<p>Taiwan will vote for a new president on Saturday (Jan 13) in an election watched across the world as the new leader in Taipei City will determine the course of affairs in the self-ruled island nation amid growing aggression by Communist-ruled China.&nbsp;</p>

<p>China views Taiwan as its territory&nbsp;and has never renounced the use of force to take it one day.</p>

<p>A&nbsp;vibrant democracy of over 23 million, Taiwan is separated by a narrow 180-kilometer (110-mile) strait from&nbsp;China, which in recent years has become an active geo-economic spot of aggression by Chinese&nbsp;armed forces.</p>

<p>The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is weighing in a third term in a row with the frontrunner and Vice President Lai Ching-te calling upon the Taiwanese voters to "choose the right path" for the island nation's democratic credentials.<img alt="AFP | Taiwan elections" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="71841057-0be4-41e7-af79-d98ce1b5c466" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20-%202024-01-11T171640.417.png" /></p>

<p><em>This picture taken on December 7, 2023, shows a motorcyclist riding past a poster of Taiwan 2024 presidential candidate Lai Ching-te for the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) outside the DPP party branch in Kinmen | AFP</em></p>

<p>His main opponent, former police chief and mayor Hou Yu-ih has described Lai as a danger to Taipei-Beijing relations. Hou, the leader of&nbsp;the once all-powerful Kuomintang (KMT) party has attempted to put across his party as the only political force capable of maintaining peace with China.</p>

<h2><b>Taiwan elections 2024: Focus on day-to-day issues</b></h2>

<p>While in the corridors of power across the world&nbsp;the concern&nbsp;has been on China's assertiveness in the region, inside Taiwan&nbsp;the&nbsp;notable focus remains on domestic concerns as well as discontent towards the ruling Democratic Progressive establishment for neglecting day-to-day issues.&nbsp;<img alt="AFP image: Taiwan elections" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="00ba4c61-aba3-4730-95bc-2d9e6f2b6e55" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20-%202024-01-11T172007.326.png" /></p>

<p><em>Hou Yu-ih (C), presidential candidate of the main opposition Kuomintang (KMT), visits the Sanhe Market during his campaign rally with local legislative candidates in Kaohsiung on January 10, 2024 | AFP</em></p>

<p>The island nation's dealings with China, however, remain one of the major issues for the Taiwanese voters. But the wide-ranging discussions among voters point towards concerns that affect their day-to-day&nbsp;life more, experts based out of Taipei City told WION.</p>

<p>"Although China holds a central position in Taiwanese elections, there is a notable focus on domestic concerns and discontent towards the establishment for neglecting day-to-day issues.&nbsp;Some Taiwanese feel that an excessive emphasis on China has diverted attention from crucial aspects that directly shape their lives," <a href="https://www.taef.org/people/SanaHashmi">Sana Hashmi</a>, Postdoctoral Fellow at Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation in Taipei City, told WION.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The sustenance of democracy in the&nbsp;past many decades remains a defining distinction that sets Taiwan apart from Communist-ruled China.</p>

<p>"The diverse and spirited discussions around multifaceted issues influencing voting patterns signify Taiwan's cherished democracy, especially among the younger voters. This appreciation for democratic values sets Taiwan apart from China and serves as a distinctive element defining its identity," Hashmi added.</p>

<p>But it's the demographic pattern of falling birth rates that has emerged as a matter of similarity between democratically-ruled Taiwan and Communist-ruled&nbsp;China in recent years.&nbsp;The current fertility rate for Taiwan is&nbsp;1.250 births per woman, with only immigration preventing a real decline in the island nation's population.</p>

<p>The fertility rate is one of many things that all three presidential candidates&nbsp;— Vice President Lai Ching-te of DPP,&nbsp;Hou Yu-ih of&nbsp;KMT; and Ko Wen-je of Taiwan People’s Party (TPP)&nbsp;— have emphasised upon during the past many&nbsp;weeks of the election campaign.&nbsp;</p>

<p>TPP's Ko is credited&nbsp;to have politicised the issue of the fertility rate after he called a press conference on November 7, 2023, specifically to discuss responses to the declining birth rate in Taiwan. Ko then promised a novel pregnancy bonus if elected to power.&nbsp;<img alt="TPP election AFP image" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="66330f52-dc04-4fa2-b617-34e6b6769c5f" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20-%202024-01-11T191359.666.png" /></p>

<p><em>Ko Wen-je, Taiwan presidential candidate from the Taiwan People's Party (TPP), is greeted by supporters during a campaign rally in Kaohsiung on January 7, 2024 | AFP</em><br />
<br />
In response, Vice President Lai's team brought&nbsp;attention to Ko's misogynistic comments from the past such as "unmarried women are like disabled parking spaces" and that they cause "instability and a national security crisis".</p>

<p>"Besides China, there are multiple domestic issues like Covid mismanagement and falling birth rate, which are equally important for the 2024 Taiwan elections," Suyash Desai, a Taiwan-based research scholar&nbsp;told WION.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Taiwan's indispensable place in global economy</strong></h2>

<p>Meanwhile, Taiwan's indispensable economic significance in the world is underlined by the fact that the&nbsp;36,193 sq km territory&nbsp;produces around 90 per cent of the world's leading-edge semiconductors&nbsp;that are used for artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum computing applications.</p>

<p>The semiconductor chips are increasingly emerging as pivots of the global economy, and are described as the 'new oil' of the technology age. The computing power accessed through microchips, from data centres to smartphones, is required for all parts of the global&nbsp;economy.</p>

<p><strong>Also watch |&nbsp;Gravitas Plus: Who's winning the Chip War?</strong></p>

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<p>The tensions with China over its sovereignty and Washington's role in ensuring Taiwan's self-defence in the face of Chinese aggression are all linked with <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-china-chip-war-intensify-amid-calls-for-small-yard-high-fence-approach-to-contain-china-618392">chip wars</a>, the fight for the world's most crucial technologies, as well.<br />
<br />
"The election outcomes hold profound significance beyond the semiconductor industry in Taiwan. They wield influence over the strategic and economic landscape, extending to cross-strait relations and the dynamics between the US and China," Hashmi told WION.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>The China factor</strong></h2>

<p>The 2024 Taiwan elections are unique primarily because of the change in the Chinese approach and coercion tactics that it applies while dealing with the cross-strait dispute.</p>

<p>Beijing's aggression against Taiwan escalated in 2019 when it&nbsp;crossed the median line for the first time in 20 years, a recurrence whose frequency in recent years has become&nbsp;symbolic of the&nbsp;security threat posed by China to the sovereignty of Taiwan.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Since September 2020, China has also begun regular incursions into Taiwan's Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ).</p>

<p>On December 31, 2023,&nbsp;Chinese President Xi Jinping <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-will-surely-be-reunified-says-president-xi-jinping-in-new-years-speech-675342">said</a> that the country&nbsp;would "surely be reunified", in his&nbsp;most direct threat so far to annex Taiwan.</p>

<p>As the voting day of Jan 13, 2024 closes in, Beijing has called the&nbsp;presidential frontrunner&nbsp;Lai Ching-te&nbsp;a "severe danger" and said he would threaten peace by following the "evil path" of independence.&nbsp;Lai, who had once called himself a "pragmatic worker for&nbsp;Taiwan's independence", has taken a softer line on the issue on the campaign trail.</p>

<p><strong>Also watch |&nbsp;Taiwan's elections marked by testy exchange on autonomy, independence</strong></p>

