Evening News
November 21, 2024 9:00 PM
THE HEADLINES:
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses Special Session of Parliament of Guyana at Georgetown; Emphasizes that there is no greater tool than democracy for building an inclusive society.
• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his US counterpart Lloyd Austin commend progress achieved by India-US defence partnership.
• Russia fires intercontinental ballistic missile at Ukraine, says Kyiv.
• In Pakistan, 38 civilians killed in attack on passenger vans in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region.
• And in China Masters Badminton, Indian shuttler Lakshya Sen enters men’s singles quarterfinals; Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy advance to men’s double’s quarterfinals.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has emphasized that there is no greater tool than democracy for building an inclusive society. Addressing the Special Session of the Parliament of Guyana this evening, Mr. Modi said that the strongest mantra before the world to move forward is Democracy First, Humanity First. He said, Democracy is in our DNA, in our vision, and in our conduct.
Prime Minister Modi said that during a crisis in any country around the world, India’s sincere effort is to be the first responder and reach out to help. He added that the bond between India and Guyana is special.
Mr. Modi mentioned that around 180 years ago, an Indian first came to Guyana, and since then, India and Guyana have always been close to each other.
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Mr Modi will pay tributes at the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Guyana today.
“Reaffirming Mahatma Gandhi’s Global Relevance, Mr Modi will pay tributes at the statue of the Father of the Nation in Guyana. It will be 21st such instance when the Prime Minister will pay tribute to Bapu on foreign soil. Mr Modi’s unwavering commitment to Gandhi ji’s teachings transcends India’s borders. This reverence for Gandhi extends beyond domestic initiatives, finding expression in Mr Modi’s diplomatic engagements worldwide.ANUPAM MISHRA, AKASHVANI NEWS, DELHI.”
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Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin have commended the progress achieved by the India-US defence partnership, based on increased operational coordination, information-sharing, and industrial innovation. Both leaders met on the sidelines of the 11th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM+) at Vientiane, Laos, today. The Defence Ministry said in a statement that both sides recognized the remarkable progress made under the US-India Defence Industrial Cooperation Roadmap.
“The Defence Minister emphasized the need for collaboration on key initiatives, including the new regional Maritime Initiative for Training, the Quad-at-Sea Ship Observer Mission, and the Quad Indo-Pacific Logistics Network pilot project, aimed at improving disaster response across the region. The Defence Minister also held a meeting with his New Zealand counterpart, Judith Collins, on the sidelines of ADMM Plus in Vientiane, Laos. Mr Singh Singh also met South Korean Defence Minister Kim Yong Hyun and Australian counterpart Pat Conroy. With Superna, Anand, report Shagun Chopra Akashvani News.
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Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Nitin Gadkari, today said that the NDA government has provide did better road connectivity to promote religious tourism in the country. Speaking at a function in Gaya on the occasion of the inauguration and foundation stone laying of six National Highway projects worth 3,700 crore rupees, Mr. Gadkari mentioned that the Buddha Circuit is being connected with four-lane and six-lane roads.
He said the government is developing the Ram-Janki circuit, which will boost religious tourism as the holy places have great importance for devotees.
The Union Minister also said that his ministry has developed an alternative road route for pilgrims to Mansarovar via Pithoragarh in Uttarakhand.
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The counting of votes for the single-phase assembly polls in Maharashtra will be held on the 23rd of this month. The state went to the polls yesterday and reported approximately 65.11 percent voting which is the highest in the last thirty years. Our correspondent reports that the assembly elections 2024 are vital for the state as they will test the leadership of national parties and the political future of regional parties.
“The year 2019, was a turning point in Maharashtra’s political landscape with the coalition of Shivsena, NCP and Congress coming to power. According to the political experts, the situation became volatile after the vertical split in Shivsena and NCP. Over the period of five years, the state witnessed frequent changes in leadership with three chief Ministers sworn-in in a single term namely Devendra Fadanvis, Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde. Ahead of election, the prominent parties faced internal rebels and also crisscrossing of candidates. The 2024 assembly election will decide the political future of many senior leaders. It will also display the people’s reaction to the complex political discourse which took place in the state in last five years. With Aparna Khunt, This is Kunal Shinde, Akashvani News, Mumbai”
Counting for the Jharkhand assembly polls will also be held on the 23rd of November.
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The BJP today came down heavily on senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi following his allegations against the government after a particular businessman has been reportedly charged in the US for alleged bribery. Talking to the media in New Delhi, party spokesperson Sambit Patra said the concerned company will defend itself and the law will take its own course in the matter. Mr Patra rejected Mr Gandhi’s demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into the matter and accused him of trying to weaken the Indian market.
