Russia confirmed that President Vladimir Putin would visit India soon following an invitation from Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Moscow last year.
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00:00Hello and welcome. I am Geeta Mohan and you are watching World Today. We begin with the
00:20big story. Russia confirmed on Thursday that President Vladimir Putin would visit India
00:25soon following an invitation from Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Moscow
00:30last year. This will be the first visit by Putin who has cultivated close ties with Prime
00:36Minister Modi since the war with Ukraine broke out in 2022. The two leaders are expected
00:42to discuss the Ukraine war as well as geopolitical upheaval following Donald Trump taking over
00:48as the President of the United States of America. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said
00:54preparations were underway for Putin's visit to India even though he didn't give any specific
01:00dates. Russia and India are developing equal cooperation. Prime Minister Modi's visit to
01:12Russia after his re-election last year was symbolic. Now it's our turn. President Putin
01:18has accepted Indian invitation to visit Delhi this year. I congratulate the Russian International
01:30Affairs Council for the successful implementation of this initiative in coordination with the
01:36Indian Embassy in Moscow. Such efforts and collaboration are indeed commendable. India
01:42and Russia have set an ambitious target of increasing bilateral trade to 100 billion
01:49dollars by 2030. Investments by both sides in each other's economies continue to grow.
01:57Our participation in multilateral forums such as the BRICS, SCO and the G20 and our collaboration
02:04at the United Nations and other international platforms underscores the comprehensive nature
02:09of cooperation between India and Russia.
02:12Russian President Vladimir Putin was in India four times in past decade. For the annual
02:20bilateral summit it has been a practice that the head of states and governments alternately
02:25visit each other's countries. First COVID pandemic in 2020 broke the rhythm and then
02:31the Ukraine invasion in February 2022. So the last visit of Vladimir Putin to Delhi
02:38was right before the Ukraine invasion in December 2021 to attend the annual India-Russia
02:44summit. He also came for the 19th edition of the annual bilateral summit in October
02:51of 2018. In October 2016 he came to Delhi for the annual India-Russia summit ahead of
02:58the 8th BRICS summit in Goa. The year Narendra Modi became Prime Minister for the first time
03:04Russian President came to Delhi in December 2014 to boost cooperation between the two
03:10strategic partners. Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid visits to Russia six times in his
03:16three terms. Within days of starting his third term Prime Minister Modi began a high profile
03:22visit to Russia in July 2024 to hold the 22nd India-Russia annual summit with President
03:29Vladimir Putin. And that's when he invited the Russian President to come to Delhi again.
03:35September 2019 was when President of Russia met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi who
03:40was in Russia on an official visit and together they attended the Eastern Economic Forum that
03:46takes place mostly in St. Petersburg. A year before that in May 2018 Prime Minister Narendra
03:52Modi and President Vladimir Putin held their informal summit in the city of Sochi in the
03:59Russian Federation. In June 2017 the Indian Prime Minister met President Putin at the
04:0518th annual India-Russia summit at St. Petersburg. In December 2015 Putin met Prime Minister
04:12Modi again in the Kremlin for the annual bilateral summit and in July 2015 Prime Minister Modi
04:19met with President Putin in Ufa and held bilateral talks ahead of the BRICS and the
04:25SCO multilateral summits. To discuss this and more I'm being joined by Managing Editor
04:31in Daily Group, Gaurav Sawant. Gaurav, thank you so much for joining us here on the network.
04:36This is a major development. How important is it given the fact that we've not seen a
04:41visit by Russian President outside of maybe the region in Russia in a long time and this
04:47enhancing and boosting ties between the two countries even as conflicts are ongoing and
04:52how does it look vis-a-vis the West? An extremely significant visit of the Russian President
05:01Vladimir Putin. It's a special and privileged partnership between India and Russia, between
05:06the two countries and a personal bond between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Russian
05:11President Vladimir Putin. They're said to be close personal friends and we saw that
05:16firsthand when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Moscow. He went for the bilateral summit,
05:22then he went again to Kazan for the BRICS summit and both the occasions his interactions
05:28with the Russian President extremely warm. In fact, President Putin took him to his personal
05:33house. They had a conversation that lasted several hours till late in the night. In fact,
05:38much longer than what officers had expected and was just the two leaders. Now they intend
05:44to take this forward. So you're absolutely right Geeta, it's a very important signal that
05:49goes out to the West, to the world but it's also a very important signal that goes out to the Indian
05:54people and the Russian people because this is a partnership that's endured the test of time. It's
06:01a people-to-people relationship that both countries and both heads of state and government want to
06:07strengthen. So if we were to break this down into various fields, so let's talk about defence. Very
06:13important partnership. Russia has been a special privileged partner, whether it's the S-400s that
06:20we talk about that India acquired from Russia. Some delay in getting all the systems but that's
06:26one aspect. Despite pressure from the West, India went ahead and acquired the S-400 missile defence
06:33shield system, point one. Point two, MiG-29 and Su-30s, spares, maintenance, that's something that
06:40two countries are looking at. Energy cooperation, that's tremendous, both the countries moving
06:46forward. It's held India in good stead, it's held Russia in good stead through the Russia-Ukraine
06:51conflict. So even now we expect a lot of cooperation in many fields. Right. Right Gaurav, thank you so
06:58much for joining us with that. We continue on our coverage when it comes to Ukraine which continues
07:03to engage Europe. France pledged 2 billion euros in military aid to Ukraine as some 30 leaders met
07:11with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Paris on Thursday to discuss strengthening Kyiv's
07:17position and what role they might play if a peace deal is struck with Russia that is mediated by
07:23the United States of America. Macron proposed a European force for Ukraine that could respond
07:29if attacked by Russia. Sweden plans the largest military build-up since the Cold War amid Russia
07:36threat and uncertain US-EU ties. And the European Union is preparing to enhance stockpiling of
07:42critical equipment and encourage the public to maintain sufficient supplies for at least
07:4872 hours in case of emergencies. This is indeed unprecedented.
