India bags ten medals including one Gold and three Silver at Asian Games in Hangzhou, China
Key domestic share indices trading almost flat in afternoon trade
Minister of Power, New and Renewable Energy RK Singh inaugurates ‘India Energy Summit 2023' in New Delhi
Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri launches India's first Green Hydrogen fuel cell bus in Delhi
Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh inaugurates Bharat Drone Shakti 2023 at IAF Hindon Airbase in Ghaziabad
PM Narendra Modi addresses BJP workers rally - Mahakumbh in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh
Organisations in Karnataka calls for Bengaluru bandh against release of Cauvery river water to Tamilnadu
ED raids at houses and offices of former leaders and others associated with banned PFI in Kerala
PM Narendra Modi pays tributes to Pt. Deendayal Upadhyay on his birth anniversary
Israeli airstrikes struck militant sites in Gaza for third straight day
NAMASKAR! A warm welcome to 'World News: an Indian perspective on All India Radio. This is R.S. RAGHU and with me is SAIRA MUJTABA bringing glimpses of the major developments of the day from across the globe. Over the next half an hour, we shall bring you the latest from the world of politics, economy, sports, entertainment and more.
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THE HEADLINES:
External Affairs Minister Dr Jaishankar to take part in the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers in Uzbekistan on Thursday.
Earthquake measuring Seven jolts the Phillipines.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemns attack in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
India to provide 4G mobile services in over 24 thousand uncovered villages.
Second North-East Buyer - Seller Meet to begin on Thursday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi to inaugurate the 44th Chess Olympiad in Chennai on Thursday.
PV Sindhu to lead India's Commonwealth games contingent.
In Cricket, rain stops play in the third and final ODI between India and West Indies at Queen's Park Oval in Port of Spain.
JAISHANKAR-SCO
External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar will be on a two-day visit to Uzbekistan from Thursday to take part in the meeting of the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers. The meeting will discuss preparations for the upcoming Meeting of the Council of Heads of State on 15th and 16th September 2022 in Samarkand. They will review ongoing cooperation in the expansion of the SCO Organisation and exchange ideas on regional and global developments of common concern.
The SCO is a permanent intergovernmental international organization. It is a political, economic and military organization aiming to maintain peace, security and stability in the Eurasian region. Its current members are Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India, Pakistan and Iran.
EVE PHILIPPINES-EARTHQUAKE
In the Philippines, the death toll following a strong earthquake increased to four. Sixty others have also been injured in the northern part of the Asian archipelago on Wednesday.
According to reports the tremors set off small landslides and damaged buildings and churches and prompted terrified crowds and hospital patients in the capital to rush outdoors.
The U.S. Geological Survey measured the quake’s strength at 7.0 on Richter scale and depth at a shallow depth of 10 kilometres. Shallower quakes tend to cause more damage.
The Philippines lies along the Pacific 'Ring of Fire', an arc of faults around the Pacific Ocean where most of the world’s earthquakes occur. In 1990, a 7.7 magnitude quake killed nearly 2,000 people in the northern Philippines.
EU-GAS-RUSSIA
European Union members agreed to cut natural gas consumption on Tuesday. The talks which was ongoing since last week resulted in the EU members agreeing to voluntarily reduce 15 percent of gas use between August and March. The deal was watered down to include certain exemptions. The European Union has said the aim of the deal is to make savings and store gas ahead of winter, warning that Russia is continuously using energy supplies as a weapon. The voluntary agreement would become mandatory if supplies reach crisis levels.
GUTERRES-CONGO
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemned the violent attack in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo that killed three peacekeepers including two peacekeepers belonging to India's BSF. Deputy U.N. spokesperson Farhan Haq said in a statement that any violence targeting the United Nations may constitute a war crime. He called upon the Congolese authorities to investigate these incidents and swiftly bring those responsible to justice.
External Affairs Minister of India Dr. Jaishankar expressed deep grief at the loss of two Indian peacekeepers in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Tuesday. The peacekeepers were part of MONUSCO which is the UN mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo. At least five people were killed and about 50 injured during anti-UN protests in the eastern city of Goma on Tuesday. Dr. Jaishankar tweeted that the perpetrators of these outrageous attacks must be held accountable and brought to justice.
