The year 2024 will see multiple elections worldwide- from choosing prime ministers, presidents, and their administrations, and also heads of parliaments, and international agencies. In the run-up to these elections, there have been discussions of the top contenders, their stronghold constituencies, the public's mood, and result predictions. A victory in any of these elections would change the course of global politics, trade, diplomacy, and security.

The most important elections to look out for are the general elections in India, South Africa, Indonesia, Bangladesh, and&nbsp;Pakistan. The presidential elections that will grab headlines in 2024 include those in the United States, Russia, Croatia, Finland, Georgia, and Azerbaijan.

Also in 2024, elections will be held for the European Parliament and the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

Here's a look at the most important elections:

<h3>1) Lok Sabha election: India</h3>

The general election in India is expected to be held between April and May 2024 to elect 543 members of the Lok Sabha- Parliament's lower house. The tenure of the 17th Lok Sabha will end on June 16. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is seeking a third consecutive victory in the general elections.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/putin-wished-modi-well-for-lok-sabha-elections-heres-what-it-means-for-india-russia-ties-674323">Putin wished Modi well for Lok Sabha elections. Here’s what it means for India-Russia ties</a>

The right-wing ruling party will be in a battle&nbsp;with the recently formed INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance)&nbsp;alliance- a group of 28 opposition parties including the Congress, the Trinamool Congress (TMC), and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).&nbsp;Recently, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee proposed Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge's name as a prime ministerial candidate. The BJP and its allies have not declared a PM face yet.&nbsp;

<h3>2) Presidential election: US</h3>

The presidential election in the US is expected to be held in November. The top contenders are current President Joe Biden and Republican veteran and former president Donald Trump. Other top candidates in the race include Republicans Nikki Haley, Ron DeSantis, Vivek Ramaswamy, Chris Christie, and&nbsp;William Asa Hutchinson; and Democrats Marianne Williamson and&nbsp;Dean Phillips. The independents include John F&nbsp;Kennedy's nephew Robert, Cornel West, and Jill Stein. Though Donald Trump is emerging as the favourable choice among Americans, the 77-year-old is facing the legal system's heat in four separate criminal cases.

<h3>3) General and presidential elections: Pakistan</h3>

Economic crisis-hit Pakistan will vote for a general election in early February, and a presidential election the next month. Top parties in the fray are the&nbsp;Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), the&nbsp;Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), and the Pakistan People's Party (PPP). Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif from the PML-N, who came back to Pakistan in October after four years in exile, will contest the February election.

Sharif is the longest-serving PM of Pakistan, having&nbsp;served in the top post for three non-consecutive terms. He is bidding for a fourth premiership but faces the biggest challenge from his main rival and former PM Imran Khan-&nbsp;who, despite being in jail for graft, remains popular following his ouster as PM in 2022.

Reports have emerged that the son of UN-designated terrorist and 26/11 Mumbai attack mastermind <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-son-of-un-designated-terrorist-gearing-up-for-elections-india-slams-675045">Hafiz Saeed</a>&nbsp;will be contesting the election.

<h3>4) Presidential election: Russia and Ukraine</h3>

Russia and Ukraine, which have been fighting a war since late February 2022, will be holding their presidential election in 2024. Russian President Vladimir Putin will be running for president again, a decision allowing him&nbsp;to extend his decades-long grip on power. The presidential election in Russia will be held on March 17.&nbsp;

Ukraine is supposed to hold a presidential vote in March. However, the Volodymyr Zelensky government enacted martial law in response to the Russian offensive on Feb 24, 2022 due to whihc the country cannot hold elections. On Nov 3, Ukrainian Foreign Minister&nbsp;Dmytro Kuleba said that President Zelensky was weighing the pros and cons of the election.&nbsp;

"We are not closing this page. The president of Ukraine is considering and weighing the different pros and cons," Foreign Minister Kuleba told Reuters, adding&nbsp;that elections would bring unprecedented challenges.

<h3>5) General election: Bangladesh</h3>

The general election in Bangladesh will be held on Jan 7.&nbsp;Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is eyeing another term with a 14-party alliance led by her Awami League (AL). In 2023, the country saw&nbsp;violent protests by opposition parties demanding the resignation of Hasina and for a&nbsp;caretaker government. Many people died in the protests and thousands of opposition leaders and activists were arrested.&nbsp;

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladesh-elections-2024-pm-sheikh-hasina-led-14-party-alliance-to-head-to-polls-667359">Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina-led 14 party alliance to head to polls</a>

The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), whose top leadership is either jailed or in exile, previously said that it would boycott the election&nbsp;if Hasina did not step down, Reuters reported.

