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NAMASKAR! A warm welcome to 'World News: an Indian perspective on AKASHVANI.This 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 to you the latest from the world of politics, economy, sports, entertainment and more.
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THE HEADLINES:
⦁ India and Serbia agree to set a target of bilateral trade of one billion euros by the end of the decade; President Droupadi Murmu concludes her two-nation tour to Suriname and Serbia.
⦁ Australia announces to introduce a national ban on Nazi symbols, in the country.
⦁ Former US President Donald Trump indicted on federal criminal charges for retaining classified documents.
⦁ Sudan’s warring sides agree to a nationwide ceasefire for 24 hours starting early on Saturday.
⦁ European Union ministers agree on a deal to overhaul the bloc’s asylum procedures.
⦁ India finishes on top at the International Shooting Sport Federation Junior World Cup at Suhl, Germany.
PRESIDENT SERBIA DEPARTURE
President Droupadi Murmu concluded her two-nation tour to Suriname and Serbia on Friday. She was seen off by Prime Minister of Serbia, Ana Brnabic at the Nikola Tesla Airport.
During her visit to Serbia, President Murmu and her Serbian counterpart Aleksandar Vucic agreed to set a target of bilateral trade of one billion euros by the end of the decade. This is a significant jump from the present 320 million euros. President Murmu highlighted that India is on the way to become the third largest economy of the world before the end of this decade.
President Murmu reached Serbia on Wednesday on the second leg of her tour from Suriname.
High level business delegations of both the countries also met during the visit and several initiatives were discussed to enhance bilateral trade between the two countries. Our correspondent reports the major highlights of President Murmu's visit to Serbia.
JAISHANKAR-CANADA
External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar raised the issue of Canada allowing the celebration of assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. He was briefing the media in New Delhi last evening. Dr Jaishankar remarked that the the incident was not an isolated one and points to an increasing space given to separatists in Canada. Responding to a media query on the fate of the nearly 700 Indian students who are facing potential deportation by the Canadian government, Dr Jaishankar termed it as unfair on the part of the Canadian authorities.
HOTSPOT
In today's hotspot section, we bring you a commentary on India-Namibia Ties set for Growth.
AUSTRALIA-BAN
Australia has announced it will introduce a national ban on Nazi symbols, in an effort to crack down on far-right groups.
Public displays of or SS symbols will be punishable by up to a year in prison. The move comes amid a resurgence in far-right activity.
In March, a group of neo-Nazis appeared at a rally in Melbourne hosted by Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull - who is known for her opposition to transgender rights - and performed Nazi salutes on the steps of the Victorian Parliament.
Announcing the new legislation Attorney General Mark Dreyfus said, there is no place in Australia for symbols that glorify the horrors of the Holocaust. Australia will no longer allow people to profit from the display and sale of items which celebrate the Nazis, he added.
TRUMP-INDICTMENT
Former US President Donald Trump has been indicted on seven federal criminal charges for retaining hundreds of classified government documents. An indictment is a formal accusation that a person has committed a crime. It is a document that is issued by a grand jury, which is a group of people who are tasked with deciding whether or not there is enough evidence to charge someone with a crime. The charges include making false statements after leaving the White House. The federal investigation is looking at Mr. Trump's handling of sensitive government documents after he left the White House. In the indictment, it is alleged that Mr. Trump, while still in office, took classified documents from the White House and stored them at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. The indictment also alleged that Trump obstructed justice by trying to interfere with the investigation into his actions.
SUDAN-CEASEFIRE
Sudan’s warring sides have agreed to a nationwide ceasefire for 24 hours starting early on Saturday, mediators Saudi Arabia and the United States have announced.
Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry said in a Twitter post on Friday that the ceasefire will begin at 6am local time.
The agreement marks the latest in several failed attempts to stop weeks of fighting between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group.
The ministry’s statement said the two sides agreed to refrain from seeking military advantage during the 24-hour period, as well as from prohibited movements, attacks, use of aircraft or drones, aerial bombardment, artillery strikes, reinforcement of positions and resupply of forces. They also agreed to allow the unimpeded movement and delivery of humanitarian assistance throughout the country, it added.
