In PM's Kuwait Visit, Top Honour, Bilateral Meet, Delegation-Level Talks

The Amir and PM Modi recalled strong historical ties between India and Kuwait. (File)

New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his meeting with Kuwaiti counterpart, Mohammed Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, held discussions regarding deepening of economic cooperation between the two nations, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Sunday.

MEA Secretary, CPV and OIA, Arun Kumar Chatterjee in a press briefing, elaborated on the details of Prime Minister’s visit to Kuwait, the first by an Indian PM to the Gulf nation in 43 years.

“Narendra Modi arrived in Kuwait on the morning of December 21, that is yesterday. This is the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Kuwait in 43 years. At the airport, the Prime Minister was received by at the airport, PM Modi was received by Fahad Yusuf Al-Sabah, the first Deputy PM, Minister of Defence, and Minister of Interior of Kuwait and also the Minister of Foreign Minister and other senior officials. Upon his arrival at the hotel, he was warmly welcomed by the Indian diaspora in Kuwait and their numbers are around 200,” Mr Chatterjee said.

Mr Chatterjee said that PM Modi was awarded ‘The Order of Mubarak Al Kabeer’ by Amir of Kuwait, Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al Sabah on Sunday.

“Today morning, Prime Minister was given a ceremonial welcome at the Bayan Palace and a Guard of honor accorded to him. He called on the Amir of Kuwait thereafter, Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al Sabah. This was the first meeting between the two leaders,” he said.

The Amir and PM Modi recalled strong historical ties between India and Kuwait during their bilateral meeting. PM Modi also congratulated the Amir for smoothly conducting the GCC Summit earlier this month.

“They recalled the strong historical and friendly ties between India and Kuwait and reaffirmed their full commitment to further expanding and deepening the bilateral cooperation. In this context, they agreed to elevate the bilateral relationship to a strategic partnership. Prime Minister thanked His Highness, the Amir for ensuring the well-being of over 1 million strong Indian Community in Kuwait. His Highness the Amir also expressed appreciation for the contribution of the large and vibrant Indian Community in Kuwait’s development. Prime minister also congratulated His Highness the Amir for successful holding of the GCC Summit earlier this month,” he said.

PM Modi said he accepted the Kuwaiti Highest Award on the behalf of all Indians.

“His Highness the Amir conferred the Order of Mubarak Al Kabeer on the Prime Minister of India. This is the highest Award of the state of Kuwait. The Honorable Prime Minister thanked the Amir for this gesture and conveyed that he was accepting this award on behalf of 1.4 billion Indians. Prime Minister today met His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah, the Crown Prince of the state of Kuwait. Prime Minister had earlier met the Crown Prince on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly session in September this year. The leaders acknowledged that the bilateral relations were progressing well and welcomed their elevation to a strategic partnership. The Prime Minister also expressed confidence that the India-GCC relations will be further strengthened under the presidency of Kuwait,” he said.

PM Modi held delegation-level talks with Kuwaiti PM, during which the two discussed ways to strengthen India-Kuwait’s strategic partnership.

“Prime Minister Modi held delegation-level talks with His Highness Mohammed Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, the Prime Minister of the state of Kuwait. The two leaders discussed a road map to strengthen the strategic partnership in areas including political, trade, investments, energy, defense, security, health, education technology, cultural, and people-to people ties. They emphasized on deepening the economic cooperation between the two countries. They welcomed the recent signing of the joint commission for cooperation under which new joint working groups in areas of trade, investment, education, technology, agriculture, security and culture have been set up in addition to the existing joint working groups on health manpower and hydrocarbons. The Prime Minister also attended a banquet lunch hosted in his honor by His Highness the Crown Prince of Kuwait,” he said.

Mr Chatterjee said that PM Modi was the Guest of Honour at the opening ceremony of the 26th Arabian Gulf Cup. He also went to a labout camp and met 1,500 Indian nationals who worked there, which showed the importance India attached to its workers abroad.

“Yesterday in the evening the Prime Minister of India was the guest of honor at the opening ceremony of the 26th Arabian Gulf Cup which is being hosted by Kuwait. He joined His Highness the Amir the Crown Prince and the Prime Minister of Kuwait in this opening ceremony.