(With inputs from agencies)

The year 2024 will see multiple elections worldwide- from choosing prime ministers, presidents, and their administrations, and also heads of parliaments, and international agencies.

The year 2024 will see multiple elections worldwide- from choosing prime ministers, presidents, and their administrations, and also heads of parliaments, and international agencies. In the run-up to these elections, there have been discussions of the top contenders, their stronghold constituencies, the public's mood, and result predictions. A victory in any of these elections would change the course of global politics, trade, diplomacy, and security. The most important elections to look out for are the general elections in India, South Africa, Indonesia, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. The presidential elections that will grab headlines in 2024 include those in the United States, Russia, Croatia, Finland, Georgia, and Azerbaijan. Also in 2024, elections will be held for the European Parliament and the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). Here's a look at the most important elections: 1) Lok Sabha election: India The general election in India is expected to be held between April and May 2024 to elect 543 members of the Lok Sabha- Parliament's lower house. The tenure of the 17th Lok Sabha will end on June 16. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is seeking a third consecutive victory in the general elections. Also read: Putin wished Modi well for Lok Sabha elections. Here’s what it means for India-Russia ties The right-wing ruling party will be in a battle with the recently formed INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) alliance- a group of 28 opposition parties including the Congress, the Trinamool Congress (TMC), and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Recently, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee proposed Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge's name as a prime ministerial candidate. The BJP and its allies have not declared a PM face yet. 2) Presidential election: US The presidential election in the US is expected to be held in November. The top contenders are current President Joe Biden and Republican veteran and former president Donald Trump. Other top candidates in the race include Republicans Nikki Haley, Ron DeSantis, Vivek Ramaswamy, Chris Christie, and William Asa Hutchinson; and Democrats Marianne Williamson and Dean Phillips. The independents include John F Kennedy's nephew Robert, Cornel West, and Jill Stein. Though Donald Trump is emerging as the favourable choice among Americans, the 77-year-old is facing the legal system's heat in four separate criminal cases. 3) General and presidential elections: Pakistan Economic crisis-hit Pakistan will vote for a general election in early February, and a presidential election the next month. Top parties in the fray are the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), and the Pakistan People's Party (PPP). Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif from the PML-N, who came back to Pakistan in October after four years in exile, will contest the February election. Sharif is the longest-serving PM of Pakistan, having served in the top post for three non-consecutive terms. He is bidding for a fourth premiership but faces the biggest challenge from his main rival and former PM Imran Khan- who, despite being in jail for graft, remains popular following his ouster as PM in 2022. Reports have emerged that the son of UN-designated terrorist and 26/11 Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed will be contesting the election. 4) Presidential election: Russia and Ukraine Russia and Ukraine, which have been fighting a war since late February 2022, will be holding their presidential election in 2024. Russian President Vladimir Putin will be running for president again, a decision allowing him to extend his decades-long grip on power. The presidential election in Russia will be held on March 17. Ukraine is supposed to hold a presidential vote in March. However, the Volodymyr Zelensky government enacted martial law in response to the Russian offensive on Feb 24, 2022 due to whihc the country cannot hold elections. On Nov 3, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that President Zelensky was weighing the pros and cons of the election. "We are not closing this page. The president of Ukraine is considering and weighing the different pros and cons," Foreign Minister Kuleba told Reuters, adding that elections would bring unprecedented challenges. 5) General election: Bangladesh The general election in Bangladesh will be held on Jan 7. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is eyeing another term with a 14-party alliance led by her Awami League (AL). In 2023, the country saw violent protests by opposition parties demanding the resignation of Hasina and for a caretaker government. Many people died in the protests and thousands of opposition leaders and activists were arrested. Also read: Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina-led 14 party alliance to head to polls The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), whose top leadership is either jailed or in exile, previously said that it would boycott the election if Hasina did not step down, Reuters reported. (With inputs from agencies)

India's Lok Sabha election to US presidential poll: What to expect in 2024

A federal appeals court on Saturday (Dec 30) cleared the way for a California law to ban the carrying of guns in most public places in the state. The law will take effect at the start of next year.