07:53This depends on the stability in the society, but also on his age. He will die soon, that's a fact.
08:01Everything will be over. I mean the question about him, all may end before his. So to say,
08:09absolutely safe and unsuccessful historic life ends. This is what he is afraid of.
08:16Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said this in an explosive French television interview on
08:21Wednesday. That very evening, French President Emmanuel Macron proposed a European armed force
08:28for possible deployment in Ukraine in tandem with an eventual peace deal
08:33that could respond to a Russian attack if Moscow launched one.
08:46So we are not on the front lines, we don't go to fight, but we are there to guarantee a lasting
08:51peace. It's a pacifist approach and the only ones who would at that moment trigger a conflict would
08:58be the Russians if they decided again to launch an aggression. This is the strict framework that
09:04we are moving forward with. It's a Franco-British text. A great deal of work has been done by the
09:09chiefs of staff in London and Paris and we are going to continue this work. That's the clarification
09:15between these different missions.
09:21Russia accused France and Britain of hatching plans for military intervention in Ukraine
09:27under the guise of a peacekeeping mission.
09:31Couple of words on what the West calls a peace mission. In fact, it is de facto a military
09:37intervention in Ukraine under the guise of a peacekeeping mission. London and Paris continue
09:42to hatch a plan of military intervention in Ukraine. All of this is disguised under some
09:48peace mission. I would like to draw your attention one more time to the fact that Russia is strongly
09:53against such a scenario that creates a risk of a direct clash between Russia and NATO.
10:00On Thursday, Ukraine allies met in Paris with new aid and security assurances in mind.
10:0630 world leaders including NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Germany's outgoing
10:11Chancellor Olaf Schuss, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen met in the third summit of
10:17what France and Britain have called the coalition of the willing. Though America is not present,
10:23France says the summit's outcomes will be shared with the US administration.
10:28As the war in Ukraine continues, despite ceasefire on energy sources,
10:33Europe is preparing itself for the worst. The European Commission on Wednesday said
10:40that the bloc should enhance stockpiling of critical equipment and encourage its people to
10:45maintain sufficient supplies for at least 72 hours in case of emergencies like geopolitical
10:52crises, including the possibility of armed aggression against EU countries. Bureau Report, India Today.
11:00The US President Donald Trump escalates tariff wars. He has announced a new 25%
11:11tariffs on all auto imports. Canada and the European Union have slammed the latest tariffs,
11:16which have spooked even American companies. Here is a report.
11:21We're going to charge countries for doing business in our country and taking our jobs,
11:30taking our wealth, taking a lot of things that they've been taking over the years. They've taken
11:35so much out of our country, friend and foe. And frankly, friend has been oftentimes much worse
11:40than foe. With those words, Donald Trump deployed his most aggressive trade weapon yet.
11:51Signing an executive order that triggers a seismic shift in the global manufacturing landscape.
12:00Global stock markets in the auto industry looked on in horror
12:03as Trump announced long-promised tariffs of up to 25% on automotive imports.
12:11Auto stocks in the United States, Asia and Europe fell as he said the tariffs would be permanent
12:16tariffs would be permanent and will take effect on 2nd April, the same date as the reciprocal
12:22tariffs. This will continue to spur growth. Like you haven't seen before I was elected,
12:31we were losing all of our plants that were being built in Mexico and Canada and other places.
12:36Now those plants largely have stopped and they're moving them.
