Welcome to another episode of International News Wrap, your go-to source for global updates, presented exclusively by OneIndia. In today's edition, we bring you a wide range of stories, from the groundbreaking mission launched by China aimed at collecting rocks and soil from the far side of the moon to the eruption of fresh gang violence in Haiti, a day after the appointment of the new Prime Minister. Stay tuned as we explore the most important international developments of the day, keeping you informed about the latest events unfolding around the world.
#China #ChangE6 #Houthis #USprotests #IsraeliAirstrike #Syria #IranEscalation #ParisPolice #SciencesPo #ProtestCrackdown #GangViolence #Haiti #News #WorldEvents #CurrentAffairs
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#China #ChangE6 #Houthis #USprotests #IsraeliAirstrike #Syria #IranEscalation #ParisPolice #SciencesPo #ProtestCrackdown #GangViolence #Haiti #News #WorldEvents #CurrentAffairs
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00:00 Welcome to another episode of the International News Wrap, your go-to source for global updates
00:12 presented exclusively by One India. In today's edition, we bring you a wide range of stories
00:18 from the groundbreaking mission launched by China aimed at collecting rocks and soil from
00:23 the far side of the moon, to the eruption of fresh gang violence in Haiti just a day
00:28 after the appointment of the new Prime Minister. Stay tuned as we explore the most important
00:33 international developments of the day, keeping you informed about the latest events unfolding
00:38 around the world.
00:47 China embarked on a groundbreaking mission as it launched an unmanned spacecraft aimed
00:52 at collecting rocks and soil from the far side of the moon. Departing from the Wenchang
00:57 Space Launch Center in Henan, the Long March 5 rocket carried the Chang'e-6 probe, weighing
01:02 over 8 metric tons, marking China's pioneering attempt in this endeavour. Chang'e-6 is slated
01:08 to touch down in the South Pole Aitken Basin on the moon's far side, an area perpetually
01:14 out of Earth's view, where it will retrieve samples for analysis. This mission signifies
01:19 another significant achievement in China's lunar exploration programme, leaving experts
01:24 intrigued by the country's swift progress in space exploration. In recent years, China
01:30 has achieved noteworthy milestones in lunar exploration, including the unmanned landing
01:35 of Chang'e-4 on the far side of the moon in 2018 and the successful retrieval of lunar
01:40 samples by Chang'e-5 in 2020. With Chang'e-6, China aims to become the first nation to retrieve
01:46 samples from the moon's hidden side. The launch event witnessed the participation of
01:51 scientists and officials from various countries, including France, Italy, Pakistan, and the
01:56 European Space Agency. Notably absent were US organisations, reflecting the restrictions
02:01 imposed by US law barring collaboration with China's space agency. Following the probe's
02:06 separation from the rocket, it will embark on a journey lasting 4-5 days before reaching
02:10 the moon's orbit. Subsequently, in early June, the probe is expected to land on the lunar
02:15 surface, where it will spend two days collecting samples before returning to the Earth, with
02:20 the landing anticipated in Inner Mongolia. Chang'e-6's mission holds significant scientific
02:25 value, particularly in determining the geological age of the South Pole-Aitken Basin. Estimates
02:31 suggest the basin's age to be around 4 billion years, surpassing the age of samples previously
02:35 collected by the Soviet Union and the US. This mission promises to unveil new insights
02:39 into the moon's history and composition, further advancing our understanding of celestial bodies.
02:44 The Iran-aligned Houthi militia in Yemen, known for its disruptions to global shipping
02:56 in solidarity with Palestinians, has extended an unexpected offer to students suspended
03:01 from US universities for participating in anti-Israeli protests. In response to demonstrations
03:06 across American campuses condemning Israel's actions in Gaza, the Houthis have expressed
03:11 solidarity and invited affected students to continue their studies at Sana'a University.
03:16 As protests escalate in the US, with demands for President Joe Biden to intervene and calls
03:22 for divestment from companies supporting Israel, several institutions, including prestigious
03:27 Columbia University, have resorted to police intervention to quell unrest. In contrast,
03:32 Sana'a University, under Houthi control, has embraced the cause of Palestinian solidarity,
03:37 offering a refugee for affected students. In a statement applauding the students' stance
03:41 and decrying the suppression of freedom of expression in Western academia, Sana'a University's
03:45 board extended a warm invitation to US and European students seeking refugee. The gesture,
03:51 however, elicited a wave of sarcasm from Yemeni social media users, highlighting the irony
03:56 of American students seeking sanctuary in a country grappling with its own challenges.
04:01 The Houthi militia's offer comes amid heightened tensions between the group and Western powers,
04:05 with the US and Britain reclassifying them as terrorist organizations due to their attacks
04:10 on vessels in the Red Sea region. Despite the geopolitical complexities, Sana'a University
04:15 remains steadfast in its commitment to supporting the Palestinian cause and offering sanctuary
04:20 to students in need.
