top 10 news today and yesterday in English.

 30/05/2023 top 10 news

Good morning! China to send first civilian into space; Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni’s ceremonial welcome at the Rashtrapati Bhavan; Mallikarjun Kharge to meet President Murmu over Manipur violence; BJP to launch Maha Jan Sampark Programme; Rahul Gandhi to interact with the NRI community in the US’s Santa Clara

1. After 4 weeks of Manipur violence and 100 deaths, Centre ‘steps in’… Situation grim Ethnic clashes in the nearly month-long conflict in Manipur have polarised the Meiteis and Kukis so much that the two communities have ceased to co-exist, and the extremely volatile situation can get only worse unless the Centre takes major steps to resolve the crisis, top security sources told TOI. “We are trying at our maximum level, but we cannot deploy jawans at every location. The Army top commanders are visiting villages and talking to the civil society organisations from both communities but there is no meeting ground at this moment,” a top official said. Shah in Manipur Home minister Amit Shah arrived in the strife-torn state on Monday evening on a four-day visit, at a time when a massive anti-insurgency operation is underway against suspected Kuki militants, who had allegedly violated the ceasefire agreement signed with the government and resorted to shooting, arson and looting. On Sunday, chief minister Biren Singh said at least 30 “terrorists” were gunned down by security forces. What’s on agenda? Shah, who is accompanied by home secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla and Intelligence Bureau director Tapan Deka, has a packed schedule over the next three days, which comprises security reviews as well as deliberations with civil society organisations and representatives of various communities residing in the Valley as well as hill areas of Manipur. He will wind up his visit on June 1. A unique challenge Apart from the law and order issue, the ruling BJP faces a revolt from its own legislators from the Kuki-Chin-Zo communities. The Kukis have blamed the Biren Singh government for the ongoing violence. They alleged the state police were helping miscreants. On the other hand, the Meiteis have accused the Kuki militant groups under Suspension of Operations agreement for attacks on their land and property. Death toll The nearly month-long violence has left over 100 people, including armed insurgents, dead and scores injured. According to the security sources, both communities suffered almost the same in terms of the number of villages burnt down but the number of dead could be higher on the Kuki side.

2. Super Kings snatch IPL trophy from the Titans The Indian Premier League’s 2023 robust run came to a close with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) beating defending champions Gujarat Titans (GT) by five wickets in the final match and winning the coveted trophy for the fifth time. With that, CSK has equaled Mumbai Indians’ record of winning the tournament the most number of times. Nail-biting moments It was a cracker of a final and the last moments led to some nail-biting suspense. CSK needed 13 runs off the final over for a victory and those last six balls were to be delivered by Mohit Sharma, who had already taken three crucial wickets in his previous two overs. Things took a U-turn when CSK needed 10 runs off 2 balls and Ravindra Jadeja hit a six. Jadeja then hit a boundary in the last ball and the Chennai Players went running out onto the field in celebration. The match Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led CSK won the toss and put Hardik Pandya-led GT to bat first. Sai Sudharsan’s master knock of 96 runs off 47 balls and opener Wriddhiman Saha’s 54 off 39 helped GT put up a total score of 214 runs in 20 overs, losing 4 wickets. The second innings had just taken off when it started to rain and the match had to be temporarily suspended. It resumed after several rounds of pitch examination. But it was now a 15 overs game and CSK had to achieve a revised target of 171 to win, applying the Duckworth–Lewis–Stern (DLS) method. CSK openers Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway set a good foundation to the innings with a 74 run opening partnership. Conway was later named the player of the match. And the awards With 890 total runs in the 2023 edition of IPL, Shubhman Gill of GT won the orange cap (most runs). Gill, who hit three centuries, was also adjudged the Most Valuable Player of the Tournament. With 28 wickets, Mohammad Shami of GT won the purple cap (most wickets). Yashasvi Jaiswal of Rajasthan Royals was awarded the Emerging Player of the Tournament for scoring 625 runs in 14 innings.

