<p><strong>US Presidential Debate 2024</strong>: US President Joe Biden clashed with his Republican White House predecessor Donald Trump in the first presidential debate ahead of the November presidential elections. Biden repeatedly struggled to finish his allotted time and had to be reminded by the moderators that he had time to speak. Here are the key takeaways from the debate that Democrats are decrying as an event that has slimmed Biden's chances of returning to the White House.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Donald Trump's balanced stance on abortion</strong></h2>

<p>In a surprising turn of events, Donald Trump did not pander to the ultra-conservative lobby and said that he respects the recent court decision that&nbsp;allows the use of abortion pills.&nbsp;Asked if he would reverse the Supreme Court's decision on allowing the use of abortion pills, he emphatically said no.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-supreme-court-allows-emergency-abortion-access-in-idaho-735723">US Supreme Court allows emergency abortion access in Idaho for now</a></strong></p>

<p>"Like Ronald Regan, I believe in exceptions," Trump said.</p>

<p>Biden responded that it's women's sole right what they want to do with their bodies, not anybody else's.</p>

<p>But Biden later went off track by saying, "I support&nbsp;Roe v Wade, which had three trimesters. The first time is between a woman and a doctor. The second time is between a doctor and an extreme situation. A third time is between the doctor, I mean, between the women and the state."</p>

<p>The US president blamed Trump for the overturning of the Roe Vs. Wade verdict due to the inclusion of perceived Conservative judges in the Supreme Court during the Trump administration.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><b>Biden&nbsp;struggles to give clear responses on wars in Gaza, Ukraine</b></h2>

<p>Joe Biden appeared to struggle with Trump's strongman instincts as the former president said that Russian President Vladimir Putin's terms to end the war in Ukraine&nbsp;—&nbsp;keeping territory Moscow has occupied in war, and Kyiv to end its bid to join NATO&nbsp;— are not acceptable to him. Trump first claimed that he would get the Ukraine conflict settled before he took office, and later on during the debate, he&nbsp;added that a solution to the Ukraine crisis would emerge once he took office.</p>

<p>Biden simply described Vladimir Putin as a "war criminal" and repeated Washington's support to Ukraine against the Russian offensive. To this, Trump described Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky as the "greatest salesman" as he gets billions in US money every time he visits the United States.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The duo sparred over the war in Gaza. Biden repeated his three-stage plan to end the war in Gaza which includes the return of hostages in Hamas captivity and an immediate ceasefire.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Biden said that Hamas wants to continue the war while Trump retorted by claiming it's Israel that's continuing the war but nonetheless Israel must be allowed "to finish the job in Gaza".&nbsp;</p>

<p>Trump described Biden as the "weak one" while Biden described his predecessor as being "foolish".&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Trump's clear answer on his age</strong></h2>

<p>Trump, 78 and Biden, 81, answered questions related to the concerns about their age.</p>

<p>Trump challenged Biden to take cognitive tests like he claimed he had. Biden laughed it off and challenged Trump for a "driving test".</p>

<h2><strong>Trump-Biden face off on immigration</strong></h2>

<p>Trump and Biden responded to some of the most pressing questions on illegal immigration. Trump described "migrant crime" as "Biden migrant crime".</p>

<p>Biden, meanwhile, went after Trump for "snatching children from their mothers" whilst he was in power.&nbsp;</p>

<p data-article-gutter="true" data-component-name="paragraph" data-editable="text" data-uri="cms.cnn.com/_components/paragraph/instances/paragraph-c602451a0d732ba43ce58cda1d870d47@published">Trump claimed that Americans are "living right now in a rat’s nest" due to rising crime in the country which he associated with more immigrants entering.</p>

<p data-article-gutter="true" data-component-name="paragraph" data-editable="text" data-uri="cms.cnn.com/_components/paragraph/instances/paragraph-c602451a0d732ba43ce58cda1d870d47@published"><strong>Also watch |&nbsp;Biden vs Trump US Presidential Debate: Biden and Trump trade attacks in first presidential debate</strong></p>

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<p>"They are killing our people in New York and California and every state in the union because we don’t have borders anymore," he said.</p>

<p data-article-gutter="true" data-component-name="paragraph" data-editable="text" data-uri="cms.cnn.com/_components/paragraph/instances/paragraph-eb876089d36ca9448caa9895c4cf6fff@published">"They’re killing our citizens at a level that we’ve never seen before," the former president said.</p>

<h2><strong>Biden's dig on&nbsp;Trump over Stormy Daniels hush money case</strong></h2>

<p>In a striking moment of the debate, Biden took a personal dig at Trump and said that the former president had "sex with a porn star when his wife was pregnant".&nbsp;</p>

<p>"You have the morals of an alley cat," Biden told Trump.</p>

<p>"First of all, I did not have sex with a porn star," Trump said, while claiming that he is going to appeal the verdict of a Manhattan court on the same.</p>

<h2><strong>Emphasis on US' exit from Afghanistan in August 2021</strong></h2>

<p>At least thrice during the debate, Trump repeated that the US' exit from Afghanistan in August 2021&nbsp;— which allowed the Taliban to return to power&nbsp;— was the "most embarrassing day in the history of our country."</p>

<p>Trump reasoned that Russian President Vladimir Putin would not have invaded Ukraine had the US not exited Afghanistan the way it did.&nbsp;"They (the world) don't respect our country. We have become like a third world country," Trump said in a repetition of a similar claim he made earlier.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/too-little-too-less-top-us-generals-point-to-biden-admins-failures-for-kabuls-quick-fall-to-taliban-702199">'Too little, too late': Ex-US generals point to Biden admin's failures for Kabul's quick fall to Taliban</a></strong></p>

<p>Biden hit out at Trump for describing the US as a "failing country". "No president in the US history has talked about this country like that," Biden said.&nbsp;</p>


US Presidential Debate 2024: US President Joe Biden clashed with his Republican White House predecessor Donald Trump in the first presidential debate ahead of the November presidential elections.

