The Evening Wrap: World ushers in 2023 bidding farewell to turbulent 12 months

The world’s eight billion people began ushering in 2023 on December 31 and bidding farewell to a turbulent 12 months marked by war in Europe, stinging price rises, Lionel Messi’s World Cup glory and the deaths of Queen Elizabeth, Pele and former pope Benedict. Many will be looking to cut loose this New Year’s Eve after a few pandemic-dampened years, setting aside pinched budgets and a virus that is increasingly forgotten but not gone. Sydney was among the first major cities to ring in 2023, restaking its claim to be the “New Year’s Eve capital of the world” after two years of lockdown and coronavirus-muted festivities. In India, President Droupadi Murmu greeted citizens on New Year’s Eve and called on them to resolve to rededicate themselves to the unity, integrity and inclusive development of the country. “May the dawn of New Year, imbued with fresh energy, bring new happiness, goals, inspirations and greater achievements in our lives. On this occasion, let us resolve to rededicate ourselves to the unity, integrity and inclusive development of the nation,” Murmu said in her message. “On the occasion of New Year, I extend my heartiest greetings and best wishes to all fellow citizens and all Indians abroad,” she said. For some, 2022 was a year of Wordles, the Great Resignation, a new Taylor Swift album, an Oscar slap and billionaire meltdowns. It also saw the deaths of Queen Elizabeth II, Brazilian football icon Pele, Mikhail Gorbachev, Jiang Zemin, and Shinzo Abe. Former pope Benedict XVI died on New Year’s Eve. In November the global population surpassed the historic milestone of eight billion people but 2022 is most likely to be remembered for armed conflict returning to Europe. More than 300 days into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, about 7,000 civilians have been killed and 10,000 more injured, according to the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights. About 16 million Ukrainians have fled their homes. Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin said his country would never give in to the West’s attempts to use Ukraine as a tool to destroy Russia. In a New Year’s video message broadcast on Russian state TV, Putin said Russia was fighting in Ukraine to protect its “motherland” and to secure “true independence” for its people. He accused the West of lying to Russia and of provoking Moscow to launch what it calls a “special military operation” in Ukraine. Former Pope Benedict XVI passes away Former Pope Benedict died on December 31 aged 95 in the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican where he had lived since his resignation, a spokesman for the Holy See said. “With sorrow I inform you that the Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI, passed away today at 9:34 in the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican. Further information will be provided as soon as possible,” the spokesman said in a written statement. Earlier this week, Pope Francis disclosed during his weekly general audience that his predecessor was “very sick”, and asked for people to pray for him. For nearly 25 years, as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Benedict was the powerful head of the Vatican’s doctrinal office, then known as the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Pope Benedict was the first pontiff in 600 years to resign, leaving behind a Catholic Church battered by sexual abuse scandals, mired in mismanagement and polarised between conservatives and progressives. Benedict, the first German pope in 1,000 years, had good relations with his successor, Pope Francis, but his continued presence inside the Vatican after he stepped down in 2013 further polarised the Church ideologically. Conservatives alarmed by Francis’ progressive moves looked to Benedict as the guardian of tradition. Several times he had to tell nostalgic admirers via visitors: “There is one pope, and it is Francis.” Pope Francis will preside over the funeral for the former Pope on January 5, the Vatican said. India abstains on UNGA resolution asking ICJ opinion on ‘violation’ of Palestinian rights India abstained in the U.N. General Assembly on a resolution that asked the International Court of Justice for its opinion on the legal consequences of Israel’s “prolonged occupation” and annexation of the Palestinian territory. The draft resolution ‘Israeli practices affecting the human rights of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem’ was adopted by a recorded vote on Friday, with 87 votes in favour, 26 against and 53 abstentions, including by India. The resolution decided to request the U.N.’s highest judicial body to “render an advisory opinion” on “what are the legal consequences arising from the ongoing violation by Israel of the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, from its prolonged occupation, settlement and annexation of the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including measures aimed at altering the demographic composition, character and status of the Holy City of Jerusalem, and from its adoption of related discriminatory legislation and measures”. It also asked the Assembly “how do the policies and practices of Israel... affect the legal status of the occupation, and what are the legal consequences that arise for all States and the United Nations from this status?” The U.S. and Israel voted against the resolution while Brazil, Japan, Myanmar, and France were among those abstained. It will be very difficult for BJP to win 2024 general elections, says Rahul Gandhi Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that it will be very difficult for the BJP to win the 2024 general elections if the opposition stands effectively with a vision. He also said that Congress alone can provide the central ideological framework among opposition forces. “If the opposition stands effectively with a vision... and from what I am seeing and hearing from the ground, it will become very difficult for the BJP to win the next elections. But the opposition has to coordinate properly and go to people with an alternative vision...But there is a strong undercurrent against the BJP,” Gandhi said answering a question on opposition unity. He insisted that all the opposition leaders are standing with the Congress and many of them despite the invitation might not join Bharat Jodo Yatra because of their “political and other compulsions”. The Congress invited Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav and Rashtriya Lok Dal leader Jayant Singh to join the U.P. leg of the yatra but both have declined the invitation. Responding