- 13 hours ago
US-Iran tensions escalate as President Donald Trump reinstates a naval blockade on Iran, leading to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. This geopolitical conflict has triggered a global supply chain crisis, with China halting its helium exports.
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00:07can the world's most advanced technology be held hostage by the lightest gas on earth
00:12and can india finally challenge a global power structure still stuck in 1945 tonight two stories
00:20about control china has halted helium exports as the strait of hormones traps critical supplies
00:26threatening chips hospitals and high-tech industries meanwhile india is launching a fresh
00:33campaign for the un security council membership pushing for a greater voice in shaping the global
00:38order one story is about who controls the resources of the future the other is about who controls
00:45global power hello and welcome you're watching statecraft with me gita mohan all this and more
00:50but first up the headlines president donald trump declared reinstating of the american
00:56naval blockade on iran as he pledged to seize control of the strait of homos he said the u.s
01:01will
01:02charge 20 security fee for every cargo that passes through the strait meanwhile yemen saudi backed and
01:08internationally recognized government said its forces have struck the houthi-controlled sana airport
01:13to prevent an iranian aircraft from landing u.s president donald trump ordered flags across the
01:19country to be lowered to half staff on sunday through july 18th to honor u.s republican senator
01:25lindsey graham who died a day after his visit to ukraine graham a republican who went from a vocal
01:31critic of donald trump to one of his most loyal allies after trump became president was 71 when he
01:37died at least 15 indian tourists died when a boat capsized off vietnam's southern island of phu chalk
01:4321 people survived the accident according to the report the vessel was carrying 36 people including 32
01:50indians three crew members and one attendant ukrainian president zelensky announced plans
01:56to reshuffle his cabinet and asked prime minister yulia svirodenko to step aside after serving for just
02:0212 months the decision follows three other reshuffles of top officials during the four and a half year war
02:08with russia hundreds of people came out on the roads in nepal's katmandu to protest against the
02:13government's move to evict squatters without a resettlement plan this is the first major challenge
02:18against the government led by prime minister balen shah who had supported the fierce gen z protest last
02:24year that ended the reign of kp sharma oli and his team fresh strikes were carried out by the u
02:30.s central
02:31command in the weekend after the irgc attacked mv gfs galaxy a cyprus flagged container ship off the coast
02:39of oman oman's maritime security center said 23 crew members were rescued 11 indians were also on board
02:47the merchant vessel out of which 10 indians were rescued while one is missing the u.s strikes hit at
02:54least 140 iranian military targets in the third round after the 7th of july explosions were heard
03:00in port cities of bandir abbas sirik and jassuk as well as kasham island the u.s central command said
03:06multiple iranian locations were hit with precision munitions to degrade iran's ability to continue
03:12attacking international shipping flowing through the strait of hormuz now at least one person was
03:19killed and seven injured in a u.s attack on a military base in the city of nayan the deputy
03:25governor of isfahan province said the injured are being treated in hospitals explosions were also heard
03:31in iran's hormuzgan province in the south kozistan province in southwest and sistan and balochistan
03:39province in the southeast iran has retaliated and struck bahrain kuwait oman and jordan iran has said
03:47that the strait of hormuz has been closed as opposed to president trump's claims that the strait is open
03:53the closure is not only affecting oil prices but also helium supply chains meanwhile iran's foreign
03:59ministry spokesperson ismail baghai has said and i quote iran has entered every negotiation with
04:06meticulousness and seriousness keeping in mind the interests and concerns of the iranian nation
04:12he also said iran has never been the first to violate its commitments baghai added that iran will
04:18no longer abide by the memorandum of understanding signed with the us if washington fails to uphold its
04:25commitments to end the war meanwhile the air defense systems in kuwait bahrain and jordan are trying to
04:31intercept the missiles iran also attacked radar systems in oman and struck fuel tanks and ammunition
04:37depots at prince hassan airbase in jordan the strait of hormuz is shut again while the world watches oil
04:45prices a quiet invisible crisis is unfolding the supply chain for the modern world's most critical gas
04:52is helium is being severed this isn't just about fuel it is the lifeblood of our machinery and
04:59electronics china just slammed the brakes on helium exports and no this is not a national emergency for
05:06party balloons or squeaky voices helium sits deep inside the machinery of the modern world it cools the
05:13magnets and mri machines it removes heat from silicon wafers during chip production it helps makes optical