US Presidential Debate 2024: US President Joe Biden clashed with his Republican White House predecessor Donald Trump in the first presidential debate ahead of the November presidential elections. Biden repeatedly struggled to finish his allotted time and had to be reminded by the moderators that he had time to speak. Here are the key takeaways from the debate that Democrats are decrying as an event that has slimmed Biden's chances of returning to the White House. Donald Trump's balanced stance on abortion In a surprising turn of events, Donald Trump did not pander to the ultra-conservative lobby and said that he respects the recent court decision that allows the use of abortion pills. Asked if he would reverse the Supreme Court's decision on allowing the use of abortion pills, he emphatically said no. Also read | US Supreme Court allows emergency abortion access in Idaho for now "Like Ronald Regan, I believe in exceptions," Trump said. Biden responded that it's women's sole right what they want to do with their bodies, not anybody else's. But Biden later went off track by saying, "I support Roe v Wade, which had three trimesters. The first time is between a woman and a doctor. The second time is between a doctor and an extreme situation. A third time is between the doctor, I mean, between the women and the state." The US president blamed Trump for the overturning of the Roe Vs. Wade verdict due to the inclusion of perceived Conservative judges in the Supreme Court during the Trump administration. Biden struggles to give clear responses on wars in Gaza, Ukraine Joe Biden appeared to struggle with Trump's strongman instincts as the former president said that Russian President Vladimir Putin's terms to end the war in Ukraine — keeping territory Moscow has occupied in war, and Kyiv to end its bid to join NATO — are not acceptable to him. Trump first claimed that he would get the Ukraine conflict settled before he took office, and later on during the debate, he added that a solution to the Ukraine crisis would emerge once he took office. Biden simply described Vladimir Putin as a "war criminal" and repeated Washington's support to Ukraine against the Russian offensive. To this, Trump described Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky as the "greatest salesman" as he gets billions in US money every time he visits the United States. The duo sparred over the war in Gaza. Biden repeated his three-stage plan to end the war in Gaza which includes the return of hostages in Hamas captivity and an immediate ceasefire. Biden said that Hamas wants to continue the war while Trump retorted by claiming it's Israel that's continuing the war but nonetheless Israel must be allowed "to finish the job in Gaza". Trump described Biden as the "weak one" while Biden described his predecessor as being "foolish". Trump's clear answer on his age Trump, 78 and Biden, 81, answered questions related to the concerns about their age. Trump challenged Biden to take cognitive tests like he claimed he had. Biden laughed it off and challenged Trump for a "driving test". Trump-Biden face off on immigration Trump and Biden responded to some of the most pressing questions on illegal immigration. Trump described "migrant crime" as "Biden migrant crime". Biden, meanwhile, went after Trump for "snatching children from their mothers" whilst he was in power. Trump claimed that Americans are "living right now in a rat’s nest" due to rising crime in the country which he associated with more immigrants entering. Also watch | Biden vs Trump US Presidential Debate: Biden and Trump trade attacks in first presidential debate × "They are killing our people in New York and California and every state in the union because we don’t have borders anymore," he said. "They’re killing our citizens at a level that we’ve never seen before," the former president said. Biden's dig on Trump over Stormy Daniels hush money case In a striking moment of the debate, Biden took a personal dig at Trump and said that the former president had "sex with a porn star when his wife was pregnant". "You have the morals of an alley cat," Biden told Trump. "First of all, I did not have sex with a porn star," Trump said, while claiming that he is going to appeal the verdict of a Manhattan court on the same. Emphasis on US' exit from Afghanistan in August 2021 At least thrice during the debate, Trump repeated that the US' exit from Afghanistan in August 2021 — which allowed the Taliban to return to power — was the "most embarrassing day in the history of our country." Trump reasoned that Russian President Vladimir Putin would not have invaded Ukraine had the US not exited Afghanistan the way it did. "They (the world) don't respect our country. We have become like a third world country," Trump said in a repetition of a similar claim he made earlier. Also read | 'Too little, too late': Ex-US generals point to Biden admin's failures for Kabul's quick fall to Taliban Biden hit out at Trump for describing the US as a "failing country". "No president in the US history has talked about this country like that," Biden said.

Ageing Biden struggles as Trump delivers damaging attacks: Top takeaways from US presidential debate 2024

<p>Iran is set to elect a new president on Friday (June 28) as the country's constitution requires fresh elections in case the serving president is incapacitated. But hours ahead of the voting, two candidates, Amirhossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi, one of the vice presidents of deceased former President Raisi, and Tehran mayor&nbsp;Alireza Zakani dropped their candidacy.</p>

<p>Ghazizadeh Hashemi is the ultraconservative head of the Martyrs' Foundation. Iran now has four presidential candidates.</p>

<p>After President Ebrahim Raisi's death in a helicopter crash last month, Mohammed Mokhber — the vice president in Raisi's tenure — assumed presidency.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Mokhber, himself, however does not feature in the list of six presidential candidates announced by Tehran for June 28 election, meaning that the country's all-powerful Guardian Council &nbsp;— composed of 12 clerics, six of whom are directly elected (and can be summarily dismissed) by the Supreme Leader Khamenei— wants somebody else at the helm.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Of the four candidates, three&nbsp;are deemed Khamenei loyalists.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also watch |&nbsp;Iran election: Who is running to be Iran's next President?</strong></p>

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<p>The candidates include conservative speaker of parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and the ultraconservative former nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili. Just one reformist candidate, Massoud Pezeshkian, who is a lawmaker representing Tabriz in Iran's parliament, is running in the elections.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The conservative former interior minister Mostafa Pourmohammadi has also been authorised to run.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Former hardline president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who was previously disqualified from entering the presidential races in 2017 and 2021, has not been allowed to run for president once again.</p>

<h2><strong>What is happening in Iran right now? Why do these elections matter?</strong></h2>

<p>On economic front, Iran continues to face the burden of choking US sanctions amid Tehran's tacit insistence on becoming a nuclear power. But it still has friends in Russia and Central Asia. In recent years, Tehran has found New Delhi as a credible economic partner. The two countries recently formalised a crucial Chabahar port deal.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/the-capitals-new-delhi-achieves-crucial-strategic-breakthrough-with-tehran-outreach-682114">The Capitals: New Delhi achieves crucial strategic breakthrough with Tehran outreach</a></strong></p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/the-capitals-new-delhi-seals-deal-to-operate-chabahar-port-for-a-decade-723100">The Capitals: New Delhi seals deal to operate Chabahar port for a decade; and more</a></strong></p>

<p>For overall stability in West Asia, the country, with Beijing's mediation, restored its ties with Saudi Arabia in March 2023. But after its embassy in Syria was attacked in an alleged Israeli attack, Tehran launched missiles inside Israel earlier this year in a major escalation of a larger conflict in the region amid Israeli bombardments in Gaza.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Iran also now enriches uranium at nearly weapons-grade levels and has enough of it to produce several nuclear weapons if it chooses.</p>

<p>But the hardline options in the Iran elections, alongside restrictions on women's headscarves have many in the country reportedly expressing their discontent saying they won't vote in Friday's elections.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Iran is set to elect a new president on Friday (June 28) as the country's constitution requires fresh elections in case the serving president is incapacitated. But hours ahead of the voting, two candidates, Amirhossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi, one of the vice presidents of deceased former President Raisi, and Tehran mayor Alireza Zakani dropped their candidacy.

Iran is set to elect a new president on Friday (June 28) as the country's constitution requires fresh elections in case the serving president is incapacitated. But hours ahead of the voting, two candidates, Amirhossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi, one of the vice presidents of deceased former President Raisi, and Tehran mayor Alireza Zakani dropped their candidacy. Ghazizadeh Hashemi is the ultraconservative head of the Martyrs' Foundation. Iran now has four presidential candidates. After President Ebrahim Raisi's death in a helicopter crash last month, Mohammed Mokhber — the vice president in Raisi's tenure — assumed presidency. Mokhber, himself, however does not feature in the list of six presidential candidates announced by Tehran for June 28 election, meaning that the country's all-powerful Guardian Council — composed of 12 clerics, six of whom are directly elected (and can be summarily dismissed) by the Supreme Leader Khamenei— wants somebody else at the helm. Of the four candidates, three are deemed Khamenei loyalists. Also watch | Iran election: Who is running to be Iran's next President? × The candidates include conservative speaker of parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and the ultraconservative former nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili. Just one reformist candidate, Massoud Pezeshkian, who is a lawmaker representing Tabriz in Iran's parliament, is running in the elections. The conservative former interior minister Mostafa Pourmohammadi has also been authorised to run. Former hardline president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who was previously disqualified from entering the presidential races in 2017 and 2021, has not been allowed to run for president once again. What is happening in Iran right now? Why do these elections matter? On economic front, Iran continues to face the burden of choking US sanctions amid Tehran's tacit insistence on becoming a nuclear power. But it still has friends in Russia and Central Asia. In recent years, Tehran has found New Delhi as a credible economic partner. The two countries recently formalised a crucial Chabahar port deal. Also read | The Capitals: New Delhi achieves crucial strategic breakthrough with Tehran outreach Also read | The Capitals: New Delhi seals deal to operate Chabahar port for a decade; and more For overall stability in West Asia, the country, with Beijing's mediation, restored its ties with Saudi Arabia in March 2023. But after its embassy in Syria was attacked in an alleged Israeli attack, Tehran launched missiles inside Israel earlier this year in a major escalation of a larger conflict in the region amid Israeli bombardments in Gaza. Iran also now enriches uranium at nearly weapons-grade levels and has enough of it to produce several nuclear weapons if it chooses. But the hardline options in the Iran elections, alongside restrictions on women's headscarves have many in the country reportedly expressing their discontent saying they won't vote in Friday's elections. (With inputs from agencies)

