THE HEADLINES:
- Over 58 per cent voter turnout recorded in single phase Assembly elections in Maharashtra; Around 68 per cent voting registered in second Phase of Jharkhand Assembly Elections.
- By-elections also held for Parliamentary constituency of Nanded in Maharashtra and 15 Assembly seats spread over four states; Counting on Saturday.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi holds talks with Guyana President Dr. Mohammed Irfaan Ali in Georgetown.
- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh holds bilateral meeting with his Chinese counterpart Dong Jun in Laos.
- 55th edition of International Film Festival of India begins with a grand opening ceremony in Goa; Prasar Bharati launches its OTT platform Waves.
- In Hockey, India clinch Women’s Asian Champions Trophy beating China in final at Rajgir.
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Voting has concluded peacefully for the second and final phase of Assembly Elections in Jharkhand and single phase polling in Maharashtra. The Election Commission has said that Maharashtra has recorded more than 58 cent voter turnout and Jharkhand recorded around 68 per cent voting when reports last came in.
In Jharkhand, voting was held in 38 constituencies in 12 districts in the state. Our correspondent reports that after today’s polling, the political fortune of 528 candidates, including 55 women have been sealed in EVMs.
“This phase will play a pivotal role in the formation of the next government in the Jharkhand. In the decisive phase of the Jharkhand Assembly election, polling was conducted across 38 seats primarily in the Santhal and Koyalanchal region. The Santhal region is bastion of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, while in the Koyalanchal region, fierce competition was witnessed among political parties. The electoral fate of several political heavyweights was sealed in this phase including Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Jharkhand BJP Chief Babulal Marandi, AJSU Party Chief Sudesh Mahto, Wife of the Chief Minister, Kalpana Soren and Chief Minister brother Basant Soren. This phase is also interesting in many ways. A neck to neck fight among women candidates was witnessed on four seats. If we talk about the results in 2019 assembly elections, in these 38 seats, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha had secured 13 seats, BJP 12, Congress 8, and CPI (ML) 1 seat. The political battle fought between NDA and INDIA bloc in this phase will determine the political destiny of the Jharkhand. Bhupendra Singh, Akashwani News, Ranchi.”
In Maharashtra, elections for all 288 seats were held in a single phase in the state.
Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar along with Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Dr Sukhbir Singh Sandhu had been keeping a close watch on every aspect of the poll process including measures to enhance poll participation.
By-elections were also held for Parliamentary constituency of Nanded in Maharashtra and 15 Assembly seats spread over four states. 53.78 percent of voters exercised their franchise in the Nanded Lok Sabha by-poll till 5 pm. In Uttar Pradesh, more than 49 per cent polling was recorded on all nine assembly seats where by elections were held today.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi held delegation level talks with President of Guyana, Dr. Mohammed Irfaan Ali at Georgetown a short while ago. Five agreements were signed following the talks between the two leaders. This includes cooperation in the field of Medical Products regulation, Hydrocarbon sector, bilateral cooperation in Agriculture and allied sectors and UPI facilities.
Prime Minister Modi reached Guyana this morning on a three day visit to the country. In an unprecedented gesture, he was received at the airport by President Dr Mohammed Irfaan Ali, Prime Minister Mark Anthony Phillips and over a dozen Cabinet Ministers. Our correspondent reports that this is the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Guyana in 56 years.
“India has a long-standing developmental partnership with Guyana in the fields of health, connectivity, renewable power, and water. The total trade between the two countries in 2023-24 was around 106 million US dollar. During his visit, Prime Minister Modi will participate in the Second CARICOM-India Summit in Georgetown. He will also hold meetings with leaders of CARICOM member countries to further enhance India’s long-standing friendship with the region. Tomorrow, the Prime Minister will address the Parliament of Guyana. Mr Modi will also interact with prominent cricketers of Guyana and the Caribbean region. The Prime Minister is also scheduled to address a gathering of the Indian diaspora. With Anand Kumar, Suparna Saikia, Akashwani News Delhi.”
