PM Modi to visit Bihar
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to reach Purnea district in poll-bound Bihar on Monday to address a rally and launch development projects worth `36,000 crore. The PM will also inaugurate a newly developed airport terminal at the north Bihar town, which would fulfil the region’s long-standing demand for air connectivity. The announcement of assembly polls is likely to be made in the next few weeks. Another key highlight is the scheduled inauguration of the National Makhana Board, the setting up of which was announced in the Union budget earlier this year.
BJP largest party: Nadda
BJP national president JP Nadda on Sunday said that the saffron party has become the world’s largest political party with 14 crore members, out of which two crore are active. The party has 240 Lok Sabha members, around 1,500 MLAs and more than 170 MLCs across the country, he said. Addressing a party rally here, Nadda termed Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA regime as “responsible and responsive”. “We are the largest political party in the world with 14 crore members. In India, we have the NDA Governments in 20 states and the BJP Governments in 13 states. We are the largest representative party in the country. We have 240 MPs (Lok Sabha),” he said.
Turkiye wary of Israeli threat
An Israeli strike on a meeting of Hamas officials in Qatar has cast a cloud of growing concern across Turkiye that it could be the next target. Turkish Defence Ministry spokesman Rear Adm. ZekiAkturk warned in Ankara on Thursday that Israel would “further expand its reckless attacks, as it did in Qatar, and drag the entire region, including its own country, into disaster.” Israel and Turkiye were once strong regional partners, but ties between the countries ran into difficulties from the late 2000s and have reached an all-time low over the war in Gaza sparked by the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack in southern Israel.
Ukrainian drones hits Russia region
The strike on the Kirishi refinery, in Russia’s northwestern Leningrad region, follows weeks of Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil infrastructure that Kyiv says fuels Moscow’s war effort. The facility, operated by Russian oil major Surgutneftegas, produces close to 17.7 million metric tonnes per year of crude, and is one of Russia’s top three by output.