 "FirstUp: Maha Kumbh Mela begins in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj and other headlines of the day")
It is set to be a busy Monday with several events lined up for the day.
Firstly, Mahakumbh Mela is set to begin in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj from today after 144 years. Meanwhile, PM Modi is set to inaugurate the Z-Morh road tunnel between Gagangir and Sonmarg in Kashmir.
Meanwhile, Iran will hold nuclear talks with France, Britain and Germany in Switzerland. South Korea’s Constitutional Court is set to hold the first hearing in Han Duck-soo’s impeachment trial.
The verdict in the GBP 190 million case against Imran Khan is likely to be announced today.
Here are some of the important events that will take place throughout the day.
Maha Kumbh Mela to begin in Prayagraj
The Hindu religious pilgrimage Maha Kumbh Mela will begin from today in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj and go on till February 26.
Preparations were in full swing with bathing ghats being constructed over a 12-km stretch along the Sangam area. Seven concrete ghats have been built on the banks of the Ganga and Yamuna at Sangam for the convenience of bathers and devotees, a press statement noted.
This year the event is expected to draw close to 40 crore devotees while the Maha Kumbh is projected to generate up to Rs 2 lakh crore in economic growth, reported news agency PTI.
PM Modi to inaugurate the Z-Morh road tunnel in Kashmir
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Z-Morh Tunnel today which will enable all-weather access to Sonamarg. The 6.5 km-long tunnel will be merged with the Srinagar-Leh National Highway.
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah will attend the event, reported news website The Week. The tunnel provides uninterrupted connectivity between Gagangir and Sonamarg, facilitating smoother summer travel to Ladakh.
The Z-Morh A Tunnel, part of the Rs 2,400 crore Zojila Tunnel project under the build-operate-transfer model, will ensure seamless connectivity to Baltal and Ladakh for both civilian and military traffic.
Iran will hold nuclear talks with France, Britain and Germany
Iran is set to hold nuclear talks with three major European nations in Switzerland today, reported Arab News quoting local media. These nations are France, Britain and Germany.
“The new round of talks between Iran and three European countries will be held in Geneva on January 13,” said Kazem Gharibabadi, Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs, according to ISNA news agency.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the nuclear watchdog, has reported that Iran is the only non-nuclear weapons state possessing uranium enriched to 60 per cent, a significant escalation in recent years.
South Korean Court to hold first hearing in Han Duck-soo’s impeachment trial
The Constitutional Court will begin its first pretrial hearing on former acting President Han Duck-soo’s impeachment trial from today, stated judicial authorities.
According to the authorities, the court has notified the prime minister and the National Assembly’s legal representatives that the first preparation hearing on Han’s impeachment will take place at 4 pm on January 13.
Verdict in GBP 190 million case against Imran Khan likely to be announced
The verdict in the GBP 190 million case involving imprisoned Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan is set to be announced on January 13, reported news agency ANI.
The case was scheduled to be heard on January 6 but was rescheduled. Notably, in December 2023, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) filed a corruption reference against Imran Khan, his wife Bushra Bibi, and several others.
According to ANI, the case involves allegations that the couple obtained billions of rupees and hundreds of acres of land from Bahria Town in exchange for legalising PKR 50 billion that had been returned to Pakistan by the UK during the PTI government’s tenure.
On this day…
Birth anniversary of the first Indian astronaut Rakesh Sharma
Birth anniversary of music composer and santoor player Pandit Shivkumar Sharma
In 1942, Henry Ford patented a plastic automobile, which was 30 per cent lighter than a regular car
Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi started fasting to death to maintain Hindu-Muslim unity in 1948
Communal riots broke out in Kolkata in 1964 that led to 100 deaths
With inputs from PTI
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