“Earlier after arrival the one of the first engagements of the Prime Minister was a visit to a labor camp in Mina Abdullah area of Kuwait which has a Workforce of around 1,500 Indian nationals. The Prime Minister interacted with a cross-section of Indian workers from different states of India and inquired about their well-being. The visit to the labor camp displays the importance attached by the Prime Minister personally and the government of India to the welfare of Indian workers abroad. Thereafter yesterday evening the Prime Minister also addressed a gathering of the Indian Community at a special event titled Hala Modi at the Sheikh Sad Abdullah Indoor Sports Complex in Kuwait City. Around 4,500 Indian Nationals representing a cross-section of the Indian Community in Kuwait attended the event. The Prime Minister was warmly welcomed by the community once again and with full enthusiasm they all participated in the event yesterday,” he said.

Prime Minister Modi also lauded the role of Indian diaspora in Kuwait have enriched the relations between two copies.

“Addressing the Gathering the Prime Minister noted that the India Kuwait relationship is profoundly enriched by the Indian Community, which plays a pivotal role in fostering ties between the two Nations,” he said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Here’s this list of electric cars launched in India in 2024!-Telangana Today

Marking a great year for the EVs in India, let’s take a quick look at a list of electric cars that were launched in the country in 2024 and see how they are priced

Updated On – 20 December 2024, 09:32 PM


Here’s this list of electric cars launched in India in 2024!


With several factors contributing to its growth, the market for Electric Vehicles (EVs) has seen a rapid growth in India in the last couple of years. While the Central government’s push for EVs with subsidised prices is a major reason for Indian vehicle-buyers opting for EVs, high costs of fuel across the country also contribute to buyers going the electric way

Riding the wave of popularity, several carmakers have launched brand new models of electric cars in the Indian market. The year 2024, which will soon come to an end, has seen launches of electric cars across different segments; from budget friendly cars to luxury ones, we have seen it all this year!


Marking a great year for the EVs in India, let’s take a quick look at a list of electric cars that were launched in the country in 2024 and see how they are priced:

Punchev
Tata Punch EV

Price: Rs 10,00,000 to 14,29,000 (Ex-Showroom)

Xuv400

Mahindra XUV400
Price: Rs. 15,49,000 to Rs. 17,40,000 (Ex-Showroom)

Mg Windsor
MG Windsor EV

Price: Rs. 10,00,000 to Rs. 15,50,000

Curvv
Tata Curvv EV
Price: Rs . 17,50,000 to 22,00,00 (Ex-Showroom)

Xev 9
Mahindra XEV 9e

Price: From Rs. 21,00,000 (Ex-Showroom)

Be 6e
Mahindra BE 6
Price from Rs. 18,90,000 (Ex-Showroom)

 

Byd

BYD eMAX 7
Price: Rs. 26,90,000 to Rs. 29,90,000 (Ex-Showroom)

Countryman Ev
Mini Countryman EV

Price: Rs. 54,00,000 (Ex-Showroom)

Kia 9
Kia EV9
Price: Rs. 1,30,00,000 (Ex-Showroom)

Eqs

Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV
Price: Rs. 1,41,00,000 (Ex-Showroom)

Maybach Eqs 680
Maybach EQS 680
Price: Rs. 2,25,00,000 (Ex-Showroom)

India To Play Champions Trophy 2025 Matches At This Venue: Report




Pakistan Cricket Board has confirmed that they have chosen the United Arab Emirates as the neutral venue for the 2025 Champions Trophy. “The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has chosen the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as the neutral venue for the 2025 Champions Trophy,” said PCB spokesperson Amir Mir in a statement to IANS. 

“The PCB has formally informed the ICC about the neutral venue decision. Now, India and Pakistan’s Champions Trophy matches will be held in the UAE. The decision regarding the neutral venue for the Champions Trophy was to be made by the host, Pakistan. The final decision on the venue was made after a meeting between Mohsin Naqvi and Sheikh Al Nahyan. Sheikh Al Nahyan, currently in Pakistan, is also the Chairman of the UAE Cricket Board,” he added.

The executive board of the International Cricket Council on Thursday confirmed that matches between India and Pakistan in upcoming ICC events till 2027, including next year’s Champions Trophy 2025, will be played at neutral venues.