05:20fibers supports rocket systems and even serves some quantum computers now one-third of the world's
05:28helium supply sits trapped behind the strait of homos as tensions have again escalated between us and iran
05:36america no longer has its old federal reserve to cushion the shock and china has decided that whatever
05:42helium it can secure may need to stay at home so how did the gas inside a birthday balloon become
05:49the
05:49latest hostage in a global tech war start with the obvious helium is not just balloon fuel its boiling point
05:58sits at minus 269 degrees celsius and it does not react easily with other substances that makes it an
06:06exceptional coolant in semiconductor fabrication helium removes heat from silicon wafers mri machines need it to cool
06:14powerful magnets quantum devices increasingly use it too so when helium supply takes a hit the damage does
06:22not stop at the party store it reaches chip factories hospitals laboratories and space programs and here is
06:31the problem you cannot simply manufacture more helium it forms deep inside the earth's crust through the
06:37radioactive decay of uranium and thorium over millions of years it migrates into natural gas reservoirs
06:45producers extract the two together but processing helium only makes economic sense when it reaches
06:51sufficient concentration in other words this is not a factory problem that money can solve overnight
06:58nature runs the production line and nature has terrible customer service
07:03now look at where the world gets its supply the united states provides roughly 43 percent qatar meets
07:10about 33 percent of global demand and plays an especially important role in asia then the u.s iran
07:16conflict escalated the strait of hormones turned into a major choke point and qatar supply took the hit
07:22the result roughly one-third of global helium production became quite literally bottled up behind the
07:30strait of hormones why does a naval standoff thousands of miles away hit a semiconductor factory in asia
07:36because the helium market has very few spare doors block one major exit and the entire system jams could
07:45america rescue the market once perhaps the united states had the federal helium reserve a massive strategic
07:52stockpile that could help cushion supply shops but in 2024 washington completed the privatization of the reserve
08:00and sold its assets to the measure group so when the latest crisis hit the united states no longer had
08:07the same
08:08federal buffer to release emergency supplies into the market then came another complication the following year the
08:15u.s house committee on oversight and government reform launched an investigation into measures chinese
08:21interests that raised the risk of tit-for-tat measures between washington dc and beijing and then
08:29on the 10th of july china acted beijing's ministry of commerce and general administration of customs
08:35imposed a temporary but immediate ban on helium exports china had not publicly explained the full reason
08:42or scope but the pressure around the decision is clear china produces only about 1.6 percent of the
08:49world's helium and imports more than 80 percent of what it needs russia already restricts exports with
08:56shipments requiring prime ministerial approval through 2027 carter's supply faces disruption prices have
09:03already surged so why would a country that barely produces helium stop exporting it because scarcity changes
09:11the calculation china needs helium for its own chip factories and medical sector when the cupboard looks
09:18empty you do not send the last packet of biscuits next door and this is an expensive shortage in june
09:252026 highly pure helium in northeast asia reportedly cost 150 to 205 dollars per thousand cubic feet almost
09:35double late 2025 levels one major supplier air gas invoked force majeure and added surcharges even moving helium
09:45costs a fortune it only liquefies at minus 269 degrees celsius storage needs highly specialized systems
09:54transport requires vacuum jacketed stainless steel vessels made by relatively few companies and if delivery
10:02takes too long the helium starts to boil off into the atmosphere yes even the cargo can literally
10:10disappear so what happens next if supply stays trapped and export restrictions spread costs rise across
10:18industries that depend on helium that pressure can hit semiconductor production mri systems laboratories
10:25and other high-tech sectors and other high-tech sectors and can the world simply find another giant reserve
10:31tomorrow not easily helium is non-renewable difficult to extract expensive to purify and even harder to store
10:40the era of cheap electronics does not evaporate overnight but the warning could not be clearer the world built
10:47some of new countries with some of its most advanced technology on a gas it cannot manufacture stores with difficulty
10:53transports at enormous cost and sources from a handful of countries turns out the lightest gas can create one
11:02very heavy geopolitical problem nepal's gen z voted for change today they're back in the streets a young
11:10driver's tragic death has ignited nationwide outrage raising questions about balansha's leadership and nepal's
11:17broken promise. Sreejita Sen Majundar with this report.