3. UK defence firm under probe for a UPA-era ‘scam’ A corruption case The CBI has launched an investigation into an alleged defence scam dating back to the UPA era and filed a corruption case against British aerospace and defence company Rolls Royce, its top executives and arms dealers for alleged kickbacks in the procurement of Hawk 115 Advanced Jet Trainer aircraft for the Indian Air Force and Navy, news agency PTI reported. Timing The CBI probe comes at a time when the Congress and other opposition parties are mounting attacks on the ruling BJP on a range of issues ahead of the 2024 national elections. This is the second major UPA-era case after the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland chopper scam that is also being probed by the agency. The deal In 2003, the Cabinet Committee on Security approved the purchase of 66 Hawk aircraft, following which Indian and UK governments signed an agreement. The accused The federal agency has registered the case against Tim Jones, director Rolls Royce India, alleged arms dealers Sudhir Choudhrie and Bhanu Choudhrie, Rolls Royce and British Aerospace Systems under IPC section 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act after completing a six-year-old preliminary enquiry. Allegations It is alleged that during 2003-12, the accused in conspiracy with unidentified public servants had “abused their official positions” for procurement of 24 Hawk 115 AJTs for GBP 734.21 million. In addition, they allegedly permitted the “licence manufacturing” of 42 additional aircraft by India’s state-owned HAL against materials supplied by Rolls Royce for an additional amount of $308.247 million and $7.5 million towards the Manufacturer's License Fee. ‘Kickbacks’ This deal was struck in lieu of “huge bribes, commissions and kickbacks” paid by Rolls Royce to intermediaries, even though the agreements, integrity pacts and associated documents of the deal “prohibited payments” to intermediaries and middlemen, the agency has alleged in an FIR. Preliminary probe The CBI’s preliminary enquiry (PE) showed that vital documents pertaining to the transaction were seized from Rolls Royce India office during a survey conducted by the Income Tax department in 2006-07 but the accused persons destroyed and removed the documents to evade investigation, it alleged.

4. Can Kharge do what Rahul could not? Biting the bullet Inspired by a peace deal in Karnataka, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge summoned Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot and his arch-rival Sachin Pilot to Delhi for discussions with Rahul Gandhi and himself. This comes months ahead of the assembly election in Rajasthan, which like Karnataka has a reputation of following a revolving door voting pattern. If Kharge could sort out the Gehlot-Pilot tussle, it would be his second success in dealing with the Congress’s legacy issues that Rahul Gandhi could not resolve. The meeting Gehlot met Kharge at his Delhi residence at around 6 pm, a few minutes after which Rahul also joined them. They held deliberations with Gehlot for about half an hour, after which party's in-charge for Rajasthan Sukhjinder Randhawa was called in. Pilot, who has been attacking the Gehlot government over the issue of inaction on corruption during the previous Vasundhara Raje government, joined the meeting after two hours at Kharge's residence. This was the first time since their fight came out in the open Gehlot and Pilot met in-person in the presence of top party leadership. AICC general secretary KC Venugopal was also present at the meeting. Venugopal said both Gehlot and Pilot have agreed to fight the Rajasthan election unitedly — the way Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar did in Karnataka. Legacy issue Over the last few years, the Gehlot-Pilot rift has played out in public. Pilot’s aborted rebellion in 2020 had tested the Gandhis, who could at best buy some time from Gehlot’s rival. Again, during the Congress presidential election, Gehlot defied the Gandhis after a buzz that Pilot would replace him as the CM after his elevation as the party chief. Over 70 MLAs came out in Gehlot’s support. In the past couple of months, Pilot has had heated exchanges with Gehlot, gone on a protest-fast in Jaipur and led a Jan Sangharsh Yatra across Rajasthan, pressuring Gehlot to act against the alleged corruption of the previous BJP government.

