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Sitharaman attends FMCBG meeting in Washington D.C.

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Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman participated in the 4th G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (FMCBG) Meeting under the Italian Presidency held on October 13 in Washington D.C. on the sidelines of the IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings.

The meeting was the final FMCBG Meeting under the G20 Italian Presidency and saw discussions and agreements on various issues concerning global economic recovery, pandemic support to vulnerable countries, global health, climate action, international taxation and financial sector issues.

For a sustained recovery from the pandemic, the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors agreed to avoid any premature withdrawal of support measures, while preserving financial stability and long-term fiscal sustainability, and safeguarding against downside risks and negative spillovers.

Sitharaman noted that for transitioning from crisis to recovery, one of the major challenges is ensuring equitable access to vaccines for all. The Finance Minister suggested that keeping up the support, building resilience, enhancing productivity and structural reforms should be our policy goals.

The Finance Minister appreciated the role of G20 in rallying pandemic response and supporting vulnerable countries through debt relief measures and the new SDR allocation. Going forward, Sitharaman suggested on focusing efforts on making the benefits reach the intended countries.

The Finance Minister joined the G20 Ministers and Governors in agreeing on the need for strengthening efforts to counter climate change. Sitharaman emphasised that considering the varied policy spaces and different starting points of countries, the centrality of climate justice based on United Nations’ Framework Convention on Climate Change and principles of Paris Agreement would be critical for taking forward discussions towards successful outcomes.

For addressing tax challenges arising from the digitalisation of the economy, the G20 FMCBGs endorsed the final agreement as set out in the Statement on a two-pillar solution and the Detailed Implementation Plan released by the OECD/G20 Inclusive Framework on Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) on October 8, 2021.

The meeting concluded with the G20 FMCBGs reaffirming their commitment to advance the forward-looking agenda set in the G20 Action Plan to steer the global economy towards a strong, sustainable, balanced and inclusive growth.

disaster

Op Jal Rahat-2: Army rescues over 2,500 flood-hit people in Manipur

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Imphal, June 5: As torrential rains and flooding continue to disrupt normal life in Imphal and surrounding areas, the Indian Army and Assam Rifles have been at the forefront of relief and rescue efforts under the ongoing ‘Operation Jal Rahat-II’ relief operation.

A Defence spokesman said on Thursday that since May 31, the Indian Army and Assam Rifles troops have been working tirelessly across multiple flood-affected localities in Imphal East and Imphal West districts, providing critical assistance to the flood-affected population within certain cases, without waiting for formal requisition.

Operating under extremely challenging conditions, the Indian Army and Assam Rifles have evacuated nearly 2,500 civilians to safety during the rescue operation so far.

Major evacuations took place in Imphal’s Wangkhei areas, where 778 individuals were rescued and at government-run Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS) medical college and hospital, where 750 people, including 15 patients requiring urgent care, were safely evacuated.

Continuing the efforts in Imphal’s Khitai Chingangbam Leikai areas, 110 civilians were brought to safety, while 115 were rescued from Laishram Leikai, the spokesman said.

Rescue teams also evacuated 65 individuals from Lamlong and 75 from Heinjang areas, where operations included navigating through challenging terrain and fast flood stream due to breach in the Imphal River embankment.

He said that at other locations in Imphal East and West districts, an additional 408 people including 179 women and 92 children were extricated.

In a testament to their inclusive and compassionate approach, Indian Army and Assam Rifles personnel also carried out special missions to rescue three specially-abled adults from different locations.

The troops not only rescued stranded civilians but also established a medical camp providing aid to over 400 civilians, simultaneously carrying out defogging operations to mitigate health hazards caused by stagnant water.

Their rapid response helped prevent further deterioration of living conditions and safeguarded the health of the community.

According to the Defence spokesman, the unprecedented floods had left the local population struggling for survival, with clean drinking water becoming an urgent necessity in the flood-ravaged village of Soibam Leikai in Imphal East.

Responding swiftly to the crisis, a team led by an Indian Army Officer reached the village with essential supplies and an unwavering resolve to help.

Recognising the immediate need for safe drinking water, the Army established emergency drinking water distribution points, ensuring that the residents had access to clean and potable water.

Also, 5,750 litres of fresh water was supplied to fulfill the immediate requirement.

The official said that equipped with rescue boats, medical teams and essential relief materials, the Indian Army soldiers have been operating in close coordination with Assam Rifles and the civil administration.

The efforts of Indian Army and Assam Rifles reflect the ethos of ‘Service Before Self’ and unwavering commitment to safeguard the lives of citizens, the spokesman said.

He said that as flood relief operations continue, the Indian Army and Assam Rifles remain fully committed to supporting the people of Manipur during this crisis and would persist in extending every possible assistance to mitigate the impact of the ongoing natural disaster.

