Here are top stories this Friday morning: 

Shivamogga dynamite blast at mining quarry kills eight people

As many as eight people were killed in a dynamite blast at a stone mining quarry in Karnataka’s Shivamogga district on Friday, said district collector (DC) KB Shivakumar. The blast took place near gravel and boulder crushing facility around 10.30 pm, leading to shockwaves not only in Shivamogga but also in nearby districts like Chikkamagaluru and Davangere. Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter and extended his condolences to the victims of the blast and also assured that the Karnataka government is doing everything possible to assist the affected people. 

 

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PM Modi to interact with beneficiaries, vaccinators in Varanasi 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday will interact with beneficiaries and vaccinators of the ongoing COVID-19 vaccination drive in Varanasi via videoconferencing at 1:15 pm. Taking to Twitter, PM Modi said that the world's largest vaccination drive is underway in India. "Our frontline warriors are getting vaccinated across the nation," he added. Urging the people of the nation to watch his interaction with the beneficiaries and vaccinators in Varanasi today, PM Modi said that this interaction would give a first-hand opportunity to hear their experience as well as feedback.

 

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India-US relationship to strengthened further: White House 

The White House said on Friday that the bilateral relations between India and the United States of America will strengthen further with Kamala Harris as the first woman and Indian-American Vice President. During Harris' inauguration, her ancestral village in the state of Tamil Nadu celebrated the occasion with fervour. People in Thulsendrapuram village, the native village of Kamala's mother, were seen applauding while Harris was taking the oath. The locals of the village also held her posters and burned firecrackers. 

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki while interracting with reporters at a daily news conference said, "She (Harris) was sworn in the first Indian American to serve as vice president. Certainly, a historic moment for all of us in this country but a further cementing of the importance of our relationship.”

 

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West Bengal governor donates ₹5 lakh for Ram Mandir construction

West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Thursday donated a sum of ₹ 5,00,001  for the construction of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. "Governor West Bengal (WB) Jagdeep Dhankhar and his wife Sudesh Dhankhar donated a sum of ₹ 5,00,001 by way of State Bank of India draft to a delegation of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra at Raj Bhavan in Kolkata," said an official statement by the state's Raj Bhavan.

 

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‘Mirzapur’ producer and director booked in UP city 

Amid the controversy against the web series Tandav for allegedly hurting religious sentiments, another show Mirzapur too has landed in trouble. A First Information Report (FIR) has been registered against the directors and producers of the web series for allegedly portraying Mirzapur in poor light. A police team from the city has left for Mumbai to carry out the investigation, Mirzapur ASP Sanjay Verma confirmed.

 

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