THE HEADLINES::
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi to hold talks with his Fiji counterpart Sitiveni Rabuka in New Delhi today.
- Prime Minister to be on a two-day visit to Gujarat beginning today to launch multiple development projects.
- Indian Ambassador to Russia says, India will continue to buy oil from wherever it gets the best deal and take measures to protect its national interest.
- Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya says, India aspires to be among top five sporting nations by 2047.
- India’s Sharvari Somnath Shende wins Under 18 women’s individual recurve gold medal at World Youth Archery Championships in Winnipeg, Canada.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold talks with his Fiji counterpart Sitiveni Rabuka in Delhi today. Mr Modi will host a lunch in honour of the visiting dignitary. Mr Rabuka arrived in New Delhi yesterday on a three-day visit to India. He is accompanied by his spouse Sulueti Rabuka. The delegation include Minister of Health and Medical Services, Ratu Atonio Lalabalavu and senior officials. This is the first visit to India by Prime Minister Rabuka in his present capacity. The Prime Minister of Fiji will call on President Droupadi Murmu today evening.
India-Fiji relations are based on mutual respect, cooperation and strong cultural and people-to-people ties. The visit of Prime Minister of Fiji underscores the longstanding and enduring ties between India and Fiji. It reaffirms the continued commitment of both countries to further strengthen the bilateral relationship across all sectors. Over the years, as a major development partner of Fiji, India has supported Fiji in its nation building efforts across key sectors and in the area of capacity building. Development cooperation is a key pillar of Indiaʼs partnership with Fiji in areas such as agriculture, capacity building, education, health, IT, MSMEs, clean energy and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief. ANUPAM MISHRA, AKASHVANI NEWS, DELHI.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be on a two-day visit to Gujarat beginning today. During the visit, Mr Modi will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of development projects worth over 5,400 crore rupees at Khodaldham ground in Ahmedabad this evening. The Prime Minister will also address a public function on the occasion. The projects to be launched today are related to urban development, energy, roads, and railways. On the second day of his visit tomorrow, Mr Modi will inaugurate localised production of hybrid battery electrodes and flag-off Battery electric vehicle exports to 100 countries at Hansalpur in Ahmedabad.
In line with the Government’s vision for world-class infrastructure and connectivity, the Prime Minister will dedicate multiple railway projects worth over Rs. 1,400 crore to the nation. This includes the doubling of the 65 km Mahesana-Palanpur rail line, gauge conversion of Kalol-Kadi-Katosan Road and Bechraji-Ranuj rail lines, enhancing broad-gauge capacity for safer and smoother connectivity in North Gujarat. He will also flag off a passenger train between Katosan Road and Sabarmati, and launch a car-loaded freight train service from Bechraji. In addition, the Prime Minister will inaugurate the widening of the Viramgam-Khudad-Rampura road and lay the foundation for six-lane underpasses on Ahmedabad-Mehsana-Palanpur route, along with a railway overbridge on the Ahmedabad-Viramgam road. Aparna Khunt, Akashvani News, Ahmedabad.”
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Lucknow, the capital city of Uttar Pradesh, is all set to welcome local boy, astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla on his first visit to his home town today after completing the historic mission at the International Space Station.
In Lucknow, all preparations have been completed to give Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla a grand welcome in his home town today. A victory parade has been planned by Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla’s school from the Airport to the Gomti Nagar locality in the city. A felicitation ceremony will also be organised by his school, where 63,000 students will participate in a march to honour him. The UP government’s department of science and technology will also organise a grand ceremony, where Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will felicitate Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla. The CM Yogi said that raising India’s flag in space is a matter of pride for every citizen and honouring Shubhanshu will inspire future generations to dream big and turn those dreams into reality. Om Awasthi, Akashvani News, Lucknow.
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In Uttar Pradesh, at least eight people, including two women and one child were killed and 45 others injured in a road accident on National Highway 34 in Bulandshahr late last night. The incident occurred near Ghatal Village when a container hit a tractor full of devotees. The devotees of Gogaji were going to Rajasthan’s Gogamedi from UP’s Kasganj.
Bulandshahr SSP Dinesh Kumar Singh said that the accident happened on NH 34, on the Aligarh border, around 2:15 AM. Around 60-61 people were travelling in a tractor from Kasganj district to Rajasthan. A container coming from behind hit it at high speed due to which the tractor overturned and a large number of people were injured. The injured have been admitted to the hospital in Khurja. The condition of three persons is critical. The truck that caused the accident is in police custody.
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India’s Ambassador to Russia, Vinay Kumar has said that India will continue buying oil from wherever it gets the best deal and take measures to protect its national interest. In an interview to a Russian news agency, Vinay Kumar said, the US decision to increase tariffs on Indian imports by 25 per cent, totalling 50 per cent, due to New Delhi’s purchase of Russian oil, is unfair, unreasonable and unjustified. He emphasised that India’s energy policy aims to secure reliable supplies for its citizens and that its cooperation with Russia and other countries has contributed to global oil market stability. Mr Kumar also highlighted that India-Russia trade is driven by mutual interests and market factors and pointed out that other countries, including the US and European nations, also continue trading with Russia.
