The battle for hoisting the tallest national flag on the Wagah-Attari border between India and Pakistan is likely to start once again. Watch the video to know more.

Indo-Pak battle of tallest flag at Wagah Border to start once again: Reports

India's digital public infrastructure, one of the biggest success stories of the country, has got a thumbs up from the International Monetary Fund. While praising India's digital public infrastructure, a recent paper by the IMF noted that the country's digital journey has "lessons for other countries embarking on their own digital transformation."

IMF paper hails India's public digital infrastructure

Emine Dzhaparova, Ukraine's first deputy foreign minister, has arrived in India for a four-day visit, the first by a Ukrainian government minister since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February last year.

Ukraine's Deputy Foreign Minister Emine Dzhaparova lands in New Delhi

After the spike in Covid-19 cases in India, Indian government has announced nationwide mock drills on Monday and Tuesday to assess hospital preparedness. Both public and private hospitals are part of the drills.

Indian government announces nationwide Covid preparedness drills

India on Monday rubbished reports that it halted trade discussions with the United Kingdom over the attacks at the Indian consulate by Khalistani supporters in London. Indian officials called the report "baseless," while a British diplomat confirmed that trade talks between the countries were continuing as usual.

"Baseless," India denies reports of halting trade talks with UK over London High Commission attack

India ranked second in the world for the rate of deforestation after losing 6,68,400 hectares of forest cover between 2015 and 2020 and&nbsp;witnessing&nbsp;the highest rise in deforestation in the last 30 years,&nbsp;according to a <a href="https://www.utilitybidder.co.uk/compare-business-energy/deforestation-report/">survey</a> by a UK-based consulting firm called Utility Bidder.&nbsp;

The study employed data collected between 1990 to 2000 and from 2015 to 2020 by the online data repository, Our World In Data, to illustrate the advancement of deforestation in 98 nations.

Brazil and Indonesia came in first and third, with deforestation totalling 16,95,700 hectares in Brazil and 6,50,000 hectares in Indonesia, respectively.

With a difference of 2,84,400 hectares in forestry loss between 1990 and 2020, India also topped the list for the biggest increase in deforestation.

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<h2>Making sense of these figures: What does a loss in&nbsp;forest cover really mean?</h2>

The Forest Survey of India (FSI) has been mapping India's forest cover since the early 1980s, even though it only started publishing its biennial State of Forest reports in 1987.

WION spoke to Dr Yogesh Gokhale, Senior Fellow at the Centre for Forest Management and Governance,&nbsp;The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), in New Delhi, in order to examine the previously mentioned data and understand its complexities.&nbsp;

Comparable data on India’s forest cover was made possible only in 2007, with the advent of wall-to -wall mapping by the interpretation of satellite data, says Dr Gokhale.&nbsp;

Based on FSI's 17th biennial assessment of India's forests, which covered the years from 2007 to the present, forests and tree cover constitute about 23-25 per cent of the nation's total land area. 18–19 per cent of which are designated as natural forests, 2–3 per cent as protected areas (wildlife sanctuaries), and the remainder as agro-forests (a collective name for land-use systems and technologies where woody perennials (trees, shrubs, palms, bamboos, etc.) are deliberately used on the same land-management units as agricultural crops and/or animals).

Indian forest cover is broadly classified into four classes by the FSI, namely very dense forest, moderately dense forest, open forest and mangrove. The classification of the cover into dense and open forests is based on internationally adopted norms of classification.

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&nbsp;

Source: Forest Survey of India

&nbsp;

<a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1789635">Data provided by the Forest Survey of India</a> reveals that in the two years between 2019 and 2021, the overall area covered by forests increased by 1,540 square kilometres.

India also includes all plots having a tree canopy density of at least 10 per cent&nbsp; and a size of one hectare or greater, regardless of land use or ownership, in its calculation of forest cover.

"We also need to know the set classification of forests as per its canopy density," claims Dr Gokhale, "in order to understand the above mentioned loss of forest cover."

Most surveys, especially those that don't fall within the scope of FSI, solely include natural forests found in India as part of their analyses. A consistent decrease in numbers is observed exactly there. When the FSI generates data that shows an increase in forest area, they count both forests and tree cover within them. In general, other studies tend to discount tree cover (an estimated area comprising tree patches, which are less than one hectare and isolated trees outside the recorded forest).

“India is currently experiencing a trend where very dense forests are becoming moderately dense forests,” says Dr Gokhale.

