THE HEADLINES:

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi launches development projects worth around 4,900 crore rupees at Amreli in Gujarat; Also inaugurates water conservation initiative, Bharat Mata Sarovar.

• India and Spain sign MoUs in various fields including rail transport, customs and investment; Agree to make 2026 the year of India and Spain in culture, tourism and Artificial intelligence.

• Filing of nomination papers for assembly elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand to end tomorrow; BJP releases third list of 25 candidates for Maharashtra polls.

• Security forces kill one terrorist after an attack on army convoy in Akhnoor sector of Jammu and Kashmir.

• Israel rejects Egypt’s proposal for a short-term cease-fire in Gaza Strip.

• And, domestic benchmark indices end on a positive note, snapping five-day losing streak.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of development projects worth around 4,900 crore rupees at Amreli in Gujarat this afternoon. The Prime Minister also inaugurated the water conservation initiative, the Bharat Mata Sarovar in Dhudhala village of Amreli district which is a joint venture by Dholakia foundation and the Government of Gujarat on the PPP model.

Addressing a gathering, the Prime Minister said the projects launched today related to roads, railways, water supply and tourism, will significantly benefit the citizens of Saurashtra, Kutch, Junagadh, Porbandar and Botad districts of the state. He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to water conservation. Among the projects, the Navda-to-Chavand pipeline will supply 28 crore liters of water to over 1,200 villages, benefitting around 67 lakh people.

“The Bhuj – Naliya rail line project which is completed at a cost of around Rs 1,100 crores will boost tourism in Rann of Kutch and enhance employment opportunities. Apart from this, road projects worth more than Rs 2,800 crores were also inaugurated today. Projects of Water supply department including the ambitious Navda to Chavand bulk pipeline by Amreli district were also launched today. Mr Modi also laid the foundation stone for tourism-related development initiatives which include transforming the Karli Recharge Reservoir at Mokarsagar in Porbandar district into a world-class sustainable eco-tourism destination. Aparna Khunt//Akashvani News//Amreli.”

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India and Spain today signed MoUs in various fields including rail transport, customs and investment. The agreements were inked following bilateral and delegation level talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sanchez at Vadodara.

Briefing the media in Vadodara, Secretary (West) of the Ministry of External Affairs, Tanmaya Lal, said the two leaders held fruitful discussions on the entire spectrum of bilateral ties and global issues of mutual interest. Mr Lal said, both countries will celebrate the year 2026 as the Year of Culture, Tourism, and Artificial intelligence (AI).

Mr Lal also informed that bilateral trade between India and Spain has reached 10 billion dollars.

In a Joint statement following the talks, Mr Modi and Mr Sanchez agreed to strengthen cooperation in promoting sustainable energy and adapting to climate change. The two leaders said, they looked forward to the early conclusion of the Memorandum of Understanding in the field of Renewable Energy. Both leaders condemned terrorism and violent extremism in all forms, including the use of terrorist proxies and cross-border terrorism. To enhance people-to-people ties and consular services in the two countries, the leaders welcomed the operationalisation of India’s first Consulate General in Spain at Barcelona and the decision to open Spain’s Consulate General in Bengaluru.

Prime Minister Modi and President Sanchez reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the India-EU Strategic Partnership and to advancing the EU-India triple negotiations on the comprehensive Free Trade Agreement the Investment Protection Agreement and Geographical Indications Agreement.
           

Both the leaders expressed their deepest concern over the war in Ukraine and reiterated the need for a peace in line with international law. They also shared their firm commitment to achieving peace and stability in West Asia and called for restraint by all concerned.

This morning, the two leaders jointly inaugurated the TATA Aircraft Complex for the manufacturing of C-295 Military aircraft. The Aircraft Complex is a flagship ‘Make in India’ initiative in the aviation sector and the first private sector Final Assembly Line for the manufacturing of military aircraft in India. It is being set up by Tata Advanced Systems in collaboration with Airbus Spain.

Speaking on the occasion, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the Tata Aircraft Complex reinforces India’s position as a trusted partner in global aerospace manufacturing.

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Filing of nomination papers for the single-phase polling in Maharashtra and the second phase of assembly polls in Jharkhand will end tomorrow. Voting for 288 Assembly seats in Maharashtra and thirty-eight constituencies in Jharkhand will take place on the 20th of November.

In Maharashtra, a rush to submit nominations was observed across the state on the penultimate day today.

“Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde filed his nomination from the Kopari-Pachpakhadi constituency today. BJP MLA Nitesh Rane and Shiv Sena candidate Nilesh Rane submitted their forms from Kankavali and Kudal respectively. BJP MLA Gopichand Padalkar filed his nomination from Jat. Additionally, Sandeep Naik of NCP(SP) filed his nomination from Belapur while Rohit Pawar from Kharjat-Jamkhed constituency. The BJP and the NCP(SP) have released their fresh lists of 25 and seven candidates respectively. Ankita Apte, Akashwani News, Mumbai.”

