December 2023

Earlier in the day, the Ministry of External Affairs confirmed that will be visiting India as the Chief Guest for the 75th Republic Day celebrations on PM Modi’s invitation. “At the invitation of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, Mr. Emmanuel Macron, President of France, will be visiting India as the Chief Guest for the 75th Republic Day celebrations,” the MEA said in a statement. India and France share a high degree of convergence on a range of regional and global issues as strategic partners.

Elon Musk, the CEO and co-founder of Tesla, has expressed interest in Gujarat, according to a minister, giving a clear indication that the company plans to invest there.The question of whether the EV manufacturer intends to invest in the state was posed to Gujarat Health Minister Rushikesh Patel during a Cabinet briefing . “The Gujarati government, along with us, is full of hope. The founder of Tesla, Elon Musk, has his sights set on the state. “Hopefully, they will visit Gujarat,” he uttered in Hindi. The minister emphasised that other automakers have projects in Gujarat and that the state’s populace...

Former Indian cricket team opener Gautam Gambhir is no stranger to controversies. Gambhir is well known for his fiery comments and straightforward analysis which sometimes leads to conversations on social media. During a recent Q&A session on X (formerly Twitter), a fan ended up asking Gambhir why he makes such ‘controversial statements’. “Why you always give so much controversial statements? #AskGG,” he posted. In response, Gambhir came up with his blunt style of answering. “I say what I feel. You should think who benefits from the controversies!,” he remarked. Earlier, on the question, “Biggest threat to India In T20 World Cup?”, Yuvraj Singh and Gautam...

Today, Ayodhya welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the opening of the city’s renovated railway station and new airport. In the city, the prime minister also conducted a roadshow. He waved to the crowds that had gathered along the road in spite of the tight security. As the convoy led by the prime minister passed by, the crowds erupted in cheers and petals.After that, PM Modi will arrive at Ayodhya train station, which was just renamed Ayodhya Dham Junction, and open the newly constructed, three-story station. In addition, he will flag off two Amrit Bharat and six Vande Bharat trains.

During India’s crushing defeat to South Africa in the first Test on Thursday, veteran batsman Virat Kohli made history by becoming the first player to score 2000 runs in seven separate calendar years. India was destroyed in three days by South Africa’s accurate pace and Dean Elgar’s graceful 185. When Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jansen, and Nandre Burger proved to be too dangerous for the other batters to handle, Kohli amassed runs rapidly by hitting quick singles and boundaries. In the innings and 32 run loss to India, he scored 76 off 82 balls, bringing his 2023 total to 2006 runs....

Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, said he spoke with Pope Francis on the phone on Thursday and they talked about Ukraine’s peace formula.“We talked about how we can work together to implement Ukraine’s Peace Formula,” Zelensky wrote in a post on X, which was formerly Twitter. Representatives from more than 80 nations have already participated in this process. And more of them will exist,” he continued. Francis sent Christmas greetings, and Zelensky said he appreciated them “as well as his wishes for a just peace for all of us.” Zelensky stated that the next meeting to discuss Ukraine’s peace...

According to state media on Thursday, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un urged his party to “accelerate” war preparations, including its nuclear programme.Only one week prior, Kim had threatened Pyongyang that it would not hold back from launching a nuclear strike if it were “provoked” to do so. Kim said these things at the North’s ongoing year-end celebration, where he is anticipated to announce important policy choices for 2024. According to Pyongyang’s official Korean Central News Agency, Kim asked the party to “further accelerate the war preparations” across sectors, including nuclear weapons and civil defence. He also emphasised that “unprecedented”...

Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, wished “our friends every success” and emphasised that “traditional conventional friendly ties” will continue between New Delhi and Moscow “no matter what the alignment of political forces” is, with reference to the Lok Sabha election that is scheduled for next year.Prime Minister Narendra Modi received an invitation from Putin to visit Russia during a meeting with External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar. He added that he had discussed the developments in Ukraine with the Prime Minister. “Many times, I advised him of how things have been going there and I know that he (PM...

Israel bombed Gaza on Tuesday after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that there will be no peace until Hamas rulers are destroyed and Palestinian society is “deradicalized.”As heavy ground combat continued, the army said it had struck more than 100 targets in 24 hours, including military sites and tunnel shafts in central Jabalia and Khan Yunis in the south. The ferocious military campaign launched in response to the Hamas attacks on October 7 has resulted in mass civilian casualties, widespread hunger, and the destruction of much of the coastal territory. The United Nations World Health Organisation reported “harrowing” accounts...

Former President Barack Obama defended Harvard President Claudine Gay in the aftermath of her anti-Semitism testimony before Congress. According to a confidential source familiar with the situation, Obama, a Harvard graduate, privately lobbied on Gay’s behalf following her congressional appearance about antisemitism and threats against Jewish students on the Ivy League campus. “It sounded like people were being asked to close ranks in order to keep the broader administration stable—including its composition,” a source close to Obama said of his involvement. Gay testified before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce in early December, where she was asked whether...