The Evening Wrap: ‘Divisions’ over UNSC reforms

The Hindu Newsletter - Here are the latest updates and the big news stories to follow today [The Hindu Logo]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Youtube]( [Linkedin]( [Instagram]( Thursday 24, September 2020 [alt_text]( The Evening Wrap [Here are the biggest news stories of the day]( [alt_text]( Welcome to the Evening Wrap newsletter, your guide to the day’s biggest stories with concise analysis from The Hindu. We hope you are staying safe. Enormous divisions over UN Security Council rejig, says China China on Thursday said there were [“enormous divisions” and a lack of consensus]( on taking forward the stalled reforms of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), a day after the G4 group — India, Brazil, Japan and Germany — called for an early push for text-based negotiations. The meeting of the G4 took place during the 75 session of the UN General Assembly, which is happening virtually this year due to the pandemic. The foreign ministers of the four countries that are seeking UNSC reforms and permanent membership of the body had met virtually on Wednesday, and expressed their frustration at the repeated attempts to stall the reforms process. In a statement, they had reiterated support for each other’s membership to the UNSC “given the capacity and willingness to take on major responsibilities with regard to the maintenance of international peace and security.” India, which begins a two-year term as one of the 10 non-permanent UNSC members in January, has been batting for an expansion of the permanent and the non-permanent membership of the Security Council. On Thursday, however, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin suggested that China’s long-held stance that the reforms process cannot go ahead quickly is unlikely to change. “We believe the reforms should increase the representation and voice of developing countries and allow more small and medium-size countries to enter the Security Council and participate in the decision making,” Wang said in response to a question on the G4 statement. “We believe the reform of the Security Council is an important issue which concerns the long term development and all the immediate interests of its members. There have been enormous divisions on this issue and there lacks a widespread consensus on the arrangement for reform,” he said. Harley-Davidson decides to exit from India; to lay off 70 employees Harley-Davidson, the iconic motorcycle major from the U.S., has [announced its decision to discontinue its sales and manufacturing operations in India](, as part of its restructuring plan necessitated by the pandemic. [ A Harley-Davidson showroom in Vijayawada. ] A Harley-Davidson showroom in Vijayawada. On September 24, 2020, the firm shared information with its employees about additional restructuring actions related to the set of actions that it refers to as “The Rewire.” In a filing with the United States Securities & Exchange Commission, Harley-Davidson Inc said the action in India will include an associated workforce reduction of approximately 70 employees. A formal statement from the Indian unit is expected. CBSE to declare results by October 10 The [CBSE on Thursday stated in the Supreme Court]( that it would declare the compartment exam results for Class 12 on or before October 10. The UGC informed a Bench of Justices A.M. Khanwilkar and Sanjeev Khanna that its admission process would close by October 31, giving ample time for students to apply for varsity admissions amid the pandemic. The court closed the case, expressing gratitude to both the CBSE and the UGC. On September 22, the Supreme Court had asked both the academic bodies to coordinate and time the declaration of the compartment exam results before the admission process began in varsities. The last compartment exam is scheduled for September 30. “The last date for completing the University admissions process is October 31 and the last date for admissions to fill up the remaining vacant seats shall be November 30, 2020. Further, the Guidelines contemplate provisional admissions wherever necessary (with the relevant documents of the qualifying examinations being accepted up to 31.12.2020)”, the UGC said in an affidavit. The court was insistent during the case hearings that the academic future of nearly two lakh students taking the exams should not be blighted by the extraordinary circumstances created by the pandemic. Supreme Court tells jailed activist Sudha Bharadwaj she has ‘good case on merits’ The Supreme Court on Thursday [asked activist and lawyer Sudha Bharadwaj](, who has been languishing in jail for two years in the Bhima Koregaon case, why she is seeking bail on medical grounds when she had “such a good case on merits”. “Why is your client not applying for bail on merits,” Justice U.U. Lalit asked advocate Vrinda Grover, appearing for Bharadwaj. “You have such a good case on merits, why are you seeking bail on medical grounds,” Justice Ajay Rastogi also asked Grover. Bharadwaj agreed to withdraw the current plea for bail on medical conditions. She had sought bail over concerns about her heart disease. Grover submitted that her client’s co-morbidities also made her susceptible to Covid-19 infection.But Justice Lalit asked Grover to explain more about the case against her client. Grover