Morning Digest: Americans vote in close race for the next President; IPL mega auction to be held in Jeddah on November 24-25, and more

Here is a select list of stories to start the day

U.S. Elections 2024 voting LIVE: Americans vote in close race for the next President

Voters were deciding whether to send Republican Donald Trump back to the White House or elevate Vice President Kamala Harris to the Oval Office. As the first polls began to close in parts of Kentucky and Indiana, tens of millions of Americans added their ballots to the 84 million cast early as they chose between two candidates with drastically different temperaments and visions for the country.

Trump or Harris, India-U.S. ties, Quad will ‘only grow’, says Jaishankar

No matter what the outcome of the U.S. presidential elections, the India-U.S. relationship as well as the engagement with the Quad will “only grow”, said External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Tuesday (November 5, 2024), as Americans began voting for the 47th U.S. President. 

Information and Broadcasting Ministry mulls treating Wikipedia as content publisher

Even as Asian News International (ANI) sues the Wikimedia Foundation over the Wikipedia entry on the news agency, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has sent a missive to the online encyclopedia’s parent, asking why it should not be treated as a publisher, and therefore directly liable for legal challenges against its content. The letter has not been released and was announced by government sources. 

Stop abuse of patent monopolies in rare diseases, say patient representatives and treatment activists 

Roche, a Swiss multinational healthcare company, is seeking a permanent injunction against Natco Pharma to prevent the introduction of a generic version of Risdiplam, a Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) drug, citing patent infringement.

India must create ‘leading’ space firms, not just service companies: ISRO chief

To be a major space power, India needs to create “leading space companies and not merely service companies,” S. Somanath, the chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said on Tuesday (November 5, 2024). For India to raise its contribution to the global space economy from the current 2% to 10% would require significant government support, he added.

Delhi govt. to start drive against burning of waste in open today

Environment Minister Gopal Rai said the Delhi government will launch a campaign on Wednesday to discourage open burning of waste. The Minister made the announcement after chairing a meeting on air pollution on Tuesday when the city’s overall air quality index (AQI) showed slight improvement even though it remained in the ‘very poor’ category.

Folk singer Sharda Sinha, voice of Chhath, dies at 72

Popular folk singer Sharda Sinha, who was undergoing treatment at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS)-Delhi, died on Tuesday night (November 5, 2024). She was 72.

Boeing factory strike ends as workers vote to accept contract

Factory workers at Boeing voted to accept a contract offer and end their strike after more than seven weeks, clearing the way for the aerospace giant to resume production of its bestselling airliner and generate much-needed cash.

Solar cell manufacturing to outstrip global demand by 2024: report

By the end of 2024, global solar manufacturing capacity is likely to reach over 1,100 GW, far exceeding the demand for photovoltaic panels. The sector experienced significant growth in 2023, with solar cell, wafers and modules capacity nearly doubling in comparison with the previous year.

IPL mega auction to be held in Jeddah in Saudi Arabia on November 24, 25: BCCI

The mega auction ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 will be held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on November 24 and 25, the BCCI announced on Tuesday (November 5, 2024).

India takes first step to hosting Olympics and Paralympics, sends Letter of Intent for 2036 edition 

India took the first step in its attempt to host the 2036 Olympics by sending a formal Letter of Intent for the same to the IOC. While there has been no official confirmation yet, sources said that the letter was sent to the Future Hosts Commission (FHC) of the IOC on October 1. This is in continuation of the push from Prime Minister Narendra Modi for hosting major multi-discipline events, including the 2030 Youth Olympics, publicly declaring India’s intention to host the 2036 Olympics during the opening ceremony of the 141st IOC session in Mumbai last year.

Novak Djokovic withdraws from the ATP Finals. First time in 23 years without a member of the Big 3

Novak Djokovic won’t defend his ATP Finals title after ruling himself out Tuesday citing an injury, leaving the season-ending event without a member of the Big Three of men’s tennis for the first time in 23 years.

Published - November 06, 2024 06:13 am IST