MONKEYPOX-COMBAT
A high-level World Health Organization (WHO) official on Tuesday said that the rapidly spreading Monkeypox outbreak can be stopped with the right strategies. Dr. Rosamund Lewis, WHO Technical Lead on Monkeypox said this at a press briefing in Geneva. However, she added that time was going by and all need to get together to combat the malady. Dr. Lewis stressed that countries with manufacturing capacity for smallpox and Monkeypox diagnostics, vaccines or therapeutics should increase production. The countries currently producing vaccines are Denmark, Japan, and the United States.
Meanwhile, the WHO has said that more than 15000 cases of Monkeypox have been reported so far, with over two thirds reported in the European Region.
On Saturday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declared the spread of the virus to be a public health emergency of international concern, the WHO's highest level of alert.
Monkeypox could cause a range of signs and symptoms, including painful sores. Dr. Lewis reminded that persons with Monkeypox should be isolated and they should not travel until recovered.
GERMANY- AIRLINE STRIKE
German carrier Lufthansa has announced that it is cancelling almost all flights from its hubs at Frankfurt and Munich due to a scheduled ground staff strike on Wednesday.
According to media reports, over 1,000 flights are being scrapped with an estimated 1,34,000 passengers affected. The trade unions claimed that the approximately 20,000 employees that makeup Lufthansa's ground staff to strike in an effort to place pressure on management in ongoing salary negotiations.
Lufthansa in a statement said that its major hubs in Frankfurt and Munich will not be the only airports affected by the strike. The airline also expects its effects to be felt at the Berlin, Bremen, Cologne, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Hanover and Stuttgart airports. The airline advised against coming to the airport, if not rebooked, as there will be few if no service desks available.
INDIA-ISREAL-PALESTINE
India has called for a peaceful resolution of the Israel-Palestine conflict for bringing lasting peace and stability to the region. Charge d'affaires at India's Permanent Mission to the UN Ambassador R Ravindra said this on a debate at UN Security Council. He highlighted that India remains concerned over the developments in Israel and Palestine, in particular, the continued violent attacks and the killing of civilians and the acts of destruction and provocation. He reiterated the call for a complete cessation of all acts of violence. He said that all unilateral measures that unduly alter the status-quo on the ground and undercut the viability of the two-state solution must be avoided.
Ambassador Ravindra noted that India has vital stakes in peace and prosperity in West Asia. Pointing at the recent virtual I2U2 summit, the envoy said that the leaders of India, Israel, the UAE and the US agreed to increase joint investments in six key areas of water, energy, transport, space, health and food security. He said India believes that the peaceful resolution of the Israel-Palestine conflict would bring lasting peace and stability to the region. Moreover, he highlighted that the absence of a political settlement between Israel and Palestine does not augur well for long-term regional peace and stability.
CABINET - 4G MOBILE SERVICE
The Union Cabinet has approved a project for the saturation of 4G mobile services in uncovered villages at a total cost of 26 thousand 316 crore rupees. Briefing reporters in New Delhi after the Cabinet meeting in New Delhi, Electronic and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said, the project will provide 4G mobile services in 24 thousand 680 uncovered villages in remote and difficult areas. The project has a provision to include 20 per cent of additional villages on account of rehabilitation, new settlements, and withdrawal of services by existing operators. He said, in addition, six thousand 279 villages having only 2G and 3G connectivity will be upgraded to 4G.
The Minister said the project is a significant step toward the vision of the Government to provide mobile connectivity in rural areas. This project will promote the delivery of various e-governance services, banking services, telemedicine, tele-education among others through mobile broadband and generate employment in rural areas.
NE-BAZAAR
The Second North-East Buyer - Seller Meet 2022 will begin on Thursday. Minister of State for External Affairs and Education, Dr. Rajkumar Ranjan Singh, will be visiting Guwahati to attend the inaugural Session of the event. Bangladesh, Bhutan, Thailand and Laos will be the focus countries for the second Edition of the North-East Buyer-Seller Meet, in line with India’s Act East and Neighbourhood First Policies.
The event is designed to provide a platform for the business houses of the North East Region to interact with business entities of the focus countries, to explore partnerships and export opportunities.
In a statement, the External Affairs Ministry said that ASEAN member states are the extended neighbourhood of the region. The government is working towards promoting the 3Ts of Trade, Tourism and Technology, within the ASEAN Region.
Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sharma of Assam, along with diplomats and representatives of various apex business chambers from the focus countries will participate in the opening session of the one-day event.
HOTSPOT
In today's HOTSPOT section, we bring you a commentary on India's decision to designate five new wetlands as wetlands of international importance, making a total of 54 Ramsar sites in the country.