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<p>One-time opponents of the Chinese Communist Party, Taiwan's oldest political party Kuomintang (KMT) has evolved into a political force that sees Taiwan's economic fortunes closely&nbsp;linked to better ties with Beijing.</p>

<p>The previous election in 2020 saw a historic landslide for the Democratic Progressive Party's Tsai Ing-wen, who boldly asserted that Taiwan is "already independent".</p>

<p>Over Tsai's eight-year tenure, Beijing refused to engage with her government, as tensions ramped up across the Taiwan Strait. After hosting the US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in August 2022, the Tsai administration also extended mandatory military service from four months to one year.<img alt="Nancy Pelosi in China" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="7d7ec808-113d-4367-bd4f-ca1cbe6f7c97" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20-%202024-01-11T184015.825.png" /></p>

<p><em>The&nbsp;US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (2nd L) with Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen (2nd R), Vice President William Lai (R) and Director of American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Sandra Oudkirk listen, in the Presidential Office in Taipei&nbsp;on August 3, 2022 | AFP</em></p>

<p>Tsai has been emphatic that&nbsp;'peace with China will not fall from the sky' and that Taiwan can&nbsp;avoid a war with China "by being capable of fighting a war".</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/taiwans-extended-conscription-and-loss-of-face-for-xi-jinping-547113">Taiwan's extended conscription and 'loss of face' for Xi Jinping</a></strong></p>

<p>With Vice President Lai Ching-te a frontrunner for president, experts say that the outcome of Saturday's&nbsp;election will have serious implications for the security of the broader Indo-Pacific region.</p>

<p>Sana Hashmi told WION: "The results of these elections&nbsp;will chart trajectories that could reverberate across the Indo-Pacific, influencing regional stability and shaping the US' and other countries' approaches to China and the region."</p>


Taiwan will vote for a new president on Saturday (Jan 13) in an election watched across the world as the new leader in Taipei City will determine the course of affairs in the self-ruled island nation amid growing aggression by Communist-ruled China.

Taiwan will vote for a new president on Saturday (Jan 13) in an election watched across the world as the new leader in Taipei City will determine the course of affairs in the self-ruled island nation amid growing aggression by Communist-ruled China. China views Taiwan as its territory and has never renounced the use of force to take it one day. A vibrant democracy of over 23 million, Taiwan is separated by a narrow 180-kilometer (110-mile) strait from China, which in recent years has become an active geo-economic spot of aggression by Chinese armed forces. The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is weighing in a third term in a row with the frontrunner and Vice President Lai Ching-te calling upon the Taiwanese voters to "choose the right path" for the island nation's democratic credentials. This picture taken on December 7, 2023, shows a motorcyclist riding past a poster of Taiwan 2024 presidential candidate Lai Ching-te for the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) outside the DPP party branch in Kinmen | AFP His main opponent, former police chief and mayor Hou Yu-ih has described Lai as a danger to Taipei-Beijing relations. Hou, the leader of the once all-powerful Kuomintang (KMT) party has attempted to put across his party as the only political force capable of maintaining peace with China. Taiwan elections 2024: Focus on day-to-day issues While in the corridors of power across the world the concern has been on China's assertiveness in the region, inside Taiwan the notable focus remains on domestic concerns as well as discontent towards the ruling Democratic Progressive establishment for neglecting day-to-day issues. Hou Yu-ih (C), presidential candidate of the main opposition Kuomintang (KMT), visits the Sanhe Market during his campaign rally with local legislative candidates in Kaohsiung on January 10, 2024 | AFP The island nation's dealings with China, however, remain one of the major issues for the Taiwanese voters. But the wide-ranging discussions among voters point towards concerns that affect their day-to-day life more, experts based out of Taipei City told WION. "Although China holds a central position in Taiwanese elections, there is a notable focus on domestic concerns and discontent towards the establishment for neglecting day-to-day issues. Some Taiwanese feel that an excessive emphasis on China has diverted attention from crucial aspects that directly shape their lives," Sana Hashmi, Postdoctoral Fellow at Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation in Taipei City, told WION. The sustenance of democracy in the past many decades remains a defining distinction that sets Taiwan apart from Communist-ruled China. "The diverse and spirited discussions around multifaceted issues influencing voting patterns signify Taiwan's cherished democracy, especially among the younger voters. This appreciation for democratic values sets Taiwan apart from China and serves as a distinctive element defining its identity," Hashmi added. But it's the demographic pattern of falling birth rates that has emerged as a matter of similarity between democratically-ruled Taiwan and Communist-ruled China in recent years. The current fertility rate for Taiwan is 1.250 births per woman, with only immigration preventing a real decline in the island nation's population. The fertility rate is one of many things that all three presidential candidates — Vice President Lai Ching-te of DPP, Hou Yu-ih of KMT; and Ko Wen-je of Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) — have emphasised upon during the past many weeks of the election campaign. TPP's Ko is credited to have politicised the issue of the fertility rate after he called a press conference on November 7, 2023, specifically to discuss responses to the declining birth rate in Taiwan. Ko then promised a novel pregnancy bonus if elected to power. Ko Wen-je, Taiwan presidential candidate from the Taiwan People's Party (TPP), is greeted by supporters during a campaign rally in Kaohsiung on January 7, 2024 | AFP In response, Vice President Lai's team brought attention to Ko's misogynistic comments from the past such as "unmarried women are like disabled parking spaces" and that they cause "instability and a national security crisis". "Besides China, there are multiple domestic issues like Covid mismanagement and falling birth rate, which are equally important for the 2024 Taiwan elections," Suyash Desai, a Taiwan-based research scholar told WION. Taiwan's indispensable place in global economy Meanwhile, Taiwan's indispensable economic significance in the world is underlined by the fact that the 36,193 sq km territory produces around 90 per cent of the world's leading-edge semiconductors that are used for artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum computing applications. The semiconductor chips are increasingly emerging as pivots of the global economy, and are described as the 'new oil' of the technology age. The computing power accessed through microchips, from data centres to smartphones, is required for all parts of the global economy. Also watch | Gravitas Plus: Who's winning the Chip War? × The tensions with China over its sovereignty and Washington's role in ensuring Taiwan's self-defence in the face of Chinese aggression are all linked with chip wars, the fight for the world's most crucial technologies, as well. "The election outcomes hold profound significance beyond the semiconductor industry in Taiwan. They wield influence over the strategic and economic landscape, extending to cross-strait relations and the dynamics between the US and China," Hashmi told WION. The China factor The 2024 Taiwan elections are unique primarily because of the change in the Chinese approach and coercion tactics that it applies while dealing with the cross-strait dispute. Beijing's aggression against Taiwan escalated in 2019 when it crossed the median line for the first time in 20 years, a recurrence whose frequency in recent years has become symbolic of the security threat posed by China to the sovereignty of Taiwan. Since September 2020, China has also begun regular incursions into Taiwan's Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ). On December 31, 2023, Chinese President Xi Jinping said that the country would "surely be reunified", in his most direct threat so far to annex Taiwan. As the voting day of Jan 13, 2024 closes in, Beijing has called the presidential frontrunner Lai Ching-te a "severe danger" and said he would threaten peace by following the "evil path" of independence. Lai, who had once called himself a "pragmatic worker for Taiwan's independence", has taken a softer line on the issue on the campaign trail. Also watch | Taiwan's elections marked by testy exchange on autonomy, independence × One-time opponents of the Chinese Communist Party, Taiwan's oldest political party Kuomintang (KMT) has evolved into a political force that sees Taiwan's economic fortunes closely linked to better ties with Beijing. The previous election in 2020 saw a historic landslide for the Democratic Progressive Party's Tsai Ing-wen, who boldly asserted that Taiwan is "already independent". Over Tsai's eight-year tenure, Beijing refused to engage with her government, as tensions ramped up across the Taiwan Strait. After hosting the US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in August 2022, the Tsai administration also extended mandatory military service from four months to one year. The US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (2nd L) with Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen (2nd R), Vice President William Lai (R) and Director of American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Sandra Oudkirk listen, in the Presidential Office in Taipei on August 3, 2022 | AFP Tsai has been emphatic that 'peace with China will not fall from the sky' and that Taiwan can avoid a war with China "by being capable of fighting a war". Also read | Taiwan's extended conscription and 'loss of face' for Xi Jinping With Vice President Lai Ching-te a frontrunner for president, experts say that the outcome of Saturday's election will have serious implications for the security of the broader Indo-Pacific region. Sana Hashmi told WION: "The results of these elections will chart trajectories that could reverberate across the Indo-Pacific, influencing regional stability and shaping the US' and other countries' approaches to China and the region."

