Vladimir Putin with PM Modi

New Delhi: Russian President Vladimir Putin He said sanctions threats against India would be “immediately counterproductive”, reaffirming that New Delhi has always been “guided by its national interests”.Putin said India was free to choose the products that “they consider to be the most modern, best suited for them and clearly offer the best price-quality ratio”. “India always acts as a sovereign country and under the leadership of Prime Minister ModiAny potential threat of sanctions would be immediately reversed. We have been in close dialogue with Prime Minister Modi for a long time… All sanctions have been lifted and relations between the United States and India are developing successfully, as I understand… Indians are free to choose the products they consider to be the most modern, best suited to them and obviously offering the best price-quality ratio. Russian President Vladimir Putin said India is always guided by its national interests.The Russian President said the Kremlin’s cooperation with India is “not subject to the political environment” and Moscow will “live up to the commitments it makes to our partners, especially partners like India”.He further said, “Like all our other partners, our cooperation with India is not subject to the political environment. We cannot be directed not to give it to India. No one can direct us and no one will even try to do so… We will always live up to the commitments given to our partners, especially partners like India.”Putin on Friday said “BRICS has overtaken the G7” in terms of economic size, while also praising India as a “key partner” for its leading role in the IT and software industry.Speaking at the annual St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Putin said developing countries are playing an increasingly important role in the global economy, while the share of Western economies is declining.“If you look at the global GDP dynamics of the last five years, you will see that almost half of its annual growth, 49%, is contributed by the BRICS countries, while the contribution of the so-called Group of Seven is estimated at 18%…,” Putin Said.“The share of BRICS and world GDP based on purchasing power parity is 40%, while the share of G7 is less than 29%,” he said.He said, “So BRICS has already overtaken G7 and it happened in 2020 also, but this gap is increasing. This gap is expected to increase in favor of BRICS…”He also projected stronger growth for the BRICS economies compared to advanced countries. “The G7 is going to grow at a maximum of 1.1% per year, while the BRICS countries are going to grow at more than 4%,” he said. He said this trend is expected to continue.Putin praised India’s role in the digital economy, saying, “India, one of our key partners, is one of the leading players in the IT industry.”“It has a significant share of the global software market,” he said.

CJI Surya Kant (Source: ANI)

New Delhi: CJI Surya Kant on Friday said that although Artificial Intelligence tools are reshaping the exercise of sovereign and judicial powers, the international community must quickly put in place a legal framework to deal with the worrying aspect of AI-driven activities, which if carried out by one country can lead to significant regional consequences for another.Delivering a public lecture at the University of London, CJI Kant said AI is an operational reality that is reshaping governance, commerce, warfare, communications, public administration and increasingly the exercise of judicial and sovereign power.Outlining the limits of jurisdiction to regulate AI-driven activities, the CJI said international law must increasingly strive to confront such forms of AI-molded powers “that are no longer neatly contained within geography, yet continue to generate deep regional consequences for individuals and societies”.He said, “If jurisdiction determines where power operates, liability determines who must answer for its consequences. Artificial Intelligence destabilizes both simultaneously.”However, AI systems often operate through distributed chains involving developers, data suppliers, employers, cloud infrastructure providers, private corporations and sovereign actors spanning multiple jurisdictions, thus creating an accountability void, he said.The CJI asked – “When an autonomous system causes harm, who bears the responsibility? Is the liability attributable to the developer who designed the architecture? The entity that deployed the system? The sovereign government that authorized its use? Or the entity that supplied the underlying data on which the algorithm was trained?”He said the importance of this issue increases in the context of military application of autonomous weapons systems and AI, which complicates the intent and decision-making process as the current legal system focuses on imposing it on those who implement it and those who make the decisions.Even developers of AI-based tools are unable to explain why their machines did certain things on certain occasions, making the task of determining accountability and providing remedies through a legal framework difficult, he said.CJI Kant said, “The challenge before the international community is not just to regulate technological capability, but to preserve legal responsibility in an environment where decision making is increasingly mediated through algorithmic systems. If responsibility becomes too fragmented to recognize, accountability itself risks becoming illusory.“And this threat extends beyond war. Financial markets, health care systems, transportation networks, and critical public infrastructure are increasingly dependent on automated systems capable of producing results at scale. The greater the autonomy of technological systems, the greater the need for strong legal frameworks capable of ensuring meaningful human oversight,” he said.Warning that AI could be as biased as humans, the CJI said, “AI systems can systematically produce discriminatory results while maintaining the appearance of mathematical objectivity… The result is a kind of ambiguity that may prove deeply corrosive to democratic accountability.”

