NAMASKAR! A warm welcome to 'World News: an Indian perspective on All India Radio.This is SAIRA MUJTABA and with me is NAVNEET SINGH bringing glimpses of the major developments of the day from across the globe. Over the next half an hour, we shall bring to you the latest from the world of politics, economy, sports, entertainment and more.

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THE HEADLINES:

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi expresses gratitude to global leaders for their support towards India's G-20 presidency.

• India's G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant says, India's presidency will seek to advocate oneness of all in accordance with the theme One Earth, One Family, One Future.

• India and Germany sign Migration and Mobility Agreement for easier access to study, research and work in both countries.

• Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman expresses need for international cooperation to control drugs and other illicit trafficking in India.

• In the FIFA World Cup at Qatar; Japan facing Croatia in pre-quaterfinals; Brazil to take on South Korea for spot in quaterfinals.

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PM-G20 LEADERS

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed gratitude to global leaders for extending their support towards India's G-20 presidency. Mr. Modi thanked US President Joe Biden saying that Mr. Biden's valued support will be a source of strength during India’s G-20 Presidency. Mr. Modi highlighted the importance of working together to build a better planet.

The Prime Minister also thanked French President Emmanuel Macron for his support to India's G-20 Presidency saying that he looks forward to consult Mr. Macron closely during the Presidency.

Responding to a tweet by Japanese Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida, the Prime Minister said, Mr. Kishida's solidarity is vital as Japan has contributed a lot to global well-being.

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G20 SHERPA MEETING

India's G20 Sherpa, Amitabh Kant has said that the priorities of India will not just reflect aspirations of the G20 partners but also of the Global South whose voice is often unheard. In his key note address on the second day of the G20 Sherpa Meeting in Udaipur on Monday, Mr. Kant said, India's presidency will seek to advocate the oneness of all in accordance with the theme One Earth, One Family, One Future.

Quoting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said, the challenges that we face today can only be solved by working together through hope, harmony and healing.

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PM ALL PARTY G20

Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting with heads of all major political parties on India’s first presidency of the G-20  on Monday . Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, and other Union Ministers were present in the meeting. BJP president JP Nadda, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, were among those who attended the meeting.

India took over the Presidency of G20 on the first of this month.

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JAISHANKAR-BAERBOCK

A meeting was held between India's External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar and Federal Foreign Affairs Minister of Germany Annalena Baerbock in New Delhi on Monday. During the meeting, both leaders reviewed bilateral relations and shared their views on a number of important regional and global issues. Both sides have signed a Migration and Mobility Agreement which will facilitate easier access for people to study, research and work in both countries.

Addressing a joint conference after the meeting, Dr Jaishankar said, both sides discussed issues related to climate change, conflict in Ukraine, the Indo-Pacific strategic situation, and the situation in Afghanistan, Iran, and Syria. He said, both sides also discussed various multilateral reforms, including reform in the UN security council. Mr. Jaishankar welcomed Germany's decision to join the India-Pacific oceans initiative. He said, both sides also discussed creating a more reliable supply chain and securing the global economy in the current challenging situation.

Responding to a question, the External Affairs Minister said, India's trade with Russia is quite small in comparison to European nations.

Speaking on this occasion, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said, India and Germany share a close bond. She thanked India for assuming the G-20 presidency terming it a very special task. She said, India has assumed the presidency in a very challenging situation when the world is facing the Russia-Ukraine conflict and facing a crisis situation in energy and fertiliser supply. Earlier in a statement, German Foreign Minister Baerbock appreciated India's role in helping G-20 in taking a clearer position against the Russia-Ukraine conflict saying that India showed that it is ready to play its role globally. She said, India will have a decisive influence on shaping the international order in the 21st century in the Indo-Pacific region.

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HOTSPOT

In today's Hotspot Section, we bring you a discussion on “The First G-20 Sherpa Meeting in Udaipur”. The participants are Yogendra Kumar

Former Ambassador and Rajesh Lekh, AIR Correspondent.

