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November 14, 2024 3:01 PM

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Midday News

THE HEADLINES: –

  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi to be bestowed with Dominica highest national honour.

  • Election campaign heating up in poll-bound states of Jharkhand and Maharashtra; Top leaders of various political parties holding multiple rallies and roadshows.

  • Voting underway in Sri Lanka for Parliamentary elections.

  • 43rd India International Trade Fair begins at  Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi.

  • In Hockey, India to lock horns with Thailand in Women’s Asian Champions Trophy in Bihar this evening.

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Dominica has announced to confer its highest national honour to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Dominica Award of Honour will be bestowed to the Prime Minister in recognition of his contributions to Dominica during the COVID-19 pandemic and his dedication to strengthening the partnership between India and Dominica. President of Dominica Sylvanie Burton will confer the award during the upcoming India-CARICOM Summit, scheduled to take place in Georgetown, Guyana from the 19th to the 21st of this month.

 

 

According to the statement of the Prime Minister Office of Dominica, India supplied Dominica with 70 thousand doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine during the Covid pandemic in February 2021. The award also recognizes India’s support for Dominica in healthcare, education and information technology under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, as well as his role in promoting climate resilience-building initiatives and sustainable development on a global level.

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In Jharkhand, campaigning is in full swing for the second phase of assembly elections in the state. Leaders of both the N.D.A. and I.N.D.I.A. blocs are addressing voters across the state to garner support for their party candidates. Senior BJP leader and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath addressed an election meeting in Dhanbad. He alleged that the JMM government allowed infiltrators in the state.

 

 

On the other hand, senior JMM leader and Chief Minister Hemant Soren accused the BJP for the backwardness of Jharkhand. He addressed an election meeting at Sarath in Deoghar.

 

 

Leaders of the RJD, AJSU, and left parties will also address poll rallies in different parts of the state. The second phase of polling will be held on the 20th of this month, while counting will take place on the 23rd of November.

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Political activity is gaining momentum across the state of Maharashtra as campaigning intensifies for the upcoming assembly elections. Senior leaders from all major political parties are canvassing at various locations in support of their candidates. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi are once again entering the fray today. More from our Mumbai correspondent:

 

 

“Addressing a rally in the tribal-dominated Nandurbar district, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi criticised the BJP and RSS for their use of the term ‘Vanvasi’. He emphasised that the Indian Constitution refers to tribal communities as ‘Adivasi’, acknowledging them as the original inhabitants of India. The Reaffirming that the upcoming election is a contest between two competing ideologies, Mr Gandhi pledged that all promises made in the MVA’s manifesto would be fulfilled if they were voted into power. Mr Gandhi is scheduled to address another rally in Nanded later today. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to address three rallies in Maharashtra, while Deputy Chief Minister and NCP leader Ajit Pawar will campaign in Niphad, Dindori, Sinnar, and Kopargaon. Meanwhile, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge is scheduled to canvas in Igatpuri and Pune. NCP (SP) supremo Sharad Pawar is actively campaigning in Pune district, while Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray will hold rallies in Nevasa and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. Ankita Apte, Akashvani News, Mumbai.”

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In our series of Constituency Profiles, today we take a look at the Bhokar constituency in Nanded district. This election marks a significant test for Ashok Chavan, who recently joined the BJP, as his daughter, Sreejaya Chavan, enters the fray as the BJP candidate. A report:

 

 

“Sreejaya Chavan, daughter of former Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, is making her electoral debut in Bhokar, a traditional stronghold for the Chavan family dating back to the tenure of her grandfather, Shankar Rao Chavan, who served as Chief Minister and Union Home Minister. In the 2019 election, her father, Ashok Chavan won this seat with over 1 lakh 40 thousand margin. Now, having recently left the Congress for BJP, Ashok Chavan faces a crucial test through his daughter Sreejaya’s candidacy. Congress has fielded Tirupati Patil Kondekar, while Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi has nominated Ramesh Rathod. With 140 candidates contesting, Bhokar has set a state record for the highest number of candidates in a single constituency. Samarjit Thakur, Akashvani News, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.”

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In Rajasthan, the police today arrested an independent candidate Naresh Meena from Deoli-Uniara assembly seat bye-election in the case of assault on the subdivision officer yesterday during polling at Samrawata village. Mr. Meena was taken into custody amidst heavy police presence from Samrawata village. During this, the police had to use mild force on his supporters. After the arrest of Mr. Meena, the situation in the village remains tense but under control.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Jamui in Bihar tomorrow to commemorate Janjatiya Gaurav Divas. It marks the commencement of the 150th Birth Anniversary Year celebrations of Dharti Aaba Bhagwan Birsa Munda. Mr. Modi will unveil a commemorative coin and postal stamp in honour of Bhagwan Birsa Munda tomorrow morning. He will also inaugurate and lay the foundation stone for multiple development projects worth over 6,640 crore rupees aimed at uplifting tribal communities and improving infrastructure in rural and remote areas of the region.

