Vol. 34 No. 71 | SUNDAY | SEPTEMBER 10, 2023 | 26 Pages | `5 & for Pune `6 only Reg. No. MCS/048/2021-23; RNI No. 46955/1988 M.p.c.s. office Mumbai-400001 EDITIONS: MUMBAI*, Pune, Nashik, Konkan, Indore, Bhopal, E-paper Quality at Value www.freepressjournal.in CONSENSUS AS MODI PREVAILS FPJ NEWS SERVICE/ SHALINI PANDEY / NEW DELHI Softening their stand on the Ukraine war, the G-20 leaders managed to overcome their disagreements and put out a declaration asserting that "today's era must not be of war," even as they pitched for initiatives for "comprehensive, just, and durable peace in Ukraine". The third paragraph of last year’s joint statement had said that the group “deplores in the strongest terms the aggression by the Russian Federation against Ukraine and demands its complete and unconditional withdrawal from the territory of Ukraine.” This year’s statement did not contain that line – or any other line calling for a Russian withdrawal. There had been doubts that the leaders at the G20 Summit would manage to come an agreement. However, surprisingly by focussing on the economic agenda they were able to reach consensus a day earli- er than expected. According to one analyst, India, which has from the beginning maintained neutrality over the Ukraine conflict, laboriously tried to limit discussions about the war to the economic distress it has inflicted, with energy and food prices rising around the world. CONTD. ON NATION Morocco: 1,000 die in dead of the night SAM METZ & MOSAAB ELSHAMY MARRAKECH (MOROCCO) TALKS FAIL T he talks held on Friday night to end the Maratha quota agitation have failed, with the face of the agitation, Manoj Jarange-Patil, making it clear that his protests will continue until the state government delivers on the promises made to him. However, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde surprisingly insisted that the talks were ‘positive’ even as Jarange-Patil said he may stop taking water as well. – FPJ News Service A rare, powerful earthquake struck Morocco late Friday night, killing more than 1,000 people and damaging buildings in the Atlas Mountains and the historic city of Marrakech. With a magnitude of 6.8 and a depth of about 11 miles, the earthquake was the strongest to hit the area in more than 100 years. Horrific footage shared on social media showed a massive cloud of dust rising in Marrakesh -- a UNESCO World Heritage Site and hugely popular tourist town - as buildings collapsed and people ran into the streets in terror and disbelief. The quake wiped out entire families and witnesses said they heard 'unbearable screaming and crying' as distraught relatives frantically searched with their bare hands for buried loved ones. Marrakesh is full of closeknit buildings, uneven cobblestone streets and intricate passageways. Besides, the central parts of the city have a higher population density than Man- hattan. Residents who experienced the earthquake firsthand said that confusion had quickly turned into chaos when their walls started shaking and objects started crashing to the ground, reports New York Times. State television showed people clustered in the streets late at night, afraid to go back inside buildings that might still be unstable. A man said he was visiting a nearby apartment when dishes and wall hangings began raining down, and people were knocked off their feet and chairs. A woman described fleeing her house after "intense vibration.” CONTD. ON NATION