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The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for heavy to very heavy rainfall over Northwestern parts of the country for the next two days. According to the IMD, heavy to very heavy rainfall is expected at isolated places over Gujarat, Odisha, Rajasthan, and Uttarakhand till tomorrow. Heavy rainfall is also very likely at isolated places over Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir. Sub-Himalayan West Bengal, and Sikkim today.
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Heavy rains continue to lash several parts of Himachal Pradesh, triggering floods, waterlogging, and landslides. Normal life has been severely hit. As per the State Emergency Operation Centre, two national highways and 482 roads are blocked by landslides. Meteorological Department has forecast heavy rain in the state till the 30th of this month.
The rain continues unabated in Himachal Pradesh with no immediate relief in sight. The Meteorological Centre Shimla has issued an Orange Alert for heavy to very heavy rainfall in the next 12 hours for ten districts of the state-Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Kangra, Kinnaur, Kullu, Mandi, Shimla, Sirmaur, Solan, and Una. In view of the heavy rain warning and to ensure the safety of children, holiday has been declared today in educational institutions across seven districts. According to administrative orders issued by the respective Deputy Commissioners, all educational institutions will remain closed. Ritesh Kapoor, Akashvani News, Shimla.
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Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has said that India aspires to be among the top five sporting nations in the world by 2047, the centenary of the country’s independence. Addressing the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships at Ahmedabad, Mr Mandaviya said, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, India has progressed by leaps and bounds in the sporting sector and many reforms have been introduced in the area. He said, the Prime Minister has kept a goal to take the country among the top 10 in the world in the next 10 years.
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India’s Sharvari Somnath Shende won the Under 18 women’s individual recurve gold medal at the 2025 World Youth Archery Championships in Winnipeg, Canada, yesterday. The 16-year-old defeated South Korea’s Kim Yewon 6-5 in a tense final. Shende led 4-1 after the first three sets, but Kim came back strong to tie the match and force a shoot-off. In the deciding shot, Kim scored 9, while Shende hit a perfect 10 to clinch the gold. Shende is the second Indian woman to win gold at the ongoing tournament.
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In US Open tennis championship, Emma Raducanu marked her return to the winners’ circle yesterday with a commanding 6-1, 6-2 first-round victory over Japanese qualifier Ena Shibahara, her first win at the venue since her stunning 2021 title run. With strong results earlier this season, including deep runs in Miami and Washington and a gritty battle with world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in Cincinnati, Raducanu’s US Open campaign looks promising.
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Russia and Ukraine exchanged another 146 prisoners of war from each side yesterday after mediation by the United Arab Emirates, the Russian defence ministry said. All of the freed Russians were in Belarus receiving psychological and medical assistance.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy posted pictures of smiling returnees, saying most of them had been in captivity since 2022, when Russia invaded its smaller neighbour.
The third round of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine was held in Istanbul on July 23. After the talks, Russian Presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky said both sides had agreed to exchange at least 1,200 prisoners each.
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Planes and tanks have pounded parts of Gaza City as Israel plans to seize the territory’s largest urban area. Residents have spoken of uninterrupted explosions in northern and eastern parts of the city. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said the Forces are acting and will continue to act with full force to defeat Hamas, to secure the release of all the hostages and to bring the war to an end under the conditions set by Israel. Earlier, the Israeli military in a statement said it had expanded its assault on the Jabaliya area in the northern Gaza Strip by dismantling terrorist infrastructure above and below ground, eliminating militants, and strengthening operational control in the area.
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In our bilingual live phone-in programme “Public Speak” at 9.30 PM today, we will bring an insightful discussion on Regulation of Online Gaming with S Krishnan, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
During the programme, the listeners will have an opportunity to ask our expert questions related to various aspects of New Law on Online Gaming, Curbing Addiction from Online Gaming, and how to ensure Safety from Financial Ruin.
To participate, simply dial the telephone numbers 011 – 23717117 and 011 – 23314444 , 9:30 PM onwards tonight.
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TODAY’S NEWSPAPERS HEADLINE,
- A top Hindustan Times headline writes “India tightens shield, tests crucial air defence system” as DRDO has successfully tested a new integrated defence system under mission Sudarshan Chakra.
- The Asian Age quotes the Election Commission saying “Bihar SIR on schedule, documents of over 98 percent electors received.”
- “CISF to induct its first-ever-all-women commando team into the core operations” notes The Pioneer.
- The Tribune cites “ISRO crosses first hurdle, carries out crew capsule air-drop test for Gaganyaan flight.”
- Financial Express says “New export mission to get 25 thousand crore rupee boost; Cabinet approval likely soon.”
- And Finally, “The Indian Express refers to the heritage building of North Block all set to rewind the clock with its gallery to showcase a hundred artefacts called ‘Time and Timelessness’ exploring Bharat’s civilisational relationship with time.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN,
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi to hold talks with his Fiji counterpart Sitiveni Rabuka in New Delhi today.
- Prime Minister to be on a two-day visit to Gujarat beginning today to launch multiple development projects.
- Indian Ambassador to Russia says, India will continue to buy oil from wherever it gets the best deal and take measures to protect its national interest.
- Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya says, India aspires to be among top five sporting nations by 2047.
- India’s Sharvari Somnath Shende wins Under 18 women’s individual recurve gold medal at World Youth Archery Championships in Winnipeg, Canada.
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