to questions about Yadav’s recent comments, where he said that the BJP is merely following the Congress playbook when it comes to misusing security agencies against the opposition parties, Gandhi said that Yadav is entitled to his view and that he has his own space. The fight between the Congress and the BJP is not a tactical political fight, he further said, adding that the BJP is controlling the entire infrastructure of the country and dominating the political space. Underlining the importance of the Congress in the Opposition space he said, “Central ideological framework can be provided only by the Congress party,” and the key to opposition unity was mutual respect. In a significant change from his earlier stance where he insisted that the Bharat Jodo Yatra is not an electoral exercise, Gandhi said that he is not in a position to comment about the electoral dividend for the Congress from the yatra just yet. One killed as explosions ring out in Kyiv after missile warnings Ten explosions could be heard in the centre of Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, amid a nationwide air raid siren. The governor of the surrounding Kyiv region warned shortly beforehand of a possible incoming missile attack, and that air defences in the region were engaging targets. Kyiv mayor Vitaliy Klitschko confirmed that explosions could be heard in the city in a post on the Telegram app. Russian strikes which targeted several regions of Ukraine, including the capital Kyiv, killed at least one person and injured several others, according to Ukrainian officials. “According to preliminary information, one person died in the Solomianskyi district. Several people were injured,” Klitschko said. Attacks were also reported by local officials in the southern Mykolaiv region and the Khmelnytskyi region in the west. A hotel in Kyiv was damaged by an explosion in the city, a presidential aide said, amid what Ukrainian officials described as another massed Russian missile strike. Kyrylo Tymoshenko, an official in Ukraine’s presidential office, wrote on Telegram that emergency services were heading to the scene but did not provide further details. Kyiv city authorities told residents to remain in shelters and said that Ukrainian air defences were active in Kyiv and the surrounding area, after more explosions were reportedly heard around the city and its surrounding regions. In brief India will not agree to any attempt to change the Line of Actual Control unilaterally by China, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said, as he underlined that New Delhi’s relations with Beijing are “not normal” and there would be no compromise on core issues. Addressing the Indian community in Cyprus during his first official visit to the country, Jaishankar said, “Today the state of our relations with China is not very normal because we will never agree to any attempt to change the Line of Actual Control unilaterally.” There will be no “compromise on the core issue” of national security, he added. [logo] The Evening Wrap 31 DECEMBER 2022 [The Hindu logo] Welcome to the Evening Wrap newsletter, your guide to the day’s biggest stories with concise analysis from The Hindu. [[Arrow]Open in browser]( [[Mail icon]More newsletters]( World ushers in 2023; bids farewell to turbulent 12 months The world’s eight billion people [began ushering in 2023 on December 31 and bidding farewell to a turbulent 12 months]( marked by war in Europe, stinging price rises, Lionel Messi’s World Cup glory and the deaths of Queen Elizabeth, Pele and former pope Benedict. Many will be looking to cut loose this New Year’s Eve after a few pandemic-dampened years, setting aside pinched budgets and a virus that is increasingly forgotten but not gone. [New Year’s Eve fireworks light up the sky over the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge during the fireworks display in Sydney.] Sydney was among the first major cities to ring in 2023, restaking its claim to be the “New Year’s Eve capital of the world” after two years of lockdown and coronavirus-muted festivities. In India, President Droupadi Murmu greeted citizens on New Year’s Eve and called on them to resolve to rededicate themselves to the unity, integrity and inclusive development of the country. “May the dawn of New Year, imbued with fresh energy, bring new happiness, goals, inspirations and greater achievements in our lives. On this occasion, let us resolve to rededicate ourselves to the unity, integrity and inclusive development of the nation,” Murmu said in her message. “On the occasion of New Year, I extend my heartiest greetings and best wishes to all fellow citizens and all Indians abroad,” she said. For some, 2022 was a year of Wordles, the Great Resignation, a new Taylor Swift album, an Oscar slap and billionaire meltdowns. It also saw the deaths of Queen Elizabeth II, Brazilian football icon Pele, Mikhail Gorbachev, Jiang Zemin, and Shinzo Abe. Former pope Benedict XVI died on New Year’s Eve. In November the global population surpassed the historic milestone of eight billion people but 2022 is most likely to be remembered for armed conflict returning to Europe. More than 300 days into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, about 7,000 civilians have been killed and 10,000 more injured, according to the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights. About 16 million Ukrainians have fled their homes. Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin said his country would never give in to the West’s attempts to use Ukraine as a tool to destroy Russia. In a New Year’s video message broadcast on Russian state TV, Putin said Russia was fighting in Ukraine to protect its “motherland” and to secure “true independence” for its people. He accused the West of lying to Russia and of provoking Moscow to launch what it calls a “special military operation” in Ukraine. Former Pope Benedict XVI passes away [Former Pope Benedict died on December 31 aged 95]( in the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican where he had lived since his resignation, a spokesman for the Holy See said. “With sorrow I inform you that the Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI, passed away today at 9:34 in the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican. Further information will be provided as soon as possible,” the spokesman said in a written statement. Earlier this week, Pope Francis disclosed during his weekly general audience that his predecessor was “very sick”, and asked for people to pray for him. For nearly 25 years, as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Benedict was the powerful head of the Vatican’s doctrinal