NEWS HIGHLIGHTS FROM INDIA & ACROSS THE GLOBE

FOR MHC MEMBERS 10-APR-2023

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Tiger census 2022 world’s most extensive wildlife

survey, says report
==============================
The all-India tiger estimation conducted in 2022 stands out as the most
extensive wildlife survey to date, encompassing 20 states and entailing an
impressive foot survey of 6,41,449 kilometres, according to data released by the
National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).

The study team involved officials and experts from the NTCA and the states,
research biologists, scientists, coordinators, interns and volunteers. As part of
the exercise, the team sampled 3,24,003 habitat plots to gather data on
vegetation, human impacts and ungulate dung.

The camera traps installed at 32,588 locations resulted in an impressive

4,70,81,881 photographs, including 97,399 captures of tigers, according to the
“Status of Tigers 2022” report released by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at an
event in Mysuru on Sunday.

The study required an immense amount of effort, with the team investing
more than 6,41,102 man-days to complete it.

“We believe that this is the world’s largest effort invested in any wildlife
survey till date, on all of the above counts,” the report read.

The camera traps captured the images of a total of 3,080 tigers (aged above one
year). The number represents an increase compared to the figures (2,461) of
2018.

Skymet forecasts 'below normal' monsoon for

India
==============================
India is likely to get "below normal" monsoon rains in 2023 with an increasing
likelihood of El-Nino, which typically brings dry weather to Asia, private
weather forecasting agency Skymet said on Monday.
"Likelihood of El Nino is increasing and its probability to become a dominant
category during the monsoon is growing large.

El Nino return may presage a weaker monsoon," Jatin Singh, managing

director, Skymet said in a statement.

Monsoon rains in India are expected to be 94% of the long-term average, said
Skymet, retaining its previous view of sub-par monsoon.

New Delhi defines average, or normal, rainfall as between 96% and 104% of a
50-year average of 88 centimetres (35 inches)for the four-month season
beginning June.

The state-run India Meteorological Department is expected to announce its

annual monsoon forecast soon. Nearly half of India's farmland, which has no
irrigation cover, depends on annual June-September rains to grow crops such
as rice, corn, cane, cotton and soybeans.

Skymet expects northern and central parts of the country to be at risk of being
rain deficit. Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, known as the
agriculture bowl of North India, are likely to observe less than normal rains
during the 2nd half of the season, the weather forecaster said.

Meanwhile, unseasonal rains and hailstorms have damaged ripening, winter-

planted crops such as wheat in India's fertile northern, central and western
plains, exposing thousands of farmers to losses and raising the risk of further
food price inflation. Reuters

Dalai Lama apologises to boy, his family over

viral video
==============================
A day after a video of the Dalai Lama asking a minor boy to “suck his tongue”
went viral on social media, the Tibetan spiritual leader apologised to the boy
and his family for the incident.

The office of the Dalai Lama in a statement released on social media said, “A
video clip has been circulating that shows a recent meeting when a young boy
asked His Holiness the Dalai Lama if he could give him a hug. His Holiness
wishes to apologise to the boy and his family as well as his many friends across
the world, for the hurt his words may have caused.”
The statement further says that “the Dalai Lama often teases people he meets
in an innocent and playful way, even in public and before cameras. He regrets
the incident”.

The video of the Dalai Lama asking a minor boy to “suck his tongue” has
evoked strong and critical reaction from Twitter users across the world. The
video shows the Dalai Lama kissing a minor boy on his lips when he leans to
pay him respect. He is also heard asking the boy to "suck his tongue".

The Dalai Lama had earlier also courted a controversy when he had said in an
interview that his successor could be women, but she should attractive. The
comments of the Dalai Lama had evoked strong reaction from feminist groups
from across the globe. The Dalai Lama had later apologised for his remarks. .

Post accords, Iran-Arab reconciliation at UAE

Iftar
==============================================
Post the reconciliation between Saudi Arab and Iran, the Iftar hosted by the
UAE embassy here saw participation from once-inveterate rivals Iran and the
Arab countries.

The effect of the Abraham Accords that was inked between Israel and some
Arab nations during the Trump presidency was also reflected with the
attendance of the Israeli envoy to India Naor Gilon, which was topped by an
appearance by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

The Israel envoy’s presence was due to not only the Abraham Accords but also
because of the I2U2 economic grouping formed between India, Israel, UAE and
the US. The iftar was also attended by the Ambassador of Russia to India Denis
Alipov and UK High Commissioner to India Alex Ellis as well as envoys from
Oman, Maldives and Bangladesh.

“My special thanks to everyone who made it here, especially to S Jaishankar for
taking the time out of his busy schedule to make it here. Ramadan is about
bringing people together,” tweeted UAE envoy Abdulnasser Alshaali.
Sachin Pilot revives war with Rajasthan CM
Ashok Gehlot
==============================================
Reviving rivalry with Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Congress leader
Sachin Pilot on Sunday demanded action against alleged corrupt practices
during the previous Vasundhara Raje-led BJP government and announced a
day-long fast against corruption on Tuesday.

“No action was taken on corruption by the Vasundhara Raje government.

