India has contributed over £600,000 to the UN aimed at promoting and enhancing the public outreach of Hindi in the world body. India’s Deputy Permanent Representative R Ravindra handed over a cheque for the UN project launched by India in 2018 to spread information about the Hindi-speaking population across the world. In a statement, the UN said that India has been making continuous efforts to expand the use of Hindi in the world body. India has been partnering with the UN Department of Global Communications since 2018 by providing an extra-budgetary contribution to mainstream and consolidate news and multimedia content of DGC in Hindi. Since 2018, the UN News in Hindi has been disseminated through the UN’s website and social media handles and a UN Facebook Hindi page, along with a regular Hindi audio bulletin on UN Radio is released every week.
Pak appoints trade minister in India
A day after it appointed a trade official for its high commission in India, Pakistan said that the appointment of the minister (trade & investment) should not be seen in the context of “any relaxation of trade restrictions with India”. Islamabad had for the first time in five years announced appointment of a trade minister here. Pakistan had called off all trade with India following the latter’s decision to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir in 2019. Like the previous government, the new coalition government headed by Shehbaz Sharif also seems to be believe any forward movement on trade will be seen domestically as a dilution of Islamabad’s position on the Kashmir issue. Pakistan’s clarification followed criticism of the fresh appointment by the PTI leader and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi saying the decision had “hurt the feelings of the oppressed people in Kashmir and the government should reconsider this decision”.
UAE’s ailing president Sheikh Khalifa dies at 73
The United Arab Emirates’ President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan died aged 73, state media said, after battling illness for several years. The president of the oil-rich Gulf state, who was rarely seen in public, is likely to be replaced by his half-brother, Abu Dhabi crown prince Mohammed bin Zayed, who was already seen as the UAE’s de facto ruler. The ministry of presidential affairs has announced 40 days of mourning, with flags at half-mast from Friday last.
“The Emirates has lost its virtuous son and leader of the ‘stage of empowerment’ and the trustee of its blessed journey,” Mohammed bin Zayed tweeted.
US records 1 mn deaths from Covid-19
The US has crossed the threshold of one million deaths from Covid-19, the White House said, as cities like New York try to turn the page on the pandemic despite threats of another surge. “Today, we mark a tragic milestone: one million American lives lost to Covid-19,” President Joe Biden said in a statement that acknowledged the “unrelenting” pain of those who had lost loved ones during the pandemic. He called on residents to “remain vigilant against this pandemic” and said it was “critical” for Congress to fund resources like testing, vaccines and treatments. The loss represents about one death for every 327 Americans, or more than the entire population of San Francisco or Seattle. America recorded its first Covid death, on the West Coast, in early February 2020. For many, the toll of more than one million deaths was difficult to comprehend.
Musk’s takeover of Twitter ‘on hold’ for now
Elon Musk said his $44 billion bid to purchase Twitter was “temporarily on hold” until he could get more details to confirm that spam and fake accounts represent less than 5% of the social network’s total users. Musk made the announcement in a tweet, the latest chapter in an unfolding corporate drama that has raised questions about free speech online and the ramifications of putting the world’s richest person in charge of one of the most influential social media platforms. Musk, the chief executive of Tesla, has said that ridding the platform of fake accounts, bots and spam would be one of his top priorities after taking over. In his tweet, Musk made reference to a May 2 regulatory filing by Twitter that included an estimate of the number of spam and fake accounts.
Tokyo to recognise same-sex unions
Japan’s capital Tokyo has announced it will start recognising same-sex partnerships to ease the burdens faced by residents in their daily lives, but the unions will not be considered legal marriages. The Tokyo metropolitan government unveiled a draft plan to accept registrations starting in October from sexual-minority couples seeking certificates of their partnerships. It said applicants will be limited to adult residents of Tokyo but will include foreign nationals.
Baby formula shortage in US
Parents across the US are scrambling to find baby formula because supply disruptions and a massive safety recall have swept many leading brands off store shelves. Months of spot shortages at pharmacies and supermarkets have been exacerbated by the recall at Abbott, which was forced to shutter its largest US manufacturing plant in February due to contamination concerns. Nationwide about 40% of large retail stores are out of stock.
Ukraine’s mine sniffing dog gets medal from prez
President Volodymyr Zelensky has presented Ukraine's famous mine sniffing dog Patron with a medal to recognise their dedicated service since Russia’s invasion. The pint-size Jack Russell terrier has been credited with detecting more than 200 explosives and preventing their detonation since the start of the war on February 24, quickly becoming a canine symbol of Ukrainian patriotism. Zelensky announced the award at a news conference in Kyiv with Canadian PM Justin Trudeau. Patron barked and wagged his tail, prompting laughter from the audience. Trudeau patted his pockets as though looking for a dog treat. The award also went to Patron’s owner, a major in the Civil Protection Service, Myhailo Iliev.
Reports claim Xi suffering from cerebral aneurysm
Chinese President Xi Jinping is suffering from ‘cerebral aneurysm’ and had to be hospitalised at the end of 2021, media reports said. It is learnt that he preferred to be treated with traditional Chinese medicines rather than going for surgery, which softens the blood vessels and shrinks aneurysm. Of late, there have been speculations about Xi’s health as he had avoided meeting the foreign leaders since the outbreak of Covid-19 till the Beijing Winter Olympics. Earlier in March 2019, during Xi’s visit to Italy, his gait was observed to be unusual with a noticeable limp and later also in France during the same tour, he was seen taking support while trying to sit down. Similarly, during an address to the public in Shenzhen in October 2020, his delay in appearance, slow speech and coughing spree again led to speculation about his ill health.