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National

Bengaluru stampede: K’taka govt releases details of deceased; families raise questions

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Bengaluru, June 5: The Karnataka government on Thursday released the details of the 11 people killed in the stampede near the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru during the Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) victory celebrations on June 4.

Among the dead, one hailed from Udumalapet near Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu, and the rest are from Bengaluru and other districts of the state.

According to the details shared by the Chief Minister’s Office, the deceased have been identified as 14-year-old Divyanshi, a resident of Yelahanka in Bengaluru; 26-year-old Akshata Pai, a resident of Karwar; 19-year-old Bhoomik, a resident of M.S. Ramaiah Layout in Bengaluru; 23-year-old Sahana, a native of Kolar; 19-year-old Chinmaya Shetty, a resident of Doddakallasandra in Bengaluru; 20-year-old Manojkumar, a resident of Nagasandra village in Tumakuru district; 20-year-old Shravana K.T., a resident of Kallahalli village in Chikkaballapura district; 17-year-old Shivu aka Shivalinga, a resident of Honigeri village in Yadgir district; 20-year-old Poornachandra, a resident of Rayasamudra village in Mandya district; 29-year-old Kamakshidevi, a resident of Udumalapet near Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu and 22-year-old Prajwal, a resident of Yelahanka New Town in Bengaluru are the deceased persons.

Laxman, the father of deceased Bhoomik (19), stated he was given information that his son was serious and asked to arrive at the hospital. “My son never watched cricket matches, he had gone along with his friends. I was informed that when the stampede occurred, there was no ambulance, and my son was shifted to the hospital in a police vehicle.”

He further expressed his outrage that he pays the government tax up to Rs 5 lakh per month, and the government wasn’t able to provide an ambulance to his son.

Suresh Babu, the father of deceased Sahana (23), stated his daughter informed him that she is going to attend the RCB victory celebrations at noon. “She had gone to the office in the morning, and later she went to the Chinnaswamy Stadium. “I wanted to see my daughter’s marriage and but now I am garlanding her dead body. She completed her engineering studies and worked at Bosch Company in Bengaluru for two years. She never caused us pain. I had asked her to be careful. The system has failed,” he stated.

The mother of the deceased, Prajwal (22), said she had to run from one hospital to another after being informed about the tragedy. She stated that Prajwal was her only son, and being a labourer, she managed somehow to complete the engineering course. “The government has snatched away my only son. Do they know how it feels to lose a son?” she asked.

The state government has announced Rs 10 lakh compensation for the families of the deceased and also ordered a magisterial probe.

The BJP has said that the deaths were government-sponsored murders and demanded the immediate resignation of Home Minister G. Parameshwara.

Taking cognizance of the stampede incident, the Karnataka High Court on Thursday registered a suo motu Public Interest Litigation (PIL) and sought a report from the Congress-led Karnataka government.

The division bench, headed by acting Chief Justice V. Kameshwar Rao, expressed concern over the tragedy.

Social activist Snehamayi Krishna filed a complaint with the Cubbon Park police on Thursday against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar, office-bearers of the KSCA, and others. In his complaint, Krishna demanded that the police register the case under Section 106 of the BNS Act.

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International

Trump signs proclamation banning travel from 12 nations

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Washington, June 5: US President Donald Trump has signed a proclamation imposing a travel ban on 12 countries and restricting the entry of seven others to the US, citing national security concerns.

According to the proclamation, the 12 countries that were banned include Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.

Additionally, the order partially restricts and limits the entry of nationals of the following seven countries — Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.

The announcement of the ban followed a recent violent terror attack in Boulder, Colorado, on participants of a peaceful rally calling for the safe return of Israeli hostages from Hamas captivity.

“The recent terror attack in Boulder, Colorado, has underscored the extreme dangers posed to our country by the entry of foreign nationals who are not properly vetted, as well as those who come here as temporary visitors and overstay their visas. We don’t want them,” Trump said in a video statement released by the White House on Wednesday night.

Meanwhile, US Homeland Security officials said that the terror attack perpetrator in Colorado, Mohammed Sabry Solima, was allowed entry into the country under the former Biden Administration and overstayed his visa.

The White House Deputy Press Secretary Abigail Jackson took to social media stating that President Trump is protecting Americans from foreign actors who pose security threats to the country.

“President Trump is fulfilling his promise to protect Americans from dangerous foreign actors that want to come to our country and cause us harm. These commonsense restrictions are country-specific and include places that lack proper vetting, exhibit high visa overstay rates, or fail to share identity and threat information. President Trump will always act in the best of interest of the American people and their safety,” Abigail Jackson said on X.

The recent proclamation echoed a series of travel bans issued during the first term of Trump’s administration to seven majority-Muslim nations from coming to the US.

It included Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen. The move witnessed legal challenges before President Joe Biden repealed it after he assumed office in 2021.

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