A federal appeals court on Saturday (Dec 30) cleared the way for a California law to ban the carrying of guns in most public places in the state. The law will take effect at the start of next year. According to a report by news agency Reuters, the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals suspended a Dec 20 injunction issued by a judge who concluded that California's law violated the right of citizens to keep and bear arms under the Constitution's Second Amendment. The report said that a three-judge panel issued an administrative stay that temporarily put the injunction on hold until a different 9th Circuit panel could consider pausing the lower court judge's order for even longer while the litigation plays out. Also read: Explained | America and its enduring gun violence issue The federal appeals court's measure will be in effect on Monday after Governor Gavin Newsom signed it into law in September. The measure was enacted following a ruling in June 2022 by the Supreme Court that expanded gun rights nationwide. California Gov Newsom reacts to ruling Reacting to the court's ruling, California Governor Newsom said, "This ruling will allow California's common-sense gun laws to remain in place while we appeal the district court's dangerous ruling." "Californians overwhelmingly support efforts to ensure that places like hospitals, libraries and children’s playgrounds remain safe and free from guns," the governor added. This ruling will allow our common-sense gun laws to remain in place while we appeal the district court’s dangerous ruling. Californians overwhelmingly support efforts to ensure that places like hospitals, libraries and children’s playgrounds remain safe and free from guns. pic.twitter.com/PODiTf6YvN — Office of the Governor of California (@CAgovernor) December 30, 2023 × California has some of the strictest gun laws in the US. Under the new law- Senate Bill 2, people cannot carry concealed guns in 26 categories of "sensitive places" including hospitals, playgrounds, stadiums, zoos and places of worship, regardless of whether they have permits to carry concealed weapons. The law also bars people from having concealed guns at privately owned commercial establishments that are open to the public, unless the business operator posts a sign allowing license holders to carry guns on their property. The criticism Reuters reported the new law was criticised by some carry permit holders and gun rights groups, who have argued the new law was unconstitutional. Earlier this month, US District Judge Cormac Carney said that the law turned "nearly every public place in California into a sensitive place effectively abolishing the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding and exceptionally qualified citizens to be armed and to defend themselves in public." Firearms Policy Coalition, a gun rights group said, that unless the 9th Circuit acted again before Monday and lifted the stay, all of the law would take effect. It said a ruling could "come in a few hours, days, or even weeks." (With inputs from agencies)

US appeals court allows California to ban guns in most public places; new law criticised

Thousands of people gathered in Serbia's capital city Belgrade on Saturday (Dec 30), protesting over the results of the parliamentary and municipal elections on Dec 17.

Thousands of people gathered in Serbia's capital city Belgrade on Saturday (Dec 30), protesting over the results of the parliamentary and municipal elections on Dec 17. The ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) won 46.72 per cent of the votes in the parliamentary election and was declared the winner. Serbia Against Violence came second in the election with 23.56 per cent of the vote. The Socialist Party of Serbia was third with 6.56 per cent. According to a report by the news agency Reuters on Saturday, Serbia Against Violence, which has led protests since Dec 17, accused the SNS of widespread vote fraud. During the protest in a square in central Belgrade, Serbia Against Violence leader Marinika Tepic demanded an annulment of the Dec 17 vote. "I'm sorry that I can't, and I don't have much to tell you. The only thing I can (say) is that I have already said everything and that these elections must be annulled," said Tepic, who has been on a hunger strike since Dec 18. She was cheered on by protestors waving Serbian flags. 'Freedom and democracy belong to Belgrade' Speaking to Reuters, a protestor named Katarina Popovic said, "I expect us to send a signal, a sign that Belgrade is ours, that Belgrade is free. They took it away from us, but we won't give it away. Whether we will succeed this time, we don't know. Maybe we need one more day, ten days, and a hundred days, but we will not give up Belgrade. Freedom, and democracy - this is something that belongs to Belgrade." Also read: Serbia: Riot police use ‘excessive force’ to repel protesters alleging election fraud "If one feels that something is not right, then one casts a vote to disagree with what is wrong, that is what we can do - not to take the side of what we think is wrong. One day, our children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren will see who said what at which moment in history and where they were," another protestor told the news agency. Oppn demands international probe of vote The opposition has demanded an international investigation of the vote after representatives of several global watchdogs reported multiple irregularities, including cases of vote-buying and ballot box stuffing, the news agency Associated Press reported. Local election monitors alleged that voters from across Serbia and neighbouring countries were registered and abused in to casting ballots. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and the SNS have rejected these allegations as fabricated. President Vucic has said the elections were fair and his party won and accused the opposition of inciting violent protests to overthrow the government on instructions from abroad. Opposition leaders have, however, denied this. On Saturday, Deputy Prime Minister Milos Vucevic said the “small number of demonstrators” at the rally in Belgrade showed that “people don’t want them (the opposition.)” (With inputs from agencies)