“In the India context, we are gaining moderately dense forests, but losing very dense forest areas. Unfortunately, only the loss gets highlighted,” he adds. We must account for the significant portion of agroforestry tracks that are gaining ground outside of typical forest belts if we are to quantify growth holistically, he continues.&nbsp;

“More than 80 per cent&nbsp;of our domestic timber demand is satisfied by agroforestry plantation, and not from natural forest areas,” he says. Agroforestry plantations are expanding, yet this growth is not being counted.&nbsp;

<h2 dir="ltr">How do we revive our naturally dense forests?&nbsp;</h2>

Only 9.96 per cent of India was covered by dense forests under Recorded Forest Areas in 2021, despite substantial planting by the forest department since the 1990s. Since the FSI measured 10.88 per cent dense forest in 1987, there has been a tenth decline in that figure.&nbsp;

The centrepiece initiative for increasing India's forest cover has been its compensatory afforestation programme, which aims to ensure that forest lands being "diverted" for non-forest purposes, like industrial or infrastructure development, are required to be accompanied by afforestation efforts on at least an equal area of land.

“We have already reached an alarming rate of deforestation which requires human intervention to restore the delicate balance of the environment,” says Dr Neha Sharma, Assistant professor of Environment sciences at Lady Shri Ram College for Women, Delhi University.&nbsp;

To restore biodiversity and ecological balance, the creation of artificial forests has become a necessity in the present world, she adds.&nbsp;

Additionally, as part of its international climate change commitments, India has promised to increase its forest and tree cover to ensure that they are able to absorb an additional amount of 2.5 billion to 3 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2030.

<h2 dir="ltr">Questionable compensatory afforestation? A relook at India’s contentious proposal of bringing down a forest on the Great Nicobar Island and compensating for the loss with a jungle safari in Haryana</h2>

India's forest conservation law requires that trees be planted over an equal amount of non-forest land to make up for any ecological loss when a forest is cut down for industrial or development purposes. The organisation responsible for deforestation has to send funds to an administrative body, which then directs them to the organisation responsible for planting trees. Compensatory afforestation is the term used to describe this procedure.&nbsp;

A particularly problematic idea under this compensatory act is the plan to use funds obtained for compensatory afforestation in Nicobar to build a jungle safari in Haryana.

To begin with, the two territories are located 2,400 kilometres apart in climatically distinct regions. Experts point out that the geographical isolation of the Nicobar Islands has endowed them with unique biodiversity; of the 2,200 varieties of plants recorded there, 200 are rare native species, and 1,300 do not occur in mainland India.&nbsp;

"Recreating a forest like the one in the Great Nicobar in Haryana is practically impossible,” says Dr Gokhale.

Despite the fact that there is no legal prohibition against compensatory afforestation funds raised in one state being used in another, experts point out that this is not the case with the Nicobar Islands.

Environmentalists claim it is a prime example of how India's compensatory afforestation programmes are diverging from their intended purpose of addressing ecological demands and allowing governments to exploit forests for financial gain.

&nbsp;

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India ranked second in the world for the rate of deforestation after losing 6,68,400 hectares of forest cover between 2015 and 2020 and witnessing the highest rise in deforestation in the last 30 years, according to a survey by a UK-based consulting firm called Utility Bidder.