The neutral venue arrangements will apply to the upcoming ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 (hosted by Pakistan), set to be played in February and March 2025, as well as the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 (hosted by India) and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 (hosted by India and Sri Lanka). Moreover, it will also be applied to the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in 2028, whose hosting rights have been awarded to Pakistan.

Due to strained political relations, India and Pakistan only compete in international events like the World Cup and Asia Cup. The last bilateral series between the two nations was held in 2012-13, when Pakistan toured India for a five-match white-ball series.

The Champions Trophy is scheduled to be played in February and March 2025. Meanwhile, ICC said the schedule for the marquee tournament will be confirmed in the coming days. Pakistan are the defending champions of the tournament, having defeated India by 180 runs in the final at The Oval in 2017.

Both teams last played against each other in the T20 World Cup in New York earlier this year which India won by six runs and went on to claim their second silverware in the format.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Topics mentioned in this article

Hyderabad crime rate shoots up from 2% during BRS rule to 41% this year

Hyderabad Police Commissioner CV Anand attributes the rise to police registering FIRs in all offences and investigating them

Published Date – 22 December 2024, 11:02 PM


Hyderabad crime rate shoots up from 2% during BRS rule to 41% this year

Hyderabad Police Commissioner presenting the annual crime report for 2024 on Sunday.

Hyderabad: Hyderabad city has seen an abnormal increase in crime rate from a mere two per cent in 2023 to a whopping 41 per cent in 2024.

Incidentally, during the BRS government in 2022, a total of 24,220 cases were reported. The following year, 24,821 cases were registered in the city and an increase of two per cent was recorded by the police.


In 2024, the Hyderabad Police registered 35,944 cases. The total bodily crime cases registered were 8447 this year, while last year, 5098 cases were booked.

Also, 5328 property crime cases were registered this year compared to the previous year when 3,551 cases were booked.

Although an abnormal increase, Hyderabad Police Commissioner CV Anand attributed the rise to the police registering First Information Reports (FIRs) in all offences and investigating them.

“For every small crime, a case is booked and investigation done. We are maintaining a zero-tolerance policy for any crime,” he said.

He said all wings of the city police were seriously following the cases. “Cases are registered for cell-phone snatching and even small crimes. Dedicated teams are apprehending and arresting offenders. Organised crimes have come down in the city and activities of all rowdy sheeters are under surveillance and control,” he added.

At least 19 Gazans killed by Israeli airstrikes since dawn: Medics

At least 19 Palestinians, including children, have been killed and a dozen others injured as a fresh round of Israeli airstrikes targeted several areas across the besieged Gaza Strip, according to Palestinian medical sources.

The sources reported that an attack on a vehicle on Jalaa Street in Gaza City left at least four people dead on Sunday. Several people also sustained injuries.

An Israeli air raid on the Jabalia refugee camp, north of Gaza, killed at least five people, including children, as well.

It was the latest deadly attack carried out by the Israeli army this morning in Gaza.

Additionally, a medical source at the Baptist Hospital in Gaza City was quoted as saying that eight bodies, including those of two children and two women, along with several injured individuals, were brought to the facility following an Israeli airstrike on the Musa bin Nusair School in the al-Daraj neighborhood in central Gaza City.

According to eyewitnesses, aerial assaults on the school sheltering displaced families caused fires and extensive damage to the building.

The northern Gaza Strip continued to witness intense bombardment and shelling throughout the night into Sunday, particularly in Jabalia, Beit Lahia, and Beit Hanoun , with strikes going on around Kamal Adwan Hospital.

In central Gaza, artillery shelling struck the western side of the New Camp in Nuseirat.

In the southern Gaza Strip, a Palestinian man and his wife were killed when an Israeli helicopter attacked their apartment in central Khan Younis.

Moreover, three Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes on the eastern parts of Rafah.

Israel launched the war on Gaza on October 7, 2023, after the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas waged the surprise Operation Al-Aqsa Flood against the Israeli regime in response to the occupying entity’s decades-long campaign of bloodletting and devastation against Palestinians.

The regime’s bloody onslaught on Gaza has so far killed 45,227 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured 107,573 others. Thousands more are also missing and presumed dead under rubble.

Israel’s military has systematically blocked the entry of lifesaving food, medicine, medical supplies, fuel, and tents into the besieged Palestinian territory since October 2023.