Explained: How Taiwan is keeping up with democracy amid Xi Jinping's 'reunification' threat

<p>India witnessed a notable spike in Covid cases as the world's most populous nation&nbsp;reported&nbsp;514 new infections in a single day, according to data released by the Union Health Ministry on January 11 (Thursday). The figure takes&nbsp;the&nbsp;nation's active Covid case count to&nbsp;3,422.</p>

<p>The latest update also reported three additional deaths in the past 24 hours, with two fatalities in Maharashtra and one in the southern state of Karnataka. India's cumulative death toll due to Covid has now reached 5,33,409.</p>

<h2><strong>How India's Covid case count is rising</strong></h2>

<p>The shift in the Covid case count began around December 5, 2023, when the daily cases, previously below 100, started to rise.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also watch |&nbsp;India Covid: New JN.1 sub-variant causes worry, India reports 841 new cases in 24 hours</strong></p>

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<p>This uptick was attributed to the emergence of a new variant, JN.1, a member of the Omicron family classified as a "variant of interest" by the World Health Organization (WHO).</p>

<h2><strong>India's Covid case count and present situation&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>As of January 6, there have been 682 cases of the JN.1 sub-variant reported in 12 states.</p>

<p>According to the&nbsp;Health Ministry update at&nbsp; 8 a.m. on Thursday (Indian Standard Time), there has been a rise in active Covid cases across several&nbsp;states, including&nbsp;Maharashtra and Karnataka.</p>

<p>So far in India, more than 44 million (44,483,502 individuals) people have successfully recovered from the virus, with the&nbsp;cumulative national recovery rate standing&nbsp;at 98.81 per cent.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The current fatality rate is at 1.81 per cent.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-advisory-issued-to-states-amid-recent-upsurge-in-covid-19-cases-and-new-variant-concern-671029">India: Advisory issued to states amid recent upsurge in COVID-19 cases, new variant concerns</a></strong></p>

<p>While authorities advise against panic, individuals with pre-existing health conditions such as diabetes and hypertension are urged to wear face masks as a precautionary measure.&nbsp;</p>

<p>According to data available on the website of the Indian health ministry, so far over 2.2 billion doses of Covid vaccine (or 220.67 crore) have been administered across the country.</p>

<p>Vaccination continues to be the most effective mode to combat the spread of the virus.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


India witnessed a notable spike in Covid cases as the world's most populous nation reported 514 new infections in a single day, according to data released by the Union Health Ministry on January 11 (Thursday).

India witnessed a notable spike in Covid cases as the world's most populous nation reported 514 new infections in a single day, according to data released by the Union Health Ministry on January 11 (Thursday). The figure takes the nation's active Covid case count to 3,422. The latest update also reported three additional deaths in the past 24 hours, with two fatalities in Maharashtra and one in the southern state of Karnataka. India's cumulative death toll due to Covid has now reached 5,33,409. How India's Covid case count is rising The shift in the Covid case count began around December 5, 2023, when the daily cases, previously below 100, started to rise. Also watch | India Covid: New JN.1 sub-variant causes worry, India reports 841 new cases in 24 hours × This uptick was attributed to the emergence of a new variant, JN.1, a member of the Omicron family classified as a "variant of interest" by the World Health Organization (WHO). India's Covid case count and present situation As of January 6, there have been 682 cases of the JN.1 sub-variant reported in 12 states. According to the Health Ministry update at 8 a.m. on Thursday (Indian Standard Time), there has been a rise in active Covid cases across several states, including Maharashtra and Karnataka. So far in India, more than 44 million (44,483,502 individuals) people have successfully recovered from the virus, with the cumulative national recovery rate standing at 98.81 per cent. The current fatality rate is at 1.81 per cent. Also read | India: Advisory issued to states amid recent upsurge in COVID-19 cases, new variant concerns While authorities advise against panic, individuals with pre-existing health conditions such as diabetes and hypertension are urged to wear face masks as a precautionary measure. According to data available on the website of the Indian health ministry, so far over 2.2 billion doses of Covid vaccine (or 220.67 crore) have been administered across the country. Vaccination continues to be the most effective mode to combat the spread of the virus. (With inputs from agencies)

India: Covid kills two in Maharashtra, Karnataka as cases rise due to JN.1 sub-variant

Top BJP Leaders Who Led Ram Temple Movement


Lal Krishna Advani launched and led a nationwide roadshow, the Ram Rath Yatra, from Somnath in Gujarat to Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya in 1990, but was arrested in Bihar. 

The 'professor' of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was with Advani at every step until Dec 6, 1992, and the court trial that followed.

Mahajan is known to have convinced Advani to drop the idea of travelling by foot from Somnath to Ayodhya. Upon his suggestion, the Rath Yatra was undertaken which cultivated consciousness for Ram temple across its route. 

The BJP vice president was indicted by the Liberhan Commission for her alleged role in inciting the crowd on Dec 6, 1992 to demolish the disputed religious structure at the site of Lord Ram’s birthplace. 

As the then chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, Kalyan Singh defended his government’s decision not to order firing or use of force against devotees heading towards the medieval structure on and before Dec 6, 1992.

The BJP leader who thrice became India’s prime minister after the events of Dec 6 1992, is not known to be as directly involved with these events. But his speech in Lucknow a day before, in which he called for ‘flattening of the surface’ at the site of Ram Janmabhoomi, is widely interpreted as his assent for the events that followed in Ayodhya a day later.