While in Opposition, we had promised to probe the Rs 45,000 crore mines
scam, but nothing has happened. Elections are round the corner. We are
answerable to the people,” said the former Rajasthan Deputy CM at his
residence in Jaipur. He said he would observe a fast at Shaheed Smarak. Pilot
and Gehlot have been sharing uneasy ties ever since the Congress came to
power in Rajasthan in 2018. Pilot has nursed the grouse he was the sole sitting
state chief who was denied CM-ship after Assembly poll wins. Kamal Nath and
Bhupesh Baghel, then state chiefs of MP and Chhattisgarh, were made CMs.
“Only six to seven months are left for state elections. The opponents can spread
an illusion that there is some collusion (with the corrupt). Therefore, action
will have to be taken soon so that our words and deeds match,” Pilot said in a
fresh bid to assert his authority in affairs of the state. Pilot had led an
unsuccessful rebellion against the Congress in 2020, only to return to the party
fold and lose his deputy CM-ship and state presidency. Last year, Gehlot
warded off yet another attempt to dislodge him as CM when the top Congress
brass mooted the proposal to elevate him as party chief with Sonia calling it
quits. Gehlot, however, insisted on holding CM-ship as well as Congress
presidency should he be elected party chief, a remark that was rebutted by
Rahul Gandhi publicly.

The Rajasthan CM, however, had the last laugh when he managed to thwart an
attempt to replace him through a Congress Legislature Party meeting along the
lines of replacement of then Punjab CM Capt Amarinder Singh.

To date, the AICC leadership has not been able to initiate any disciplinary
action against Gehlot aides who played a role in bunking the official CLP
meeting and holding a parallel one that famously ended with pro-Gehlot MLAs
tendering resignations to Speaker CP Joshi. Only show-cause notices were
issued to three leaders. No action followed.
'We wanted to get cheap Russian crude oil just
like India', says former Pak PM Imran Khan
==============================================
Former Pakistan Prime Minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief
Imran Khan once again lauded India's foreign policy and said that Islamabad
"wanted to get cheap Russian crude oil just like India" but was not able to do so
as his government collapsed in a no-confidence motion.

Addressing the nation in a video message, he said, "We wanted to get cheap
Russian crude oil just like India but that could not happen as unfortunately, my
government fell due to a no-confidence motion." Notably, he was the first
Pakistani PM to visit Moscow in the past 23 years, Khan could not broker any
deal that could give relief to the cash-strapped country.

Pakistan is reeling under the worst-ever economic crisis and Khan lamented
over the fact that his country could also purchase Russian crude oil at a
discounted rate that India enjoys despite the ongoing Ukraine war.

It is also important to remember he was in Russia on the day of the start of the
conflict last year. He mentioned his meeting with Russian President Vladimir
Putin in the clip. Interestingly, this was not the first time when Khan
acknowledged India's achievements in terms of growing its economy and
purchasing Russian oil despite Western pressure.

"No other leader except Nawaz in the world has properties worth billions. Tell
me about one country whose Premier or leader has billions worth of
properties outside the country. Even in our neighbouring country, how many
properties does PM Modi has outside India?" he had said at a public gathering
in September 2022.

Earlier in May 2022, Khan hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decision to
purchase cheap oil from Russia despite pressure from the United States.

"Despite being part of the Quad, India withstood US pressure and bought cheap
oil from Russia to facilitate its people," tweeted Imran, adding, "Our
government was trying to achieve this through an independent foreign policy."
India is the world's third-largest oil-consuming and importing nation. It
imports 85 per cent of its crude oil needs. Ever since the war between Russia
and Ukraine, the West and Europe imposed stringent sanctions on its energy.
This resulted in Russia's offering more discounts to its oldest ally, India.
Sanctions hit Russia signed an agreement with an Indian oil giant intending to
boost the crude oil supply. According to the Russian news agency, TASS,
Moscow's top oil company Rosneft signed a deal with the Indian Oil Company
to increase the supply of petroleum to India.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Minister of State for Petroleum Musadik Malik in April

2023 claimed that the first-ever shipment of cheap oil from Russia would reach
Pakistan next month, reported Geo News.

Dalai Lama apologises to boy, his family over

viral video
==============================================
A day after a video of the Dalai Lama asking a minor boy to “suck his tongue”
went viral on social media, the Tibetan spiritual leader apologised to the boy
and his family for the incident.

The office of the Dalai Lama in a statement released on social media said, “A
video clip has been circulating that shows a recent meeting when a young boy
asked His Holiness the Dalai Lama if he could give him a hug. His Holiness
wishes to apologise to the boy and his family as well as his many friends across
the world, for the hurt his words may have caused.”

The statement further says that “the Dalai Lama often teases people he meets
in an innocent and playful way, even in public and before cameras. He regrets
the incident”.

The video of the Dalai Lama asking a minor boy to “suck his tongue” has
evoked strong and critical reaction from Twitter users across the world. The
video shows the Dalai Lama kissing a minor boy on his lips when he leans to
pay him respect. He is also heard asking the boy to "suck his tongue".

20 warships in combat mode, China-Taiwan

standoff persists
==============================================
Nearly 20 military ships, about 10 Chinese and 10 Taiwanese, are involved in a
stand-off near the Taiwan Strait’s median line, a source familiar with the
situation said on Sunday.
China’s military simulated precision strikes against Taiwan in a second day of
drills around the island on Sunday, with the island’s defence ministry
reporting multiple air force sorties and that it was monitoring China’s missile
forces.

China, which claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory,

began three days of military exercises around the island on Saturday, the day
after Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen returned from a brief visit to the United
States.

Chinese state television reported that the combat readiness patrols and drills
around Taiwan were continuing. “Under the unified command of the theatre
joint operations command centre, multiple types of units carried out simulated
joint precision strikes on key targets on Taiwan island and the surrounding sea
areas, and continue to maintain an offensive posture around the island,” it
said.

The Chinese military’s Eastern Theatre Command put out a short animation of
the simulated attacks on its WeChat official account, showing missiles fired
from land, sea and air into Taiwan with two of them exploding in flames as
they hit their targets. — Reuters