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Narendra Modi is expected to focus on safeguarding territorial integrity and freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific region during his September 6-7 Jakarta visit for the Asean Summit and East Asia Summit (EAS), in the backdrop of China's 'new standard map'. Besides India, several Southeast Asian nations, including Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia, have protested China's new map which focuses on the South China Sea region, Arunachal Pradesh and Aksai Chin. India had lodged a strong protest with China. The PM is expected to send a message that territorial integrity of Indo-Pacific states must be safeguarded and pitch for inclusive nature of India's Indo-Pacific policy amid China's aggressive designs in the region, said people aware of the matter. India's steadfast commitment to freedom of navigation through the South China Sea region, where tensions have been building up, will also be in focus, said the people. The PM will also highlight India's agenda for the global south, with the Asean Summit taking place on the eve of G20 Summit in New Delhi. In June, the PM had addressed a gathering at the G20 development ministers' meeting in Varanasi and stated that «development is a core issue for the global south». «The countries of the global south were at the receiving end of the Covid pandemic.

Biogas took off and it has been since powering our kitchens, community facilities and dairy farms. But now the humble biogas has caught the fancy of some leading energy players of India Inc. Last week Reliance Industries announced its plans to set up 100 compressed biogas (CBG) plants.

The Congress found itself locked into an unlikely debate with the BJP on Sunday over Rahul Gandhi's wrist. Debate about the Wayanad MP's current relationship sister Priyanka Gandhi raged on social media with both parties sharing conflicting videos to back their assertion. The BJP insisted that the siblings had fallen out - citing the lack of a rakhi on Gandhi's hand - and laid forward several reasons for the same.

NEW DELHI : Trading in treated wastewater among industrial users can be given a try to achieve efficient and productive water-use, according to a report by NITI Aayog. The federal policy think tank said in a report titled ‘water trading mechanism to promote reuse of treated water’ that in many countries water trading has helped achieve water-use efficiency and productivity. Water trading is a water market mechanism that considers water as a commodity that can be traded among users according to their needs.

Ashwamedha. Another question emerges here. Will the BJP and its partners want to fight an election before the Ram temple is dedicated? Many critics do not believe it is impossible.

NEW DELHI : The steel ministry is seeking the release of around ₹4,000 crore of unused funds from the existing production linked incentive (PLI) for specialty steel to enable it to launch an expanded version— PLI 2.0—for steel grades used in making defence equipment and automobiles, two persons privy to the development said. With the new PLI edition ready to launch, the steel ministry proposes to write to the finance ministry asking for these unused funds, the people cited above said.

NEW DELHI : The union ministry of power is likely to ask for a cut in the goods and services tax on components used in hydropower projects. The ministry may seek a cut in components like turbines, steel and cement which are in the higher slabs, two people aware of the matter said. The suggestions were discussed in a recent meeting at the ministry and may be taken up with the finance ministry, they said.

Vivek Ramaswamy said on Sunday that while he expects to become the party's nominee for the November 2024 US elections, but will vote for Donald Trump if the former president secures the nomination. Appearing on a Sunday talk show, the 38-year-old Indian American entrepreneur also expressed his intention to pardon Trump, who currently faces an array of legal challenges, should he be elected as President of the United States. «If Donald Trump's the nominee — yes, I will support him, and if I'm the president, yes, I will pardon him because that will help reunite the country.

Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, who declined to serve on the panel formed by the Centre to examine 'one nation, one election' had given his consent to be part of the committee before notification with names came out, a source in the government said on Sunday. Notably, Chowdhury, who was named a member of the High-Level Committee (HLC) constituted by the Centre on Saturday to examine 'one nation, one election' has declined to serve on the panel, saying its «terms of reference have been prepared in a manner to guarantee its conclusions». Chowdhary on Saturday wrote to Home Minister Amit Shah refusing to be a part of the committee. «The sudden attempt to thrust a constitutionally suspect, pragmatically non-feasible and logistically unimplementable idea on the nation, months before the general elections, raises serious concerns about the ulterior motives of the government», the letter read. The Union Law Ministry on Saturday named eight members to the committee, headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind, that will examine the issue of simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha, Assemblies, municipalities and panchayats. Apart from the Chairperson, the committee will include Home Minister Amit Shah, Chowdhury, former Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, former Finance Commission chairperson NK Singh, senior advocate Harish Salve, former Lok Sabha Secretary General Subhash C Kashyap, and former Chief Vigilance Commissioner Sanjay Kothari. The committee has been set up months before assembly polls in five states and ahead of Lok Sabha polls next year. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi had informed about the constitution of the committee on Friday. With five states going to the polls later this year and

(This story originally appeared in on Sep 03, 2023)

Tamil Nadu minister Udhayanidhi Stalin’s remarks on the Hindu religion sparked sharp reactions across southern India with the BJP units in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu coming down heavily on the young DMK leader. Stalin said at an event in Chennai on Saturday that the Sanatana Dharma was like dengue and malaria, and that they should think of not fighting it but eradicating it. Congress MP Karti Chidambaram’s endorsement of the statement fuelled demands for Karnataka’s ruling party to clarify its stand on the matter. The BJP's Karnataka unit said, «Rahul Gandhi's friend and ally Udhayanidhi Stalin spews venom against Hindus by saying Sanatana Dharma is like malaria, dengue and must be eradicated.