SUDAN-UN
The Sudanese government has declared the UN envoy to the country, Volker Perthes, to be persona non grata, meaning it no longer recognises his position in Sudan. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that Government of the Republic of Sudan has notified the Secretary General of the United Nations that it has declared Mr Volker Perthes persona non grata. According to the UN mission's Twitter feed, Mr Perthes was in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Thursday for a series of diplomatic talks. The head of the Sudanese armed forces and Sudan's de facto leader General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, recently accused Mr Perthes of igniting the country's conflict. After the start of conflict between the army and its paramilitary rival, the Rapid Support Forces, the UN mission in Sudan had been targeted by protests denouncing alleged foreign interference.
EU-ASYLUM
European Union ministers have agreed on a deal to overhaul the bloc’s asylum procedures after 12 hours of negotiations to obtain the go-ahead from front-line members Italy and Greece.
Home affairs ministers from the 27-member bloc reached an agreement on Thursday, which aims to end years of division dating back to 2015 when more than a million people, most of whom were fleeing war in Syria, reached the EU.
EU’s home affairs commissioner, Ylva Johansson, said this is a great, great achievement, showing that it’s possible to work together on migration. The new asylum and migration management regulation (AMMR) is set to replace the current Dublin regulation and change how asylum seekers are processed at the EU’s borders and how they are relocated across Europe.
NIA-FAKE NOTES
A Special Court in Mumbai, sentenced two Bangladesh to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment in the Thane fake currency case on Thursday. The accused have also been fined 10,000 rupees each. The accused have been identified as Abdullah Shaikdar and Najmul Hasan, both residents of Khulna, Bangladesh. The High quality counterfeit currency notes of face value of 4,08,000 rupees were being circulated in Maharashtra after being procured from Bangladesh in the case. Thane City Police registered the case in 2015 on the basis of specific intelligence shared by the Anti-Narcotic Cell of the City Crime Branch.
PM-ALTMAN
CEO of OpenAI Sam Altman met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi yesterday. Replying to a tweet by Sam Altman, the Prime Minister said, the potential of Artificial Intelligence in enhancing the country’s technology ecosystem is indeed vast especially among the youth in particular. The Prime Minister welcomed all collaborations that can accelerate the country’s digital transformation for empowering citizens. In another tweet, the Prime Minister on Friday said that India has embraced technology to revolutionise governance and uplift service delivery. He said technology has brought efficiency and convenience to the lives of people and also enhanced efforts to build a digitally empowered India.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE
Russia accused Ukraine at the International Court of Justice, on Thursday, of destroying the Kakhovka dam with artillery strikes. Moscow's comments came after Ukraine declared that Russia blew up the large dam at Nova Kakhovka. According to Ukraine's officials, the flooding has affected an area of around 600 km sq, and hundreds of thousands of people have been left without drinking water. The Ukrainian army has used drones to drop water bottles and food to some residents. Two thousand people have been evacuated from the area so far. Earlier on Tuesday, the Kakhovka dam in southern Ukraine was ripped open after an explosion wreaking havoc and fuelling fears of vast and irreparable damage to life and ecology.
SOUTH KOREA-CHINA
South Korea’s Foreign Ministry summoned China’s ambassador on Friday to protest comments he made accusing Seoul of tilting toward the United States and away from China, as competition between Washington and Beijing for global influence intensifies.
South Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Chang Ho-jin warned Chinese Ambassador Xing Haiming over his provocative remarks made during a meeting with a South Korean opposition leader.
The ministry accused Xing of violating diplomatic protocols and interfering with South Korean domestic politics but didn’t specify the parts of Xing’s comments it saw as inappropriate. The ministry also didn’t share what Xing said in reply to Chang.
In a meeting Thursday with South Korean Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung, a key rival of conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol, Xing accused Yoon’s government of leaning excessively toward Seoul’s treaty ally, the United States, and damaging its relations with China, its biggest trading partner.
South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said Xing’s irresponsible comments countered the desire of both countries’ governments and people to value and further advance South Korea-China relations based on mutual respect.
ETHIOPIA FOOD
The United Nations World Food Programme has said it is temporarily suspending food aid to Ethiopia because its supplies are being diverted. Earlier United States Agency for International Development also said to stop the supplies.
WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain said on Friday that food diversion is absolutely unacceptable, and government of Ethiopia’s commitment to investigate and hold accountable those responsible is welcomed.