The BJP has released its third list of 25 candidates for the Maharashtra assembly polls. The party has given a ticket to Sneha Premnath Dube from the Vasai assembly seat while Sudhakar Kohale will fight form the Nagpur West seat. So far, the Party has declared the names of 146 candidates for the state assembly polls.

By-elections to the Nanded Lok Sabha seat in Maharashtra and the Kedarnath Assembly seat in Uttarakhand will also be held on the same day.

The BJP today announced Dr. Santuk Hambarde as its candidate for the Nanded seat. The Congress party has fielded Dr. Ravindra Chavan as their candidate from the seat. The by-election was necessitated following the demise of Member of Parliament, Vasant Chavan in August.

In Jharkhand, Assembly Elections are being held in two phases. Scrutiny of nomination papers for the first phase was taken up today. 805 candidates have filed nominations for this phase.

“Scruitiny of papers for the second phase will be taken up on Wednesday and candidates can withdraw their nominations till 1st November. Thirty eight constituencies will go to polls in this phase on 20th of November. For the first phase, candidates can withdraw their nominations upto 30th of this month. Forty-three constituencies will go to polls in this phase on the 13th of next month. Meanwhile, illegal material and cash worth over 86 crore 32 lakh rupees have been seized from different parts of the state since the announcement of the assembly elections. 20 FIRs have been registered for violations of the model code of conduct. With K K Lal, Aakashwani Samachar, Ranchi, Tripti srivastava.”

Scrutiny of nomination papers also took place for the bye-elections to 47 assembly Constituencies in different states and for the Wayanad Parliamentary seat in Kerala for which polling will be held on the 13th of next month. Counting of votes will be held on the 23rd of November.

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In Jammu and Kashmir, one terrorist was killed as special forces of the Army were deployed to neutralize a group of recently infiltrated terrorists who attacked an army convoy in Battal village of Akhnoor sector. The body of the slain terrorist along with weapons has been recovered. The gunfight took place after the terrorists, believed to be three in number, opened fire on an ambulance which was part of the army convoy this morning. Security forces were currently engaged in gunfire with the terrorists in the area when reports last came in.

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The Indian Cybercrime Coordination Center has issued an alert against illegal payment gateways created using mule bank accounts by transnational organized cybercriminals facilitating money laundering as a service. The Home Ministry said that recent nationwide raids by the Gujarat Police and Andhra Pradesh Police have revealed that transnational criminals have established illegal digital payment gateways using mule or rented accounts. The Home Ministry, in collaboration with law enforcement agencies, is taking all necessary steps to create a cyber-secure Bharat.

“These mule accounts are controlled remotely from overseas. An illegal payment gateway is created using these mule accounts. These are given to criminal syndicates for accepting deposits on illegal platforms Funds are layered to another account as soon as the crime proceeds are received. Indian Cybercrime Coordination Center has advised citizens not to sell or rent their bank accounts or company registration certificate or Udhyam Aadhaar Registration certificate to anyone. Citizens must immediately report any cybercrime on helpline number 1930 or www.cybercrime.gov.in and follow “CyberDost” account on social media. With Saklen, Suparna Saikia, Akahvani News, Delhi.”

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Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi has emphasized the role of young entrepreneurs in driving innovation and research in the country. Inaugurating the third edition of the Indian Navy’s Naval Innovation and Indigenisation Seminar, Swavlamban 2024, in New Delhi, he said, the two-day event features around 115 stalls from agencies like the Indian Air Force, Indian Army, Coast Guard, and Border Security Force, showcasing advancements in air and surface surveillance, AI, and quantum technologies.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will attend the event tomorrow.

Speaking to Akashvani News, one of the participants, Anshuman Chatterjee, praised the government’s Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) initiative.

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has turned down a proposal from Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el Sissi for a short-term cease-fire in the Gaza Strip. The proposal, announced by President Sissi during a joint press conference with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune in Cairo, had suggested a two-day cease-fire to facilitate the exchange of four Israeli hostages for several Palestinian prisoners. Since the onset of the conflict following Palestinian terror group Hamas’s cross-border incursion last October, the Israeli military has sustained a relentless offensive in Gaza, in defiance of a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.

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The domestic benchmark indices today ended on a positive note, snapping their five-day losing streak. The BSE Sensex jumped 603 points to close at 80,005, while the NSE Nifty advanced 158 points to settle at 24,339.

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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi launches development projects worth around 4,900 crore rupees at Amreli in Gujarat; Also inaugurates water conservation initiative, Bharat Mata Sarovar.

• India and Spain sign MoUs in various fields including rail transport, customs and investment; Agree to make 2026 the year of India and Spain in culture, tourism and Artificial intelligence.

• Filing of nomination papers for assembly elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand to end tomorrow; BJP releases third list of 25 candidates for Maharashtra polls.

• Security forces kill one terrorist after an attack on army convoy in Akhnoor sector of Jammu and Kashmir.

• Israel rejects Egypt’s proposal for a short-term cease-fire in Gaza Strip.

• And, domestic benchmark indices end on a positive note, snapping five-day losing streak.

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