1. PM Modi in US: India & US are walking shoulder-to-shoulder in every field, says Modi in Oval Office
2. Manipur violence: Unprecedented firing continues, IED blast in Kwatka; 2 dead, 4 injured
3. Patna preps for Oppn meet: Bihar Congress awaits ‘jan nayak’ Rahul, BJP posters decry ‘thugs’
4. Fight against inflation not over, job only half done: RBI Governor
5. With China in mind, Biden and Modi to seal deals from space to chips, 5G to critical minerals

What Else

6. Two held over involvement in CoWIN data ‘leak’ case
7. Two J-K doctors dismissed for fabricating evidence in 2009 ‘Shopian rape-murder’ case
8. China’s Li Qiang warns of ‘de-risking’ risks as EU momentum builds for economic security strategy
9. Intelligence service warns China is recruiting Canadians on LinkedIn to spy for Beijing unwittingly
10. Pakistan won’t be pushed to choose between China, US: Khar
11. Global lenders would spend billions on war but only offer loans to flood-ravaged Pakistan: PM Shehbaz at Paris summit

In Media: How World Media Saw Modi’s Visit.

1. AP– Biden promotes human rights as Modi says ‘absolutely no space for discrimination’ during state visit (here)
2. US News– Biden Says Will Talk Human Rights, Rule of Law With Modi – (here)
3. Reuters -Biden says will talk human rights, rule of law with Modi (here)
4. NYT-Modi Brushes Aside Reporters’ Questions on Rights During US Visit- (here)
5. SCMP– With China in mind, Biden and Modi to seal deals from space to chips and 5G- (here)
6. Telegraph -Honoured to welcome you back at White House, US President Joe Biden tells PM Modi (here)
7. WaPo -Modi visits the White House for state visit full of pomp and policy- (here)

6. CNN-Biden makes trade-offs and Modi steps out of his comfort zone during elaborate state visit at White House (here)
7. BBC-Why the US is rolling out the red carpet for Modi (in India News-here)

PM Modi in US: India & US are walking shoulder-to-shoulder in every field, says Modi in Oval Office

• PM Modi-Biden hold bilateral talks at White House: PM Modi kicked off the 3^rd day of his state visit to the US, a day after a historic yoga session at the UN New York and attending a private dinner with President Biden and first lady Jill Biden at the WH
• Before that, PM Modi and Joe Biden are holding bilateral meetings at the White House.
• No space for discrimination in India, PM Modi says: “I am surprised you say, people say…India is a democracy. As President Biden said it is in the DNA of both our countries”
• “If there are no human rights, then there is no democracy“- PM Modi on the measures the Govt is willing to take to improve the rights of minorities in the country.
• Biden says will talk human rights, rule of law with Modi (Reuters) – President Biden said he will discuss the issue of human rights with PM Modi on Thu, after activists and his Democratic Party’s progressive lawmakers urged him to raise the issue publicly.
• “..worthy of both our peoples, one grounded on democracy, human rights, freedom and rule of law,” Biden said at the WH, seated next to Modi. (here)
• PM Modi at US Congress: ‘Momentous developments’ in another Al – America and India – PM Modi said it was a “great honor” to as he addressed a joint meeting of the US Congress on Thu, during a historic State visit to America.
• While beginning his address, PM Modi remembered Senator Harry Reid, Senator John, McCain, Senator Orrin Hatch, Representative Elijah Cummings, Representative Alcee Hastings, and others, who he met in 2016, but sadly they are no longer with us.
• PM Modi said, “Standing here, seven Junes ago, that’s the June when Hamilton swept all the awards, I said that the hesitations of history were behind us. Now, when our era is at a crossroads, I am here to speak about our calling for this century. (here)
• 15 standing ovations, 79 applauses marked Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address to the joint session of the US Congress.
• ‘Protection of Muslim minorities in majority Hindu India worth mentioning’: Obama to Biden ahead of talks with Modi: President Biden should raise the “protection of Muslim minorities in a majority Hindu India” during his meeting with PM Modi, former US president Obama said.
• In an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour on Thu, Obama was asked how should the POTUS engage with leaders such as Chinese President Xi Jinping and PM Modi, who is considered an “autocratic… illiberal democrat”. (here)
• Calls have escalated in recent days for Biden to publicly call out what activists say is India’s deteriorating human rights record. (here)
• PM Modi’s schedule for day 3 includes addressing a joint session of the US Congress and later attending the state dinner at the White House. (here)
• President Biden said the relationship between the USA and India is one of the most defining relationships in the 21^st century. (here)
• HAL, General Electric sign MoU to manufacture jet engine, mark new era for India-US defense ties: American firm GE Thu announced the signing of an MoU with India’s state-run HAL to jointly produce fighter jet engines for the IAF with a “significant amount of ToT and work being done indigenously”.
• ThePrint- “New era of the India-US partnership”
• An actual deal will be signed once both sides thrash out the nitty gritty and the deal goes through the US Congress, the permission of which will be required.
• The clearance from the US Congress is a 30-day process. (here)
• US semiconductor giant Micron to invest $825 mn for assembly, test facility in Gujarat: Micron Technology on Thu announced plans to invest $825 mn in India to build a new semiconductor assembly and test facility in Gujarat.
• The announcement followed a meeting between PM Modi and Micro Technology CEO Sanjay Mehrotra on Wed.
• MT, which is listed on NASDAQ, is one of the world’s largest semiconductor companies
• The company said its new facility would enable assembly and test manufacturing for both DRAM and NAND – types of memory or components that store electronic data, and products and address demand from domestic and international markets. (here)
• US to open consulates in Bangalore, Ahmedabad which we welcome says PM Modi; India to open consulate Seattle.
• President Biden has extended support for the African Union to become a full member of G20, announces PM Modi. The PM had written to all G20 member countries for it.