Prime Minister Modi has said his welcome in Guyana will remain etched in his memory. In a social media post, Mr Modi said that he was delighted to meet President of Guyana Dr. Mohammed Irfaan Ali, Prime Minister of Grenada Dickon Mitchell, Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Amor Mottley and the Cabinet Ministers of Guyana. Mr Modi said, he is also humbled to have received a Key to the City of Georgetown from the Mayor of Georgetown. He said, India is eager to deepen cooperation with the CARICOM across various sectors.
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Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh today held a bilateral meeting with his Chinese counterpart Dong Jun in Laos. Mr Singh is on a three day visit to Laos to attend the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus). During the meeting, he will also address the forum on Regional and International Security Issues.
The ADMM is the highest defence consultative and cooperative mechanism in ASEAN.
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Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw today said that India’s creative economy has emerged as a 30 billion dollar industry, contributing nearly 2.5 percent of the GDP and providing livelihood to eight percent of the workforce. In an article in English and Hindi dailies, Mr Vaishnaw highlighted that this industry is a dynamic force, with an influencer marketing sector valued at over three thousand crore rupees and over two lakh full-time content creators.
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The 55th edition of the International Film Festival of India IFFI began in Goa with a grand opening ceremony.
A star studded ceremony at Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium marked the beginning of the festival that will last till the 28th of this month. The event witnessed stunning performances from Bollywood stars and also included a nostalgic ’90s Rewind’. Timeless Souls,” a tribute to legends like Raj Kapoor and Mohammed Rafi through visuals, poetry, and music was also one of the major highlights of the day.
Waves’ Prasar Bharati’s OTT platform was launched today during the opening ceremony of the 55th International Film Festival of India. The platform will offer a variety of channels in multiple languages, including news, entertainment, movies, TV shows, and games. Veteran filmmaker Shekhar Kapur appreciated Prasar Bharati’s initiative.
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Vice President, Jagdeep Dhankhar has said that education is the biggest medium to bring change and equality in the society. Addressing the students of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya at Kajra in Jhunjhunu district of Rajasthan today, Mr. Dhankhar emphasized the importance of discipline, culture and human development.
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The Delhi government has decided to implement work from home for 50 of percent its employees amid poor Air Quality in Delhi-NCR. City Environment Minister Gopal Rai convened a meeting this afternoon to implement this measure.
The air quality in Delhi-NCR continues to remain in the severe category with an average Air Quality Index (AQI) of 430 at 1 this afternoon. According to the Central Pollution Control Board, some parts of the city have breached the 450 AQI levels.
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In Hockey, India clinched the Women’s Asian Champions Trophy today at Rajgir Hockey Stadium in Bihar. The Indian women’s hockey team won their 2nd consecutive title beating China 1-0 in the final match. With this victory, India have equaled South Korea with three titles each.
Despite China’s determined efforts, the first half ended in a goalless. However, the defending champions returned with a more aggressive approach in the second half and secured the breakthrough in the third quarter.
Earlier, in the day, Japan secured the third position by defeating Malaysia 4-1 in the bronze medal match.
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In Badminton, Indian Shuttlers, PV Sindhu, Malvika Bansod and Lakshya Sen have stormed into the pre-quarterfinals at the China Masters 2024 Tournament in Shenzhen, China today.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN:
- Over 58 per cent voter turnout recorded in single phase Assembly elections in Maharashtra; Around 68 per cent voting registered in second Phase of Jharkhand Assembly Elections.
- By-elections also held for Parliamentary constituency of Nanded in Maharashtra and 15 Assembly seats spread over four states; Counting on Saturday.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi holds talks with Guyana President Dr. Mohammed Irfaan Ali in Georgetown.
- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh holds bilateral meeting with his Chinese counterpart Dong Jun in Laos.
- 55th edition of International Film Festival of India begins with a grand opening ceremony in Goa; Prasar Bharati launches its OTT platform Waves.
- In Hockey, India clinch Women’s Asian Champions Trophy beating China in final at Rajgir.
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