THE HEADLINES:
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi begins his three nation tour to Jordan, Ethiopia and Oman; To arrive in Amman this afternoon.
- Proceedings in both houses of Parliament disrupted due to sharp exchanges between NDA and opposition MPs.
- Government says Tariff Monitoring Unit of DGCA to be strengthened to keep check on Airfares.
- Foggy conditions improve at Delhi Airport; Passengers advised to check update before flying.
- Gunmen behind Australia’s beach shooting attack identified as father-son duo originally from Pakistan; Death toll rises to 16.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has embarked on a three-nation visit to Jordan, Ethiopia and Oman this morning. On the first leg of his visit, Mr. Modi will be arriving in Jordan’s Capital Amman this afternoon at the invitation of King Abdullah II bin Al Hussein. In his departure statement, the Prime Minister said, he will hold detailed discussions with King Abdullah and Prime Minister of Jordan Jafar Hassan. The Prime Minister will also meet the Indian community in Amman, who have made significant contributions to India-Jordan relations. Mr Modi’s visit coincides with the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. More from our West Asia Correspondent:
“India and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan share a relationship built on deep historical linkages, mutual respect and growing cooperation across political, economic and strategic spheres. Diplomatic ties, established in 1950, have steadily strengthened over the past seventy-five years, reflecting shared interests in regional stability, development and dialogue.
Bilateral relations today are marked by regular high-level interactions and close understanding at the leadership level. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Jordan today marks the first full-fledged bilateral visit by an Indian Prime Minister in nearly four decades.
The vibrant Indian community in Jordan has expressed eagerness and anticipation ahead of the Indian Prime Minister’s arrival, describing the visit as a moment of pride that reflects the strong people-to-people ties between the two countries.
This visit is expected to further strengthen India-Jordan relations and reinforce the enduring bonds of friendship and cooperation between the two nations. Vinod Kumar, for Akashvani News from Amman.”
From Amman, the Prime Minister will go to Addis Ababa tomorrow, the capital city of Ethiopia where he will hold detailed discussions with the Prime Minister of Ethiopia Dr. Abiy Ahmed Ali. Mr Modi will meet the Indian Diaspora and address the Joint Session of Parliament of the African country.
Talking to Akashwani News, Maitri joshi, who is a leading Indian business woman in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and was also part on panel on women issues during recent Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas, said that people are very excited for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit. She said that Ethiopia and India share a common culture and women of both countries can learn a lot from each other.
On the final leg, Mr Modi will reach, Muscat, Oman on Wednesday. He will hold discussions with the Sultan of Oman and will also address a gathering of the Indian diaspora in Oman.
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Both houses of Parliament witnessed disruptions today following heated exchange of words between the treasury and opposition benches over the various issues. The Lok Sabha was adjourned twice, first till noon and then till 2 pm.
When the House met after the first adjournment at 12 noon, Opposition MPs started sloganeering and trooped into the well saying that the ruling party does not want to run the House. NDA MPs also raised the issue of objectionable remarks made against Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a Congress rally. The Presiding Officer urged the protesting members to allow the House to function. As the noisy scenes continued, the House was adjourned till 2 PM.
The Rajya Sabha was adjourned till 12 Noon following NDA MPs’ protest, demanding apology from Congress leadership for making objectionable remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
When the Lok Sabha met for the day, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju raised the matter in the House, condemning comments made against the Prime Minister at a Congress rally in New Delhi yesterday. Mr. Rijiju said, such remarks are unacceptable for this country. He termed this shameful and unfortunate.
Similar scenes were witnessed in the Rajya Sabha. When the House met for the day, Leader of the House JP Nadda also demanded an apology from Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and Senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi. He said, such adverse remarks show the Congress party’s thinking and mentality.
The Proceedings in both the houses are underway.
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BJP today came down heavily on Congress alleging that objectionable remarks were made during a congress rally in New Delhi yesterday. Union Minister and Senior JD(U) leader Rajiv Ranjan alias Lalan Singh said that the comment reflects congress’s mindset and its culture. Speaking to the Reporters at Parliament premises, he said that the opposition is failed to win the trust of public and that is why they are making such baseless allegations.
Meanwhile, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi has refuted the allegations saying that no one has made such remarks from the stage during the rally. Talking to Reporters, she said that the allegations are baseless and the government does not want to run the house.
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Union Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu has said that the Tariff Monitoring Unit working under the DGCA will be further strengthened to closely monitor the airfares. Replying to supplementaries during the Question Hour in the Rajya Sabha today, Mr Naidu said that in addition to domestic routes the airfares on International routes are now also being monitored. He said, whenever there is a possibility of a rise in airfares, the Ministry takes necessary action. The Minister said, in view of the recent Indigo crisis, leading to huge cancellation of regular flights, the Ministry stepped in and capped the airfares to keep it reasonable and affordable.
