Date: Mon, Jan 25, 2021 at 11:02 PM

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

As the world fights the COVID-19 pandemic, we begin the programme with a message of caution to stay safe and protected by following these three simple steps:

⦁ Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe gets Padma Vibhushan, the 2nd highest civilian award in India.  

President Ram Nath Kovind has said that India has taken great strides in several sectors and economic reforms have continued apace. He said, it has been supplemented by long-pending reforms in areas of labour and agriculture through legislation. Addressing the Nation on the eve of 72nd Republic day today, Mr Kovind said, a self-reliant India has manufactured its own vaccine for COVID-19 and is now undertaking a mass vaccination drive, which will be the largest exercise of its kind in history.He said, it  added a glorious chapter to the well being of humanity.

Mr Kovind said, our effective response to the COVID 19 pandemic would not have been possible without our Constitutional value of Fraternity.

Mr Kovind said, every Indian salutes the farmers, who have made the vast and populous country self-reliant in food-grains and dairy products.

Mr Kovind said, just as the hardworking farmers ensure food security for thecountry, the brave soldiers of the armed forces ensure security of the national boundaries amid severest conditions.

Hailing the scientist fraternity, the President said, they have strengthened the national endeavours by their contribution to food security, national security, protection against disease and disasters and to different areas of development.

On the India's New National Education Policy, Mr Kovind said, the policy stresses on tradition as well as technology and will lay the foundation of a New India which aspires to emerge as a knowledge hub on the international stage.

The President said, the past year was a time of adversity and it came from many fronts. Mr Kovind said, India faced an expansionist move on the borders, but our valiant soldiers foiled it. He said, to achieve this objective, 20 of them had to lay down their lives. He said, the nation shall remain grateful to those brave soldiers. He said, though we reiterate our commitment to peace, our defence forces Army, Air Force and Navy are adequately mobilised in a well-coordinated move to thwart any attempt to undermine our security. Mr Kovind said, our national interest will be protected at all costs.  

The President said, India is moving forward and taking its rightful place in the world.

The President said, equality is the watchword for the great project of our Republic. He said, social equality warrants dignity for each one of us, villagers, women, weaker sections of our society, namely, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, Divyang-jan and the elderly people. Mr Kovind said, economic equality entails equal opportunity for all and handholding for the downtrodden. The President called upon everyone to continue on the path of constitutional morality which Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar mentioned in his speech to the Constituent Assembly while presenting the draft of the Constitution.  

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been awarded Padma Vibhushan, the second highest civilian award in India.

Seven persons will get Padma Vibhushan. The others include  Dr Belle Monappa Hedge, Islamic scholar Maulana Wahiduddin Khan, B. B. Lal

and sculptor Sudarshan Sahoo. Eminent Singer late S P Balasubramaniam and Narinder Singh Kapany will be awarded the 2nd highest civilian award posthumously.

The Padma Awards are one of the highest civilian honours of India announced annually on the eve of Republic Day.

India will celebrate 72nd Republic Day tomorrow. The main function will be organized at Rajpath in the National Capital where President Ram Nath Kovind will take the salute of the parade.

The Republic Day Parade ceremony will commence with Prime Minister Narendra Modi visiting the National War Memorial. He will lead the nation in paying solemn tributes to the fallen heroes by laying a wreath. This year the Parade will be held following all necessary Covid -19 preventive protocols.

India and the United Kingdom emphasized the need for strengthening international cooperation to combat the global menace of terrorism including cross border terrorism in South Asia.

During the 14th meeting of the India-United Kingdom Joint Working Group on Counter-Terrorism held between 21st and 22nd of this month, both the countries have strongly condemned all forms of terrorism and its manifestations. The two sides reviewed the threats posed by the United Nations’ proscribed terrorists and terrorist’s entities. They also exchanged views on prohibition of terrorists and entities involved in terror activities.

India and the United Kingdom stressed that all the countries must take immediate action to ensure that territories under their control should not be used for terrorist attacks.

The 9th round of talks between Army core commanders of India and China concluded late last night. Talks between Indian Army and PLA  of China at Moldo BPO began yesterday morning and concluded almost after 17 hours.

Fire and Fury GoC, Lt.Gen. PGK Menon led Indian delegation insisted that onus is on China, of peaceful disengagement from the friction points and maintenance of status quo ante of early April on Line of Actual control in eastern Ladakh region, as per the agreement reached between the foreign ministers of India and China at the sidelines of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Russia last September.

In China's Shandong Province, rescuers have retrieved ten bodies of miners trapped underground due to a blast in a gold mine. Twenty-two miners were trapped underground due to the mine blast on 10th January in Qixia, under the city of Yantai. Eleven miners were rescued on Sunday after being trapped for two weeks, and one was still missing, according to a press briefing on Monday. One trapped miner is still missing and search efforts are underway. More from our Beijing correspondent:

Elon Musk’s SpaceX created a new world record by launching 143 satellites on a single rocket last night. The launch vehicle for the SpaceX record-breaking flight was the Falcon 9 rocket.

The 143 satellites launched last night include commercial and government CubeSats, microsats and 10 Starlink satellites.

Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has been expelled from the ruling Communist Party over his decision to dissolve the Parliament. The decision to expell Oli from the party was taken by the Central Committee at a meeting held yesterday. The move comes amid repeated threats by the rival faction leaders who had said that they would revoke Oli's membership over his decision to dissolve the Nepal Parliament. Spokesperson of the rival faction Narayan Kaji Shrestha said, the party leaders are planning further action against Oli after his ouster from the party.

In our Hotspot Segment, let us listen to AIR Exclusive interview with  Dr. K Sivan, Chairman of ISRO on the accomplishments and future programmes of Indian Space Research Organisation.

Bangladesh is all set to start its nationwide vaccination programme with the arrival of a new consignment of COVID 19 vaccine from India. Our Special correspondent in Dhaka reports-

⦁ In hockey, the Indian women's junior hockey team defeated  the Chile senior side 2-0  at the Prince of Wales Country Club. Sangita Kumari  and Sushma Kumari scored in the win for india.

⦁ In badminton, PV Sindhu and former world No. 1 Kidambi Srikanth   have qualified for the BWF World Tour Finals, which will be held in Thailand, from January 27 to 31.

India is celebrating the 151st birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. Before we end, let us listen to his favourite Bhajan VAISHNAV JAN, by artists from IRAN.

AND WITH THAT, WE END THIS BULLETIN. SEE YOU AT SAME TIME TOMORROW WITH THE NEXT EDITION OF WORLD NEWS.