Daily headlines from the UAE and around the world brought to you by Gulf News. India to launch manned space mission, Kochi airport suspends operations for 4 days, Fernando Alonso to retire from Formula One at end of season, Stevie Wonder, Jesse Jackson visit ailing Aretha Franklin. See more at: http://gulfnews.com/videos
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00Good day and welcome to the Gulf News Update for Wednesday, August the 15th.
00:07Here are the top stories at this hour.
00:10India will launch its first manned space mission by 2022
00:14and roll out a national health insurance scheme from September.
00:18Prime Minister Narendra Modi made the announcements this morning
00:22in his Independence Day speech ahead of next year's general election.
00:26Modi used the speech to broadcast his government's achievements
00:30amid concerns about lack of jobs and rising violence against minorities.
00:34The insurance scheme, to be launched from September 25th,
00:38will give about 500 million poor people annual health cover
00:42of half a million rupees to treat serious illnesses.
00:46Operations at Kochi Airport in the South Indian state of Kerala
00:51have been suspended till Saturday
00:53as death toll from unprecedented floods in the state rose to 44.
00:58Flights are being diverted to other airports
01:01as Kerala has been battered by torrential rains since August 8th.
01:05An airport spokesperson said authorities were working hard
01:09to drain out storm water from the airport.
01:12Weathermen have warned of heavy rains in all 14 districts of the state
01:16for the rest of the week.
01:18Spanish two-time world champion Fernando Alonso
01:21has announced his retirement from Formula One at the end of the season.
01:25The McLaren driver will end a career that began in 2001.
01:30Alonso, 37, won the 2005 and 2006 championships when racing for Renault.
01:37Stevie Wonder visited an ailing Aretha Franklin
01:40at her home in Detroit on Tuesday.
01:43Reverend Jesse Jackson and Franklin's ex-husband Glenn Truman
01:47also visited the Queen of Seoul, who is seriously ill.
01:50The 76-year-old Franklin cancelled planned concerts earlier this year
01:55after she was ordered by her doctor to stay off the road and rest.
01:59And finally, the weather.
02:01Today's highs across the UAE will be 40 degrees Celsius,
02:05dropping to 33 degrees at night.
02:07That's all for now. Thanks for watching.
02:09And as always, you can get the latest updates on globalnews.com.
02:17For more UN videos visit www.un.org