(1) India, Canada tensions worsens
Bilateral relations between India and Canada hit a new low following the G20 Summit in Delhi on September 9-10. Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had a terse exchange with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during their meeting on the sidelines of the G20 Summit.
Also read | Why have India, Canada tensions worsened? | Explained
Days later, the Trudeau government said that Indian government played a role in the killing of Khalistani separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada in June, fuelling a significant rift between the two countries. The developments mark a dramatic escalation of tensions between the two countries.
Also read | U.S. provided Canada intelligence on Nijjar’s killing: NYT
While matters have seemingly come to a head this week, tensions have been steadily brewing between India and Canada for months, primarily over the Sikh independence, or Khalistan, movement. Here’s the history of the uneasy ties between the two countries:
Canada has the highest population of Sikhs outside their home state of Punjab in India, and the country has been the site of many protests that have irked India. Bilateral commercial relations between the two countries are worth $100 billion, which includes $70 billion of Canadian portfolio investment, according to Indian figures.
Also read | Indian visa issue paused amid Canada tussle
Nijjar was a vocal supporter of the movement, which was launched by a part of India’s Sikh community in the late 1970s, triggering a wave of deadly violence that claimed thousands of lives in the state of Punjab, where Sikhs are in the majority. The Indian government had repeatedly labelled Nijjar a terrorist, a charge his supporters denied.
(2) Women’s Reservation Bill
The Constitution (128th Amendment) Bill, or the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, and its six clauses were passed in the Lok Sabha on September 20 (Wednesday), and in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, September 21. The bill was passed in both houses with near unanimity to amend the Constitution and provide one-third reservation to women in the Lok Sabha and the State Assemblies.
In the Lok Sabha, with 454 members supporting the bill, the constitutional requirement of “two-third majority of the members present and voting” was easily met. Only two members, the All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen’s Asaduddin Owaisi and Syed Imtiyaz Jaleel, had opposed the Bill.
Currently, as shown in the graphics below, 15% of the members in Lok Sabha, and 14% of the members in the Rajya Sabha are women. The percentage of women in State Assemblies ranges from 2-15%, with Tripura having 15% of it’s Assembly members as women, and Jammu & Kashmir having only 2% of the Assembly members as women.
Although, on Wednesday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah mentioned that irrespective of the Opposition’s support, the bill will be implemented only after 2029, after an exercise of delimitation is undertaken based on figures from the first Census that is conducted after the Act is enacted. Mr. Shah said in the Lok Sabha that the Census and the delimitation exercise will be conducted immediately after the general election. However, he did not specify the dates for the delayed Census that has remained under ambiguity since 2021 despite the apparatus being ready.
(3) Azerbaijan takes control
Azerbaijan launched a series of “anti-terrorist” activities in the Nagorno-Karabakh region earlier. Two days later, it announced it had taken over the breakaway region.
The region was an autonomous oblast in the Soviet era, with neither Armenia nor Azerbaijan controlling it. Then, the Soviet Union collapsed. In 1994, Armenia launched an offensive and took control of most of the Nagorno-Karabakh region and six districts surrounding it. Around 30,000 people were killed and more than a million displaced.
Between 1994 and 2020, Armenia and Azerbaijan fought intermittently. However, in 2020, Azerbaijan launched another military operation, leading to a second war in the region. This time, Azerbaijan won and took over the territories it had lost in 1994. The map below shows the areas that came under Azerbaijan’s control after this war.
Map after the 2020 war
Russian peacekeepers were stationed in what was left of the Nagorno-Karabakh region. Armenia managed this part with the presence of Russian peacekeepers. A corridor called the Lachin corridor connected the region to Armenia. This corridor was patrolled by Russian peacekeepers.
The clashes last week were a continuation of the unresolved dispute between the two countries. Further conflict in the region is significant because Azerbaijan has built gas an oil pipelines that come very close to the conflict zone. A war could impact energy supply from these pipelines.
Also read | The Hindu Explains | What’s behind the Armenia-Azerbaijan clashes?
(4) WHO’s first hypertension report
WHO published the first-ever report on hypertension prevalence across the world last week. Approximately four out of every five people with hypertension are not adequately treated, according to the report. However, with increased coverage, 76 million deaths could be averted between 2023 and 2050, it said.
Globally, around 46% of the people with hypertension symptoms have not been diagnosed and given a treatment regime. Around 42% of people with hypertension have been treated and 21% could get the condition under control with the treatment.
When it comes to effective treatment, 15% of the people with hypertension have brought hypertension under control with treatment. This figure is higher than that of Pakistan and Afghanistan and the same as Bangladesh and Myanmar. However, it is much lower than Canada’s 61% and South Africa’s 24%. China’s control rate stands at 16%.
On the other hand, India has a lower proportion of the population with hypertension. It is lower than Brazil, South Africa, Pakistan, United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Myanmar, USA and Japan.
Within India, hypertension is prevalent in 30% or more than 30% in most States. This comes from a nation-wide survey conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research and India Diabetes between 2008 and 2020 of more than a lakh participants. The study shows that in only six States, hypertension affects less than 30% of the population.
Also read |Explained | Are non-communicable diseases increasing in India?
The same study also looked at the prevalence of other conditions like diabetes and obesity. Hypertension was the third-most prevalent among Low HDL cholestrol, abdominal obesity, generalised obesity, high LDL cholestrol, prediabetes and diabetes.
The pandemic took the focus away from non-communicable diseases. A 2020 WHO report said that 53% of countries had their hypertension treatment services disrupted because of the pandemic. Besides this, experts say that India is facing the dual problem of malnutrition and obesity. There is availability of surplus food, but after being exposed to fast foods, a lack of sleep, exercise and stress creates a perfect setting for NCDs to latch-on.
Also read |Data | High burden of diabetes and BP in Kerala and West Bengal
(5) Rupert Murdoch steps down as Fox, News Corp chairman
Rupert Murdoch, the 92-year-old Australian media magnate whose creation of Fox News made him a force in American politics, is stepping down as leader of both Fox’s parent company and his News Corp. media holdings.
Fox said Thursday that Mr. Murdoch would become chairman emeritus of both companies, effective at board meetings in November. His son, Lachlan, will become News Corp. chairman and continue as chief executive officer of Fox Corp.
Also read | Rupert Murdoch | Exit of the patriarch
Rupert Murdoch says he will step down as the leader of Fox News’ parent company and his News Corp. media holdings. | Photo Credit: AP
Besides Fox News, Mr. Murdoch started the Fox broadcast network, the first to successfully challenge the Big Three of ABC, CBS and NBC, with shows like “The Simpsons.” He is owner of The Wall Street Journal and the New York Post.
He built his empire from a single newspaper in Adelaide, Australia, inherited from his father and became a multi-billionaire. Forbes estimated the Murdoch family’s net worth at roughly $19 billion in 2020.
Mr. Murdoch vowed in a letter to employees that he would remain engaged at Fox.
“In my new role, I can guarantee you that I will be involved every day in the contest of ideas, Murdoch wrote. “Our companies are communities, and I will be an active member of our community. I will be watching our broadcasts with a critical eye, reading our newspapers and websites and books with much interest.”
Also read | What to know about the media magnate’s successor and family
There was no immediate word on why Mr. Murdoch’s announcement came now. Ironically, it is the week author and Murdoch biographer Michael Wolff is publishing a book, “The End of Fox News,” speculating on what will happen to the network when the patriarch is gone.
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