THE HEADLINES:
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarks on a two-day visit to Kuwait; Says India deeply values historical connections with the country.
- Home Minister Amit Shah chairs 72nd plenary meeting of North East Council at Agartala in Tripura.
- GST Council meeting underway at Jaisalmer in Rajasthan; Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is chairing the meeting.
- Death toll in Jaipur gas tanker accident rises to 14.
- India signs 350 million dollars loan agreement with Asian Development Bank to expand manufacturing sector in the country.
- World Meditation Day being observed for the First time today to address global challenges of stress and violence.
- And IMD forecasts severe cold wave conditions over Jammu-Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh for the next five days.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarked on a two-day visit to Kuwait this morning. He is visiting Kuwait on the invitation of Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the Amir of the State of Kuwait. This is the first visit of an Indian Prime Minister to Kuwait in 43 years.
In his departure statement, the Prime Minister said that India deeply values the historical connection with Kuwait that has been nurtured over generations. He added that both nations are not just strong trade and energy partners, but also have shared interest in peace, security, stability and prosperity in the West Asia region.
Mr. Modi said he looks forward to his meetings with the Crown Prince of Kuwait. It would be an opportunity to chalk out a roadmap for a futuristic partnership for the benefit of our people and the region. More from our correspondent:
"The visit follows recent high-level diplomatic engagements, including a meeting between Prime Minister Modi and Kuwait's Crown Prince at the UN General Assembly in September, and India's External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar's visit to Kuwait in August. Additionally, Kuwait's Foreign Minister Abdullah Ali Al Hayya's recent visit to India in early December has helped strengthen bilateral ties. The bilateral relationship between India and Kuwait has shown robust growth, with trade exceeding 10 billion US dollars in 2023-24. Kuwait remains a crucial energy partner for India, supplying both crude oil and LPG. The Indian community, numbering around one million, represents the largest expatriate group in Kuwait and plays a vital role in the country's development across various sectors. THIS IS VINOD KUMAR, AKASHVANI NEWS, DUBAI."
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The 72nd plenary meeting of the North East Council (NEC) has begun at Agartala in Tripura. Union Home Minister Amit Shah is chairing the meeting.
The NEC meeting began yesterday with the opening of a pre-plenary technical session.
Upon arriving in Agartala last evening, Mr. Jyotiraditya Scindia told reporters that the NEC meeting will lay a new foundation for the rapid growth of the North East region. He emphasized that, in the near future, the region will experience fast-paced development, a vision set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
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The 55th GST Council meeting is underway in Jaisalmer in Rajasthan under the Chairmanship of Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. Chief Ministers of Goa, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Meghalaya and Odisha, Deputy Chief Ministers of Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Telangana and Finance Ministers from the States and Union Territories are attending the meeting. Our correspondent reports that several important decisions related to GST and Tax slab may be taken in the meeting.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has lauded the Rann Utsav being organised at Dhordo in Kutch, Gujarat. In a social media post, the Prime Minister emphasized that this festival is a symbol of the tradition, Culture and heritage of Kutch, which captivate everyone. He added that the festival provides an unforgettable lifetime experience to visitors, through its wonderful craft market, cultural programs and food tradition. The Prime Minister urged people to definitely visit Rann Utsav once in a lifetime with family.
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The death toll in the Jaipur gas tanker accident has risen to 14. 27 injured persons are being treated at the SMS hospital some in critical condition. Superintendent of the SMS hospital Dr Sushil Bhati said that six injured are currently on ventilators. District Collector of Jaipur, Jitendra Kumar Soni has formed a Joint Investigation Committee to investigate the incident.
The incident took place yesterday morning on the Jaipur-Ajmer highway in Bhankrota area. Police Commissioner of Jaipur Biju George Joseph said that 40 vehicles were destroyed in the explosion and fire in the LPG tanker.
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Union Minister for Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, Bhupendra Yadav, today released the India State of Forest Report 2023 in Dehradun, Uttarakhand. Published biennially by the Forest Survey of India, the report offers a comprehensive assessment of the nation's forest and tree resources. It covers critical topics such as forest cover, tree cover, carbon stock, forest fire incidents, and agro-forestry. According to the report, India’s total forest and tree cover spans 827,357 square kilometers, accounting for 25.17 percent of the country’s geographical area. Additionally, the total forest cover has increased by 1,445 square kilometers compared to the 2021 assessment.
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The Centre and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has signed a 350 million dollar policy-based loan agreement. This loan is part of the second subprogram of the Strengthening Multimodal and Integrated Logistics Ecosystem (SMILE) program. The program includes two subprograms aimed at boosting manufacturing and improving supply chain resilience.
The Commerce and Industry Ministry in a statement said development of India’s logistics sector is vital to enhancing the competitiveness of its manufacturing sector. The Ministry also stated that the collaboration between India and ADB reflects a shared commitment to fostering growth and innovation in the logistics sector, supporting India’s broader economic development goals.
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The first-ever World Meditation Day is being observed today, marking a global initiative to promote well-being, peace and mindfulness across nations. The theme of the event was "Meditation for Global Peace and Harmony. Indian missions across the globe celebrated the inaugural World Meditation Day, emphasising the transformative power of meditation for mental and physical well-being. At the United Nations, India hosted the 'Meditation for Global Peace and Harmony' at the UN Trusteeship Council. India's Permanent Representative to the UN, P. Harish, highlighted the ancient Indian practice of Dhyana (meditation), describing it as a tool for achieving inner calm and harmony.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today called up the citizens of the country to make meditation a part of their daily lives. In a social media post, Mr. Modi said that Meditation is a powerful way to bring peace and harmony to one’s life as well as our society and planet. He also added that in the age of technology, apps and guided videos can be valuable tools to help incorporate meditation into our routines.