Congress on Sunday took a swipe at the government, saying the 7th Non-Aligned Summit took place in 1983 «without much hype and self-serving publicity» in New Delhi. In a post on X, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh also shared a video clip of former prime minister Indira Gandhi receiving world leaders at the summit. The Congress has accused the government of running an «election campaign» using the upcoming G20 meeting in India and using it to divert people's attention from real issues. Ramesh said, «The 7th Non-Aligned Summit took place without much hype and self-serving publicity in New Delhi for five days in March 1983.» «Incidentally, this was the Summit to which Fidel Castro brought along Gabriel Garcia Marquez as part of the Cuban delegation.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday said the people of India have «one nation, one solution» for 2024 and that is to get rid of the BJP's «misrule». In a post on X, Kharge termed the high-level committee constituted by the Centre to examine the feasibility of 'One Nation, One Election' a «gimmick» and alleged the Modi government wants to slowly replace democracy in India with dictatorship. The government on Saturday notified an eight-member high-level committee, which will be headed by former president Ram Nath Kovind, to examine and make recommendations for holding simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha, state assemblies, municipalities and panchayats. Hours later, Congress leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, the lone opposition leader in the panel, wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah declining to be a part of the committee, saying its «terms of reference have been prepared in a manner to guarantee its conclusions». In his post, Kharge said, «This gimmick of forming a committee on 'One Nation, One Election' is a subterfuge for dismantling the Federal Structure of India.» «Drastic actions like 'One Nation, One Election' would sabotage our Democracy, Constitution and evolved-time-tested procedures.

₹28,953 crore) to acquire shares from its non-controlling interest holders in first half of 2023, said a report by PTI citing Walmart’s statement. During the first half of 2023, Flipkart received $700 million related to new rounds of equity funding for its subsidiary PhonePe, said the Bentonville-based Walmart in a US Securities & Exchange Commission (US SEC) filing. “During the six months ended July 31, 2023, the company paid USD 3.5 billion to acquire shares from certain Flipkart noncontrolling interest holders and settle the liability to former noncontrolling interest holders of PhonePe"said the report quoting Walmart’s US SEC filing.

(Reuters) -Russian drones hit Danube River port infrastructure that is critical to Ukraine's grain exports, injuring at least two people in the attack on southern parts of the Odesa region on Sunday, Ukrainian officials said.

By Diane Bartz and Phil Stewart

Manchester United face off at the Emirates Stadium. Mikel Arteta's Arsenal enters this pivotal clash after a 2-2 draw with Fulham in their last outing. On the other hand, Erik ten Hag's Manchester United staged a remarkable comeback at Old Trafford, overcoming an early 2-0 deficit to triumph 3-2 against Nottingham Forest. For fans around the world eager to catch this showdown, we'll provide information on the top live TV streaming services to ensure you don't miss a moment of the action.

BJP noted on Sunday that Lok Sabha and Assembly polls were held together in the country till 1967 and the issue of simultaneous elections was debated when Indira Gandhi was the prime minister as well, as it attacked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his «parochial» stand in criticising the idea. «The first time serious contemplation, to go back to the arrangement (simultaneous polls) our founding fathers had envisaged, happened in 1982 when Mrs Indira Gandhi was in power.

opposition parties are going to have «massive heartburn and sleepless nights» with Prime Minister Narendra Modi laying the vision for the country's progress in the next 40-50 years while showing that his government's report card is «solid», the BJP said on Sunday. Hailing the prime minister's interview to PTI, BJP national spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill said, «Modi ji proved that he is an all-rounder batsman who is hitting fours and sixes, and continues to do so while the opposition is getting out on a duck.» The prime minister's interview with PTI is the «living testimony» of 'Jo kaha woh kiya, aur abhi aur karna hai (Whatever he said, he did and more has to be done)', he added. «The prime minister's interview with PTI today is going to give a massive heartburn and sleepless nights to the opposition which is daydreaming of forming government in 2024,» Shergill told PTI when asked for a comment. The prime minister's interview shows that his government's report card is solid, he said. «He has laid the vision for the next 40-50 years for the nation,» he said, adding «Opposition would not be able to digest his interview because they can neither compete with Modi ji's agenda nor his work». Shergill said the prime minister's tenure is the «living example» of India's empowerment, strength and all-round progress. Modi's interview shows that in the last nine years, a «new story of development» has been written, he said. «Earlier people used to read about G20 in newspapers only.

Narendra Modi is a «charismatic and unparalleled leader of the world» under whose leadership India is continuously marching ahead, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Sunday. He was addressing a function before Bharatiya Janata Party chief JP Nadda flagged off the party's 'Jan Ashirwad Yatra' from here in the run up to the year-end state polls. «Under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi our country is continuously marching ahead.

Chandrayaan-3 and Aditya-L1 are the outcomes of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's progressive policy decisions, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said on Sunday, asserting that ISRO now has the capacity to compete with NASA and Roscosmos in space expeditions. The lander module of Chandrayaan-3 — the third mission in the Chandrayaan programme developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) — touched down on the lunar surface on August 23, making India only the fourth country to accomplish the feat.