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4:42 PM

Ram Mandir consecration rituals begin with 'akshat puja'

The rituals for the consecration ceremony of Ram temple in Ayodhya, UP began on Sunday with 'akshat puja'. The 'akshat puja' is being performed at the 'Ram Darbar' or court of Lord Ram in the temple with the worship of about 100 quintals of whole grain rice mixed with turmeric and desi ghee, the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust said. This 'pujit akshat' or worshipped rice will be distributed among 90 post holders of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) who have gathered from 45 organisational provinces of the country. These VHP members will then distribute the rice across the nation before January 22, the trust added.

4:23 PM

Blinken meets Palestinian leader in West Bank, steps up Mideast diplomacy as Gaza war escalates

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken brought his frenetic Mideast diplomatic push on the Israel-Hamas war to the occupied West Bank on Sunday, meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in his latest bid to ease civilian suffering in the Gaza Strip and begin to sketch out a post-conflict scenario for the territory. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Blinken reaffirmed the US commitment to the delivery of life-saving humanitarian assistance and resumption of essential services in Gaza and made clear that Palestinians must not be forcibly displaced.

3:44 PM

BJP committed to create marvellous Mizoram, says PM Modi ahead of polls

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday released a video message for the people of poll-bound Mizoram seeking their support and blessings to make their homeland "marvellous". Addressing the people of the northeastern state on the last day of the campaign, Modi in the video message said the BJP-led central government has taken steps to improve its various infrastructure including railway, health and sports. Terming the people of Mizoram like his family members, he said it has always been a great pleasure for him to interact with the state's warm people.

3:27 PM

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf expresses concern over terrorist attacks

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has raised concern over terrorist attacks on security forces days after the date of the general elections was announced, Pakistan-based Dawn reported. PTI released the statement after nine terrorists were killed as security forces foiled a terrorist attack on the Mianwali Training Air Base of the Pakistan Air Force. Imran Khan-led party stressed introducing an effective national strategy to stop the attacks and avoid "more disastrous consequences".

2:55 PM

BJP will win all 40 seats in Bihar in 2024 LS polls, says Amit Shah

Addressing a rally in Muzaffarpur district, Union Home Minister Amit Shah exuded confidence that the BJP would win all the 40 seats in Bihar in next year's Lok Sabha elections. The senior BJP leader on Sunday attacked Bihar's Nitish Kumar government, accusing it of deliberately showing inflated Muslim and Yadav population in the state's caste survey as part of its "appeasement politics".

2:40 PM

BSF installs beehives on India-Bangladesh fence to check border crimes

The Border Security Force (BSF) has undertaken a unique experiment of installing beehives on the India-Bangladesh border fence in West Bengal to stop instances of cutting the hedge for cattle smuggling and other crimes, besides generating livelihood for the locals.

The first-of-its kind initiative was launched recently by the BSF's 32nd battalion in the border areas of Nadia district with an aim of ensuring border security and helping the local populace through apiculture, a senior officer said.

 

2:25 PM

"BJP will form double engine government in Madhya Pradesh": Piyush Goyal

Ahead of the November 17 polls in the Pradesh, Union Minister Piyush Goyal said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is on its way to forming the government in the state and a "double engine government" will be formed under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"We will be sweeping Indore, and we are certain that the Bharatiya Janata Party will win Madhya Pradesh again and form the government. A double-engine government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi will bring development to the state," Goyal said while speaking at a press conference in Indore on Sunday.

1:56 PM

Govt's move to extend free ration scheme indicates economic distress: Cong

The Congress on Sunday said the government's decision to extend the free ration scheme for another five years is an indication of the continuing high level of economic distress and growing inequalities in the country.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of shifting his position on the issue.

1:45 PM

PM Modi visits Dongargarh in poll-bound Chhattisgarh, meets Acharya Vidyasagar Maharaj

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday visited Dongargarh, a popular pilgrimage spot, in Chhattisgarh's Rajnandagon district and met Jain seer Acharya Vidyasagar Maharaj.

In the morning, Modi arrived at Gondia airport in Maharashtra and travelled from there by a helicopter.

 

1:21 PM

Before 2014, each scam of Congress used to be worth lakhs of crores, says PM Modi in MP

Prime Minister Narendra Modi says "Before 2014, each scam of Congress used to be worth lakhs of crores, now there are no scams in the BJP government. The money that we have saved for the rights of the poor is now being spent on the ration of the poor. This is the biggest difference between the scammer Congress government and the BJP government..."

 

1:03 PM

PM Modi addresses a rally in Madhya Pradesh's Seoni ahead of polls

12:47 PM

Recognise all Marathas as Kunbis under OBC category, activists demand

Activists supporting the Maratha reservation have claimed that the community members were recognised as Kunbi community during the Nizam era and hence all Marathas should be treated as Kunbis under the OBC category.

The "Marathas and Kunbis inter-dined and intermarried freely," leading to blurring of lines between them, a pro-quota activist claimed.

12:20 PM

Int'l community should enforce immediate ceasefire in Palestine: Priyanka

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Sunday accused the leaders of the "free world" of financing the "genocide" of thousands in Palestine and demanded that the international community should enforce an immediate ceasefire there.

"It is horrific and shameful beyond words that almost 10,000 civilians of which nearly 5000 are children have been massacred, whole family lines have been finished off, hospitals and ambulances have been bombed, refugee camps targeted and yet the so-called leaders of the 'free' world continue to finance and support the genocide in Palestine," she said in a post on X.

11:53 AM

Israel jets strike Gaza camp as US fails to win support to pause fighting

Israeli warplanes struck a refugee camp in the Gaza Strip early Sunday, killing at least 33 people and wounding dozens, health officials said. The strike came as Israel said it would press on with its offensive to crush the territory's Hamas rulers, despite US appeals for a pause to get aid to desperate civilians.

The soaring death toll in Gaza has sparked growing international anger, with tens of thousands from Washington to Berlin taking to the streets Saturday to demand an immediate cease-fire.

Israel has rejected the idea of halting its offensive, even for brief humanitarian pauses proposed by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken during his current tour of the region. Instead, it said that the besieged enclave's Hamas rulers were encountering the full force of its troops.

11:33 AM

PM Modi offered prayers at Maa Bamleshwari temple in Chhattisgarh's Dongargarh