Serbia: Thousands protest over election results; oppn demands annulment of vote

Multiverse: A Space Theory That Baffles Scientists


All Images: NASA, Shutterstock, Freepik (For representative images)

Our universe is gigantic. While its actual size is not known, the observable universe has a diameter of 28.5 gigaparsecs (93 billion light years). But is our universe the only one, or are there other universes out there? This question has baffled scientists.

The multiverse is a hypothetical set of all universes. This concept has been discussed throughout history and has evolved. Now, the concept focuses on if there is a multiverse, will it have different laws of nature compared to ours?
Speaking to Forbes in March, Welsh astrophysicist Geraint F. Lewis said, "Some suggest the burst of inflation in the early stages of our universe might be eternal, with individual universes crystallising out of it, each written with its own unique laws of physics."



There is no direct evidence of a multiverse. So far, the evidence supporting the idea of numerous universes is theoretical.


Experts are divided on two sides when it comes to debating the existence of a multiverse. As per a report by Nat Geo, some experts have argued that it might have been a coincidence that the Big Bang forged a perfectly balanced universe that is just right for our existence.
However, others have said it is more likely that any number of physical universes exist, and we simply inhabit the one that is right for our survival.

All Images: NASA, Shutterstock, Freepik (For representative images)

French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said on Friday (Dec 29) that his government would tighten security for New Year celebrations in France due to a 'very high' terror threat, news agency Reuters reported.

French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said on Friday (Dec 29) that his government would tighten security for New Year celebrations in France due to a 'very high' terror threat, news agency Reuters reported. "I called for an extremely strong mobilisation of the police and gendarmerie services against the backdrop of a very high terrorist threat. Of course, because of what is happening in Israel and Palestine," Interior Minister Darmanin told reporters. Darmanin added that he had asked for the mobilisation of more than 90,000 police and gendarmes, plus 5,000 soldiers from Operation Sentinelle. " There will also be tens of thousands of firefighters, as the Sécurité Civile will be particularly mobilised," he said. Also read: Israel-Hamas war: Biden, Hamas, and different degrees of empathy "We (will) have around ten National Gendarmerie helicopters that fly all over the country, helping the police to carry out what we call manoeuvres, spotting problems and helping the police to intervene. But also, and this is something completely new for 31 December, we'll be flying drones, which proved highly effective during the Rugby World Cup, as well as in the fight against urban violence. So a lot of airborne resources are provided for by law," the minister further said. A growing risk of attacks by extremists The French interior minister's remarks comes amid growing risk of extremist attacks not just in France, but the whole of Europe since the war between Israel and Hamas started on October 7. Nearly a week into the conflict, a high school teacher in France's Arras was stabbed by a former student who claimed he was a member of the Islamic State (IS). The attacker also made a marginal reference to the Israel-Hamas war before stabbing 57-year-old Dominique Bernard of the Lycee Gambetta High School. On Dec 2, a 26-year-old French national upset over the conflict attacked tourists near the Eiffel Tower. The attacker, a male, attacked a tourist couple with a knife on the Quai de Grenelle, mortally wounding a German national. he then attacked two other people with a hammer after being chased by the police and getting arrested. Interior Minister Darmanin said the man was upset about the Gaza war and Muslims dying in Afghanistan and Palestine. Also watch: Israel-Palestine war: Is a global jihad emerging against the West? | Dark World × The 26-year-old had been sentenced to four years in prison in 2016 for planning another attack. He was on the French security services' watch list, and was also known for having psychiatric disorders, Darmanin added. (With inputs from agencies)

France to tighten security for New Year celebrations due to 'very high' terror threat

Cheruvathur Chekkutty Thamp, a businessman who is a Non-Resident Indian (NRI), is back in the news. This time the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has named Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in a money laundering case linked to Thampi, 66.

