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February 16, 2025 3:05 PM

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Midday News

THE HEADLINES:

 

  • Railways start high level inquiry into last night’s stampede at New Delhi railway station; Death toll rises to 18.

 

  • Government announces compensation of 10 lakh rupees to kin of deceased and 2.5 lakh rupees for seriously injured.

 

  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi to participate in Bharat Tex 2025 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi today.

 

  • External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar meets his counterparts of several countries in Munich to discuss trade, investment and security issues.

 

  • In Cricket, Gujarat Giants to take on UP Warriorz in Women’s Premier League 2025 this evening.

 

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Railways have started a high-level inquiry into the incident of stampede at the New Delhi railway station last night, in which 18 passengers reportedly have lost their lives. The Ministry of Railways named Principal Chief Commercial Manager Narsingh Deo and Principal Chief Security Commissioner Pankaj Gangwar as part of the inquiry committee. The committee, which has commenced it inquiry, gave orders to secure all video footage of the New Delhi Railway Station.

 

Chief Public Relations Officer CPRO of Northern Railway Himanshu Shekhar Upadhyay said, a two-member high level inquiry committee has been constituted to probe the stampede incident.

 

Meanwhile, Delhi Police have also launched an investigation into the incident, saying it will analyse CCTV footage to determine the sequence of events before the chaos erupted.

 

Northern Railways have announced a compensation of 10 lakh rupees to the families of the deceased, while those who sustained serious injuries will be compensated with 2.5 lakh rupees. Individuals with minor injuries will receive one lakh rupees.

 

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar also announced ex gratia of 2 lakh rupees each to the kin of the deceased, and 50,000 rupees for the injured hailing from the state.

 

Meanwhile, the number of deceased at the last night stampede at the New Delhi railway station has gone up to 18 as per agency reports. These include 11 women and five children. 13 others were injured in the incident.  Officials said that the stampede was preceded by a swell in crowd of passengers waiting to board trains to Prayagraj.

 

The LNJP hospital, where the treatment of the injured is underway, has two helpline numbers: 9873617028 and 011-23501207.

 

The President, the Prime Minister, and the ministers for Railways, Home and Defence have expressed grief over the incident.

 

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JDU Leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Kumar Jha said that the Bihar government is continuously monitoring the situation by coordinating with the Railways over the stampede at New Delhi Railway Station last night.

 

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also paid tributes to those who have lost their lives in the incident and called it unfortunate.

 

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in Bharat Tex 2025 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi today. He will also address the gathering on the occasion. Bharat Tex, a major global event, is being held since Friday till tomorrow. Our Correspondent reports that the event brings together the entire textile value chain, from raw materials to finished products, including accessories, under one roof:

 

Bharat Tex platform is the textile industry’s largest and most comprehensive event comprising a mega expo, spread across two venues, and showcasing the entire textile ecosystem. It will also feature a Global scale conference featuring over 70 conference sessions, Roundtables, Panel Discussions, and master classes. The exhibition will also feature Special Innovation and Start up Pavilions. It will also include hackathons based Startup Pitch Fest and innovation fests, Tech tanks and design challenges providing funding opportunities for startups through leading investors. This event is expected to attract policymakers and global CEOs, over 5000 Exhibitors, 6000 international buyers from over 120 countries among various other visitors.  With Pallavi, Suparna Saikia, Akashvani News, Delhi.”

 

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President Droupadi Murmu witnessed the inaugural show of Change of Guard Ceremony in new format this morning at the Forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan. The ceremony will be open to larger number of visitors from Saturday 22nd February in which people can witness a dynamic visual and musical performance, with the backdrop of the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Military drills by troops and horses of the President’s Bodyguard and the troops of the Ceremonial Guard Battalion along with the Ceremonial Military Brass Band spread over a larger area will be part of the new format. Visitors can reserve their slots at the portal; visit(dot)rashtrapatibhavan(dot)gov(dot)in.

 

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In Assam, a session of the legislative assembly will be held outside Guwahati for the first time, with Kokrajhar hosting the inaugural sitting of the Budget session tomorrow. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that it symbolises the return of peace in the state and integration of all people.

 

He said, the Governor’s speech, customarily delivered on the first day of the Budget session, will be a major highlight of the sitting. The remaining of the Budget session will be held at the permanent assembly building in Guwahati. The session will continue till 25th of March.

 

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External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar discussed U.S. President Donald Trump’s vision of connecting Asia, Europe, and the United States through Israel. A statement from the Israeli Foreign Minister’s office said that Dr. Jaishankar and Minister Sa’ar met on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference last night. The two leaders also addressed challenges posed by attacks on trade routes by the Houthis and Iran.

 

Earlier, during a joint press conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, President Trump announced that the U.S. and India have agreed to work together to build “one of the greatest trade routes in all of history.” According to Trump, this route will run from India to Israel, then to Italy, and onward to the United States, connecting partner nations through ports, railways, and undersea cables.

 

Dr. S. Jaishankar also met Norwegian Finance Minister and incoming Chair of the Munich Security Conference, Jens Stoltenberg, in Munich yesterday. They had a productive exchange on the evolving global security architecture.

 

He also met Argentina’s Foreign and Trade Minister Gerardo Werthein on the sidelines of the Conference. In a social media post, the External Affairs Minister stated that they discussed expanding India-Argentina trade and investment, while also sharing perspectives on global affairs.