India ranked second in the world for the rate of deforestation after losing 6,68,400 hectares of forest cover between 2015 and 2020 and witnessing the highest rise in deforestation in the last 30 years, according to a survey by a UK-based consulting firm called Utility Bidder. The study employed data collected between 1990 to 2000 and from 2015 to 2020 by the online data repository, Our World In Data, to illustrate the advancement of deforestation in 98 nations. Brazil and Indonesia came in first and third, with deforestation totalling 16,95,700 hectares in Brazil and 6,50,000 hectares in Indonesia, respectively. With a difference of 2,84,400 hectares in forestry loss between 1990 and 2020, India also topped the list for the biggest increase in deforestation. × Making sense of these figures: What does a loss in forest cover really mean? The Forest Survey of India (FSI) has been mapping India's forest cover since the early 1980s, even though it only started publishing its biennial State of Forest reports in 1987. WION spoke to Dr Yogesh Gokhale, Senior Fellow at the Centre for Forest Management and Governance, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), in New Delhi, in order to examine the previously mentioned data and understand its complexities. Comparable data on India’s forest cover was made possible only in 2007, with the advent of wall-to -wall mapping by the interpretation of satellite data, says Dr Gokhale. Based on FSI's 17th biennial assessment of India's forests, which covered the years from 2007 to the present, forests and tree cover constitute about 23-25 per cent of the nation's total land area. 18–19 per cent of which are designated as natural forests, 2–3 per cent as protected areas (wildlife sanctuaries), and the remainder as agro-forests (a collective name for land-use systems and technologies where woody perennials (trees, shrubs, palms, bamboos, etc.) are deliberately used on the same land-management units as agricultural crops and/or animals). Indian forest cover is broadly classified into four classes by the FSI, namely very dense forest, moderately dense forest, open forest and mangrove. The classification of the cover into dense and open forests is based on internationally adopted norms of classification. Source: Forest Survey of India Data provided by the Forest Survey of India reveals that in the two years between 2019 and 2021, the overall area covered by forests increased by 1,540 square kilometres. India also includes all plots having a tree canopy density of at least 10 per cent and a size of one hectare or greater, regardless of land use or ownership, in its calculation of forest cover. "We also need to know the set classification of forests as per its canopy density," claims Dr Gokhale, "in order to understand the above mentioned loss of forest cover." Most surveys, especially those that don't fall within the scope of FSI, solely include natural forests found in India as part of their analyses. A consistent decrease in numbers is observed exactly there. When the FSI generates data that shows an increase in forest area, they count both forests and tree cover within them. In general, other studies tend to discount tree cover (an estimated area comprising tree patches, which are less than one hectare and isolated trees outside the recorded forest). “India is currently experiencing a trend where very dense forests are becoming moderately dense forests,” says Dr Gokhale. “In the India context, we are gaining moderately dense forests, but losing very dense forest areas. Unfortunately, only the loss gets highlighted,” he adds. We must account for the significant portion of agroforestry tracks that are gaining ground outside of typical forest belts if we are to quantify growth holistically, he continues. “More than 80 per cent of our domestic timber demand is satisfied by agroforestry plantation, and not from natural forest areas,” he says. Agroforestry plantations are expanding, yet this growth is not being counted. How do we revive our naturally dense forests? Only 9.96 per cent of India was covered by dense forests under Recorded Forest Areas in 2021, despite substantial planting by the forest department since the 1990s. Since the FSI measured 10.88 per cent dense forest in 1987, there has been a tenth decline in that figure. The centrepiece initiative for increasing India's forest cover has been its compensatory afforestation programme, which aims to ensure that forest lands being "diverted" for non-forest purposes, like industrial or infrastructure development, are required to be accompanied by afforestation efforts on at least an equal area of land. “We have already reached an alarming rate of deforestation which requires human intervention to restore the delicate balance of the environment,” says Dr Neha Sharma, Assistant professor of Environment sciences at Lady Shri Ram College for Women, Delhi University. To restore biodiversity and ecological balance, the creation of artificial forests has become a necessity in the present world, she adds. Additionally, as part of its international climate change commitments, India has promised to increase its forest and tree cover to ensure that they are able to absorb an additional amount of 2.5 billion to 3 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2030. Questionable compensatory afforestation? A relook at India’s contentious proposal of bringing down a forest on the Great Nicobar Island and compensating for the loss with a jungle safari in Haryana India's forest conservation law requires that trees be planted over an equal amount of non-forest land to make up for any ecological loss when a forest is cut down for industrial or development purposes. The organisation responsible for deforestation has to send funds to an administrative body, which then directs them to the organisation responsible for planting trees. Compensatory afforestation is the term used to describe this procedure. A particularly problematic idea under this compensatory act is the plan to use funds obtained for compensatory afforestation in Nicobar to build a jungle safari in Haryana. To begin with, the two territories are located 2,400 kilometres apart in climatically distinct regions. Experts point out that the geographical isolation of the Nicobar Islands has endowed them with unique biodiversity; of the 2,200 varieties of plants recorded there, 200 are rare native species, and 1,300 do not occur in mainland India. "Recreating a forest like the one in the Great Nicobar in Haryana is practically impossible,” says Dr Gokhale. Despite the fact that there is no legal prohibition against compensatory afforestation funds raised in one state being used in another, experts point out that this is not the case with the Nicobar Islands. Environmentalists claim it is a prime example of how India's compensatory afforestation programmes are diverging from their intended purpose of addressing ecological demands and allowing governments to exploit forests for financial gain. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Data Lab: Making sense of India's forest cover change, both gains and losses

There will soon be a significant bilateral development between India and Ukraine. Emine Dzhaparova, the deputy foreign minister of Ukraine, arrived in Delhi today to begin a four-day tour to India. She is the first senior Ukrainian official to travel to India since the start of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.

Deputy Foreign Minister Emine Dzhaparova lands in New Delhi

Nirmala Sitharaman, the Indian Finance Minister, is in the United States for a week. During her stay, she plans to attend a number of meetings at the World Bank, the IMF, and other institutions.

Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to meet G20 FM's today in US

A group of leading Indian CEOs will be led by Indian Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal at the India France Business Summit in Paris on Tuesday. The upcoming trip is expected to improve trade ties with France, the second-largest economy in the European Union.

India talks business and trade with France

In a landmark move, Narendra Modi government approved a project to build an advanced gravitational-wave detector in Maharashtra at an estimated cost of Rs 2,600 crore. In the US, there are already two such ligo observatories. The third such cutting-edge gravitational-wave observatory will be ligo-India. The facility is expected to be completed by 2030.

Observatory in Maharashtra to study gravitational waves

In a landmark move, Narendra Modi government approved a project to build an advanced gravitational-wave detector in Maharashtra at an estimated cost of Rs 2,600 crore. In the US, there are already two such Ligo observatories. The third such cutting-edge gravitational-wave observatory will be Ligo-India. The facility is expected to be completed by 2030.

In a landmark decision, India gives nod to LIGO

Anjali Gopalan, the founder of the Naz foundation, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) which has been working on HIV/AIDS health issues since 1994, spoke to WION on the rights of same-sex couples who are seeking legalisation of their relationship.&nbsp;

At the outset of the conversation, Gopalan dismissed the joint statement dated 24 March, 2023 by the retired High Court Judges which listed out its reasoning as to why same-sex marriages should not be allowed in India.&nbsp;

For those who are unaware, the statement by these 21 former judges talks about how India will see an uptick in HIV/AIDS after same-sex marriage legalisation and how India's cultural roots are attacked by western practices. It also went on to define what is marriage.&nbsp;

To start with, Gopalan questioned the logic behind the aforementioned arguments in the statement.&nbsp;

"Their argument is that if we allow same-sex marriages, HIV infection will spread. Where is the logic in this? As a matter of fact in India, over 80 per cent cases are in heterosexual couples and women who have gotten infected have gotten it from their husbands."&nbsp;

"So what are they talking about? the HIV is more rampant in the heterosexual community in this country than it is in the gay community."&nbsp;

She also dispelled the argument that same-sex marriage is adopted from the western culture. The activist raised questions on how do we view marriage and how do we define it.&nbsp;

The rights activist explained that marriage it is not just doing the right thing for society's sake which is to get married by a certain age and have kids.&nbsp;

"One is supposed to be caring. So how we are valuing marriage any more or any less than the west," Gopalan said adding, "We need to get off sanctimonous horse in this culture." &nbsp;

When asked about the instances of homosexual people coming out at Naz foundation, Gopalan's voice turned heavy as a wave of emotions made their way into the conversation.&nbsp;

Gopalan said, "This is what always make my heart ache. They are young people asking me 'Is there a medicine to make me stop feeling this way... to stop feeling attracted to the same sex. It really breaks my heart because it is not a disease but this is what the society does, it devalues people in their own eyes so much."&nbsp;

"As far as I am concerned, if you are not going to value yourself you are not going to protect yourself from HIV, which is a highly preventable infection."

But Naz founder Anjali Gopalan has all the faith in the Indian Judiciary. "My only hope is the court."&nbsp;

Recalling the 2018 Supreme Court verdict when the apex court decriminalized homosexuality, she said, "the government of that time which was not the same regime as now had also taken the same stance (opposing the move)... that it goes against our values, our moral ethos, it is a western concept and all of that. But the court did the right thing. They stood by people."&nbsp;

"If you think about it logically, we are living in a democracy where we are denying a bunch of our citizens the rights which are guaranteed in the constitution and the rights everyone should have by virtue of being the citizens of this country. And we are denying it based on who they love and who they care about and who they want to spend their rest of the lives with."&nbsp;

She defiantly shattered the belief that marriage rights should exclusively be for heterosexual people. "Why is that rights are only for heterosexual people to adopt or to bring up a family."&nbsp;

To make a case in point, she gave a challenge to those people who argue that same-sex marriages cannot create a home which is stable.&nbsp;

"I am saying please go to family court. Just for half a day sit there and listen to their cases. By that logic, no heterosexual couple should ever have home and ever have children. So what are we talking about? They refuse to believe that gay people are more than capable of loving, caring and creating a stable and a loving home. It is not a prerogative of straight people alone."&nbsp;

Naz foundation is focused on HIV/AIDS related issues. It carries out trainings, do counsellings and linkages to government Anti-retroviral therapy (ART) centres. It also runs a home for children living with HIV. All of its work is through the lens of HIV prevention and care.&nbsp;

Gopalan said that the foundation has been working with the LGBTQ community since the inception of the trust in 1994. "We have reached out to thousands from within the community."

