08:43 PM arrives in Kedarnath to celebrate Diwali :
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today arrived in Kedarnath to celebrate Diwali.
Sources in the government had on Monday said the prime minister would offer prayers at the Kedarnath shrine.
‘Happy Diwali! May this festival bring happiness, good health and prosperity in everyones lives. May the power of good and brightness always prevail,’ Modi said on Twitter.
On Tuesday, Modi said he would celebrate Diwali with army jawans and share pictures of his experience.
After becoming the prime minister in 2014, Modi had spent Diwali at Siachen with Army jawans.
08:32 India exempted from certain US sanctions over Chabahar Port in Iran:
The United States has exempted India from imposition of certain sanctions for the development of the strategically-located Chabahar port in Iran, along with the construction of the railway line connecting it with Afghanistan.
The decision by the Trump administration, which a day earlier imposed the toughest ever sanctions on Iran and is very restrictive in giving exemptions, is a seen as a recognition by Washington of India’s role in development of the port on the Gulf of Oman, which is of immense strategic importance for the development of war-torn Afghanistan.
“After extensive consideration, the Secretary (of State) has provided for an exception from imposition of certain sanctions under the Iran Freedom and Counter-Proliferation Act of 2012, with respect to the development of Chabahar port, construction of an associated railway and for shipment of non-sanctionable goods through the port for Afghanistan’s use, as well as the country’s continued imports of Iranian petroleum products,” a State Department spokesperson said.
The US on Monday imposed “the toughest ever” sanctions on a defiant Iran aimed at altering the Iranian regime’s “behaviour”. The sanctions cover Iran’s banking and energy sectors and reinstate penalties for countries and companies in Europe, Asia and elsewhere that do not halt Iranian oil imports.
However, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that eight countries — India, China, Italy, Greece, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Turkey — were temporarily allowed to continue buying Iranian oil as they showed “significant reduction” in oil purchase from the Persian Gulf country.
To a question on the fate of Chabahar port after the US reimposed all its sanctions on Iran, the spokesperson said, “This exception relates to reconstruction assistance and economic development for Afghanistan. These activities are vital for the ongoing support of Afghanistan’s growth and humanitarian relief.”
In May 2016, India, Iran and Afghanistan had inked a pact which entailed establishment of Transit and Transport Corridor among the three countries using Chabahar Port as one of the regional hubs for sea transportation in Iran, besides multi-modal transport of goods and passengers across the three nations.
Pompeo’s decision to give India exemption from imposition of certain sanctions for the development of the port is driven by the South Asian strategy, which was announced by President Donald Trump in August. It states that India has a major role in bringing peace and development in Afghanistan.
“The president’s South Asia strategy underscores our ongoing support of Afghanistan’s economic growth and development as well as our close partnership with India,” the state department spokesperson said.
“We seek to build on our close relationships with both the countries as we execute a policy of maximum pressure to change the Iranian regime’s destabilising policies in the region and beyond,” the spokesperson added. — PTI
00:34 Will spend Diwali with troops: Modi:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said he would celebrate Diwali Wednesday with Army jawans and share pictures of his experience.
Responding to Diwali greetings from Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Modi said, “Every year, I visit our border areas and surprise our troops. This year too, will spend Diwali with our brave troops. Spending time with them is special.”
He said he would share the photos of the same on Wednesday evening.
Modi also thanked Bibi, as Netanyahu is called, for the Diwali wishes.
Sources in the government had on Monday said the prime minister would offer prayers at the Kedarnath shrine Wednesday.
“On behalf of the people of Israel, I would like to wish my dear friend @narendramodi and the people of India a joyous Diwali. May this luminous festival of lights bring you happiness and prosperity. Reply to this tweet with the name of the city where you’re celebrating!,” the Israel premier had tweeted.
After becoming the prime minister in 2014, Modi had spent Diwali at Siachen with Army jawans.
In 2015, he had visited the Punjab border on Diwali.
His visit had coincided with 50 years of the 1965 Indo-Pak war.
The next year, Modi was in Himachal Pradesh, where he spent time with the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel at a border outpost.
He had spent his fourth Diwali as prime minister with soldiers at Gurez in Jammu and Kashmir last year. — PTI
Source: Rediff