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[00:00:09] Hello, this is your daily dose of news from Onmanorama. I'm your host Vaishnavi and these are the major news stories of Saturday, January 25, 2025. Four Israeli women soldiers were released after more than 15 months in captivity. They had been abducted by Palestinian militants on October 7, 2023 while serving near the Gaza border. The women, aged 19 and 20, were taken while on duty at the military base and their abduction was filmed.
[00:00:38] The release brought emotional reunions in Israel, with families and crowds celebrating at Tel Aviv's Hostage Square. The Trump administration's Interior Department announced that it had officially renamed the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America and reinstated the name Mount McKinley for Alaska's highest peak. These changes directed by President Donald Trump were part of his executive actions taken shortly after his inauguration.
[00:01:06] However, while Trump can direct name changes in the U.S., the international community, including Mexico, may not recognize the Gulf of America name as the Gulf of Mexico has been internationally acknowledged for centuries. The Mexican President humorously suggested renaming the region Mexican America, referencing an early map.
[00:01:27] The U.S. Supreme Court has denied a petition by Tahabur Rana, a terror suspect linked to the 2008 Mumbai attacks, challenging his extradition to India. The court's decision on January 21 dismissed his final legal appeal. Rana, a Canadian national of Pakistani origin, was previously associated with Pakistani-American terrorist David Coleman, one of the key conspirators behind the attacks that killed 166 people.
[00:01:56] Despite having been acquitted in a U.S. court on charges related to the attacks, Rana now faces extradition to India to stand trial on similar charges, including forgery which were not addressed in the U.S. case. The BJP candidate from New Delhi, Parvesh Verma, immersed an effigy of former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the Yamuna River to protest Kejriwal's unfulfilled promise to clean the river.
[00:02:23] Verma criticized Kejriwal and the AAP government for their failing to deliver on their commitment despite 11 years in power and spending Rs. 8,000 crore. He called the failure a betrayal of Delhi's people, noting that the river's condition had worsened instead of improving. Kejriwal had initially pledged to clean the Yamuna by 2025, but later admitted he could not fulfill the promise and assured that the river would be cleaned in the next few years if AAP returned to power.
[00:02:54] Indonesia and India signed a series of agreements covering a range of sectors, including culture, health, maritime security, defense and digital cooperation. The signing ceremony, held ahead of India's Republic Day, was attended by Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto and India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
[00:03:14] President Prabowo emphasized his government's commitment to accelerating long-term economic partnership with India and thanked the country for supporting Indonesia's BRICS membership, which he believes will enhance global stability. Prime Minister Modi highlighted the focus on defence manufacturing, improving supply chains and collaboration on maritime security, cyber security, counter-terrorism and deradicalization efforts.
[00:03:42] That brings us to the end of this episode. Thanks for listening to Daily News Doors, hosted by me Vaishnavi and produced by Kannan. Follow on Manorama.com for detailed updates on the latest news and be sure to come back tomorrow.