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JITENDRA SINGH-UAE

Union Minister of State for Atomic Energy and Space Dr Jitendra Singh has said that India is keenly promoting the development of start-ups in the Space sector to facilitate the entry of foreign government and private sector entities. Addressing the Opening Ceremony of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) summit, Abu Dhabi Space Debate, the Minister said, the Indian Space industry on Monday is renowned across the globe for - reliability and economy. Mr Singh added that the highlight of India’s journey is its thrust on indigenous development through the dedication and hard work of its scientists guided by the commitment of the leaders. He also expressed pride over India having the maximum success ratio in the world for its flagship space launching vehicle - Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle or PSLV.

The Minister also congratulated the UAE for planning its second human space mission next year by sending four astronauts into space for six months. He also appreciated the thrust of the Abu Dhabi Space Debate for building the role of Governments in empowering Space business and technology.

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FINANCE MINISTER

India's Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has expressed the need for international cooperation to control drugs and other illicit trafficking in the country. Speaking at the 65th founding day of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence in New Delhi on Monday, the Minister said it is important to work in tandem with fellow countries and their agencies for which India has bilateral agreements for better access to the information. The Minister also called upon the officers of the departments for better use of technology to detect crime.

The Minister added that protecting data is as important as protecting the border.

She also raised concerns over the cocaine smuggling in India and it is a matter of great concern. She said that we need to know whether India becomes no longer a transit country or a consuming one.

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INDIA PAPUA NEW GUINEA

The first round of Foreign Office Consultations between India and Papua New Guinea was held in Port Moresby on Monday. The Indian side was led by Secretary (East) Saurabh Kumar. During the Consultations, both sides reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral relations, including development partnerships, and political, economic and cultural ties. The two sides exchanged views on regional and global issues and cooperation in multilateral fora. They also discussed the joint hosting by the two countries of the 3rd Summit of the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation to be held in Port Moresby.

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Euro zone recession

Euro zone business activity has declined for a fifth month in November. A fifth consecutive monthly falling output suggests that the Euro zone economy was sliding into a mild recession as consumers are cutting spending amid surging inflation.

S&P Global’s final composite Purchasing Managers’ Index, PMI for the euro zone, seen as a good guide to economic health, nudged up to 47.8 in November from October’s 23-month low of 47.3. Unemployment in the region dipped to 6.5 per cent in October. The European Central Bank has been raising interest rates to tame price rises.

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BANGLADESH-AIR POLLUTION

In Bangladesh, Air pollution was the second largest cause of deaths and disability in Bangladesh and cost about 3.9 t0 4.00 percent of the country’s GDP.  According to a World Bank report released on Sunday, air pollution caused the death between 78,000 to 88,000 thousand people in 2019. The report finds that major construction sites and persistent traffic have the highest level of pollution in Dhaka.  Dhaka is the most polluted division while Sylhet is the least polluted. From 2018 to 2021, Dhaka was ranked as the second most polluted city in the world.

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MOZART

5th December is the death anniversary of  Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition resulted in more than 800 works of virtually every genre of his time. Born in Salzburg  Austria ,on ,27th January 1756  in the Holy Roman Empire, Mozart showed prodigious ability from his earliest childhood. Already competent on keyboard and violin, he composed from the age of five and performed before European royalty. His father took him on a grand tour of Europe and then three trips to Italy. At 17, he was a musician at the Salzburg court. His Requiem was largely unfinished by the time of his death at the age of 35 on this day  in  1791.  A tribute  

"Serious music lovers probably heard of the Mozart effect. It's the idea that if children or even babies listen to music composed by Mozart they will become more intelligent.Mozart conceived and perfected the grand forms of symphony, opera, string ensemble, and concerto that marked the classical period . His work influenced many composers that followed -- most notably Beethoven. Along with his friend Joseph Haydn,and definitely Indian composer Salil Chaudhury.The melody of  the great G minor Symphony No 40 inspired  Salilda because it touched all the notes of Indian octave Symphony No 40. Sunil Dutt and Asha Parekh's melody of love and longing, Itna na mujhse tu pyaar badha, in Chhaya movie sung by Talat Mahmood and Lata Mangesh derived from  Symphony No 40 at some points and  become a romantic anthem for generations. Here  Salil   Chaudhury demonstrated how the scales and chords that form the base of Western classical music are all part of Hindustani classical ragas.

