Representatives of the Gujarati Jain business community held a protest outside the German Consulate in Mumbai seeking the unconditional repatriation of baby Ariha to India and also said they would boycott buying German cars. It may be recalled that Ariha has been in German foster care for the last 28 months even as her biological parents and the Indian government are making continuous efforts to get her back to India.

Recently, a German district court had denied Ariha’s parents the custody of the child as well as visitation rights. They said that the parents were no longer authorised to know about the whearabouts of the child as she would remain in German foster care. The child was taken away by Jugendamt (German Youth Service) as she had suffered injuries and the parents were suspected of abuse. These charges were dropped but the custody of the child remains with the German authorities.

Ariha’s parents (Bhavesh and Dhara Shah) in India. Ariha’s parents are living in Germany at present.

The Gujarati Jain community has been constantly seeking the return of the child and say they would stop only when she is either united with her biological parents or repatriated to India where she can live with a family that will bring her up based on her culture and roots.

In an attempt to end the controversy regarding the deletion of Charles Darwin's theory of evolution from NCERT textbooks, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has  said, "nothing of this sort has happened."

He said after the controversy broke out, he spoke to the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), an autonomous body, which develops syllabi and prepares textbooks, and sought details.

The minister agreed that critics who claimed that the students who would not study science after Class 10 would miss out on some specific subjects related to Darwin's theory of evolution, which is a valid point.

A furore erupted after it appeared that NCERT had removed Darwin’s theory and periodic table from the Class 10 textbook.  The removal of the theory of evolution led to controversy as thousands of scientists, science teachers, and educators wrote an open letter raising concerns about the chapter on "Theory of Biological Evolution" being dropped from the NCERT textbook.

US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden on  Jun 21 hosted Prime Minister Narendra Modi for an intimate dinner at the White House.

Modi was received by the president and the first lady, and before entering the building, they posed for photos and were seen chatting.

According to the White House, this evening, the president, the first lady and the prime minister also enjoyed a musical tribute to the regions of India. The dinner featured the president's favourite foods, including pasta and ice cream, it said.

At the intimate dinner, the trio enjoyed a musical tribute to the regions of India, performed by youth dancers from Studio Dhoom, a DMV-based Indian dance studio that helps connect a new generation to the vibrant culture of Indian dance, according to the White House.

They were joined by US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval, the White House said. Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra and Deputy Chief of Protocol Aseem Vohra were seen entering the White House.

Earlier in the day, Jill Biden hosted Modi at the National Science Foundation (NSF), where they participated in an event to highlight shared priorities of India and the US around education and workforce.

On Jun 22 , President Joe Biden and the First Lady will host a State Dinner at the South Lawn of the White House, which is expected to be attended by 400 guests. Prime Minister Modi's visit also includes an address by him to the joint session of the US Congress.

The White House also said that as the official gift, the president and first lady will present Prime Minister Modi with a handmade, antique American book galley from the early 20th Century.

They will also gift Modi a vintage American camera, accompanied by an archival facsimile print of George Eastman's Patent of the first Kodak camera, and a hardcover book of American wildlife photography, it said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented a special sandalwood box to US President Joe Biden that has been handcrafted by a master craftsman from Jaipur, Rajasthan. The sandalwood sourced from Mysore, Karnataka has intricately carved flora and fauna patterns.

The box contains the idol of Ganesha, a Hindu deity considered the destroyer of obstacles and the one who is worshipped first among all gods. The idol has been handcrafted by a family of fifth-generation silversmiths from Kolkata. The box also contains A diya (oil lamp) that occupies a sacred space in every Hindu household. This silver diya has also been handcrafted by artisans from the family of fifth-generation silversmiths in Kolkata.

The box gifted by PM Modi to US President Joe Biden contains ten donations - a delicately handcrafted silver coconut by the skilled artisans of West Bengal is offered in place of a Cow for Gaudaan (donation of cow). A fragrant piece of sandalwood sourced from Mysore, Karnataka is offered in place of land for Bhudaan (donation of land) Til or white sesame seeds sourced from Tamil Nadu, offered for Tildaan (donation of sesame seeds). Handcrafted in Rajasthan, this 24K pure and hallmarked gold coin is offered as Hiranyadaan (donation of gold).

PM Modi also gifted POTUS a copy of the first edition print of the book, ‘The Ten Principal Upanishads’ published by Faber and Faber Ltd of London and printed at the University Press Glasgow to President Joe Biden In 1937, WB Yeats published an English translation of the Indian Upanishads, co-authored with Shri Purohit Swami. The translation and collaboration between the two authors occurred throughout the 1930s and it was one of the final works of Yeats.

Meanwhile, the prime minister gifted a 7.5-carat lab-grown green diamond to US First Lady Dr Jill Biden. The diamond reflects earth-mined diamonds’ chemical and optical properties. It is also eco-friendly, as eco-diversified resources like solar and wind power were used in its making.

