FirstUp: Blinken in India for 2+2 dialogue, Dhanteras.... The big news today

It’s set to be another blockbuster Friday when it comes to news. US secretary of state Antony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin are in New Delhi for the 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue. A day after the Lok Sabha ethics committee recommended disqualifying Mahua Moitra as an MP, the report will be send today to an anti-corruption panel. Meanwhile, it’s Dhanteras across the country and millions of Indians are flocking to buy gold. Disney is releasing The Marvels in hopes to get its somewhat floundering Marvel Cinematic Universe back on track. Overseas, Donald Trump’s New York fraud trial continues with the former president’s lawyers set to make a ‘Hail Mary’ move. And on this day in 1989, the Berlin Wall began to come down. Let’s take a closer look at what’s likely to make big news today: Blinken in Delhi Blinken and US defence secretary Lloyd Austin are set to meet External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Defense Minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi tomorrow as part of the 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue.

This will be the fifth India-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue.

The dialogue will provide a platform for top-level discussions between the US and India, addressing critical bilateral and global matters, with special emphasis on developments unfolding in the Indo-Pacific region. The discussions are expected to encompass a wide spectrum of issues, including strengthening bilateral relations, addressing global concerns, and promoting cooperation in the Indo-Pacific. The US side is also expected to push for military hardware cooperation while India is likely to ask for the sharing of high-end technology for developing indigenous weapon systems during the ministerial, according to sources. India and the US recently agreed to a $3 billion deal for supplying 31 MQ-9B Predator drones to Indian defence forces. The US is also pushing for the sale of six additional P-8I surveillance planes to India. The statement coming out of the dialogue will be one to keep an eye out for. India celebrates Dhanteras India’s love affair with gold is set to continue on  Dhanteras. The word ‘dhan’ means wealth and ’teras’ means 13th. The Hindu festival, also known as Dhanatrayodashi, is held on the thirteenth day of the Krishna Paksha in the Hindu calendar month of Kartik. [caption id=“attachment_12489192” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Many people purchase gold on Dhanteras as it is believed that it brings wealth and prosperity. News18[/caption] While Indians have many reasons for buying gold in general – from seeking to diversy one’s portfolio to hedging against inflation and currency deprecation – many people consider this an auspicious day to buy gold. Devottees of Goddess Lakshmi believe that the goddess on this day will visit their homes and bless them with wealth and good health. Mahua Moitra report to be sent to anti-corruption unit On Thursday, the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee on recommended the expulsion of TMC MP Mahua Moitra from the House in the “cash-for-query” matter. The committee, headed by BJP MP Vinod Kumar Sonkar, adopted its report recommending her expulsion. After the meeting, Sonkar told reporters that six members of the panel supported adoption of the report and four opposed it. Now the report is slated to be sent to the anti-corruption panel today. Moitra has denied the charges of receiving money and the Opposition members of the panel have claimed that the recommendation is  “prejudiced” and “incorrect”. Disney film ‘The Marvels’ released in theatres Will the MCU’s cold streak continue? Disney, which paid a staggering $4 billion for Marvel in 2009, has witnessed an incredible return on its investment. The 30-odd Marvel movies have thus far grossed around $32 billion in theatres alone However, the sheen has somewhat worn off the Marvel brand with its Guardians of the Galaxy, Ant Man, Black Panther and Thor sequels underperforming. Meanwhile, a slew of Marvel TV shows on Disney have debuted to what can only be kindly called diminishing returns. Trump’s NY fraud trial continues Donald Trump’s New York fraud trial has not been going well. First, the Trump legal team erred by not choosing to have a jury trial – which he angrily complained about later and claimed he was being denied due process – following which Trump has sought to aggravate judge Arthur Engoron. An exasperated Engoron, who remember, will rule in this case at one point even asked the former president’s lawyers if they could “control their client”. Now, ABC has reported that the Trump team seems to be gambling everything on the long-shot of seeking a ‘directed verdict’ in the trial. [caption id=“attachment_13356412” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Former US president Donald Trump’s New York trial has not been going well. AFP[/caption] Trump’s lawyers will be asking judge Engoron to summarily rule in his favour on the grounds that the prosecution has not proven its case. Trump’s counsel earlier sought a similar verdict after his former fixer Michael Cohen testified. To which Engoron “absolutely denied.” “This case has evidence, credible or not, all over the place,”  Engoron was quoted as saying. “There’s enough evidence to fill this courtroom.” Anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall On this day in 1989, the unthinkable happened.

In a where were you moment, citizens of Germany began to “tear down this wall”.

Around three months after the 9 November, 1989, opening of the Berlin Wall, then West German chancellor Helmut Kohl spoke of wanting quick German reunification — saying it could come as early as 1995, said historian Ilko-Sascha Kowalczuk. In fact, reunification came just months later, as much a shock to the 16 million East Germans as to the rest of the world. “Nobody could imagine that unification could come so quickly,” Kowalczuk said. “Nobody in East Germany, nobody in the White House, nobody in Downing Street, nobody in the Elysee Palace, nobody in Bonn. Nobody could imagine that Moscow would give up its strategically most important outpost practically overnight for peanuts.” With inputs from agencies