Akashvani , National news, All India Radio News

NAMASKAR! A warm welcome to 'World News: an Indian perspective on All India Radio. This is RS RAGHU and with me is RENUKA 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:

• France President Emmanuel Macron says Prime Minister Narendra Modi was right when he said that the time is not for war.

• External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar discusses several issues, including Ukraine conflict, with his Turkish counterpart on the  sidelines of UN General Assembly in New York.

• Military mobilization ordered in Russia by President Vladimir Putin for protection of Moscow's territorial integrity.

• In Iran, protests continue against custodial death of a woman over the hijab issue.

• The United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres strongly condemns the attack by government troops on a school in Myanmar.

• Veteran Assamese swimmer Elvis Ali Hazarika becomes the first from the North East to cross the North Channel.

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MACRON-MODI

France President Emmanuel Macron has said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was right when he said that the time is not for war. Mr Macron said this while adressing the ongoing 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City last night. This statement of Mr Macron came in reference to Prime Minister Modi and Russia's President Vladimir Putin's conversation where Mr Modi had said that today's era is not of war. Prime Minister Modi spoke this during a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization's summit in Uzbekistan's Samarkand.

Responding to PM Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that he knows about India's position on the Ukraine conflict and "we want all of this to end as soon as possible".

US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan also said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's dialogue, this is not the time for war in Ukraine, with Russian President Vladimir Putin was a statement of principle on behalf of what he believes is right and welcomed by the United States.

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JAISHANKAR-UNGA

External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar met Foreign Minister of Turkey Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. In a tweet, Dr. Jaishankar said, there were wide-ranging conversations that covered the Ukraine conflict, food security, G20 processes, global order, NAM, and Cyprus.

The External Affairs Minister thanked French President Emmanuel Macron for hosting a high-level cross-regional grouping in New York today. He said the discussions focused on the conflict in Ukraine and its implications for the Global South. Dr. Jaishankar said  the conversations also covered salience of the G-20 in these challenging times.

Earlier External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held bilateral talks with the President of Comoros, Azali Assoumani and discussed taking forward development partnership and maritime security between the two countries. Jaishankar, who arrived in the US on a 10-day visit, had also met his Nicaragua counterpart Denis Moncada and discussed the global situation and its multilateral implications. 

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UNGA - UN CHIEF

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said that the world is in big trouble and needs collective action across the board. Guterres while addressing the UN General Assembly before the opening of the General Debate has said that our world is in big trouble. Divides are growing deeper. Inequalities are growing wider. And challenges are spreading farther. He also said that we need action across the board. He said crises like the conflict in Ukraine, climate emergency and biodiversity loss, and the dire financial situation of developing countries threaten the very future of humanity and the fate of the planet. He added that progress on all these issues and more is being held hostage to geopolitical tensions.

UN General Assembly President Csaba Korisi echoed Guterres's alarm at the global situation and also the hope. Korosi said that a landmark agreement on commercial grain exports from the world's breadbasket offers hope. Decrying the paralysing polarisation of the geopolitical divides, Guterres warned that the world was descending into chaos with not even two groups. 

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PUTIN- ARMY MOBILISATION ORDER

Russian President Vladimir Putin  announced a partial mobilisation of three hundred thousand reservists with immediate effect to fight in Ukraine. In a rare televised address to the nation Putin said he will use all available means to protect his people if his country is  threatened. He said, the move is necessary under the circumstances. Putin has also  accused the west of engaging in nuclear blackmail against Russia and said that the country has lots of weapons to reply. Russian Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu claimed that mobilising the country’s reserves will add around three hundred thousand civilians to the armed forces and students will be exempted from the exercise. The  step which Russia took  is  first since World War II .

Immediately after Putin's announcement China urged all parties to engage in dialogue and consultation. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin in a press briefing said that  Beijing called on the relevant parties to realise a ceasefire through dialogue and consultation, and find a solution that accommodates the legitimate security concerns of all parties as soon as possible. In the meantime British foreign office minister Gillian Keegan also reacted to Putin's speech and said it was a worrying escalation and the threats the Russian President made must be taken seriously. 