Iran elections: One reformist, three Khamenei loyalists to battle it out in June 28 polls

<p>Researchers at the University of Reading managed to deceive their own professors by submitting AI-generated exam answers that not only went undetected but also received higher grades than real students.</p>

<p>The covert project involved creating fictitious student identities to submit unedited answers generated by ChatGPT-4 in take-home online assessments for undergraduate courses. Only one of the 33 AI-generated entries was flagged, with the rest achieving above-average grades compared to actual student submissions.</p>

<h2><strong>What does it mean?</strong></h2>

<p>The researchers argue that their findings indicate that AI tools like ChatGPT are now capable of passing the "Turing test"—a benchmark named after computing pioneer Alan Turing, which measures an AI's ability to pass undetected by experienced judges.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;India’s AI revolution in the spotlight</strong></p>

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<p>Touted as “the largest and most robust blind study of its kind,” the project sought to determine if human educators could distinguish between AI-generated and human-generated responses. The authors warn that the findings have significant implications for the future of academic assessments.</p>

<p>"Our research highlights the global importance of understanding how AI will impact the integrity of educational assessments," Dr. Peter Scarfe, one of the study's authors and an associate professor at Reading’s School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences was quoted as saying by The Guardian.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"While we may not revert entirely to handwritten exams, the global education sector must adapt in response to AI."</p>

<p>The study concluded that as AI continues to develop more advanced reasoning capabilities, its detectability will diminish.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/ai-vs-human-race-chatting-with-chatgpt-591028">Artificial Intelligence Vs Humans: Chatting with ChatGPT on all things AI</a></strong></p>

<p>Experts reviewing the study expressed concern about the viability of take-home exams and unsupervised coursework.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Professor Karen Yeung, a fellow in law, ethics, and informatics at the University of Birmingham, stated: “This study clearly demonstrates that generative AI tools enable students to cheat on take-home exams without difficulty, obtaining better grades undetected.”</p>

<p>The study's endnotes suggest the authors may have used AI to prepare the research, questioning, "Would you consider it ‘cheating’? If you did, how would you prove we were lying if we denied using GPT-4 or any other AI?"</p>

<p>But a spokesperson for Reading confirmed that the study was "definitely done by humans."</p>


Researchers at the University of Reading managed to deceive their own professors by submitting AI-generated exam answers that not only went undetected but also received higher grades than real students.

Researchers at the University of Reading managed to deceive their own professors by submitting AI-generated exam answers that not only went undetected but also received higher grades than real students. The covert project involved creating fictitious student identities to submit unedited answers generated by ChatGPT-4 in take-home online assessments for undergraduate courses. Only one of the 33 AI-generated entries was flagged, with the rest achieving above-average grades compared to actual student submissions. What does it mean? The researchers argue that their findings indicate that AI tools like ChatGPT are now capable of passing the "Turing test"—a benchmark named after computing pioneer Alan Turing, which measures an AI's ability to pass undetected by experienced judges. Also read | India’s AI revolution in the spotlight × Touted as “the largest and most robust blind study of its kind,” the project sought to determine if human educators could distinguish between AI-generated and human-generated responses. The authors warn that the findings have significant implications for the future of academic assessments. "Our research highlights the global importance of understanding how AI will impact the integrity of educational assessments," Dr. Peter Scarfe, one of the study's authors and an associate professor at Reading’s School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences was quoted as saying by The Guardian. "While we may not revert entirely to handwritten exams, the global education sector must adapt in response to AI." The study concluded that as AI continues to develop more advanced reasoning capabilities, its detectability will diminish. Also read | Artificial Intelligence Vs Humans: Chatting with ChatGPT on all things AI Experts reviewing the study expressed concern about the viability of take-home exams and unsupervised coursework. Professor Karen Yeung, a fellow in law, ethics, and informatics at the University of Birmingham, stated: “This study clearly demonstrates that generative AI tools enable students to cheat on take-home exams without difficulty, obtaining better grades undetected.” The study's endnotes suggest the authors may have used AI to prepare the research, questioning, "Would you consider it ‘cheating’? If you did, how would you prove we were lying if we denied using GPT-4 or any other AI?" But a spokesperson for Reading confirmed that the study was "definitely done by humans."

AI-generated exam answers go undetected after getting more marks than real students

<p>India's Supreme Court on Thursday (June 27) pulled up the apex entrance examination body National Testing Agency (NTA) over the alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG 2024, the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) whose results decide admission to undergraduate medicine courses. Supreme Court's observations came on a petition filed by an e-learning application that claimed "inconsistent" calculation of marks on the OMR sheets.&nbsp;</p>

<p>A vacation bench of Justices Manoj Misra and SVN Bhatti has sought a response from NTA by July 8. This is the day when the hearing of the matter, clubbed with other petitions in the controversy, will take place.</p>

<p>According to the petition, several students alleged that they did not receive OMR sheets in time. The bench has asked for the NTA's response on the time limit to raise the grievances related to the OMR sheets.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/neet-controversy-bihar-aspirant-admits-he-received-question-paper-a-day-before-exam-733444">NEET controversy: Bihar aspirant admits he received question paper a day before exam</a></strong></p>

<p>"Let us know if there is a timeline to provide the OMR sheets. As of now we will tag it. Let NTA seek instructions on this," the court noted and tagged the petition with others for July 8.</p>

<p>During the hearing, the bench also pulled up coaching centres, saying they have "no role to play".&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also watch |&nbsp;Neet-UG row: Maharashtra police uncover Neet-UG racket in Bihar</strong></p>

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<p>"This is one of the reasons where we see this role played by the coaching centres, bagpipers. They have hardly any role to play. Their obligation and duty...if they have discharged their service that is the end of the matter. They have not undertaken to see that everything that Centre is supposed to do will be taken care of by them," Justice Bhatti said.</p>

<p>Apart from the Supreme Court's consistent judicial oversight, the&nbsp;Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has been investigating several cases related to&nbsp;the alleged irregularities and malpractices in the NEET-UG exam held last month.</p>

<p>The cases are spread across several states, and a number of people have been arrested in recent days in connection with the controversy.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


India's Supreme Court on Thursday (June 27) pulled up the apex entrance examination body National Testing Agency (NTA) over the alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG 2024, the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) whose results decide admission to undergraduate medicine courses.

