THE HEADLINES: –
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi says India is strongly raising concerns of Global South on every world platform; Addresses Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of Commonwealth.
- Supreme Court stays FIRs by West Bengal Police against ED officials over I-PAC raids; Issues notice to West Bengal Chief Minister, DGP and others.
- Fifty two Maoists surrender in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh.
- European Union leaders António Luís Santos da Costa and Ursula von der Leyen to be Chief Guests at 77th Republic Day celebrations.
- UN Security Council to meet today for discussion on situation in Iran following violent crackdown on anti-government protests.
- In Badminton, India’s Lakshya Sen storms into Men’s Singles quarter finals of India Open in New Delhi.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, India is strongly raising the concerns of the Global South on every global platform. Addressing the Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth at Samvidhan Sadan in New Delhi today Mr Modi said, during its G20 Presidency as well, India placed the priorities of the Global South at the centre of the global agenda.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that India has shown that democratic institutions and democratic processes give democracy with stability, speed and scale. Mr Modi said, India has turned diversity into the strength of its democracy. He said, in India democracy means last-mile delivery and the government is working with a spirit of public welfare for every individual without any discrimination. Mr Modi highlighted that nearly 25 crore people in India came out of poverty over the past few years.
Prime Minister Modi said, in India, the people are paramount, and their aspirations have been made the top priority. He said, India turned diversity into its strength and emerged as the fastest growing major economy.
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The Supreme Court today stayed the FIRs registered by the West Bengal Police against Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials in connection with the recent searches at the premises of political consultancy firm I-PAC and the residence of its co-founder Pratik Jain in Kolkata. The Apex Court observed that the petitions raise serious questions of alleged interference by state agencies in a central investigation. A Bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Vipul Pancholi issued notice to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Director General of Police Rajeev Kumar, Kolkata Police Commissioner and others on the ED’s pleas alleging obstruction during the search operations conducted last week. The Bench granted two weeks to the respondents to file their counter-affidavits, listing the matter for further hearing on 3rd of next month. In its interim order, the apex court also directed preservation of CCTV footage and other storage devices containing recordings of the searched premises as well as the surrounding areas till the next date of hearing.
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Over the Supreme Court’s decision to put a stay on FIR against the ED officers in West Bengal, the BJP said that it is a major setback for West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Addressing a press conference in New Delhi today, BJP Spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said that the decision is a major blow for TMC Chief Mamata Banerjee. He alleged that Ms Banerjee is a symbol of lawlessness and disorder.
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The Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has said that several reforms have been implemented to modernise the forces, and that such changes in a large organisation are challenging but essential. He said that India is moving ahead with a clear roadmap to build one of the world’s strongest armed forces by 2047. Mr. Singh was addressing at the Shaurya Diwas programme at Jaipur’s Sawai Mansingh Stadium, expressing gratitude to the Indian Army for its unwavering service to the nation. Highlighting the global security environment, he stressed the need for modern, well-coordinated and technology-driven forces.
A grand parade was held in Jaipur today to mark the 78th Army Day. Organised on Mahal Road in Jagatpura, the parade showcased the valour, courage and cutting-edge military capabilities of the Indian Army. This is the first time that the Army Day parade has been held outside a military cantonment, directly among the public.
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In Chhattisgarh, 52 Maoists surrendered before security forces in Bijapur district today. A total reward of one crore 45 lakh rupees had been declared on these Maoists. Among those who surrendered are twenty-one women Maoists.
The surrendered cadres were associated with the South Sub-Zonal Bureau and the Bhairamgarh Area Committee of the Maoists. Under the Chhattisgarh Government’s rehabilitation policy, each of the surrendered Maoists has been provided financial assistance of fifty thousand rupees.
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Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda today said that India’s AYUSH and herbal exports grew by over six per cent, rising from 649 million dollars in 2023-24 to more than 688 million dollars in 2024-25. In a social media post, Mr Nadda said that the establishment of Ayush Export Promotion Council has added fresh momentum, strengthening global outreach and increasing international demand for India’s traditional medicine and herbal products. Calling the achievement a strong boost for India’s traditional medicine sector, Mr Nadda highlighted that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India’s age-old wellness heritage is reaching new markets across the world.
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President of the European Council António Luís Santos da Costa and the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen will be Chief Guests at the 77th Republic Day celebrations at Kartavyapath on 26th January. At the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi both leaders will be on a three day State Visit to India from 25th January. A report:
“The leaders will also co-chair the 16th India-EU Summit on 27th of this month. President Costa and President von der Leyen will meet President Droupadi Murmu and also hold restricted and delegation level talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. An India-EU Business Forum is also expected to be organized on the sidelines of the India-EU Summit. The Ministry of External Affairs said, India and the European Union have been strategic partners since 2004. The 15th India-EU Summit was held virtually on 15 July 2020. Bilateral ties have expanded and deepened across a wide range of areas, particularly following the historic visit of EU College of Commissioners to India in February last year. MEA said, participation of EU leaders as Chief Guests at the 77th Republic Day and the 16th India-EU Summit will further deepen the India-EU Strategic Partnership and advance collaboration in priority areas of mutual interest. With Anupam Mishra, Saklen Akhtar for Akashvani News, Delhi.”