Some 20 million Ethiopians rely on food aid because of drought and conflict, out of the country’s population of roughly 120 million. Much of the aid comes from USAID and the WFP. The suspensions brought fears that malnutrition could rise in Africa’s second most populous country.
PHILIPPINE-VOLCANO
Philippine troops, police and rescue workers began forcibly evacuating residents near Mayon Volcano on Friday as a violent eruption of one of the country’s most active volcanoes is possible within weeks or days.
The area within a 6-kilometer radius of Mayon’s crater is supposed to be off-limits due to possible volcanic emissions, lava flows, rockfalls and other hazards. But many poor villagers have built houses and tended farms in Mayon’s danger zone over the years.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said an evacuation of residents from the permanent danger zone was underway and promised to provide aid to the displaced until the crisis ended.
Authorities had raised the alert level for the volcano in northeastern Albay province Thursday after superheated streams of gas, debris and rocks cascaded down its upper slope, indicating activity below the surface that could precede a hazardous eruption.
US-CARIBBEAN
United States Vice President Kamala Harris has announced that her country is investing more than $100m in the Caribbean region to crack down on weapons trafficking, help alleviate Haiti’s humanitarian crisis and support climate change initiatives.
The announcement was made ahead of an official trip to the Bahamas on Thursday for a meeting of Caribbean and US leaders, hosted by Harris and Bahamian Prime Minister Philip Davis.
Harris, who is the highest-ranking US official to visit the Bahamas since it became independent 50 years ago, arrived here on a day's visit.
During a meeting with leaders, Harris said that strengthening the US-Caribbean relationship is a priority for her.
She said US strongly believes that partnership is essential to mutual security and prosperity.
As part of the initiatives announced on Thursday, the US justice department expects to appoint a coordinator to oversee cases involving illegal weapons smuggling in the Caribbean, as island nations report a rise in violent crimes.
SENEGAL-PROTEST
Rights group Amnesty International has called on Senegalese authorities to carry out independent investigations into the deadly violence during protests last week. They say at least 23 people have died in incident. The death toll by Amnesty is higher than the official number of 16 announced by the government.
Senegal's government had earlier said it had launched an inquiry into the protest deaths. It has not responded to Amnesty's statement.
Last week deadly protests erupted after opposition leader Ousmane Sonko was sentenced in absentia to two years in jail for immoral behaviour, but cleared of rape charges. His supporters say his charges are politically motivated.
EUROZONE-ECONOMY
The eurozone fell into recession this winter as revised figures show hitting consumers by rising prices.The economy of the 20 nation-bloc contracted by 0.1% between January and March, after shrinking in the final three months of 2022. As in other regions, the eurozone has been hit by rising food and energy prices that have weighed on households. Spending by households in the bloc fell by 0.3% in the first three months of 2023, and by 1% in the previous quarter.
GUINEA BISSAU ELECTIONS
An opposition coalition in Guinea-Bissau has won an overall majority in parliament following elections on Sunday.
with this result, President Umaro Sissoco Embaló will have to share power with a prime minister nominated by the PAI-Terra Ranka coalition, which includes the former ruling PAIGC party.
The coalition won 54 out of 102 seats, with Mr Embaló’s Madem-G15 party taking 29, according to the electoral commission.
A crowd gathered outside the PAIGC’s headquarters in the capital, Bissau, when the results were announced, with many banging saucepans to express their joy, a news agency reported.
For years the small West African nation has undergone political turmoil and numerous coups and coup plots.
It has also been a key transit point in the trafficking of illegal drugs from Latin America.
DUBAI-HAJ FLIGHT
India's first all-women Haj flight successfully took off from Kozhikode to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia on Thursday. This remarkable feat was made possible by an all-women crew of Air India Express (AIXL), an international budget airline. The crew took charge of every critical operation during the flight, complementing the Haj Committee of India's initiative to have exclusively female passengers on board.
Flight IX 3025 carried a total of 145 women pilgrims who were embarking on their Haj pilgrimage. Leading the crew was Capt. Kanika Mehra and First Officer Garima Passi skillfully piloted the aircraft throughout the flight. Accompanying them were a team of talented and dedicated cabin crew members, including Bijitha M.B, Sreelakshmi, Sushma Sharma, and Subhangi Biswas, who ensured the passengers' comfort and safety throughout the journey.