New Delhi: India reprimanded early Saturday Pakistan But united nations The General Assembly (UNGA) accused and reiterated the misuse of UN forums to pursue its political agenda. Jammu and Kashmir “Was, is and will always be” an integral part of India.Speaking during the General Assembly plenary on the annual report of the UN Security Council, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Parvataneni Harish said Pakistan has once again raised issues which are entirely India’s internal matters.The Indian envoy said, “Pakistan’s inappropriate reference to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, an internal matter of India, has compelled me to respond.”Responding to Pakistan’s Permanent Representative Asim Iftikhar Ahmed’s reference to the Union Territory, India further alleged that Pakistan has misused its position as a member of the UN Security Council by spreading “misinformation and misleading communications”.The envoy said, “Pakistan has decided not to desist from this typical abuse of prestigious UN forums for its own divisive political interests. I want to remind Pakistan that being a member of the UN Security Council is a huge responsibility. It is not a platform to spread biased and false narratives.”‘Jammu and Kashmir will remain an integral part of India’, the envoy reiteratedClarifying India’s position on Kashmir, the diplomat said, “Jammu and Kashmir was, is and will always be an integral and inalienable part of India. Any claim to the contrary is baseless, devoid of historical facts and inconsistent.”“Pakistan’s empty rhetoric and empty claims will not change this basic reality,” he said.The remarks came during a wide-ranging discussion on the Security Council’s annual report.India also called for the submission of the report early in the year and urged reforms to make the Security Council more representative of contemporary geopolitical realities.The Indian envoy advocated expansion of both permanent and non-permanent categories of council membership, saying, “Maintaining the status quo has not enabled the effective functioning of the Security Council so far and will not do so in the future.”The remarks were made when India participated in the session of the UN General Assembly on the Annual Report of the Security Council, where it congratulated Austria, Kyrgyzstan, Portugal, Trinidad and Tobago and Zimbabwe on their election to the Security Council for the term 2027-28.India criticizes election plans in Gilgit-Baltistan of PoKThe Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday lodged a “strong protest” over Pakistan’s plan to hold general elections in the Gilgit-Baltistan assembly of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.“The Government of India registers a strong protest with Pakistan regarding Pakistan’s plan to hold “general elections” for the so-called ‘Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly’ in the Indian territories illegally and forcibly occupied by Pakistan on 7 June 2026.”It reiterated its stance on Jammu and Kashmir and the Ladakh region, calling it an “integral and inalienable part of India as a result of the complete, legal and irrevocable merger of Jammu and Kashmir into India in 1947”, which also included the Gilgit-Baltistan assembly of PoK.It said, “The Government of India categorically rejects any attempt by Pakistan to bring about material transformation in the areas illegally occupied by Pakistan and underlines that such actions cannot hide the fact that Pakistan is illegally occupying Indian territories, which it must vacate.”

PATNA: Tutor Faisal KhanThe actor, popularly known as Khan Sir, may face arrest after Patna Police registered an FIR in connection with the firing incident at his coaching center in Kadamkuan area.An FIR was lodged at Kadamkuan police station under attempt to murder and Arms Act provisions. The police action followed statements by Khan sir’s bodyguards, who reportedly told investigators that he had instructed them, “You open fire, I will handle the rest.” Based on these statements, the police booked them under section 109 of the Indian Justice Code (BNS).The case pertains to the clash that took place at the coaching center on June 2, during which videos had emerged showing bodyguards opening fire. The police have already arrested both the guards and sent them to jail. Khan sir was also interrogated during the investigation.Patna SSP Karthikeya K Sharma said, “Further legal action is being initiated in the case. At present the investigation is going on. We will take the next step after proper inquiry and investigation.”After the FIR, hundreds of students gathered outside Khan Global Studies in support of Khan sir and raised slogans in his favor. Additional policemen were deployed at the scene and students were later asked to leave the campus.Khan sir has said that the firing was an act of self-defense. “There was a scuffle going on. I knew it would take time for the police to reach. The police could not reach the spot. So the guard fired in self-defence,” he said.Questioning the criticism of the guards, he said, “Why do we keep guards? So that they can protect people when needed. Did the guards fire at anyone?”In a video shown to the students, Khan sir showed CCTV footage of the incident and alleged that a person seen taking away the coaching center guard has not been arrested yet. He claimed that attention was being diverted from the main issue.Holding a book in his hand during his address, he said, “I swear by knowledge, there was firing that day.” He also claimed that the closure of Khan Global Studies will lead to a huge increase in coaching fees. “My aim is not to make money,” he told the students.Police said the investigation is ongoing and further action will depend on the evidence collected during the investigation.