The importance given to environmental protection and conservation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has led to a marked improvement in how India treats its wetlands. On 26th July 2022 the Union Environment Minister, Bhupender Yadav announced that 5 more Indian Wetlands have got Ramsar recognition as wetlands of international importance. They are the Karikili Bird Sanctuary, Pallikaranai Marsh Reserve forest, Pichavaram Mangrove in Tamil Nadu, Pala Wetland in Mizoram and the Sakhya Sagar in Madhya Pradesh. The Ramsar sites have now increased from 49 to 54.
The Ramsar convention is an intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. The convention was adopted in the Iranian city of Ramsar in 1971 and came into force in 1975. Since then 90% of UN member states have become “Contracting Parties” committed to the conventions three pillars. To work towards the wise use of all their wetlands. To designate suitable wetlands for the list of Wetlands International Importance and ensure their effective management and to cooperate internationally on transboundry wetlands, shared wetland systems and shared species. The Ramsar Convention works closely with six other organizations known as International Organization Partners (IOP’s). They are Birdlife International, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), International Water Management Institute (IWMI), Wetlands International, and Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT).
On 2nd February 2022 , the occasion of World Wetlands Day , India had added Khijadia Wildlife Sanctuay in Gujurat and Bakhira Wildlife Sanctuary in Uttar Pradesh to the list of Ramsar sites in India. Earlier the Uttar Pradesh’s Haiderpur wetland made it to the list of Indian wetlands of international importance. The Karikili Bird Sancturay in Kanchipuram district, 86 kms from Chennai that has been added lately is famous for its breeding heronry including cormorants, egrets, grey heron, open billed stork, darter, spoonbill, night herons , grebes and grey pelican. Many migratory birds like garganey teals, shovellers, pintails, stilts and sandpipers visit the sanctuary in winter.
The Pallikaranai Marsh also from Tamil Nadu is one of the last remaining natural wetlands in Chennai. It is part of the vast Bay of Bengal Large Marine Ecosystem. The bio-diversity rich South Indian wetland is home to most endangered reptiles such as Russel’s Viper and birds like Glossy Ibis and Pheasant tailed Jacana among others.
The Pichavaram Mangrove in Tamil Nadu has a well – developed mangrove forest. It is located 200kms south of Chennai in the southeast coast of India.
Mizoram’s Palak Lake is the largest lake in the state and is known as Pala Tipa by the locals. It is surrounded by lush green forests and mountains and is home to a range of animals, birds, amphibians and reptiles. The lake is situated about 100 kms from the district headquarter of Saiha within the Tuipang sub division.
The Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chouhan greeted the people for getting the status of Ramsar Site for the Sakhya Sagar Lake in Shivpuri district. He said it is the second Ramsar site , the first site is Bhoj wetland. The Chief Minister added that Sakhya Sagar will now get a place in the global tourism map and this will promote the efforts of the government and nature loving citizens in the state for biodiversity and environmental conservation.
The theme for World Wetlands day this year is its appeal to invest financial, human and political capital to save the world’s wetlands from disappearing and to restore those that have been degraded. About one eighth of the world’s population depends on wetlands for their livelihood. Wetlands are ecosystems where water is the primary factor in controlling the environment and the associated plant and animal life. They include both freshwater and marine and coastal ecosystems such as lakes and rivers, underground aquifers, swamps and marshes, wet grasslands, peatlands, oases, estuaries, deltas and tidal flats, mangroves and other coastal areas, coral reefs and all human made sites such as fishponds, rice paddies, reservoirs and salt pans. Though wetlands cover only 6% of the Earth’s land surface, 40% of all plant and animal species live or breed here. Wetlands are vital for humans, for other ecosystems and for our climate providing essential ecosystem services such as water regulation, including flood control and water purification.
Today wetlands are among the ecosystems in danger of decline, loss and degradation. The indicators of this trend are unsustainable production and consumption and associated technological development as well as the adverse impacts of climate change. They are disappearing three times faster than forests due to human activities such as drainage and infilling for agriculture, construction, pollution, overfishing and overexploitation of resources. Since 1970 about 35% of the world’s wetlands have been lost. This vicious cycle of wetland loss has threatened livelihoods. Wetlands are viewed as wastelands rather than life giving sources of jobs, incomes and essential ecosystem services. A key challenge is to change mindsets and encourage governments and communities to value and prioritize wetlands.