India's Supreme Court on Thursday (June 27) pulled up the apex entrance examination body National Testing Agency (NTA) over the alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG 2024, the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) whose results decide admission to undergraduate medicine courses. Supreme Court's observations came on a petition filed by an e-learning application that claimed "inconsistent" calculation of marks on the OMR sheets. A vacation bench of Justices Manoj Misra and SVN Bhatti has sought a response from NTA by July 8. This is the day when the hearing of the matter, clubbed with other petitions in the controversy, will take place. According to the petition, several students alleged that they did not receive OMR sheets in time. The bench has asked for the NTA's response on the time limit to raise the grievances related to the OMR sheets. Also read | NEET controversy: Bihar aspirant admits he received question paper a day before exam "Let us know if there is a timeline to provide the OMR sheets. As of now we will tag it. Let NTA seek instructions on this," the court noted and tagged the petition with others for July 8. During the hearing, the bench also pulled up coaching centres, saying they have "no role to play". Also watch | Neet-UG row: Maharashtra police uncover Neet-UG racket in Bihar × "This is one of the reasons where we see this role played by the coaching centres, bagpipers. They have hardly any role to play. Their obligation and duty...if they have discharged their service that is the end of the matter. They have not undertaken to see that everything that Centre is supposed to do will be taken care of by them," Justice Bhatti said. Apart from the Supreme Court's consistent judicial oversight, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has been investigating several cases related to the alleged irregularities and malpractices in the NEET-UG exam held last month. The cases are spread across several states, and a number of people have been arrested in recent days in connection with the controversy. (With inputs from agencies)

NEET row: Supreme Court pulls up National Testing Agency over 'inconsistent' marks calculation

<p>The number of migrant crossing along the southern border of the United States has dropped more than 40 per cent since June 4 when President Joe Biden announced suspension of new asylum claims.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The US officials have taken fewer than 2,400 migrants into custody per day over the past week, down from more than 3,800 at the beginning of June, the latest data from US Department of Homeland Security shows.&nbsp;</p>

<p>According to the DHS, this is the lowest level of illegal crossings since Biden assumed office.</p>

<p><strong>Also watch |&nbsp;US Elections 2024: Donald Trump, Joe Biden to face off in first US presidential debate</strong></p>

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<p>Biden has "carried out the largest expansion of lawful pathways and orderly processes in decades", the DHS statement read, measures that are "freeing up the asylum system for those with legitimate claims."</p>

<h2><strong>What does it mean?</strong>&nbsp;</h2>

<p>The latest Homeland security data showing drop in migrant crossings is expected to feature as key flashpoint during presidential debate between US President Joe Biden and his Republican predecessor Donald Trump scheduled for June 28, 6:30 AM (Indian Standard Time).</p>

<p>Biden's camp is hoping that the falling migrant crossing numbers would blunt Republican criticism of Joe Biden's policies on immigration.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Several polls show high rates of disapproval amongst the US voters with Biden's handling of border security and immigration issues. The presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump has repeatedly hit on Biden on immigration and has promised sweeping measures to stop migrant crossings.</p>

<h2><strong>Trump Vs Biden: Presidential Debate 2024</strong></h2>

<p>The Atlanta debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump is expected to be the most fateful presidential debate in US history. For the first time, a serving president and ex-president will debate it out their key priorities if re-elected.</p>

<p>According to most polls, Trump holds a slight lead over Biden and the Democrat veteran appears to be losing his chance to return to the White House after November elections.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


The number of migrant crossing along the southern border of the United States has dropped more than 40 per cent since June 4 when President Joe Biden announced suspension of new asylum claims.

The number of migrant crossing along the southern border of the United States has dropped more than 40 per cent since June 4 when President Joe Biden announced suspension of new asylum claims. The US officials have taken fewer than 2,400 migrants into custody per day over the past week, down from more than 3,800 at the beginning of June, the latest data from US Department of Homeland Security shows. According to the DHS, this is the lowest level of illegal crossings since Biden assumed office. Also watch | US Elections 2024: Donald Trump, Joe Biden to face off in first US presidential debate × Biden has "carried out the largest expansion of lawful pathways and orderly processes in decades", the DHS statement read, measures that are "freeing up the asylum system for those with legitimate claims." What does it mean? The latest Homeland security data showing drop in migrant crossings is expected to feature as key flashpoint during presidential debate between US President Joe Biden and his Republican predecessor Donald Trump scheduled for June 28, 6:30 AM (Indian Standard Time). Biden's camp is hoping that the falling migrant crossing numbers would blunt Republican criticism of Joe Biden's policies on immigration. Several polls show high rates of disapproval amongst the US voters with Biden's handling of border security and immigration issues. The presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump has repeatedly hit on Biden on immigration and has promised sweeping measures to stop migrant crossings. Trump Vs Biden: Presidential Debate 2024 The Atlanta debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump is expected to be the most fateful presidential debate in US history. For the first time, a serving president and ex-president will debate it out their key priorities if re-elected. According to most polls, Trump holds a slight lead over Biden and the Democrat veteran appears to be losing his chance to return to the White House after November elections. (With inputs from agencies)

Biden gains immigration brownie points ahead of presidential debate with Trump

<p>The Indian subcontinent's deadly heatwave has killed at least 450 people in the Pakistani city of Karachi over the last four days alone, a leading non-profit of the South Asian country said on Wednesday (June 26). The Edhi Foundation said it received&nbsp;at least 427 bodies in the last four days excluding Wednesday while the Sindh government on Tuesday released 23 bodies in three government hospitals.</p>

<p>Karachi is Pakistan's port city in the Sindh province and is the largest city in the crises-ridden nation. The soaring mercury crossed&nbsp;40 degrees Celsius for the third consecutive day on Wednesday (June 26). Such temperatures are too high for coastal areas.</p>

<p><strong>Also watch |&nbsp;Glaciers melting amid scorching heatwave in Northern India</strong></p>

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<p>"We have four mortuaries operating in Karachi and we have reached a stage where there is no more space to keep more bodies in our mortuaries," Faisal Edhi, who heads the Foundation, said.</p>

<p>Edhi Trust is the largest welfare foundation in Pakistan and provides various free or subsidised services to the poor, homeless, orphan street children, discarded babies and battered women.</p>

<p>"The sad fact is that many of these bodies have come from areas where a lot of load shedding is going on even in this harshest weather," he said.</p>

<p>Most of the bodies belonged to homeless people and drug addicts, the Edhi Foundation said.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hajj-2024-saudi-arabia-says-it-didnt-notice-any-extreme-heat-related-deaths-among-pilgrims-732815">Hajj 2024: Saudi Arabia says it didn't notice any extreme heat-related deaths among pilgrims</a></strong></p>

<p>"The extreme heat wave got to them as these people spend their entire day out in the open searching for fixes," he said, only to add: "But only the government hospitals or where they were initially taken to can tell you the real cause of death."</p>

<p>On Tuesday (June 25) itself, the non-profit&nbsp;had received 135 bodies at their morgues and 128 on Monday (June 24).</p>

<p>The Pakistani citizens in Karachi and the rest of the country also suffer from long hours of load shedding in many areas. Karachi Electric, the electricity provider for Karachi city claimed that power cuts are happening in the city as the Sindh government still has to clear the dues of Rs 10 billion.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


The Indian subcontinent's deadly heatwave has killed at least 450 people in the Pakistani city of Karachi over the last four days alone, a leading non-profit of the South Asian country said on Wednesday (June 26).

