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ASEAN Summit: PM Narendra Modi presents India as an attractive investment destination

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ASEAN Summit: PM Modi presents India as an attractive investment destination

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Inviting ASEAN countries to ramp up investment in India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday spoke of the economic reforms undertaken in the country to boost trade and investment.

Earlier in the day, PM Modi met US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the 31st ASEAN Summit in Manila, Philippines. Trump reportedly congratulated the Indian leader for “a lot of good reports coming out of India”.

Modi arrived in Philippines on Sunday for a three-day visit during which he will also attend the 12th East Asia meet on Tuesday.

Addressing the ASEAN meet, the PM said the task of transforming India is proceeding on an “unprecedented scale”. Speaking at the ASEAN Business Forum in Manila, the Philippines capital, the Prime Minister said most sectors of the Indian economy were opened up for foreign direct investment, adding the country’s economy is now “globally integrated.”

The trade ties between India and ASEAN are on an upswing and both sides want to further boost the trade and investment cooperation.

The ASEAN region, along with India, together comprises a combined population of 1.85 billion people, which is one fourth of the global population and their combined GDP has been estimated at over $3.8 trillion.

Investment from ASEAN to India has been over $70 billion in the last 17 years accounting for more than 17 per cent of India’s total FDI. India’s investment in ASEAN during the same period has been more than $40 billion.

Modi sought to highlight India’s economic reforms to woo investors. “The task of transforming India is proceeding on an unprecedented scale. We are working day and night to ensure good governance which includes easy, effective and transparent governance,” he said, noting that more than 90% FDI sectors are on automatic approval route.

Modi listed major economic reform measures taken by his government, including rolling out of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and new laws and institutions for bankruptcy and insolvency proceedings. He said 1,200 out-dated laws have been repealed in the last three years as part of reform measures.

“India has climbed 30 places in the World Bank Ease of Doing Business Index this year. It is the biggest jump by any country this year and a recognition of India’s long term reform trajectory. And, the world is taking notice. We have moved up 32 places in the last two years in the Global Competitiveness Index of the World Economic Forum,” said Modi.

He said various reform measures coupled with demonetisation of high-value notes have resulted in formalising a large part of the Indian economy.

On trade with ASEAN countries, Modi said India wants to build land, sea and air connectivity to this dynamic region and that work is already on in the construction of the tri-lateral highway through Myanmar and Thailand to connect to other countries in South East Asia.

“We are working on the early conclusion of the Agreement on Maritime Transport between India and ASEAN and are exploring coastal shipping services with countries that are our immediate maritime neighbours,” he added.

“The ‘Act East’ policy of my government puts this region at the centre of our engagement. We have exceptionally good political and people-to-people relations with each and every country in the ASEAN region,” he said.

Modi said his government wants to make India a global manufacturing hub and at the same time it wants the youths of the country to be job creators and not just job seekers.

The Prime Minister said 36 “white industries” have been taken out from the requirement of environmental clearance. Incorporating a company is now just a one day affair, he said.

The PM also talked about the open auction policy for natural resources including telecom spectrum, coal mines and other minerals and even private radio channels, which he said has together contributed about $75 billion in revenue.

“Using technology, we are enhancing responsibility and reducing discretion and corruption. We are using our Unique ID system in financial transactions and taxation for this purpose and the results are already visible. These steps, coupled with demonetisation of high-value notes, have resulted in formalising a large part of our economy,” he said.

Modi said the number of new tax payers filing income tax returns has more than doubled and that digital transactions have increased by 34% in one year, as “we march towards a less-cash economy.”

“We have used technology to reach out to people. An online citizen engagement platform, MyGov has harnessed ideas, suggestions and inputs on policies and programmes from 2 million pro-active citizens,” he added.

On GST, he said it has done away with a vast range of State-level and Central-level taxes through-out India. “This is no small achievement given the vastness and diversity of our country and the federal nature of our polity,” he added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said a “very large part” of India’s population had no access to banking services and launch of the Jan Dhan Yojana resulted opening of 197 million bank accounts in one year, adding till August this year, 290 million such accounts have been opened in Indian banks. He said more than 146 million people are receiving direct cash subsidies through bank accounts on cooking gas alone.

“Today, the government is using Direct Benefit Transfers for 59 different schemes. Subsidies worth nearly $10 billion are being directly transferred to the bank accounts of the intended beneficiaries,” he added.

“For the first time in India, collateral-free loans have been disbursed to more than 90 million small entrepreneurs under the Mudra scheme. Very near to the population of Philippines,” the PM said.

He said India is organising an ASEAN-India Connectivity Summit in New Delhi next month with Ministers, officials and business representatives from all ASEAN countries. India is also organising an ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit of ASEAN leaders in January next year.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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World Earth Day 2024: Google Doodle showcases aerial view of planet’s natural beauty

Google celebrated Earth Day 2024 with a special doodle featuring an aerial view of our planet’s biodiversity.

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Google shared a doodle today to celebrate World Earth Day 2024, which showcased aerial photos of the planet’s biodiversity and natural beauty. Google reminded us of the importance of protecting planet earth for future generations with the help of this doodle.

The Google letters depict specific locations across the globe where people, communities, and governments work every day to help protect the planet’s natural beauty, biodiversity, and resources, according to the explanation of the annual Earth Day 2024 doodle on their website.

It said, these examples remind us that there’s much more to do to address the climate crisis and biodiversity loss, but also offer the promise of hope and optimism.