These leaders of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led Ram Temple movement

<p>Hafiz Saeed, the Pakistan-based terrorist and mastermind of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, is serving a 78-year prison sentence in Pakistan, the United Nations said in its updated information.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Saeed is facing conviction in seven terror financing cases.</p>

<p>Saeed, designated as a global terrorist by the UN Security Council's 1267 Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee in December 2008, is "in (the) custody of the Government of Pakistan, serving a 78-year imprisonment sentence since 12 February 2020 as a result of conviction in seven terror financing cases," the committee said in an amended entry.</p>

<h2><strong>So is Pakistan acting against terror?</strong></h2>

<p>Pakistan continues to foster terror to infiltrate terrorists across the Line of Control into India's Jammu and Kashmir. While the cross-border infiltrations have decreased since August 2019 when India abrogated the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, dozens of terrorist training camps continue to remain active in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Besides, Hafiz Saeed's son Talha Saeed is set to contest in Pakistan's national elections scheduled to be held in February 2024.</p>

<p>Talha is a candidate from a constituency in Lahore from the radical Pakistan Markazi Muslim League (PMML) party.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-imran-khans-election-nomination-rejected-from-two-constituencies-675068">Pakistan: Imran Khan’s election nomination rejected from two constituencies</a></strong></p>

<p>Interestingly, former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan too was a candidate from the same constituency, Lahore's NA-122, before his candidature was declared null and void by Pakistan's election commission.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Considered number 2 in Lashkar-e-Taeba (LeT), second only to his father, Talha is designated a terrorist in India under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).</p>

<p>New Delhi's repeated attempts to get Hafiz Talha designated as a terrorist with the UN have been <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/explained-how-china-bolsters-pakistans-terror-infrastructure-as-world-remembers-2611-victims-662761">blocked by China</a>.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">MEA on Hafiz Saeed's son Talha Saeed standing for elections: Issue of radical elements being normalised, &amp; participating in elections. Mainstreaming of radical elements outfits in Pakistan is nothing new &amp; part of the state policy for a long time. It has security implications <a href="https://t.co/ODtxySyF2c">https://t.co/ODtxySyF2c</a></p>
— Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) <a href="https://twitter.com/sidhant/status/1740725773487706174?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 29, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<p>India's foreign ministry described Talha's electioneering in Pakistan as a 'mainstreaming of radical elements' and its subsequent normalisation.</p>

<h2><strong>What else did the UN say?</strong></h2>

<p>The UN Sanctions Committee also noted that Hafiz Abdul Salam Bhuttavi, founding member of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Saeed's deputy, is "confirmed deceased."</p>

<p><strong>Also watch |&nbsp;Gravitas: Who is killing terrorists in Pakistan?</strong></p>

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<p>Bhuttavi was a&nbsp;UN-designated terrorist who trained the Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists, including Ajmal Amir Kasab&nbsp;for the 2008 Mumbai terror attack and acted as the terror outfit's chief on at least two occasions.</p>

<p>He died in prison in May last year in Pakistan's Punjab province. Bhuttavi was serving a sentence for terror financing.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Hafiz Saeed, the Pakistan-based terrorist and mastermind of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, is serving a 78-year prison sentence in Pakistan, the United Nations said in its updated information.

Hafiz Saeed, the Pakistan-based terrorist and mastermind of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, is serving a 78-year prison sentence in Pakistan, the United Nations said in its updated information. Saeed is facing conviction in seven terror financing cases. Saeed, designated as a global terrorist by the UN Security Council's 1267 Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee in December 2008, is "in (the) custody of the Government of Pakistan, serving a 78-year imprisonment sentence since 12 February 2020 as a result of conviction in seven terror financing cases," the committee said in an amended entry. So is Pakistan acting against terror? Pakistan continues to foster terror to infiltrate terrorists across the Line of Control into India's Jammu and Kashmir. While the cross-border infiltrations have decreased since August 2019 when India abrogated the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, dozens of terrorist training camps continue to remain active in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Besides, Hafiz Saeed's son Talha Saeed is set to contest in Pakistan's national elections scheduled to be held in February 2024. Talha is a candidate from a constituency in Lahore from the radical Pakistan Markazi Muslim League (PMML) party. Also read | Pakistan: Imran Khan’s election nomination rejected from two constituencies Interestingly, former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan too was a candidate from the same constituency, Lahore's NA-122, before his candidature was declared null and void by Pakistan's election commission. Considered number 2 in Lashkar-e-Taeba (LeT), second only to his father, Talha is designated a terrorist in India under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). New Delhi's repeated attempts to get Hafiz Talha designated as a terrorist with the UN have been blocked by China. MEA on Hafiz Saeed's son Talha Saeed standing for elections: Issue of radical elements being normalised, & participating in elections. Mainstreaming of radical elements outfits in Pakistan is nothing new & part of the state policy for a long time. It has security implications https://t.co/ODtxySyF2c — Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) December 29, 2023 × India's foreign ministry described Talha's electioneering in Pakistan as a 'mainstreaming of radical elements' and its subsequent normalisation. What else did the UN say? The UN Sanctions Committee also noted that Hafiz Abdul Salam Bhuttavi, founding member of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Saeed's deputy, is "confirmed deceased." Also watch | Gravitas: Who is killing terrorists in Pakistan? × Bhuttavi was a UN-designated terrorist who trained the Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists, including Ajmal Amir Kasab for the 2008 Mumbai terror attack and acted as the terror outfit's chief on at least two occasions. He died in prison in May last year in Pakistan's Punjab province. Bhuttavi was serving a sentence for terror financing. (With inputs from agencies)

Terrorist Hafiz Saeed is serving 78-year prison sentence in Pakistan: UN

<p>Scientists have made the clinical introduction of a straightforward DNA test capable of identifying 18 early-stage cancers, marking a potential revolution in the field of medical diagnostics.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Cancer is deemed responsible for one in six global deaths. The breakthrough could emerge as a potential 'gamechanger' in the field of healthcare.</p>

<p>A team of US researchers at the biotech firm Novelna has crafted a DNA test that showed the ability to detect 18 early-stage cancers in the vital organs of the human body.</p>

<p>By examining proteins in blood plasma, researchers achieved the differentiation of cancer samples from normal ones and even distinguished between various types of cancers with high accuracy.</p>

<p><strong>Also watch |&nbsp;Cancer experts unveil groundbreaking discovery, eliminates need for invasive surgeries | WION</strong>&nbsp;</p>

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<p>Their study, published in the BMJ Oncology Journal, suggests that cancer protein signals may exhibit sex-specific characteristics.</p>

<h2><strong>What does it mean?</strong></h2>

<p>The potential implications of this breakthrough could reshape screening guidelines, incorporating the plasma test as a standard component of routine check-ups.</p>

<h2><strong>How was the study conducted?</strong></h2>

<p>The study involved collecting blood plasma samples from 440 individuals diagnosed with 18 types of cancer and 44 healthy blood donors. The identification of proteins indicative of early-stage cancers and their origin was conducted with high accuracy, particularly at stage 1 and a precision of 99 per cent.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Researchers acknowledge the need for further studies with larger sample sizes.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/in-major-breakthrough-scientists-discover-kill-switch-that-can-kill-cancer-658330">In major breakthrough, scientists discover ‘kill switch' that can eliminate cancer cells</a></strong></p>

<p>Dr Mangesh Thorat, of the Centre for Cancer Prevention at the Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine, who was not involved with the study, said that more studies were needed.</p>

<p>"However, the interesting aspects of this assay are a much higher sensitivity for stage I cancers than other similar assays in development and gender-specific performance differences which are biologically and clinically relevant," he was quoted as saying by The Guardian.</p>

<p>"If the assay performance in future, well-designed sequential studies is anywhere close to what this preliminary study suggests, then it could really be a gamechanger."</p>


Scientists have made the clinical introduction of a straightforward DNA test capable of identifying 18 early-stage cancers, marking a potential revolution in the field of medical diagnostics.

