THE HEADLINES:-
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi receives telephone call from Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva; Two leaders reiterate their commitment to take India-Brazil Strategic Partnership to new heights.
- National Security Adviser Ajit Doval meets Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow; Russian President to visit India soon.
- Election Commission asks Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to give complaint on oath or stop spreading lies.
- Anantnag railway station in Kashmir Valley opened for transport of goods.
- India sees surge in medical tourism with over 1.31 lakh foreign tourist arrivals for medical purposes from January to April 2025.
- And, five Indian boxers enter semifinals of Under 19 Asian Championships in Bangkok.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a call from Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva yesterday. In a statement, Prime Minister’s Office informed that during their telephonic conversation, the two leaders agreed to enhance cooperation in trade, technology, energy, defence, agriculture, health and people-to-people ties. They also exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest. Prime Minister Modi further recalled his visit to Brazil last month. The PMO said, the two leaders also reiterated their commitment to take India-Brazil Strategic Partnership to new heights.
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National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval called on Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin in Moscow yesterday. Earlier in the day, Mr Doval held talks with Russian Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu. Speaking on the occasion, the National Security Adviser said, India has a special and long relationship with Russia and it values this relationship. He said, both sides had high-level engagement and these engagements have contributed very substantially. The NSA also said, Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit India soon and the dates are almost finalised. However, no specific date or timeline has been indicated about the visit.
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The Election Commission has rebutted the claims made by Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi wherein he alleged manipulation in the voter list. In a social media fact Check, Election Commission termed these allegation as misleading saying that if Mr Gandhi believes what he is saying is true, then he should sign the Declaration/Oath as per the Elections rule. The commission also said that if Leader of Opposition does not believe in what he is saying, then he should stop arriving at absurd conclusions and misleading the citizens of the country.
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Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will today inaugurate the construction work of a grand temple dedicated to Goddess Sita at Punaura Dham in Sitamarhi district of Bihar.
“The foundation stone laying ceremony and Bhoomi Pujan for the grand temple will take place this afternoon amidst chanting of Vedic mantras. On this occasion, the Union Home Minister Amit Shah will also address a public gathering. The Bihar government has decided to acquire 50 acres of land for the construction of the new temple. The Union Home Minister will also flag off Sitamarhi-New Delhi Amrit Bharat Express train via video conferencing from Sitamarhi. This will provide a direct rail link via several important places of Bihar. Saints and seers from across the country including from Ayodhya, Kashi, Janakpur, and South India have arrived to participate in today’s event. For the Bhoomi Pujan, soil from 21 pilgrimage sites and water from 31 rivers have been brought. With Dharmendra from Sitamarhi, Neelam Kaushik, For Akashvani News.”
In Mithilanchal region, people from Sitamarhi expressed their happiness on the occasion of foundation stone laying ceremony of Janaki Temple at Punaura dham.
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In Jammu & Kashmir, the Northern Railway has officially opened Anantnag Railway Station under its Jammu Division for the movement of goods. This would strengthen Kashmir’s economic ties with markets across India. Our Correspondent reports that these developments are expected to transform logistics and trade dynamics for the entire region.
“In a major step towards enhancing economic activity in the Kashmir Valley, the Anantnag station will operate daily from 6 O’clock in the morning till 10 O’clock in the night handling all types of goods except petroleum products. This will boost up market access for horticulture, handicrafts and fresh produce from Kashmir. This will also provide lower transportation costs for local businesses and traders. In addition, the goods train facility will improve logistics and faster delivery especially during winters when road transport is often disrupted. Local industry bodies and residents have welcomed the move, calling it a timely and transformative step for the economic development of Kashmir. Tariq Rather, Akashvani News, Srinagar.”
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India has recorded more than 1.31 lakh foreign tourist arrivals (FTAs) for medical purposes from January to April 2025, accounting for approximately 4.1 percent of total FTAs during the period. This was stated by Union Minister for Tourism and Culture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha.
“Over the past five years, Bangladesh has emerged as the top source country for medical tourists, with 4.82 lakh arrivals in 2024, followed by Iraq, Somalia, Oman, and Uzbekistan. The total FTAs for medical purposes in 2024 stood at 6 lakh 44 thousand 387, a significant rise from over 1.82 lakh in 2020. With the central government complementing these efforts through various schemes and initiatives. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is also actively promoting the ‘Heal in India’ campaign, fostering public-private partnerships to enhance the medical tourism ecosystem, which includes hospitals, facilitators, hotels, airlines, and regulatory agencies. To ease access for international patients, the Government of India has extended e-medical visa and e-medical attendant visa facilities to nationals of 171 countries. Payal Sharma, Akashvani News, Delhi.”
