people to interact with their phones and access services such as online banking by communicating in their native languages, Time said in its profile on Mr Sachdev.
Uniphore's products, which include a virtual assistant that is able to process more than 25 global languages and 150 dialects, are being used by over five million people, mostly in India.
Time said through the software, Mr Sachdev is building bridges and helping "hundreds of millions of people cross the divide between the digital and the real world by harnessing the power of speech.
It said Mr Sachdev found solution to a problem that phones didn't carry the language of villagers in rural India.
Four Indian naval ships including two stealth frigates and elite Marine Commandos (Marcos) will take part in a trilateral maritime exercise Malabar-16, starting from Friday, that will see India, US and Japan playing war games in seas off Japan.
The Indians ships participation in Malabar-16 with the US Navy and JMSDF , reflects the vital strategic importance of the region to India.
The exercise also assumes significance as it is conducted in East Asia at a time when the South China Sea issue is a raging issue in the region. On NEW DELHI 's part the exercise also reflects demonstration of its operational reach and commitment to India's Act East policy.
India has deployed two of its multi-role stealth frigates, INS Sahyadri and INS Satpura, equipped with weapons and sensors, missile corvette Kirch and fleet tanker INS Shakti for the exercise, official sources said today.
Led by Eastern Fleet commander Rear Admiral S V Bokhare, Sea King-42B and Chetak helicopters have also been deployed by the India for the military exercise starting from June 10 to 13 in the first phase at Sasebo in Japan.
The second phase from June 14 to 17 will be off Okinawa .
2. Disasters: India, Nepal seek to enhance mutual cooperation
India and Nepal decided to enhance mutual cooperation in matters of disaster response, management and effective preparedness against them.
A 15-member Nepalese delegation today met the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) here and discussed issues related to sharing and cooperation in these subjects.
The Nepal delegation, led by Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs P K Suvedi, was briefed about the Indian disaster profile and scenario and its control and response mechanisms by NDRF chief O P Singh.
3. India beats Japan in oil use, only next to US, China
India has surpassed Japan to become the world's third-largest oil consumer, with its oil demand galloping 8.1 per cent in 2015, according to BP Statistical Review of World Energy released today.
With demand of 4.1 million barrels per day, India is the third-largest consumer behind US (19.39 million bpd) and China (11.96 million bpd). India accounted for 4.5 per cent of world oil consumption in 2015.
India's demand growth surpassed China's 6.3 per cent expansion. US oil consumption grew 1.6 per cent, which accounts for 19.7 per cent of the total world pie of 95 million bpd in 2015.
Japan slipped to the fourth spot after its oil usage contracted 3.9 per cent to 4.15 million bpd in 2015. In 2014, it used 4.3 million bpd, ahead of India's 3.84 million bpd.
The review shows that global demand for primary energy grew only 1 per cent in 2015, which is significantly slower than the 10-year average.
4. German star Mesut Ozil announced as Laureus Ambassador
Just days before the start of the European Championship, Germany and Arsenal's star midfielder Mesut Ozil was announced as Laureus Sport for Good Ambassador.
Ozil took time out of his preparations to inspire young people from the Laureus-supported KICKFORMORE project.
In 2013, Ozil signed for Arsenal, where he currently plays and regularly tops the assist charts.
Internationally, Ozil made his Germany debut in 2009. In 2010 he helped his country towards a third-place finish at the South Africa World Cup. In 2014, Ozil played a central role in the Germany team which won the World Cup in Brazil.
5. India ranks low at 141st place in global peace index
India was ranked at 141st place on a Global Peace Index -- making it less peaceful than countries like Burundi, Serbia and Burkina Faso -- with violence taking a US $680-billion toll on its economy in 2015.
In a ranking of 163 countries, compiled by global think tank Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), Syria has been named as the least peaceful, followed by South Sudan, Iraq, Afghanistan and Somalia.
On the other hand, Iceland was ranked as the world's most peaceful country, followed by Denmark and Austria.
India has moved up two position, from 143rd last year, but the study said the country's peace score has "deteriorated" over the past year -- which means the slight rise in ranking could be due to worse performance of others.
The report said that in the last decade, India's position has deteriorated when it comes to peace "by 5 per cent largely due to deteriorations in the indicators measuring UN peacekeeping funding and the level of political terror".
Within South Asia, Bhutan was ranked best (13th overall rank), while India was fifth followed by Pakistan at sixth (overall 153rd) and Afghanistan at sixth place (global 160th).
6. Naresh Goyal re-elected to IATA Board of Governors
Jet Airways said its chairman Naresh Goyal has been re-elected to IATA's Board of Governors.
This would be the fifth successive tenure for Goyal at the International Air Transport Association's (IATA) Board of Governors, the airline said in a release.
Goyal is the only representative from India on this board.
7. Maria Sharapova banned for two years for doping
Maria Sharapova has been suspended for two years by the International Tennis Federation for testing positive for meldonium at the Australian Open.
The five-time Grand Slam champion was provisionally suspended by the International Tennis Federation in early March, when she announced at a news conference in Los Angeles that she failed a doping test in January.
Sharapova said then she was not aware that the World Anti-Doping Agency had barred athletes from using meldonium, also known as mildronate, as of January 1.
8. World Bank cuts 2016 global growth forecast to 2.4%
The World Bank has lowered its forecast for the global growth in 2016 to 2.4 per cent, saying that the world economy is facing stronger headwinds.
In its Global Economic Prospects Report, the Washington-based institution expected the world economy to grow 2.4 per cent in 2016, 0.5 percentage point lower than the bank’s forecast in January, Xinhua news agency reported.
Growth continues to falter in advanced economies, while there is considerable divergence of performance across emerging market and developing economies, and their overall growth remains below potential, said Mr. Basu.
According to the report, developing economies are forecast to expand by 3.5 per cent in 2016, 0.6 percentage point lower than its January’s projection; advanced economies are expected to grow 1.7 per cent this year, 0.5 lower than its January’s forecast.
9. Modi becomes 6th Indian PM to address US Congress
Narendra Modi became the sixth Indian Prime Minister to address the joint session of the US Congress. Before this Jawaharlal Nehru, Rajiv Gandhi, P V Narasimha Rao, Atal Behari Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh have addressed US Congress.
10. Indian Among Time Magazine's 10 Millennials Changing The World
A 30-year old Indian entrepreneur has been named by Time magazine to its 2016 list of "10 millennials who are changing the world" for building a phone which can help people to interact and access critical services by communicating in their native languages.
Umesh Sachdev has been named by Time to its 2016 list of "10 millennials who are changing the world" for his work on "building a phone that can understand almost any language". Mr Sachdev, along with his college friend Ravi Saraogi, founded Uniphore Software Systems.
The Chennai-based start-up produces software allows people to interact with their phones and access services such as online banking by communicating in their native languages, Time said in its profile on Mr Sachdev.
Uniphore's products, which include a virtual assistant that is able to process more than 25 global languages and 150 dialects, are being used by over five million people, mostly in India.
Time said through the software, Mr Sachdev is building bridges and helping "hundreds of millions of people cross the divide between the digital and the real world by harnessing the power of speech.
It said Mr Sachdev found solution to a problem that phones didn't carry the language of villagers in rural India.
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