office, then known as the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Pope Benedict was the first pontiff in 600 years to resign, leaving behind a Catholic Church battered by sexual abuse scandals, mired in mismanagement and polarised between conservatives and progressives. Benedict, the first German pope in 1,000 years, had good relations with his successor, Pope Francis, but his continued presence inside the Vatican after he stepped down in 2013 further polarised the Church ideologically. Conservatives alarmed by Francis’ progressive moves looked to Benedict as the guardian of tradition. Several times he had to tell nostalgic admirers via visitors: “There is one pope, and it is Francis.” Pope Francis will preside over the funeral for the former Pope on January 5, the Vatican said. India abstains on UNGA resolution asking ICJ opinion on ‘violation’ of Palestinian rights [India abstained in the U.N. General Assembly]( on a resolution that asked the International Court of Justice for its opinion on the legal consequences of Israel’s “prolonged occupation” and annexation of the Palestinian territory. The draft resolution ‘Israeli practices affecting the human rights of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem’ was adopted by a recorded vote on Friday, with 87 votes in favour, 26 against and 53 abstentions, including by India. The resolution decided to request the U.N.’s highest judicial body to “render an advisory opinion” on “what are the legal consequences arising from the ongoing violation by Israel of the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, from its prolonged occupation, settlement and annexation of the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including measures aimed at altering the demographic composition, character and status of the Holy City of Jerusalem, and from its adoption of related discriminatory legislation and measures”. It also asked the Assembly “how do the policies and practices of Israel... affect the legal status of the occupation, and what are the legal consequences that arise for all States and the United Nations from this status?” The U.S. and Israel voted against the resolution while Brazil, Japan, Myanmar, and France were among those abstained. It will be very difficult for BJP to win 2024 general elections, says Rahul Gandhi Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that [it will be very difficult for the BJP to win the 2024 general elections if the opposition stands effectively with a vision](. He also said that Congress alone can provide the central ideological framework among opposition forces. “If the opposition stands effectively with a vision... and from what I am seeing and hearing from the ground, it will become very difficult for the BJP to win the next elections. But the opposition has to coordinate properly and go to people with an alternative vision...But there is a strong undercurrent against the BJP,” Gandhi said answering a question on opposition unity. He insisted that all the opposition leaders are standing with the Congress and many of them despite the invitation might not join Bharat Jodo Yatra because of their “political and other compulsions”. The Congress invited Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav and Rashtriya Lok Dal leader Jayant Singh to join the U.P. leg of the yatra but both have declined the invitation. Responding to questions about Yadav’s recent comments, where he said that the BJP is merely following the Congress playbook when it comes to misusing security agencies against the opposition parties, Gandhi said that Yadav is entitled to his view and that he has his own space. The fight between the Congress and the BJP is not a tactical political fight, he further said, adding that the BJP is controlling the entire infrastructure of the country and dominating the political space. Underlining the importance of the Congress in the Opposition space he said, “Central ideological framework can be provided only by the Congress party,” and the key to opposition unity was mutual respect. In a significant change from his earlier stance where he insisted that the Bharat Jodo Yatra is not an electoral exercise, Gandhi said that he is not in a position to comment about the electoral dividend for the Congress from the yatra just yet. One killed as explosions ring out in Kyiv after missile warnings [Ten explosions could be heard in the centre of Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv]( amid a nationwide air raid siren. The governor of the surrounding Kyiv region warned shortly beforehand of a possible incoming missile attack, and that air defences in the region were engaging targets. Kyiv mayor Vitaliy Klitschko confirmed that explosions could be heard in the city in a post on the Telegram app. [Local residents walk outside a building damaged during a Russian missile strike in Kyiv, Ukraine.] Russian strikes which targeted several regions of Ukraine, including the capital Kyiv, killed at least one person and injured several others, according to Ukrainian officials. “According to preliminary information, one person died in the Solomianskyi district. Several people were injured,” Klitschko said. Attacks were also reported by local officials in the southern Mykolaiv region and the Khmelnytskyi region in the west. A hotel in Kyiv was damaged by an explosion in the city, a presidential aide said, amid what Ukrainian officials described as another massed Russian missile strike. Kyrylo Tymoshenko, an official in Ukraine’s presidential office, wrote on Telegram that emergency services were heading to the scene but did not provide further details. Kyiv city authorities told residents to remain in shelters and said that Ukrainian air defences were active in Kyiv and the surrounding area, after more explosions were reportedly heard around the city and its surrounding regions. In brief [India will not agree to any attempt to change the Line of Actual Control unilaterally by China]( External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said, as he underlined that New Delhi’s relations with Beijing are “not normal” and there would be no compromise on core issues. Addressing the Indian community in Cyprus during his first official visit to the country, Jaishankar said, “Today the state of our relations with China is not very normal because we will never agree to any attempt to change the Line of Actual Control unilaterally.” There will be no “compromise on the core issue” of national security, he added. Interested in Science? Our "Science For All" weekly newsletter takes the jargon out of science and puts the fun in! 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