5. Identify this government agency Clue 1: It comes under a department that reports to PM Modi’s office Clue 2: It hit the headlines because of an espionage scandal in the 1990s Clue 3: It has its origin in a research body founded in 1962 under chairmanship of Vikram Sarabhai

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6. Amid unity talks, TMC stings Congress TMC jolts Congress While Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee is pushing her Bihar counterpart Nitish Kumar for stitching an opposition alliance keeping the Congress in the fold, her own party, the TMC, continues to rattle the grand old party. The Congress’s lone MLA in West Bengal Assembly, Bayron Biswas, joined the TMC on Monday, with Mamata’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee attending the event. Bishwas had won a bypoll in February, prompting Mamata to target Congress saying that her TMC would contest the Lok Sabha polls alone in 2024. Later, she supported the idea of a united opposition with Congress as a constituent. Not a first The poaching of Congress leaders by TMC has been going on for quite some time. This has happened in Assam (Sushmita Dev), Tripura (Pijush Kanti Biswas), Meghalaya (Mukul Sangma), Goa (Luizinho Faleiro), Bihar (Kirti Azad), Haryana (Ashok Tanwar) and a few other states too. Timing Biswas joined TMC when parties opposed to BJP are trying to forge an opposition unity for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Only on Sunday, it was reported that Nitish would hold an opposition unity meet on June 12 in Patna, a venue suggested by Mamata. The latest TMC move is bound to create bad blood in such a potential coalition. Meanwhile With Kejriwal seeking a meeting with Rahul Gandhi for a Congress vote against the Centre’s Ordinance that brought Services back in the LG’s jurisdiction, Congress leaders from Delhi and Punjab told party chief Mallikarjun Kharge not to support the AAP on the issue. Kejriwal has met Mamata, Nitish, Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray among others over the services Ordinance issue. The Congress has criticised the Centre for promulgating the Ordinance but has not yet supported the AAP on the issue.

7. A horrific murder caught on camera What A 16-year-old girl was stabbed multiple times and bludgeoned to death by a man in a busy lane as passersby looked on in northwest Delhi’s Shahbad Dairy locality – an incident that has drawn massive outrage as the video of the horrific killing appeared online. The accused is a 20-year-old, who has been arrested from Uttar Pradesh, according to the police. He works as a fridge and AC mechanic, and lives in a rented accommodation with his parents and three siblings in Shahbad Dairy. Caught on camera A video clip of the incident shows the accused pinning the victim to a wall with one hand and stabbing her repeatedly. He did not stop even after the girl slumped to the ground. He jabbed the knife into her multiple times, kicked her and then slammed a cement slab on her repeatedly. The accused is then seen walking away from the victim only to turn back and again hit her with the slab before leaving the site. Did they know each other? Some news reports said that the two were in a “relationship” but had an argument on Saturday. On Sunday, the victim had gone shopping when she was accosted by the accused. Some other news reports suggested that the accused was a stalker and he was frustrated over being “rejected” by the girl. Political affair Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and other AAP leaders criticised lieutenant governor V K Saxena, saying it was his responsibility to maintain law and order in the city. The Delhi BJP claimed it was a case of “love jihad” and slammed the AAP for trying to portray it as an “ordinary” murder. Meanwhile, BJP MP Hans Raj Hans termed the incident “very painful” and said youth sometimes get “carried away by emotions” and act like “fools”. ‘Disturbing’ Calling the incident “extremely disturbing and appalling”, the National Commission for Women said its Chairperson Rekha Sharma has written to the Commissioner of Police to conduct a fair and time-bound investigation in the matter.