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UKRAINE-RUSSIA REFERENDUM

Western nations have condemned Moscow's plans to hold urgent referendum in parts of Ukraine that are currently under Russian control.

According to media reports, the votes have been called by Russian-backed officials in four Ukrainian regions to ask whether they should become part of Russia.

The US, Germany, and France have said that they would never recognise the results of such ballots. The US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said that the US would never recognise the votes. On other hand, pro-Russian leaders in the four Ukrainian regions have supported the referendum.

The head of the administration in Luhansk, Leonid Pasechnik, said, it was our common dream and our common future.The deputy head of Russia's Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, said that the votes would restore historical justice and be irreversible. The Nato military alliance said the plans spelled an escalation in the war. Russia plans to run polls for five days and it starts on Friday in the eastern regions of Luhansk and Donetsk as well as Zaporizhzhia and Kherson in the south.

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UN-IRAN

The United Nations has demanded an independent investigation into the death of an Iranian woman, Mahsa Amini, in the custody of Iran’s morality police, but authorities have denied allegations that she was beaten or mistreated.

Nada al-Nashif, the acting UN high commissioner for human rights, said on Tuesday that Mahsa Amini’s tragic death and allegations of torture and ill-treatment must be promptly, impartially and effectively investigated by an independent competent authority.

The UN Human Rights Office said Iran’s morality police have expanded their patrols in recent months, targeting women for not properly wearing hijab, a scarf worn by some Muslim women.

The European Union spokesperson for external affairs said the incident leading to Amini’s death was unacceptable and that perpetrators of this killing must be held accountable. 

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UN-VENEZUELA REPORTS

A United Nations (UN) report presented on Tuesday has claimed that Venezuelan security services under the direction of President Nicolas Maduro have committed crimes against humanity in an effort to quash political opposition in the country.

The report compiled by the UN's Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela outlines the extensive use of arbitrary arrest and torture in Venezuela since 2014.

Findings were based on interviews with 471 victims, their families, and their legal representatives. It also interviews another 50 individuals who worked for Venezuela's General Office of Military Counterintelligence, National Intelligence Service, and other government entities. It also rebukes Venezuelan authorities for failing to hold abusers accountable.

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HOTSPOT

  In today's Hotspot Section, we bring for you a discussion on India at United Nations General Assembly. In conversation are Anil Wadhwa, Former Ambassador and Manish Anand, Journalist.

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MYANMAR-UNSG CONDEMNS

The United Nations Secretary General António Guterres has strongly condemned the attack by government troops on a school in Let Yet Kone in Sagaing Region in Myanmar. The attack which took place last Friday left 13 people dead including 11 school children.

The Secretary General Guterres extended his deepest condolences to the families of those killed in the school attack. In a statement released by his spokesperson on Tuesday, the UN Secretary General said that even in times of armed conflict, schools must remain areas in which children are granted protection and a safe place to learn. Attacks on schools and hospitals in contravention of international humanitarian law also constitute one of the six grave violations against children, in times of armed conflict strongly condemned by the Security Council, said the statement.

The UN Secretary General reiterated that under international humanitarian law, combatants must not direct attacks against civilians, including children, or civilian objects. The perpetrators of international crimes committed in Myanmar must be held accountable, the statement concluded.

It was reported by the local media that the community school was first attacked by the helicopters after which infantry troops attacked the school inside a monastery.

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HAZARIKA RARE FEAT

Veteran Assamese swimmer Elvis Ali Hazarika - has become the first from the North East to cross the North Channel. The North Channel is the strait between north-eastern Northern Ireland and south-western Scotland. Elvis and his team clocked a timing of 14 hours 38 minutes to achieve this feat. With this, Elvis has become the oldest Indian swimmer to cross the North Channel.

