Sunita Williams unfurls tricolour in space

New Delhi, August 15: Indian-American astronaut Sunita Williams displayed the tricolour on board the International Space Station and wished Indians a very happy Independence Day.

"I wish India a very happy Independence Day for August 15... India is a wonderful country and I am very proud to be a part of India," Williams said in her message.

"Of course, you know that I am half Indian. My father is from Gujarat. India is a very colourful and wonderful place and I am very proud to be from there. Happy Independence Day to everybody in India," she added.

This history-making event occurred on the annual program hosted by Riti Sunshine Bhalla, when the Indian American Astronaut called out from the International Space Station. It was for the first time in 65 years since India gained freedom, an astronaut, Sunita Williams, greeted the people of India and the Indian people around the world from outer space.

"Thank you Riti Sunshine for inviting me to join in your Indian Independence celebration," said Williams, while displaying the tricolor on board the International Space Station. She also gave a guided tour of the Space Station.

The unique celebration of the 65th anniversary of India's independence in the International Space Station is the brainchild of Varinder Bhalla, producer and director of the program.

Extensive planning and coordination was done with the help of the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
"Riti worked very hard for this program all summer," said Varinder Bhalla.

"Riti and I traveled to Boston to interview Dr. Deepak Pandya, the father of the Astronaut as well as the Governor of Massachusetts, where Williams grew up. We then traveled to Mumbai to videotape greetings from Bollywood celebrities for Sunita, all in a span of ten days," added the proud father of the teen host.

Over 100 million viewers across India are likely to watch the Astronaut's greetings, on 80 national and regional TV channels in India.

"Five years ago, we started the program with the intent to pay homage to the freedom fighters who gave up their lives so India could be free. This year, we are dedicating our Independence Day Special to Sunita Williams, who has made a billion people of India so proud," said Riti Sunshine.

Bollywood celebrities Yash Chopra, Shah Rukh Khan, Sanjay Dutt and Anushka Sharma also offered their greetings to Williams on the Riti Bhalla Special, the TV program named after the teen host, a student of New York University.

Bhalla, 18, started her annual Independence Day in 2008, when she was only 13 years old.

U.S. Senator Bob Menendez joined Riti Sunshine in the celebration for the fifth time in he last five years.

Congressman Steve Israel, a strong supporter of India on Capitol Hill, also participated in the televised celebration. Both offered their best wishes to the Indian American Astronaut and shared their pride with the people of India.

Since 2008, 10 governors of America, 22 senators and congressional leaders as well as the former President of India, Dr. Abdul Kalam, have appeared as guests on her Independence Day show, which is telecast in 23 countries.

Williams, 46, along with Yuri Malenchenko of Russia and Japan's Akihiko Hoshide left for the ISS aboard a Russian spacecraft Soyuz TMA-05M on July 15 from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

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Spain blocks arms ship from India to Israel amid ongoing Gaza genocide

News Network

May 18,2024

In a humanitarian move, Spain has refused entry to a ship carrying arms from India’s Chennai to Israel to dock at one of its ports, its Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares has said.

The Denmark-flagged cargo ship Marianne Danica sailed from Chennai on April 8 when people in Gaza were observing Ramadan fasting, and was headed to the port of Haifa in Israel, according to maritime tracking portals and Spanish media.

Spain has been extremely critical of the rising civilian casualties due to the Israeli offensive in Gaza and, along with Belgium, has suspended arms exports licenses to Tel Aviv.

Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs Randhir Jaiswal, at the weekly press conference, only said that they have seen the report of the ship and will revert with more information.

Meanwhile, a source said, “Investigation will reveal if the items on board were cleared for export and if the end user is the same as reported by The Guardian because there are items that are not banned for exports.”

Speaking to reporters in Brussels on Thursday on the issue, Mr. Albares had said, “This is the first time we have done this because it is the first time we have detected a ship carrying a shipment of arms to Israel that wants to call at a Spanish port.”

“This will be a consistent policy with any ship carrying arms to Israel that wants to call at Spanish ports. The Foreign Ministry will systematically reject such stopovers for one obvious reason: the Middle East does not need more weapons, it needs more peace,” he stated.

The ship was carrying 27 tonnes of explosives according to local reports. It was to make a port call at Cartegena in Spain.
In February, Mr. Albares said that they had suspended arms export licences to Israel since October 7, which he said made them “realise” the importance of a “fair and lasting solution” to the Palestinian cause.

The incident comes amid an ongoing row between Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s party and his coalition partners over another ship, Borkum, that was due to dock at Cartegena port on Friday over allegations that it was carrying arms meant for Israel. However, the Spanish government has said that the arms it is ferrying are meant for the Czech Republic.

Belgium had suspended two arms export licences to Israel.

“We welcome the decision of the Spanish government to deny the transit authorisation of the vessel Marianne Danica, in accordance with Tratado (treaty) on Arms Trade and Spanish law,” Amnesty International Spain said on social media platform ‘X’.

The timing also coincides with the Israeli ground offensive inside Rafah. According to the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) at least 6,30,000 Palestinians have been forced out of Rafah since the launch of the incursion on May 7.

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