8. Why senior Karnataka ministers are ‘unhappy’ Power distributed Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah has allocated portfolios to ministers in his cabinet, keeping the finance department with himself while assigning the irrigation and Bengaluru city development departments to his deputy DK Shivakumar. The composition Out of the 32 ministers in the Karnataka cabinet, 24 or 75% have criminal cases against them and 31 (97%) are crorepatis, with the average asset analysed at Rs.119.06 crore, according to an Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) report. Karnataka deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar declared the highest number of assets worth Rs.1,413.80 crore. There’s just one woman in Siddaramaiah’s cabinet. Portfolio politics The portfolio-allocation exercise turned out to be protracted and contentious, with top ministers insisting on prized departments in line with their seniority. Siddaramaiah apparently wanted to allocate portfolios on Saturday, hours after filling all 34 berths by inducting 24 ministers. He, however, decided to put the draft list on hold following opposition from some senior ministers over the choice of likely portfolios. Tough selection The selection of ministers was done after several rounds of high-level consultations with the party high command in Delhi. Both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar held meetings with Kharge in Delhi as well as state in-charge Randeep Surjewala and party general secretary KC Venugopal. The Congress leaders spent their Sunday trying to address a sense of let-down and deep anguish among some of the ministers and other senior lawmakers who have missed being in the cabinet. The dissatisfied The ministers who are reportedly dissatisfied include Ramalinga Reddy, MB Patil, G Parameshwara, SS Mallikarjun, Shivanand Patil and N Chaluvaraya Swamy.

9. What put Japan on alert mode What Japan put its ballistic missile defences on alert on Monday and vowed to shoot down any projectile that threatens its territory. Why North Korea has notified neighbouring Japan that it plans to launch a satellite in coming days, which may be an attempt to put Pyongyang's first military reconnaissance satellite into orbit. Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said it was possible the satellite would enter or pass above Japan’s southwestern islands including Okinawa, where the United States has major military bases and thousands of troops. When Japan's coast guard said the notice it received from North Korean waterway authorities said the launch window was from May 31 to June 11, and that the launch may affect waters in the Yellow Sea, East China Sea and east of the Philippines' Luzon Island. How To launch a satellite into space, nuclear-armed North Korea would have to use long-range missile technology banned by UN Security Council resolutions. Its past launches of Earth observation satellites were seen as disguised missile tests. Missile defence In April, Japan sent to the East China Sea a destroyer carrying the SM-3 interceptors that can hit targets in space, and deployed Patriot-3 missiles, designed to strike warheads closer to the ground, to the Okinawa islands Kim’s wish list Spy satellites are among an array of high-tech weapons systems Kim has publicly vowed to develop. Other weapons systems on his wish list include solid-propellant ICBMs, nuclear-powered submarines, hypersonic missiles and multi-warhead missiles.