The Indian subcontinent's deadly heatwave has killed at least 450 people in the Pakistani city of Karachi over the last four days alone, a leading non-profit of the South Asian country said on Wednesday (June 26). The Edhi Foundation said it received at least 427 bodies in the last four days excluding Wednesday while the Sindh government on Tuesday released 23 bodies in three government hospitals. Karachi is Pakistan's port city in the Sindh province and is the largest city in the crises-ridden nation. The soaring mercury crossed 40 degrees Celsius for the third consecutive day on Wednesday (June 26). Such temperatures are too high for coastal areas. Also watch | Glaciers melting amid scorching heatwave in Northern India × "We have four mortuaries operating in Karachi and we have reached a stage where there is no more space to keep more bodies in our mortuaries," Faisal Edhi, who heads the Foundation, said. Edhi Trust is the largest welfare foundation in Pakistan and provides various free or subsidised services to the poor, homeless, orphan street children, discarded babies and battered women. "The sad fact is that many of these bodies have come from areas where a lot of load shedding is going on even in this harshest weather," he said. Most of the bodies belonged to homeless people and drug addicts, the Edhi Foundation said. Also read | Hajj 2024: Saudi Arabia says it didn't notice any extreme heat-related deaths among pilgrims "The extreme heat wave got to them as these people spend their entire day out in the open searching for fixes," he said, only to add: "But only the government hospitals or where they were initially taken to can tell you the real cause of death." On Tuesday (June 25) itself, the non-profit had received 135 bodies at their morgues and 128 on Monday (June 24). The Pakistani citizens in Karachi and the rest of the country also suffer from long hours of load shedding in many areas. Karachi Electric, the electricity provider for Karachi city claimed that power cuts are happening in the city as the Sindh government still has to clear the dues of Rs 10 billion. (With inputs from agencies)

Pakistan: Homeless, drug addicts among 450 killed by heatwave in Karachi

<p>A French appeals court on Wednesday upheld an arrest warrant issued for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad over the use of banned chemical weapons against civilians.</p>

<p>The warrant approved by French judges in November 2023 refers to charges of complicity in crimes against humanity and complicity in war crimes. It followed a French investigation into chemical attacks in Douma and the district of Eastern Ghouta in August 2013 that killed more than 1,000 people.</p>

<p>Assad's government has denied using chemical weapons against its opponents in the civil war, which broke out in March 2011. Syrian authorities did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the Court of Appeal ruling.</p>

<p>Prosecutors, who would be responsible for asking the police to carry out the warrant, had challenged its validity, arguing that, as a sitting head of state, Assad was immune from trial and prosecution in France.</p>

<p>The Paris Court of Appeal said in a statement confirming the validity of the arrest warrant: "Prohibiting the use of chemical weapons is part of customary international law as a mandatory rule, and the international crimes that the judges are looking at cannot be considered as being part of the official duties of a head of state. They can thus be separated from the sovereignty naturally attached to these duties."</p>

<p>Mazen Darwish, head of the Syrian Center for Media &amp; Freedom of the Press and one of the lawyers who lodged the initial case, welcomed the court's decision.</p>

<p>"Today is a very special day and this is a historic victory, not only for the Syrian victims, but for all the victims around the world," he said.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions-blogs/how-syrias-bashar-al-assad-got-away-with-murder-593114">How Syria’s Bashar al-Assad got away with murder</a></strong></p>

<p>"The court’s decision confirms what we have always said – that when the issue concerns crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the use of chemical weapons, immunity should never be relied upon."</p>

<p>Arrest warrants for sitting heads of state are rare because they generally have immunity from prosecution.</p>

<p>However, international law has exceptions to that immunity when a head of state is accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity or genocide. France is among the countries that allows the filing of crimes-against-humanity cases in its courts.</p>

<p><strong>Also watch |&nbsp;France issues warrant against Syrian President Assad</strong></p>

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<p>"This decision makes clear that international rules on immunity cannot be synonymous with impunity, particularly for the most serious international crimes," Steve Kostas, senior legal officer at Open Society Justice initiative, said in reaction to the verdict.</p>


A French appeals court on Wednesday upheld an arrest warrant issued for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad over the use of banned chemical weapons against civilians.

A French appeals court on Wednesday upheld an arrest warrant issued for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad over the use of banned chemical weapons against civilians. The warrant approved by French judges in November 2023 refers to charges of complicity in crimes against humanity and complicity in war crimes. It followed a French investigation into chemical attacks in Douma and the district of Eastern Ghouta in August 2013 that killed more than 1,000 people. Assad's government has denied using chemical weapons against its opponents in the civil war, which broke out in March 2011. Syrian authorities did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the Court of Appeal ruling. Prosecutors, who would be responsible for asking the police to carry out the warrant, had challenged its validity, arguing that, as a sitting head of state, Assad was immune from trial and prosecution in France. The Paris Court of Appeal said in a statement confirming the validity of the arrest warrant: "Prohibiting the use of chemical weapons is part of customary international law as a mandatory rule, and the international crimes that the judges are looking at cannot be considered as being part of the official duties of a head of state. They can thus be separated from the sovereignty naturally attached to these duties." Mazen Darwish, head of the Syrian Center for Media & Freedom of the Press and one of the lawyers who lodged the initial case, welcomed the court's decision. "Today is a very special day and this is a historic victory, not only for the Syrian victims, but for all the victims around the world," he said. Also read | How Syria’s Bashar al-Assad got away with murder "The court’s decision confirms what we have always said – that when the issue concerns crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the use of chemical weapons, immunity should never be relied upon." Arrest warrants for sitting heads of state are rare because they generally have immunity from prosecution. However, international law has exceptions to that immunity when a head of state is accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity or genocide. France is among the countries that allows the filing of crimes-against-humanity cases in its courts. Also watch | France issues warrant against Syrian President Assad × "This decision makes clear that international rules on immunity cannot be synonymous with impunity, particularly for the most serious international crimes," Steve Kostas, senior legal officer at Open Society Justice initiative, said in reaction to the verdict.

French could upholds arrest warrant for Syria's Assad over use of chemical weapons

<p>Several years ago, when I read out an entry from Anne Frank's diary to my 10th grade class at a Delhi school, I did not fully understand the meaning of being 'good at heart', despite my English literature teacher's usually extra-ordinary explanation.</p>

<p>As the years passed, and journalism gave me the chance to contextualise Anne Frank's observations, it&nbsp;allowed me to question Anne's principles of humanism amid the second World War.</p>

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<p>How could she be a practitioner of idealism despite the looming threat of death? The threat being none other than being killed inside Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler's devilish death camps spread all over Germany and occupied European territory at the time.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/who-betrayed-anne-frank-to-the-nazis-surprise-suspect-identified-after-77-years-445621">Who betrayed Anne Frank to the Nazis? Surprise suspect `identified` after 77 years</a></strong></p>

<p>"It's really a wonder that I have not dropped all my ideals, because they seem so absurd and impossible to carry out," Anne,14, wrote after months into hiding at an Amsterdam annex while escaping what we today know as Holocaust, the extermination of over six million Jews in Europe during the second World War due to Hitler's racially motivated extermination method.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Inside that crammed space as Anne craved for freedom, she fell for the goodness of human heart, partly due to persevering nature of the ones around her, the Franks, Van Pels (which she refers to as Van Dans) and the dentist Fritz Pfeffer.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In that blooming state of writing her heart out, Anne rationalised the suffocated state of her surroundings with idealism — while constantly dealing with the pressing question of making sense between the situation that exists, and the situation that ideally should be.</p>

<p><strong>Also watch |&nbsp;Cannes animated film revives Anne Frank story for new generation</strong></p>

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<p>The world isn't an ideal or fair place, a modern human being of 2024 is often told amid the reigning state of inequality, exploitation and discrimination. Ask a Palestinian at a refugee camp somewhere in Gaza or the protesting <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/kenya-protesters-breach-parliament-barricade-enter-compound-police-fire-live-bullets-735010">Kenyans</a> who have just vandalised part of their parliament in Nairobi as I write this piece&nbsp;— is the world an ideal or fair place?</p>

