PM Modi gifts Kamala Harris copy of notifications related to her grandfather, chess set
New Delhi, (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi gifted US Vice President Kamala Harris a copy of old notifications related to her grandfather, who was a senior Indian government officer, in a wooden handicraft frame and a 'meenakari' chess set as they held their first in-person meeting, government sources said on Friday.
Prime Minister Modi described India and America as "natural partners" in his meeting with Vice President Harris on Thursday at the White House during which they decided to further cement the Indo-US strategic partnership and discussed global issues of common interest, including threats to democracy and in the Indo-Pacific.
Noting that the prime minister had a "very successful" bilateral meeting with Harris, the sources said he gave very special gifts to the American vice president.
"In a very touching gesture, PM Modi presented Vice President Harris a copy of old notifications related to her grandfather, Shri PV Gopalan, in a wooden handicraft frame. P V Gopalan was a senior and respected government officer who served in various positions," a government source said.
Modi also gifted Harris a 'gulabi meenakari' chess set, the sources said, adding that the craft of 'gulabi meenakari' is closely associated with Varanasi, one of the oldest cities of the world and the prime minister's Lok Sabha constituency.
Each piece on this particular chess set is remarkably handcrafted, the sources said.
The bright colours reflect the vibrancy of Varanasi, they said.
While Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison was gifted a 'silver gulabi meenakari ship', Japanese Premier Yoshihide Suga was gifted a sandalwood Buddha statue, the sources said.
The ship gifted to Morrison is also distinctly handcrafted and its brightness reflects Varanasi's dynamism, they said.
Besides meeting Harris, Prime Minister Modi held bilateral meetings with Suga and Morrison on Thursday.
Modi arrived in Washington on Wednesday on an official visit to the US during which he will hold the first face-to-face meeting with President Joe Biden, attend the maiden in-person Quad summit and address the 76th session of the UN General Assembly in New York.
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Cristiano Ronaldo scores his 100th Saudi Pro League goal
Riyadh (AP): Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 100th Saudi Pro League goal as Al-Nassr beat Al-Shabab 4-2 to move five points clear at the top of the table.
The 41-year-old forward converted a Sadio Mané cross at the near post with 15 minutes remaining to record the 971st goal of his career on Thursday. It was also his 26th league goal of the season.
“Ronaldo is always dangerous going forward and we saw that again today,” Al-Nassr coach Jorge Jesus said.
João Félix, signed from Chelsea in July, scored three goals for the league leaders.
The win took Al-Nassr to 82 points from 32 games, five ahead of Al-Hilal, which has three matches, one more than Nassr, left to play. Al-Hilal meets Al-Kholood on Friday and faces Nassr on Tuesday in what could be a title decider against its Riyadh rival.
“Now we have a derby match against our rival, which is a difficult encounter,” Jesus said.
“We are fully aware of its importance, and we are dealing with it with complete focus as we know that small details could decide the result.”
Ronaldo, a five-time Ballon d'Or winner, has yet to secure a major trophy in Saudi Arabia since signing with Al-Nassr in December 2022.
