THE HEADLINES:
- President Droupadi Murmu says energy conservation is no longer an option but a necessity of the present time; Felicitates winners of National Energy Conservation Awards 2025.
- Air Pollution reaches severe category in Delhi; Government directs all schools to conduct classes in hybrid mode up to Class IX and class XI.
- West Bengal government forms enquiry committee to look into vandalism at the Messi event at Salt Lake in Kolkata, yesterday.
- In cricket, match underway between India and Pakistan in Under-19 Asia Cup 2025 in Dubai.
- India to face Hong Kong in the finals of World Squash Championship in Chennai this evening.
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President Droupadi Murmu has said that energy conservation is no longer just an option but a necessity of the present time. Addressing the gathering on the National Energy Conservation Day in New Delhi today, the President emphasized that every unit of energy saved, reflects a sense of responsibility towards nature and demonstrates care and sensitivity for future generations.
President Murmu said that India has taken significant steps in the areas of energy conservation and clean energy transition. The President noted that the country has fulfilled its clean energy commitments ahead of the stipulated time frame, marking an important achievement in the direction of enhanced energy efficiency and decarbonisation.
On the occasion, the President felicitated the winners of the National Energy Conservation Awards (NECA) 2025 and National Painting Competition on Energy Conservation 2025. This day is annually observed to raise awareness about the importance of energy conservation and to highlight the nation’s achievements in energy efficiency.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be on a two-day visit to Jordan beginning tomorrow at the invitation of King Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein. Mr Modi’s visit coincides with the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Indian Ambassador to Jordan Manish Chauhan described it a milestone moment for trade, food security and people-to-people ties.
Our correspondent reports that Jordan is home to a thriving Indian diaspora of over 17,500 people who have become an integral part of the Hashemite Kingdom’s economic and social fabric. A report:
The Indian presence is particularly prominent in Jordan’s garment and textile industry, which accounts for nearly one-fifth of the country’s total exports. Around fifteen garment companies of Indian origin, with cumulative investments of close to 500 million US dollars, operate in Jordan’s Qualified Industrial Zones, with most production geared towards export markets under Jordan’s preferential trade arrangements. Now let’s listen to an Indian community member in Jordan who shares his excitement on Prime Minister’s visit to Jordan.
Beyond textiles, Indians in Jordan are employed across a wide range of sectors, including healthcare, information technology, financial services, fertilizer companies, universities and multilateral organisations including the United Nations. The community is widely regarded as a reliable and skilled workforce, contributing to Jordan’s economic development while maintaining strong cultural and social links with India. As Prime Minister Narendra Modi prepares for his first full-fledged bilateral visit to Jordan on December 15 and 16, he is expected to interact with this vibrant Indian community in Amman.
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A suo moto case has been registered by the Police in connection with the incident at the Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata yesterday. Earlier, Police arrested Satadru Dutta, the organiser of Messi’ event at the stadium, following questioning for two hours.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee ordered an enquiry committee under retired Justice Ashim Kumar Ray. Fans and spectators became angry and entered into the ground of the stadium yesterday and destroyed assets after they did not get a glimpse of Football icon Lionel Messi.
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Argentine footballer Lionel Messi landed in Mumbai today. It is his third pit stop in the four-city tour of India. In Mumbai, Messi is expected to attend the Padel GOAT Cup event at the Cricket Club of India, Brabourne Stadium, before proceeding to the Wankhede Stadium around 5 pm for the GOAT India Tour main event. Mumbai Police has tightened security arrangements, learning lessons from the chaotic scenes witnessed during his Kolkata appearance. With strict entry restrictions, watchtowers and crowd control measures in place, authorities aim to prevent stampede like situations and ensure smooth conduct of events at Brabourne Stadium and Wankhede Stadium.
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The Bhartiya Janta Party today hit out at the Congress party for allegedly creating confusion over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls process. Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, party spokesperson Sambit Patra said that extensive discussions on electoral reforms had already taken place in Parliament. He noted that during these discussions, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had responded point by point to all the questions raised by the opposition.
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In Delhi, the Directorate of Education has directed all schools to conduct classes for students up to Class IX and for class XI in a hybrid mode, in light of the deteriorating air quality in the national capital. This decision follows an order issued by the Commission for Air Quality Management, which invoked Stage-IV actions under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) with immediate effect to curb further worsening of air pollution levels in Delhi-NCR. According to the circular issued yesterday, government, government-aided, and unaided recognised private schools under the Directorate of Education, NDMC, MCD, and the Delhi Cantonment Board have been instructed to offer both physical and online classes wherever feasible until further orders.
