UN says India to be world’s most populous nation by mid-2023

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A general view of churchgate station during peak hours in Mumbai, India, Thursday, March 20, 2023. (AP)
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Updated 20 April 2023
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UN says India to be world’s most populous nation by mid-2023

  • The UN report said India will have about 2.9 million people more than China sometime in the middle of this year. India will have an estimated 1.4286 billion people versus mainland China’s 1.4257 billion at that time, according to UN projections

NEW DELHI: India is on track to surpass China by mid-2023 as the world’s most populous nation, United Nations data said Wednesday, raising questions about whether a booming, young Indian population will fuel economic growth for years to come or become a liability.
While India’s 254 million people between ages 15 and 24 is the largest number in the world, China is struggling with an aging population and stagnant population growth. That has sparked expectations that the demographic changes could pave the way for India to become an economic and global heavyweight.
India’s young citizenry could drive the country’s economic growth for years to come, but it might just as easily become a problem if they aren’t adequately employed. Economists have cautioned that even as India’s economy is among the fastest-growing as its population rises, joblessness has also swelled.
Tech giant Apple, among other companies, hopes to turn India into a potential manufacturing hub as it moves some production out of China, where wages are rising as the working age population shrinks.
The UN report said India will have about 2.9 million people more than China sometime in the middle of this year. India will have an estimated 1.4286 billion people versus mainland China’s 1.4257 billion at that time, according to UN projections. Demographers say the limits of population data make it impossible to calculate an exact date; India has not done a census since 2011.
China has had the world’s largest population since at least 1950, the year the UN began issuing population data. Both China and India have more than 1.4 billion people, and combined they make up more than a third of the world’s 8 billion people.
Not long ago, India wasn’t expected to become the most populous until later this decade. But the timing has been sped up by a drop in China’s fertility rate, with families having fewer children.
India, by contrast, has a much younger population, a higher fertility rate, and has seen a decrease in infant mortality over the last three decades. Still, the country’s fertility rate has been steadily falling, from over five births per woman in 1960 to just over two in 2020, according to World Bank data.
The country’s population has more than quadrupled since gaining independence 76 years ago. As India looks set to become the world’s largest country, it is grappling with the growing threat of climate change, deep inequalities between its urban and rural populations, economic disparities between its men and women, and a widening religious divide.
In a survey of 1,007 Indians conducted by the UN in conjuction with the report, 63 percent of respondents said economic issues were their top concern when thinking about population change, followed by worries about the environment, health and human rights.
“The Indian survey findings suggest that population anxieties have seeped into large portions of the general public. Yet, population numbers should not trigger anxiety or create alarm,” Andrea Wojnar, the United Nations Population Fund’s representative for India, said in a statement. She added that they should be seen as a symbol of progress and development “if individual rights and choices are being upheld.”
Many are banking on India’s rising number of working age people to give it a “demographic dividend,” or the potential for economic growth when a country’s young population is eclipses its share of older people who are beyond their working years. It’s what helped China cement its place as a global power.
“So far, we have not been able to tap into our demographic dividend adequately. While the working age population has grown quite substantially, employment has not grown,” said Mahesh Vyas, director of the Center for Monitoring the Indian Economy. He added that the country has struggled to create additional employment in the last six years, with the number of jobs stagnant at 405 million
India has had a phenomenal transformation — from an impoverished nation in 1947 into an emerging global power whose $3 trillion economy is Asia’s third largest. It is a major exporter of things like software and vaccines, and millions have escaped poverty into a growing, aspirational middle class as its high-skilled sectors have soared.
But so has joblessness. According to CMIE statistics from 2022, only 40 percent of working age Indians are employed.
Poonam Muttreja, head of the Population Foundation of India, agreed, saying the country must plan better for its young people.
“This large population will need a huge investment in skills for them to take advantage of the opportunities that will come up in the economy for participating in jobs. But we have to also create more jobs for them,” she said, adding that investments were also needed in education.
China responded to news of the UN report on Wednesday with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin saying “a country’s demographic dividend depends not only on quantity but also on quality.”
“The population is important, so is talent... China’s demographic dividend has not disappeared, the talent dividend is taking place and development momentum remains strong,” Wang said at a briefing.

