"Every part of India – North, South, East, West – is represented at this event.", said PM Modi. "I am at this event only to celebrate the Indian community in Kuwait", said PM Modi in ‘Hala Modi’ event. 'Doctors, nurses, and engineers building next gen infra in Kuwait' says PM Modi in ‘Hala Modi’ event.  PM Modi  attends 'Hala Modi' community programme in Kuwait PM Modi tweets, "Thank you Kuwait. I’m delighted by the wonderful welcome."Thank you Kuwait. I’m delighted by the wonderful welcome. pic.twitter.com/sz2FF40vrM— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 21, 2024 Prime Minister Narendra Modi enjoys snacks and beverage as he visits the Gulf Spic Labour Camp and meets Indian workers, in KuwaitPM Modi is on a 2-day visit to Kuwait at the invitation of Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the Amir of the State of Kuwait marking the first visit of an Indian Prime Minister to Kuwait in 43 years. A member of the Indian diaspora says, "I am from Odisha and I have been living in Kuwait for the past 17 years. We all are here to listen to the address of PM Modi and we are very excited..." PM Narendra Modi to shortly address the community Event 'Hala Modi' at Shaikh Saad Al Abdullah Indoor Sports Complex. A member of the Indian diaspora says, "I have been living in Kuwait for the last 1.5 years. We all are very excited...There is a wave of excitement among the people to see PM Modi..." PM Narendra Modi to shortly address the community Event 'Hala Modi' at Shaikh Saad Al Abdullah Indoor Sports Complex.A member of the Indian diaspora says, "...I am wearing a Gujarati attire and I love Gujarat...I am very excited to see PM Modi...With the visit of PM Modi, he is giving us an opportunity to invest within the country..." PM Narendra Modi to shortly address the community Event 'Hala Modi' at Shaikh Saad Al Abdullah Indoor Sports Complex.A member of the Indian diaspora says, "We are really grateful for getting such a wonderful opportunity to meet PM Modi and perform in front of such a great audience. We are so happy to meet PM Modi in Kuwait..." Ramayana and Mahabharata published in Arabic language; Abdullateef Alnesef, the book publisher and Abdullah Baron, the translator of Ramayana and Mahabharata in the Arabic language, met PM Narendra Modi in Kuwait CityAbdullateef Alnesef, the book publisher says, "I am very happy, it is an honour for me. Mr Modi is very happy with this. These books are very important. He (Prime Minister Modi) signed both the books..."  Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets 101-year-old Ex-IFS officer Mangal Sain Handa in Kuwait City.PM Modi is on a 2-day visit to Kuwait at 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. #WATCH | Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets 101-year-old Ex-IFS officer Mangal Sain Handa in Kuwait City.PM Modi is on a 2-day visit to Kuwait at 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… pic.twitter.com/T2qpgJm422— ANI (@ANI) December 21, 2024 On AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal announces Dr Ambedkar Scholarship, BJP MP Manoj Tiwari says, "In every state of our country, the Narendra Modi government provides special scholarships to the Scheduled Castes. In Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal has stopped it. At the time of elections, he is saying that he will do it. What were you doing for 10 years? The public is not going to believe what you are saying at the time of elections." Addressing the 'Gangdhara-Vicharon Ka Aviral Pravah' Programme at Doon University, Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami says, “We are the first state in the entire country to implement the Uniform Civil Code. We will fully implement it by January 2025. I have been asked why there has been a delay (in implementation). The reason is that we are including many provisions in it. We have also made an app for it, so people can avail of its services at home. It took time because we are trying to ensure that there is not a single shortcoming in it and thousands of people are being trained for this.” Agartala, Tripura | Union Home Minister Amit Shah says, "...Chanakya sutra says - only those states and nations can live in happiness and peace where people follow Dharma - which here means duty and not religion... He further says that of which nation, people can follow duty - the nations which are prosperous..."#WATCH | Agartala, Tripura | Union Home Minister Amit Shah says, "...Chanakya sutra says - only those states and nations can live in happiness and peace where people follow Dharma - which here means duty and not religion... He further says that of which nation, people can follow… pic.twitter.com/TH6AAyG50g— ANI (@ANI) December 21, 2024 Ramayana and Mahabharata published in Arabic language; Abdullateef Alnesef, the book publisher and Abdullah Baron, the translator of Ramayana and Mahabharata in the Arabic language, met PM Narendra Modi in Kuwait CityAbdullateef Alnesef, the book publisher says, "I am very happy, it is an honour for me. Mr Modi is very happy with this. These books are very important. He (Prime Minister Modi) signed both the books..." PM Narendra Modi tweets, "Landed in Kuwait to a warm welcome. This is the first visit by an Indian PM in 43 years, and it will undoubtedly strengthen the India-Kuwait friendship across various sectors. I look forward to the programmes scheduled for later today and tomorrow." "...All Indians in Kuwait are happy to welcome Prime Minister Narendra Modi here..." says a member of the Indian diaspora  PM Modi