<p>But shouldn't there be a sincere effort, or a constant state of striving towards the ideal? Isn't it the crux of what our representatives at the United Nations call "rules-based international order" — &nbsp;striving towards the ideal? &nbsp;</p>

<p>Perhaps, Anne Frank implicitly believed in the perpetual state of the world striving to reach an ideal.&nbsp;</p>

<p>She further added in that entry: "In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart."</p>

<p>The 'everything', in Anne's terms, was the vitriolic discrimination Jews faced in Europe at the time amid Hitler's reign. The very reason that forced the Franks and an unaccounted number of Jewish families into hiding during the years of second World War.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Most of them, like many members of the Frank family including Anne, perished to Hitler's tyranny — to the Holocaust.</p>

<p>But Anne's message of the goodness of human heart stayed on. People are really good at heart.</p>

<p><em>World War diarist Anne Frank's diary was published on June 25, 1947 — just over five years after Anne's 13th birthday. Anne perished in Holocaust at Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in northern Germany.&nbsp;</em></p>

<p><em><strong>(Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)</strong></em></p>


Several years ago, when I read out an entry from Anne Frank's diary to my 10th grade class at a Delhi school, I did not fully understand the meaning of being 'good at heart', despite my English literature teacher's usually extra-ordinary explanation.

Several years ago, when I read out an entry from Anne Frank's diary to my 10th grade class at a Delhi school, I did not fully understand the meaning of being 'good at heart', despite my English literature teacher's usually extra-ordinary explanation. As the years passed, and journalism gave me the chance to contextualise Anne Frank's observations, it allowed me to question Anne's principles of humanism amid the second World War. View this post on Instagram A post shared by WION (@wionews) × How could she be a practitioner of idealism despite the looming threat of death? The threat being none other than being killed inside Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler's devilish death camps spread all over Germany and occupied European territory at the time. Also read | Who betrayed Anne Frank to the Nazis? Surprise suspect `identified` after 77 years "It's really a wonder that I have not dropped all my ideals, because they seem so absurd and impossible to carry out," Anne,14, wrote after months into hiding at an Amsterdam annex while escaping what we today know as Holocaust, the extermination of over six million Jews in Europe during the second World War due to Hitler's racially motivated extermination method. Inside that crammed space as Anne craved for freedom, she fell for the goodness of human heart, partly due to persevering nature of the ones around her, the Franks, Van Pels (which she refers to as Van Dans) and the dentist Fritz Pfeffer. In that blooming state of writing her heart out, Anne rationalised the suffocated state of her surroundings with idealism — while constantly dealing with the pressing question of making sense between the situation that exists, and the situation that ideally should be. Also watch | Cannes animated film revives Anne Frank story for new generation × The world isn't an ideal or fair place, a modern human being of 2024 is often told amid the reigning state of inequality, exploitation and discrimination. Ask a Palestinian at a refugee camp somewhere in Gaza or the protesting Kenyans who have just vandalised part of their parliament in Nairobi as I write this piece — is the world an ideal or fair place? But shouldn't there be a sincere effort, or a constant state of striving towards the ideal? Isn't it the crux of what our representatives at the United Nations call "rules-based international order" — striving towards the ideal? Perhaps, Anne Frank implicitly believed in the perpetual state of the world striving to reach an ideal. She further added in that entry: "In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart." The 'everything', in Anne's terms, was the vitriolic discrimination Jews faced in Europe at the time amid Hitler's reign. The very reason that forced the Franks and an unaccounted number of Jewish families into hiding during the years of second World War. Most of them, like many members of the Frank family including Anne, perished to Hitler's tyranny — to the Holocaust. But Anne's message of the goodness of human heart stayed on. People are really good at heart. World War diarist Anne Frank's diary was published on June 25, 1947 — just over five years after Anne's 13th birthday. Anne perished in Holocaust at Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in northern Germany. (Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)

Yes Anne Frank, 'people are really good at heart' — even in this turbulent world

<p>Rare elections will be held for the post of the speaker of Lok Sabha on Wednesday (Jun 26). The ruling National Democratic Alliance has fielded the 17th Lok Sabha's speaker Om Birla, the Member of Parliament from Kota, as its candidate. The opposition's Indian National Development Inclusive Alliance ('INDIA') has fielded veteran Congress leader K. Suresh.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Elections for Lok Sabha speaker have taken place thrice in the past: In 1967, 1976 and 1998;&nbsp;and all times, the ruling coalition’s candidate sailed through.</p>

<h2><strong>Lok Sabha Speaker elections: What do the rules say?</strong></h2>

<p>Article 93 of India's constitution provides for the election of both the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker. Article 93 says: “The House of the People shall, as soon as may be, choose two members of the House to be respectively Speaker and Deputy Speaker thereof” and, so often as the office of Speaker or Deputy Speaker becomes vacant, the House shall choose another member to be Speaker or Deputy Speaker, as the case may be.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/modi-govt-reaches-out-to-opposition-for-consensus-on-speakers-appointment-election-likely-if-talks-fail-734860">NDA's Om Birla, INDIA's K Suresh to contest Lok Sabha speaker election, first since 1946</a></strong></p>

<p>The Speaker must also be a member of the House, as per Article 94 of the constitution. Besides, conventionally, a deep understanding of the Constitution and the country's laws is valued for this role.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also watch |&nbsp;Parliament Session begins: PM Modi, other MPs to take oath; what's on agenda?</strong></p>

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<p>The Speaker (along with the Deputy Speaker) is elected from amongst the Lok Sabha members "by a simple majority of members present and voting" in the House.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Rare elections will be held for the post of the speaker of Lok Sabha on Wednesday (Jun 26). The ruling National Democratic Alliance has fielded the 17th Lok Sabha's speaker Om Birla, the Member of Parliament from Kota, as its candidate.

Rare elections will be held for the post of the speaker of Lok Sabha on Wednesday (Jun 26). The ruling National Democratic Alliance has fielded the 17th Lok Sabha's speaker Om Birla, the Member of Parliament from Kota, as its candidate. The opposition's Indian National Development Inclusive Alliance ('INDIA') has fielded veteran Congress leader K. Suresh. Elections for Lok Sabha speaker have taken place thrice in the past: In 1967, 1976 and 1998; and all times, the ruling coalition’s candidate sailed through. Lok Sabha Speaker elections: What do the rules say? Article 93 of India's constitution provides for the election of both the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker. Article 93 says: “The House of the People shall, as soon as may be, choose two members of the House to be respectively Speaker and Deputy Speaker thereof” and, so often as the office of Speaker or Deputy Speaker becomes vacant, the House shall choose another member to be Speaker or Deputy Speaker, as the case may be. Also read | NDA's Om Birla, INDIA's K Suresh to contest Lok Sabha speaker election, first since 1946 The Speaker must also be a member of the House, as per Article 94 of the constitution. Besides, conventionally, a deep understanding of the Constitution and the country's laws is valued for this role. Also watch | Parliament Session begins: PM Modi, other MPs to take oath; what's on agenda? × The Speaker (along with the Deputy Speaker) is elected from amongst the Lok Sabha members "by a simple majority of members present and voting" in the House. (With inputs from agencies)

What do the rules say about Lok Sabha Speaker's election?

