TODAY NEWS ON November 21, 2024

News Headlines for CAT, CLAT and IPM aspirants

Source: The Hindu

National News

• At 65%, Maharashtra clocks better turnout than in 2019
• Dominica confers top award on PM Modi
• PM Modi proposes 7 key pillars to strengthen ties between India, ‘CARICOM’
• Delhi govt. implements work-from-home policy amid severe pollution
• CBSE Class 10, 12 exams to begin from February 15; board announces datesheet
• India, Italy to negotiate defence industrial roadmap
• Blind T20 World Cup: Indian cricket team not to travel to Pakistan, government denies permission
• Curtain goes up on 55th International Film Festival of India with a star-studded inaugural

International News

• Trump chooses former acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker as NATO ambassador
• U.S. vetoes U.N. resolution demanding a ceasefire in Gaza
• Yunus government cancels passports of 22 veteran security and military officials
• SpaceX launches giant Starship rocket but passes up catching booster with mechanical arms
• U.S. recognises Venezuela’s Opposition candidate as President-elect months after the disputed election

Headlines in detail

At 65%, Maharashtra clocks better turnout than in 2019

The final voter turnout stood at 65.02% during the single-phase Maharashtra Assembly election on Wednesday, the State’s Chief Electoral Officer S. Chockalingam told The Hindu. Polling concluded peacefully, barring minor skirmishes in Beed district. This marked an increase from the 61.6% recorded during the 2019 Assembly elections. Mumbai City saw a turnout of just 52.07%, while Mumbai Suburban fared slightly better at 55.77%

Dominica confers top award on PM Modi

Dominica has conferred its top award on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his contributions to the Caribbean nation during the COVID-19 pandemic and his dedication to enhancing the bilateral partnership between India and Dominica .The Prime Minister, who is in Guyana on the last leg of his three-nation visit, was conferred the “Dominica Award of Honour” by President Sylvanie Burton of Dominica during the India-CARICOM Summit in Guyana on Wednesday. “Honoured to be conferred with the highest national award by Dominica. I dedicate it to the 140 crore people of India,” PM Modi said in a post on X.

PM Modi proposes 7 key pillars to strengthen ties between India, ‘CARICOM’

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday proposed seven key pillars to strengthen ties between India and ‘CARICOM’ as he held talks with the Caribbean partner countries, focusing on areas such as trade, technology, and tourism, among others. Mr. Modi, who arrived in Guyana on Wednesday — the first visit by an Indian head of State in more than 50 years — made the remarks as he joined leaders from the Caribbean partner countries for the second India-CARICOM Summit in Guyana.

Delhi govt. implements work-from-home policy amid severe pollution

As toxic air continues to choke the national capital, the Delhi government on Wednesday ordered its offices — except those providing essential services — to operate at half their strength. The government order also applies to offices of the Aam Aadmi Party-ruled Municipal Corporation of Delhi. However, hospitals and departments dealing with power, water, sanitation, transport and other essential services will continue to operate at full capacity.

CBSE Class 10, 12 exams to begin from February 15; board announces datesheet

The board exams for classes 10 and 12 will begin from February 15, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) announced on Wednesday. In a late-night notification, the board announced that the class 10 exams will conclude on March 18, while the class 12 exams will end on April 4, 2025. For the first time, the datesheet has been issued by the board at least 86 days in advance.

Trump chooses former acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker as NATO ambassador

President-elect Donald Trump says he has chosen former acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker to serve as U.S. ambassador to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the bedrock Western alliance that the president-elect has expressed skepticism about for years. Mr. Trump, in a statement, said Mr. Whitaker was “a strong warrior and loyal Patriot” who “will ensure the United States’ interests are advanced and defended” and “strengthen relationships with our NATO Allies, and stand firm in the face of threats to Peace and Stability.”

U.S. vetoes U.N. resolution demanding a ceasefire in Gaza

The United States vetoed a U.N. resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in the war in Gaza on Wednesday because it is not linked to an immediate release of hostages taken captive by Hamas in Israel in October 2023. The U.N. Security Council voted 14-1 in favor of the resolution sponsored by the 10 elected members on the 15-member council, but it was not adopted because of the U.S. veto. The resolution that was put to a vote “demands an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire to be respected by all parties, and further reiterates its demand for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.”

Yunus government cancels passports of 22 veteran security and military officials

In a major crackdown on the veteran security officials, the interim government of Bangladesh this week has ordered the cancellation of passports of twenty-two officials who served in the powerful intelligence and law enforcement agencies including the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB). In a notification, the Home Ministry of Bangladesh announced that the passports of these veteran officers were being cancelled as they are currently under investigation for disappearing political opponents during the Sheikh Hasina presidency.

SpaceX launches giant Starship rocket but passes up catching booster with mechanical arms

SpaceX launched another Starship rocket but passed up catching the booster with giant mechanical arms. Unlike last month’s success, the booster was directed to a splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico. The catch was called off just four minutes into the test flight from Texas for unspecified reasons, and the booster hit the water three minutes later. Not all of the criteria for a booster catch was met and so the flight director did not command the booster to return to the launch site, said SpaceX spokesman Dan Huot. He did not specify what went wrong.

U.S. recognises Venezuela’s Opposition candidate as President-elect months after the disputed election

The U.S. government recognised Venezuelan opposition candidate Edmundo González as the “President-elect” of the South American country on Tuesday (November 19, 2024), months after President Nicolas Maduro claimed to have won the July contest. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken recognized Mr. González in a post on X in which he also demanded “respect for the will” of Venezuelan voters. The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden had previously said Mr. González had earned the most votes in the disputed July 28 election but had fallen short of acknowledging him as President-elect.

India, Italy to negotiate defence industrial roadmap

India and Italy agreed to negotiate a defence industrial roadmap and agreement for the mutual protection and exchange of classified information, as well as an agreement on cooperation in the maritime and port sectors. This was stated in the Joint Strategic Action Plan 2025–29, which outlines their vision for the next five years. “Negotiate a defence industrial roadmap between the two Ministries of Defence and promote a Memorandum of Understanding between the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers and the Italian Industries Federation for Aerospace, Defence and Security,” the joint action plan said.

Blind T20 World Cup: Indian cricket team not to travel to Pakistan, government denies permission

The Indian blind cricket team will not compete in the T20 World Cup as the government has denied it permission to travel to Pakistan due to security concerns, the national federation said on Tuesday (November 19, 2024). The Indian team was supposed to cross the Wagah border on Wednesday (November 20, 2024) for the event, scheduled to be held from November 23 to December 3. The Indian blind cricket team had got a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the sports ministry for participation but apparently couldn’t get clearance from the MEA.

Curtain goes up on 55th International Film Festival of India with a star-studded inaugural

The 55th edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) kick-started with a star-studded opening ceremony at the Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium in Panaji, Goa, on Wednesday. Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, and Information and Broadcasting Secretary Sanjay Jaju inaugurated the nine-day festivities in the presence of Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, festival director Shekhar Kapur, and others. The festivities began with a dance that paid tribute to India’s pursuit of excellence in spirituality and for being the spiritual leader of the world.