10. You share your b’day with… Source: Various

Indian Space Research Organisation: Chandrayaan-3 will be launched in July this year, ISRO chief S Somanath said on Monday. The Chandrayaan-3 mission is aimed at demonstrating critical technologies to land the spacecraft on the south pole of the moon in less than two months.  Good morning! Isro to launch NVS-01 navigation satellite with indigenously-built atomic clock; PM Modi to virtually flag off North East’s 1st Vande Bharat Express from Guwahati; Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni on 3-day visit to India; Congress chief Kharge to meet Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot in Delhi; Cheetah deaths: Meeting between Union Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav and MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan 29/05/2023 top 10 news 1. Parliament gets a new address The inauguration PM Modi inaugurated the new Parliament building in New Delhi on Sunday morning, hoping it would become a cradle of empowerment, igniting dreams and nurturing them into reality. Located in the heart of Central Vista, the new building is situated opposite the old building on Sansad Marg. Religious fervour PM Modi performed "Ganapati Homam" amid Vedic chants by priests from Karnataka's Shringeri Math. He accepted the Sengol — the sceptre that the government symbolised transfer of power from Lord Mountbatten to Pandit Nehru in 1947 — from high priests of Adheenams from Tamil Nadu before installing it in a special enclosure near Lok Sabha Speaker’s chair amid tunes of nadaswaram and chanting of Vedic mantras. A multi-faith prayer was also held to mark the occasion. A special building Tata Projects Ltd constructed the building that also has a Constitution Hall to showcase India's democratic heritage, a lounge for MPs, a library, multiple committee rooms, dining areas and ample parking space. The triangular-shaped four-storey building has a built-up area of 64,500 square metres. The building has three main gates — Gyan Dwar, Shakti Dwar, and Karma Dwar — and separate entrances for VIPs, MPs and visitors. It's huge Built at an estimated cost of Rs 1200 crore, the building can seat 888 members in the Lok Sabha chamber and 300 in the Rajya Sabha chamber. In the case of a joint sitting of both Houses, a total of 1,280 members can be accommodated in the Lok Sabha chamber. It replaces the 96-year-old present Parliament building, built in 1927. Politics The opposition targeted the Modi government, accusing it of insulting the President, crushing the voice of people and dubbing it as a “black day”. Congress’s Rahul Gandhi linked it to the protest by women wrestlers in Delhi. He tweeted, “The coronation is over — the arrogant king is crushing the voice of the public on the streets!” The government hit back, with Union minister Pralhad Joshi saying, “The Congress cannot tolerate good things happening in the country. They are lying about 'Sengol'.”  2. An anticlimax of wrestlers’ protest What In a potential end to wrestlers' protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, police detained Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia for violation of law and order after they breached the security cordon while attempting a march to the new Parliament building for a women's 'Mahapanchayat'. Protest site cleared Immediately after the wrestlers were pushed into buses and taken to an unknown location, the police officers began clearing the protest site by removing the cots, mattresses, cooler fans and the tarpaulin ceiling along with other belongings of the wrestlers. But not without a fight Chaotic scenes were witnessed at Jantar Mantar as wrestlers and police officers shoved and pushed each other when Vinesh Phogat and her cousin Sangeeta Phogat tried to break through the barricades. The wrestlers, including Sakshi Malik, clashed with the police officials when they were stopped by police while marching towards the new Parliament building. Support snapped Scores of farmers led by BKU leader Rakesh Tikait were stopped by the police at the Ghazipur border as they tried to enter Delhi to take part in the wrestlers’ protest outside the new Parliament building. A month-long protest Top wrestlers Olympic medallists Bajranj Punia, Sakshi and Asian Games gold winner Vinesh began their sit-in at Jantar Mantar on April 23, demanding the arrest of former WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh accusing him of sexually harassing women grapplers. 3. How to restore peace in Manipur Manipur continued to witness large-scale arson and violence forcing the administrations of two valley districts – Imphal East and West – to curtail curfew relaxation hours to six and a half hours from the previously issued order for 11 hours, on Sunday. Union home minister Amit Shah is scheduled to visit the strife-torn state today. Fresh violence Four civilians and a police officer were shot dead by suspected militants in Kakching and Imphal West districts on Sunday. Unidentified mobs torched over 200 houses in three villages near Sugnu in Kakching district. 