![BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityAsiaChinaIndiaGreat Nicobar: Indian president visits island as fears grow for tribePublished38 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, President of India/XImage caption, President Droupadi Murmu was shown a presentation on Great Nicobar’s strategic importanceBy Flora DruryBBC NewsIndia’s president has made a whistle stop tour of an island earmarked for multi-billion dollar development that experts warn could wipe out the indigenous tribe which calls it home.Droupadi Murmu visited Great Nicobar on Tuesday – a remote island Indian officials hope will be transformed into a shipping hub and tourist destination.The government says the plans will unleash the region’s potential.But experts say it would be a “death sentence” for the Shompen people.In a letter sent to President Murmu earlier this month, 39 experts warned the scheme turning the southern part of Great Nicobar into the “Hong Kong of India” would result in the Shompen “fac[ing] genocide”.But while the letter made headlines around the world, there were fears it had failed to make the government reconsider its plans. Importantly, President Murmu is the head of the state, but does not exercise executive powers.”If President Murmu’s visit signals the government’s determination to push through the Great Nicobar mega-project, it is a death knell for the indigenous Shompen people,” warned Callum Russell, spokesperson from Survival International.According to Survival International, the Shompen – who number between 100 and 400 people – are nomadic hunter gatherers who live in the island’s rainforest. They are one of five “particularly vulnerable” tribes across the Nicobar and Andaman islands chain, but the only one on Great Nicobar.Very few of the Shompen have ever had contact with the outside world, in part helped by the fact just another 8,000 people live on Great Nicobar, which is hundreds of kilometres east of India in the Indian Ocean.Image source, Anthropological Survey of IndiaImage caption, The Shompen are hunter gatherers, so cover vast areasHowever, the government’s $9bn (£6bn) scheme envisages as many as 650,000 people will end up on the island after the town, shipping port, international airport and power plant are built.The island’s location, it argues, puts it in the perfect spot to take advantage of the international shipping trade – not to mention a good position to challenge China’s growing influence in the region.A promotional video shared by India’s Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways includes images of skyscrapers rising up behind the new port, as well as what appear to be large holiday developments.The video says the shipping port and other parts will improve “quality of life for current and future residents of Great Nicobar”.But these new plans, Survival says, will not only eat into the lands the Shompen live and hunt in, but also increase the risk of contact with other people. Image source, India Ports Ministry/XImage caption, A still showing what the new scheme could look likeAny contact at all could destroy the tribe. In their letter, the experts, led by Dr Mark Levene, of the University of Southampton, warned that “simple contact… is certain to result in a precipitous population collapse” because the Shompen have “little to no immunity to infectious outside diseases”.And even if contact did not happen, the impact of the development on the group could result in a “collective psychic breakdown”.Even the government’s own report acknowledges “any disturbance or alteration in the natural environmental setup where they live, may cause serious threat to their existence”.Despite these fears – and warnings from other groups over not only the Shompen, but also the potential damage the island’s unique ecology – the government is expected to push ahead with the scheme later this year.Mr Russell told the BBC they were continuing to call on the “deadly project” to be abandoned in order to save the Shompen.”There is simply no way they will survive this catastrophic transformation of the island – the only home they have ever known. And the authorities have been clearly warned that this is the inevitable result,” he told the BBC.The BBC has contacted the Indian government for comment.Related TopicsIndiaAndaman and NicobarMore on this storyUS man’s death puts spotlight on ‘tribal tourism’Published23 November 2018Indian scientists discover ‘mermaid’ plant speciesPublished17 August 2021Fears mount for Rohingya refugees adrift at seaPublished22 February 2021Coronavirus strikes endangered Andamans tribePublished27 August 2020Top StoriesBody found in search for Clapham attack suspectPublished3 hours agoWilliam wants ‘end to fighting’ in Middle EastPublished1 hour agoStrictly dancer Robin Windsor dies aged 44Published5 hours agoFeaturesWatch: Robin Windsor’s glittering Strictly moments. 