Cheruvathur Chekkutty Thamp, a businessman who is a Non-Resident Indian (NRI), is back in the news. This time the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has named Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in a money laundering case linked to Thampi, 66. According to a report by the news agency ANI on Thursday (Dec 28), the ED's chargesheet named Priyanka, mentioning her role in purchasing agricultural land in Amipur village in Haryana's Faridabad from a Delhi-based real estate agent HL Pahwa in 2006 and selling the same land to Pahwa four years later in February 2010. Priyanka's husband Robert Vadra also purchased three separate pieces of land from Pahwa from 2005-2006 and sold the same land to him in December 2010. ANI reported Pahwa is the same person who sold land to Thampi. The ED had named Robert Vadra in its earlier chargesheet related to the money laundering case as an alleged close aide of Thampi. In its fresh chargesheet, the central agency said that Pahwa was receiving cash out of the books for the acquisition of land. Who is CC Thampi? Cheruvathur Chekkutty Thampi, also known as CC Thampi is a businessman based in Dubai. According to a report by The Indian Express, Thampi hails from Kerala's Thrissur and has been a prominent player in the United Arab Emirates' (UAE) real estate sector since the 1980s. Thampi arrived in UAE's Ajman city in the late 1970s. He initially worked in hotels and also did odd jobs. Subsequently, he founded Holiday Constructions which went on to carry out major projects in the UAE. The report added that the businessman diversified in other sectors including hotels, retail and car rentals. In 2008, he founded an engineering college back home in Thrissur. The publication also reported with one of his real-estate ventures, he acquired extensive farmlands across India. Political connections Over the years, Thampi established a network with politicians in India, especially those with the Congress party and the Gandhi family. The 66-year-old first made headlines in 2009 when the CBI opened a case against him for allegedly securing an All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) approval for his engineering college in Thrissur without meeting the guidelines, The Indian Express report said. As time passed, the businessman came under more scrutiny from Indian agencies who started monitoring his investments. The 2020 arrest Thampi was arrested in the money laundering case in Jan 2020 but was later released on bail. In a recent statement, the ED said he was a "close associate" of Robert Vadra, the news agency PTI reported. In 2019, Thampi told the ED he had known Robert Vadra for more than 10 years and the businessman was "initially introduced" to him by Madhavan, the Personal Assistant (PA) to veteran Congress leader Sonia Gandhi. (With inputs from agencies)

India: Who is CC Thampi, NRI businessman back in spotlight in the case involving Vadras?

Michael Cohen, the former fixer and lawyer for ex-US president Donald Trump, said on Friday (Dec 29) that he mistakenly gave his attorney David Schwartz fake case citations generated by an artificial intelligence (AI) program that made their way into an official court filing, the news agency Reuters reported.

Michael Cohen, the former fixer and lawyer for ex-US president Donald Trump, said on Friday (Dec 29) that he mistakenly gave his attorney David Schwartz fake case citations generated by an artificial intelligence (AI) program that made their way into an official court filing, the news agency Reuters reported. Cohen said in a sworn declaration in a federal court in Manhattan that he did not realise that the citations by Google's AI chatbot Bard were fictitious. "Mr. Cohen provided Mr. Schwartz with citations (and case summaries) he had found online and believed to be real. Mr. Schwartz added them to the motion but failed to check those citations or summaries. As a result, Mr. Schwartz mistakenly filed a motion with three citations that—unbeknownst to either Mr. Schwartz or Mr. Cohen at the time—referred to nonexistent cases," the declaration said. "To be clear, Mr. Cohen did not know that the cases he identified were not real and, unlike his attorney, had no obligation to confirm as much. While there has been no implication to the contrary, it must be emphasised that Mr. Cohen did not engage in any misconduct," it added. 'Had not kept up with emerging trends...' Cohen said on Friday that those citations came from his online research and he had not expected Schwartz to "drop the cases wholesale into his submission without even confirming they existed." The former Trump lawyer pointed out that he had not kept up with emerging trends and related risks in legal technology and did not realise that Bard "was a generative text service that, like ChatGPT, could show citations and descriptions that looked real but actually were not." "I deeply regret any problems Mr. Schwartz's filing may have caused," he further said. In an order, US District Judge Jesse Furman gave Schwartz and prosecutors time until Jan 3 to respond to Cohen's filing. Courts grappling with AI's rapid rise Reuters reported that courts across the United States are grappling with the rapid rise of AI programs and how to regulate their use in court proceedings. In June this year, two lawyers in New York were sanctioned for submitting a legal brief that included six fictitious case citations generated by ChatGPT. District Judge P. Kevin Castel in Manhattan ordered lawyers Steven Schwartz, Peter LoDuca and their law firm Levidow, Levidow & Oberman to pay a $5,000 fine in total. Judge Castel found that Schwartz and LoDuca acted in bad faith and made "acts of conscious avoidance and false and misleading statements to the court." (With inputs from agencies)