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Anjali Gopalan, the founder of the Naz foundation, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) which has been working on HIV/AIDS health issues since 1994, spoke to WION on the rights of same-sex couples who are seeking legalisation of their relationship.

Anjali Gopalan, the founder of the Naz foundation, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) which has been working on HIV/AIDS health issues since 1994, spoke to WION on the rights of same-sex couples who are seeking legalisation of their relationship. At the outset of the conversation, Gopalan dismissed the joint statement dated 24 March, 2023 by the retired High Court Judges which listed out its reasoning as to why same-sex marriages should not be allowed in India. For those who are unaware, the statement by these 21 former judges talks about how India will see an uptick in HIV/AIDS after same-sex marriage legalisation and how India's cultural roots are attacked by western practices. It also went on to define what is marriage. To start with, Gopalan questioned the logic behind the aforementioned arguments in the statement. "Their argument is that if we allow same-sex marriages, HIV infection will spread. Where is the logic in this? As a matter of fact in India, over 80 per cent cases are in heterosexual couples and women who have gotten infected have gotten it from their husbands." "So what are they talking about? the HIV is more rampant in the heterosexual community in this country than it is in the gay community." She also dispelled the argument that same-sex marriage is adopted from the western culture. The activist raised questions on how do we view marriage and how do we define it. The rights activist explained that marriage it is not just doing the right thing for society's sake which is to get married by a certain age and have kids. "One is supposed to be caring. So how we are valuing marriage any more or any less than the west," Gopalan said adding, "We need to get off sanctimonous horse in this culture." When asked about the instances of homosexual people coming out at Naz foundation, Gopalan's voice turned heavy as a wave of emotions made their way into the conversation. Gopalan said, "This is what always make my heart ache. They are young people asking me 'Is there a medicine to make me stop feeling this way... to stop feeling attracted to the same sex. It really breaks my heart because it is not a disease but this is what the society does, it devalues people in their own eyes so much." "As far as I am concerned, if you are not going to value yourself you are not going to protect yourself from HIV, which is a highly preventable infection." But Naz founder Anjali Gopalan has all the faith in the Indian Judiciary. "My only hope is the court." Recalling the 2018 Supreme Court verdict when the apex court decriminalized homosexuality, she said, "the government of that time which was not the same regime as now had also taken the same stance (opposing the move)... that it goes against our values, our moral ethos, it is a western concept and all of that. But the court did the right thing. They stood by people." "If you think about it logically, we are living in a democracy where we are denying a bunch of our citizens the rights which are guaranteed in the constitution and the rights everyone should have by virtue of being the citizens of this country. And we are denying it based on who they love and who they care about and who they want to spend their rest of the lives with." She defiantly shattered the belief that marriage rights should exclusively be for heterosexual people. "Why is that rights are only for heterosexual people to adopt or to bring up a family." To make a case in point, she gave a challenge to those people who argue that same-sex marriages cannot create a home which is stable. "I am saying please go to family court. Just for half a day sit there and listen to their cases. By that logic, no heterosexual couple should ever have home and ever have children. So what are we talking about? They refuse to believe that gay people are more than capable of loving, caring and creating a stable and a loving home. It is not a prerogative of straight people alone." Naz foundation is focused on HIV/AIDS related issues. It carries out trainings, do counsellings and linkages to government Anti-retroviral therapy (ART) centres. It also runs a home for children living with HIV. All of its work is through the lens of HIV prevention and care. Gopalan said that the foundation has been working with the LGBTQ community since the inception of the trust in 1994. "We have reached out to thousands from within the community." WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

'Is there a medicine to stop this...?' Naz founder Anjali Gopalan shares internal battles homosexuals fight

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi released the latest tiger census data on April 9, which revealed that the population of big cats in India was 3,167 in 2022. Watch this to know more.

Indian PM Narendra Modi releases tiger census data: Details

Abdulnasser Alshaali, the ambassador of UAE to India, expressed his country's honour at being invited to the G20 Summit by the Indian government. As the president of the grouping, India has extended the invitation to UAE, and Ambassador Alshaali praised the Indian government's efforts in organizing the summit.

Speaking to WION's Sidhant Sibal, the ambassador said, "We are honoured by the invitation by the Indian government and the Indian government has been doing great and I'm sure they will continue to do so until the Summit in September."