More than one year into the Tel Aviv regime’s campaign of death and destruction, the territory’s critical infrastructure such as water networks, sanitation facilities, and bread mills has all been razed to the ground.

India To Play Champions Trophy 2025 Matches At This Neutral Venue




Pakistan Cricket Board has confirmed that they have chosen the United Arab Emirates as the neutral venue for the 2025 Champions Trophy. “The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has chosen the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as the neutral venue for the 2025 Champions Trophy,” said PCB spokesperson Amir Mir in a statement to IANS. 

“The PCB has formally informed the ICC about the neutral venue decision. Now, India and Pakistan’s Champions Trophy matches will be held in the UAE. The decision regarding the neutral venue for the Champions Trophy was to be made by the host, Pakistan. The final decision on the venue was made after a meeting between Mohsin Naqvi and Sheikh Al Nahyan. Sheikh Al Nahyan, currently in Pakistan, is also the Chairman of the UAE Cricket Board,” he added.

The executive board of the International Cricket Council on Thursday confirmed that matches between India and Pakistan in upcoming ICC events till 2027, including next year’s Champions Trophy 2025, will be played at neutral venues.

The neutral venue arrangements will apply to the upcoming ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 (hosted by Pakistan), set to be played in February and March 2025, as well as the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 (hosted by India) and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 (hosted by India and Sri Lanka). Moreover, it will also be applied to the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in 2028, whose hosting rights have been awarded to Pakistan.

Due to strained political relations, India and Pakistan only compete in international events like the World Cup and Asia Cup. The last bilateral series between the two nations was held in 2012-13, when Pakistan toured India for a five-match white-ball series.

The Champions Trophy is scheduled to be played in February and March 2025. Meanwhile, ICC said the schedule for the marquee tournament will be confirmed in the coming days. Pakistan are the defending champions of the tournament, having defeated India by 180 runs in the final at The Oval in 2017.

Both teams last played against each other in the T20 World Cup in New York earlier this year which India won by six runs and went on to claim their second silverware in the format.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Topics mentioned in this article

Putin Meets Slovak Prime Minister at Kremlin: Russian Television

Putin Meets Slovak Prime Minister at Kremlin: Russian Television

Russian President Vladimir Putin.


Moscow:

Russian President Vladimir Putin met Sunday at the Kremlin with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, one of the few European leaders he has stayed friendly with, according to images shown on Russian television.

“Putin is currently holding talks in the Kremlin with Slovak Prime Minister Fico,” Russian TV journalist Pavel Zarubin, a Kremlin insider, posted on his Telegram channel, along with a short video showing the two leaders.  

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)


Man Jumps In Front Of Moving Metro In Kolkata, Services Partially Disrupted

Man Jumps In Front Of Moving Metro In Kolkata, Services Partially Disrupted

Truncated services continued between Central-New Garia and Dumdum-Dakshineswar till 4:45 pm. (File)

Kolkata:

A man jumped in front of a moving train at Sovabazar station of Kolkata Metro Railway on Sunday, partially disrupting services on the Dakshineswar-New Garia corridor, an official said.

The incident took place around 4:10 pm, prompting the motorman to apply the brakes before the engine ran over him, while power supply to the third rail was snapped, he said.

The man, whose age and identity was not immediately known, was rescued and taken to a hospital.

Truncated services continued between Central-New Garia and Dumdum-Dakshineswar till 4:45 pm, the official said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Couple Tied To Pole, Thrashed By Mob In Bihar. Video Viral

Couple Tied To Pole, Thrashed By Mob In Bihar

A couple was tied to a pole and thrashed by a crowd in Bihar

Patna:

A man and a woman were seen tied to a pole and thrashed by a crowd in a viral video. The police have confirmed the incident as from Bihar’s Muzaffarpur district.

The two were in a relationship, the police said, adding the locals had objected to them being together.

In the video, the woman was heard screaming, her hands tied to the pole with a rope. The man is tied to the pole with his back against her.

Reports said the woman is from Samastipur district, and the man from Muzaffarpur.

The police said they started investigating soon after the video went viral.

“… It appears that the man is a resident of Sakra area of Muzaffarpur. The police station concerned has been directed to investigate the incident,” Muzaffarpur Superintendent of Police (Rural) Vidya Sagar told reporters.