Former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen ‘mistakenly’ gave fake AI-generated case citations to his attorney

Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Friday (Dec 29) that the country's defence exports would touch $2.88 billion (around Rs 24,000 crore) in the financial year (FY 24), according to media reports.

Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Friday (Dec 29) that the country's defence exports would touch $2.88 billion (around Rs 24,000 crore) in the financial year (FY 24), according to media reports. Speaking at an event at the AM Jain College in Chennai, Finance Minister Sitharaman said that defence exports were to the tune of $2.4 billion so far in the current financial year. The finance minister also said that the country's defence forces were signing Memorandum of Understanding (MOUs) with Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) engaged in defence production for procurement for 10 years if the products met the prescribed standards. Sitharaman pointed out that such long-term contracts were not signed in the past. Defence exports grew 23 times in 9 years A report released on May 30 this year said that India recorded an extraordinary 23 times rise in military exports in the last nine years when Prime Minister Narendra Modi first came into power. Also read: India's defence exports grew 23 times in 9 years, surpassed $1.9 billion in FY 22-23 “India’s defence exports have reached an all-time high, surging from Rs 686 crore ($82 million) in FY 2013-14 to nearly Rs 16,000 crore ($1.9 billion) in FY 2022-23. This remarkable 23-fold increase reflects India’s progress in the global defence manufacturing sector," the report said. “To give a push to defence exports, the government has taken a number of policy initiatives and brought reforms over the last nine years. Export procedures have been simplified and made industry-friendly, with end-to-end online export authorisation curtailing delays and bringing ease of doing business,” it added. A report by the Times of India (TOI) on Friday said that the defence ministry reported a rise of 10 times in exports since 2016-2017, with the country now exporting to more than 85 countries. The major destinations for India's defence product exports include Russia, Poland, Spain, Maldives and Nepal.

India's defence exports to touch $2.88 billion in FY 2024: Finance Minister Sitharaman

India reported a slight decline in its daily Covid tally on Saturday (Dec 30) with 743 fresh cases reported in the last 24 hours, the Union health ministry's update showed.

India reported a slight decline in its daily Covid tally on Saturday (Dec 30) with 743 fresh cases reported in the last 24 hours, the Union health ministry's update showed. The total cases in the country have now climbed to 45,012,431 including 3,997 active cases, 44,475,076 recoveries, and 533,358 deaths. Seven people died and 830 people recovered from the virus in the last 24 hours, the ministry's update showed. The total vaccinations in the country are now over 2.2 billion. The worst-hit states by the virus are Kerala, Karnataka, and Maharashtra. Till Thursday, India recorded 145 cases of the JN.1 subvariant- the highest of which were from Kerala at 41. India recorded 797 cases on Friday, a seven-month high On Friday, India recorded 797 Covid cases in the last 24 hours, the highest daily tally in over seven months. The last time the country reported a higher number was on May 19 when 865 people tested positive. On Friday, the active cases were at 4,091, the health ministry's update showed. Five deaths were also reported on Friday - two from Kerala and one each from Maharashtra, Puducherry and Tamil Nadu. On the other hand, 798 people recuperated from the disease. Also read: New Delhi reports first case of COVID-19 sub-variant JN.1, minister says ‘no need to panic’ The number of daily cases in the country had dropped to double-digits till December 5, but the cases have again gone up after the emergence of the JN.1 subvariant. The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified the JN.1 as a variant of interest and said current evidence showed the risk to public health was low from the strain. JN.1 was previously classified as a variant of interest as part of its parent lineage BA.2.86, but WHO has now classified it as a separate variant of interest. WHO urges pandemic accord for 2024 Meanwhile, the WHO has urged a pandemic accord next year to plug preparedness gaps that were exposed during the Covid pandemic. On Tuesday, WHO's Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that the world needs to properly prepare for future pandemics after finally ending three years of Covid "crisis, pain and loss." Ghebreyesus added that the year 2023 marked a turning point in fighting major health challenges but had also brought "immense and avoidable suffering."

