In this latest news roundup, we look at India’s plans to go to Mars, the UN’s concerns over Burkina Faso, Arvind Kejriwal’s cow-care pledge, and Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba’s resignation. We also discuss how the latest political developments in Burkina Faso are affecting the peace process there.
Latest News – India’s mars mission
India’s Mars mission has finally launched! This mission, known as Mangalyaan, was launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation.
The mission will explore the planet Mars from an orbiting spacecraft. If successful, the mission will return scientific data back to Earth. The mission will last for up to four months, and it will help scientists learn more about the planet Mars.
A few years later, India plans to send a lander to Mars in 2021. It also plans to send an orbiter to Venus shortly after. NASA has expressed interest in collaborating with ISRO and this mission could be one of the jewels of the 50-year space odyssey.
India’s Mars mission is being tracked by the Indian Deep Space Network, based in Bengaluru, along with the Deep Space Network operated by NASA-JPL. The mission is an impressive display of India’s rocket launch systems and spacecraft building capabilities.
The primary objective of the mission is to develop technologies that can be used for future interplanetary missions. The mission will also study the Martian surface and atmosphere using indigenous scientific instruments.
The Mars mission is one of the biggest projects in Indian space history, and will mark the first successful Mars mission. The country hopes to become the fourth nation to reach Mars, and will be the first Asian nation to do so.
The budget of the mission is low compared to previous missions, and it has been a source of national pride in India. However, India’s economy has faced a series of shaky moments in recent months, with unemployment and poverty remaining high.
Since the launch, India’s Mars mission has generated a lot of controversy. Some critics have argued that the country should use its resources on other priorities.
Latest News – UN Secretary-General’s concern over Burkina Faso
The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has condemned the recent military takeover of Burkina Faso and called on all actors to avoid violence and seek dialogue. He expressed concern for the lives of the people of Burkina Faso.
The military announced on state television that it had seized power and dissolved the government. The move prompted fears of clashes between supporters of the ailing Damiba regime and the new strongmen.
The UN Secretary-General says he is monitoring the situation in Burkina Faso closely and is concerned about the safety of President Roch Marc Christian Kabore.
He also worries about the worsening security situation following the January 23 coup. In addition to calling for restraint by all parties, the UN stressed its commitment to constitutional order and to the Burkinabe people.
A number of recent reports show that the security services have committed atrocities against the population.
In 2018, scores of suspects were killed in Djibo, and in 2020, twelve men in gendarme custody were murdered in Tanwalbougou. Meanwhile, the military justice directorate that is supposed to investigate security incidents remains underfunded.
The UN Secretary-General has emphasized the importance of international cooperation as an answer to the conflict. The major powers should take the lead and uphold international law.
They should be supportive of developing countries and practice true multilateralism. They should also make sure that their security forces practice good human rights.
Latest News – Arvind Kejriwal’s cow-care pledge
Arvind Kejriwal’S cow-care pledge is being attacked by the BJP, which demands votes from cow owners who want to protect their animals.
The AAP leader claims that the BJP forces cows to eat garbage and asks for votes on the names of cows. Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, AAP MLA, has questioned whether the AAP government has given cows any land.
Arvind Kejriwal has promised to give Gujarat farmers Rs 40 per cow per day and to build shelter homes for abandoned cattle in every district.
The announcement is aimed at attracting Hindu voters and countering the BJP in the state. The AAP’s cow-care pledge is just the latest move towards attracting Hindu votes.
The AAP leader has urged the Assembly to set up a committee that will look into the issues related to cows. He said the MCDs had failed miserably at running cow shelters. He also claimed that they were not giving enough money to open new gaushalas, leaving many cows dying and straying in the streets.
The AAP leader said the BJP has bought Congress MLAs. He has also appealed to voters to vote for his party and not vote for the BJP. Kejriwal is a staunch advocate of cows and is committed to helping cows in the state.
Latest News – Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba’s resignation
Latest News – The junta leader of Burkina Faso has offered to resign. The move has prompted international condemnation and unrest.
Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba said he was stepping down as part of a compromise to avoid clashes and serious human consequences. The junta leader also demanded a national reconciliation process and the restoration of operational activities in the military.
The resignation of Burkina Faso’s president Paul-Henri Sandao Go Damiba is a result of a broader political crisis in the Sahel region.
The country is undergoing a political transition, and the coup was prompted by violence that had spread across the country. Damiba had been a vocal critic of the jihadists and his government’s failure to quell them.
The coup has also fueled tensions in the country. Since the January coup, violence has risen, resulting in the death of at least 11 soldiers and 50 civilians.
Damiba has blamed the elected president of the country, Roch Marc Christian Kabore, of failing to beat back jihadist fighters. However, the insurgency is still raging in Burkina Faso.
The new junta leadership called for an end to the unrest, and called on the population to refrain from vandalism and violence. The junta also claimed that the interim president Damiba had been hiding in a French military base.
However, France has vehemently denied this allegation. The French Embassy in Burkina Faso was also attacked by protesters.
Latest News – UN Secretary-General’s concern over Lyman city
Ukrainian troops have liberated the Donetsk region’s Lyman city. The town had a prewar population of around 20,000 people and sits on the northeastern banks of the Siversky Donets, a meandering river that has long served as a natural division between the Russian and Ukrainian front lines.
The retaking of Lyman means that Ukrainian forces will have a firm foothold on the northeastern side of the river, which will enable them to apply pressure on Russian lines.
The loss of a key rail hub for the region puts further pressure on the Kremlin, which is already facing blowback after a recent campaign against Ukrainian forces in the east.
But Moscow has a solution: it has withdrawn its troops from Lyman. It argues that the withdrawal was a strategic move to take a more advantageous position in the region.
Lyman was captured by the Russians in May, and it served as a rail hub into Donbas, which has mineral resources that Russia hopes to exploit. But Ukraine’s ability to recapture the town shows that Russia’s control over the Donbas region is still uncertain.
The recapture of Lyman also means that Ukraine has a new foothold in the area and is better positioned to claw back territory before winter sets in.
In addition to taking Lyman, Ukraine recently recaptured several other cities and towns in eastern Donetsk, near the Luhansk border. The Russian retreat has left the country’s troops in a dangerous position, causing concern about a possible all-out conflict in the region.
