THE HEADLINES ::
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi to participate in Post-Budget Webinar on Employment today.
- Government to launch ‘Model Women-Friendly Gram Panchayats’ initiative today in New Delhi.
- External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar meets UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in London to discuss bilateral economic cooperation.
- US trade war draws immediate retaliation with new tarrifs from Mexico, Canada and China.
- In cricket, India storm into the final of ICC Champions Trophy 2025, beating Australia by four wickets at Dubai.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in the Post-Budget Webinar on Employment today via video conferencing. The key themes of the webinar include Investing in People, the Economy, and Innovation. The Prime Minister will also address the gathering on the occasion:
“Employment generation has been one of the key focus areas of the government. Driven by the vision of the Prime Minister, the government has taken multiple steps to promote job growth and create greater avenues for employment. The webinar will foster collaboration among the government, industry, academia, and citizens, encouraging discussions to help translate the transformative Budget announcements into effective outcomes. The deliberations will aim at paving the way for sustainable and inclusive growth, leadership in technology and other sectors, and a skilled, healthy workforce working towards realizing the goal of Viksit Bharat by 2047. With Anand Kumar, Aman Yada, Akashvani News, Delhi.”
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The Ministry of Panchayati Raj is set to launch its Model Women-Friendly Gram Panchayats at a National Convention in New Delhi today. This initiative is a part of the Ministry’s International Women’s Day 2025 celebrations. The primary objective of the initiative is to establish at least one Model Women-Friendly Gram Panchayat in each district.
It will serve as a beacon for gender-sensitive and girl-friendly governance practices. Minister of State for Panchayati Raj Prof. S. P. Singh Baghel, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel and other representatives from various Ministries, Departments, and international organizations like the United Nations Population Fund will take part in the event.
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Union Minister for Electronics and IT Ashwini Vaishnaw met a delegation led by Princess Astrid of Belgium in New Delhi and discussed collaboration in clean technology, defense and electronics among others. In a social media post yesterday, Mr Vaishnaw said that during the meeting, he also shared the transformative impact of Unified Payments Interface (UPI) in rural areas, driving inclusive development.
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Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw asked students to be focused on their work and remain committed to the goal. Addressing the 56th convocation Ceremony of Indian Institute of Mass Communication, IIMC in New Delhi, Mr Vaishnaw said, today entire world of media is changing.He asked students to always keep nation first. Mr Vaishnaw reiterated to make IIMC a world class media institution with state of the art facilities.
Congratulating the graduating students, Mr Vaishnaw emphasized that next version of IIMC will also include world-class curriculum and stronger collaborations with the media industry.
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In Telangana, the rescue operation at the SriSailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) Tunnel at Domalapenta in Nagarkurnool district gained further momentum with restoration of the conveyor belt. Officials announced that the restoration of the conveyor belt has enabled the removal of 800 tonnes of debris an hour. Disaster Management Special Chief Secretary Arvind Kumar and Collector Badavath Santosh held a review meeting at the site, assessing the rescue operation at the SLBC project.
The Authorities said that excavation is underway in areas identified by ground-penetrating radar, with two escalators kept ready for assistance. The final components of the tunnel boring machine are set to be cut using a gas cutter and removed through a loco train. The water inside the tunnel is being pumped out. Meanwhile, the National Centre for Seismology’s team has also arrived at the site to assist in the rescue operation.
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NITI Aayog Member VK Paul has said that the government is working on a campaign to spread awareness about the Janaushadhi centres. Talking to media about the Upcoming Janaushadhi diwas, he said that Around two thousand medicines and three hundred surgical instruments are available at Janaushadhi centres. He said that the aim of these outlets is to provide the people with high-quality medicine at affordable prices. Mr Paul said that there are around 15 thousand Janaushadi centres in the country, and it will be increased to 25 thousand by the year 2027.
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External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar called on United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer at 10 Downing Street in London, where they discussed taking forward bilateral economic cooperation and enhancing people-to-people exchanges.Following the meeting, he shared on social media that he conveyed the warm greetings of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Mr Starmer. Dr. Jaishankar also mentioned that Mr Starmer shared the UK’s perspective on the Ukraine conflict.
Later, Dr. Jaishankar met with his UK counterpart, Foreign Secretary David Lammy and expressed his eagerness for further discussions.He also met Chevening Scholars from India along with with Mr Lammy. The visiting leader said it is a vivid expression of our talent and people-to-people exchanges and these Scholars are surely great advocates of India-UK ties.
Earlier, Dr Jaishankar met with Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and discussed the flow of talent, people to people exchanges, and joint efforts in tackling trafficking and extremism.
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US President Donald Trump launched a trade war against America’s three biggest trading partners, drawing immediate retaliation from Mexico, Canada and China. Just after last midnight, Trump imposed 25 percent taxes, or tariffs, on Mexican and Canadian imports, though he limited the levy to 10 percent on Canadian energy. Trump also doubled the tariff he slapped last month on Chinese products to 20 percent.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaking at a press conference rejected the US justification for the tariffs. He said his country would impose tariffs on more than $100 billion of American goods over the course of 21 days.