 

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External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar today delivered the keynote address at the 8th Indian Ocean Conference in Muscat, Oman. He said, the meeting is taking place at a time when there is a considerable churn in world affairs. Dr Jaishankar said, changes in global order may be expressed through new ideas and concepts but they are also reflected in the evolving landscape. He said, the Indian Ocean region is no exception to that rule. The Minister said, this matters not just to the inhabitants of this community but to other regions and nations as well. He also highlighted maritime partnerships and talked about how Indian Ocean Conference bringing many partners together.

 

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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will discuss the Gaza ceasefire with Israel’s prime minister in Jerusalem today, launching a Middle East tour a day after the latest hostage-prisoner exchange. Rubio landed at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv just hours after Hamas freed three Israeli hostages in Gaza yesterday, in exchange for 369 Palestinian prisoners-the sixth swap under the ceasefire deal.

 

On his first visit to the region as Washington’s top diplomat, Rubio is expected to push US President Donald Trump’s highly controversial proposal to take control of the Gaza Strip and relocate its more than two million residents.

 

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The Brazilian government has announced that the next BRICS summit, featuring Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, and other member countries, will be held in Rio de Janeiro between July 6 and 7. The summit will include leaders from 20 member and associate countries. The Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira said the meeting will focus on important decisions for economic development, cooperation, and improving living conditions in member countries. The BRICS group, which has expanded to include Iran, Egypt, and the UAE, aims to strengthen ties with developing nations and reform global institutions under Brazil’s leadership.

 

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Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp parent company Meta has announced a new 50,000-kilometer undersea cable project, ‘Waterworth,’ aimed at enhancing digital connectivity between India and the US. According to Meta, Project Waterworth will provide industry-leading connectivity to the US, India, Brazil, South Africa, and other key regions.

 

A company spokesperson said, this investment reaffirms Meta’s commitment to economic growth, and digital inclusion, supporting India’s thriving digital landscape and fostering technological innovation.

 

Once completed, the project will span five major continents and cover over 50,000 kilometers – longer than the Earth’s circumference.

 

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News from Maha Kumbh:

 

A Climate Conference on the theme of faith and climate change was held today at the Mahakumbh in Prayagraj on the theme “Kumbh ki Aastha evam Jalvayu Parivartan”. The conference was inaugurated by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. During the event, he highlighted the ingrained values of climate conservation in Indian culture. He said that the Atharva Veda says that the Earth is our mother and we all are her children. He further added that wellbeing of this entire world is mentioned in the Vedas, but in the day-to-day life barriers often come up against achieving this goal.

 

The climate conference witnessed participation from religious leaders, environmentalists, social organizations, industry representatives, business leaders, and eminent citizens. It was organised by the Uttar Pradesh government, in partnership with the International Forum for Environment, Sustainability and Technology (iFOREST), an organisation of scientists and environmentalists.

 

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Delhi Police today celebrated its 78th Raising Day with a grand ceremonial parade at Kingsway camp parade ground in presence of the Delhi Police family. Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai took the salute as Chief Guest in the presence of Dehi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora.

 

Speaking on the occasion, the Minister said that the Delhi Police is among the top police forces in the nation. The police played a significant role during the G20 summit and in managing the Covid pandemic. He said that Delhi Police is establishing new benchmarks in law enforcement while combating crime. 

 

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In Cricket, Gujarat Giants will take on UP Warriorz in the third match of the Women’s Premier League 2025 today. The match is scheduled to begin at 7:30 PM at Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara.

 

Gujarat Giants began their season with a six-wicket defeat against Bengaluru. Meanwhile, UP Warriorz are set to kick off their campaign with this match against Gujarat Giants. This encounter will serve as a crucial litmus test for both teams as they aim to build momentum and make a lasting impact in the tournament.

 

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In Hockey, both the Indian Men’s and Women’s teams will be in action this evening in the 2024-2025 season of the FIH Pro League. The Women’s team will face England at the Kalinga Hockey Stadium in Bhubaneswar, while the Men’s team will take on Spain at the same venue. These matches will be broadcast live on DD Sports, Star Sports Select 2, and Star Sports 3.

 

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In the Indian Super League (ISL) football, East Bengal will face Mohammedan Sporting in Kolkata today. The match is set to start at 7:30 PM. East Bengal are currently placed 11th, while Mohammedan Sporting are at the bottom of the standings. With 19 games played, securing a playoff spot might be challenging for both teams.

 

The league phase will conclude on 12th March. The top two teams at the end of the league stage will automatically qualify for the semi-finals, while teams finishing 3rd to 6th will compete in a single-leg play-off to determine the other two semi-finalists.

 

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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN:

 

  • Railways start high level inquiry into last night’s stampede at New Delhi railway station; Death toll rises to 18.

 

  • Government announces compensation of 10 lakh rupees to kin of deceased and 2.5 lakh rupees for seriously injured.

 

  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi to participate in Bharat Tex 2025 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi today.

 

  • External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar meets his counterparts of several countries in Munich to discuss trade, investment and security issues.

 

  • In Cricket, Gujarat Giants to take on UP Warriorz in Women’s Premier League 2025 this evening.

 

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