Also Read | <a href="UK invites international community, including India, to King Charles III and Camilla's coronation">Three injured in shooting at Christiana Mall in US state of Delaware: Police</a>

Regarding investments in India, including in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, Ambassador Alshaali noted that the private sector and businesses have their own strategies and ways of investing. He spoke to WION at a mega iftar hosted by the UAE embassy which has the entire diplomatic community converging and breaking bread together as the month of Ramzan is celebrated. The Iftar saw the participation of India's External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar as well showing the strong momentum in ties between the 2 countries.&nbsp;

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/lifestyle/news-uk-invites-international-community-including-india-to-king-charles-iii-and-camillas-coronation-580555">UK invites international community, including India, to King Charles III and Camilla's coronation</a>

Here is the complete interview:

WION: You hosted this iftar, which saw the participation of Delhi's diplomatic community, and the EAM Jaishankar. Truly a momentous occasion...

Abdulnasser Alshaali: My special thanks to everyone who made it here today, especially to Dr Jaishankar for taking the time out of his busy schedule to make it here. Ramadan is about bringing people together and this is what the words behind me say. It's just about bringing everyone together. And so, we all fast in our different ways, regardless of where we come from, and Ramadan is the month of fasting for us. So there are quite a few things that we can connect in and nothing is better to connect than during breaking fast together or having a meal together.

WION: So how do you characterize India UAE relationship because this is a relationship which has really grown in the last five years.

Abdulnasser Alshaali: That has, I can tell you that we're only starting. There will be so many exciting things that will come up. We've been working on quite a few things. There are multiple tracks in different sectors that we are keen on. India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) was the beginning of putting some sort of an economic framework to increase bilateral trade and to achieve certain targets. But CEPA is not everything and there are quite a few things coming up in the pipeline.

World at War | Russia welcomes Finland's NATO membership with nuclear Iskander missiles

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WION: I2U2 has been the outcome of the Abrahim accords, given it led to the normalization of relations between Israel and UAE and then the emergence of this grouping. Where do you see this grouping? Going ahead and do you see a summit-level meeting happening, or an in-person summit happening very soon?

Abdulnasser Alshaali: Well, I2U2 is an economic platform and so there are quite a few projects that are being discussed among the four countries and a couple of them would see the light of day soon enough. In terms of a summit. I cannot confirm this at this moment, but I'm sure the details will come out whenever that has been decided.

WION: So the Abraham Accords, were talking about that there have been a lot of dividends but today we are seeing a conflict that has happened in West Asia in terms of Israel and Palestine and other countries as well. Do you think that it's going to impact the Abraham accord, the good vibe that it has created?

Abdulnasser Alshaali: Well, the Abraham Accords have been joined by countries who are keen on establishing bilateral ties with Israel and expanding their economic relations with that country. That being said, this means that we are still interested in the same things that we have been always interested in. We still believe in a two-state solution. We're still going to pursue that and push for that. Whenever there is some sort of escalation, our main purpose and our main goal is&nbsp;to make sure that the region does not go through such escalation, and does not go into turmoil, because it isn't the region's interest and in our interest that we are in a neighbourhood that is peace, prosperous and stable.

WION: So, India is the president of the G 20 and as the President of the grouping, it has invited your country as well. How do you see India the invitation and India hosting the meetings under its mega presidency?

Abdulnasser Alshaali: We are honoured by the invitation from the Indian government. The Indian government has been doing great and I'm sure they will continue to do so until the Summit in September. We have been invited as a guest country in the past and I can tell you that the work that we have seen on the ground, and I have attended a few of those meetings myself, is just phenomenal. It's a testament to the work, effort and time that the Indian government has been putting into this.

WION: So my last question is you we have been investing a lot in India, including in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir recently. We saw the mega investment plan that has been announced, what more we can expect from UAE for the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir in terms of investment are also for the people of the Union Territory?

Abdulnasser Alshaali: Well, I cannot speak on behalf of the private sector, on behalf of businesses. Businesses and the private sector they have their own strategies or their own way of doing things. And it will also depending on the investment initiatives, incentives, whatever facilities are being given to investors. So yes, there have been a couple of businesses present. But whether this will mean that will be higher, that there will be higher investments in the future is up to the businesses themselves.

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Abdulnasser Alshaali, the ambassador of UAE to India, expressed his country's honour at being invited to the G20 Summit by the Indian government. As the president of the grouping, India has extended the invitation to UAE, and Ambassador Alshaali praised the Indian government's efforts in organizing the summit.

