On first day of 2019, estimated 395,000 babies born worldwide, most in India: UNICEF
United Nations, Jan 2 : More than 395,000 babies were expected to have born around the world on New Year's Day, with India estimated to record the highest number of these births at nearly 70,000, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said.
As the calendar flips to 2019, about 395,072 babies will be born around the world.
Over half of these births are estimated to take place in eight countries, including India, China, Pakistan, United States and Bangladesh.
India is expected to register 69,944 of these births, followed by China (44,940), Nigeria (25,685), Pakistan (15,112), Indonesia (13,256), US (11,086), The Democratic Republic of Congo (10,053) and Bangladesh (8,428).
As the clock struck midnight, Sydney greeted an estimated 168 babies, followed by 310 in Tokyo, 605 in Beijing, 166 in Madrid, and 317 in New York.
The first babies were born in Fiji in the Pacific, and the US will most likely deliver its last.
As the world enters a new year, UNICEF called on nations to meet every newborn's right to health and survival.
The agency's Deputy Executive Director, Charlotte Petri Gornitzka, asked the world to join UNICEF in "making a resolution to fulfill every right of every child, starting with the right to survive".
The agency warned that in several countries many babies will not even be named as they won't make it past their first day. According to UNICEF, in 2017, about one million babies died the day they were born, and 2.5 million in just their first month of life.
Most died from preventable causes such as premature birth, complications during delivery, and infections like pneumonia, in what the agency called 'a violation of their basic right to survival'.
"We can save millions of babies if we invest in training and equipping local health workers so that every newborn is born into a safe pair of hands," Gornitza added.
The year 2019 also marks the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Under the convention, governments committed to take measures to save every child by providing good quality health care.
Over the past three decades, the world has seen remarkable progress in child survival, cutting the number of children worldwide who die before their fifth birthday by more than half.
But there has been slower progress for newborns. Babies dying in the first month account for 47 per cent of all deaths among children under five.
UNICEF's Every Child Alive Campiagn' calls for immediate investment to deliver affordable, quality health care solutions for every mother and newborn.
These include a steady supply of clean water and electricity at health facilities, the presence of a skilled health attendant during birth, ample supplies and medicines to prevent and treat complications during pregnancy, delivery and birth, and empowered adolescent girls and women who can demand better quality of health services.
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“Modi has opened his legs for Israel,” says US journalist during broadcast
New Delhi: A remark made by an American journalist about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s foreign policy stance towards Israel has triggered discussions online after a clip from a recent broadcast went viral on social media.
Ana Kasparian, co-host and executive producer of the progressive US news programme The Young Turks (TYT), made the comment while discussing Israel’s influence on global alliances and the foreign policies of various countries.
During the segment, Kasparian said: “It looks like Narendra Modi opening up his legs to Israel. Congratulations.”
The statement came in the context of a broader discussion by the programme’s hosts on Israel’s relations with global powers. Kasparian and her co-host Cenk Uygur criticised what they described as one-sided alliances with Israel and argued that such partnerships could draw countries into conflicts in the Middle East.
The discussion also touched on India’s growing strategic ties with Israel, including cooperation in defence, technology and agriculture. Some foreign media outlets have recently highlighted India’s positions in international forums, including votes related to the Gaza situation at the United Nations, as evidence of a shift in its traditional foreign policy stance.
The clip from the broadcast has circulated widely on social media platforms, with users in India and abroad sharing and debating the remark. Some users translated the comment into Hindi and other languages, further expanding its reach online.
Kasparian has previously drawn criticism from pro-Israel groups for her comments on the Israel-Gaza conflict. Her remarks in the latest broadcast have also prompted mixed reactions online, with some users condemning the language used and others engaging in discussions about India’s foreign policy alignment.
Dear @narendramodi ,
— Roshan Rai (@RoshanKrRaii) March 5, 2026
Look what this American Journalist is calling you.
Unacceptable, please send a team of Delhi Police to Los Angeles and get her arrested ASAP under NSA.
pic.twitter.com/F7TqlV54Lz