Kolkata: Trinamool Congress Speculations of an impending split in the party’s parliamentary party got a jolt on Friday when several of the party’s 28 Lok Sabha MPs gathered in Delhi, shocking the party chief. Mamata Banerjee To clip his nephew and national general secretary Abhishek BanerjeeWings in a last-ditch effort to prevent a repeat of what the 58-strong rebel group did in the assembly. He also brought about radical changes in the party organization from top to bottom.A two-thirds division would require at least 19 MPs to defeat the anti-defection law. Sources said some MPs still present in Bengal are likely to reach the national capital next week.Mamata will reach Delhi on June 8 along with Abhishek and Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brien to attend the India Block meeting.At a National Working Committee (NWC) meeting at her Kalighat residence, Mamata appointed O’Brien and RS MP Dola Sen as joint national secretaries, which translated into a direct weakening of Abhishek’s authority. The Diamond Harbor MP’s clout and style of functioning are considered the primary cause of the rebellion within the party, with the rebel faction alleging that he rarely interacts with party workers and works in syndicate-run silos.Among the dissident MPs, Jagdish Chandra Basunia (Cooch Behar) is already in Delhi, possibly to take care of an ailing relative. Sources said the two actor-MPs are likely to reach the capital next week. Barasat MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, who continued her attack against the party high command on Friday, denied any role in planning the parliamentary split. “I protest against allegations that I am trying to create a rift within the parliamentary party and trying to influence other MPs. I am in Kolkata and have not gone to Delhi.Four Lok Sabha MPs – Abhishek, Sudip Bandyopadhyay, Kalyan Banerjee and Mala Roy attended the meeting. Krishnanagar MP Mahua Mo-Itra and Dumdum MP Saugata Roy were not present, but like Bardhaman-Durgapur MP Kirti Azad, they have expressed their support behind Mamata.Saugata said, “Operation Lotus is BJP’s politics. They try to break parties using money power and intimidation. They have done this in Maharashtra and Bihar. We have to face it. Initially, it will be very disappointing, but if one can hold on, we can withstand the immediate impact.”Murshidabad MP Abu Tahir Khan said, “No matter who is in control, I will follow the party line and do what the party asks me to do.”The remaining MPs of the party did not reveal their stand.Expelled first-time MLA Ritabrata Banerjee, who led the split in the party’s legislature party and has since been named leader of the opposition in the assembly, said he has not spoken to any MP in the last seven days and cannot say what they will do. “No one can say what will happen tomorrow. Be patient,” ANI quoted him as saying.

The movement on World Environment Day said the tree-based farming model promoted by Save Soil-Cauvery Calling has increased farm income in the Cauvery basin from about Rs 30,000 to Rs 2.5-3 lakh per acre.“Tree-based agriculture is an economic solution to an ecological problem,” said Anand Ethirajalu, project director of Save Soil-Kaveri Calling. He urged the government to accelerate farmer-friendly policies and incentives. The movement is recognized by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification and the United Nations Environment Programme.A major beneficiary, farmer Valluvan of Pollachi, transformed a loss-making coconut monoculture into a diverse food forest in 2009. He now grows 13 species including nutmeg, several varieties of banana, fruit trees, betel nut, curry leaves, turmeric and elephant yam. Valluvan says his earnings increased from about Rs 30,000 per acre to Rs 2.5-3 lakh per acre annually. The organic carbon in the soil of his farm increased from about 0.52% to 3.36%, while coconut yields increased from about 100 nuts per tree to about 160, and average nut weight increased from about 400 grams to 550 grams.Valluvan’s regenerative practices, mulching, cover-cropping and rainwater harvesting helped his farm survive the 2017 drought and reduce erosion during heavy rains. Their restoration work is documented in the UNCCD-WOCAT global database and certified by the Tamil Nadu Organic Certification Department. He now trains other farmers on this model.Save Soil-Kaveri Calling aims to plant 242 crore trees in the fields of Cauvery Basin. To date it has supported 2.6 lakh farmers and enabled the planting of 13.4 crore trees. The movement runs Asia’s largest single-site nursery in Cuddalore, managed by over 200 women, with a production capacity of 85 lakh plants; A second nursery in Tiruvannamalai produces 15 lakh saplings.The nurseries supply saplings through 45 distribution centers in Tamil Nadu and eight in Karnataka. Farmers can choose from 54 varieties, which include 29 wood species like teak, red sandalwood, rosewood and mahogany. A subsidy of Rs 5 is given on timber saplings and Rs 10 on fruit and flower saplings, said operations head Tamizhamaran.The movement says more than 200 regional officials will visit more than 26,500 farms in 2025 to provide free consultations before and after planting covering soil type, depth, water conditions and species recommendations. It also runs 225 WhatsApp groups that provide real-time assistance to over 60,000 farmers and a daily helpline from 9 am to 9 pm.In 2025, three mega training programs reached over 14,000 farmers with experts from institutions including IISR, IIHR, KFRI, ICFRE, TNAU and Central Ground Water Board. Save Soil-Kaveri Calling is part of the broader Save Soil movement, along with Save Soil Regenerative Revolution (SS-RR) and Save Soil Farmers Movement, which focus on regenerative farming training and organizing farmer producer organizations, respectively.As of March 31, 2026, SS-RR reported 532 training programs reaching 40,311 farmers, 54,982 farmers added to WhatsApp advisory groups, 185 farmers completed three-month internships, and created a digital library of 1,260 technical videos with 296 million views and 1.18 million subscribers.