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[00:00:08] Hello, this is your daily dose of news from Onmanorama. I am your host Vaishnavi and these are the major news stories of Friday, January 31, 2025. India's GDP is projected to grow between 6.3% and 6.8% in the financial year 2025-26, driven by strong economic fundamentals, fiscal consolidation and stable private consumption, according to the Economic Survey 2024-25 tabled in Parliament.
[00:00:36] However, the growth rate is expected to decline to 6.4% in the current financial year, marking a four-year low. The report also highlights key areas for India's growth, stressing the importance of scaling up infrastructure investment to sustain high growth. It outlines a policy shift to balance crop production by reducing cereal output, promoting pulses in edible oils and ensuring food security.
[00:01:02] Amid controversy over Sonia Gandhi's comments on President Draupadi Murmu's address, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra defended her mother, saying that Sonia has the utmost respect for the president and that her remarks were misinterpreted by the media. Priyanka clarified that Sonia, in a light-hearted comment, only expressed empathy for the president's lengthy speech and meant no disrespect. She also criticised the BJP for demanding an apology, suggesting they should first apologise for ruining the country.
[00:01:32] Two people were killed and 10 others wounded in an Israeli airstrike on Lebanon, according to Lebanon's Health Ministry. The strike followed Israeli military action targeting Hezbollah sites, including a weapons development facility and an arms smuggling operation along the Syrian-Lebanese border. Hezbollah condemned the attack as a dangerous violation and urged the Lebanese government to stop Israel's strikes. The Israeli military did not report casualties in its statement.
[00:02:02] The investigation team have recovered the black boxes from the American Airlines subsidiary plane that crashed into Washington's Potomac River following a mid-air collision with a military helicopter. The National Transportation Safety Board will analyse the devices as part of its investigation, sources confirmed to U.S. media. The coalition killed 67 people as rescuers pulled victims' bodies from the freezing water.
[00:02:29] U.S. President Donald Trump stated that birthright citizenship was originally intended for the children of slaves, not for people from around the world to enter the U.S. He expressed confidence that the Supreme Court would rule in his favour after a federal court struck down his executive order on the issue. Trump emphasised that while he supports birthright citizenship for the children of slaves, it was never meant to apply to everyone.
[00:02:56] His comments came as a group of Republican senators introduced a bill to restrict birthright citizenship to the children of legal immigrants and temporary visa holders. That brings us to the end of this episode. Thanks for listening to Daily News Dose, 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.