Wed Nov 06 00:43:44 UTC 2024: ## US Election Day: Harris vs. Trump, India’s Space Ambitions, and More
**Philadelphia, USA -** As the first polls closed in Kentucky and Indiana, millions of Americans cast their ballots on Tuesday, deciding between Republican Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris for the presidency. While the nation awaited the outcome, India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar assured that the India-US relationship and engagement with the Quad would continue to strengthen, regardless of the result.
Meanwhile, news broke of legal battles in India. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting sent a notice to the Wikimedia Foundation, demanding to know why it should not be held liable as a publisher for content on Wikipedia, following ANI’s lawsuit against the platform. In the healthcare sector, Roche, a Swiss pharmaceutical giant, is seeking to block Natco Pharma from releasing a generic version of the SMA drug Risdiplam, alleging patent infringement.
India’s space ambitions took center stage as ISRO Chairman S. Somanath stressed the need to create “leading space companies” to propel the country’s contribution to the global space economy from 2% to 10%. He emphasized the need for government support to achieve this goal.
Closer to home, Delhi’s Environment Minister Gopal Rai announced a campaign to discourage open burning of waste, following slight improvements in the city’s air quality. The city’s overall air quality index remains in the “very poor” category.
In a sad note, popular folk singer Sharda Sinha passed away at the age of 72 after undergoing treatment at AIIMS-Delhi.
On a more positive note, Boeing factory workers ended their strike after reaching a contract agreement with the aerospace giant, clearing the way for the resumption of production of its bestselling airliner.
Global solar manufacturing capacity is projected to surpass 1,100 GW by the end of 2024, exceeding demand for photovoltaic panels. The sector saw significant growth in 2023, with capacity nearly doubling compared to the previous year.
The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega auction will be held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on November 24 and 25, the BCCI announced.
India took a step forward in its bid to host the 2036 Olympics, sending a formal Letter of Intent to the IOC. While confirmation is awaited, sources say the letter was sent to the IOC’s Future Hosts Commission. This move comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi publicly declared India’s intention to host the event during the opening ceremony of the 141st IOC session in Mumbai last year.
Finally, in the world of tennis, Novak Djokovic withdrew from the ATP Finals due to injury, leaving the season-ending event without a member of the Big Three for the first time in 23 years.
First Piper 