Scientists have made the clinical introduction of a straightforward DNA test capable of identifying 18 early-stage cancers, marking a potential revolution in the field of medical diagnostics. Cancer is deemed responsible for one in six global deaths. The breakthrough could emerge as a potential 'gamechanger' in the field of healthcare. A team of US researchers at the biotech firm Novelna has crafted a DNA test that showed the ability to detect 18 early-stage cancers in the vital organs of the human body. By examining proteins in blood plasma, researchers achieved the differentiation of cancer samples from normal ones and even distinguished between various types of cancers with high accuracy. Also watch | Cancer experts unveil groundbreaking discovery, eliminates need for invasive surgeries | WION × Their study, published in the BMJ Oncology Journal, suggests that cancer protein signals may exhibit sex-specific characteristics. What does it mean? The potential implications of this breakthrough could reshape screening guidelines, incorporating the plasma test as a standard component of routine check-ups. How was the study conducted? The study involved collecting blood plasma samples from 440 individuals diagnosed with 18 types of cancer and 44 healthy blood donors. The identification of proteins indicative of early-stage cancers and their origin was conducted with high accuracy, particularly at stage 1 and a precision of 99 per cent. Researchers acknowledge the need for further studies with larger sample sizes. Also read | In major breakthrough, scientists discover ‘kill switch' that can eliminate cancer cells Dr Mangesh Thorat, of the Centre for Cancer Prevention at the Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine, who was not involved with the study, said that more studies were needed. "However, the interesting aspects of this assay are a much higher sensitivity for stage I cancers than other similar assays in development and gender-specific performance differences which are biologically and clinically relevant," he was quoted as saying by The Guardian. "If the assay performance in future, well-designed sequential studies is anywhere close to what this preliminary study suggests, then it could really be a gamechanger."

Scientists develop advanced DNA test that can detect 18 early stage cancers

<p>Masked men wielding guns and explosives forcefully entered the set of a live broadcast on the TC Television network in Guayaquil, Ecuador. The armed intruders interrupted a news programme while brandishing pistols and what appeared to be dynamite.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The televised intrusion lasted approximately 15 minutes before the station's signal was cut off.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The incident left station personnel in shock, with Alina Manrique, head of news for TC Television stating, "All I know is that it's time to leave this country and go very far away."</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="es">🇪🇨 | URGENTE: Delincuentes irrumpieron en TC Televisión y secuestran a todos en vivo y directo en Guayaquil, Ecuador. <a href="https://t.co/ob1yleusOc">pic.twitter.com/ob1yleusOc</a></p>
— Alerta Mundial (@AlertaMundoNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlertaMundoNews/status/1744808500989972832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 9, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<p>Ecuador has been grappling with a series of attacks, including the abduction of police officers, following the reported escape of gang leader Adolfo Macías, alias "Fito", from prison.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>State of Emergency declared in Ecuador</strong></h2>

<p>President Daniel Noboa declared a national state of emergency on Monday (Jan 8) and granted authorities the power to suspend individual rights and deploy the military.</p>

<p>The US State Department said on Tuesday (Jan 9) it was "extremely concerned" by violence in Ecuador.</p>

<p>"Extremely concerned by today's violence &amp; kidnappings in Ecuador," the top US diplomat for Latin America, Brian Nichols, wrote on X, adding that American officials would "remain in close contact" with President Daniel Noboa's team.</p>

<p>President Noboa authorised the military to "neutralise" the armed groups. The national police chief confirmed the arrest of all masked intruders and seized their weapons and explosives. Thirteen individuals were taken into custody.</p>

<p><strong>Also watch |&nbsp;Ecuador: State of emergency declared after most wanted criminal escapes prison</strong></p>

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<p>Ecuador has refrained from disclosing the total number of attacks or identifying the perpetrators behind the recent wave of violence.</p>

<h2><strong>At least 10 dead in gang violence so far: Police</strong></h2>

<p>At least 10 people, including two law enforcement officers, have been killed in violence linked to criminal gangs in Ecuador, police said,&nbsp;a matter&nbsp;the country's president described as "an internal armed conflict."</p>

<p>Eight people were dead and three injured in a series of attacks in the port city of Guayaquil, a local police chief said at a press conference. In a separate statement posted on X, police also said that two officers were "viciously murdered by armed criminals" in the nearby town of Nobol.</p>

<h2><strong>Who is responsible for escalating violence in Ecuador?</strong></h2>

<p>Los Choneros, one of the implicated gangs with ties to Mexico's Sinaloa cartel, is held responsible for escalating violence in Ecuador, including the assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Adolfo Macías, the gang leader, remains at large following his apparent escape, prompting investigations and charges against prison guards.</p>

<p>President Noboa said that he is determined to restore peace, and declared on Instagram that his government would confront crime head-on.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ecuador-mayor-survives-assassination-attempt-ahead-of-general-elections-627033">Ecuador mayor survives assassination attempt ahead of general elections</a></strong></p>

<p>States of emergency, also deployed by Noboa's predecessor Guillermo Lasso, have become a recurrent measure to combat rising violence in Ecuador.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Masked men wielding guns and explosives forcefully entered the set of a live broadcast on the TC Television network in Guayaquil, Ecuador. The armed intruders interrupted a news programme while brandishing pistols and what appeared to be dynamite.

Masked men wielding guns and explosives forcefully entered the set of a live broadcast on the TC Television network in Guayaquil, Ecuador. The armed intruders interrupted a news programme while brandishing pistols and what appeared to be dynamite. The televised intrusion lasted approximately 15 minutes before the station's signal was cut off. The incident left station personnel in shock, with Alina Manrique, head of news for TC Television stating, "All I know is that it's time to leave this country and go very far away." 🇪🇨 | URGENTE: Delincuentes irrumpieron en TC Televisión y secuestran a todos en vivo y directo en Guayaquil, Ecuador. pic.twitter.com/ob1yleusOc — Alerta Mundial (@AlertaMundoNews) January 9, 2024 × Ecuador has been grappling with a series of attacks, including the abduction of police officers, following the reported escape of gang leader Adolfo Macías, alias "Fito", from prison. State of Emergency declared in Ecuador President Daniel Noboa declared a national state of emergency on Monday (Jan 8) and granted authorities the power to suspend individual rights and deploy the military. The US State Department said on Tuesday (Jan 9) it was "extremely concerned" by violence in Ecuador. "Extremely concerned by today's violence & kidnappings in Ecuador," the top US diplomat for Latin America, Brian Nichols, wrote on X, adding that American officials would "remain in close contact" with President Daniel Noboa's team. President Noboa authorised the military to "neutralise" the armed groups. The national police chief confirmed the arrest of all masked intruders and seized their weapons and explosives. Thirteen individuals were taken into custody. Also watch | Ecuador: State of emergency declared after most wanted criminal escapes prison × Ecuador has refrained from disclosing the total number of attacks or identifying the perpetrators behind the recent wave of violence. At least 10 dead in gang violence so far: Police At least 10 people, including two law enforcement officers, have been killed in violence linked to criminal gangs in Ecuador, police said, a matter the country's president described as "an internal armed conflict." Eight people were dead and three injured in a series of attacks in the port city of Guayaquil, a local police chief said at a press conference. In a separate statement posted on X, police also said that two officers were "viciously murdered by armed criminals" in the nearby town of Nobol. Who is responsible for escalating violence in Ecuador? Los Choneros, one of the implicated gangs with ties to Mexico's Sinaloa cartel, is held responsible for escalating violence in Ecuador, including the assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio. Adolfo Macías, the gang leader, remains at large following his apparent escape, prompting investigations and charges against prison guards. President Noboa said that he is determined to restore peace, and declared on Instagram that his government would confront crime head-on. Also read | Ecuador mayor survives assassination attempt ahead of general elections States of emergency, also deployed by Noboa's predecessor Guillermo Lasso, have become a recurrent measure to combat rising violence in Ecuador. (With inputs from agencies)