Abdulnasser Alshaali, the ambassador of UAE to India, expressed his country's honour at being invited to the G20 Summit by the Indian government. As the president of the grouping, India has extended the invitation to UAE, and Ambassador Alshaali praised the Indian government's efforts in organizing the summit. Speaking to WION's Sidhant Sibal, the ambassador said, "We are honoured by the invitation by the Indian government and the Indian government has been doing great and I'm sure they will continue to do so until the Summit in September." Also Read | Three injured in shooting at Christiana Mall in US state of Delaware: Police Regarding investments in India, including in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, Ambassador Alshaali noted that the private sector and businesses have their own strategies and ways of investing. He spoke to WION at a mega iftar hosted by the UAE embassy which has the entire diplomatic community converging and breaking bread together as the month of Ramzan is celebrated. The Iftar saw the participation of India's External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar as well showing the strong momentum in ties between the 2 countries. Also Read | UK invites international community, including India, to King Charles III and Camilla's coronation Here is the complete interview: WION: You hosted this iftar, which saw the participation of Delhi's diplomatic community, and the EAM Jaishankar. Truly a momentous occasion... Abdulnasser Alshaali: My special thanks to everyone who made it here today, especially to Dr Jaishankar for taking the time out of his busy schedule to make it here. Ramadan is about bringing people together and this is what the words behind me say. It's just about bringing everyone together. And so, we all fast in our different ways, regardless of where we come from, and Ramadan is the month of fasting for us. So there are quite a few things that we can connect in and nothing is better to connect than during breaking fast together or having a meal together. WION: So how do you characterize India UAE relationship because this is a relationship which has really grown in the last five years. Abdulnasser Alshaali: That has, I can tell you that we're only starting. There will be so many exciting things that will come up. We've been working on quite a few things. There are multiple tracks in different sectors that we are keen on. India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) was the beginning of putting some sort of an economic framework to increase bilateral trade and to achieve certain targets. But CEPA is not everything and there are quite a few things coming up in the pipeline. World at War | Russia welcomes Finland's NATO membership with nuclear Iskander missiles × WION: I2U2 has been the outcome of the Abrahim accords, given it led to the normalization of relations between Israel and UAE and then the emergence of this grouping. Where do you see this grouping? Going ahead and do you see a summit-level meeting happening, or an in-person summit happening very soon? Abdulnasser Alshaali: Well, I2U2 is an economic platform and so there are quite a few projects that are being discussed among the four countries and a couple of them would see the light of day soon enough. In terms of a summit. I cannot confirm this at this moment, but I'm sure the details will come out whenever that has been decided. WION: So the Abraham Accords, were talking about that there have been a lot of dividends but today we are seeing a conflict that has happened in West Asia in terms of Israel and Palestine and other countries as well. Do you think that it's going to impact the Abraham accord, the good vibe that it has created? Abdulnasser Alshaali: Well, the Abraham Accords have been joined by countries who are keen on establishing bilateral ties with Israel and expanding their economic relations with that country. That being said, this means that we are still interested in the same things that we have been always interested in. We still believe in a two-state solution. We're still going to pursue that and push for that. Whenever there is some sort of escalation, our main purpose and our main goal is to make sure that the region does not go through such escalation, and does not go into turmoil, because it isn't the region's interest and in our interest that we are in a neighbourhood that is peace, prosperous and stable. WION: So, India is the president of the G 20 and as the President of the grouping, it has invited your country as well. How do you see India the invitation and India hosting the meetings under its mega presidency? Abdulnasser Alshaali: We are honoured by the invitation from the Indian government. The Indian government has been doing great and I'm sure they will continue to do so until the Summit in September. We have been invited as a guest country in the past and I can tell you that the work that we have seen on the ground, and I have attended a few of those meetings myself, is just phenomenal. It's a testament to the work, effort and time that the Indian government has been putting into this. WION: So my last question is you we have been investing a lot in India, including in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir recently. We saw the mega investment plan that has been announced, what more we can expect from UAE for the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir in terms of investment are also for the people of the Union Territory? Abdulnasser Alshaali: Well, I cannot speak on behalf of the private sector, on behalf of businesses. Businesses and the private sector they have their own strategies or their own way of doing things. And it will also depending on the investment initiatives, incentives, whatever facilities are being given to investors. So yes, there have been a couple of businesses present. But whether this will mean that will be higher, that there will be higher investments in the future is up to the businesses themselves. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

UAE envoy Abdulnasser Alshaali praises India's G20 leadership, says honoured by New Delhi's invitation

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The Air Forces of India and US are set to conduct the Cope India exercise from April 10 to 21 at the Kalaikunda airbase in West Bengal, with Japan as an observer. The exercise will see intense air manoeuvres aimed at improving interoperability, a defence source said.

India, US to stage joint air drills as part of 'Cope India'

A meeting of the working group on tourism will be held in Srinagar from May 22 to May 24. India has modified its G20 calendar to reflect this. Srinagar is located in the Indian Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

India: Major revamp in Jammu and Kashmir, Srinagar gets smart city treatment

Indian ambassador to the UAE Abdulnasser Alshaali spoke to WION's Chief Diplomatic correspondent Siddhant Sibbal expressed his admiration for India's G20 meeting presidency. The ambassador stated that the UAE was honoured to attend the meeting at India's invitation.