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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityAsiaChinaIndiaGreat Nicobar: Indian president visits island as fears grow for tribePublished38 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, President of India/XImage caption, President Droupadi Murmu was shown a presentation on Great Nicobar’s strategic importanceBy Flora DruryBBC NewsIndia’s president has made a whistle stop tour of an island earmarked for multi-billion dollar development that experts warn could wipe out the indigenous tribe which calls it home.Droupadi Murmu visited Great Nicobar on Tuesday – a remote island Indian officials hope will be transformed into a shipping hub and tourist destination.The government says the plans will unleash the region’s potential.But experts say it would be a “death sentence” for the Shompen people.In a letter sent to President Murmu earlier this month, 39 experts warned the scheme turning the southern part of Great Nicobar into the “Hong Kong of India” would result in the Shompen “fac[ing] genocide”.But while the letter made headlines around the world, there were fears it had failed to make the government reconsider its plans. Importantly, President Murmu is the head of the state, but does not exercise executive powers.”If President Murmu’s visit signals the government’s determination to push through the Great Nicobar mega-project, it is a death knell for the indigenous Shompen people,” warned Callum Russell, spokesperson from Survival International.According to Survival International, the Shompen – who number between 100 and 400 people – are nomadic hunter gatherers who live in the island’s rainforest. They are one of five “particularly vulnerable” tribes across the Nicobar and Andaman islands chain, but the only one on Great Nicobar.Very few of the Shompen have ever had contact with the outside world, in part helped by the fact just another 8,000 people live on Great Nicobar, which is hundreds of kilometres east of India in the Indian Ocean.Image source, Anthropological Survey of IndiaImage caption, The Shompen are hunter gatherers, so cover vast areasHowever, the government’s $9bn (£6bn) scheme envisages as many as 650,000 people will end up on the island after the town, shipping port, international airport and power plant are built.The island’s location, it argues, puts it in the perfect spot to take advantage of the international shipping trade – not to mention a good position to challenge China’s growing influence in the region.A promotional video shared by India’s Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways includes images of skyscrapers rising up behind the new port, as well as what appear to be large holiday developments.The video says the shipping port and other parts will improve “quality of life for current and future residents of Great Nicobar”.But these new plans, Survival says, will not only eat into the lands the Shompen live and hunt in, but also increase the risk of contact with other people. Image source, India Ports Ministry/XImage caption, A still showing what the new scheme could look likeAny contact at all could destroy the tribe. In their letter, the experts, led by Dr Mark Levene, of the University of Southampton, warned that “simple contact… is certain to result in a precipitous population collapse” because the Shompen have “little to no immunity to infectious outside diseases”.And even if contact did not happen, the impact of the development on the group could result in a “collective psychic breakdown”.Even the government’s own report acknowledges “any disturbance or alteration in the natural environmental setup where they live, may cause serious threat to their existence”.Despite these fears – and warnings from other groups over not only the Shompen, but also the potential damage the island’s unique ecology – the government is expected to push ahead with the scheme later this year.Mr Russell told the BBC they were continuing to call on the “deadly project” to be abandoned in order to save the Shompen.”There is simply no way they will survive this catastrophic transformation of the island – the only home they have ever known. And the authorities have been clearly warned that this is the inevitable result,” he told the BBC.The BBC has contacted the Indian government for comment.Related TopicsIndiaAndaman and NicobarMore on this storyUS man’s death puts spotlight on ‘tribal tourism’Published23 November 2018Indian scientists discover ‘mermaid’ plant speciesPublished17 August 2021Fears mount for Rohingya refugees adrift at seaPublished22 February 2021Coronavirus strikes endangered Andamans tribePublished27 August 2020Top StoriesBody found in search for Clapham attack suspectPublished3 hours agoWilliam wants ‘end to fighting’ in Middle EastPublished1 hour agoStrictly dancer Robin Windsor dies aged 44Published5 hours agoFeaturesWatch: Robin Windsor’s glittering Strictly moments. 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[ad_1] Any contact at all could destroy the tribe. In their letter, the experts, led by Dr Mark Levene, of the University of Southampton, warned that “simple contact… is certain…
![BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaIntruder spills 60,000 litres of wine worth €2.5m at Spanish wineryPublished36 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, AFPImage caption, The attacker was reportedly familiar with the winery groundsBy Ido VockBBC NewsA Spanish winery has suffered losses of more than €2.5 million (£2.1 million) after an unidentified intruder emptied 60,000 litres of wine.A representative of the Cepa 21 winery told the BBC the wine spilled came from two of the winery’s most expensive varieties, Horcajo and Malabrigo.He said the incident took place at about 03:30 local time (02:30 GMT) on Sunday and that the intruder was likely familiar with the winery grounds. Police are investigating the case.In CCTV, a hooded person can be seen moving between tanks and rapidly opening them, causing their contents to spill on to the floor. The Cepa 21 representative told the BBC that it was “very hard to open the tanks”, which include a security mechanism, without prior knowledge. Therefore, he said, it could be assumed that the intruder “is used to opening these tanks and is familiar with this kind of machinery”. He added: “This person was moving very smoothly [across the winery grounds], even though it was dark and there was no light.”This must be a person who knows the grounds well.” But he said it was too early to speculate on their identity and said there were no grounds to suspect current or former employees at this stage.The intruder opened five tanks, although only three were filled with wine.Cepa 21 is located in Castrillo de Duero, a small village in north-western Spain. Horcajo wine retails for around £80 a bottle in the UK, while Malabrigo sells for £35.Related TopicsSpainWineMore on this storyGlobal wine production falls to 62-year lowPublished7 November 2023France to spend €200m destroying wine as demand fallsPublished25 August 2023Top StoriesBody found in search for Clapham attack suspectPublished1 hour agoWilliam wants ‘end to fighting’ in Middle EastPublished4 minutes agoStrictly dancer Robin Windsor dies aged 44Published3 hours agoFeaturesWatch: Robin Windsor’s glittering Strictly moments. VideoWatch: Robin Windsor’s glittering Strictly moments’Evacuating was a mistake’: Israelis push to return to border homesHow Russia has rebranded Wagner in AfricaOne of UK’s ‘most advanced’ vertical farms opensWHO releases video from inside raided Gaza hospital. VideoWHO releases video from inside raided Gaza hospitalWho is Julian Assange and why is he facing extradition?Boarders: ‘We all have to code switch to survive in life’Navalny’s widow faces daunting challengeHow an asbestos scare has sent Sydney scramblingElsewhere on the BBCHaving the world’s most common mental health conditionExploring how anxiety culturally manifests and what it looks and feels like first handAttributionSoundsWhy do people behave the way they do on social media?Marianna Spring investigates extraordinary cases of online hate to find out…AttributioniPlayerDouble lives, mental trickery, manipulation and loveVicky Pattison explores the story of a woman who was the target of an online fraudsterAttributionSoundsGlaswegian superstars Texas live from Maida ValeSoaring vocals, stripped back classics and unmissable covers!AttributioniPlayerMost Read1Body found in search for Clapham attack suspect2Strictly dancer Robin Windsor dies aged 443William wants ‘end to fighting’ in Middle East4Tate & Lyle’s Golden Syrup rebrand drops dead lion5UK recession may already be over, says Bank boss6Triple killer’s sentence to be reviewed7TV presenter’s rail rant leads to apology8Brightest and hungriest black hole ever detected9Bomber’s friend granted private parole hearing10Lobbying scandal MP loses suspension appeal](https://newsinsightplus.com/wp-content/uploads/https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/branded_news/C2B9/production/_132694894_mediaitem132694893.jpg)
![BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaUkraine Russia war: US warns Avdiivka could fallPublished3 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsWar in UkraineThis video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.Media caption, “I will die here”: Evacuation “angels” help front-line town’s last residents fleeBy Jaroslav LukivBBC NewsThe US has warned that Russia could seize Ukraine’s key eastern town of Avdiivka – the scene of some of the fiercest fighting in recent months. “Avdiivka is at risk of falling into Russian control,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said, citing Ukraine’s ammunition shortages. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky vowed to do everything to “save as many Ukrainian lives as possible”.Russian troops have made gains in Avdiivka, threatening to encircle it.The town – which has been almost completely destroyed – is seen as a gateway to nearby Donetsk, the regional Ukrainian capital seized by Russian-backed fighters in 2014 and later illegitimately annexed by Moscow.Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022.Ukraine battles frostbite and shell shortage in ruined town Nothing but rubble: Ukraine’s shattered ghost town AvdiivkaAt Thursday’s briefing in Washington, Mr Kirby said Avdiivka could fall largely “because the Ukrainian forces on the ground are running out of artillery ammunition”.”Russia is sending wave after wave of conscript forces to attack Ukrainian positions,” he said. “And because Congress has yet to pass the supplemental bill, we have not been able to provide Ukraine with the artillery shells that they desperately need to disrupt these Russian assaults.”Russian forces are now reaching Ukrainian trenches in Avdiivka, and they’re beginning to overwhelm Ukrainian defences.”Earlier this week, the US Senate approved a $95bn (£75bn) foreign aid package – including $60bn for Ukraine – after months of political wrangling, but it faces an uphill battle in the House of Representatives.Ukraine is critically dependent on weapons supplies from the US and other Western allies to be able to continue fighting Russia – a much bigger military force with an abundance of artillery ammunition.Nato Secretary General Jen Stoltenberg warned on Thursday that the US failure to approve continued military assistance to Ukraine was already having an impact on the battlefield.Image source, ReutersImage caption, Smoke rises over an industrial site in Avdiivka on ThursdayIn his video address late on Thursday, President Zelensky said: “We are doing everything we can to ensure that our warriors have enough managerial and technological capabilities to save as many Ukrainian lives as possible.”On Friday, Mr Zelensky is visiting Berlin and Paris where is expected to sign security pacts with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron.A similar agreement on security co-operation was signed between Ukraine and the UK in January.Late on Thursday, Ukrainian General Oleksandr Tarnavsky admitted that “fierce battles” were taking place “within” Avdiivka.”We value every piece of Ukrainian land, but the highest value and priority for us is the preservation of the life of a Ukrainian soldier,” he said.Earlier in the day, Ukraine’s military spokesman Dmytro Lykhoviy acknowledged that Ukrainian troops in Avdiivka were being forced to “sometimes move to more advantageous positions… in some places leaving positions”.Some Ukrainian soldiers have privately admitted the town could fall at any moment.”We’re upset,” Ukrainian officer Oleksii, from Ukraine’s 110th Mechanised Brigade in the Avdiivka area, told the BBC earlier this week, standing beside a huge mobile artillery piece as Russian guns boomed in the distance.”Currently we have two shells, but we have no [explosive] charges for them… so we can’t fire them. As of now, we have run out of shells,” said Oleksii. He suggested that the shortages were widespread and having a dramatic impact on the fighting in Avdiivka.”We feel a very strong responsibility for our guys fighting right now in the town, armed only with assault rifles.”Ukraine’s newly appointed commander-in-chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi, visited the frontline in the Avdiivka area this week, acknowledging that the situation there was “difficult”.He said the Russian military did not “count losses”, using its troops as cannon fodder.Kyiv says an elite Ukrainian brigade has now been sent to Avdiivka and reserve artillery has been deployed.In unverified reports, Russian military bloggers said on Thursday that a key Ukrainian defence position in southern Avdiivka – known as Zenit – was now under Moscow’s control.Related TopicsWar in UkraineRussiaUkraineMore on this storyUkraine battles frostbite and shell shortage in ruined townPublished15 hours agoNothing but rubble: Ukraine’s shattered ghost town AvdiivkaPublished30 JanuaryFull cemeteries and empty homes: Ukrainians struggle to endurePublished1 day agoThe Ukrainians ‘disappearing’ in Russia’s prisonsPublished6 days agoTop StoriesLive. 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