<p>Julian Assange, who entered a plea deal with the US authorities on Monday (June 24) that allows him to be free, has entered the annals of history as an undisputed champion of free speech. But for many, especially the US intelligentsia whose dirty secrets related to wars in Iraq and Afghanistan was revealed by Assange's Wikileaks in 2010, the 52-year-old Australian is a reckless publisher of information that should stay classified.</p>

<p>The founder of Wikileaks has spent more than a decade either in custody or in asylum inside Ecuador's London embassy while trying to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he was facing sexual assault charges that were later dropped.</p>

<p>Soon after Assange published revelations from classified documents about US military campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan in 2010, rape allegations in Sweden followed, which he denied. Assange in past has described himself as a cyberpunk and even contributed to a book by the same name. Cyberpunks&nbsp;oppose the purported militarisation of cyberspace and call for freer access to information, some of which often stays classified&nbsp;to the general public.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Assange was in Britain when Sweden sought his extradition in the sexual assault case in 2012.</p>

<p>Ecuador granted him political asylum and let him into its London embassy where he lived from 2012 to 2019. He kept on releasing statements from asylum until March 2018 whilst he still had access to the internet. In these statements released via WikiLeaks, Assange controversially advocated for "holding the national security sector to account" and described the quality of discourse as the "limit of civilisation".</p>

<p>In academia, Assange's emphasis on the contagious nature of courage during moments of revolution gained currency and redefined the syllabi of liberal arts papers in universities across the world.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Tiananmen Square is so heavily policed in China because it's a congregation point where courage can spread like a contagion," Assange was quoted as saying by the French newspaper Le Monde in December 2010.</p>

<p><strong>Also watch |&nbsp;WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to plead guilty in espionage act case in US court</strong></p>

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<p>His stay in the Ecuadorian embassy ended after a new government in Quito handed him over to the British police in April 2019. He was arrested for violating bail and jailed.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Swedish prosecutors dropped their sexual assault investigation in 2019. But the US authorities charged him with violating the US Espionage Act and sought extradition.</p>

<p>On June 25, 2024, WikiLeaks announced that its founder was free and that he was flying home to Australia.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/julian-assange-is-free-wikileaks-confirms-its-founder-is-flying-home-to-australia-734790">Julian Assange is free: Wikileaks confirms its founder is flying home to Australia</a></strong></p>

<p>Assange is scheduled to appear in court in the Northern Mariana Islands, a US possession in the Pacific, where he will plead guilty to a single count of conspiracy to obtain and disseminate national defence information in exchange for his freedom, ending the years-long legal drama.</p>


Julian Assange, who entered a plea deal with the US authorities on Monday (June 24) that allows him to be free, has entered the annals of history as an undisputed champion of free speech.

Julian Assange, who entered a plea deal with the US authorities on Monday (June 24) that allows him to be free, has entered the annals of history as an undisputed champion of free speech. But for many, especially the US intelligentsia whose dirty secrets related to wars in Iraq and Afghanistan was revealed by Assange's Wikileaks in 2010, the 52-year-old Australian is a reckless publisher of information that should stay classified. The founder of Wikileaks has spent more than a decade either in custody or in asylum inside Ecuador's London embassy while trying to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he was facing sexual assault charges that were later dropped. Soon after Assange published revelations from classified documents about US military campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan in 2010, rape allegations in Sweden followed, which he denied. Assange in past has described himself as a cyberpunk and even contributed to a book by the same name. Cyberpunks oppose the purported militarisation of cyberspace and call for freer access to information, some of which often stays classified to the general public. Assange was in Britain when Sweden sought his extradition in the sexual assault case in 2012. Ecuador granted him political asylum and let him into its London embassy where he lived from 2012 to 2019. He kept on releasing statements from asylum until March 2018 whilst he still had access to the internet. In these statements released via WikiLeaks, Assange controversially advocated for "holding the national security sector to account" and described the quality of discourse as the "limit of civilisation". In academia, Assange's emphasis on the contagious nature of courage during moments of revolution gained currency and redefined the syllabi of liberal arts papers in universities across the world. "Tiananmen Square is so heavily policed in China because it's a congregation point where courage can spread like a contagion," Assange was quoted as saying by the French newspaper Le Monde in December 2010. Also watch | WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to plead guilty in espionage act case in US court × His stay in the Ecuadorian embassy ended after a new government in Quito handed him over to the British police in April 2019. He was arrested for violating bail and jailed. The Swedish prosecutors dropped their sexual assault investigation in 2019. But the US authorities charged him with violating the US Espionage Act and sought extradition. On June 25, 2024, WikiLeaks announced that its founder was free and that he was flying home to Australia. Also read | Julian Assange is free: Wikileaks confirms its founder is flying home to Australia Assange is scheduled to appear in court in the Northern Mariana Islands, a US possession in the Pacific, where he will plead guilty to a single count of conspiracy to obtain and disseminate national defence information in exchange for his freedom, ending the years-long legal drama.

Who is Julian Assange, a 'cyberpunk' or reckless publisher of classified information?

<p>WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has agreed to plead guilty to revealing military secrets in exchange for his release from prison, ending years of legal wrangling that shaped global debate around free speech starting the 2010s. Here is a timeline of events.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>2010: Assault charges</strong></p>

<p>In July 2010, Assange's whistleblowing website WikiLeaks began publishing hundreds of thousands of leaked US military documents about wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, some of which explained American wartime abuses.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/julian-assange-is-free-wikileaks-confirms-its-founder-is-flying-home-to-australia-734790">Julian Assange is free: WikiLeaks confirms its founder is flying home to Australia</a></strong></p>

<p>In the same year, WikiLeaks published a massive batch of secret US diplomatic cable which showed that Washington spied on the United Nations leaders and that Saudi Arabia pressured the US to attack Iran.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In November that year, a prosecutor in Sweden issued an arrest warrant for Assange over sexual assault accusations involving two women. Assange denied the claims, saying they had consensual sex. He reports to police in London and is arrested. A week later he is released on bail.</p>

<p><strong>2012: Ecuador embassy refuge</strong></p>

<p>In February 2011, a judge in Britain ruled for Assange's extradition to Sweden. Assange appeals the ruling. In June 2012, he takes refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy in London. Ecuador under the left-wing president Rafael Correa, grants him asylum. He stays there till April 2019.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>2019: Assange arrested, imprisoned</strong></p>

<p>In January 2018, Ecuador, now ruled by conservative President Lenin Moreno, claimed hosting Assange in its London embassy had become "untenable".</p>

<p>In April 2019, British police take Assange from the embassy and arrest him on a US extradition request. In May, he is sentenced to 50 weeks in jail for having breached bail in 2010. The legal process for his extradition to the US begins.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/who-is-julian-assange-a-cyberpunk-or-reckless-publisher-of-classified-information-734812">Who is Julian Assange, a 'cyberpunk' or reckless publisher of classified information?</a></strong></p>

<p>In May 2019, the US Justice Department charges Assange with violating the US Espionage Act by publishing military and diplomatic files in 2010.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>2020: Assange lawyers say Trump promised him presidential pardon</strong></p>

<p>In February 2020 court hearings, Assange's lawyers claim then US president Donald Trump had promised him a pardon if he denied Russia had leaked him damaging emails about Hillary Clinton ahead of the 2016 presidential election.</p>

<p><strong>2021: Legal victory and setback</strong></p>

<p>A London court blocked his extradition in January 2021, on the grounds he would be a suicide risk if sent to the US. The verdict is overturned by a High Court.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>2022: Permission to appeal</strong></p>

<p>Judges in January 2022 granted Assange permission to appeal the extradition. But in March, the UK Supreme Court refuses to hear the challenge.&nbsp;</p>

<p>On June 17, 2022, the British government approves his extradition but it is challenged in courts.</p>

<p><strong>2024: Plea deal and release</strong></p>

<p>Assange agrees to plead guilty to a single count of conspiracy to obtain and disseminate national defence information, according to US court documents released on Monday (June 24) night.</p>