12:39While Trump insists the tariffs will boost domestic growth, analysts paint a more concerning
12:47picture. The import tariffs could add $5,000 to $10,000 to the cost of vehicles sold in the
12:55United States. Fraud on schedules are likely to be disrupted with estimates forecasting a 30%
13:02drop in output and a 10% long-term decline in sales. Ripple effects are expected across the
13:08supply chain, impacting both OEMs and suppliers. Relocating vehicle production to the United
13:15States will also raise labor costs and may trigger a skilled labor shortage.
13:23According to S&P Global, 46% of all light vehicles sold in the United States in 2024 were imported.
13:30Just 54% were manufactured domestically.
13:33Most of the imports came from its largest trading partners, Mexico, Canada and Japan.
13:41Canada has already signaled the possibility of retaliatory tariffs.
13:46Japan, facing a potential 20-basis point hit to its GDP, is equally concerned.
13:51We have put in place the mechanisms so that if it is appropriate for retaliatory tariffs. And
14:00there's many considerations to be taken in those regards. And I want to have the meeting of our
14:06cabinet, Canada-U.S. cabinet, other considerations. We need to see the details of the executive order.
14:13We believe that the broad scope of trade restrictions imposed by the U.S. government
14:18could have a significant impact on the U.S.-Japan trade relationship,
14:22as well as the global economy and multilateral trade system as a whole.
14:30The impact on automakers will be widespread.
14:35Volkswagen will be the hardest hit with nearly 80% of its U.S. sales imported.
14:40Kia imports around 70%, while Toyota imports more than half of its U.S. sales.
14:46GM imports roughly 48%, Stellantis about 43% and Ford around 23%.
14:53Tesla produces all its cars in the United States.
15:00Even so, Elon Musk has acknowledged that Tesla will still feel a significant impact from the tariffs.
15:08For India, the direct impact is largely limited, primarily affecting Tata Motors,
15:14which exports made-in-the-United-Kingdom JLR vehicles in the U.S.
15:19However, Indian auto-powered manufacturers could face broader consequences due to
15:24disruptions in the global supply chains.
15:38U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he would be willing to reduce tariffs on China
15:43to get a deal done with TikTok's Chinese parent company ByteDance to sell the short video app
15:50used by 170 million Americans. ByteDance has an April 5th deadline to find a non-Chinese buyer
15:58for TikTok or face a U.S. ban on national security grounds that was supposed to have
16:04taken effect in January under a 2024 law. This law is the result of American concern that TikTok's
16:11ownership by ByteDance makes it vulnerable to the Chinese government's influence and that Beijing
16:18could collect data on Americans. China has dismissed Trump's suggestion to reconsider
16:23a reduction in tariffs in exchange of a sale of TikTok's operations in the United States of America.
16:42Anything else with respect to TikTok? And China is going to have to play a role in that,
16:47possibly, in the form of an approval, maybe. And I think they'll do that. Maybe I'll
16:53give them a little reduction in tariffs or something to get it done,
16:57you know, because every point in tariff is worth more money than TikTok,
17:03if you think. Every point. Tariff is a much bigger world, and TikTok is big.
17:07But every point in tariffs is worth more than TikTok. So, in order to get China to do,
17:14maybe I'd give them a reduction in tariffs as an example. Sounds like something I'd do.
17:24Could our next story lead to yet another diplomatic row between India and Canada?
17:28Major shakeup has taken place in Canadian politics. The Liberal Party has blocked
17:32Indian-origin MP Chandra Arya from running for parliament in the coming general elections. Arya
17:39is a prominent voice for Canada's Hindu community and for closer relations with India.
17:43But that connection to India may have cost Arya his political career in Canada. A bombshell report
17:49in Canada's media alleges that Arya was dropped as a candidate because of concerns about his ties
17:56to the Indian government.
18:01Chandra Arya, a three-time Liberal MP, has reportedly been on the radar of Canada's
18:07intelligence agencies. For the last two years, tensions between India and Canada have been high.
18:14This has been because of former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's accusation
18:18that Indian agents killed pro-Khalistan leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia.
18:24India has denied all allegations and relations remain icy.
18:30Despite these tensions, Chandra Arya has kept up a close relationship with India.
18:35He even made a trip to India last August where he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi but reportedly
18:41did not inform the government. That raised eyebrows in Canada's intelligence agencies.
18:47Sources say Canada's intelligence agency CSIS had concerns about Arya's ties to India.
18:55But the decision to oust him came from within the Liberal Party.
18:59According to reports, Arya's responses to questions on foreign interference
19:04were inconsistent and worried the Liberal Party. The party had even stopped Arya from
19:10running for the leadership of the Liberals. Arya has rubbished these allegations.
19:17He claims he was targeted for his stance against the Sikh-Khalistani movement which has made him
19:23controversial in Canada. In December 2024, Arya refused to back a motion condemning the 1984
19:31anti-Sikh riots as genocide. That led to a fiery exchange with Sikh MP Sukh Dhaliwal.