The islands of Turks and Caicos are represented by the letter “G.” The islands’ conservation efforts are concentrated on protecting important regions for biodiversity and addressing persistent environmental problems.

The largest reef in the southern Gulf of Mexico and a UNESCO biosphere reserve, Scorpion Reef National Park, is represented by the letter “O” in the Mexican flag.

The letter “O” features Iceland’s Vatnajokull National Park, which was designated as a national park in 2008 following decades of advocacy. The ecology within and surrounding the biggest glacier in Europe is safeguarded by this UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The letter “G” has the Jau National Park in Brazil on it. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the biggest forest reserves in South America.

The Great Green Wall of Nigeria is represented by the letter “L,”  and the Pilbara Islands Nature Reserves of Australia are represented by the letter “E.”

Meanwhile, Earth Day is a worldwide event that promotes protection of the environment every year. April 22 serves as a reminder of the importance of conservation efforts and sustainable practices to guarantee a healthier world and a brighter future.

The occasion inspires people across the world to come together and take action to protect the environment, strengthening our bonds with nature and promoting good change.

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Bigg Boss 14 contestant Rahul Vaidya struggles walking in knee deep water, compares Dubai rains with Mumbai floods

Singer and TV personality Rahul Vaidya was recently stranded in the Dubai rains.

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Rahul Vaidya, who was in Dubai ahead of his show which was scheduled to take place today, left the country due to heavy rains and reached Kolkata. The artist shared on social media his encounters in the UAE city, including challenges like walking through knee-deep water. Rahul provided an update regarding the heavy rainfall in Dubai on his Instagram profile.

The Bigg Boss 14 contestant revealed that he was in Kolkata and prepared to do an evening performance. Recalling the terrifying period he went through, Vaidya said there was a lot of confusion and panic in Dubai. The situation was similar to that when heavy floods hit Mumbai in 2005.

Vaiday also posted seval other images and videos of cars that were underwater and flooded roadways. The Bigg Boss 14 contestant, who shared his ordeal, claimed that even though it had just rained for two hours, the situation was dire.

In one of the video, which went viral he can be seen struggling in walking in knee-deep water. He can be also seen holding his sneakers in one hand and with other hand he was seen managing other things.

This is the result of the two hours of rain that it had, he can be heard saying in the video. Vidya also said he dosen’t believe Dubai is accustomed to a lot of rain. Everything had stopped working, he remarked.

After taking part in the first season of the singing reality show Indian Idol, Rahul Vaidya gained widespread recognition. In addition to Bigg Boss, he took part in Khatron Ke Khiladi 11.

Meanwhile, heavy rains that triggered flooding in the UAE and Bahrain, which left 18 people dead in Oman on Sunday and Monday, have paralyzed the financial hub of the Middle East, Dubai.

A lot of incoming flights were diverted from Dubai’s international airport because of the rain. At 7:26 p.m., the busiest airport in the world for foreign visitors stopped accepting new arrivals; a gradual resumption was announced for more than two hours later.

Images of planes navigating flooded tarmacs are making the rounds on social media.

According to pictures shared on social media, the flagship malls Dubai Mall and Mall of the Emirates both experienced heavy floods, while at least one Dubai Metro station had water up to the ankles.

There were several road collapses, severe flooding in residential areas, and numerous reports of leaks from windows, doors, and roofs.

Due to the unfavourable weather, schools around the United Arab Emirates were forced to close, and as more storms are predicted, the closures are anticipated to last until Wednesday. The government of Dubai allowed its staff to work remotely till this Wednesday.

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Dubai sky turns green during storm in UAE, video goes viral

The UAE witnessed record-breaking rainfall on Tuesday and the National Centre of Meteorology recorded 254 mm of rainfall in less than 24 hrs in the Khatm Al Shakla area in Al Ain.

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1 person was killed in UAE as it witnessed heavy rainfall on Tuesday, stranding commuters, flooding roads, disrupting trains and flights and resulting in water leakage from mall ceilings. The UAE witnessed record-breaking rainfall on Tuesday and the National Centre of Meteorology recorded 254 mm of rainfall in less than 24 hrs in the Khatm Al Shakla area in Al Ain. It is being said that the rainfall was the highest documented since the start of data collection in 1949.

The heavy rainfall in UAE came days after a similar situation in neighbouring Oman, where 13 people were killed in flash floods. Many parts of Oman saw torrential rains, which caused students to be trapped in buses and swept away motorists and trapped people in their homes.

Videos from Dubai circulating on social media showed widespread waterlogging on roads in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and other important cities. This left daily commuters in cars and other vehicles struggling to get back home. Dubai metro station too was seen flooded and closed.

One such video circulating on social media shows the aerial view of the city of Dubai from the top of a building. In the video the stormy winds are seen blowing over the city of Dubai. As the storm intensifies the Dubai sky turns green and ultimately gets covered by heavy rainfall. The video has gone viral on social media with more than 1.1 million views.

Another video showed water leakage from the ceilings of shopping malls, flooding the floors and destroying goods. A video which was shot in the famous Mall of the Emirates, showed pieces of ceiling falling as the rainwater gushed inside. Videos from many outlets of the Deira City Centre mall chain showed escalators being rendered unusable. Majid Al Futtaim, the company which owns the Mall of Emirates, said that the shopping complexes have been kept open and the customers are being sent away from the flooded areas. 

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