To combat the global threat of climate change calls for conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. They help slow global heating and reduce pollution by absorbing carbon dioxide. Hence, they are often referred to as Kidneys of the Earth. Peatlands store twice as much carbon as all the world’s forests combined. When drained and destroyed, wetlands emit vast amounts of carbon. Wetlands also provide a buffer against the impact of floods, droughts, hurricanes and tsunamis and build resilience to climate change.
The country’s wetlands have been mapped by India’s space agency, ISRO, covering 15.98 million hectares which is 4.86% of the total geographic area of the country. The environment ministry is currently implementing a centrally sponsored scheme namely National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Eco- systems (NPCA) for conservation and management of identified wetlands including lakes in the country on cost sharing basis between central and state governments. Any kind of encroachment, setting up of industry, expansion of existing industries, solid waste dumping, discharge of untreated wastes and effluents, poaching and any construction of a permanent nature are among the activities prohibited in the wetlands.
The National Plan for the Conservation of Aquatic Eco-systems (NPCA) will cover various activities like interception, diversion and treatment of wastewater, shoreline protection, lakefront development, in- situ cleaning that is desilting and de-weeding ,storm-water management, bioremediation, catchment area treatment, lake beautification, survey and demarcation, bio-fencing, fisheries development, weed control and biodiversity conservation.
Prominent wetlands in the list of Ramsar sites are Bhoj wetland in Madhya Pradesh, Rudra Sagar in Tripura, Harika in Punjab, Nal Sarovar in Gujrat,East Kolkata wetlands in West Bengal, Deepor Beel in Assam, Sambhar Lake in Rajasthan , Renuka in Himachal Pradesh , Wular Lake in Jammu and Kashmir and Chilika Lake area in Odisha.
India has been pushing for over two dozen sites to get them recognized under the Ramsar Convention. Once accepted the total number of wetlands in India will be 75 this year when the country completes 75 years of its independence.
CHESS OLYMPIAD
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will declare the 44th Chess Olympiad open in the grand inauguration programme being organised at JLN Indoor Stadium, Chennai on Thursday. Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Thakur will also grace the event. The prestigious competition, will be held in India for the first time. The competition will be held till the 10th of August. With 189 countries participating, this will be the largest participation in any Chess Olympiad. A report:
All the matches at the Chess Olympiad will be played in the Classical Swiss League Format. A record 189 countries have registered in Open section and 162 in the Women's section. India is fielding a record six teams and 30 players in this edition of the game, each team having five members, with four being fielded in each round. The Captain of the Team will decide the team composition. The three Indian open teams are seeded 2nd, 11th and 17th respectively. The Olympiad will be held at the Four Points by Sheraton Mahabalipuram Resort and Convention Centre. The tournament will begin with 'Round 1' on July 29 and continue till 'Round 11' on 9th of August. Tripti, AIR News, Delhi.
COMMONWEALTH GAMES
A glittering opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games will begin on Thursday at 11:30 PM IST at Alexander Stadium at Birmingham in England. More than thirty thousand people will witness the opening ceremony. The mega event is being held at 16 different places in England. Two hundred and 15 players from India will be participating in 16 events. More than five thousand athletes across 72 countries are participating in 280 medal events in the Commonwealth Games. Ace Indian Shuttler P.V.Sindhu will lead Indian contingent. More than five thousand athletes across 72 countries are participating in 280 medal events in the Commonwealth Games.
AIR News brings to you the Commonwealth Games Quiz to cheer for the athletes participating in the sporting spectacle.
CABINET - FIFA
The Union Cabinet has approved the signing of guarantees for hosting the FIFA Under 17 Women's World Cup 2022 in India. The tournament is scheduled to be held between 11th and 30th October this year. The seventh edition of the biennial youth tournament will be the first-ever FIFA women's competition to be hosted by India. It will encourage more youngsters to participate in sports and help develop the sport of football in India.
Carrying on the positive legacy from the FIFA Under-17 Men's World Cup 2017, the nation is preparing for a seminal moment for women's football when the best young female footballers from across the world will be showcasing their skills to lift the coveted trophy. The financial outlay of ten crore rupees assistance to All India Football Federation for Field of play Maintenance, Stadium power, Stadia and Training Site branding will be met from the budgetary allocation for the Scheme of Assistance to National Sports Federations.
INDIA -WEST INDIES
In Cricket, India were at 115 for the loss of one wicket in 24 overs before play stopped due to wet outfield in the third and final ODI against West Indies at Queen's Park Oval in Port of Spain on Wednesday. After winning the toss and elected to bat, Skipper Dhawan and Gill hit fifties to take India past the 100-run mark. However, Hayden Walsh Jr ended the partnership, dismissing Dhawan on 58. India created a world record on Sunday by sealing their 12th consecutive series win in the ODI format against the West Indies - the most against a team.