is on a 2-day visit to Kuwait at 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. Kuwait City: "Prime Minister Narendra Modi saw our performance. It is a very proud moment. It is a big achievement for us. On behalf of our entire team, we are thankful to Prime Minister Modi. He asked us our names... We are very happy, " says a member of the Indian diaspora Union Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav on Saturday released the "India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2023" at Forest Research Institute (FRI) in Uttarakhand's Dehradun, expressing happiness over the fact that there was an increase of 1,445 square kilometres in the total forest and tree cover of the country."The Forest and Tree cover of the country is 8,27,357 sq km which is 25.17 per cent of the geographical area of the country, consisting of 7,15,343 sq km (21.76%) as forest cover and 1,12,014 sq km (3.41%) as tree cover," a release issued by Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) said. The death toll in the Mumbai boat accident near the Gateway of India that took place on Wednesday evening has risen to 15, according to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)."The death toll in the incident of the 'Neelkamal' passenger vessel capsizing after a collision with a Navy boat near the Gateway of India rises to 15, as another body is recovered by the rescue teams," BMC said. Ahead of the upcoming 2025 Delhi Assembly Polls, Delhi Lieutenant Governor (LG) VK Saxena has granted permission to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to prosecute AAP Chief and Former Delhi Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal, in the excise policy case.On December 5, the Enforcement Directorate sought permission for sanction of prosecution against Arvind Kejriwal.  Two persons were injured after a parcel containing an electronic circuit and batteries delivered to a house in Ahmedabad city exploded on Saturday morning, police said.The blast occurred at a rowhouse in the Sabarmati area around 10.45 am, an official said.Additional Commissioner of Police (Sector-1) Neeraj Badgujar said the person who delivered the parcel to the house was also injured and has been arrested. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders in Himachal Pradesh walked out of the Vidhan Sabha on the final day of the winter session on Saturday.Visuals showed the BJP leaders demanding answers to their questions and chanting the slogan "Jhoote bhashan nahin chalega, prashno ke uttar dene honge" (False speeches won't work, answers to questions must be given).  Vishwa Hindu Parishad spokesperson Vinod Bansal on Saturday condemned vandalism of Hindu idols in Bangladesh and urged the current Yunus-led interim government to take concrete action.Speaking to ANI, Vishwa Hindu Parishad spokesperson Vinod Bansal said, "At one time, when chants of Maa Kali used to be heard from every corner of Bangladesh, today at the same place, those Kali temples are being demolished, yesterday also 3 idols were broken. The Bangladesh government will have to take some concrete action. Violence against Hindus must stop." Former Haryana Chief Minister Chaudhary Om Prakash Chautala was accorded state honour at the Tejakhera farmhouse on Saturday.People also paid their last respects to former Haryana CM at the Tejakhera farmhouse. His last rites will be held today at 3 PM.OP Chautala passed away on Friday at Medanta Hospital in Gurugram.Earlier, the Haryana government declared a holiday for all schools in the state today following the demise of the INLD supremo. A team from the Uttar Pradesh Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) conducted a survey at the Kalki Vishnu temple in Sambhal on Saturday.Sambhal SDM Vandana Mishra said, "The state archaeological team arrived here to conduct a survey at the temple..."Earlier on Friday, a four-member team from the ASI inspected five 'teerths' (shrines) and 19 wells in Sambhal. DM Dr Rajender Pensiya informed that the inspection lasted for 8-10 hours and covered a total of approximately 24 areas. Union Minister Amit Shah chaired the 72nd Plenary session of the North Eastern Council (NEC) on Saturday.Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha announced the commencement of the session via a post on X. The session is being held at Pragna Bhavan in Agartala.According to the Tripura CM, the session will focus on important discussions related to the growth and development of the northeastern region of India.  Aam Aadmi Party leader Balbir Singh joined the Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday in the presence of Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva and party's Delhi general secretary Ashish Sood and union minister Harsh Malhotra.AAP leader Sukhbir Dalal also joined the BJP today, criticizing his former leaders for not doing the work properly. Maharashtra Minister Bharat Gogawale on Saturday said that the allocation of portfolios in the Mahayuti government is expected during the day.The Winter Session of the state assembly, which began on December 16, will conclude on Saturday.Talking to reporters here, Gogawale said, "The allocation of portfolios is expected today. Leaders of all three alliance partners met on Friday, and we had a breakfast meeting with the chief minister this morning."     Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and his deputies Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar were sworn in on December 5, and 39 ministers were inducted ahead of the Winter Session on December 15 at Raj Bhavan in Nagpur. Bharatiya Janata Party workers on Saturday welcomed party MLC CT Ravi as he arrived at the party office in Bengaluru after the Karnataka High Court granted him bail in a 'derogatory' remarks case filed by Minister Lakshmi Hebbalkar.Hebbalkar has alleged that CT Ravi used derogatory words against her in the Legislative Council.The decision came after the court's single-judge bench, headed by Justice MG Uma, issued an interim order for his release. Ravi had been arrested following allegations stemming from a complaint by Karnataka Minister Lakshmi Hebbalkar, which led to the legal action. Thousands of devotees thronged the Sabarimala temple in Pathanamthitta district on Saturday to offer prayers to Lord Ayyappa, according to temple officials.The temple opened its doors on November 15 to mark the start of the annual Mandala-Makaravilakku festival, which signals the beginning of the pilgrimage season.According to the police, the bus, which was carrying 45 people, including two children, was on its way back to Hunsur in Mysore after visiting the Sabarimala temple when the accident occurred around 6 am. The injured passengers were immediately admitted to Mananthavady Medical College in Wayanad. Authorities later confirmed that their condition was not serious. Congress leader Sachin Pilot visited SMS Hospital in Jaipur to meet the victims of the recent fire incident and take stock of the situation on Saturday.Speaking to the media persons, Pilot said, "The injured people are being provided with the best available facilities. It is a tragic incident. This incident must be investigated to know the reasons behind it...As the population and means of transport are increasing, so is the number of accidents. The government has to take this matter seriously and whether safety norms are being followed or not...Not only the government, but the whole public has to follow the norms to avoid such incidents." Ahead of the 2025 Delhi Assembly elections, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday morning said that he would make an important announcement about Dr BR Ambedkar amid chaos over remarks made by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.Kejriwal, former Chief Minister of Delhi, said that he will announce in honour of Babasaheb Ambedkar in a presser at 1:00 PM today. Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar joined the Rajya Sabha Secretariat employees in celebrating Christmas at the Vice President's Enclave on Saturday.The Vice President of India's official handle shared the images of the celebration."Hon'ble Vice-President, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar, joined the Rajya Sabha Secretariat employees in celebrating Christmas at Vice-President's Enclave today. #Christmas #RajyaSabha," the post reads on X.Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday attended a Christmas celebration at the residence of Union Minister George Kurian in Delhi, where he received a warm welcome and interacted with prominent members of the Christian community."Attended the Christmas celebrations at the residence of Union Minister Shri George Kurian Ji. Also interacted with eminent members of the Christian community," PM Modi said in a post on X. Bahujan Samaj Party Chief Mayawati on Saturday called for a nationwide protest on December 24 against Union Home Minister Amit Shah's remarks on Babasaheb Ambedkar.In a series of posts on X, Mayawati said that Shah's remarks have hurt the hearts of the people."Baba Saheb Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar, the author of the original book in the form of the super-humanistic and welfare constitution for the self-respect and human rights of the Dalits, deprived and other neglected people of the country, is as revered as God. His disrespect by Amit Shah hurts the hearts of the people," she said. A 30-year-old woman, who was working at Anna Kshetra of Mahakaleshwar temple located in Ujjain district, died after her scarf stuck in a potato peeling machine on Saturday morning, an official said.Anna Kshetra of Mahakal temple is located about 500 meters away from the Mahakaleshwar temple. Free food is provided to the devotees of Baba Mahakal here. The temple committee runs it with the help of outsourced employees. Pankaj Arya, advocate of 10-year-old influencer Abhinav Arora said on Saturday that the next date of hearing in the alleged trolling case is January 3.The complaint was filed by advocate Pankaj Arya on behalf of Arora against YouTubers for allegedly trolling him on social media."We had a hearing in the Court today. The legal proceeding is underway...The next date of hearing has been scheduled for 3rd January," he said. Today and tomorrow, I will be visiting Kuwait. This visit will deepen India’s historical linkages with Kuwait. I look forward to meeting His Highness the Amir, the Crown Prince and the Prime Minister of Kuwait. This evening, I will be interacting with the Indian community and…— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 21, 2024 PM Modi leaves for 2-day historic Kuwait Visit #WATCH | Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi emplanes for Kuwait. PM Narendra Modi is on a 2-day visit to Kuwait at the invitation of Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the Amir of the State of Kuwait. This will be the first visit of an Indian Prime Minister to Kuwait in… pic.twitter.com/rnkgIxSQmf— ANI (@ANI) December 21, 2024 The people of Delhi woke up to a thick layer of fog on Saturday morning.As per the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the