Former Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi died at 86 on Monday at a hospital in Milan, where he was previously treated for a lung infection linked to chronic leukaemia. He held the position of PM four times. However, he was at the centre of several corruption and sex scandals during his long career.
India and Nepal will sign a long-term energy deal on 18 June, through which India will import 10,000 MW of electricity from Nepal in the coming decade. The deal was agreed to in principle during Nepalese PM Prachanda’s visit to New Delhi earlier this month, where he met his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi.
ISRO Chairman S Somanath has announced that Chandrayaan-3, India’s ambitious mission to achieve a lunar landing, is scheduled for launch between 12-19 July, provided all tests proceed smoothly. The ISRO chief made this announcement during a media briefing, revealing that the spacecraft had been transported from U R Rao Satellite Centre to the launch pad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. “The final preparations are going on. It will be completed by the end of this month. At the same time, the rocket, LVM-3, is going to be used for this launch. Its assembly is going on. All parts for its assembly have reached Sriharikota,” Somanath confirmed.
NATO confirmed on Monday that allied air forces took part in the largest military air exercises in the history of the military alliance in Germany on 12 June. Air Defender 23 is a two-week exercise involving almost 10,000 soldiers and 250 aircraft from 25 countries. According to NATO, training operations will primarily take place over the North Sea, the Baltic Sea, and Southern Germany, but will not specifically target Russian territory. “Air Defender sends a clear message that NATO is ready to defend every inch of Allied territory,” remarked NATO spokesperson Oana Lungescu.
India aspires to expand its cooperation with Russia within the framework of their Special Privileged Strategic Partnership, said Indian External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Monday while congratulating his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on Russia Day. “Warm greetings to FM Sergey Lavrov and the Government and people of the Russian Federation on their National Day,” Jaishankar wrote on Twitter. “Look forward to our continued cooperation under our Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership,” the EAM emphasised.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Monday that “diplomatic efforts” by the Biden administration have successfully “slowed down” China’s surveillance efforts in Cuba, which were part of its global efforts to expand its overseas presence.
The US has voiced its concerns to the Cuban government about a possible Chinese surveillance facility on the island country, White House spokesperson John Kirby said on Monday. He added that while Washington’s relationship with Beijing was tense, President Joe Biden was committed to keeping the lines of communication open.
India and the Maldives started the 12th edition of the joint military exercise “Ex Ekuverin” at Chaubatia, Uttarakhand. The exercise between the Indian Army and the Maldives National Defence Force will last for fourteen days, from 11 to 24 June 2023, and will enhance coordination and cooperation between both forces at the tactical level.
On Monday, Egyptian Supply Minister Ali Moselhy officials said that India and Egypt were discussing the possibility of using local currencies in import payments. Moselhy also rejected claims of India opening a credit line for Egypt and noted that currency alternatives in trade were also being considered for Russia and China.
The US has decided to rejoin the UN Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) almost six years after ex-President Donald Trump withdrew from the agency, Axios reported on Sunday. Washington left the organisation in 2018, citing UNESCO’s “anti-Israel bias” and its need to reform.