Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday stated that the Indian diaspora has enriched Kuwait’s landscape with the vibrancy of Indian skills, emphasising that India possesses the manpower, expertise, and technology essential for a ‘New Kuwait.’

This trip to Kuwait, at the invitation of Emir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, marks the first time in 43 years that an Indian Prime Minister has visited this Gulf nation.

“It takes just four hours to fly from India to Kuwait, but it has taken four decades for an Indian Prime Minister to come here,” PM Modi remarked during his address to the Indian community.

Welcoming attendees ahead of a series of upcoming festivals, he noted, “You have all gathered here from various parts of India, and it truly feels like a mini India has come together.”

He praised the contributions of the Indian community, saying, “Every year, hundreds of Indians arrive in Kuwait; you have added an Indian essence to Kuwaiti society, filling its canvas with the colors of Indian skills, complemented by our rich traditions, technology, and talent.” He reiterated India’s readiness to support the development of ‘New Kuwait’ with its skilled workforce and advanced technology.

In an interview with Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), PM Modi expressed India’s commitment to assisting in the restoration of peace in Gaza and Ukraine, emphasizing that solutions must be reached through dialogue rather than conflict.

He highlighted the necessity for sincere and constructive engagement among stakeholders to bridge differences and achieve negotiated resolutions. He also reaffirmed India’s backing for a two-state solution to create a sovereign and independent Palestine with recognized borders.

Modi emphasized the profound and historic ties between India and Kuwait, noting that the two countries are on the cusp of transforming their traditional buyer-seller relationship into a strategic partnership by exploring new opportunities throughout the oil and gas value chain. As Kuwait serves as India’s sixth-largest crude supplier and fourth-largest LPG supplier, he mentioned, “The potential for further collaboration is vast, especially as India becomes the third-largest global consumer of energy, oil, and LPG.” He highlighted that Kuwait holds about 6.5% of global oil reserves.

He identified the petrochemical sector as another area ripe for collaboration, projecting that India’s rapidly expanding petrochemical industry will reach $300 billion by 2025. Modi remarked that the energy partnership is not just a cornerstone of economic relations but also a catalyst for diversified and sustainable growth, paving the way for mutual prosperity.

Describing the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) as a crucial organization for India, he highlighted the historical, cultural, and trade connections that bind India and the Gulf nations.

The GCC region represents approximately one-sixth of India’s total trade and is home to around one-third of the Indian diaspora. He noted, “About nine million Indians living in the region are making significant contributions to its economic development.”

The Congress on Saturday slammed the Election Commission of India (ECI) for altering certain regulations concerning electronic documents, including the inspection of CCTV footage, webcasting recordings, and candidates’ video clips. The party claimed these rule changes reflect “the rapidly eroding integrity of the electoral process overseen by the Election Commission.”

The Congress also accused the election authority of compromising transparency in the electoral process.

In a post on X, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said, “If there was ever a vindication of our claims regarding the rapidly declining integrity of the electoral process managed by the Election Commission of India (ECI) in recent times, this is it.” He referred to a notification issued on December 20 and stated, “We will legally challenge this decision by the ECI immediately.” He further questioned, “Why is the ECI so afraid of transparency?”

According to reports, the government has revised an election rule to restrict public inspection of specific electronic documents, including CCTV footage, webcasting recordings, and video clips of candidates, to prevent potential misuse. Following a recommendation from the Election Commission, the Union law ministry amended Rule 93(2)(a) of the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961, to limit the types of “papers” or documents available for public inspection.

As per Rule 93, all “papers” related to elections should be open for public viewing. The amendment, however, adds “as specified in these rules” after “papers.” Officials from the law ministry and the EC clarified that this amendment was prompted by a court case.

While documents like nomination forms, election agent appointments, results, and election financial statements are specified in the Conduct of Election Rules, electronic documents such as CCTV footage, webcasting recordings, and candidates’ videos during the Model Code of Conduct are not included.

An EC official informed PTI, “There have been cases where such electronic records were requested under these rules. The amendment ensures that only the documents specified are available for public inspection, and any documents not referenced in the rules cannot be inspected.”

EC officials expressed concerns that misuse of CCTV footage from polling booths could jeopardize voter confidentiality. They also noted that such footage could be manipulated to create misleading narratives using artificial intelligence.

“All such materials, including footage, will remain accessible to candidates even after the amendment. However, individuals can still approach the courts to request access to these electronic records,” another EC official stated.

Ukrainian drones targeted high-rise buildings in the Russian city of Kazan on Saturday, drawing unsettling comparisons to the September 11 attacks in the U.S. when planes struck New York’s Twin Towers in 2001.

Tatarstan’s governor, Rustam Minnikhanov, reported that eight drones were deployed, with six striking residential buildings, one hitting an industrial site, and another being shot down over a river.

Local officials stated that there were no reported casualties. In response to the attacks, flights at Kazan’s airport were suspended, and all public events were canceled for the weekend. The Defence Ministry indicated that the city experienced three waves of drone strikes between 7:40 a.m. and 9:20 a.m., with no casualties reported according to local authorities.

The mayor of Kazan announced on Telegram that all planned mass gatherings would be canceled and temporary accommodations would be provided for evacuees.

The Baza Telegram channel, linked to Russian security sources, released video footage that purportedly shows an aerial object colliding with a high-rise building, resulting in a substantial explosion. The authenticity of the footage has not been verified.

These attacks were not acknowledged by Ukraine, aligning with its security policy, and followed a Ukrainian strike on Friday that targeted a town in Russia’s Kursk border region, killing six individuals, including a child, using U.S.-supplied missiles.

In a separate development, Moscow launched 113 drones into Ukraine overnight on Saturday, according to Ukrainian officials. The Ukrainian Air Force reported that 57 of these drones were shot down, while an additional 56 were considered “lost,” likely due to electronic jamming.

Additionally, Oleh Syniehubov, the governor of Ukraine’s Kharkiv region, stated that eight people were injured in drone strikes on the regional capital, also named Kharkiv, on Friday night.

The incident occurred amidst increasingly bold attacks following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s comments during his end-of-year news conference on Thursday, where he proposed a “high-tech duel” with Kyiv. He claimed that Russia’s new hypersonic ballistic missile was immune to air defenses.

On Friday, a Russian hypersonic missile strike on Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, resulted in at least one death and seven injuries. On the same day, Ukraine launched an attack on the town of Rylsk in Russia’s Kursk border region using United States-supplied missiles, which killed six people, including a child.

Ukrainian officials said that overnight into Saturday, Moscow unleashed 113 drones on Ukraine, with 57 of them being intercepted. An additional 56 drones were deemed “lost,” likely due to electronic jamming.