UAE Ambassador Abdulnasser Alshaali on India-UAE relationship: Exciting things coming up

At the Karnataka State Open University in India's Southern State, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will announce the creation of the International Big Cats Alliance and present the most recent data on the nation's tiger population. The IBCA will concentrate on the preservation and protection of seven of the world's largest big cats.

Indian PM Modi to launch International Big Cat Bloc today

Watch India’s growth story, one road at a time with Road and Highways Minister, Nitin Gadkari in an exclusive conversation with Vikram Chandra.

Exclusive: Union Minister Nitin Gadkari plans to decongest India's capital

Indian External Affairs Minister (EAM) Dr Jaishankar will be travelling to Uganda and Mozambique next week in an effort to strengthen India's growing engagement with Africa. This will be the first visit of the year from India to Africa by EAM and is expected to be full of outcomes and announcements. India has a long-standing relationship with Uganda and has provided significant support to the country's electricity infrastructure and agriculture sector. Additionally, India has announced a donation of vehicles to the Ugandan Peoples Defence Forces.

During his 2018 visit, PM addressed the Ugandan Parliament and outlined India’s approach to Africa and reiterated New Delhi's commitment to engage with the continent. It is estimated that at present, there are approx. 30,000 Indians/PIOs living in Uganda, of which the majority are Indian passport holders. The Indian community in Uganda, concentrated mainly in Kampala and Jinja, have presented the strongest and most durable economic and cultural links between the two countries.

In Mozambique, India's deepening economic interests in natural gas and coal industries have become the most significant driver of the bilateral relationship. Indian companies have invested heavily in Mozambique's energy resources, amounting to almost a quarter of India's total FDI in Africa. Prime Minister Modi's State Visit to Mozambique, which was his first destination in continental Africa, helped raise the level of the bilateral relationship.

The EAM's upcoming visit to Uganda and Mozambique reflects India's commitment to the African continent and highlights the country's growing economic and cultural ties to the region. The visit comes ahead of the EAM's trip to Latin America at the end of the month, where he will visit Panama, Guyana, Colombia, and the Dominican Republic to strengthen ties with the region.

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Indian External Affairs Minister (EAM) Dr Jaishankar will be travelling to Uganda and Mozambique next week in an effort to strengthen India's growing engagement with Africa.

Indian External Affairs Minister (EAM) Dr Jaishankar will be travelling to Uganda and Mozambique next week in an effort to strengthen India's growing engagement with Africa. This will be the first visit of the year from India to Africa by EAM and is expected to be full of outcomes and announcements. India has a long-standing relationship with Uganda and has provided significant support to the country's electricity infrastructure and agriculture sector. Additionally, India has announced a donation of vehicles to the Ugandan Peoples Defence Forces. During his 2018 visit, PM addressed the Ugandan Parliament and outlined India’s approach to Africa and reiterated New Delhi's commitment to engage with the continent. It is estimated that at present, there are approx. 30,000 Indians/PIOs living in Uganda, of which the majority are Indian passport holders. The Indian community in Uganda, concentrated mainly in Kampala and Jinja, have presented the strongest and most durable economic and cultural links between the two countries. In Mozambique, India's deepening economic interests in natural gas and coal industries have become the most significant driver of the bilateral relationship. Indian companies have invested heavily in Mozambique's energy resources, amounting to almost a quarter of India's total FDI in Africa. Prime Minister Modi's State Visit to Mozambique, which was his first destination in continental Africa, helped raise the level of the bilateral relationship. The EAM's upcoming visit to Uganda and Mozambique reflects India's commitment to the African continent and highlights the country's growing economic and cultural ties to the region. The visit comes ahead of the EAM's trip to Latin America at the end of the month, where he will visit Panama, Guyana, Colombia, and the Dominican Republic to strengthen ties with the region. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

EAM Jaishankar to travel to Uganda, Mozambique next week

India to study secret gravitational waves

Much to US and Russia’s dismay, India’s defence imports are shrinking year-on-year and it's because of the emergence of the Indian defence industry! India will spend 2.71 Lakh Crores on defence equipment in FY23 and 99% procurement will be made from the Indian Defence Industry. Watch how India is reducing its defence imports and positioning itself as a strategic defence exporter on Game Plan with Shivan Chanana.

Rise of the Indian Defence Industry | Exports cross ₹130 Billion, imports down 11%

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