then drew a detailed picture of how her client has been a noted lawyer, globally recognised for her work. “They [prosecution agencies] claimed there is a criminal conspiracy, but nothing has been recovered from me. Charges have not been framed. Two years are over. My father passed away in the meantime... I have never abused the process of law... I need bail to get myself diagnosed medically,” Grover said, presenting her client’s predicament. ‘Rail roko’ in Punjab against farm Bills Several farmers in parts of Punjab on Thursday [started a three-day ‘rail roko’ agitation](, under the banner of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangarsh Samiti, against the Union government’s three agriculture sector Bills. Members of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan), who had extended support to the agitation, blocked railway tracks in Sangrur and Barnal, while members of the Samiti blocked the track in Amritsar and Ferozpur. [Farmers are on their way participate in a ‘rail roko’ protest at Devi Dass Pura village, near Amritsar on September 24, 2020. ]Farmers are on their way participate in a ‘rail roko’ protest at Devi Dass Pura village, near Amritsar on September 24, 2020. “The ‘rail roko’ agitation will continue till September 26 in the first phase. And if our demands are not met, we will intensify the agitation. We will also support the ‘Bharat bandh’ call given by the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC),” said Sarvan Singh Pandher, State president of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangarsh Samiti. “While we appeal to people across the country to support our cause, we have decided that representatives of political parties will not be allowed to share the stage in our agitation. Other farmers’ unions have also extended support to our agitation,” he said. Terming the Bills an ill-conceived move on the Centre’s part, Singh said the new legislations were completely anti-farmer and their implementation would ultimately lead to exploitation at the hands of big corporate houses. “It will also lead to ending of the Minimum Support Price regime,” he added. Dean Jones passes away Former Australia batsman [Dean Jones has died]( of a cardiac arrest in a Mumbai hotel, IPL broadcasters Star Sports said. Jones, 59, was in Mumbai with the Star Sports’ commentary team for the IPL. [ Dean Jones ] Dean Jones Jones played 52 Tests and 164 ODIs for Australia and was part of the 1987 World Cup winning team. “It is with great sadness that we share the news of the passing away of Mr. Dean Mervyn Jones AM. He died of a sudden cardiac arrest,” Star Sports said in a press release. Covid Watch: Numbers and Developments The number of reported [coronavirus cases]( from India stood at 57,27,995 at the time of publishing this newsletter, with the death toll at 91,189. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today claimed that the national capital has already witnessed the second wave of Covid-19 and has now turned the corner. The sudden daily spike in cases crossing 4,000, which took place earlier this month, was the second wave of the disease, Kejriwal said. “On September 16, Delhi recorded approximately 4,500 cases. After that, the cases started to decline and in the last 24 hours, 3,700 cases have come up in the national capital,” the Chief Minister said. “In the coming days, the numbers will decline further,” he added. In Brief: [Singer S.P. Balasubrahmanyam’s health condition has deteriorated]( in the last 24 hours and he is ‘extremely critical’, said a health bulletin released today. Balasubrahmanyam was hospitalised in August after he tested positive for Covid-19. MGM healthcare, where he has been hospitalised, said that he remains on ECMO (a machine that pumps and oxygenates a patient’s blood outside the body) and other life support measures. “His condition in the last 24 hours has deteriorated further, warranting maximal life support and he is extremely critical,” the bulletin said. The 51st Edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) scheduled to be held in Goa from 20th November to 28th November, 2020 [has been postponed to 16-24th January, 2021](. This decision comes less than a month after Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant’s assertion that the film festival will go on as usual. The festival will be held in a hybrid format. As per the regulations formulated by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the festival will screen movies on its official digital platform, along with theatrical screening during the festival in Goa “subject to then prevailing conditions”. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow. Today's Top Picks [alt_text]( [Disney delays ‘Black Widow,’ Spielberg’s ‘West Side Story’, many others]( [alt_text]( [Vijayakant tested positive for COVID-19, condition stable]( [alt_text]( [Odisha man sues Modi after failing to get Aadhaar card despite 21 attempts]( [alt_text]( [Watch | An online design studio inspired by Tamil literature]( You are receiving this email because you are a user of [thehindu.com]( If you do not wish to receive any such emails, [unsubscribe here.](mailto:rm-0b4x9z8rbf2f90kauhrxfebysa8hk96@newsalert.thehindu.com?subject=Unsubscribe&body=You will be unsubscribed from our mailing list.) 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