Hazarika began his journey in the United States and swam over 80 kilometres in a time of 10 hours and 59 minutes to achieve his destination in Mexico.  He was accompanied on the trek by West Bengal swimmer Rimo Saha, who swam alongside him for over four hours.  Hazarika risked her life crossing the Catalina Channel, which is home to a wide variety of hazardous aquatic species, particularly sharks. The Catalina Channel  formerly knoas the San Pedro Channel , which connects Santa Catalina Island to the mainland of Southern California, is regarded as one of the world's most historically important and continuously popular marathon swims. Hazarika remarked  It was a challenging challenge since we swam with very large fish and couldn't see well at night owing to the lack of light in the  swim. "For me and the people of Assam, this is a dream come true  with Pratyush Ghosh's report this is Anubha Rohatgi  AIR news Delhi.

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ETHIOPIA-TIGRAY

Forces in Ethiopia’s Tigray region say Eritrea has launched a full-scale offensive and heavy fighting was taking place in several areas along the border in what appears to be an escalation of last month’s renewal of fighting.

The Eritreans are fighting alongside Ethiopian federal forces, including commando units, as well as allied militias, said Getachew Reda, spokesman for the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), on Tuesday.

There was no immediate comment from authorities in Ethiopia or Eritrea, which lies north of Tigray.

A humanitarian worker in the northern Ethiopian toof Adigrat told The Associated Press that Eritrean forces were shelling the surrounding areas.

The US special envoy for the Horn of Africa said the United States was aware of Eritrean troops crossing into Ethiopia’s Tigray region.

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HURRICANE-FIONA

Hurricane Fiona was headed northward after it bore doon the tiny Turks and Caicos archipelago yesterday and caused severe damage on Puerto Rico and then the Dominican Republic.

According to US officials, at least five people have died in the storm, four in Puerto Rico and one in Guadeloupe earlier this week. Fiona made landfall in Puerto Rico on Sunday afternoon, dumping huge amounts of rainfall on it and then on the Dominican Republic on Monday. A public health emergency was declared by US Health Secretary Xavier Becerra  for Puerto Rico yesterday night, which allows freeing up of federal funds and equipment to assist the island.

Fiona hit the  Grand Turk the Turks and Caicos's biggest Island earlier in the day, before slamming its main cluster of islands several hours later. The power category 3 storm dumped heavy rains,  triggering floods on the Caribbean archipelago. The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said that the hurricane had moved 75 miles north of Turks and Caicos by Tuesday night and was strengthening with wind speeds of 125 mile per hour. However, no casualties in Turks and Caicos reported till yet.

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WHO-EBOLA VIRUS

World Health Organisation today said that it is in close contact with the Ministry of Health Uganda to provide a rapid response after it confirmed the outbreak of case Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in the Central Region of the country. Earlier, in the day, the Health Ministry of Uganda said in a series of tweets that a confirmed case of Ebola virus was reported in the Mubende District in the Central Region of Uganda. The patients diagnosed with the symptoms later succumbed. <><><>

BUSINESS

And, now a report from the business world.

The Sensex lost 263 points, or 0.44 percent, to close at 59,457. The Nifty also slipped 98 points, or 0.55 percent, to end at 17,718.

At global stock markets, Asian stock markets fell following losses in the US share markets ahead of the FED decision over the interest rate hike to arrest inflation. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index tumbled 1.8 percent, Japan's NIKKEI-225 plunged 1.4 percent and South Korea’s KOSPI declined 0.9 percent. China’s Shanghai Composite index and Singapore’s Straits Times, both closed 0.2 percent down. European shares were up in intra-day trade.

Brent crude prices jumped more than one and half percent after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a partial military mobilisation, escalating the war in Ukraine and raising concerns of tighter oil and gas supply. In intra-day trade, Brent crude was trading at 92 dollars and 35 cents per barrel. Anubha Rohatagi for World News, All India Radio.