30 militants killed At least 30 suspected Kuki militants were gunned down by security forces in the past two days, chief minister N Biren Singh said soon after a meeting with Army chief Gen Manoj Pande and Army's eastern commander Lt Gen R P Kalita in Imphal, Singh blamed Kuki militant outfits that are in ceasefire with the Centre and the state for the attacks on unarmed civilians. He branded them "terrorists". "The fight is not between two communities (Meities and Kukis), but between Kuki militants bound by the Suspension of Operations agreement and combined teams of the central and state security forces," he said. Netas face public anger Two days after Union minister Rajkumar Ranjan Singh’s Manipur residence was gheraoed by an irate mob, BJP MLA Khwairakpam Raghumani Singh’s house was vandalised and his two vehicles were set on fire at Uripok in Imphal West. When protector turns predator In what can be seen as a big embarrassment for the Centre, three Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel were detained by the state police on Saturday over allegations of arson. The trio, who allegedly tried to set a meat shop on fire in Imphal East District, has been placed under suspension. What’s to be done? The Centre must initiate two urgent steps to tackle the continuing violence in Manipur. First, it should ensure that all Kuki militants, who are under a ceasefire agreement with the government, return to their designated camps and their armouries are sealed. Secondly, the central government should facilitate a dialogue between the Kukis and the Meiteis to overcome the trust deficit between the two communities. Recently, Kuki legislators from the ruling BJP have refused to have any discussions with chief minister Biren Singh. Given the nature of the conflict, top central leaders, rather than retired bureaucrats or intelligence officials, should be involved in the peacebuilding initiatives. 4. Top shuttler Prannoy breaks jinx in Malaysia Finally, a title Star Indian shuttler HS Prannoy ended a six-year long title drought with a three-game win over China's Weng Hong Yang in a pulsating men's singles finals at the Malaysia Masters Super 500 tournament on Sunday. The 30-year-old Indian showed great composure and resolve during a 94-minute battle to notch a 21-19, 13-21, 21-18 victory against China's world number 34, who is the 2022 Asian Championships bronze medallist. Breaking jinx The win helped Prannoy claim his maiden Badminton World Federation World Tour title and also the first singles crown of the year for India. The BWF World Tour is divided into six levels — World Tour Finals, four Super 1000, six Super 750, seven Super 500, and 11 Super 300 in order. One other category of tournament, the BWF Tour Super 100 level, also offers ranking points. The Super 500 is a Grade 2 (level 4) event in the BWF tournament ranking system. Persistent Prannoy Prannoy was instrumental in India's epic Thomas Cup victory last year but an individual title has eluded him since the 2017 US Open Grand Prix Gold. The Kerala shuttler had come close to breaking his title drought when he reached the finals at Swiss Open last year and signed off at the semifinal stage in Malaysia and the Indonesia Super 1000. Prannoy has battled a series of injuries and health issues before turning his career around in the back end of 2021. In the last two years, he has been the most consistent Indian player in the circuit and yet he was not able to weave it all together in a week to win a big title in the BWF World Tour events. On Sunday, all his hard work paid off as he finally broke the jinx, dishing out a superlative performance against the 23-year-old Chinese in a battle of attrition.  5. Can you name this ancient country with a new name? Clue 1: It spreads over ancient kingdoms of Anatolia and Eastern Thrace Clue 2: The country and its most important city are transcontinental Clue 3: Oil wrestling is its national sport 6. How cost overruns and delays impact infra projects A fact-sheet As many as 384 infrastructure projects, each entailing an investment of Rs 150 crore or more, have been hit by cost overruns of more than Rs 4.66 lakh crore in January-March quarter. According to the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation that monitors infrastructure projects worth Rs 150 crore and above, out of 1,566 projects, 384 reported cost overruns and as many as 931 projects were delayed. Project interrupted The report said 285 projects have reported cost overruns of Rs 1,97,069.19 crore. Another 259 projects are having both time and cost overruns. The anticipated completion cost of all 1,566 projects is reported to be Rs 26,29,193.77 crore. Original vs cost overrun The total expenditure as on 31st March 2023 was Rs 14,71,873.93 crore which works out to 55.98% of the total anticipated completion cost and 68.06% of the original cost. For these 1,566 projects, a total outlay of Rs 2,81,251.99 crore has been allocated for 2022-23. In time frame Out of 1,566 projects, 12 projects are ahead of schedule, 292 projects on schedule, and 931 projects were delayed. For 331 projects, either original or the anticipated date of completion has not been reported in the Quarterly Project Implementation Status Report (QPISR). Project wise There are 443 mega projects — each costing Rs 1,000 crore and above. And there are 1,123 major projects — each costing Rs 150 crore and above but below Rs 1,000 crore. The percentage of delayed projects had changed from 41.27% in the March 2022 quarter to 59.45% in the March 2023 quarter. The percentage of cost overrun had changed from 21.43% in the March 2022 quarter to 21.59% in the March 2023 quarter. 