11:28For years, Nepal's young voters wanted to break away from old political parties.
11:33They wanted a leader who looked like them, spoke like them and promised to clean up a broken system.
11:41Balen Shah became that symbol. A rapper, an engineer, an anti-establishment face
11:47– a man who promised accountability, efficiency and a new Nepal.
11:52But today, many of those young supporters are asking a painful question.
11:56Has the system changed or has power changed the man?
12:00The latest trigger was the death of a 25-year-old ride-hailing driver Ganesh Nepali.
12:06According to eyewitnesses, municipal police locked the wheel of his motorcycle
12:11during an enforcement action in Kathmandu.
12:13Moments later, he poured petrol over himself and set himself on fire.
12:19He died the next day from severe burn injuries.
12:22The tragedy has shocked Nepal and sparked nationwide outrage.
12:27The government has announced an investigation and formed a probe committee,
12:31while five municipal police personnel have been taken into custody as part of the inquiry.
12:36But this protest is about far more than one heartbreaking death.
12:41For years, for many young Nepalis, Ganesh's death became the symbol of a government
12:46they believe was becoming increasingly insensitive towards ordinary people.
12:52Street vendors chased away.
12:54Squatter settlements demolished.
12:56Daily wage earners pushed out in the name of urban development.
12:59Critics say Kathmandu's municipal police have become increasingly aggressive
13:04under the governance model that began during Balen Shah's tenure as Kathmandu mayor.
13:10Legal experts have raised another serious concern.
13:14Under Nepal's laws, municipal police are mainly meant to protect municipal property,
13:19assist civic administration and coordinate local activities.
13:22They are not empowered to independently carry out riot control,
13:27detain citizens or use force in the same way as the national police, experts argue.
13:33That has now become the centre of the debate.
13:36Was this simply about enforcing rules?
13:38The protest also exposes the burden of expectations.
13:42Nepal's Gen Z didn't just elect a new prime minister.
13:45They believed they were electing a completely different style of politics.
13:48Now, less than a year later, the same generation that carried Balen Shah to power
13:54is demanding answers from him.
13:57Because for young Nepalis, this is no longer just about one death.
14:01It's about whether the promise of change has already begun to fade.
14:05With Srijita Sainmajumdar, Bureau Report, India Today Global.
14:10There is one room where wars are debated, sanctions are imposed,
14:15peacekeeping missions are approved, terrorists are designated
14:18and the world's biggest security crises are decided.
14:21It has just 15 seats.
14:24Only five countries sit there permanently.
14:27India isn't one of them.
14:29But next week, New Delhi begins another push to change that.
14:32External Affairs Minister Dr. Jai Shankar will launch India's campaign
14:36for the UN Security Council.
14:38On paper, it is a bid for a two-year seat.
14:41In reality, it is the opening move in India's long battle
14:44to reshape the global order.
14:46But after Gaza, Ukraine and an increasingly divided world,
14:51winning support inside the United Nations has become harder than ever.
14:55So can India succeed where global politics has made every vote a geopolitical contest?
15:02Jai Shankar will officially launch India's campaign for a non-permanent seat
15:06on the United Nations Security Council for the term 2028-2029.
15:11The election will be held during the 82nd session of the UN General Assembly in 2027,
15:17where India will contest the Asia-Pacific seat.
15:20If successful, this will be India's ninth tenure on the Council.
15:25The campaign also follows Jai Shankar's diplomatic outreach across Qatar, Bahrain,
15:30Kuwait, Oman, the United States and Belgium,
15:33as New Delhi works to consolidate international support well before the vote.
15:38Now, the contest itself may also be more competitive than many expected.
15:43India is seeking the Asia-Pacific seat, but it will not be running unopposed.
15:49Tajikistan has also entered the race,
15:51turning what might have been a straightforward campaign
15:53into a far more demanding diplomatic exercise.
15:57You see, Tajikistan enjoys the backing of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, or OIC.
16:03This could make the contest more challenging,
16:06particularly among Muslim-majority countries.
16:09That means India cannot rely only on support from traditional partners
16:14such as Fiji, the United States, Austria and Sri Lanka.
16:18To secure the required two-thirds majority in the General Assembly,
16:22New Delhi will have to broaden its outreach across Africa,
16:26Latin America, the Caribbean, the Pacific and the Arab world,
16:30where every vote carries equal weight.