China also announced retaliatory action yesterday which included 10 percent to 15 percent tariffs on certain agriculture imports from the US. This is key because China is the biggest market for these goods, such as American corn, wheat and soybeans.
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United States President Donald Trump has said that he has signed more than 100 executive orders and taken 400 executive actions to “restore common sense”. Addressing a joint session of both Houses of Congress this morning for the first time during his second term he said that the people elected him to do the job, and he is doing it. Trump said he has already done much to address what he calls a national emergency at the US-Mexico border.
Senator Elissa Slotkin of Michigan will give the Democratic Party response. President Trump last spoke to a joint session of Congress when he delivered his State of the Union address in February 2020 – weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic brought the world to a halt.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has expressed his readiness to work under US President Donald Trump’s leadership to secure lasting peace, following a tense White House meeting last Friday.
In his first comments since the US paused military aid to Ukraine, Zelenskyy emphasized Ukraine’s willingness to negotiate a peace deal and sign a minerals agreement, which was not finalized during the meeting.
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In cricket, India stormed into the final of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, beating Australia by four wickets in Dubai.
“Chasing a target of 265 last evening, the Men in Blue comfortably reached 267 for six with 11 balls to spare. KL Rahul sealed the victory in style by smashing a six. Star batter Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer steadied the Indian innings with a crucial 91 runs partnership. Virat Kohli, who top-scored with 84 off 98 balls, was named Player of the Match. Earlier in the match, Australia opted to bat first after winning the toss, and posted a competitive total of 264 in 49.3 overs. For India, Mohammed Shami claimed three wickets, while Ravindra Jadeja and Varun Chakravarthy chipped in with two wickets each. In the second semi-final, South Africa will take on New Zealand in Lahore, today. The winner of this high-stakes encounter will face India in the final on Sunday. WITH SANYUKTA YADAV, MANIK SHARMA AKASHVANI NEWS, DELHI.”
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In Indian Super League (ISL) football, Goa registered a 2-0 win over Mohammedan SC at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Goa last night. With this win, Goa confirmed a second-place finish. They have already qualified for the semi-finals alongside Mohun Bagan Super Giant and will not have to engage in the single-legged eliminator. Goa FC have now moved to 48 points in 23 games, winning 14 games and drawing on six instances. Jamshedpur FC will take on Odisha at the JRD Tata Sports Complex Stadium in Jamshedpur. The match is set to start at 7:30 this evening.
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The Indian Meteorological Department has forecast that Delhi-NCR will experience strong surface winds gusting to 20-30 kilometer per hour over the next two days. This sudden change in weather is attributed to the region’s proximity to Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, where snowfall and rainfall are having a direct impact. Additionally, the IMD has forecasted scattered rainfall in isolated areas of Arunachal Pradesh today. Similar weather conditions are expected over Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim over the next two days.
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Arab leaders have approved a 53 billion dollar reconstruction plan for Gaza, that aims to avoid displacing Palestinians from the enclave. The plan was accepted at the closing of the emergency Arab summit in Cairo yesterday with full support from participating Arab leaders. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty told that the plan includes the establishment of a seaport and an airport in the Gaza Strip and the recycling of the rubble left by the destruction in Gaza.
Arab leaders issued a warning that any attempts to displace the Palestinian people or to annex any part of the occupied Palestinian territory would lead the region into a new phase of conflict, undermine opportunities for stability, and expand the conflict to other countries in the region. They demanded that Israel should completely withdraw from the Gaza Strip, including the Philadelphi Corridor between Gaza and Egypt.
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TODAY’S NEWSPAPERS HEADLINE,
- “US halts military aid to Ukraine as Zelensky regrets Trump spat”, headlines The Tribune. The Times of India and The Hindu have almost identical headline, “Zelensky offers truce as Trump cuts military aid”.
- The Hindustan Times has a front page story “Modi opens animal rescue centre Vantara in Gujarat”. Most papers have on their front page pictures of Prime Minister Modi feeding a lion cub during his visit to the unique wildlife conservation, rescue and rehabilitation center.
- India making it into the finals of the Champions trophy in Dubai is a front page story in all dailies. “Ace of the Chase” writes the Hindu. “Chase general Kohli conquers Australia, leads march to final” headlines the Statesman.
- and finally, a story in the Times of India says Julie, a pet dog, fought with a leopard for 20 minutes biting the big cat fiercely and saving a young girl and her mother of a certain death in Uttarakhand’s Kafoli village.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi to participate in Post-Budget Webinar on Employment today.
- Government to launch ‘Model Women-Friendly Gram Panchayats’ initiative today in New Delhi.
- External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar meets UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in London to discuss bilateral economic cooperation.
- US trade war draws immediate retaliation with new tarrifs from Mexico, Canada and China.
- In cricket, India storm into the final of ICC Champions Trophy 2025, beating Australia by four wickets at Dubai.
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