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Minister for Earth Sciences Dr Jitendra Singh today announced major expansion of Automatic Weather Stations. He said that India Meteorological Department IMD will install 50 Automatic Weather Stations each in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and Pune this year. Dr. Singh was addressing the 151st Foundation Day Celebration of India Meteorological Department in New Delhi. The Minister said that forecast accuracy has improved by more than 40 to 50 per cent compared to earlier decades. Cyclone track prediction accuracy has increased by nearly 35 to 40 per cent, while errors in monthly and seasonal forecasts have reduced sharply from around 7.5 per cent to nearly 2.5 per cent.
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Voting in 29 municipal corporations across Maharashtra, including the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, concluded peacefully today. While the exact figures are still awaited, a moderate voter turnout of around 50 per cent has been recorded. A total of 15,931 candidates are in the fray. The State Election Commission refuted allegations that the indelible ink used during voting could be easily wiped off. The vote-counting process will begin tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. at 23 counting centres. A total of 2,299 officers and staff have been deployed for the counting process. Necessary precautions have been taken with regard to security arrangements, traffic management, and maintenance of law and order.
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The Supreme Court today directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to publish names excluded from the draft electoral rolls in Kerala following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR). The Court has asked the ECI to display names both at local offices and on the ECI official website. A bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi was hearing petitions challenging the ongoing SIR process in the state. During the hearing, the Apex Court ordered that the names of individuals who have been excluded from the draft electoral list shall be displayed at the offices of the gram panchayat or any other public office located in the villages. The CJI-led Bench suggested that the ECI may consider extending the deadline for filing objections to deletions.
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India has strongly advised its nationals to avoid travelling to Iran as the security situation in the country has deteriorated further. Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in an advisory said, in view of the ongoing developments in Iran, Indian nationals are strongly advised to avoid travel to the Islamic Republic of Iran until further notice. The emergency contact helplines of the Indian Embassy in Tehran are +989128109115; +989128109109. The Embassy can also be reached through email at cons.tehran@mea.gov.in.
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The United Nations Security Council is due to meet today for a briefing on the situation in Iran, as tensions remain high following weeks of nationwide protests and a violent crackdown by authorities. The meeting comes a day after Iran briefly closed its entire airspace for about five hours overnight, forcing several international airlines to reroute or cancel flights. Iran’s Civil Aviation Authority reopened the airspace early today, with domestic and international services gradually resuming. Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump said he had been told that killings in Iran’s crackdown on protests were easing and that he believed there was no current plan for large-scale executions. Meanwhile Iran’s foreign minister said, Iran had no plan to hang people. A report: –
“US President Trump stated that he has been assured the killings of protesters have stopped and there are no plans for executions, though he continues monitoring the situation while pulling back from immediate military threats. His earlier threats of strong action if executions proceeded appear to have influenced Iran postponing the execution of protester Erfan Soltani, , who was sentenced quickly after arrest. Iranian officials, including foreign minister Abbas Araghchi, deny execution plans and reject reports of mass killings as misinformation. The situation remains fluid and tense, with de-escalation signals from both Tehran and Washington, though underlying protests and repression continue across the West Asian nation.VINOD KUMAR FOR AKASHVANI NEWS FROM DUBAI. “
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India’s ace shuttler Lakshya Sen defeated Japan’s Nishimoto kenta to reach the Men’s Singles quarter finals of the India Open Badminton tournament in New Delhi today. Lakshya defeated Nishimoto in straight games 21-19, 21-10 in a Round of 16 match. Earlier, H. S. Prannoy and Kidambi Srikanth both lost in the Round of 16 matches to exit the tournament. Prannoy went down 21-18, 19-21, 14-21 to Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew while Srikanth suffered a 14-21, 21-17, 17-21 defeat against French player Christo Popov. India’s challenge in women’s singles ended with Malvika Bansod losing 18-21, 15-21 to Chinese shuttler Han Yue.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN: –
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi says India is strongly raising concerns of Global South on every world platform; Addresses Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of Commonwealth.
- Supreme Court stays FIRs by West Bengal Police against ED officials over I-PAC raids; Issues notice to West Bengal Chief Minister, DGP and others.
- Fifty two Maoists surrender in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh.
- European Union leaders António Luís Santos da Costa and Ursula von der Leyen to be Chief Guests at 77th Republic Day celebrations.
- UN Security Council to meet today for discussion on situation in Iran following violent crackdown on anti-government protests.
- In Badminton, India’s Lakshya Sen storms into Men’s Singles quarter finals of India Open in New Delhi.
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