THE HEADLINES :-
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi accorded a ceremonial Guard of Honour at Bayan Palace in Kuwait City; To hold separate meetings with the Emir and the crown Prince, besides delegation level talks with the Prime Minister of Kuwait.
- India condemns Magdeburg Christmas market attack in Germany killing five people and injuring over 200, including seven Indian nationals.
- In Punjab, two people killed and several trapped in a building collapse in Mohali; Rescue operations in full swing.
- No respite from Air pollution in Delhi as AQI level plunges into Severe Category.
- In Women’s Cricket, Indian Under-19 team lifts inaugural T20 Asia Cup at Kuala Lumpur.
- First of three match ODI series between Indian and West Indies women underway at Vadodara in Gujarat.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold separate meetings with the Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber and the crown Prince Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah today. The Prime Minister will also hold delegation level talks with his Kuwaiti counterpart. Earlier today, Prime Minister Modi was accorded a ceremonial welcome and Guard of Honour at the Bayan Palace in Kuwait City. He was received by his Kuwaiti counterpart Sheikh Ahmed Abdullah Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah.
Mr Modi arrived in Kuwait yesterday on a two-day visit to the West Asian nation at the invitation of the Emir of Kuwait. This is the first trip by an Indian Prime Minister to Kuwait in 43 years.
On the first day of his visit, the Prime Minister addressed a massive gathering of the Indian diaspora at a special event in Kuwait City. He noted that the India-Kuwait relationship has been profoundly enriched by the Indian community.
The Prime Minister extended an invitation to diaspora members to participate in Pravasi Bharatiya Divas and Maha Kumbh Mela events to be held next month.
Prime Minister Modi also interacted with a cross-section of Indian workers during his visit to a labour camp in Mina Abdullah area of Kuwait.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that India and Kuwait share multifaceted ties rooted in history, culture and mutual respect. In an interview to Kuwait News Agency KUNA, Mr Modi said, the strong relations extend across energy, trade and investments. He said, trade and commerce have been important pillars of the bilateral relationship and the bilateral trade has been on an upswing. The Prime Minister said, the energy partnership adds a unique value to the bilateral trade. Responding to a question about how India’s soft power can influence its global outreach, the Prime Minister said, India’s civilizational ethos and heritage form the foundation of its soft power. He said, India’s soft power has grown significantly alongside its expanding global presence particularly over the last decade.
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India has condemned the horrific attack in Magdeburg, Germany, that has reportedly killed five people and injured over 200. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in a statement described the incident as a horrific and senseless attack at a Christmas market.
Seven Indian nationals were also injured in Magdeburg Christmas market attack. Sources said, three have been discharged from the hospital. The Indian Mission in Germany is in touch with all those injured in the attack. The incident occurred Friday evening when a car rammed into the crowded market, which was full of shoppers buying things for Christmas.
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In Punjab, two persons have been killed and several are still trapped as a three -story building collapsed in Mohali near Chandigarh, last evening. Among the dead, a female victim has been identified as Drishti Verma from Theog, who succumbed to injuries after being rescued in a critical condition last night. A body of a male victim was recovered this morning.
Deputy Commissioner, Mohali, Viraj Tidke, told our correspondent that rescue operations are underway on a war footing since last evening with the teams of Army, NDRF and state police on the job.
According to Army sources, at least 15 civilians are still trapped in the rubble. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Maan is constantly in touch with the Mohali administration.
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Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who is on a three day visit to Tripura, visited the Bru settlement camp at Haduklau in Dhalai district today. The Home Minister spoke with Bru settlers, who are beneficiaries of Centres various schemes. He assured the inhabitants not having Ayushman Bharat Card will soon get their own cards.
The Home Minister also appealed to the youth to get good education and undergo skill development training and start their own businesses. The Home Minister also visited a beneficiary’s house. He said, the BJP government implemented several development schemes, which were earlier made on paper only, never executed:
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will distribute more than 71 thousand appointment letters to newly appointed recruits through video conferencing tomorrow. He will also address the gathering on the occasion.
Rozgar Mela will be held at 45 locations across the country. The recruitments are taking place for various Ministries and Departments of the Central Government.
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The News Services Division brings you glimpses of 2024, in its Special Year Ender series. Today, we take a look at the Department of Posts. More from our correspondent.
“The Department of Posts has marked significant achievements and milestones, reflecting its commitment to enhancing service delivery and contributing to the nation’s development. More than one thousand Dak Ghar Niryat Kendras have been opened to facilitate commercial export through postal channels across the country. The initiative aims to support small and medium enterprises by providing them access to global markets, while leveraging India Post’s vast network and expertise in logistics. The international tracked Packets service, focused on e-commerce deliveries for packets up to two KGs, has been made available to 41 countries. The India Post Payments Bank has opened over two crore 68 lakh accounts this year with 59 per cent female accounts and 77 per cent accounts opened in rural areas. With Dipendra Kumar, Anupam Mishra, Akashvani News Delhi.”