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The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast cold wave to severe cold wave conditions over Jammu-Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh during the next 5 days. IMD said these conditions will also prevail over Punjab and Rajasthan till Monday. The weather agency has forecast dense fog conditions during late night and early morning hours in isolated pockets of Himachal Pradesh, East Rajasthan and Jharkhand till tomorrow.
The Weather agency said, in Delhi-NCR, smog and shallow fog is likely during evening and night hours for the next two days. The region witnessed a thin layer of fog this morning. Meanwhile, a rise in minimum temperatures by 2 to 3 degrees Celsius over Central India is likely during the next 4 days.
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In Jammu Kashmir, the harshest 40 day winter period “Chillai Kalan” has started with intense dry bone chilling temperature last night in almost all areas of the Kashmir Valley. Overall, Kashmir is experiencing dry weather amid continuous drop in night temperature that remains below freezing point. In the Jammu region, the plains experienced comparatively milder temperatures. Our Srinagar Correspondent has filed this report:
"Kashmir has entered the first night of ‘Chillai Kalan,’ the harshest 40-day winter period, with temperatures dropping to record lows across the valley. The piercing cold gripped the region, freezing water bodies and forcing residents to heat water lines to defreeze taps. Srinagar recorded a bone-chilling -8.5 degrees Celsius which is the coldest night of the season. Director of the Meteorological Department, Dr Mukhtar Ahmed told Akashvani News that there will be harsher weather ahead, with the cold wave expected to intensify further in the coming days. TARIQ RATHER, Akashvani News."
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In the Himachal Pradesh, the cold wave has resulted in mist and fog in the lower areas. More from our Correspondent:
"Dry weather continues in Himachal Pradesh. Due to the fall in minimum temperature in the lower districts of the state and fog in the morning and evening at some places, a severe cold wave is hitting hard. The minimum temperature in some areas of the state dipped around zero. Moreover due to dense fog particularly in the morning , flights could not be operated from Bhuntar Airport of Kullu for the last 3 days. The Meteorological Center Shimla has issued a warning of severe cold wave in seven districts of the state for the next 3-4 days, while an alert of dense fog has been issued in some areas of Mandi and Bilaspur districts. Raj Kumari chandel AIR News shimla."
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The World Health Organisation’s (WHO) has stated that India has demonstrated remarkable progress in reducing malaria cases and associated mortality in the country, particularly in its high-endemic states. This was highlighted in the WHO's World Malaria Report 2024. The stakeholders gathered at a meeting in the UK Parliament complex and praised the contributions of India’s community health workers, mostly women, who are effectively reducing malaria in remote areas.
According to the report, the number of estimated malaria cases in India nationwide has reduced from 6.4 million in 2017 to 2 million cases in 2023, which is a remarkable 69 percent decrease. Similarly, the estimated malaria deaths decreased from 11,100 to 3,500 during the same period which is a 68 per cent decrease.
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Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reshuffled his Cabinet, inducting eight new ministers, bringing the number of Indo-Canadians in the Cabinet to four.
Ruby Sahota, an Indo-Canadian MP from Brampton North will oversee the Democratic Institutions portfolio. While, another Indo-Canadian Anita Anand, currently the Minister of Transport, has been given additional charge of Internal Trade.
The reshuffle follows the resignation of several ministers, including Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland and Housing Minister Sean Fraser. Freeland cited disagreements with Trudeau in her resignation.
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France has commenced the withdrawal of its military forces from Chad, following the Central African nation's decision to end its defence cooperation agreement with France two weeks ago. The Chadian Defence Ministry announced that the withdrawal of the French troops has started, following the earlier removal of French fighter jets.
French troops and aircraft have been stationed in Chad since its independence in 1960, supporting the training of Chadian forces. However, the recent disagreement between the two countries prompted France to begin its pullout.
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Former Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Spain's Former Deputy Prime Minister, Rodrigo Rato, was sentenced to four years and nine months in prison by the Madrid Provincial Court. The 75-year-old was found guilty of tax fraud, money laundering, and corruption.
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In Squash, India's Veer Chotrani will take on Ameeshenraj Chandaran of Malaysia in the Men's singles Semifinals of the Western India Slam in Mumbai this evening. Veer, seeded sixth, defeated Yassin Shohdy of Egypt, 11-6, 11-2, 11-5, in the quarterfinal yesterday.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN:
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives in Kuwait on a two-day visit; Says India deeply values historical connections with the country.
- Home Minister Amit Shah chairs 72nd plenary meeting of North East Council at Agartala in Tripura.
- GST Council meeting underway at Jaisalmer in Rajasthan; Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is chairing the meeting.
- Death toll in Jaipur gas tanker accident rises to 14.
- India signs 350 million dollars loan agreement with Asian Development Bank to expand manufacturing sector in the country.
- World Meditation Day being observed for the First time today to address global challenges of stress and violence.
- And IMD forecasts severe cold wave conditions over Jammu-Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh for the next five days.
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