16:33India has repeatedly argued that the Security Council must become more representative
16:38by expanding both permanent and non-permanent membership.
16:41Throughout this year, Jai Shankar has called for reforming institutions
16:45created after the Second World War,
16:47saying they must adapt to address modern challenges
16:51from terrorism, maritime security to emerging technologies
16:55and geopolitical instability.
16:57For New Delhi, this campaign is also about reinforcing the argument
17:01that global governance must evolve with changing realities.
17:06But diplomacy inside the United Nations has changed dramatically.
17:09Recent elections have shown that geopolitical conflicts
17:13increasingly shape voting behavior.
17:16Germany's unsuccessful bid last month for a key UN position
17:20was viewed by many diplomats and analysts as a reminder
17:24that positions taken on issues like the Gaza war
17:27can influence support among countries in the global South and the Arab world.
17:33Whether or not that was the decisive factor, the message was clear.
17:37UN elections are no longer decided on credentials alone.
17:41They are increasingly influenced by geopolitics.
17:44India's campaign also begins at a time when South Asia's diplomatic equation is shifting.
17:49For much of the past decade, Pakistan found itself increasingly isolated on the global stage.
17:55But under Trump administration, Islamabad has steadily returned to Washington's strategic calculus.
18:01That changing dynamic could complicate India's diplomatic outreach
18:05inside the United Nations, even if it is only indirectly.
18:11Over the past year, the United States has expanded its engagement with Pakistan
18:16on regional security, critical minerals, Iran, the ceasefire, and broader strategic issues.
18:23Senior level contacts have increased and Islamabad has regained diplomatic visibility
18:28in Washington after years of strained ties.
18:32Pakistan is also currently serving as a non-permanent member of the UNSC,
18:37giving it an influential platform during a critical period
18:40before India's campaign reaches the General Assembly.
18:44That does not mean the United States opposes India's bid.
18:47In fact, successive U.S. administrations, including President Donald Trump's current administration,
18:53have reiterated support for India's aspiration to become a permanent member of a reformed security council.
18:59But UN elections are not decided in Washington.
19:03They are decided by the 193 member states of the General Assembly.
19:09Every country gets one vote.
19:11And Pakistan has traditionally used multilateral forums to challenge India's global diplomatic ambitions,
19:17particularly on issues relating to Kashmir and Security Council reform.
19:22For New Delhi, the challenge is therefore much broader than securing support from major powers.
19:28India must convince countries across Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, the Pacific, and the Arab world
19:35that it does deserve another term on the council.
19:39Recent UN elections have demonstrated that geopolitical positions on issues such as Gaza and Ukraine
19:45can influence voting behavior.
19:48In today's increasingly polarized international environment,
19:52diplomatic goodwill alone may not be enough.
19:55India will need one of its most intensive global outreach campaigns in years
20:01to convert political support into votes.
20:05At least 27 people died in a deadly fire at a pub in Bangkok.
20:09Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charni Virakul, who visited the site, said a musician performing at the pub
20:15told him he saw smoke rising from a circuit breaker near the stage moments before the power went out.
20:21As investigations are on to find out the cause of fire, pubs, sealing materials,
20:26and whether emergency exits were obstructed during the fire are also being considered.
20:31But the city's disaster management said initial assessment was that an electrical short circuit
20:37in an air conditioner located in the ceiling caused the fire.
20:42Based on survivor accounts, officials said the fire is understood to have started at the front stage
20:48section of the pub and spread rapidly, forcing many to run to the back of the venue,
20:53which houses the kitchen and bathrooms.
20:56The pub is located in a busy part of northern Bangkok, connected by its urban rail systems
21:02adjacent to two shopping malls and within walking distance of cinemas, large parks,
21:07and the chatu chak weekend market that is popular with foreign tourists.
21:13That's all in this edition of Statecraft.
21:15Before we go, New Zealand actor and Jurassic Park star Sam Neill has died suddenly at age 78.
21:21His family said his death was unexpected coming just months after the act announced he was cancer-free
21:28following treatment for stage 3 blood cancer.
21:31From Jurassic Park to Peaky Blinders and hunt for the wilder people,
21:36Neill leaves behind a remarkable career spanning decades.
21:39Take a look.
21:40Goodbye and take care.
22:14Goodbye and take care.
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