Etna na mujse His last piece Requiem in D Minor, K 626, requiem, left incomplete at his death Until the late 20th century the work was most often heard as it had been completed by Mozart's student Franz Xaver Süssmayr. With PRATYUSH GHOSH THIS IS VALSA WILIUMS FOR AIR NEWS"

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WORLD NEWS CAPSULE

A report from the business desk-

The Sensex fell 34 points to close at 62,835 while the Nifty added five points to end at 18,701.

At global stock markets, Global stock indices traded mixed amid little support from an easing of China's domestic pandemic restrictions and the U.S. jobs data on Friday that raised fears of persistent inflation. Asian equity market logged gains except for South Korea’s KOSPI which declined 0.6 per cent. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index climbed four and a half percent, and China’s Shanghai Composite index rose 1.8 percent. Singapore’s Straits Times added 0.3 per cent and Japan's NIKKEI-225 ended 0.2 percent up. European shares were mixed in intra-day trade.

Global crude oil prices rose around three percent. Oil rose after OPEC nations held their output targets steady ahead of a European Union ban and a price cap by G-7 on Russian crude. Brent crude was trading at 87 dollars and 90 cents per barrel.

Back Home, At the Multi Commodity Exchange, Gold futures for February was trading at 54,110 rupees per ten grams. Silver futures for March was trading at 66,830 rupees per kilogram when reports last came in  Gaura Dhawan Lal for World News, All India Radio.

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FIFA WORLD CUP

In the FIFA World Cup Football, the pre-quarterfinal match between Japan and Croatia in the round of 16 has gone to extra time with the teams tied at 1-1 at Al-Janoub Stadium, Qatar.

The match will see the two sides further playing two halves of 15 minutes each. If they still can not be separated, the winner will be decided via a penalty shootout. In another knockout encounter, Brazil will take on South Korea for a spot in the quarterfinals later at 12.30 AM Indian Time. England, France, Argentina and the Netherlands have already sealed their spot in the last eight of the tournament.

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INTERNATIONAL CHEETAH DAY

The National Zoological Park, Delhi Zoo, celebrated International Cheetah Day and Wildlife Conservation Day in New Delhi on Sunday. The purpose of the celebration is to spread awareness among the present generation about Wildlife Conservation.

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WORLD SOIL DAY

World Soil Day is being observed on Monday. It is held annually on 5 December as a means to focus attention on the importance of healthy soil and to advocate for the sustainable management of soil resources.

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FPR

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

• Wall Street Journal writes OPEC plus Keeps Oil Curbs Despite Russia Price Cap.

• The Financial Times reports, Canada to send more warships through Taiwan Strait in signal to China.

• The Guardian writes that Campaigners celebrate changing of colonial street names in Berlin.

• The Washington Post writes that Ukraine allows perilous Dnieper River crossings to flee Russian occupation.

• AlJazeera writes in an opinion piece, China’s protests are a warning to Xi Jinping from the youth.

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A QUICK LOOK AT THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN:

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi expresses gratitude to global leaders for their support towards India's G-20 presidency.

• India's G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant says, India's presidency will seek to advocate oneness of all in accordance with the theme One Earth, One Family, One Future.

• India and Germany sign Migration and Mobility Agreement for easier access to study, research and work in both countries.

• Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman expresses need for international cooperation to control drugs and other illicit trafficking in India.

• In the FIFA World Cup at Qatar; Japan facing Croatia in pre-quaterfinals; Brazil to take on South Korea for spot in quaterfinals.

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