Ecuador: Gunshots on live TV broadcast send shockwaves amid state of emergency | Video

<p>The last batch of documents related to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was released on Tuesday (Jan 9). It's the fourth release of records related to the survivor Virginia Giuffre's case against Ghislaine Maxwell, the late financier's former girlfriend.</p>

<h2><strong>Who all were accused to be the traffickers?</strong></h2>

<p>The final set of Jeffrey Epstein-related documents revealed the plaintiff had accused Bill Richardson, Marvin Minsky and Les Wexner of sex trafficking her in a 2016 deposition.</p>

<p>The lawsuit, filed in 2015, was settled in 2017. Maxwell has since been jailed for 20 years for helping Epstein abuse young girls. Maxwell is appealing against her conviction.</p>

<p>These documents, unsealed as part of a court ruling, showed that Epstein paid&nbsp;Virginia Giuffre&nbsp;$15,000 to have sex with Britain's Prince Andrew in 2011.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/jeffrey-epsteins-court-files-unsealed-prince-andrew-and-clinton-emerge-as-big-names-676343">Jeffrey Epstein's court files unsealed, Bill Clinton and Prince Andrew emerge as big names</a></strong></p>

<p>Prince Andrew has repeatedly denied they had sex.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Giuffre was also directed to have sex with another prince, the unnamed owner of a large hotel chain and a billionaire hedge fund manager Glenn Dubin, according to a transcript cited in the released documents.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Former US presidents Bill Clinton and Donald Trump were also mentioned in unsealed depositions by Maxwell and an Epstein accuser, Johanna Sjoberg.</p>

<p>Sjoberg said that Maxwell recruited her as a massage therapist while she attended Palm Beach Atlantic College in 2001.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Neither of the former US presidents is accused of wrongdoing in the depositions.</p>

<h2><strong>Did Epstein make sex tapes?</strong></h2>

<p>The filings also show that one accuser Sarah Ransome claimed to have seen sex tapes filmed by the disgraced financier.</p>

<p>She later said that she wanted to retract the allegations.</p>

<p>In one undated email from the released files included as evidence, Ransome says: "When my friend had sexual intercourse with Clinton, Prince Andrew, and Richard Branson, sex tapes were filmed on each separate occasion by Jeffery [sic]."</p>

<p>Three other tranches of long-sealed Epstein court files were released last week. They, however, contained few details that weren't previously known.</p>

<p><strong>Also watch |&nbsp;More court documents related to Jeffrey Epstein unsealed</strong></p>

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<p>Epstein pleaded guilty to soliciting prostitution from a minor in 2008 and allegedly killed himself in 2019 while awaiting trial over sex trafficking charges.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


The last batch of documents related to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was released on Tuesday (Jan 9). It's the fourth release of records related to the survivor Virginia Giuffre's case against Ghislaine Maxwell, the late financier's former girlfriend.

The last batch of documents related to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was released on Tuesday (Jan 9). It's the fourth release of records related to the survivor Virginia Giuffre's case against Ghislaine Maxwell, the late financier's former girlfriend. Who all were accused to be the traffickers? The final set of Jeffrey Epstein-related documents revealed the plaintiff had accused Bill Richardson, Marvin Minsky and Les Wexner of sex trafficking her in a 2016 deposition. The lawsuit, filed in 2015, was settled in 2017. Maxwell has since been jailed for 20 years for helping Epstein abuse young girls. Maxwell is appealing against her conviction. These documents, unsealed as part of a court ruling, showed that Epstein paid Virginia Giuffre $15,000 to have sex with Britain's Prince Andrew in 2011. Also read | Jeffrey Epstein's court files unsealed, Bill Clinton and Prince Andrew emerge as big names Prince Andrew has repeatedly denied they had sex. Giuffre was also directed to have sex with another prince, the unnamed owner of a large hotel chain and a billionaire hedge fund manager Glenn Dubin, according to a transcript cited in the released documents. Former US presidents Bill Clinton and Donald Trump were also mentioned in unsealed depositions by Maxwell and an Epstein accuser, Johanna Sjoberg. Sjoberg said that Maxwell recruited her as a massage therapist while she attended Palm Beach Atlantic College in 2001. Neither of the former US presidents is accused of wrongdoing in the depositions. Did Epstein make sex tapes? The filings also show that one accuser Sarah Ransome claimed to have seen sex tapes filmed by the disgraced financier. She later said that she wanted to retract the allegations. In one undated email from the released files included as evidence, Ransome says: "When my friend had sexual intercourse with Clinton, Prince Andrew, and Richard Branson, sex tapes were filmed on each separate occasion by Jeffery [sic]." Three other tranches of long-sealed Epstein court files were released last week. They, however, contained few details that weren't previously known. Also watch | More court documents related to Jeffrey Epstein unsealed × Epstein pleaded guilty to soliciting prostitution from a minor in 2008 and allegedly killed himself in 2019 while awaiting trial over sex trafficking charges. (With inputs from agencies)

Epstein papers: Virginia Giuffre claims she was paid $15,000 to have sex with Prince Andrew

<p>Indian minority affairs minister&nbsp;Smriti Irani this week led the first-ever non-Muslim Indian delegation to Medina, one of Islam’s holiest cities in Saudi Arabia. Irani on Monday (Jan 8) interacted with Indian volunteers serving Haj&nbsp;Umrah pilgrims from India.</p>

<p>The minister in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's administration, a mighty politician who got elected to parliament after defeating Rahul Gandhi from his family borough in Uttar Pradesh's Amethi,&nbsp;also took inputs to further improve the facilities for Indian pilgrims.</p>

<p><strong>Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/web-stories/features/smriti-irani-amethi-and-myth-of-gandhi-bastion-1702558961168">Smriti Irani, Amethi and Myth of Gandhi Bastion</a></strong></p>

<p>Irani was accompanied by Minister of State for External Affairs&nbsp;V Muraleedharan and officials from the ministries of Minority Affairs and External Affairs. She visited the perimeter of Masjid-e-Nabwi or the Prophet’s mosque in Medina, which also houses Prophet Muhammad’s tomb.</p>

<p>"Undertook a historic journey to Madinah today, one of Islam’s holiest cities included a visit to the periphery of the revered Prophet’s Mosque, Al Masjid Al Nabwi, the mountain of Uhud, and periphery of the Quba Mosque—the first Mosque of Islam," Irani posted on X, formerly Twitter, on Monday.</p>

<p>Irani added that the visit remains&nbsp;"significant" as it "underscores the depth of our cultural and spiritual engagement."</p>

<p>The Saudi authorities have now relaxed the bar on visits of non-Muslims to the holy city of Medina.</p>

<p>The lifting of the restriction is part of Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman’s many reforms in Saudi Arabia that have been aimed at ensuring rights for women in deeply conservative Saudi society.</p>

<p><strong>Also watch |&nbsp;India PM Modi discusses maritime security with Saudi Crown Prince MBS | WION Newspoint</strong></p>

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<p>The visit was part of the diplomatic mission, during which the signing of a bilateral agreement on January 7 between the two nations for Haj 2024 was also accomplished.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/pm-modi-calls-up-saudi-crown-prince-thanks-him-for-support-during-evacuation-of-indians-from-sudan-602389">PM Modi calls up Saudi Crown Prince, thanks him for ‘support’ in evacuation of Indians from Sudan</a></strong></p>

<p>According to the&nbsp;agreement signed between Riyadh and New Delhi, India got a total quota of 1,75,025 pilgrims for Haj 2024, a major boost towards pilgrimage undertaken to Islam's holiest sites by the Indian Muslims.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Indian minority affairs minister Smriti Irani this week led the first-ever non-Muslim Indian delegation to Medina, one of Islam’s holiest cities in Saudi Arabia.