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Aam Aadmi Party today released the first list of 11 candidates for the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections. The Party has fielded Brahm Singh Tanwar from the Chhatarpur seat, Sumesh Shokeen from Matiala, Gaurav Sharma from Ghonda, Veer Singh Dhingan from Seemapuri, Choudhary Zubair Ahmad from Seelampur, and Anil Jha from Kirari Assembly constituency.
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At the 55th International Film Festival of India, IFFIesta an event that brings together art, culture, food and entertainment with interactive events, live music and performances was launched this evening.
Our correspondent reports that the event will feature a curated mix of exciting activities and music to delight participants.
“One of the major highlights of this evening was the Sand art installation by Padma Shree awardee Sudarsan Pattnaik. The artwork, crafted against the picturesque backdrop of Miramar Beach is a tribute four legendary figures of Indian cinema and music – Akkineni Nageswara Rao, Tapan Sinha, Mohammed Rafi, and Raj Kapoor. At Masterclasses, actor Manoj Bajpayee discussed how he brings depth and realism to each role, revealing the nuances that make his characters unforgettable. Renowned lyricist shared insights on the evolution of storytelling and writing. Earlier in the day, the Indian Panorama began with Randeep Hooda’s Swatantrya Veer Savarkar and the widely acclaimed non-feature film Ghar Jaisa Kuch. Today, around 40 films were scheduled for screening, and film enthusiasts turned up in large numbers to watch them. With Omvesh Upadhay, Durgesh Bhadauria for Akashvani News, Goa.”
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Prasar Bharati Chairman Navneet Kumar Sehgal today said that the idea behind launching a new OTT platform is not just to bring healthy content to the digital space but also to provide content for all sections of society, including children and youth.
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Armenia has become the 104th full member of the International Solar Alliance. Armenia handed over the Indian Solar Alliance Instrument of Ratification during a meeting between its Ambassador to India, Vahagn Afyan, and the Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, Abhishek Singh, in New Delhi today. Our correspondent reports that the International Solar Alliance is a global intergovernmental organization dedicated to advancing solar power adoption for a carbon-neutral future.
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Russia has fired an Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile, ICBM at Ukraine after President Vladimir Putin changed Moscow’s nuclear doctrine. Moscow’s strong response comes days after US President Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer allowed Ukraine to use western long-range cruise and ballistic missiles to hit targets deep within Russian territory. Within hours of those approvals from Washington and London, Kyiv fired a US-made ATACMS missile and a UK-made ‘Storm Shadow’ missile targeting Russian territories.
The Ukrainian Air Force released a statement today in which it said that Russian forces had launched various types of missiles at the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro this morning.
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In Pakistan, at least 38 people were killed and 29 others injured when Gunmen opened fire on passenger vehicles in a tribal area in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province today. Chief secretary of the province, Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry said, the attack occurred in the Kurram tribal district. He said, it is a major tragedy and the death toll is likely to rise.
There were reportedly two convoys of passenger vehicles, one carrying passengers from Peshawar to Parachinar and another from Parachinar to Peshawar, when armed men opened fire on them.
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The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence chief, as well as a Hamas leader, Ibrahim Al-Masri, for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. The move comes after the ICC prosecutor Karim Khan announced on May 20, that he was seeking arrest warrants for alleged crimes connected to the October 7 attacks on Israel by Hamas and the Israeli military response in Gaza.
The ICC said, Israel’s acceptance of the court’s jurisdiction was not required. Israel has rejected the jurisdiction of the Hague-based court and denies war crimes in Gaza.
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In the China Masters 2024 Badminton, Indian star shuttler Lakshya Sen has entered the Men’s Singles quarterfinal beating Rasmus Gemke of Denmark 21-16, 21-18 in the second round in Shenzhen, this evening. Meanwhile, in the men’s doubles, the ace Indian duo of Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy also advanced to the quarterfinal beating Rasmus Kjær and Frederik Søgaard of Denmark 21-19,21-15.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses Special Session of Parliament of Guyana at Georgetown; Emphasizes that there is no greater tool than democracy for building an inclusive society.
• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his US counterpart Lloyd Austin commend progress achieved by India-US defence partnership.
• Russia fires intercontinental ballistic missile at Ukraine, says Kyiv.
• In Pakistan, 38 civilians killed in attack on passenger vans in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region.
• And in China Masters Badminton, Indian shuttler Lakshya Sen enters men’s singles quarterfinals; Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy advance to men’s double’s quarterfinals.