04:30 Israeli airstrikes allegedly targeted a building in the Damascus area on Thursday night, injuring
04:34 eight Syrian soldiers. These strikes, reportedly the first since early April, target the building
04:40 used by Syrian security forces near Najah, south of Damascus. The Syrian state news agency
04:46 Sana'a reported that the airstrikes originated from over the Golan Heights, causing material
04:50 damage and injuring several Syrian soldiers in the area. Local media outlets observed
04:55 ambulances in the vicinity shortly after the strike, with reports indicating that three
05:00 missiles hit the building south of Damascus. The last alleged Israeli airstrikes in the
05:05 Damascus area occurred in early April, targeting a building adjacent to the Iranian embassy
05:10 and resulting in the death of Mohammad Rizza Zahedi, an IRGC commander, and several other
05:15 senior IRGC figures. Approximately two weeks later, Iran launched over 300 drones and missiles
05:21 towards Israel in retaliation. While most of the missiles and drones were intercepted,
05:25 some struck a base in southern Israel, causing injuries, including to a seven-year-old Bedouin
05:29 girl from falling shrapnel. The Israeli military has carried out hundreds of strikes in Syria
05:34 since the outbreak of a civil war in its northern neighbor in 2011, mainly targeting army positions
05:39 and Iran-backed fighters. But the strikes increased after Israel's war with Iran-backed
05:44 Palestinian operative group Hamas in the Gaza Strip began on October 7. On April 19, Israeli
05:49 strikes targeted a Syrian army position in the country's south, Syria's government
05:53 and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said, as US media reported Israel
05:58 had hit Iran. Overnight on April 13, Iran launched hundreds of drones and missiles against
06:02 Israel in an unprecedented attack that came in retaliation for a deadly strike, widely
06:06 blamed on Israel, on Tehran's consulate in Damascus. Syria's war has killed more than
06:11 half a million people and displaced millions more since it erupted in March 2011 with the
06:16 repression of anti-government protests. Police in Paris entered France's prestigious
06:28 Sciences Po University on Friday and removed student activists who had occupied its building
06:32 in protest against Israel's conduct in its war against Hamas in Gaza. A rotter's witness
06:37 saw police go into the buildings and take out many of the 70-odd protesters inside.
06:42 Unlike in some college campuses across the US, the French protests have been peaceful
06:46 and there were no signs of violence as the students were brought out of the building.
06:50 Sciences Po University has become the epicentre of French student protests over the war and
06:53 academic ties with Israel, which have spread across France but have remained much smaller
06:58 in scale than those seen in the US. The university was closed for the day on Friday with a heavy
07:02 police presence around its main building. Jack, a Sciences Po student who declined to
07:07 give his surname, said he was one of the 70 students who spent Thursday night occupying
07:11 one of the university's main buildings in central Paris. A Sciences Po spokesperson
07:16 speaking before the police intervention said the university was seeking a negotiated solution
07:20 to end the standoff with its students and that some of its satellite campuses in Reims,
07:24 Le Havre and Poitiers were also affected by protests. Sciences Po-Loin, an unaffiliated
07:30 university in France's third-largest city, was also blocked by protesting students on
07:34 Friday as well as the Lillet School of Journalism, images broadcast by French news channels showed.
07:40 Sciences Po's director, Jean Bacerres, on Thursday rejected demands by protesters to
07:44 review its relations with Israeli universities, prompting protesters to continue their movement
07:48 with at least one person entering a hunger strike, according to a student speaking on
07:52 behalf of the protesters. In a brazen display of aggression, gangs in
08:02 Haiti initiated a significant offensive in the heart of Port-au-Prince, setting ablaze
08:05 homes and engaging in fierce confrontations with law enforcement that lasted for hours.
08:10 The harrowing scenes prompted hundreds of residents to flee the violence, marking one
08:13 of the most severe outbreaks since the installment of a new prime minister. These alarming attacks
08:18 underscore the deep-rooted concerns surrounding the pervasive influence of gangs and cast
08:22 doubt on the government's capacity to swiftly restore order and stability. The unsettling
08:27 events have reignited fears and doubts regarding Haiti's ability to break free from the grip
08:31 of violence and turmoil that has plagued the nation for years. Against this backdrop, Haiti's
08:36 transition council assumed power in a formal ceremony on Thursday, marking the official
08:40 departure of former Prime Minister Aviel Henry. The transition comes at a critical juncture
08:44 for the Caribbean nation as it endeavours to chart a path towards security and stability
08:49 amidst the relentless onslaught of gang violence which has inflicted untold suffering and cures
08:54 on its populace. Following the resignation of former Prime Minister
08:57 Aviel Henry, the formal installation of the council last week marked a pivotal moment
09:00 in the nation's quest to restore security amidst the relentless onslaught of gang violence.
09:06 As new leaders take charge of the country amid squabbling, Haitians are demanding that
09:10 they prioritise their safety as gangs remain more powerful and better armed than Haiti's
09:14 National Police. More than 2,500 people have been killed or injured from January to March
09:19 of this year, a more than 50 per cent increase compared with the same period last year, according
09:23 to the UN. Meanwhile, more than 90,000 people have fled court operations in just one month,
09:28 as gangs that control an estimated 80 per cent of the capital have increasingly been
09:32 targeting previously peaceful neighbourhoods.
09:35 For more UN videos visit: www.un.org/webcast
09:41 (dramatic music)