 


Migrant boat capsize kills seven in Spain’s Canary Islands

Updated 2 sec ago
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Migrant boat capsize kills seven in Spain’s Canary Islands

Rescuers supported by a helicopter were working to save people in the port of La Restinga on the island of El Hierro
Red Cross spokesman Alexis Ramos told RTVE there could be “more than 100 people” on the boat

MADRID: Four women and three girls died after their migrant boat capsized shortly before reaching safety in Spain’s Canary Islands on Wednesday, emergency services said, the latest tragedy on the perilous route.

Emergency services in the Atlantic archipelago said rescuers supported by a helicopter were working to save people in the port of La Restinga on the island of El Hierro.

Red Cross spokesman Alexis Ramos told RTVE there could be “more than 100 people” on the boat but was unable to provide a figure for the number of missing.

Public broadcaster RTVE aired footage of rescuers throwing lifebuoys to people clinging onto an overturned boat and treading water off El Hierro.

Emergency services initially confirmed on X “the death of two women after the capsizing of a vessel” in La Restinga and later said “health services confirm another two dead women.”

The rescuers then reported the death of two girls aged five and another aged 16, which meant the incident “has resulted in seven people dead.”

A three-year-old boy and a five-year-old girl were being treated after they almost drowned and would be transported by helicopter to a hospital in Tenerife, the largest of the Canary Islands, the emergency services added on X.

Four other minors with breathing difficulties were being taken to hospital on El Hierro, they added.

Spain takes in each year tens of thousands of Europe-bound migrants who arrive in the Canary Islands from west Africa — with Mali, Senegal and Morocco the most common nationalities.

Strong ocean currents and ramshackle vessels make the long crossing dangerous.

According to the NGO Caminando Fronteras, at least 10,457 migrants died or disappeared while trying to reach Spain by sea from January 1 to December 5, 2024.

Local authorities have consistently warned of unsustainable pressure on their resources and complained about a lack of solidarity from the rest of the country.

“Once again we witness the harshest face of immigration which those far away fail to appreciate in its true measure,” the Canary Islands’ regional leader Fernando Clavijo said on X. “Please listen to us!“

Almost 47,000 irregular arrivals reached the archipelago in 2024, breaking the annual record for the second year running, as tighter controls in the Mediterranean pushed migrants to attempt the Atlantic route.

But numbers are down so far this year, dropping 34.4 percent between January 1 and May 15 compared with the same period in 2024, according to the latest interior ministry figures.

Ukraine protests to IAEA over Russia building power lines to Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant

Updated 4 min 44 sec ago
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Ukraine protests to IAEA over Russia building power lines to Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant

  • Ukrainian officials have repeatedly stated that attempts to restart the plant could lead to a nuclear disaster
  • Russian personnel are unfamiliar with the significantly upgraded equipment

KYIV: Ukraine has protested to the international atomic energy watchdog about reports that Russia is building power lines to connect the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant to its own grid, a Ukrainian official said on Wednesday.

Yuriy Vitrenko, Ukraine’s representative to international bodies in Vienna, told Ukrainian news agency Ukrinform that Kyiv sees any attempt by Russia to connect the occupied plant to its grid as a gross violation of international law and Ukrainian sovereignty.

On Tuesday, The New York times cited a new Greenpeace report which found that Russia had been building more than 50 miles (80 km) of power lines between the occupied Ukrainian cities of Mariupol and Berdyansk.

Ukrainian officials have repeatedly stated that attempts to restart the plant could lead to a nuclear disaster, as Russian personnel are unfamiliar with the significantly upgraded equipment, are not trained to use it, and the condition of the plant itself is unknown.

The lack of sufficient water volumes to cool the reactors after the Russian-held Kakhovka dam was blown up in June 2023, unleashing flooding, was an additional source of danger, they say.

IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said the issue of restarting the plant would be discussed at meetings during his visits to Ukraine and possibly to Russia in the coming days.


Saudi Arabia offers fully funded scholarships to Filipino students

Updated 19 min 23 sec ago
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Saudi Arabia offers fully funded scholarships to Filipino students

  • ‘Study in Saudi’ scholarship open to all Filipinos, regardless of location
  • Courses at 25 institutions include King Abdulaziz, King Saud universities

MANILA: Saudi Arabia has opened 265 fully funded scholarships for Filipino students for the upcoming academic year, its ambassador to the Philippines announced on Wednesday, as a part of efforts to strengthen educational ties under Vision 2030.

The “Study in Saudi” scholarship is open to all Filipinos, including those residing in the Kingdom, the Philippines, or elsewhere.

