India unveils world’s biggest statue - GN Headlines
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00:00Good day and welcome to the Gulf News Update for Wednesday, October the 31st.
00:06Here are the top stories at this hour.
00:09India today inaugurated the world's tallest statue with pomp, fireworks and tight security
00:14amid an outcry among local groups.
00:17Many have fiercely criticized Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the 1.4 billion
00:23dirham cost of the 182-meter high reproduction of an Indian independence hero.
00:29Modi officially opened the tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel with an Air Force jet flyover
00:35in his home state of Gujarat.
00:37He hailed Sardar Patel's statue of unity as a symbol of our engineering and technical
00:43prowess.
00:45The UAE has stepped up the fight against money laundering and financing terrorism by announcing
00:50a new law.
00:52President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan has issued a decree making
00:56it difficult for illegal transfers of cash or valuables out of the country to hide the
01:02source or to back activities by terrorist organizations.
01:06The law will require the declaration of anyone entering or leaving the country carrying cash,
01:12monetary or financial bearer instruments, precious metals or stones of value.
01:18The decree is in line with the recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force to combat
01:23money laundering and terrorist financing.
01:27A heavy turnout of undocumented residents at amnesty centers and slow procedures at
01:32some foreign diplomatic missions have prompted the UAE government to extend the amnesty.
01:38The Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship made the announcement on Tuesday.
01:44The extension until December 1st will provide more time for amnesty seekers to regularize
01:50their residency status or leave without paying fines.
01:55Pakistan's Supreme Court has overturned the conviction of a Christian woman sentenced
01:59to death for blasphemy against Islam and ordered her freed.
02:04The ruling set off protests by hardline Islamists but was welcomed by human rights advocates.
02:11Asia Bibi, a mother of four, has been living on death row since 2010 when she became the
02:17first woman to be sentenced to death by hanging under Pakistan's blasphemy laws.
02:23Two-time Oscar winner Cate Blanchett has become the latest Hollywood celebrity to switch to
02:28TV, signing on to star in the new FX limited series Mrs. America.
02:34The nine-episode series will feature Blanchett as conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly
02:40who led the fight against the movement to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment.
02:45The ERA is a proposed amendment to the U.S. Constitution stating that equal rights may
02:51not be denied on the basis of one's sex.
02:55And finally, the weather.
02:56Today's high across the UAE will be 34 degrees Celsius, dropping to 26 degrees at night.
03:03That's all for now.
03:04Thanks for watching.
03:05And as always, you can get the latest updates on gulfnews.com.