India sees slight decline in daily Covid tally with 743 new cases

Scientists at the University of Edinburgh have developed a 3D-printed device that mimics a medicine's effect on a patient's body and can eliminate the need for animal testing.

Scientists at the University of Edinburgh have developed a 3D-printed device that mimics a medicine's effect on a patient's body and can eliminate the need for animal testing. According to a report by The Guardian on Thursday (Dec 28), the 3D-printed “body-on-chip” perfectly mimics how a medicine flows through a patient’s body. The chip would allow scientists to test medicines to see how different organs react without the need for live animal testing. Every year, thousands of animals are used in the early stages of developing medicines worldwide. However, many medicines tested on animals do not end up showing any clinical benefits. The body-on-chip can end this testing method. How does the chip work? As per the report, the chip's five components replicate the human heart, lungs, kidney, liver, and brain. They are connected by channels that mimic the circulatory system, through which the medicines can be pumped. The chip uses positron emission tomography (PET) scanning to produce detailed 3D images showing what is going on inside the organs. A PET scan is an imaging test that produces images of human organs and tissues at work. It involves an injection of a safe radioactive tracer that helps detect diseased cells. This type of scan detects early signs of cancer, heart disease, and brain conditions. “The PET imagery is what allows us to ensure the flow [of new drugs being tested] is even,” Liam Carr, the inventor of the body-on-chip, told The Guardian. ‘A valuable tool’ “This device is the first to be designed specifically for measuring drug distribution, with an even flow paired with organ compartments that are large enough to sample drug uptake for mathematical modelling," Carr said. He added the chip could be a valuable tool for investigating various human diseases, including cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Meanwhile, Carr’s supervisor, Dr Adriana Tavares said that linking five organs together on one device would help scientists effectively study how a new medicine might affect a patient’s whole body. "This device shows really strong potential to reduce the large number of animals that are used worldwide for testing drugs and other compounds, particularly in the early stages, where only 2% of compounds progress through the discovery pipeline,” Dr Tavares told the publication. (With inputs from agencies)

A 3D-printed chip mimics medicine’s effect on human patient’s body, could end need for animal testing

It is just over a month before China celebrates the Lunar New Year on Feb 10, and lawmakers on Friday (Dec 29) weighed in on a fiery debate on whether fireworks should be used to ring in the new year.

It is just over a month before China celebrates the Lunar New Year on Feb 10, and lawmakers on Friday (Dec 29) weighed in on a fiery debate on whether fireworks should be used to ring in the new year. According to a report by the news agency Reuters, lawmakers said that a total ban on pyrotechnics in the country credited with inventing them would be hard to implement. Lawmakers said that air pollution prevention laws and fire safety regulations led to differences in understanding of the ban on fireworks, which was never absolute. Folklore states that the earliest fireworks were invented 2,000 years ago to drive away the "nian", a mythical beast that preyed on people and livestock on Lunar New Year's Eve. 'We have the right to fireworks' Citing official data, Reuters reported that in 2017, 444 cities in China had banned fireworks. But since then, some cities scaled back curbs, allowing fireworks at certain times of the year and designated venues. This year in December, many counties rolled out notices prohibiting fireworks, which reignited a debate on the ban. "We have the right to fireworks," a person wrote on Weibo. Some citizens have argued that firework bans were necessary to protect the environment. "It should be regulated due to pollution and safety (fire) hazards," another person on Weibo said. Also read: People attack and overturn police car in Henan to defy fireworks ban in China Earlier this week, an online poll by the official Beijing Youth Daily showed that more than 80 per cent of respondents expressed support for fireworks during the Spring Festival, which is the most important holiday on the Chinese calendar. Some respondents said the ban was ironic after the United Nations (UN) last week adopted the Spring Festival as an official holiday, a move supported by Chinese authorities. In 2022, Reuters reported that a ban on fireworks ahead of the Beijing Winter Olympics helped China's capital record its cleanest air ahead of the Lunar New Year. Some Chinese netizens, however, were missing their fireworks. Air pollution worsened in 2023, first time in 10 yrs Last week, a study conducted by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) said that China's air pollution had worsened this year, for the first time in a decade. Also read: China’s air pollution worsened in 2023, the first time in 10 years, says study The study said that 80 per cent of provincial capitals, including Beijing, saw an increase in Particulate Matter (PM2.5) this year. "In 2023, 13 out of China’s 31 provincial capitals have not met the national standard for PM2.5, and 11 provincial capitals have not met the standard for ozone. They are concentrated in the northern key air pollution control regions and central China," it added. (With inputs from agencies)

