FirstUp: Biden to visit hurricane-hit North Carolina, PM Modi to launch sanitation projects... The headlines today

It is set to be a packed Gandhi Jayanti (October 2) with several important events lined up for the day.

US President Joe Biden is set to visit storm-ravaged North Carolina to view the toll from Hurricane Helene while PM Modi is set to launch sanitation and cleanliness projects worth over Rs 9,600 crore today.

Meanwhile, Prashant Kishor is likely to launch his own political party in Bihar while two women Navy officers will embark on a global sailing expedition.

An annual solar eclipse known as the ‘Ring of Fire’ is set to be visible to millions of people. This is a rare phenomenon that will be visible majorly in South America, the Pacific Ocean, the Arctic region, Peru and Fiji.

Here is all that is likely to take place today.

Joe Biden to visit hurricane affected North Carolina

US President Joe Biden is set to travel to storm-ravaged North Carolina on Wednesday to view the toll from Hurricane Helene, reported news agency Reuters.

Western North Carolina residents faced a ‘post-apocalyptic’ landscape on Monday in the wake of Helene, with hundreds of people still missing and residents struggling amid flooded roads and a lack of basic services.

Biden will participate in a local briefing and an aerial tour of Asheville, he said on social media platform X. He said he also plans to travel to Georgia and Florida as soon as possible.

Editor’s Picks

1

What is the annular 'Ring of Fire' solar eclipse that will occur on October 2? 2

Hurricane Helene deaths exceed 100, Biden to visit storm-ravaged North Carolina

PM Modi to launch sanitation projects worth over Rs 9,600 crore

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to launch sanitation and cleanliness projects worth Rs 9,600 crore today. He will also mark the completion of 10 years of the Swachh Bharat Mission launch by participating in the Swachh Bharat Diwas programme.

The Swachh Bharat Diwas programme will showcase India’s decade-long sanitation achievements and those in the recently concluded ‘Swachhata Hi Seva’ campaign.

“Marking the completion of 10 years of the launch of one of the most significant mass movements for cleanliness – the Swachh Bharat Mission – Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will participate in Swachh Bharat Diwas 2024 programme on the occasion of 155th Gandhi Jayanti on 2nd October at around 10 AM in Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi,” a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said.

Prashant Kishor to launch political party in Bihar

Political strategist Prashant Kishore is likely to launch his own political party in Bihar today. Earlier, he had announced that he will be launching his party at a press conference but skittered from providing more information.

He stated, “I was never its leader and I never aspire to become one. It is time for people to take leadership roles.” Prashant Kishor prepares to mark the completion of the first stage of his “Jan Suraaj” initiative, which began on October 2, 2022, reported news agency Indo-Asian News Service (IANS).

He revealed that on this date, the names of the Jan Suraaj leadership council members and the party chief will be disclosed. Kishor also indicated that plans for the second stage of the initiative, including potential solutions for Bihar’s challenges, will be presented in February or March 2025.

Two women Navy officers to embark on global sailing expedition

Two women officers of the Indian Navy will embark on an extraordinary expedition to circumnavigate the globe covering 21,600 nautical miles (approx 40,000 km) over an eight-month period today.

Lt Commander Dilna K and Lt Commander Roopa A will take some of the most treacherous waters including the perilous passage around the three great capes, namely Cape Leeuwin, Cape Horn and Cape of Good Hope, Navy officials said.

“We are fully prepared for the voyage,” the two woman officers told reporters. The two will circumnavigate the globe onboard the Indian Naval Sailing Vessel (INSV) Tarini which will be flagged off from Naval Ocean Sailing Node, INS Mandovi, Goa.

Annual solar eclipse to be visible 

Skywatchers will be excited to witness the solar eclipse known as the ‘Ring of Fire’ eclipse. This rare spectacle occurs when the Moon moves between the Sun and Earth but doesn’t entirely block the Sun. Instead, the Sun’s edges remain visible, creating a glowing ring around the Moon’s silhouette.

This is a rare phenomenon as solar eclipses occur only during a new moon when the Sun and Moon align on the same side of Earth. Although a new moon happens about every 29.5 days, solar eclipses are far less frequent, occurring only two to five times a year.

The annular phase of the eclipse on October 2 will last approximately 7 minutes and 25 seconds at its peak, obscuring about 93 per cent of the Sun’s disk.

With inputs from agencies