19:39The timing is critical. With elections just weeks away, the Liberals are facing questions
19:45about foreign interference not just from India but from China, Pakistan and Iran.
19:51This controversy also has an impact on India-Canada relations.
20:15Tesla has announced it will launch in Saudi Arabia early next month. Elon Musk's EV brand
20:23trades in other countries in the Middle East but not in Saudi Arabia, the Gulf region's largest
20:29market. Tesla has seen EV sales slump in Europe and the brand has been targeted by a wave of
20:34protests in the United States since Musk, the company's CEO, became an advisor to US President
20:40Donald Trump and began sweeping cuts to the federal government. The launch event is in Riyadh,
20:46scheduled for April 10. A US federal judge has granted relief to one of the international
20:54broadcasters Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty from termination by President Donald Trump.
21:01US District Judge Roy C. Lambert has granted Radio Free Europe's request for a temporary
21:07restraining order that will help the broadcaster stay on the air and online for the time being.
21:12The broadcaster has filed a suit last week to contest Trump's shutdown order,
21:17claiming it would violate the Constitution and federal laws.
21:25US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has arrived in El Salvador to visit a mega-prison
21:31holding the Venezuelans deported by the US.
21:34Noem toured the facilities of the terrorism confinement center,
21:38along with El Salvador Minister of Justice and Public Security.
21:42The Salvadoran mega-prison is in the public eye after President Donald Trump
21:46invoked the 1798 Alien Enemies Act on March 15 to swiftly deport alleged members of the Venezuelan
21:53gang. Israel's parliament has passed a key part of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's plan
22:03to overhaul the judiciary. The law passed on Thursday gives the government a larger
22:07role in appointing the judges. It would give two of the nine seats on the Judicial Selection
22:12Committee to lawyers chosen by the government and the opposition. Those seats are currently
22:18held by the Israeli Bar Association. The political appointees would have the power to veto
22:23nominations to Israel's Supreme Court and lower court appointments. The law would not take effect
22:28until the next genocide.
22:34If you today open the social media app X, formerly known as Twitter,
22:38you are sure to come across at least one post with a Ghibli-style image. If you have been
22:45wondering why that is, it's thanks to Chad GPT's new image generation feature
22:50that launched on Tuesday. Cyrus John explains.
22:54There is a new AI in town and it's taken the internet by storm. Now OpenAI, the creator of
22:59Chad GPT has released an image generator that is basically creating these fine-looking,
23:05very creative images. But the one that's been the talking point is this Ghibli artwork. Now,
23:10as you can see on my laptop, this is a famous scene from an Indian movie. I won't actually
23:14name the movie, but you can recognize which one it is. This is a Ghibli art form. Now Ghibli
23:20is basically Japanese anime back from the 1980s. And it was really a sensation in the 1990s and
23:252000s. Now, this kind of artwork is all over Twitter, as you can see, and some of the examples,
23:31this little meme is really famous and people are creating so many of these and posting them
23:37on Twitter. Now, this has been made possible by Chad GPT's new model, which can again, as you can
23:43see, copyright isn't an issue, but it's been trained on so many different forms of art.
23:47But it's been trained on so many images that it's been able to create like this. Now,
23:51if you want to create something like this, you will require a premium version of Chad GPT. Now,
23:56the company is saying this kind of technology will be released in the free version as well
24:00in the coming days. All you have to do is go to Chad GPT, just type whatever the image you want
24:06to and just say that you convert it into Ghibli format and you will get images like these. Now,
24:11even Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, look at this. This is his Twitter DP. Even he has put
24:16a Ghibli art form, but that's not the thing. This technology is also creating these illustrations
24:22and they're so complex. You can see that the text, the vocabulary, the animation and the
24:27illustrations are precise. So this is what is incredible about this technology and it is going
24:32to disrupt a lot of the industries, especially the work that graphic artists do. Because if
24:37something like this can be created in just a few seconds, imagine what it will do to an industry
24:43where people use hours of their time and create stuff like this. So it's a disruptor. A lot of
24:49people are liking it, but it's a concern for a lot of people as well. But what do you think
24:53about this technology? Isn't it great? That's all in this edition of World Today. But before I go,
24:59we leave you with these images of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervising the test of suicide
25:05drones with artificial intelligence technology. North Korean state media reported on Thursday
25:11that Kim inspected new upgraded reconnaissance drones that are capable of detecting various
25:16tactical targets and enemy activities on land and at sea. Photographs published by the state media
25:23showed a fixed wing unmanned aerial vehicle zeroing in on a tank-shaped target, then
25:30exploding in flames. With that, it's goodbye and take care.