<p><strong>Also watch |&nbsp;WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to plead guilty in espionage act case in US court</strong></p>

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<p>WikiLeaks says "Julian Assange is free," writing on X that he has left prison and flown out of Britain after being granted bail by a high court judge. Assange is reportedly now flying to Australia.</p>

<p>Assange is scheduled to appear Wednesday morning local time at a court in the Northern Mariana Islands, a US territory in the Pacific, close to his native Australia.</p>


WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has agreed to plead guilty to revealing military secrets in exchange for his release from prison, ending years of legal wrangling that shaped global debate around free speech starting the 2010s.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has agreed to plead guilty to revealing military secrets in exchange for his release from prison, ending years of legal wrangling that shaped global debate around free speech starting the 2010s. Here is a timeline of events. 2010: Assault charges In July 2010, Assange's whistleblowing website WikiLeaks began publishing hundreds of thousands of leaked US military documents about wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, some of which explained American wartime abuses. Also read | Julian Assange is free: WikiLeaks confirms its founder is flying home to Australia In the same year, WikiLeaks published a massive batch of secret US diplomatic cable which showed that Washington spied on the United Nations leaders and that Saudi Arabia pressured the US to attack Iran. In November that year, a prosecutor in Sweden issued an arrest warrant for Assange over sexual assault accusations involving two women. Assange denied the claims, saying they had consensual sex. He reports to police in London and is arrested. A week later he is released on bail. 2012: Ecuador embassy refuge In February 2011, a judge in Britain ruled for Assange's extradition to Sweden. Assange appeals the ruling. In June 2012, he takes refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy in London. Ecuador under the left-wing president Rafael Correa, grants him asylum. He stays there till April 2019. 2019: Assange arrested, imprisoned In January 2018, Ecuador, now ruled by conservative President Lenin Moreno, claimed hosting Assange in its London embassy had become "untenable". In April 2019, British police take Assange from the embassy and arrest him on a US extradition request. In May, he is sentenced to 50 weeks in jail for having breached bail in 2010. The legal process for his extradition to the US begins. Also read | Who is Julian Assange, a 'cyberpunk' or reckless publisher of classified information? In May 2019, the US Justice Department charges Assange with violating the US Espionage Act by publishing military and diplomatic files in 2010. 2020: Assange lawyers say Trump promised him presidential pardon In February 2020 court hearings, Assange's lawyers claim then US president Donald Trump had promised him a pardon if he denied Russia had leaked him damaging emails about Hillary Clinton ahead of the 2016 presidential election. 2021: Legal victory and setback A London court blocked his extradition in January 2021, on the grounds he would be a suicide risk if sent to the US. The verdict is overturned by a High Court. 2022: Permission to appeal Judges in January 2022 granted Assange permission to appeal the extradition. But in March, the UK Supreme Court refuses to hear the challenge. On June 17, 2022, the British government approves his extradition but it is challenged in courts. 2024: Plea deal and release Assange agrees to plead guilty to a single count of conspiracy to obtain and disseminate national defence information, according to US court documents released on Monday (June 24) night. Also watch | WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to plead guilty in espionage act case in US court × WikiLeaks says "Julian Assange is free," writing on X that he has left prison and flown out of Britain after being granted bail by a high court judge. Assange is reportedly now flying to Australia. Assange is scheduled to appear Wednesday morning local time at a court in the Northern Mariana Islands, a US territory in the Pacific, close to his native Australia.

Julian Assange released: Timeline of WikiLeaks founder's road to freedom

<p>A top US diplomat said that the country needs to get more international students from India for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) domains. US deputy secretary of state Kurt Campbell said that not enough Americans were taking up courses in these domains. &nbsp;</p>

<p>Campbell also noted that the US universities are limiting Chinese students' access to sensitive technology given security concerns. But the Chinese nationals could still apply for humanities courses, Campbell indicated.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/jaishankar-expresses-concern-over-rise-in-deaths-of-indian-students-overseas-711649">Jaishankar expresses concern over rise in deaths of Indian students overseas</a></strong></p>

<p>According to official statistics, the total number of foreign students in the United States in the 2022/23 academic year was nearly 290,000.</p>

<p>But many in the academia as well as the larger civil society argue that deteriorating Washington-Beijing ties amid concerns related to the theft of US expertise have derailed scientific cooperation while subjecting the Chinese students to unwarranted suspicion.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also watch |&nbsp;What's behind Indian student deaths in the US?</strong></p>

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<p>"I would like to see more Chinese students coming to the United States to study humanities and social sciences, not particle physics," Campbell told the Council on Foreign Relations think-tank when asked about the China Initiative introduced by the Trump administration with an aim to combat Chinese espionage and intellectual property theft.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Critics say that the continued implementation of the rule is spurring the racial profiling of Asian-Americans.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Campbell said US universities had made "careful attempts" to support continuing higher education for Chinese students but they have also made attempts to be "careful about the labs, some of the activities of Chinese students."</p>

<p>"I do think it is possible to curtail and to limit certain kinds of access, and we have seen that generally, particularly in technological programs across the United States," he said.</p>

<p>Campbell said that it was suggested that China was the only source to make up for the shortage of science students, but that is not the case.</p>

<p>"I believe that the largest increase that we need to see going forward would be much larger numbers of Indian students that come to study in American universities on a range of technology and other fields."</p>

<p>"It really has been China that has made it difficult for the kinds of activities that we would like to see sustaining," Campbell said, adding that foreign executives and philanthropists were wary about long-term stays in China due to concerns about personal security.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


A top US diplomat said that the country needs to get more international students from India for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) domains. US deputy secretary of state Kurt Campbell said that not enough Americans were taking up courses in these domains.

A top US diplomat said that the country needs to get more international students from India for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) domains. US deputy secretary of state Kurt Campbell said that not enough Americans were taking up courses in these domains. Campbell also noted that the US universities are limiting Chinese students' access to sensitive technology given security concerns. But the Chinese nationals could still apply for humanities courses, Campbell indicated. Also read | Jaishankar expresses concern over rise in deaths of Indian students overseas According to official statistics, the total number of foreign students in the United States in the 2022/23 academic year was nearly 290,000. But many in the academia as well as the larger civil society argue that deteriorating Washington-Beijing ties amid concerns related to the theft of US expertise have derailed scientific cooperation while subjecting the Chinese students to unwarranted suspicion. Also watch | What's behind Indian student deaths in the US? × "I would like to see more Chinese students coming to the United States to study humanities and social sciences, not particle physics," Campbell told the Council on Foreign Relations think-tank when asked about the China Initiative introduced by the Trump administration with an aim to combat Chinese espionage and intellectual property theft. Critics say that the continued implementation of the rule is spurring the racial profiling of Asian-Americans. Campbell said US universities had made "careful attempts" to support continuing higher education for Chinese students but they have also made attempts to be "careful about the labs, some of the activities of Chinese students." "I do think it is possible to curtail and to limit certain kinds of access, and we have seen that generally, particularly in technological programs across the United States," he said. Campbell said that it was suggested that China was the only source to make up for the shortage of science students, but that is not the case. "I believe that the largest increase that we need to see going forward would be much larger numbers of Indian students that come to study in American universities on a range of technology and other fields." "It really has been China that has made it difficult for the kinds of activities that we would like to see sustaining," Campbell said, adding that foreign executives and philanthropists were wary about long-term stays in China due to concerns about personal security. (With inputs from agencies)

Indians for science, Chinese for humanities: US diplomat on courses for foreign students

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