Indian minority affairs minister Smriti Irani this week led the first-ever non-Muslim Indian delegation to Medina, one of Islam’s holiest cities in Saudi Arabia. Irani on Monday (Jan 8) interacted with Indian volunteers serving Haj Umrah pilgrims from India. The minister in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's administration, a mighty politician who got elected to parliament after defeating Rahul Gandhi from his family borough in Uttar Pradesh's Amethi, also took inputs to further improve the facilities for Indian pilgrims. Also read | Smriti Irani, Amethi and Myth of Gandhi Bastion Irani was accompanied by Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan and officials from the ministries of Minority Affairs and External Affairs. She visited the perimeter of Masjid-e-Nabwi or the Prophet’s mosque in Medina, which also houses Prophet Muhammad’s tomb. "Undertook a historic journey to Madinah today, one of Islam’s holiest cities included a visit to the periphery of the revered Prophet’s Mosque, Al Masjid Al Nabwi, the mountain of Uhud, and periphery of the Quba Mosque—the first Mosque of Islam," Irani posted on X, formerly Twitter, on Monday. Irani added that the visit remains "significant" as it "underscores the depth of our cultural and spiritual engagement." The Saudi authorities have now relaxed the bar on visits of non-Muslims to the holy city of Medina. The lifting of the restriction is part of Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman’s many reforms in Saudi Arabia that have been aimed at ensuring rights for women in deeply conservative Saudi society. Also watch | India PM Modi discusses maritime security with Saudi Crown Prince MBS | WION Newspoint × The visit was part of the diplomatic mission, during which the signing of a bilateral agreement on January 7 between the two nations for Haj 2024 was also accomplished. Also read | PM Modi calls up Saudi Crown Prince, thanks him for ‘support’ in evacuation of Indians from Sudan According to the agreement signed between Riyadh and New Delhi, India got a total quota of 1,75,025 pilgrims for Haj 2024, a major boost towards pilgrimage undertaken to Islam's holiest sites by the Indian Muslims. (With inputs from agencies)

Minority affairs minister Smriti Irani brings home increased Haj quota for Indian Muslims

<p>The police in India's Goa state have found empty bottles of cough syrup in the room where the&nbsp;CEO of Mindful AI Lab Suchana Seth is alleged to have killed her four-year-old son, Press Trust of India reported.</p>

<p>A police official told the PTI that the finding of empty cough syrup bottles indicates that Suchana might have&nbsp;given a heavy dose of the medicine to her son and that it was a pre-planned murder.</p>

<p>Suchana Seth allegedly smothered her child to death either with a cloth or a pillow, according to officials cited by the PTI.</p>

<p>The Bengaluru-based techie&nbsp;allegedly killed her son in an apartment at Candolim in Goa and stuffed the body in a bag before taking it to neighbouring Karnataka in a taxi, police said.</p>

<p>"The post-mortem conducted on the body has indicated the possibility that the child might have been smothered to death and there were no signs of struggle," a senior police official told the Press Trust of India.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="Who is Suchana Seth? Bengaluru CEO arrested for ‘murdering’ her four-year-old son in Goa">Who is Suchana Seth? Bengaluru CEO arrested for ‘murdering’ her four-year-old son in Goa</a></strong></p>

<p>"We are examining the possibility if the woman gave a heavy dose of cough syrup to the child before putting him to death," the official said.</p>

<h2><strong>Suchana did not own an office space</strong></h2>

<p>Meanwhile, it was found that Suchana Seth's listed address of her company is a co-working space and not a particular office on its own, The Indian Express reported.&nbsp;</p>

<p>According to Suchana Seth's LinkedIn page, she is the CEO of Mindful AI Lab and was among the top ‘100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics for 2021’.</p>

<p>"Suchana is an AI ethics expert and data scientist with over 12 years of experience in mentoring data science teams, and scaling machine learning solutions at startups and industry research labs," her LinkedIn profile says.</p>

<p>The 39-year-old CEO was serving as a director of a machine intelligence-based firm registered in September 2020 and was active. "Goa police visited the office of the firm and collected information," a Bengaluru police official told The Indian Express.</p>

<p><strong>Also watch |&nbsp;Bengaluru CEO Suchana Seth charged with the murder of 4-year-old son in Goa</strong></p>

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<p>Seth&nbsp;was also affiliated with the Berkman Klein Center for Internet &amp; Society, a cyberspace research centre at Harvard University, Mozilla Fellow at Data &amp; Society, and a research fellow at the Raman Research Institute.</p>

<p>The alumni page of the cyberspace research centre&nbsp;described Seth as an "AI ethics expert and a data scientist".</p>

<p>"She has built scalable data science solutions for startups and industry research labs, and holds patents in text mining and natural language processing. Suchana believes in the power of data to drive positive change. She is also passionate about closing the gender gap in data science. In the past, Suchana has been a Mozilla Open Web Fellow at Data &amp; Society," the alumni page, which was last updated in March 2020, said.</p>

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The police in India's Goa state have found empty bottles of cough syrup in the room where the CEO of Mindful AI Lab Suchana Seth is alleged to have killed her four-year-old son, Press Trust of India reported.

The police in India's Goa state have found empty bottles of cough syrup in the room where the CEO of Mindful AI Lab Suchana Seth is alleged to have killed her four-year-old son, Press Trust of India reported. A police official told the PTI that the finding of empty cough syrup bottles indicates that Suchana might have given a heavy dose of the medicine to her son and that it was a pre-planned murder. Suchana Seth allegedly smothered her child to death either with a cloth or a pillow, according to officials cited by the PTI. The Bengaluru-based techie allegedly killed her son in an apartment at Candolim in Goa and stuffed the body in a bag before taking it to neighbouring Karnataka in a taxi, police said. "The post-mortem conducted on the body has indicated the possibility that the child might have been smothered to death and there were no signs of struggle," a senior police official told the Press Trust of India. Also read | Who is Suchana Seth? Bengaluru CEO arrested for ‘murdering’ her four-year-old son in Goa "We are examining the possibility if the woman gave a heavy dose of cough syrup to the child before putting him to death," the official said. Suchana did not own an office space Meanwhile, it was found that Suchana Seth's listed address of her company is a co-working space and not a particular office on its own, The Indian Express reported. According to Suchana Seth's LinkedIn page, she is the CEO of Mindful AI Lab and was among the top ‘100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics for 2021’. "Suchana is an AI ethics expert and data scientist with over 12 years of experience in mentoring data science teams, and scaling machine learning solutions at startups and industry research labs," her LinkedIn profile says. The 39-year-old CEO was serving as a director of a machine intelligence-based firm registered in September 2020 and was active. "Goa police visited the office of the firm and collected information," a Bengaluru police official told The Indian Express. Also watch | Bengaluru CEO Suchana Seth charged with the murder of 4-year-old son in Goa × Seth was also affiliated with the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society, a cyberspace research centre at Harvard University, Mozilla Fellow at Data & Society, and a research fellow at the Raman Research Institute. The alumni page of the cyberspace research centre described Seth as an "AI ethics expert and a data scientist". "She has built scalable data science solutions for startups and industry research labs, and holds patents in text mining and natural language processing. Suchana believes in the power of data to drive positive change. She is also passionate about closing the gender gap in data science. In the past, Suchana has been a Mozilla Open Web Fellow at Data & Society," the alumni page, which was last updated in March 2020, said.