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Central Consumer Protection Authority-CCPA has imposed a penalty of two lakh rupees on a Competitive exam coaching institute for advertising misleading claims regarding results of Union Public Service Commission Examination 2023. The CCPA has also ordered the institute to discontinue the misleading advertisement with immediate effect. In a statement, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs said, the institute in its advertisement claimed 13 students in Top 100, 28 students in Top 200, and 39 students in Top 300 in Union Public Service Commission Civil Services Examination 2023, which is misleading. During the investigation, it was found that the institute offers more than 50 courses and most of the claimed successful students took a subject which comes into play after clearing Preliminary examination.
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Iceland’s new government, led by Prime Minister Kristrun Frostadottir of the Social Democratic Alliance (SDA), officially took office yesterday. Ms Frostadottir, born in 1988, is Iceland’s youngest prime minister. Elected to parliament in 2021, she became SDA leader in 2022, running unopposed for the position.
The three-party coalition includes the SDA, the Liberal Reform Party (LRP), and the People’s Party (PP). At a press conference, Ms Frostadottir outlined the cabinet’s priorities of stabilising Iceland’s economy by reducing interest rates, enforcing stricter public finance controls, and fostering value creation.
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The US Central Command has announced that last night, its forces conducted precision airstrikes on a missile storage facility and a command-and-control center operated by Yemen’s Houthi rebel group in Sanaa. Additionally the US forces intercepted multiple Houthi one-way attack drones and an anti-ship cruise missile over the Red Sea.
The strikes followed a ballistic missile attack claimed by the Houthis on central Israel, which injured at least 20 people in Tel Aviv. In a related incident, a US F/A-18 fighter jet was accidentally downed by friendly fire over the Red Sea during the airstrikes. Both Navy pilots were rescued, with one sustaining minor injuries.
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Qatar has officially reopened its embassy in Damascus, 13 years after closing it during the early stages of Syria’s civil war. The reopening follows a surge in regional and Western representatives visiting Syria to engage with the new de facto leadership after the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad’s government on 8th December. A week earlier, a Qatari delegation visited Damascus to prepare for the resumption of diplomatic ties.
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The air quality in the National Capital Delhi is in the Severe category, with an average Air Quality Index (AQI) of 401 as of 1 PM this Afternoon.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast that Delhi and the surrounding NCR are likely to experience smog and dense to shallow fog during the night and morning hours over the next two days.
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The IMD has forecast cold wave conditions in parts of Himachal Pradesh, Jammu-Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit, Baltistan and Muzaffarabad today.
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Indian under-19 women cricket team has lifted the inaugural T20 Asia Cup at Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia defeating Bangladesh by 41 runs in the final today. We have a report:
“The Indian Women’s Under-19 team made history by clinching the title with a commanding victory, remaining unbeaten throughout the six-team tournament. Chasing a target of 118, Bangladesh were bowled out for a modest 76 runs in just 18.3 overs. For India, Aayyushi Shukla claimed three wickets, while Parunika Sisodia and Sonam Yadav took two wickets each. Earlier, India, batting first, scored 117 for seven in their allotted 20 overs. Gongadi Trisha was the top scorer with a solid 52 runs off 47 balls. Trisha was named Player of the Final and also took Player of the Tournament award for her match-winning contributions. India will be pleased with how they emerged triumphant in the all-Asian event ahead of their defence of the U19 Women’s T20 World Cup, whose second edition begins next month in Malaysia. MANIK SHARMA, AKASHVANI NEWS, DELHI.”
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In Women’s Cricket, India were 40 for no loss in 10 overs against the West Indies in the first ODI of the three-match ICC Championship series at Vadodara, when reports last came in.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has penned an emotional open letter to Ravichandran Ashwin, thanking him for his exemplary contributions to cricket and the country after the iconic off-spinner announced his retirement from international cricket on December 18.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN :-
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi accorded a ceremonial Guard of Honour at Bayan Palace in Kuwait City; To hold separate meetings with the Emir and the crown Prince, besides delegation level talks with the Prime Minister of Kuwait.
- India condemns Magdeburg Christmas market attack in Germany killing five people and injuring over 200, including seven Indian nationals.
- In Punjab, two people killed and several trapped in a building collapse in Mohali; Rescue operations in full swing.
- No respite from Air pollution in Delhi as AQI level plunges into Severe Category.
- In Women’s Cricket, Indian Under-19 team lifts inaugural T20 Asia Cup at Kuala Lumpur.
- First of three match ODI series between Indian and West Indies women underway at Vadodara in Gujarat.
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