India News Live: PM Modi arrives in Ethiopia, begins 2-day state trip at PM Abiy Ahmed’s invitation

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has landed in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. PM Modi is on a 2-day State visit to Ethiopia at the invitation of Abiy Ahmed Ali, Prime Minister of Ethiopia. This is PM Modi's first visit to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia

Congress MP Sonia Gandhi today raised concerns in the Rajya Sabha over the working conditions of women engaged in frontline government programmes, saying ASHA and Anganwadi workers, along with community resource persons under the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM), continue to face heavy workloads and inadequate pay despite their critical role in public service delivery.

Speaking in the Upper House, Gandhi said these schemes were conceived as instruments of women’s empowerment but the ground reality remained troubling. “Despite their vital contribution to public service delivery, these women workers are overburdened and underpaid,” she said, drawing attention to what she described as persistent gaps in staffing and support. She warned that shortages of frontline workers were affecting access to essential services for mothers and children. “These gaps leave lakhs and lakhs of children and mothers without essential services,” Gandhi said, adding that even when positions are filled, they fall short of population norms because census figures have not been updated since 2011.

PM Modi further said India’s economic growth has crossed 8 per cent, driven by higher productivity, strong governance and innovation-led policies, as he invited Jordanian investors and businesses to tap emerging opportunities in the country.

Addressing the India-Jordan Business Meet, Modi said India’s rapid expansion has created fresh avenues for foreign investment, adding that “new doors of opportunities are opening for investors and businesses from Jordan.” He noted that the global economy is looking for a new engine of growth and resilient supply chains, and said India and Jordan can jointly play a key role in meeting this demand. Modi underlined that trusted partnerships will be central to future economic cooperation as both countries work to deepen trade and investment ties.

Speaking at the India-Jordan Business Meet, PM Modi said, “In my meeting with His Majesty yesterday, we discussed in detail how to convert geography into opportunity and opportunity into growth.” He added, “Under your leadership, Jordan has emerged as a bridge which is helping to build cooperation with various regions.”

Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra today criticised the government’s plan to replace MGNREGA with the new VB–G Ram G scheme.

She said, “I don’t understand this thing about changing names. This new bill will weaken the right to income for at least 100 days. Wherever you go, MGNREGA employees will tell you that they have not received their wages.” Gandhi highlighted that workers under the existing MGNREGA framework continue to face delays in wage payments, and she warned that the new legislation could exacerbate the situation, undermining the livelihood security of millions of rural workers.

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi will oppose the Viksit Bharat G RAM G Bill in the Lok Sabha at 12 noon today, when the bill to rename MNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) is slated for discussion.

An Army soldier was killed in a landmine explosion in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kupwara district, officials said today.

Havildar Zubair Ahmad of the 13 Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry was injured in the blast at Putaha Khan Gali in the Trehgam area on Monday. He was rushed to a military hospital in Drugmulla, where he was declared dead on arrival.

Congress MP Manickam Tagore, this morning, submitted an adjournment motion notice in the Lok Sabha seeking a discussion on the worsening air pollution in the Delhi-NCR region.

Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra, owners of the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in Arpora, Goa, where a fire claimed 25 lives, are being deported from Thailand to India today. The brothers will arrive in Delhi and be produced at Patiala House Court for remand proceedings. Visuals from Bangkok Airport show Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra wearing face masks as they are escorted for deportation.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will move the Sabka Bima Sabki Raksha (Amendment of Insurance Laws) Bill, 2025 in the Winter Session of Parliament today. The bill proposes amendments to the Insurance Act, 1938, the Life Insurance Corporation Act, 1956, and the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority Act, 1999. It aims to update the regulatory framework governing insurance operations in India and strengthen oversight mechanisms for insurers and policyholders.

At least four people were killed and 25 others injured in a multi-vehicle collision on the Delhi-Agra Expressway in Mathura this morning, officials confirmed. The accident, which occurred near milestone 127, involved 10 vehicles — seven buses and three cars. Dense fog in the area severely reduced visibility, resulting in the crash.

Meanwhile, Mumbai, this morning, woke up to a layer of haze, with visuals from Bandra Reclamation showing reduced visibility across the area. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the Air Quality Index (AQI) in the area stood at 145, placing it in the ‘moderate’ category.

Delhi woke up to dense smog this morning, with air quality showing slight improvement but remaining in the ‘very poor’ category despite GRAP-4 curbs. The city’s AQI stood at 381 at 6:30 am, with Wazirpur (434) and Jahangirpuri (430) among the worst-hit areas. Other areas, including Mundka, DTU, and Nehru Nagar, also reported high pollution levels.

Foggy conditions further disrupted air travel, prompting advisories from Delhi airport and airlines. Air India cancelled multiple flights, while IndiGo warned of delays across north India, urging passengers to check updates and allow extra travel time.

India and Jordan on Monday signed multiple MoUs to boost cooperation in renewable energy, water management, digital transformation, and cultural heritage during PM Narendra Modi’s visit to Amman.

The agreements cover clean energy collaboration, a Petra–Ellora twinning pact, renewal of the 2025–2029 Cultural Exchange Programme, and cooperation on population-scale digital solutions. Jordan also expressed interest in joining Indian-led initiatives like the International Solar Alliance and Global Biofuel Alliance.

PM Modi, meeting King Abdullah II, outlined an eight-point vision spanning trade, critical minerals, agriculture, IT, healthcare, infrastructure, civil nuclear cooperation, and people-to-people ties. The visit marks 75 years of India-Jordan diplomatic relations and is the first leg of Modi’s three-nation tour, followed by Ethiopia and Oman.

India also rejected Pakistan’s references to Jammu and Kashmir, calling them unwarranted and reflective of Islamabad’s “obsessive focus on harming India”. Imran Khan has been jailed since August 2023 in a €190 million corruption case and faces additional charges linked to the May 9, 2023 protests. PTI has cited a UN report alleging inhuman treatment during his detention.

India on Monday slammed Pakistan at the United Nations Security Council, accusing it of undermining democracy by jailing former Prime Minister Imran Khan and letting the military consolidate power through constitutional changes.

At the UNSC debate on “Leadership for Peace”, Ambassador Harish Parvathaneni said Pakistan shows a “unique way of respecting the will of its people”, imprisoning an elected leader, banning his party, and engineering a “constitutional coup” via the 27th Constitutional Amendment. Passed last month, the amendment gives sweeping powers to the military, including lifetime immunity for Chief of Defence Forces Asim Munir, and restructures the judiciary with a Federal Constitutional Court sharing powers with the Supreme Court.