Bengaluru CEO Suchana Seth allegedly overdosed 4-year-old son with cough syrup before 'pre-meditated murder'

<p>Billions of years ago when the Sun that lights up our Earth was a young star, the solar system as we know it today was just a large disk of rocky dust and gas. For millions of years, tiny dust particles coalesced together to become a few mile-sized 'planetesimals', the basic units that formed our Earth and the rest of the planets and their moons in our solar system.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Researchers have now found if these planetesimals contained water.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/watch-first-ever-360-degree-camera-in-space-captures-breathtaking-visuals-of-earth-664942">PHOTOS | Earth looks unreal in images captured by first-ever 360-degree camera in space</a></strong></p>

<p>According to research conducted in the laboratory of Paul Asimow, Eleanor, and John R. McMillan, Professor of Geology and Geochemistry -- that &nbsp;appeared in the journal Nature Astronomy -- the ingredients for life, including water, &nbsp;may have been present in the seeds of rocky planets right from the start.</p>

<h2><strong>How was the study conducted?</strong></h2>

<p>The study combines meteorite data with thermodynamic modelling. It then determines whether the earliest solar system planetesimals were formed in the presence of water.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Researchers used samples of the solar system's earliest years in the form of iron meteorites.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also watch |&nbsp;Remains of an ancient planet lie deep within Earth</strong></p>

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<p>These meteorites are the remnants of the metallic cores of the earliest planetesimals in our solar system that did not constitute the formation of any planet but ultimately fell on our planet.</p>

<h2><strong>What did the researchers find?</strong></h2>

<p>While the trace of water is long gone in the meteorites, it's the proportion of missing iron in the iron meteorites that shows if water existed in planetesimals.</p>

<p>The researchers found that those iron meteorites thought to be derived from the inner solar system had about the same amount of missing iron metal as meteorites derived from the outer solar system.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Therefore, the planetesimals from both groups of meteorites must have formed in a part of the solar system where water was present.</p>

<h2><strong>What does it mean?</strong></h2>

<p>If planetesimals were formed at Earth's current orbital position, water would have existed only if the inner solar system was much cooler than what we know of them.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"If water was present in the early building blocks of our planet, other important elements like carbon and nitrogen were likely present as well," Damanveer Grewal, a former Caltech postdoctoral scholar and first author of the study said in a statement.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"The ingredients for life may have been present in the seeds of rocky planets right from the start."</p>

<p>The paper is titled "Accretion of the earliest inner solar system planetesimals beyond the water-snowline."</p>

<p>&nbsp;<em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Billions of years ago when the Sun that lights up our Earth was a young star, the solar system as we know it today was just a large disk of rocky dust and gas. For millions of years, tiny dust particles coalesced together to become a few mile-sized 'planetesimals', the basic units that formed our Earth and the rest of the planets and their moons in our solar system.

Billions of years ago when the Sun that lights up our Earth was a young star, the solar system as we know it today was just a large disk of rocky dust and gas. For millions of years, tiny dust particles coalesced together to become a few mile-sized 'planetesimals', the basic units that formed our Earth and the rest of the planets and their moons in our solar system. Researchers have now found if these planetesimals contained water. Also read | PHOTOS | Earth looks unreal in images captured by first-ever 360-degree camera in space According to research conducted in the laboratory of Paul Asimow, Eleanor, and John R. McMillan, Professor of Geology and Geochemistry -- that appeared in the journal Nature Astronomy -- the ingredients for life, including water, may have been present in the seeds of rocky planets right from the start. How was the study conducted? The study combines meteorite data with thermodynamic modelling. It then determines whether the earliest solar system planetesimals were formed in the presence of water. Researchers used samples of the solar system's earliest years in the form of iron meteorites. Also watch | Remains of an ancient planet lie deep within Earth × These meteorites are the remnants of the metallic cores of the earliest planetesimals in our solar system that did not constitute the formation of any planet but ultimately fell on our planet. What did the researchers find? While the trace of water is long gone in the meteorites, it's the proportion of missing iron in the iron meteorites that shows if water existed in planetesimals. The researchers found that those iron meteorites thought to be derived from the inner solar system had about the same amount of missing iron metal as meteorites derived from the outer solar system. Therefore, the planetesimals from both groups of meteorites must have formed in a part of the solar system where water was present. What does it mean? If planetesimals were formed at Earth's current orbital position, water would have existed only if the inner solar system was much cooler than what we know of them. "If water was present in the early building blocks of our planet, other important elements like carbon and nitrogen were likely present as well," Damanveer Grewal, a former Caltech postdoctoral scholar and first author of the study said in a statement. "The ingredients for life may have been present in the seeds of rocky planets right from the start." The paper is titled "Accretion of the earliest inner solar system planetesimals beyond the water-snowline." (With inputs from agencies)

Scientists discover water's existence in building blocks of solar system

<p>Bhutanese voters have elected Tshering Tobgay to become prime minister for a second time after his party won nearly two-thirds of seats, the election commission said in results released Wednesday.</p>

<p>Tobgay, head of the liberal People's Democratic Party (PDP), who served as prime minister of the Himalayan kingdom from 2013 to 2018, won 30 of 47 seats in Tuesday's election, official figures showed.</p>


Bhutanese voters have elected Tshering Tobgay to become prime minister for a second time after his party won nearly two-thirds of seats, the election commission said in results released Wednesday.

Bhutanese voters have elected Tshering Tobgay to become prime minister for a second time after his party won nearly two-thirds of seats, the election commission said in results released Wednesday. Tobgay, head of the liberal People's Democratic Party (PDP), who served as prime minister of the Himalayan kingdom from 2013 to 2018, won 30 of 47 seats in Tuesday's election, official figures showed.

Bhutan's Tshering Tobgay to become PM for second time: Official results

Sheikh Hasina Vs Khaleda Zia: Inside Bangladesh's Battle of Begums


The numbers are in and the verdict is out. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh has secured a record fifth term in power after an election that saw just 40 per cent voter turnout.

Hasina's principal challenger, two-time former premier Khaleda Zia, and her Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) boycotted the elections. Bangladesh's politics has been dominated by two women leaders since 1991.


Khaleda Zia boycotted 2014, 2018 elections too


Zia's BNP boycotted Bangladesh's last two general elections too. On both occasions — and in 2024 — it demanded elections under a caretaker government. Since 2011, a law passed by Sheikh Hasina's government removed the compulsion of elections to be held under a caretaker government.


In 1991 when Khaleda Zia, the wife of the country's first military dictator Zia-ur Rahman, first came to power, she was accused of resorting to violence against Sheikh Hasina's Awami League to settle political scores. Hasina's Awami League too, during her later years in power, was accused of using violence to settle scores with the BNP.

When Hasina came to power for the second time in 2009, the Awami League took a more aggressive approach against its political opponent BNP. Hasina has outsmarted Zia, who at 78, has grown frail since.

Khaleda has accused Hasina of "selling out" Bangladesh to India to stay in power. Zia is serving a 17-year prison term in two graft cases since February 8, 2018.

Bangladesh's politics has been defined by bitter rivalry between the country's two women leaders.

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Zee News Rajasthan

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Mukul Sharma

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