For students of Classes 10 and 12, classes will continue to be held in schools. Stage 4 curbs include a ban on all construction activities and on the entry of non-essential polluting trucks into Delhi. The decision comes as the Air Quality Index (AQI) in the national capital region worsened, crossing the 400 mark in several areas.
The Delhi government has also directed all government and private offices in the city to shift at least 50 prcent of their staff to work from home.
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Delhi Police Crime Branch has busted a counterfeit medicine manufacturing factory at Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh, arresting two suspects. Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Deputy Commissioner of Police of Crime Branch Aditya Gautam revealed that the accused were involved in manufacturing and distribution of fake medicines under well-known brands. He added that the police have seized over seven thousand five hundred counterfeit ointments during the raid.
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Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has said that Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve will become the new home for cheetahs in the state before the monsoon next year, following the successful translocation of the big cats from Africa to Kuno National Park. The state cabinet has given in-principle approval to develop the Tiger Reserve, located at Nauradehi in Sagar district, as the third habitat in the state for the world’s fastest animal. Referring to the cheetah project, Mr Yadav said, India, and Madhya Pradesh within India, is the only place in the world where cheetah rehabilitation is successful. KNP is home to 28 cheetahs, and the Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary has two big cats. Eight cheetahs are expected to be brought to KNP from Botswana in January 2026. CM Yadav said, his government is also working to translocate many other wildlife species to the state.
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In Greece, farmers have intensified their agitation over delays in European Union subsidy payments following a corruption investigation into country’s agricultural payments agency. Farmers are also demanding state support for rising production costs, livestock disease losses, weather damage, and long-standing structural problems. They have rejected a government invitation for talks, vowing to escalate protests that have disrupted traffic across the country for a third week. The decision was made during a nationwide meeting of farmers representatives yesterday. Farmers said that they would first submit a list of demands and only engage in dialogue after receiving concrete government responses.
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In the United States, extensive search is underway for the suspected Brown University shooter. Police said that the suspect is a male dressed in black. As the shooter is still at large, the university said that the campus remained in lock down, urging all members of the community to remain vigilant and shelter in place. At least two people were killed and nine others wounded last night at Brown University in Providence, the US state of Rhodes Island.
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Israel says, it killed the head of weapons production in Hamas’s military wing in a strike in the Gaza Strip yesterday. Israeli army said, there was only one strike conducted in the area which killed the top Hamas figure, Raad Saad. Israeli army said, Saad was the head of the weapons production headquarters of Hamas’s military wing who led the group’s force build-up. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz, in a joint statement, described Saad as “one of the architects” of the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that sparked the war in Gaza. Israel’s military earlier yesterday said two reserve soldiers were lightly injured as a result of an explosive device that detonated during an operation to clear the area of terrorist infrastructure in southern Gaza.
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The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast cold wave conditions over Telangana and Interior Karnataka for tomorrow. The met department has predicted dense fog conditions over Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura for the next four days. The IMD expected similar conditions over Assam, Meghalaya, west Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi for the next two days. The weather agency has also forecast thunderstorms accompanied with lightning and gusty winds at isolated places over Andaman and Nicobar Islands for tomorrow.
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India were 206 for 06 in 38 overs against Pakistan in Under-19 Asia Cup 2025 cricket at ICC Academy Ground in Dubai when reports last came in. For India, Aaron George scored 85 runs, while Skipper Ayush Mhatre made 38. Earlier, Pakistan won the toss and opted to bowl. Due to rain the match has been reduced to 49 overs.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN
- President Droupadi Murmu says energy conservation is no longer an option but a necessity of the present time; Felicitates winners of National Energy Conservation Awards 2025.
- Air Pollution reaches severe category in Delhi; Government directs all schools to conduct classes in hybrid mode up to Class IX and class XI.
- West Bengal government forms enquiry committee to look into vandalism at the Messi event at Salt Lake in Kolkata, yesterday.
- In cricket, match underway between India and Pakistan in Under-19 Asia Cup 2025 in Dubai.
- India to face Hong Kong in the finals of World Squash Championship in Chennai this evening.
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