NEWS & VIEWS|||SARASIJ|||18/06/2025. ||| WEDNESDAY| VOL—IV/2025/JUNE/559

NEWS & VIEWS|||SARASIJ|||18/06/2025.

WEDNESDAY| VOL—IV/2025/JUNE/559

OPINIONATED, FOR FREE CIRCULATION.

G-7 SUMMIT IN CANADA:

The G7 summit concluded following U.S. President Donald Trump’s early departure last night amid an intensifying Israel-Iran war. The group issued a joint statement on that conflict and is working toward one on critical minerals, though host Canada scrapped plans for a traditional summit declaration due to anticipated divisions. Trump reiterated a call for Russia to be readmitted to the G7 even as some members are considering imposing new sanctions on Moscow. 

Joint Initiatives.

Ø All G7 members signed a statement supporting Israel’s right to defend itself, calling Iran “the principal source of regional instability and terror,” and urging that “the resolution of the Iranian crisis leads to a broader de-escalation” in the Middle East.

Ø  They also provisionally agreed to create a plan to diversify global critical mineral supplies by investing in new projects, multiple news outlets reported. China’s recent restrictions on rare earth exports have highlighted its dominance in the sector. The draft declaration does not mention China by name but criticizes “non-market policies.” 

 On The Russia-Ukraine War.

Ø  Due to Trump’s early departure, he skipped both a session on the war and a scheduled meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Ø  Trump said yesterday that expelling Russia from the Group of Eight (G8) following its 2014 invasion of Crimea was a “mistake.” When asked whether the United States would join new sanctions that European countries are planning on Russia, he replied that “sanctions cost us a lot of money.” 

 

INDIA: (GOI, SWARAJYA, VISHWAMITRA, HINDU POST, INDIA TODAY).

1.      Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 18 reiterated India's stand against terrorism while thanking global leaders for condemning the Pahalgam terror attack, the Ministry of External Affairs said in its update on the prime minister's participation at the Outreach Session on Energy Security at the 51st G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Canada.

2.      In his address at the session, PM Modi also urged the leaders to galvanise global action against terrorism and underlined the need to take strict action against those who promote and support terrorism.

3.      Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri has said more than 10 crore 33 lakh free LPG connections have been distributed across the country under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana. 

4.      As part of its continuing operation against terrorism, J&K's Special Investigation Agency (SIA) attached the property of a Pakistan-based terrorist in Kupwara district on Monday, officials said. A statement by SIA said that the attached property belongs to Abdul Hamid Lone, son of Abdul Aziz Lone, resident of Mawar Bala Qalamabad, Handwara, in Kupwara.

5.      The Jammu and Kashmir government declared all routes to the Amarnath cave shrine as no flying zone during the yatra period. Flying of any kind of aviation platforms and devices, including UAVs, drones and balloons has been prohibited from the 1st of next month to 10th of August this year on Amarnath yatra routes, including both Pahalgam axis and Baltal axis.

6.      The Government of India has launched the DhartiAaba Janbhagidari Abhiyan, a massive tribal empowerment drive aimed at delivering welfare benefits to nearly one lakh tribal villages. This largest-ever saturation campaign, spearheaded by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.

 

7.      “बांग्लादेश में 24 घंटे में 6 मंदिरों में लूट, देवी-देवताओं के आभूषण-बर्तन लूटे: घर खाली करवा लगाया मदरसे का साइन बोर्ड, पीड़ितों ने सुनाई इस्लामी कट्टरपंथियों के अत्याचार की कहानी”, ऑपइंडिया, जून 16, 2025

 

WORLD: (REUTER, AP, AFP, BLOOMBERG, CNN, WP)

ISRAEL—IRAN WAR:

Ø  Iran has been sending messages to the United States seeking de-escalation, unnamed European and Middle Eastern sources told the Wall Street Journal.

Ø  A U.S. aircraft carrier group began moving from Asia to the Middle East. 

Ø  Thousands of people began fleeing Tehran yesterday after Israel’s military issued evacuation orders for three hundred thousand residents and Trump posted on social media that “everyone” should leave the city of nearly ten million people.

Ø  Trump told reporters yesterday that he was seeking something “better than a ceasefire,”.

A.    Russia’s foreign ministry said that Washington had cancelled an upcoming round of U.S.-Russia talks on improving relations, without giving a reason why.

B.     Russian Security Council head Sergei Shoigu arrived in Pyongyang today for talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un about implementing security agreements reached earlier this month, Russian state media reported. North Korea has sent thousands of troops to fight in Russia’s war against Ukraine, according to a UN report.

C.    Higher trade barriers between the United States and China have contributed to a slowdown in the U.S. battery industry boom, the New York Times reported. So too have concerns about a bill that would cut subsidies for firms that use Chinese parts, which many U.S. battery plants rely on. This month, battery maker AESC paused construction on a $1.6 billion electric vehicle battery plant, citing “policy and market uncertainty.”

D.    Global foreign direct investment (FDI) flows into developing countries fell to $435 billion in 2023, the lowest since 2005, the World Bank said in a new report yesterday. FDI to wealthy countries was also at its lowest since 1996. 

E.     New Zealand PM, Christopher Luxon begins his first trip to China since becoming New Zealand’s prime minister in 2023. He is due to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY:

NASA and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) are set to launch the $1.5 billion NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) Earth observation satellite from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, India, in July 2025.

CRIME & PUNISHMENT:

Kuki-Zo insurgent groups and Ministry of Home Affairs officials, in a meeting on June 16, 2025, reached an understanding on the relocation and closure of certain camps run by the groups in Manipur, a senior government official said.

ENVIRONMENTAL: -

On World Crocodile Day, India celebrates the 50th anniversary of its pioneering Crocodile Conservation Project (CCP), which began in 1975 at Bhitarkanika National Park, Odisha. This milestone highlights India’s successful journey in conserving all three native crocodilian species, including the critically endangered Gharial. 

GAMES & SPORTS: --

Indian tennis ace Ankita Raina partnered with France’s Alice Robbe to claim the doubles title at the $40,000 ITF Women’s Tournament in Guimaraes, Portugal, on June 15, 2025. 

DAS KAPITAL:

SHARE MARKET: -

*BSE SENSEX* 81,583.30 −212.85 (0.26%)

*NIFTY* 24,853.40 −93.10 (0.37%)  

Currency Exchange Rates: ( The Figures are rounded off )

*USD*: ₹ 85/-*GBP*: ₹115/-*Euro*: ₹ 96/- 

* Yuan ¥*: ₹ 12/- *UAE Dirham*: ₹ 23/-

*Pak Rupee*: ₹ 0.30/- *Bhutan ngultrum*: ₹ 1.00/-

*B’desh’s Taka**: ₹ 0.70/- *Sri Lanka Rupee*: ₹ 0.28/- 

*Nepal Rupee*: ₹ 0.62/- *Maldives Rufiyaa*: ₹ 0.17/- 

 *GOLD*: ₹ 100,500/ 10gm (24 krt) 

 *SILVER*: ₹ 1,10,000/KG

 

WHAT IS NEXT:

• Today, the Africa Energy Forum begins in Cape Town.
• Today, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier begins a visit to Japan. 
• Today, the executive board of UN Women begins its annual meeting in New York.
• Tomorrow, Russia starts hosting the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

 

THE END.