7. India faces a ‘very complicated challenge’ EAM says External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said India faces a "very complicated challenge" from China, and the Narendra Modi government has taken steps to ensure no attempts are made to change the status quo in the border areas unilaterally. "When I talk about big powers, of course we have a particular challenge from China. That challenge is a very complicated challenge, but in the last three years it has been particularly visible in the border areas," Jaishankar said, apparently referring to China's incursions in eastern Ladakh. The challenge This challenge was "very visible" in border areas in the last three years, Jaishankar said, adding that both the countries have to find an equilibrium in relationship, but it cannot be on the terms of the other party. If peace and tranquillity between the two nations is disturbed, their relationship will not remain unaffected, the minister said, delivering a talk on 'Modi's India: A Rising Power' at the Anant National University in Ahmedabad. Condition specified Mutual respect, sensitivity and interest have to be the basis of the relationship, Jaishankar said. "How can we get along long term if you don't respect me, if you are not sensitive to my concerns, if you ignore my interest?" If India sees respect, sensitivity and recognition, it can think of a better relationship with China, he said. Meeting the challenge Jaishankar said the Quad countries are today discussing maritime collaboration, infrastructure connectivity, 5G and vaccines, among other issues. India is also interacting with a group of countries to its West, such as Israel, United States and United Arab Emirates. The rise of India has a very special significance in the world as the only comparable rise was that of China. 8. Isro’s atomic boost to indigenous navigation The launch The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) will launch navigation satellite 'NVS-01' onboard its Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) today. The rocket GSLV-F12 carrying 2,232 kg NVS-01 navigation satellite is scheduled to lift off at 10.42 am from the second launch pad in Sriharikota rocket port in Andhra Pradesh. The rocket will deliver the satellite into a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) from where it will be further taken up by firing the onboard motors. 'Indian GPS' The NavIC or formerly Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) is similar to the GPS (Global Positioning System) of the US, Glonass of Russia and Galileo of Europe as well as China's Beidou. NVS series of satellites will sustain and augment the NavIC with enhanced features. A first For the first time, an indigenous rubidium atomic clock will be flown in the navigation satellite NVS-01. NVS-01 is the first of the second-generation satellites envisaged for the navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC) services. The technology The second-generation satellite series includes L1 Navigation band and encompasses indigenously developed Rubidium atomic clock. The space-qualified Rubidium atomic clock, indigenously developed by Ahmedabad-based Space Applications Centre, is an important technology that only a handful of countries possess. Earlier, the Indian space agency had used imported atomic clocks on all the nine navigation satellites it had launched.  9. Can Biden’s debt deal save the US from a default? A deal President Joe Biden, a Democratic leader, and top congressional Republican Kevin McCarthy have struck a deal to suspend the federal government's $31.4 trillion limit on US government borrowing in order to avert a catastrophic default as soon as June 5. The challenge now Their challenge isn't over. The deal still faces a difficult path to pass through Congress on Wednesday before the government runs out of money to pay its debts by June 5. Biden and House Speaker McCarthy gave a green light to the deal drafted by their respective aides during closed-door negotiations over the past several days. What next It needs to be written into legislation, for which McCarthy had looked confident. McCarthy has vowed to give House members 72 hours to read it after it’s written on Sunday, and passage through the House and Senate will each take several more days. With whip counts in hand, McCarthy will have to decide whether the bill has a strong enough chance of passing to proceed. If not, he could either not hold a vote on the bill and go back to the drawing board, or take the riskier step of sending it to the full House in the hope of eking out a win. An emergency manoeuvre If things look dire at any point, the House could resort to a rarely employed emergency manoeuvre: A "discharge petition" to bring a "clean" debt limit increase — with no budget provisions attached — to a vote. House Democrats have backed this idea but could not succeed unless enough of the Republican majority joined them. A simple majority — at least 218 votes if all members are present — will be needed for passage. If passed by the House, the legislation goes to the Senate where Democrats hold a 51-49 majority over Republicans. 10. You share your b’day with… Turkiye. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is looking to extend his more than two decades of rule as polls closed in a runoff presidential race. Turkiye stands at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, and it plays a key role in Nato. Trends from the counting showed Erdogan in the lead over his rival Kemal Kilicdaroglu. Erdogan claimed victory even as the counting of votes was underway on Sunday night. The result could have implications far beyond Ankara.