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B'DESH-WORLD BANK

The World Bank (WB) Vice President for South Asia Martin Raiser called on Bangladesh Finance Minister A H M Mustafa Kamal in Dhaka yesterday. Martin Raiser had arrived on a three day visit to Bangladesh on Monday. The Finance Minister called the World Bank an important development partner of Bangladesh. He thanked the WB for its support to various projects of the government in health, education, power, disaster management and other sectors. He gave special thanks to the WB for its budgetary support during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The World Bank Vice President said that Bangladesh is one of the highest IDA borrower countries. He said that on the occasion of the 50 years of relations between the WB and Bangladesh in 2023, it wants to showcase the achievements of Bangladesh with other countries. He assured that WB will always stand with Bangladesh in its development journey. Martin Raiser, in a tweet, said that he discussed action needed for continued economic resilience with the Finance Minister Mustafa Kamal.

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AUSTRALIA- WHALES STRANDING

In Australia, more than 200 whales have beached themselves in a mass stranding in Tasmania.

According to media reports, the whales were discovered in Macquarie Harbour the same location where the country's worst stranding occurred exactly two years ago.Half of the whales, appear to still be alive till yet, as per reports. The reason for this stranding is unknown. Meanwhile,  whale rescuers have been sent to help. According to Tasmania's environment department, experts are planning a rescue but the operation will be complex due to the location.

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ICC T20I RANKINGS

International Cricket Council today released rankings for batters in men's T20 International. India's Suryakumar Yadav continued to rise in the ICC rankings as the India batter surpassed Pakistan captain Babar Azam. Suryakumar is now No. 3 on the batting charts with 780 points, 9 more than Babar, who had led the rankings until earlier this year.

Pakistan's Mohammad Rizwan continues to hold the No. 1 spot in the batting charts followed by South Africa's Aiden Markram. Suryakumar is now 45 points behind Rizwan and 12 points behind Markram. Meanwhile, India all-rounder Hardik Pandya has continued his tremendous rise since his comeback in the Indian Premier League. After his stunning knock of unbeaten 71 off just 30 balls against Australia yesterday, Pandya has moved into the top-5 rankings of the T20 International all-rounder list, maintaining his steady gain in stature in world cricket. 

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FPR

Now let us take a look at the major developments around the world, as reported in the Foreign Press.

• The Guardian reports UK businesses given six-month emergency energy price cap.

• The Globe and Mail writes Canada sails warship through Taiwan Strait.

• The Washington Post reports Bank of Korea denies imminent US swap deal as won falls.

• The Financial Times writes European businesses forced to ‘reduce, localise and silo’ in China.

• The Wall Street Journal reports High Natural-Gas Prices Push European Manufacturers to Shift to the U.S.

• South China Morning Post writes Gulf states pledge to work with China on food and energy security issues and ensure supply chains.

• The Japan Times reports Man protesting against Japan's state funeral sets himself on fire near PM office.

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REPEAT HEADLINES

• France President Emmanuel Macron says Prime Minister Narendra Modi was right when he said that the time is not for war.

• External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar discusses several issues, including Ukraine conflict, with his Turkish counterpart on the  sidelines of UN General Assembly in New York.

• Military mobilization ordered in Russia by President Vladimir Putin for protection of Moscow's territorial integrity.

• In Iran, protests continue against custodial death of a woman over the hijab issue.

• The United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres strongly condemns the attack by government troops on a school in Myanmar.

• Veteran Assamese swimmer Elvis Ali Hazarika becomes the first from the North East to cross the North Channel.

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And now, before we end, let us listen to Mahatma Gandhi's favourite bhajan Vaishnav Jan, by artists from MALTA on their Independence day.

AND WITH THAT, WE END THIS BULLETIN. WE'LL BE BACK AT THE SAME TIME TOMORROW WITH THE NEXT EDITION OF WORLD NEWS.

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