Manipur violence: Unprecedented firing continues, IED blast in Kwatka; 2 dead, 4 injured

• At approx 7.15 p.m., an IED blast occurred south of Kwakta on the Bridge near Ward No. 9 in a vehicle, most likely a Mahindra Scorpio.
• In Kwatka, Bishnupur district, 2 people were killed and 4 were injured, though official confirmation on the number of casualties is yet awaited. According to sources, a Scorpio was parked over a culvert, and a few bystanders saw the driver exit the vehicle. (here)

• Any effort for peace must take place in Manipur: Congress on all-party meet called by Shah– The Congress on Thu termed the all-party meeting convened by Shah on the Manipur situation as “too little, too late”.
• Added that efforts to bring warring factions to the discussion table will lack seriousness if they are done sitting in Delhi. (here)
• The BJP slammed the Congress over its remark on Shah convening an all-party meeting to discuss the Manipur situation, alleging that the opposition party is creating grounds to boycott the meeting to avoid its “accountability” and to keep the pot boiling.
• The violence is a “legacy” of the Congress as the seeds of ethnic conflict were sown when the grand-old party was in power, both in the Centre and the state. (here)
• The ongoing, nearly-50-day, internet shutdown in Manipur, is contrary to an SC ruling that prohibits indefinite suspension of internet services, the Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) said Thu.
• The Manipur High Court in an interim order Tue, granted limited Internet access to the public in certain designated areas in the state, in response to a petition seeking the restoration of Internet access.
• The order was passed to help people carry out “essential and urgent services”. (here)

Patna preps for Oppn meet: Bihar Congress awaits ‘jan nayak’ Rahul, BJP posters decry ‘thugs’

• Usually open until the late hours, the Patna hq of the Janata Dal (U) was unusually quiet around 1 pm Thu — a day before the Opposition meet that party leader and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar will chair — with only a handful of men loitering on the premises.

• The office of the RJD, located across the road, was still welcoming visitors — primarily party workers from various parts of Bihar and reporters working with local media.
• Meanwhile, across Patna, a poster war has erupted over the grand showcase of Opposition unity ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
• There are hoardings announcing the Opposition meeting, peppered with photos of the participating leaders — from Nitish, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee (TMC) and their Tamil Nadu counterpart M.K. Stalin (DMK), to Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal (AAP) and CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury.
• ‘Seat-sharing not a big issue’: Speaking to ThePrint, Bihar Congress chief said the party had, “even before the Patna meeting… held several meetings with various Opposition parties on how to rid the country of BJP and RSS”.
• Mamata meets Lalu, Jayant Chaudhury to skip meet
• Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and his Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann also landed Thu. (here)

Fight against inflation not over, job only half done: RBI Governor

• RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das on Thu said bringing back inflation levels in India to the comfortable range is like a job half finished, and the will have to be in a way where inflation figures are aligned around 4.0% on a durable basis.
• Retail inflation currently in India is a notch above the ideal 4% target.
• RBI unanimously keep the repo rate unchanged at 6.5% for the 2^nd straight time.
• India’s retail inflation has come down to 4.25% in May, hitting a 2-year low.
• The RBI lowered India’s inflation projection for 2023-24 to 5.1% against its Apr estimate of 5.2%. (here)

Two held over involvement in CoWIN data ‘leak’ case

• A man from Bihar was arrested and his juvenile brother was apprehended in link with the alleged data leak from the CoWIN portal, officials said on Thu.
• The man is alleged to have used Telegram to leak the information.
• The accused was nabbed from his residence in Patna with the help of technical surveillance.
• He said the accused managed to steal the data of a few individuals from Bihar after logging into his mother’s account (health worker) in the CoWin portal.
• The accused hacked the system, created a bot, and shared it on social media. (here)

Two J-K doctors dismissed for fabricating evidence in 2009 ‘Shopian rape-murder’ case

• 14 years after a CBI probe unearthed the conspiracy behind the 2009 “Shopian rape-murder” case, the J&K admin on Thu terminated the 2 doctors for allegedly “actively working” with Pakistan-based groups and fabricating evidence.
• 2 women, Asiya Jan and Neelofar, were found dead in a stream in Shopian on May 30, 2009, leading to allegations that they were raped and murdered by security personnel.
• Four policemen were arrested in connection with the case.
• It also led to the unceremonious exit of top police brass including the then-special DGP Ashok Bhan and the then IG (K) B Srinivasan. (here)