Papier mâché - It is the box in which the Green Diamond is placed. Known as kar-e-kalamdani, Kashmir’s exquisite Papier mâché involves sakthsazior meticulous preparation of paper pulp and naqqashi, where skilled artisans paint elaborate designs. It (Green Diamond) is a beacon of responsible luxury that symbolises India’s 75 years of freedom and sustainable International relations.

Modi arrived in Washington from New York where he led a historic event at the UN Headquarters earlier in the day to commemorate the 9th International Day of Yoga, attended by UN officials, diplomats and prominent personalities.

He is visiting the US from June 21-24 at the invitation of President Joe Biden and the First Lady.

The former driver of Chilean Nobel laureate Pablo Neruda -- who sparked claims the poet's 1973 death was due to poisoning -- died, the Communist Party of Chile announced.

Manuel Araya died in the city of San Antonio aged 77, it said.

Neruda was a celebrated poet, politician, diplomat, and bohemian figure, and also a prominent member of Chile's communist party when former military dictator Augusto Pinochet took power in a 1973 coup.

He had been preparing to flee into exile in Mexico to lead the resistance against the Pinochet regime when he died in hospital just 12 days after the coup.

The government claimed the 69-year-old had died of prostate cancer.

An investigation into the cause of Neruda's death began in 2011 when Araya -- his driver and personal assistant -- asserted that the poet was given a mysterious injection in his chest just before he died.

In 2017 a group of Chilean and international experts concluded that Neruda did not die of cancer but said they could not determine what did kill him.

Pinochet, who ruled Chile for 17 years, oversaw a regime that killed some 3,200 leftist activists and other suspected opponents.

The dictator died in 2006 aged 91 without ever being convicted for crimes committed by his regime.

Commercial vehicle maker Ashok Leyland said it has partnered with IDBI Bank Ltd for channel financing partnership of its dealers.

The company has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with IDBI Bank, under which the partners will offer customised financial solutions for dealers, Ashok Leyland said in a statement.

IDBI Bank Deputy Managing Director Suresh Khatanhar said its digital channel finance tool 'e-Supply Chain Financing' has been designed to meet the working capital requirements of authorised dealers and traders of the corporate

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has invited American chip maker Micron Technology to boost semiconductor manufacturing in India as the country provides competitive advantages in various parts of the product's supply chain.

He also invited Applied Materials to India for the development of process technology and advanced packaging capabilities.

Modi in his meeting with President and CEO of Applied Materials Gary E Dickerson discussed the potential of the company's collaboration with academic institutions in India to create a skilled workforce.

Micron Technology CEO Sanjay Mehrotra after meeting Modi said, "We look forward to greater opportunities in India. Micron is a global leader in memory and storage, and we are a supplier for memory and storage in all end markets from data centres, to smartphones to PCs, and today really fuelling the AI engine as well."

During his meeting with CEO of General Electric H Lawrence Culp, Modi invited the company to play a greater role in the aviation and renewable energy sector in India.

India is promoting semiconductor development and it has announced a production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for that. Global companies are exploring India as a viable investment destination for semiconductors. The country is positioning itself as among the most attractive destinations in Asia for electronics and semiconductors.

The Indian semiconductor market was valued at USD 27. 2 billion in 2021 and is expected to grow at a healthy CAGR of nearly 19 per cent to reach USD 64 billion in 2026. But none of these chips are manufactured in India so far.

Setting up semiconductor units, also known as fabs, is a highly specialised, complex and expensive task. Fabs call for complex technology, are high risk and require long gestation and payback periods.

Akasa is on track to finalise another significant three-digit aircraft order by the end of the calendar year. Of the 76 planes ordered so far by Akasa, 23 are Boeing 737-8s and 53 are high-capacity 737-8-200 aircraft.

The airline, which started flying in August 2022, has so far received 19 aircraft and the 20th plane is likely to join its fleet next month. After this, the low-cost carrier will work towards starting international operations by the end of 2023.

“Akasa Air set a benchmark in the 120-year history of global aviation by becoming the first airline to reach a fleet size of 19 aircraft in less than a year of operations,” said Vinay Dube, Founder and CEO, Akasa Air.

In addition to supporting our rapid domestic expansion, these airplanes allow us to take full advantage of the category-leading 737-8 aircraft with its unparalleled range, as we prepare our foray into international routes,” added Dube. Akasa has now crossed the milestone of operating over 900 weekly flights with a published network of 36 routes connecting 16 cities. Benefitting from the crisis at Go First, Akasa’s share in the domestic market surged to 4.8% in May.

Sunil Chhetri's glittering hat-trick laced India's 4-0 win over Pakistan in their SAFF Championship opener  in Bengaluru on Jun 21  as the talisman became the second-highest Asian goalscorer in international football.

Ali Daei of Iran holds the record with 109 goals from 149 matches. Chhetri has 90 strikes to his name.

It is worth mentioning that Chhetri, 38, scored his first goal on his debut for the senior India team against Pakistan on June 12, 2005.