The program offers opportunities to pursue undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in science, technology, engineering, arts and math fields. In addition courses are offered in social sciences, business administration, economics, agriculture, Arabic, political science, Islamic law, and media.

“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia places great emphasis on international education as a foundation of its Vision 2030,” Faisal Ibrahim Al-Ghamdi, the Kingdom’s ambassador-designate to the Philippines, said during a press conference in Manila.

“The scholarships we are announcing today align with this strategic direction, which reflect the Kingdom’s continued commitment to supporting higher education for Filipino students.

“A total of 265 fully funded scholarships are being offered, covering both undergraduate and graduate degrees.”

The courses are offered at 25 Saudi universities, including the nation’s top academic institutions.

These include King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah, King Saud University in Riyadh, Umm Al-Qura University in Makkah, King Faisal University in Al-Ahsa, as well Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University — the world’s largest women’s university, which is prominent in the fields of education and health.

“These opportunities will enable Filipino students to join prestigious Saudi universities, where they will study alongside peers from around the world in academic environments that seamlessly blend tradition and innovation — offering an enriching educational experience unlike any other,” Al-Ghamdi said.

“These scholarships go beyond tuition fees. They include financial stipends, accommodation, medical insurance, annual round-trip air tickets, and many other benefits that ensure students can focus entirely on their academic goals.”

Nearly 1 million Filipinos are living and working in Saudi Arabia, making up the sixth-largest expatriate community in the Kingdom.

Currently, more than 800 of them are enrolled in Saudi universities.

This ongoing partnership is exemplified by the presence of more than 806 Filipino students currently enrolled in Saudi universities across diverse programs.

“These students are benefiting from advanced learning opportunities and comprehensive care — a testament to the Kingdom’s unwavering dedication to international students,” Al-Ghamdi said.

He added that the scholarship, which aims to connect young people from both countries, helps in “strengthening cultural and intellectual ties and reaffirming the Kingdom’s commitment to supporting education in friendly countries.”


Zelensky visits Berlin as he seeks more support for Ukraine in the war against Russia

Updated 34 min ago
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Zelensky visits Berlin as he seeks more support for Ukraine in the war against Russia

  • Germany has been the second-biggest supplier of military aid to Ukraine after the United States
  • Friedrich Merz has plunged into diplomatic efforts to try to secure a ceasefire and keep Western support for Ukraine intact

BERLIN: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with new German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin on Wednesday as Ukraine seeks further military support amid a recent escalation in Russia’s bombing campaign, despite US-led efforts to end the war.

Germany has been the second-biggest supplier of military aid to Ukraine after the United States. Merz has plunged into diplomatic efforts to try to secure a ceasefire and keep Western support for Ukraine intact since becoming Germany’s leader three weeks ago. European leaders have accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of dragging his feet in US-led peace talks.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul was set to meet in Washington with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday.

Zelensky said Tuesday that Ukraine is ready to hold peace talks at the highest level, including a trilateral meeting with himself, Putin and US President Donald Trump.

“We are ready to meet at the level of leaders. Both the American side knows this, and the Russian side knows this,” he said. Zelensky said he would accept any configuration of talks, whether that includes one trilateral meeting or separate meetings with Trump.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia is grateful to Trump for his mediation efforts.

“At the same time, there is a big number of nuances to be discussed that can’t be neglected and which neither party is going to sacrifice, because of its national interests,” Peskov told reporters. “Just like the United States, Russia has its national interests that are of primary importance to us.”

He said that Moscow will “soon” deliver its promised memorandum on a framework for a peace settlement.

Taurus cruise missiles may be discussed

Merz said on Monday that Germany and other major allies are no longer imposing any range restrictions on weapons supplied to Ukraine as it fights to repel Russia’s full-scale invasion, which began in February 2022.

Merz’s government hasn’t said whether it will supply its Taurus long-range cruise missiles to Ukraine, something his predecessor, Olaf Scholz, refused to do and which Merz advocated for as opposition leader. The government has said it would no longer provide full details of the weapons it’s supplying to Ukraine, unlike Scholz’s administration, citing the need for “strategic ambiguity.”

Taurus missiles have a range of up to 500 kilometers (310 miles). The German- and Swedish-made missiles, which are equipped with stealth technology, would be able to reach targets deep in Russia from Ukrainian soil, including the Black Sea. Ukraine wants the missiles to complement the long-range Storm Shadow missiles sent by Britain and France’s nearly identical Scalp cruise missiles.