[NEIGHBORHOOD]

With China in mind, Biden and Modi to seal deals from space to chips, 5G to critical minerals

• President Biden and PM Modi on Thu will announce a slew of cooperation agreements spanning from space to semiconductors, critical minerals to core technologies, telecom, and defense.
• Known for avoiding impromptu media interactions, Modi [will] hold a joint press briefing with Biden to share the outcomes of the meeting.
• The developments come against the backdrop of fierce competition between Beijing and Washington for supremacy in advanced semiconductor technology.
• Last month, Micron was blocked from key infrastructure projects by Beijing in apparent retaliation to Biden’s ban on the export of cutting-edge semiconductor tech to China.
• But diversification of semiconductor supply chains is not the only area of concern for the Biden administration as it is also looking to reduce reliance on China for critical minerals used in batteries that power electric vehicles. (here)
• Biden Plays Down Dictator Remark After China Rebukes U.S. Ambassador: The Chinese Foreign Ministry termed the president’s characterization of Xi as “absurd” and lodged an official diplomatic complaint.

China’s Li Qiang warns of ‘de-risking’ risks as EU momentum builds for economic security strategy

• Li Qiang has urged business leaders in France and Germany to insist on technical cooperation and free trade as pressure mounts in Brussels to “de-risk” from China.
• As Li wrapped up his 1^st overseas visit to Germany as premier on Wed, he traveled to Paris and sought “a fair, transparent, and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese companies” in France, state media Xinhua reported on Thu.
• There was a great potential for both sides to cooperate in areas like hi-tech manufacturing, modern services, green transition and economic digitalization, he said.
• Li made similar appeals to business leaders during a round table meeting in Berlin on Tue, which was attended by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
• “We hope Germany can continue preserving an open market and create a fair, transparent and non-discriminatory,” he said, adding that Berlin should create a stable environment and let business “judge and manage risks” according to the market. (here)

Intelligence service warns China is recruiting Canadians on LinkedIn to spy for Beijing unwittingly

• “High-value” Canadians are being unwittingly recruited online by Chinese intelligence officers to spy for Beijing, Canada’s national spy agency (CSIS) said in a rare warning issued on social media.
• The latest allegations by the CSIS come as the country continues to grapple with numerous reports of Chinese interference in its domestic affairs – claims that Beijing has repeatedly and forcefully denied.
• China’s foreign affairs ministry has not responded to an inquiry by the SCMP.
• CSIS put a thread on Twitter on Tue, detailing how Chinese spy officers were targeting Canadians both domestically and abroad to gain access to “confidential, privileged” info
• Through a network of Chinese intelligence “proxies” posing as human resource workers or job recruiters, Canadians are first approached on LinkedIn, before the conversation moves to platforms such as WeChat or WhatsApp, CSIS said. (here)

Pakistan won’t be pushed to choose between China, US: Khar

• Pakistan has enough problems of its own and does not want the added headache of a new Cold War between China and the US, says Dy FM Hina Rabbani Khar.
• In an interview with Politico this week, Ms Khar insisted that Islamabad had no appetite to pick a side in the growing global rivalry between Washington and Beijing.
• The interview was recorded before US President Joe Biden called his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping a “dictator” at a political event in California on Tue.
• “Political analysts” in Washington warn that Mr Biden’s remarks, and Beijing’s response, would make it more difficult for countries like Pakistan.
• Politico -While Pakistan’s old Cold War partner Washington is increasingly turning its focus to cooperation with Islamabad’s arch-foe India, China has swooped in to extend its sway in Pakistan — particularly through giant infrastructure projects.
• Khar said on a visit to Brussels. “We are very concerned about this decoupling … Anything that splits the world further.” P
• Ms Khar grabbed headlines in April when a leaked memo appeared in The WSJ in which she was cited as a warning that Pakistan’s instinct to preserve its partnership with the US would harm what she deemed the country’s “real strategic” partnership with China. (here)

Global lenders would spend billions on war but only offer loans to flood-ravaged Pakistan: PM Shehbaz at Paris summit

• PM Shehbaz Sharif decried on Thu the response of international institutions to Pakistan’s appeals for funds following floods in 2022, saying that it was offered loans whereas billions were being spent on the defense of “a country or countries”.
• The premier made these remarks at the 2-day New Global Financing Pact Summit in Paris where he stressed the need for a fair and equitable formula.
• He is among several global leaders gathered in Paris for the summit to tease out a new consensus on international economic reforms to help debt-burdened developing countries face a growing onslaught of challenges, particularly climate change.
• PM Shehbaz began his speech by recalling the devastation caused by floods in Pakistan last year, “as a result of climate change”.
• “And when we approached international institutions, they said, ‘Well, we can give you loans.’” (here)
• Ishaq Dar loses his cool with reporter over a question on IMF program-Fin Min Ishaq Dar lost his cool with a reporter at the Parliament on Thu after being questioned about the completion of the stalled IMF program. (here)