“I came to know about the incident after some people sent the video on WhatsApp,” he said.

Kuwait bestows its highest honour ‘The Order of Mubarak Al Kabeer’ to PM Modi

The honour has been previously awarded to foreign leaders like Bill Clinton, Prince Charles and George Bush besides other dignitaries like Queen Elizabeth and Prince Muhammad bin Salman

Published Date – 22 December 2024, 04:54 PM


Kuwait bestows its highest honour ‘The Order of Mubarak Al Kabeer’ to PM Modi


Kuwait City: Kuwait on Sunday bestowed its highest honour ‘The Order of Mubarak Al Kabeer’ to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in appreciation of his distinguished achievements and the efforts made to strengthen the relations between the two countries.

This is the 20th international honour given to PM Modi by a country.


‘The Order of Mubarak Al Kabeer’ is a knighthood order of Kuwait and is named after the seventh ruler of Kuwait, Mubarak bin Sabah Al-Sabah, who assumed power in 1896 and took Kuwait to new heights during his reign.

The Order is awarded to Heads of State and foreign Sovereigns and to members of foreign royal families in sign of friendship.

It has been previously awarded to foreign leaders like Bill Clinton, Prince Charles and George Bush besides other dignitaries like Queen Elizabeth and Prince Muhammad bin Salman.

Last month, Prime Minister Modi was conferred with Guyana’s highest civilian honour, ‘The Order of Excellence’, by the country’s President Mohamed Irfaan Ali, for his visionary statesmanship, championing the rights of developing countries on the global stage, exceptional service to the global community and for his commitment to strengthening India-Guyana relations.

During the India-CARICOM Summit in Guyana, Dominica too had conferred its highest national honour, the ‘Dominica Award of Honour,’ on PM Modi in acknowledgement of his pivotal support during the Covid-19 pandemic and his commitment to fostering India-Dominica relations.

Nigeria also conferred the national honour of Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) on Prime Minister Modi during his first official visit to the country in November.

The Indian PM was the first foreign leader to be conferred with the award since 1969 when Queen Elizabeth received Nigeria’s highest national honour.

‘The Order of Mubarak Al Kabeer’ takes the number of civilian honours received by PM Modi to a record 20, highlighting his leadership and India’s growing stature on the global stage.

Analysts reckon that it is also a reflection of India’s strengthened diplomatic relationships and the country’s expanding influence.

Before Kuwait, Guyana, Dominica and Nigeria, PM Modi had been conferred highest civilian honours in Saudi Arabia (King Abdulaziz Sash, 2016), Afghanistan (State Order of Ghazi Amir Amanullah Khan, 2016), Palestine (Grand Collar of the State of Palestine Award, 2018), UAE (Order of Zayed Award, 2019), Russia (Order of St. Andrew the Apostle, 2019 – received by PM Modi in July 2024), Maldives (Order of the Distinguished Rule of Nishan Izzuddin, 2019), Bahrain (King Hamad Order of the Renaissance, 2019), US (Legion of Merit by the US Armed Forces in 2020), Bhutan (Order of the Druk Gyalpo, 2021) Papua New Guinea (Ebakl Award, 2023), Fiji (Companion of the Order of Fiji, 2023), Papua New Guinea (Grand Companion of the Order of Logohu, 2023), Egypt (Order of Nile, 2023), France (Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour, 2023), Greece (Grand Cross of the Order of Honour, 2023).

In addition to these highest civilian honours, PM Modi has received several prestigious awards from renowned global organisations.

In 2018, he was awarded the Seoul Peace Prize by the Seoul Peace Prize Cultural Foundation, in recognition of his contributions to global harmony and world peace.

In the same year, the United Nations honoured PM Modi with its highest environmental accolade, the Champions of The Earth Award, for his bold environmental leadership.

In 2019, PM Modi received the first-ever Philip Kotler Presidential Award, which is annually awarded to leaders who demonstrate outstanding national leadership.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation awarded PM Modi the Global Goalkeeper Award in 2019, in recognition of his efforts to transform India’s Swachh Bharat Abhiyan into a mass movement for cleanliness.

In 2021, PM Modi received the Global Energy and Environment Leadership Award from Cambridge Energy Research Associates (CERA), in recognition of his leadership on global energy and environmental sustainability.