To burst or not to burst: China's ban on fireworks sparks debate ahead of Lunar New Year

The US Air Force had said that its nuclear missile capsules, which have been in operation for decades, were safe. However, many of the crew who worked on these missiles since the 1960s have cancer, the news agency Associated Press reported on Friday (Dec 29), citing documents.

The US Air Force had said that its nuclear missile capsules, which have been in operation for decades, were safe. However, many of the crew who worked on these missiles since the 1960s have cancer, the news agency Associated Press reported on Friday (Dec 29), citing documents. As per the documents, some of the toxic risks in these capsules included a large pool of dark liquid festering on the floor, no fresh air, and asbestos readings 50 times higher than the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) safety standards. On Dec 30, 2001, an air force investigation found that the workplace (capsules) was free of health hazards. However, the documents, which date back to the 1980s, tell a far different story from what the air force said when reports of cancer among service members started to emerge. “Sometimes, illnesses tend to occur by chance alone,” a follow-up 2005 Air Force review found, the report said, adding that the capsules were again under scrutiny. Hundreds of missileers diagnosed with cancer Earlier in January, the Associated Press reported that at least nine current or former nuclear missile officers, also called missileers, had been diagnosed with the blood cancer non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Following this news, hundreds of others came forward self-reporting cancer diagnoses. In response, the air force launched its most sweeping review to date and tested thousands of air, water, soil and surface samples in all of the facilities where the service members worked. The report further said that four current samples came back with unsafe levels of polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs. PCBs are a known carcinogen used in electrical wiring. Current missileers told the news agency they were concerned by the new reports but believed the air force was being transparent in its search for toxins. “Whenever you hear ‘cancer’ it’s a little concerning,” said Lt. Joy Hawkins, 23, a missileer at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana. Lt. Samantha McGlinchey, another missileer at the base said, "There’s more testing, things to come, cleanup efforts." More data is expected early next year. The air force has already been working on an official count of how many current or former missile community service members have cancer. The warning signs At present, there are three nuclear missile bases in the US: F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming, Minot, and Malmstrom. Each of these bases has 15 underground launch capsules that are manned around the clock. There have been plenty of warnings about past toxic risks in the documents obtained by AP. The report said that an environmental team at Malmstrom base's capsules Hotel and Juliet got worrisome asbestos readings from underneath a generator in the capsule equipment rooms which are also underground within the same sealed-in workplace. The EPA's threshold for asbestos exposure is 1% for an eight-hour workday. But missileers were locked in there for 24 hours at a time, at least. If the weather was bad and the replacement crew couldn’t make the drive to the site, a team could be stuck underground for as long as three days. Both Hotel and Juliet capsules recorded solid samples of chrysotile asbestos. However, in the official report, the risks were downplayed. “Asbestos presents a health hazard only when it is crushed (able to be crushed or pulverized by hand pressure.) All suspect (asbestos) was found to be in good condition,” an annual review of the Hotel said. All of these capsules would shut in a few years as the new gigantic ICBM called the Sentinel would come online. The old capsules would be demolished and a new, modern underground control centre would be built on top of them. Air force teams working on the new designs are privy to the cancer reports and would apply modern environmental health standards in the new centre, said Maj. Gen. John Newberry, commander of the air force’s nuclear weapons centre. (With inputs from agencies)

Toxins lurked in US Air Force's nuclear missile capsules, many of the crew have cancer: Report

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