The Civil Aviation Minister said, a tariff monitoring facility has been provided on the Air Sewa portal and if any passenger feels that the airfare is excessively high then, they can send a screenshot to the Ministry through the portal.
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Runway visibility at the Delhi Airport has improved and flight operations are returning to normal, however there might be some impact on flight departures and arrivals. In a passenger advisory, Delhi Airport urged passengers to stay in touch with their airline for the latest updates. It noted that the on-ground staff is available at various passenger movement area across terminals to assist passengers.
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BJP has appointed party national vice president Baijayant Panda as election incharge for the Assam legislative assembly polls. The party also appointed BJP MLA and leader of opposition in Jammu and Kashmir legislative assembly, Sunil Kumar Sharma and former union minister Darshana Ben Jardosh as co-incharges for the state assembly polls.
Union Minister Piyush Goyal has been given charge of Tamil Nadu assembly elections. The party has also appointed party leaders and union ministers Arjun Ram Meghwal and Murlidhar Mohol as co-incharges for the state assembly polls.
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Vice-President C P Radhakrishnan and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have paid tributes to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on his 75th death anniversary today. The Vice-President said, Patel’s leadership addressed the formidable challenge of bringing together a nation marked by immense linguistic, cultural, and regional diversity. He said the works of Sardar Patel is an achievement that stands unparalleled and far exceeds comparable efforts elsewhere in the world.
Prime Minister Modi said, Sardar Patel dedicated his life to weaving the county into a single thread. He said, the nation will always remember his contribution to the creation of an undivided and strong Bharatvarsha.
Home Minister Amit Shah also paid homage to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
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Former M.P. Dr. Ram Vilas Das Vedanti, a key figure in the Ram Temple movement, has passed away at a hospital in Madhya Pradesh’s Rewa district. He was a native of Rewa and was undergoing treatment there. The news of his demise has sent shockwaves in Ayodhya, where he was a prominent figure. His family members will bring his body to Ayodhya, where his last rites will be performed. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has expressed condolences and paid tribute to the departed soul.
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In Australia, the New South Wales Police have said the shooters behind the Sydney Bondi Beach shooting have been identified as a father-son duo originally from Pakistan’s Lahore. One of the gunmen, 50-year-old Sajid Akram, was fatally shot by police during the attack, while his 24-year-old son Naveed Akram was wounded and is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital. The attack resulted in the death of 16 people.
Last evening, the father and son opened fire at the ‘Chanukah by the Sea’ event, which was organised to celebrate the first day of the Jewish festival. Australia’s Home Affairs Authorities have said Naveed Akram is an Australian-born citizen. His father, Sajid Akram, arrived in Australia in 1998 on a student visa, which was converted into a partner visa in 2001 and later into a resident return visa.
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India Meteorological Department has forecast cold wave conditions over Telangana, North Interior Karnataka and Interior Karnataka today. Fog conditions will prevail over Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh, East Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Northeast India during the day. The weather agency said, Northwest India will witness a fall in minimum temperature by two degree Celsius for the next two days.
The air quality in Delhi-NCR continues to be in the Severe category. The average Air Quality Index, AQI, of the national capital was recorded at 441 as of 1 PM today.
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In Japan, a rapidly developing low-pressure system brought heavy snowfall and strong winds to Hokkaido today causing disruption of air and rail services. Airlines cancelled 29 flights while JR Hokkaido suspended 77 train services. Power outages were also reported in some areas. The Japan Meteorological Agency has warned of storm surges, flooding and avalanches. It has urged residents to remain cautious as severe weather conditions persist.
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Benchmark domestic equity indices, the Sensex and the Nifty, were trading marginally down in afternoon trade today. The Sensex slipped 44 points to 85 thousand 223, while the Nifty dipped 17 points to 26 thousand and 30, when reports last came in.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah have congratulated the Indian Squash Team for creating history by winning their first‑ever World Cup title. In a social media post, Prime Minister Modi lauded the exceptional performance of Joshna Chinnappa, Abhay Singh, Velavan Senthil Kumar and Anahat Singh, noting that their dedication, discipline and determination have brought immense pride to the nation. He added that this achievement reflects the growing strength of Indian sports on the global stage.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN :
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi begins his three nation tour to Jordan, Ethiopia and Oman; To arrive in Amman this afternoon.
- Proceedings in both houses of Parliament disrupted due to sharp exchanges between NDA and opposition MPs.
- Government says Tariff Monitoring Unit of DGCA to be strengthened to keep check on Airfares.
- Foggy conditions improve at Delhi Airport; Passengers advised to check update before flying.
- Gunmen behind Australia’s beach shooting attack identified as father-son duo originally from Pakistan; Death toll rises to 16.