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In Uttarakhand, the Army, Air Force, ITBP, NDRF, SDRF, Police and District Administration are engaged in relief and rescue operations in the disaster-affected Dharali-Harsil area of Uttarkashi district. So far, 372 people have been safely transported from the disaster-affected areas to ITBP Matli Camp and Jolly Grant, Dehradun helipad with the help of helicopters. Chinook and MI-17 airlifting resources are being used in this operation. District Magistrate Prashant Arya said that relief material, drinking water, medicines and food grains are being delivered to the people stranded in the affected areas through helicopters.
According to the State Disaster Management Authority, two bodies have been recovered so far, while about 16 people, including 9 military personnel, are missing. State Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami reviewed the ongoing disaster relief and rescue operations in the district from the disaster control room in Uttarkashi late last night.
On the other hand, due to heavy landslides about one kilometer ahead of Pipalkoti in Chamoli district, the administration has halted Badrinath and Hemkund Sahib Yatra.
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The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued red alert for very heavy rainfall in Arunachal Pradesh today. IMD said that Arunachal Pradesh will experience heavy rainfall at isolated places till Monday.
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In Himachal Pradesh, there has been some respite from rainfall over the past 24 hours. This brief relief has provided an opportunity to restore normalcy in areas worst hit by the recent downpour. However, landslides continue to disrupt connectivity, with two national highways and 452 roads still closed to traffic. Our correspondent reports that restoration efforts are underway to bring relief to the affected regions.
“The Meteorological Centre in Shimla has forecast another spell of bad weather across Himachal Pradesh starting today. A yellow alert for rainfall has been issued for Shimla, Una, Bilaspur, Kangra, Solan, and Sirmaur districts for today and tomorrow. Furthermore, an orange alert for heavy to very heavy rainfall has been issued for several districts on 10 and 11 August. So far this monsoon season, the state has recorded 58 flash floods, 30 cloudbursts, and 51 incidents of landslides. Rain-related incidents have claimed 202 lives, while 37 people are still reported missing. Ritesh Kapoor, Akashvani News, Shimla.”
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And now, news from the world of Sports, bringing the latest from boxing, chess, football, and rugby.
“Joining their seven female counterparts who had already made the last four, Shivam (55kg), Mausam Suhag (65kg), Rahul Kundu (75kg), Gaurav (85kg), and Hemant Sangwan (90kg) delivered dominant performances to seal their spots in the semi-finals and guarantee at least bronze medals. The U22 Asian Boxing Championships are being held simultaneously, and India is also assured of 13 medals in the U22 category, with five boxers already in the gold medal bouts.
In Chess, World No. 5 Arjun Erigaisi and German Grandmaster Vincent Keymer got off to a winning start at the Quantbox Chennai Grandmasters 2025, as the prestigious classical tournament began yesterday at the Hyatt Regency, Chennai.
In football, Mohammedan SC concluded their Durand Cup journey in style, defeating BSF FT 3-0 with dominant play at the Kishore Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata today. In another match, NEROCA FC and Indian Navy FT played out a hard-fought goalless draw in their Group F match at at the Khuman Lampak Main Stadium in Imphal. The Asia Rugby Under-20 Championship will be held in Rajgir, Bihar, on the 9th and 10th of this month. Jigyasa Pandey, Akashvani News, Delhi.”
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Gujarat will launch a large-scale “Har Ghar Tiranga, Har Ghar Swachhta: campaign from today to August 15 to mark the 79th Independence Day. Minister of State for Sports and Youth Affairs Harsh Sanghvi informed that the campaign will involve grand Tiranga Yatra processions, cleanliness rallies, and a series of patriotic activities across the state.
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TODAY’S NEWSPAPERS HEADLINES:-
- “Ready to protect farmers at any cost, says Prime Minister, as US ups tariff” is the top headline in Hindustan Times. “PM draws the line: Won’t compromise on our interests, ready to pay heavy personal price”, headlines The Indian Express.
- In a rare gesture of solidarity, China has publicly expressed support for India, on the escalation in trade tensions with the US, writes The Pioneer. The paper also reports that amid trade wars, Iran has sought stronger ties with New Delhi.
- President Putin’s India visit timeline almost final as Ajit Doval meets top leadership, writes The Tribune.
- The Supreme Court has dismissed Justice Varma’s petition seeking quashing of a report that found him guilty in the cash discovery row, saying, his conduct does not inspire confidence, reports The Asian Age.
- And finally, marking a major milestone in DMRC’s journey towards automation, Delhi Metro’s Magenta Line goes completely driverless, writes The Times of India.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN:-
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi receives telephone call from Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva; Two leaders reiterate their commitment to take India-Brazil Strategic Partnership to new heights.
- National Security Adviser Ajit Doval meets Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow; Russian President to visit India soon.
- Election Commission asks Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to give complaint on oath or stop spreading lies.
- Anantnag railway station in Kashmir Valley opened for transport of goods.
- India sees surge in medical tourism with over 1.31 lakh foreign tourist arrivals for medical purposes from January to April 2025.
- And, five Indian boxers enter semifinals of Under 19 Asian Championships in Bangkok.
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