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Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said today that the government is investing in Digital Public Infrastructure to enable digital transactions. Speaking at a programme near Dharmasthala in Karnataka, she said this will help funds reach the doorsteps of beneficiaries, enabling them to generate profits at the grassroots level and ultimately boost the rural economy.

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The 43rd India International Trade Fair (IITF)  has begun at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal inaugurated the 14-day event. The theme of this year’s fair is Viksit Bharat @ 2047. The focus state this year is Jharkhand, while Bihar and Uttar Pradesh are the partner states. This year, 11 countries including China, Egypt, Iran, South Korea,Thailand, Turkey, and the UAE are participating in this international fair.

 

 

On the sidelines of the event, Minister of Coal and Mines G. Kishan Reddy inaugurated the pavilion of the Ministry of Mines at the IITF 2024.

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External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar presided over the inauguration of Symbiosis International University’s first overseas campus at Dubai Knowledge Park. The ceremony, marking a significant milestone in Indo-UAE relations, was attended by Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, UAE’s Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence. Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Jaishankar celebrated the university’s achievement in securing full accreditation from the Commission for Academic Accreditation under the UAE’s Ministry of Education.

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Voting is underway across Sri Lanka’s 13421 polling stations in a pivotal parliamentary election. Over 17 million Sri Lankans are eligible to vote, choosing among 8,800 candidates who are vying for seats in the legislature.

 

 

“Just weeks after the Presidential Election held in September this year, Sri Lankans are voting today to elect the 10th Parliament in the island nation. By 1 p.m., voter turnout across various electoral districts ranged from 30 to 50 percent. Among early voters were President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, former President Ranil Wickremasinghe, and SJB leader Sajith Premadasa. Voting has proceeded peacefully so far, with no incidents reported from anywhere in the island nation. Counting of vote is set to begin at 4:15 p.m. following the close of polls. The election is a crucial litmus test for the President Dissanayake’s party as a majority would be crucial for implementing the promised reforms and for smooth functioning of his government. Ahmed Muyeen Farooqi, Colombo.”

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Air quality worsened in Delhi-NCR today with the Air Quality Index reaching to 424 this afternoon. According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board, the AQI in some parts of the city continues to remain at severe levels. Amid the rising pollution level in Delhi, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai today held a review meeting in New Delhi.

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Chairman of the Commission for Air Quality Management, Rajesh Verma has directed the concerned authorities in Punjab to intensify efforts to prevent stubble burning in the state. Mr Verma also appreciated the efforts made by the state government in bringing down the stubble burning count by nearly 71 percent as compared to last year. More from our correspondent:

 

 

 “As the air quality index (AQI) in many districts of Punjab is recorded unhealthy, Amritsar today recorded an AQI of 326 which comes under ‘Very Poor’ category, whereas, Chandigarh is choking under ‘Severe’ air quality of 460 recorded today by 11.00 AM. Till last evening, 509 incidents of farm fires were reported in the state taking the total farm fire incidents this season between September 15 to November 13 to 7,621. The Met Department has not predicted any relief from smog in the absence of rain for another 10 days. Rajesh Bali, Akashvani News, Jalandhar.”

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At the ongoing Women’s Asian Hockey Champions Trophy in Bihar, hosts and defending champions India will take on Thailand in their third match at Rajgir at 4:45 this afternoon. India defeated Malaysia 4-0 in their first match, while they clinched a 3-2 win over South Korea in their second game.

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In badminton, India’s two-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu lost to Michelle Li of Canada, 21-17, 16-21, 17-21, in the Women’s Singles pre-quarterfinals of the Kumamoto Masters Japan 2024 this morning. Another Indian shuttler Lakshya Sen also made an early exit after losing to Malaysia’s Leong Jun Hao.

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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN: –

  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi to be bestowed with Dominica highest national honour.

  • Election campaign heating up in poll-bound states of Jharkhand and Maharashtra; Top leaders of various political parties holding multiple rallies and roadshows.

  • Voting underway in Sri Lanka for Parliamentary elections.

  • 43rd India International Trade Fair begins at  Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi.

  • In Hockey, India to lock horns with Thailand in Women’s Asian Champions Trophy in Bihar this evening.

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