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 "India's High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Harsh Vardhan Shringla. Photo: ANI Twitter Handle")
Harsh Vardhan Shringla
US President nominates 2 women Generals to lead Military Commands
On the occasion of International Women's Day, US President Joe Biden on Monday (local time) announced the nomination of two women to lead the country's Military Commands, who will become the second and third women in the history of the United States Armed Forces to lead combatant Commands. US Air Force General Jacqueline Van Ovost, who is the only woman currently to have reached the rank of four-star officer, has been nominated as Commander of the United States Transportation Command. Meanwhile, Lieutenant General Laura Richardson has been nominated to lead the Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) that covers Central and Latin America.
Kolkata Fire: PM approves Rs 2 lakh ex-gratia for kin of deceased
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday expressed sadness at the loss of lives due to the fire tragedy in Kolkata and approved an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each for the next of kin of those who lost their lives in the incident. The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) also said Rs 50,000 would be given to the seriously injured persons. "Saddened by the loss of lives due to the fire tragedy in Kolkata. In this hour of sadness, my thoughts are with the bereaved families. May the injured recover at the earliest," Modi tweeted. At least seven people were killed in an inferno in a multi-storeyed building in Kolkata, which houses zonal offices of Eastern Railway and South Eastern Railway on Monday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said.
Uttarakhand CM Rawat meets JP Nadda amid speculations of leadership change
Amid speculations about a leadership change in Uttarakhand, Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat late on Monday met with Bharatiya Janata Party president JP Nadda at the latter's residence here. However, Uttarakhand BJP MLA Munna Singh Chauhan said that a wrong impression is being given about unhappiness over Rawat as Chief Minister. "Trivendra Singh Rawat continues to be the Chief Minister as we speak," Chauhan said adding that the Chief Minister will return to Dehradun on Tuesday. He also refuted reports about a BJP legislature party meeting to be held on Tuesday at Chief Minister Residence in Dehradun. "No official meeting of legislature party meet has been called," Chauhan said.
Oil nearing $70 worries consumer nations, may hamper economic recovery
Biden welcomes Pope's visit to Iraq
US President Joe Biden on Monday welcomed Pope Francis' historic visit to Iraq, describing it as a "symbol of hope" for the entire world.
"Pope Francis' visit was a historic and welcome first for the country. It sent an important message, as Pope Francis said himself, that fraternity is more durable than fratricide, that hope is more powerful than death, that peace more powerful than war'," President Biden said in a statement.
Saddened by the loss of lives due to the fire tragedy: Modi
Death toll in Kolkata railway building fire rises to 9; Union Minister Piyush Goyal orders high level inquiry
The toll in the fire that broke out at the Eastern Railway office building in Kolkata's Strand Road on Monday night mounted to nine with two more bodies recovered from the building. Those who were killed included firefighting personnel and one policeman. Union Minister Piyush Goyal expressed his condolences at the tragedy and said a high-level inquiry team comprising of four Principal heads of Railway departments has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the fire. Taking to Twitter he said, "Sincere condolences to the families of the 9 brave deceased including the 4 firefighters, 2 Railways personnel and an Assistant Sub Inspector of Police (ASI) who have been fighting the fire at the Eastern Railways Strand road office in Kolkata."
US to continue assisting Taiwan's self-defence capabilities: White House
As Taiwan continues to remain at the forefront of the escalating tensions between the United States and China, the White House on Monday said that Washington will continue to contribute to Taiwan's self-defence capabilities. "Our position on Taiwan remains clear. We will stand with friends and allies to advanced our shared prosperity, security and values. And in the Indo-Pacific region, we maintain our long-standing commitment," White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters in a press briefing.
US reinstates sanctions against Israeli businessman Gertler
The United States administration revoked a President Donald Trump-era license that exempted Israeli businessman Dan Gertler from sanctions over suspected corrupt deals with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), State Department spokesman Ned Price announced. The waiver clandestinely granted to Gertler in the last days of Donald Trump's presidency essentially suspended the action under the Global Magnitsky Act through January 2022. "Today, the Department of the Treasury, in consultation with the Department of State, revoked the license that was issued to Specially Designated National Dan Gertler on January 15, 2021," Price said in a statement on Monday.
PM Modi to inaugurate 'Maitri Setu' between India and Bangladesh today
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate 'Maitri Setu' between India and Bangladesh on Tuesday via video conferencing. He will also inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of multiple infrastructure projects in Tripura during the event. According to a statement by the Prime Minster's office the bridge 'Maitri Setu' has been built over the Feni river which flows between the Indian boundary in Tripura State and Bangladesh. The construction was taken up by the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd at a project cost of Rs. 133 crore.
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First Published: Mar 09 2021 | 6:52 AM IST