Zelensky said that he plans to discuss the supply and use of long-range weapons in his talks with Merz. The Ukrainian leader said Tuesday that he hasn’t received any indications from Germany that their policy of limiting the use of Western weapons against Russian targets has changed.

Ukraine needs $30 billion in additional financing to help it compete with Russia in the production of drones and missiles, Zelensky said. Russia is aiming to produce 300-350 drones per day, he said.

Front-line fighting, deep strikes continue

Meanwhile, fighting has continued along the roughly 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line, where Ukraine’s army is shorthanded against its bigger adversary. Zelensky claimed Tuesday that Russia is mobilizing up to 45,000 men every month, while Ukraine mobilizes between 25,000-27,000.

Both sides are continuing to conduct deep strikes. Russia launched its biggest drone attack of the war against Ukraine on Sunday.

Russian air defenses downed 296 Ukrainian drones over 13 Russian regions late Tuesday and early Wednesday, Russia’s Defense Ministry said, in what appeared to be one of the biggest Ukrainian drone assaults of the war.

Ukraine is increasing its domestic production of drones and missiles, according to Zelensky. He said late Tuesday that Ukraine wants European countries to help it invest in the manufacturing of attack drones, air defense interceptors, cruise missiles and ballistic systems.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said that air defenses shot down Ukrainian 33 drones heading toward the capital.

Andrei Vorobyov, the governor of the Moscow region, said that 42 drones were downed. He said that drone fragments damaged three residential buildings in the village of Troitskoye, but no one was hurt.

Moscow airports delayed or diverted hundreds of flights.

Overnight, Russian forces launched an attack on Ukraine using five Iskander ballistic missiles, one guided air-launched missile and 88 drones, Ukraine’s Air Force said Wednesday. Air defense units shot down 34 drones, and 37 drones were jammed.

Ukraine’s railway infrastructure and equipment in the Kharkiv, Donetsk and Sumy regions also came under fire overnight and Wednesday morning, Ukraine’s state railway company Ukrzaliznytsia said. No casualties were reported.

In Kharkiv region, railway traffic was temporarily suspended so that police and emergency workers could clear debris from a downed drone that landed on the tracks. In Sloviansk in the Donetsk region, the attack shattered windows at the station building, and drone debris slightly damaged a train car.


Activists turn Paris fountain red to denounce Gaza ‘bloodbath’

Updated 28 May 2025
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Activists turn Paris fountain red to denounce Gaza ‘bloodbath’

  • Activists from Oxfam and Amnesty International poured dye into the Fontaine des Innocents in the heart of the French capital

PARIS: French activists dyed a Paris fountain red Wednesday to symbolize what they called the “bloodbath” of Palestinians in Gaza.

Activists from Oxfam and Amnesty International poured dye into the Fontaine des Innocents in the heart of the French capital, while others held placards saying “Cease fire” and “Gaza: stop the bloodbath.”

“This operation aims to denounce France’s slow response to an absolute humanitarian emergency facing the people of Gaza today,” the activists, which included the French branch of Greenpeace, said in a joint statement.

“France cannot limit itself to mere verbal condemnations,” said former minister Cecile Duflot, executive director of Oxfam France.

Clemence Lagouardat, who helped coordinate Oxfam’s humanitarian response in Gaza, denounced the Israeli blockade of the besieged territory.

“The people in Gaza need everything, it’s a matter of survival,” she told AFP.

The October 7, 2023 attack by Palestinian militant group Hamas on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official data.

Militants also abducted 251 people, of whom 57 are still being held in Gaza, including 34 declared dead by the Israeli army.

The Israeli offensive launched in retaliation has killed at least 53,977 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to data from the Hamas-run health ministry, which is considered reliable by the UN.

Israel has now stepped up a renewed campaign to destroy Hamas, drawing international condemnation as aid trickles in following a blockade since early March that has sparked severe food and medical shortages.

“There is a genocide going on and political inaction is becoming a kind of complicity in this genocide,” said Jean-Francois Julliard, head of Greenpeace France.

“We call on (President) Emmanuel Macron to act with courage, clarity and determination to put an end to this bloodshed.”

The activists urged states “with influence over Israel” to press for an immediate and lasting ceasefire, an arms embargo on Israel, the revision of a cooperation agreement between the EU and Israel and other measures.

Macron has accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of “unacceptable” and “shameful” behavior in blocking aid to the Palestinians in Gaza.

In response Netanyahu has accused Macron of siding with a “murderous Islamist terrorist organization.”