However, the involvement of women professionals from Air India Express extended beyond the aircraft itself. Behind the scenes, a group of accomplished women took charge of critical ground tasks to support the seamless operation of the flight. Ms Sarita Salunkhe efficiently monitored the flight's progress from Air India Express's Operation Control Centre, while Ms Mrudula Kapadia kept a close eye on the flight's trajectory. Ms Leena Sharma and Ms Nikita Jawanjal expertly handled Flight Dispatch, ensuring all necessary preparations were in order. Ms Nisha Ramachandran, the on-duty service engineer responsible for aircraft maintenance, diligently carried out her role. Lastly, Ms Ranju R verified and signed the load sheet, fulfilling her responsibilities as the loadmaster.
The Haj Committee's pioneering initiative, which aims to empower women by providing them with exclusive opportunities, resonates deeply with Air India Express's core values of equality and diversity. The airline has consistently advocated for gender equality in the workplace and boasts a workforce consisting of 50 per cent women, setting an example for the entire aviation industry.
US-CANADA-SMOKE
Smoke from Canadian wildfires continues to trigger air quality alerts in U.S. states, with health officials warning people, especially children, the elderly or those with respiratory conditions, to limit their time outdoors. According to the Environmental Protection Agency over a hundred million people in the United States were living under air quality alerts due to the fires, on Thursday. In a statement, President Joe Biden called it a stark reminder of climate change. Biden said that he spoke with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and that he directed the National Interagency Fire Centre to address Canada's requests for additional firefighters and fire suppression tools such as air tankers to help with the raging bush fires.
SHOOTING- WORLD CUP
India finished on top of the International Shooting Sport Federation Junior World Cup with 15 medals, including six gold, six silver and three bronze medals, at Suhl, Germany on Thursday. On the final day, on Thursday India's junior Trap shooters could not make it to the medal round after finishing outside the top six in the qualification round.With this achievement, India have now finished on top of all the ISSF Junior World Cups and World Championships held since 2019.
Key domestic indices witnessed losses. The Sensex at the Bombay Stock Exchange finished near the 62,600 mark. The Nifty at the National Stock Exchange closed below the 18,570 level. Both indices fell amid mixed cues from global share markets. A report from the business desk-
The Sensex fell 223 points or 0.35 percent to finish at 62,626. The Nifty also depreciated 71 points or 0.4 percent to end at 18,563.
Asian stock markets rose. Japan's Nikkei-225 accelerated 1.9 percent and South Korea's Kospi was 1.15 percent up. China's Shanghai Composite index surged 0.55 percent and Hong Kong's Hang Seng index rose half a percent. Singapore's Straits Times index traded flat. European Markets were negative in intra-day trade.
Oil prices rose and were broadly flat on the week as concern over oil demand growth was balanced by Saudi output cuts. In intra-day trade, Brent crude was trading at 76 dollars and 28 cents a barrel
Back Home, Gold prices, at Multi Commodity Exchange for August contracts, were trading at around 59,950 rupees per 10 gram. On the other hand, silver was trading at 73,990 rupees per kilogram for July Contracts when reports last came in.
And In the forex market, the rupee accelerated eleven paise to close at 82 rupees and 46 paise against the US dollar.Arjun Choudharyfor World News, AKASHVANI.
FPR
Now let us take a look at the major developments around the world, as reported in the Foreign Press.
⦁ The Financial Times reports Erdoğan taps former Goldman Sachs banker to head Turkey’s central bank.
⦁ South China Morning Post writes Donald Trump indicted in classified documents case in historic first for a former US president.
⦁ The Washington Post says A Russia-Ukraine timeline: Key moments, from attack on Kyiv to counteroffensive.
⦁ The Globe and Mail writes Canada sought use of European Union compound in Kabul for fingerprinting.
⦁ The Straits Times reports El Nino has arrived, promising weather turmoil across the globe.
THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN:
And now, before we end, let us listen to Mahatma Gandhi's favourite bhajanVaishnav Jan, by artists from SENEGAL.
And With That, We End This Bulletin. WE'LL Be Back At The Same Tomorrow With The Next Edition Of World News.