minimum temperature in Delhi dropped to 8 degrees Celsius near New Delhi's Safdarjung while the maximum temperature is expected to reach 23 degrees Celsius on Saturday at 8:00 AM.The minimum temperature recorded at 8:30 AM today at Safdarjung was 7.6 degrees Celsius while Palam recorded 8.7 degrees Celsius.A resident said, "It is our routine to go for cycling. We are not troubled by winters or summers. We have a whole group that is in different parts of Delhi..."As of December 21, the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) in the national capital has been recorded at 398, as per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), keeping close to the 'severe' category. The mortal remains of former Haryana Chief Minister and INLD supremo, Chaudhary Om Prakash Chautala, have been taken to Teja Khera. His last rites will be conducted with full state honours at 3 pm today.Earlier, the Haryana government declared a holiday for all schools in the state today following the demise of the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) supremo Chautala. Security forces in Manipur arrested two individuals in Churachandpur district and seized a significant cache of arms and ammunition during search operations, officials confirmed.The arrested individuals have been identified as Jangneu Haokip (33) and Lililan Haokip (42), both residents of Lamzang village in Churachandpur. The recovery included a 9mm carbine machine gun with a magazine, a pistol with a magazine, 123 live cartridges, a four-wheeler, and two mobile phones. Eight members of Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), an affiliate of Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) terrorist organisation, who were arrested yesterday by Special Task Force (STF) of Assam police, have been sent to police custody for 10 days by a Guwahati court on Friday.Partha Sarathi Mahanta, IGP (STF) told ANI that the court sent them for 10 days police custody. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has issued an order to identify illegal Bangladeshi migrant children in schools and to ensure that no illegal Bangladeshi migrants are issued birth certificate.An order has also been issued for all zones to take appropriate action to remove encroachment made by illegal Bangladeshi migrants.A VC meeting was held under the chairmanship of Principle Secretary Home, GNCTD on December 12 wherein, Addl. Commissioner (HQ) and DC (HQ) represented the Commissioner, MCD. Nearly 36 crore beneficiaries have been verified under Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri- Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) as of November 30, 2024. The Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Prataprao Jadhav stated this in a written reply in the Lok Sabha on Friday.Further, 8.39 crore hospital admissions worth over Rs 1.16 lakh crore have been authorized under the scheme. There has been significant saving towards Out-of-Pocket-Expenditure (OOPE) for beneficiaries related to hospitalization costs. The Government of Odisha, in collaboration with the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and the CGIAR Initiative on National Policies and Strategies (NPS), successfully hosted a Policy Roundtable in the State's capital. Highlighting Odisha's journey toward sustainable development, the roundtable provided a platform for regional collaboration, emphasizing opportunities for South-South knowledge exchange. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has increased the compensation to farmers for land acquisition to build the Jewar Airport from Rs 3,100 per square meter to Rs 4,300 per square meter, an official statement from the state government said.In a post on X, CM Yogi said, "Under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Asia's largest airport is being built in Jewar, the credit for this development goes to the farmers. The compensation payable for land acquisition for the third phase for Noida International Airport, Jewar has been increased from Rs 3,100 per square meter to Rs 4,300 per square meter. Hearty congratulations and salutations to all the farmer brothers!" An Indian-origin man was jailed for six weeks here on Thursday after he pleaded guilty to one count of voluntarily causing hurt to a rival gang member.Visnu Suriamurthi, 28, was also fined SGD 2,000 after admitting to a separate illegal gambling offence, reported "The Straits Times".A member of Visnu's group, Asvain Pachan Pillai Sukumaran, has been charged with the murder of Mohammad Isrrat Mohammad Ismail (29), following a brawl that happened at around 6 am on August 20, 2023 outside the Concorde Hotel and Shopping-Mall in the Orchard Road hotel-tourist belt. A thin layer of fog engulfs the national capital as cold wave grips the city.#WATCH | Delhi: A thin layer of fog engulfs the national capital as coldwave grips the city. Visuals from Firoz Shah Road and Janpath. pic.twitter.com/0qIT9Y1KcS— ANI (@ANI) December 21, 2024 Ahead of PM Modi's Kuwait visit, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement, “The historic visit by the Prime Minister is expected to open a new chapter in India-Kuwait bilateral relations It will not only consolidate the partnership in existing spheres but also unveil new avenues for future cooperation, reinforce our shared values and build a more stronger and dynamic partnership for the future.” PM Modi will be in Kuwait for two days starting today; this will be the first visit of an Indian Prime Minister to the Gulf nation in 43 years.
