 "FirstUp: French President Macron to visit Poland, Nepal Army chief in India... Big news today")
It is set to be a busy Thursday with several events lined up for the day.
Firstly, French President Emmanuel Macron is set to visit Poland today while Chief of Nepal Army General Ashok Raj Sigdel will attend an Investiture Ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Meanwhile, Ukraine is convening an emergency International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) meeting. The Supreme Court is set to hear a plea seeking directions to curb air pollution in Delhi-NCR.
Meanwhile, the United Nations Security Council is set to discuss the situation in Afghanistan.
Let’s take a closer look at today’s big events
French President Macron to visit Poland
French President Emmanuel Macron is set to visit Warsaw to brief on discussions held in Paris with US President-elect Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, according to Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk, as reported by Reuters.
“The day after tomorrow, President Macron will be here. He will want to inform about the results of the Paris talks, where the meeting took place with President (elect) Trump and President Zelenskiy,” said Tusk during a government meeting.
According to Reuters, the ÉlysĂ©e Palace announced that Macron and Tusk will focus on “European support for Ukraine in light of a new transatlantic context.”
Nepal Army chief to visit Rashtrapati Bhavan
The Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) of the Nepali Army, Suprabal Janasewashree General Ashok Raj Sigdel will visit the Rashtrapati Bhavan today. He is set to attend the Investiture Ceremony wherein he will be conferred with the honorary rank of General of the Indian Army by President Draupadi Murmu.
The Nepali COAS would also interact with other dignitaries during high tea at Rashtrapati Bhavan and call on Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, reported news agency ANI. A reciprocal lunch will also be organised by the COAS of the Nepali Army at the Embassy of Nepal in New Delhi.
Sigdel is on a four-day visit to India to further strengthen the defence relations between Nepal and India.
Ukraine to convene emergency IAEA meeting
Ukraine is set to convene a meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) Board of Governors today.
It was announced by Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha on social media platform X. He wrote, “Ukraine is convening an extraordinary meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors on December 12 in response to Russian attacks on our critical energy infrastructure.”
Ukraine is convening an extraordinary meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors on December 12 in response to Russian attacks on our critical energy infrastructure. Russian strikes on substations identified by the IAEA as important for nuclear safety & security pose a global threat.
— Andrii Sybiha 🇺🇦 (@andrii_sybiha) December 4, 2024
Sybiha further highlighted that Russian strikes on power substations, identified by the IAEA as vital for nuclear safety and security, represent a significant threat to global security.
SC to hear pleas on air pollution in Delhi-NCR
The Supreme Court is set to hear a plea seeking directions to curb air pollution in Delhi-NCR . Earlier on December 5, the court had relaxed the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP IV) to the less rigorous GRAP II level in the National Capital Region (NCR).
Meanwhile, the court emphasised the need to address issues such as farm fires and garbage burning, suggesting the development of a specialised protocol in collaboration with the Indian Space Research Organisation to tackle these problems effectively, according to The Hindu.
UNSC to discuss Afghanistan’s pressing issues
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is set to convene today to discuss the situation in Afghanistan.
This is the Council’s fourth meeting on Afghanistan this year, underscoring persistent global concerns about the nation’s political instability, humanitarian crisis, and security issues, a press release stated.
Also Read: Explained: The disastrous fallout of Taliban’s suspension of polio vaccines in Afghanistan
In an earlier announcement, the Council had stated that Roza Otunbayeva, the head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), will present her quarterly report on the country during the session.
The meeting takes place as Afghanistan faces increasing restrictions on women’s rights, economic turmoil and a deepening humanitarian crisis under Taliban governance.
On this day…
Birth anniversary of actor Rajinikanth
Birth anniversary of ISRO scientist Nambi Narayanan
Birth anniversary of cricketer Yuvraj Singh
Birth anniversary of NCP Chief Sharad Pawar
Birth anniversary of ornithologist Salim Ali
Birth anniversary of actress Anne Hathaway
Death anniversary of freedom fighter Madan Mohan Malviya
In 1996, a Saudi Arabian flight and a Kazakh cargo plane collided in mid-air near Delhi, killing 349 people
The NASA space probe Voyager I came closest to Saturn in 1980 and photographed its rings for the first time ever
Bhola Cyclone, the deadliest tropical cyclone ever, hit Bangladesh (then East Pakistan) and West Bengal in 1970 killing about 5 lakh people
With inputs from agencies
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