GAVASKAR-HONOURED
In England, the Leicester Cricket Ground has been named after India's legendary cricketer, Sunil Gavaskar. The former Indian cricket team captain Gavaskar is often considered as one of the most skilled batters ever. He was the first cricketer to score 10,000 runs and once held the record for most number of centuries with 34 centuries. During the 70s and 80s, when West Indies were ruling world cricket, Gavaskar impressed with his technique against the Windies' fast bowlers. He was also part of the Indian team that won the 1983 World Cup.
BUSINESS
The Sensex rose 548 points, or 0.99 per cent, to finish at 55,816. The Nifty also surged 158 points, or 0.96 per cent, to end at 16,642.
At global stock markets, Asian stocks were trading mixed and in a narrow range amid worries about interest rate hike by US FED. Singapore’s Straits Times rose 0.4 percent, Japan's NIKKEI-225 added 0.2 percent and South Korea’s KOSPI ended marginally up by 0.1 percent. On the other hand, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index declined 1.1 percent and China’s Shanghai Composite index slipped 0.1 percent. European shares indices posted modest gains in intra-day trade.
Oil prices rose around one percent in intra-day trade. Brent crude was trading at 105 dollars and 30 cents per barrel.
Back Home, Gold was trading at 50,600 rupees per 10 gram at Multi-Commodity Exchange for August contracts. Silver was trading at 54,715 rupees per kilogram for September Contracts when reports last came in.
And... In the forex market, the rupee weakened 13 paise against the US dollar. The rupee closed at 79 rupees and 90 paise against the American currency. NISHIT KUMAR FOR WORLD NEWS, ALL INDIA RADIO.
FPR
Now let us take a look at the major developments around the world, as reported in the Foreign Press.
Bloomberg reports President Joe Biden will speak with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Thursday amid fresh tensions over Taiwan.
Washington Post writes Pentagon calls out China’s military threats as Taiwan tensions worsen.
CNBC writes China and Russia are in the final stages of building the first pipeline that can send gas from Siberia to Shanghai.
The Express Tribune reports that the Pakistan Supreme Court on Tuesday declared the deputy speaker ruling on Punjab chief minister election null and void after hearing arguments on petitions related to the recently held election for the coveted post.
The Daily Times reports that two Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) planes narrowly escaped mid-air collision on Sunday when they came dangerously close to each other over Iranian airspace.
The Balochistan Post reports that the hunger strike camp of Voice for Baloch Missing Persons has completed 4711 days, today people of different schools of thought expressed solidarity in the camp.
Dhaka Tribune reports, the Chief Election Commissioner of Bangladesh Kazi Habibul Awal has said that there is no scope of hacking the Electronic Voting Machines.
Business Standard reports, the Power Ministry of Bangladesh has initiated the process to import fossil fuel to meet the demand for the next six months.
The Khabarhub report says Nepali Congress, which is leading the five-party coalition government, has decided to coordinate between the parties in the ruling coalition in the upcoming provincial and federal elections.
The Republica report says the prediction of the election results has begun even if the date for the election to the Federal Parliament has not been announced. The government itself has projected the election results.
The Himalayan Times writes that National Assembly members on Tuesday debated the citizenship bill, with most of the lawmakers defending the bill.
MONKEYPOX
Monkeypox virus has been for the first time isolated in India by the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune which works under Indian Council for Medical Research- ICMR. The ICMR- NIV has successfully isolated and cultured the Moneypox virus strain from the samples of infected Indian patients. ICMR in a tweet said that genomic sequence of the Indian strains has 99.85 per cent match with the West African Strains circulating globally.
The Indian Council of Medical Research also invited expression of interest proposing to handover the virus strain to interested Indian Vaccine and In-Vitro Diagnostic industry partners for development of indigenous vaccine and diagnostic kits for Monkeypox.
COVID-VACCINATION
India’s COVID-19 vaccination coverage has crossed 203 crore 17 lakh mark. More than thirty six lakh vaccine doses were administered today. Union Health Ministry said that the cumulative first dose of Covid vaccine administered to over 101 crore 91 lakh and second dose administered to 93 crore 12 lakh. Over eight crore thirteen lakh precaution doses have been administered to the identified categories of beneficiaries including Health Care Workers, Front Line Workers and people above 18 years of age.
A QUICK LOOK AT THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN -