"We've Been Wiped Off Map": Hurricane Helene Leaves Florida Town In Ruins

The tiny town of Steinhatchee on Florida's Gulf Coast has been left in ruins after Hurricane Helene unleashed winds of up to 140 mph (around 225 km) and a 10-foot storm surge earlier this week. Most of the town's 500 residents were evacuated before the storm, only to return to a scene of devastation.

“It's heartbreaking. We've been wiped off the map. There's nothing left. I have some insurance but now I have to rebuild,” Donna Landon told The New York Post. Ms Landon's mobile home on the outskirts of Steinhatchee was destroyed.

Few structures remain in the town, about 90 miles (around 145 km) southeast of Tallahassee, the state capital. Buildings that survived were badly damaged, making recovery an uphill battle for the close-knit community. “I don't think there's anyone who hasn't been touched by this. But this is a community where everyone looks out for each other,” Ms Landon added.

On Friday, electrical crews from neighbouring states arrived in Steinhatchee, working to repair the town's power grid. However, the restoration of electricity is expected to take considerable time. “It's going to take weeks to fix it. We're going to have to start from scratch,” said Russ Rhodes, part of a team working to replace a downed power line.

One of the town's most loved establishments, Roy's Restaurant, located along the Steinhatchee River, was obliterated by the hurricane. The restaurant reopened nine months ago after suffering extensive damage from Hurricane Idalia. “Our employees are safe. The restaurant didn't fare as well. But that's all right. We're thinking of our community, our employees, and everyone who is affected out there. We love them,” the manager shared in a Facebook Live message.

Despite the overwhelming loss, Roy's owner, Linda Wicker, has vowed to rebuild the 55-year-old restaurant. “I think we need to do that,” Wicker told the Palm Beach Post. While insurance will cover some of the damage, Wicker noted, “It's never enough,” as she reflected on the future of her business and its 30 employees.

Steinhatchee is just one of many coastal communities in Florida dealing with the severe impact of Hurricane Helene, a Category 4 storm that has claimed at least 45 lives as of September 28.

In the nearby town of Perry, around 7,000 residents are assessing the destruction, reported The New York Post. Roads are blocked by fallen trees, electrical poles have snapped in half, and many buildings have lost their roofs. The town is currently without electricity or running water, further complicating recovery efforts.

“I've been in Florida all my life. My entire life, and it's never been this bad. But I'm still alive and everyone I love is still alive, so I'm grateful to God for sparing us,” The New York Post quoted 80-year-old Perry resident Nancy Belleville as saying.

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IIFA 2024: SRK-Rani Mukerji Win Big. Check Out Full List Of Winners

The IIFA 2024 Awards ceremony was a star-studded celebration of Indian cinema's finest talents. The event was held in Abu Dhabi on September 28. The night's top honour, Best Film, went to Animal, featuring Ranbir Kapoor. Director Sandeep Reddy Vanga and producer Bhushan Kumar accepted the award on behalf of the team. In the acting categories, Shah Rukh Khan won Best Actor for his role in Jawan, while Rani Mukerji was named Best Actress for her portrayal of a determined mother in Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway. Vidhu Vinod Chopra was awarded Best Director for 12th Fail, a biopic based on the inspiring journey of IPS officer Manoj Sharma (portrayed by Vikrant Massey).

Take a look at the winners list:

Best Picture: Animal (Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar, Pranay Reddy Vanga)

Best Director: Vidhu Vinod Chopra - 12th Fail

Best Actor (Male): Shah Rukh Khan - Jawan

Best Actress (Female): Rani Mukerji - Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway

Best Supporting Actor (Male): Anil Kapoor - Animal

Best Supporting Actress (Female): Shabana Azmi - Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani

Best Performance in a Negative Role: Bobby Deol - Animal

Best Music Direction: Pritam, Vishal Mishra, Manan Bhardwaj, Shreyas Puranik, Jaani, Bhupinder Babbal, Ashim Kemson, Harshavardhan Rameshwar - Animal

Best Playback Singer (Male): Bhupinder Babbal - Arjan Vailly (Animal)

Best Playback Singer (Female): Shilpa Rao - Chaleya (Jawan)

Special Awards:

Outstanding Achievement in Indian Cinema: Hema Malini

Debutant of the Year: Alizeh Agnihotri

Best Story: Ishita Moitra, Shashank Khaitan, Sumit Roy - Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani

Best Lyrics: Siddharth Singh & Garima Wahal - Satranga (Animal)

ICYDK, IIFA 2024 is a three-day event (September 27 to September 29). Day 1, featuring the IIFA Utsavam honoured the South film industry. The main awards night was held on Day 2, followed by IIFA Rocks for the music industry on Day 3. IIFA Rocks will be hosted by Siddhant Chaturvedi and Abhishek Banerjee.

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US Couple Accused Of Trying To Sell Their Baby For $1,000 And Beer

A couple from Northwest Arkansas is accused of attempting to sell their baby boy for $1,000 and beer, according to court documents in the felony case. As detailed in a Benton County Sheriff's Office arrest affidavit, the alleged crime occurred at a campground in Rogers, where Darien Urban, 21, and Shalene Ehlers, and their baby have been living for approximately three months. Rogers is situated in the Ozarks near the borders of Oklahoma and Missouri.

The condition of the baby was not immediately known as of Thursday.

According to the affidavit obtained by USA TODAY, deputies were called to Beaver Lake Hide Away Campground on September 21 after a report from someone in the manager's office claimed the couple was attempting to give their baby away in exchange for money and beer. The caller also informed authorities that the baby required medical attention due to observed rashes and blisters around the child's buttocks and genitals.

When deputies arrived, a detective noted in the affidavit that the couple was not present, and the baby was taken to a children's hospital.

The affidavit states that one witness approached the couple's camper, asked to take the baby overnight, and provided the couple with beers. The man told deputies that the couple agreed, so he took the baby out of concern for his welfare.

Another witness, a woman at the campground, also took the baby, changed his diaper, and bathed him. She captured photos of the blisters and rash to present to authorities.

On-site, deputies found a letter allegedly signed by the couple, agreeing to accept a cashier's check for $1,000 on Monday in exchange for the child. The letter stated, "I, Darien Urban and Shalene Ehlers are signing our rights over to Cody Nathaniel Martin of our baby boy [redacted] for $1,000 on 09/21/2024," the letter reads. "Disclaimer: After signing this there will be no changing yall two's minds and to never contact again."

Detectives also obtained cellphone video of both parents signing the letter.

During their interview with detectives, the couple claimed their baby "was undergoing an adoption" and stated they recorded the video because they planned to finalize the adoption on Monday, according to the affidavit.

Deputies arrested the couple and booked them into local jail on charges of felony endangering the welfare of a child and attempted relinquishment of a minor for adoption. A judge set their bond at $50,000 each.

Court and jail records indicated that both defendants were released on Thursday.

The parents are scheduled to appear in court on October 29.

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Cars, Pedestrians Covered In Faeces After Sewage Pipes Burst In China

A newly installed sewage pipeline burst during a pressure test at a road construction site in China. A stomach-churning footage has surfaced on the internet which captured the moment human sewage erupted on a busy road drenching cars, pedestrians, and bikers in human waste. 

Footage captures a fountain of faeces erupting 10 meters (33 feet) into the air before showering down on unsuspecting commuters.

This shocking incident occurred when newly installed sewage pipes in Nanning, a city in southern China, unexpectedly burst.

Watch the video here:

Septic tank pipeline exploded in Nanning, Guangxi pic.twitter.com/F576sjFDyS

— @ (@anthraxxx781) September 24, 2024

The force of the explosion was so intense that it flipped a digger at the construction site and damaged nearby vehicles.

Within moments, those in the area were drenched in the disgusting brown waste.

Dash-cam footage reveals one car's windshield entirely covered as the wipers struggle futilely to clear it.

"I'm drenched in poo," one driver reportedly complained. "My car is splattered yellow. It's ruined."

No one was injured in the explosion, the New York Post reported.

Local media reported that the explosion likely occurred when construction workers attempted a pressure test on the newly laid pipes, authorities said.

Local authorities reported that the aftermath of the "poo-cano" was promptly addressed, and various measures to prevent future sewage explosions are currently under investigation.

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Court Questions Officials Over File Signed By Manmohan Singh On Jama Masjid

The Delhi High Court expressed its displeasure on Friday over the failure of authorities to produce before it a file containing the decision of then prime minister Manmohan Singh that the historic Mughal-era Jama Masjid in the national capital should not be declared a protected monument. A bench headed by Justice Prathiba M Singh observed that in spite of an earlier order, "loose sheets" and other documents were tendered to it instead of the record pertaining to the mosque's status as a monument, its current occupants, etc.

Granting a final opportunity, the court sought an affidavit in the matter from a competent officer of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) as well as the original file on the next date of hearing in October.

It also asked the ASI director general to directly supervise the matter and hold a meeting with the central government's counsel -- lawyers Anil Soni and Manish Mohan -- to ensure that a comprehensive affidavit is filed.

The high court was hearing PILs that have sought directions to authorities to declare the Jama Masjid a protected monument and remove all encroachments in and around it.

On August 28, it had directed the Union Ministry of Culture and ASI to positively produce before it a file containing Mr Singh's decision that the Jama Masjid should not be declared a protected monument.

During Friday's hearing, the bench questioned the ASI official present in the court over his failure to comply with the order and said, "Who is not giving the file? We will call the secretary. There are clear instructions."

"A perusal of the notesheets will show that they (the documents produced) mostly relate to the writ petition and follow-up action in relation to the writ petition. Information relating to the Jamia Masjid's status as a monument, maintenance being undertaken by the ASI, the current occupants of the Jamia Masjid and the manner in which the revenue generated is utilised is not contained in the file," the bench, also comprising Justice Amit Sharma, said.

"Let a short affidavit be filed by a competent officer of the ASI with respect to all aspects and the original file be produced on the next date of hearing. This will be undertaken directly in the supervision of the director general of the ASI," the bench added.

The court asked the ASI director general to depute a competent official who is aware of the facts.

The public interest litigation (PIL) matters, filed by Suhail Ahmed Khan and Ajay Gautam in 2014, have objected to the use of the title "Shahi Imam" by the Jama Masjid's imam, Maulana Syed Ahmed Bukhari, and the appointment of his son as the naib (deputy) imam.

The pleas have also questioned why the mosque is not under the ASI's management.

The Centre's counsel had earlier submitted that the Jama Masjid is a live monument where people offer prayers and there are a lot of restrictions.

The ASI had, in August 2015, told the court that Mr Singh had assured the Shahi Imam that the Jama Masjid would not be declared a protected monument.

The court was also informed that as the Jama Masjid is not a centrally-protected monument, it does not fall within the ASI's purview.

"In 2004, the issue of notifying the Jama Masjid as a centrally-protected monument was raised. However, former prime minister Manmohan Singh assured the Shahi Imam, vide his October 20, 2004 letter, that the Jama Masjid would not be declared as a centrally-protected monument," the ASI had said in its affidavit in the court. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Vietnam Estimates Damages Of $3.31 Billion From Typhoon Yagi: Report

Asia's strongest storm this year, Typhoon Yagi, caused damages estimated at 81.5 trillion dong ($3.31 billion) across northern Vietnam, or twice as much as previous estimates, state media said on Saturday.

The typhoon, which killed 299 with 34 missing, devastated export-oriented industrial hubs, destroying factories and facilities, besides flooding farmland, damaging homes, and tearing up a bridge.

"The total economic damage is initially estimated at over 81.5 trillion dong, with most damage triggered by landslides and flash floods," state-run Vietnam News Agency quoted Agriculture Minister Le Minh Hoan as saying.

The figure exceeds a preliminary estimate of $1.6 billion made this month by the planning ministry that threatened to chip 0.15 percentage point from a forecast for economic growth of 6.8% to 7% this year.

Hoan urged authorities to help people resume production while ensuring supplies and holding down prices, as farm and agricultural land were among the areas hit hardest.

Live pig prices in Vietnam have risen steadily since Typhoon Yagi and subsequent flooding affected several pig farms, Reuters has reported.

On Thursday, rating agency S&P Global said Vietnamese banks' profitability would be hit because of typhoon debt relief measures ordered by the central bank.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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US Mom Finds Son Sweaty, Discovers Body In His Vehicle. Then This Happens

"What have you done?" A mother's haunting question pierced the air after she discovered a human foot near their family van in Texas, US. Richard Ranner Ozment, 36, was arrested after allegedly attacking and killing 38-year-old Michaela Brooker with a machete-like weapon following a suspected domestic disturbance, Texas local media KWTX reported.

The incident took place on Saturday, September 21, around 9 am when deputies from the McLennan County Sheriff's Office responded to a call from a residence on Old China Spring Road. According to the sheriff's affidavit, Ozment's mother told deputies she walked outside her home and saw her son sweating profusely. When she tried to move past him, she stumbled upon Ms Brooker's severely injured body.

Ozment allegedly blocked his mother's path but, after being confronted, claimed that Ms Brooker had "tried to stab [him]," according to the sheriff's affidavit.

Panicked, the mother rushed inside while Ozment's father called 911. First responders arrived quickly, but Ozment fled the scene. China Spring firefighters were the first to spot him running away, but authorities couldn't locate him until 10 hours later when he was found hiding in a stock tank not far from the property.

Emergency responders treated Ms Brooker for severe injuries, particularly to her head, but she was later airlifted to a hospital, where she succumbed to her wounds.

Ozment, arrested, is now facing murder charges, with a $1 million bond.

McLennan County Sheriff Parnell McNamara was outraged over the killing, calling it "one of the most horrific, brutal, and senseless attacks that we have seen in a long time."

Richard Ozment has a lengthy criminal record dating back to his teens. At 16, he was convicted of aggravated sexual assault. Over the years, he faced various charges, including terroristic threats, failing to register as a sex offender and burglary. Ozment was paroled after serving only 10 years, despite a 40-year prison sentence for past crimes. 

"This never should have happened," Sheriff McNamara said. "He never should have gotten out, but he did."

Michaela Brooker leaves behind a young son.

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Family Of 5 Found Dead In Car In Tamil Nadu, Cops Suspect Suicide

A family of five allegedly died by suicide and their bodies were found in an abandoned car in Tamil Nadu's Pudukkottai district, said police. The car was found parked on the Trichy-Karaikudi National Highway on Wednesday morning. Locals alerted the cops after seeing the car parked at the same spot in Namanasamudran since the previous evening.

The victims were later identified as Manikandan, a 50-year-old businessman, his wife Nithya, mother Saroja, and their two children, all residents of Salem, say local reports. It is suspected that the victims had consumed poison, suggests preliminary investigation.

The police have recovered a note from the car. They are yet to ascertain what could have driven them to suicide and are probing if the family was under pressure from money lenders. Manikandan, who was into the metal trade, was in debt, suggest reports.

The bodies have been sent to Pudukkottai Government Medical College Hospital for post-mortem.

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World First Indoor Vertical Farm In US Produces 4 Million Pounds Berries

An innovative new agricultural project has started in Richmond, Virginia, United States, representing an impressive step forward in sustainable food production. The Plenty Richmond Farm is the world's first indoor, vertically farmed berries facility at a scale where they are harvested and preserved.

This new technique, backed by a worldwide team of scientists, which promises to make it possible to produce ample food supplies without badly impacting the environment. The farm-based approach uses towering structures in controlled conditions to grow strawberries, dramatically less land compared with traditional agriculture.

The strawberries, developed in collaboration with the multinational corporation Driscoll's, are anticipated to hit grocery store shelves in early 2025. This invention marks a significant expansion of vertical farming capabilities, which have previously been centred on leafy greens such as lettuce.

"With agriculture serving as the Commonwealth's largest private sector industry, Plenty choosing Virginia for the world's first farm to grow indoor, vertically farmed berries at scale reinforces Virginia's leading role in the controlled environment agriculture industry," said Governor Glenn Youngkin. "Plenty's farm will boost local agriculture production and drive economic development, all while diversifying against risks and protecting the environment. We look forward to supporting their innovative approaches to revolutionizing the industry, and know that Plenty's success will be Virginia's success." 

By managing temperature, light, and humidity, the farm can improve plant growth and pollination, resulting in more consistent and high-quality product. This fresh approach is projected to reduce waste while increasing overall efficiency in the agriculture industry.

"This farm is a model for the positive impact climate-agnostic agriculture can have, and proof that vertical farming can deliver the crop diversity, scaled and local production needed to future-proof the global food system," said Arama Kukutai, Plenty CEO. "The Plenty Richmond Farm is the culmination of 200 research trials over the past six years to perfect growing strawberries with consistent peak-season flavor indoors year-round. Driscoll's sets an incredibly high bar for the quality of its berries and we're excited to join forces to consistently deliver an ultra-premium Driscoll's strawberry year-round."

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Israel Raids Lebanon Again, Sirens Sound In Tel Aviv As Tensions Surge

Israeli warplanes pounded villages in south Lebanon for a third day, Lebanese media reported Wednesday, while Israel said it intercepted a missile fired after sirens sounded early morning in Tel Aviv. Lebanese officials said hundreds of thousands of civilians have fled their homes in the south this week to avoid fighting between Hezbollah and the Israeli military.

Lebanon's official National News Agency said Israeli warplanes launched raids on multiple towns in the south from 5:00 am (0200 GMT), adding "casualties were reported" from other strikes overnight.

The United Nations Security Council said it will hold an emergency meeting on the crisis in New York Wednesday, while UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned the situation was critical.

Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced since the latest round of fighting began Monday, officials said, some crossing the border to Syria to flee Israeli bombing. 

Thuraya Harb, a 41-year-old housewife at a makeshift centre for displaced families in Beirut, said her family fled "with nothing but the clothes on our backs".

"I didn't want to leave my home, but the children were scared," the mother of four said.

Longtime foes Hezbollah and Israel have been locked in near-daily exchanges of cross-border fire since Palestinian group Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7.

The Hamas attack sparked a war in Gaza that has drawn in Hezbollah and other Iran-backed militants from across the Middle East, including Yemen and Iraq.

Lebanon said Israeli strikes killed at least 558 people on Monday -- the deadliest day of violence in the country since its 1975-90 civil war.

Lebanese Health Minister Firass Abiad said the "vast majority, if not all" of those killed were unarmed civilians in their homes.

Israel's military said Wednesday it intercepted a missile fired from Lebanon after sirens sounded in Tel Aviv.

"Following the sirens that sounded in the Tel Aviv and Netanya areas, one surface-to-surface missile was identified crossing from Lebanon and was intercepted," a military spokesman said.

Hezbollah's Rocket Commander Killed

Hezbollah claimed 18 attacks on Israel on Tuesday, while the Israeli military said the Iran-backed group fired about 300 rockets across the border.

Hezbollah also confirmed an Israeli claim that it had killed its rocket forces commander Ibrahim Kobeissi in the strike on the Lebanese capital.

Early Wednesday, a Lebanese security source said a new Israeli strike hit the Saadiyat area near Beirut, with a "warehouse" targeted.

At the UN General Assembly in New York, Secretary-General Guterres warned the situation in Lebanon was critical.

"We should all be alarmed by the escalation. Lebanon is at the brink," he said, while cautioning against "the possibility of transforming Lebanon (into) another Gaza".

US President Joe Biden warned against a full-blown war in Lebanon in his speech during the New York gathering.

"Full-scale war is not in anyone's interest. Even though the situation has escalated, a diplomatic solution is still possible," Biden said.

Lebanon's foreign minister, also at the UN assembly, said the number of displaced Lebanese had soared to nearly 500,000 since Israel ramped up its military campaign.

A security official in neighbouring Syria told AFP about 500 people had crossed the border to flee the bombing.

Defiant Netanyahu

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to continue the withering air campaign.

"We will continue to hit Hezbollah... the one who has a missile in his living room and a rocket in his home will not have a home," he said.

Iran, Hezbollah's main backer, condemned the raids, with its president, Masoud Pezeshkian, saying its ally "cannot stand alone" against Israel.

"We must not allow Lebanon to become another Gaza at the hands of Israel," he said.

A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Washington opposed an Israeli ground invasion targeting Hezbollah and had "concrete ideas" on how to de-escalate the crisis.

Israel's ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, said Israel was "not eager to start any ground invasion" in Lebanon.

Britain's foreign ministry said Tuesday that it was sending military teams to Cyprus as it prepares "contingency plans" for its citizens in Lebanon, who it urged to immediately leave the country.

'New phase'

The war in Gaza began with Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,205 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures that include hostages killed in captivity.

Of the 251 hostages seized by militants, 97 are still held in Gaza, including 33 the Israeli military says are dead.

Israel's retaliatory military offensive has killed at least 41,467 people in Gaza, most of them civilians, according to figures provided by the Hamas-run territory's health ministry. The UN has described the figures as reliable.

In a statement addressed to the UN chief, Hamas urged "immediate action" to stop the war in Gaza.

Since the start of the Gaza war, clashes along the Lebanon-Israel border have forced tens of thousands of people on both sides to flee their homes.

The violence between Israel and Hezbollah escalated dramatically last week, when coordinated communications device blasts that the militants blamed on Israel killed 39 people and wounded almost 3,000.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Gunman Wrote Chilling Letter Months Ago About Assassination Bid On Trump

The gunman suspected of planning to kill Donald Trump wrote a chilling letter months ago about an  "assassination attempt" on the former president, US prosecutors said on Monday.

The correspondence emerged as Ryan Routh, 58, was due in court in southern Florida charged with two firearms offenses after he was arrested allegedly fleeing Trump International Golf Course in West Palm Beach on September 15.

Prosecutors say a Secret Service agent fired at Routh after spotting a rifle poking out of the tree line several holes ahead of Trump, and that Routh was spotted by a witness who saw him escaping in a car.

Federal prosecutors said in Monday's filing Routh had dropped off a box at an unidentified person's home "several months" beforehand, containing ammunition, a metal pipe, building materials, phones "and various letters."

After learning of the apparent assassination bid, the witness apparently opened the box and discovered a letter addressed to "The World."

"This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump but I failed you," it said.

"I tried my best and gave it all the gumption I could muster. It is up to you now to finish the job; and I will offer $150,000 to whomever can complete the job."

It was not clear if he was referring to a separate, earlier attempt on the life of Trump or the one at the golf course.

Detectives believe Routh may have been lying in wait for Trump for nearly 12 hours at the Florida course. He was arrested after police spotted his car driving on a nearby highway.

The government says Routh traveled to Florida a month before his arrest and began casing the golf course and drove by Trump's oceanfront home.

In online posts Routh said he voted for Trump in 2016 but that the president had become a disappointment.

"Everyone across the globe from the youngest to the oldest know that Trump is unfit to be anything, much less a US president," said Routh's letter, the front page of which appeared in a photograph included with the court papers.

"US presidents must at bare minimum embody the moral fabric that is America, and be kind, caring and selfless and always stand for humanity. Trump fails to understand any of (that)."

Routh is accused of possessing a gun with a scratched-out serial number and with possessing a gun illegally as a felon, although more serious charges may come after prosecutors put the case before a federal grand jury.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Kate Middleton Makes First Public Appearance After Cancer Treatment

Kate Middleton made her first public appearance on Sunday after completing her chemotherapy. The 42-year-old royal, accompanied by her husband Prince William, attended a church service with King Charles III and Queen Camilla near their Balmoral estate in Scotland.

In photos published by The Sun, Kate was seen in the passenger seat of a car driven by the Prince of Wales, who wore a navy suit and blue tie for the occasion. It marked her return to public duties after a period of absence due to cancer treatment.

On September 9, the Princess of Wales shared that she finished her chemotherapy six months after being diagnosed with an undisclosed type of cancer. Her revelation came just weeks after Buckingham Palace announced that King Charles III was also undergoing cancer treatment. In her announcement, Kate stated that she was optimistic about her recovery, adding her journey to complete health would be gradual, with plans to participate in limited engagements through the end of the year.

“The last nine months have been incredibly tough for us as a family,” Kate shared in a video. “Life as you know it can change in an instant, and we have had to find a way to navigate the stormy waters. The cancer journey is complex, scary and unpredictable for everyone, especially those closest to you. It brings a new perspective on everything.”

Earlier this week, Princess Kate quietly resumed her royal duties. For the first time since March, the Princess of Wales held a private meeting with team members from Kensington Palace and the Centre for Early Childhood at Windsor Castle.

Despite stepping away from most royal duties during her treatment, Kate made two public appearances earlier in the year. In June, she participated in the Trooping the Colour military parade on King Charles' birthday. The Princess also attended the men's final at Wimbledon in July, receiving a standing ovation from the crowd.

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PM Modi's Silver Train Model, Pashmina Shawl Gifts To Joe And Jill Biden

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today gifted an antique silver hand-engraved train model to US President Joe Biden. The Prime Minister, who is in the US for a three-day trip, met Mr Biden in his hometown Wilmington, Delaware, ahead of the Quad Leaders' Summit.

The train model was customised by inscribing "DELHI-DELAWARE" on the sides of the main carriage and "INDIAN RAILWAYS" on the sides of the engine in English and Hindi based on the standard format used on passenger trains in India.

Crafted by artisans from Maharashtra, which is renowned for its rich heritage in silver craftsmanship, the model is made of 92.5% silver, officials said.

PM Modi also gifted a Kashmiri pashmina shawl to First Lady Jill Biden.

Earlier in the day, PM Modi said he held an "extremely fruitful" meeting with Mr Biden during which the two leaders discussed ways to further enhance bilateral cooperation in areas of mutual interest and exchanged views on global and regional issues including the Indo-Pacific region and beyond.

PM Modi was welcomed by Mr Biden at his residence in Greenville, Delaware, where the two leaders hugged each other. The US President held PM Modi's hand as he led him into the house where the bilateral talks took place.

"I thank President Biden for hosting me at his residence in Greenville, Delaware. Our talks were extremely fruitful. We had the opportunity to discuss regional and global issues during the meeting," PM Modi posted on X after the meeting which lasted more than an hour.

I thank President Biden for hosting me at his residence in Greenville, Delaware. Our talks were extremely fruitful. We had the opportunity to discuss regional and global issues during the meeting. @JoeBiden pic.twitter.com/WzWW3fudTn

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 21, 2024

Mr Biden also took to X and said the United States' partnership with India is "stronger, closer, and more dynamic than any time in history".

"Prime Minister Modi, each time we sit down, I'm struck by our ability to find new areas of cooperation. Today was no different," he wrote.

A joint statement issued after the bilateral meeting said the India-US partnership is "decisively delivering on an ambitious agenda that serves the global good", calling it the "defining partnership of the 21st century".

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NASA Reveals Sound Vibration Near A Black Hole 250 Million Light Years Away

US space agency NASA has recorded an eerie audio clip that captures sound waves coming from near a supermassive black hole situated 250 million light years away. The acoustic waves, coming from near the black hole located at the heart of the Perseus cluster of galaxies, were transposed up 57 and 58 octaves to make them audible for human ears.

The audio was released in 2022 and it was the first time when the sound waves were extracted and made audible.

Sound vibrations (waves) do exist in space, even though we might not be able to hear them naturally.

In a surprising discovery in 2003, astronomers detected acoustic waves rippling out through the huge amounts of gas surrounding the supermassive black hole at the Perseus galaxy cluster, which is now popular for its eerie humming sound.

It is difficult to hear them at their current pitch as it includes the lowest note ever detected in the universe by humans – much below the limits of human hearing.

NASA's recent sonification has majorly amplified these sound waves, in order to get a sense of how they would sound like while ringing through the intergalactic space.

The lowest note, which was identified in 2003, is a B-flat and is located over 57 octaves below middle C, the report said, adding that its frequency is 10 million years at that pitch.

It is to be noted that the lowest note that can be detected by human ears has a frequency of one-twentieth of a second.

After being extracted radically from the supermassive black hole, these sound waves were played in an anti-clockwise direction from the center. 

This was done to make them audible in all directions from around the supermassive black hole at the enhanced pitches of 144 quadrillion and 288 quadrillion higher then their original frequency.

Like several other waves recorded from space, the result for this one was eerie too. 

The tenuous gas and plasma, which drifts between the galaxies, in clusters known as the 'intracluster medium' is denser and much hotter than the intergalactic medium outside it. As the temperatures help to regulate star formation, hence sound waves could play a pivotal role in galaxy clusters' evolution over longer periods.
 

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"Funny Dismissals...": Shastri's Blunt Take As Kohli Falls Cheaply Again

Virat Kohli has not been having a great time in Test cricket of late. In both innings of the first Test against Bangladesh, Kohli delivered poor scores of 6 and 17. While in the first innings, he chased an outside off stump delivery by Hasan Mahmud, in the second innings, he fell victim to a wrong leg-before-wicket decision. Having chosen to not review it, the Ultraedge discovered the bat making contact with the ball, which would have ruled Virat not out had he opted for a review.

Virat is having a poor run of form across all formats this year. In 15 matches and 17 innings this year, he has scored just 319 runs at a sub-par average of 18.76, with just one half-century to his name and a best score of 76 made during the T20 World Cup final against South Africa.

Former India coach Ravi Shastri gave an interesting take on his dismissals.

"He has [gotten out to spinners] especially in the last 2-3 years. But he has scored a lot of runs too. What you want to see him do more is use his feet. Get to the pitch of the ball, probably employ the sweep. You've got to move with the times, don't be afraid to go over the top when the field is up. You could try and do things to unsettle the spinners rather than allowing him to keep bowling at you. It's what he did a lot when he scored a lot of runs," Shastri said after Kohli's dismissal.

"Also some of the tracks that India have played on. It's not been easy. Plus I know a few dismissals where like Shubman Gill in the first innings, he's gotten caught down leg wide. Funny dismissals. He'll be aware of it. That's for sure. There is no batter who doesn't remember. Obviously you find a method of finding a solution. Find out what works for you and stick with that."

With ANI inputs 

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Argentina's "Death Flights": When People Were Thrown Out Of Planes

A chilling reminder of Argentina's violent military dictatorship between 1976 and 1983 has resurfaced on the big screen with the documentary ‘Traslados' (Transferred). The film sheds light on the haunting practice of ‘death flights,' where thousands of dissidents were rounded up and thrown out of planes, often alive, into the River Plate and the Atlantic Ocean.

This week, a packed crowd at a theatre in Buenos Aires, the capital city of Argentina, saw one of the first screenings of the film, which brought both survivors and younger generations face to face with a past many would prefer to forget.

What were the ‘death flights'?

The term ‘death flights' refers to brutal executions by Argentina's military dictatorship. Those considered enemies, including activists and intellectuals, of the regime were told they were being “transferred” to another location. Instead, they were tortured and taken aboard military aircraft.

Mid-flight, they were thrown from the planes, many still alive, into the sea or the River Plate, where they would drown or die due to the impact. The fate of thousands remains a mystery; their bodies were never recovered. What's been described by many as "state-sponsored terrorism" was a key tactic in silencing dissent during Argentina's “Dirty War.”

‘Traslados' documentary

Directed by Nicolas Gil Lavedra, ‘Traslados' – the 90-minute documentary – brings together testimonies from survivors, archived material and dramatised reenactments to present the horrors of the death flights. According to Lavedra, ‘Traslados' “puts evidence on the table, brings together all the pieces and everything known...about the death flights.”

“There are no partisan or subjective opinions, there are facts and there is evidence,” Lavedra told AFP.

He aimed to present a clear and unbiased account of the atrocities committed during the dictatorship, an era when 30,000 people were killed or disappeared, according to human rights organisations. One of the central stories featured in ‘Traslados' is that of Esther Ballestrino, Azucena Villaflor, and Maria Ponce, founders of the “Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo” — a group that continues to fight for justice for the disappeared. Along with French nuns Alice Domon and Leonie Duquet, and seven other activists, they were abducted and killed in one of the death flights on December 14, 1977.

The documentary comes while Argentina is still grappling with its dark history. Controversy erupted earlier this year when lawmakers from President Javier Milei's party visited former military officers convicted of crimes against humanity, including Alfredo Astiz, the man who infiltrated the ‘Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo' and identified the women who were later killed.

The documentary's release has reignited calls for justice and remembrance. For Lavedra, this is more than revisiting history — it's about shaping the present. He said, “The only way we have to heal that wound is with justice, truth and memory.”

His connection to the subject runs deep, as his father presided over post-dictatorship trials, and he has previously directed a film on human rights activist Estela de Carlotto, president of the ‘Mothers' group.

Argentina's military dictatorship

Argentina's military dictatorship remains one of the most brutal in Latin American history. Torture, forced disappearances, and state-sanctioned murders were used to suppress any form of dissent. As the military sought to maintain power, the people of Argentina lived in constant fear, unsure of who among them might vanish next.
The ‘death flights' represent one of the most horrific tactics of this regime, and many of the victims were never identified.

For younger Argentines, many of whom were born long after the dictatorship, ‘Traslados' provides a stark reminder of the country's brutal past.
 

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Man Fatally Stabs Himself While Trying To Separate Frozen Burgers With Knife

A UK man accidentally fatally stabbed himself while trying to separate two frozen burgers with a knife, in a freak accident that initially puzzled police, a court heard. Barry Griffiths, 57, died after accidentally plunging the blade into his abdomen at his home in Powys, Wales, in July last year, according to the report by Western Telegraph. 

Mr Griffiths, who lived alone and was described as "very private", had been dead for several days before a welfare check led police to discover his body, with blood splattered throughout his kitchen and bedroom. 

His phone, wallet, and computer were left untouched, and there were no signs of a struggle in his apartment. 

Police found Mr Griffiths fully clothed on his bed with no evidence of an assault. It was only after discovering uncooked burger patties that detectives pieced together what had occurred, the court was told. 

"The bottom drawer of the freezer had been left open and pulled forward in a position to access food items," Detective Chief Inspector Jonathan Rees said.

"On the work surface in the kitchen adjacent to the fridge freezer were two uncooked burgers, a knife and a tea towel," he continued.

"The wound to the abdomen would have been approximately the height of the work surface. My hypothesis at that stage was that Mr Griffiths was attempting to separate frozen burgers using a knife."

A medical examiner concluded that Mr Griffiths- who had limited use of one arm due to a stroke- most likely died from an accident injury rather than suicide. 

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Unit 8200: Israel's Secret Intelligence Arm Linked To Pager Attacks

At least 32 people were killed and more than 3,250 injured as walkie-talkies and pagers used by Hezbollah members blew up across Lebanon in the last two days. Walkie-talkies used by Iran-backed Hezbollah members blew up in its Beirut stronghold on Wednesday, killing at least 20 people and injuring more than 450 others. The explosions came a day after thousands of pagers used by Hezbollah exploded across Lebanon, killing 12 people, including two children, and injuring about 2,800. 

The mass pager and walkie-talkie attack against Hezbollah in Lebanon has now drawn attention to Unit 8200, the Israel Defense Forces' intelligence arm, allegedly involved in planning the operation. 

According to a Western security source, Unit 8200 played a role in the development stage of the operation, which was over a year in the making. The source revealed that the unit was responsible for testing how to insert explosive material within the manufacturing process.

Unit 8200: Israel's Elite Intelligence Unit

Unit 8200 is a highly specialised military group that develops and operates intelligence-gathering tools, comparable to the US National Security Agency. The unit's activities range from cyber defence to “technological attacks and strikes.” 

Unit 8200 develops and operates advanced surveillance tools and cyber defence systems and is credited with high-profile operations. It played a key role in the Stuxnet virus attack from 2005 to 2010, which damaged Iranian nuclear centrifuges. In 2017, it was allegedly behind a cyberattack on Lebanon's state telecom company, Ogero, disrupting communications. The unit also contributed to thwarting an ISIS plot in 2018, helping to prevent a planned attack on a civilian airliner travelling from Australia to the UAE. 

Former military intelligence official Yossi Kuperwasser praised Unit 8200's expertise, saying its members are “the best and brightest personnel in the Israeli military,” as per Reuters.

Unit 8200 is also a crucial feeder into Israel's booming tech industry, with many of its alumni going on to found successful cybersecurity and tech companies. 

Avi Shua, a graduate of Unit 8200 iand co-founder of the unicorn Orca Security, praised the group's work culture, which promotes innovative problem-solving and independent thinking.

However, the unit has recently come under scrutiny for its inability to predict Hamas' attack on southern Israel in October. This failure led to the resignation of its commander, who admitted he had not fulfilled his mission.

Despite the recent Hezbollah bomb allegations, Israeli military officials have remained silent. Neither the IDF nor the Prime Minister's office, which oversees Mossad, has confirmed the involvement of Unit 8200. 

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What Is A Pager And Why Hezbollah Still Relies On This Outdated Device

At least nine people were killed and nearly 3,000 wounded in Lebanon after thousands of wireless devices used by Hezbollah members exploded on Tuesday. A senior Lebanese security source claimed that Israel's Mossad spy agency planted explosives inside 5,000 Taiwan-made pagers or “beepers” ordered by the Iran-backed group months before the blasts.

What are pagers?

A pager or ‘beeper' is a small, portable communication device that receives short messages, typically numeric or alphanumeric, over a radio frequency signal. Pagers were widely used before cell phones became popular. It was a crucial communication tool, especially for professionals like doctors, journalists, technicians, and managers. It allowed them to receive important messages, even in remote areas.

How do pagers work?

The operation of a pager was straightforward yet efficient. When a message was sent via radio waves, the device would alert the user with a distinct beep. This prompt would then require the user to locate a nearby public or landline phone to respond to the message.

As technology progressed, pagers underwent significant improvements. The newer models were equipped with a small screen, enabling them to display short messages directly on the device.

However, by the 1990s, mobile phones started to replace these little devices. The convenience of mobile phones quickly diminished the demand for pagers, and by the late 1990s, beepers had mostly vanished from public use.

Why Hezbollah members still use pagers

The recent cyberattack targeting Iran-backed Hezbollah revealed that pagers, which many assumed had become obsolete, were still in use by the group.

The pagers were used by Hezbollah fighters as a low-tech means of communication to evade Israeli location-tracking.

According to reports, Israel's Mossad spy agency planted explosives inside 5,000 pagers imported by Hezbollah months before Tuesday's detonations.

The Lebanese security source told Reuters said the pagers were from Taiwan-based Gold Apollo, but the company said in a statement it did not manufacture the devices. It said they were made by a company called BAC which has a licence to use its brand, but gave no more details.

The senior Lebanese security source said the group had ordered 5,000 beepers from Gold Apollo, which several sources say were brought into the country earlier this year.

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Tupperware Files For Bankruptcy After Years-Long Sales Struggle

Tupperware Brands Corp. filed for bankruptcy following a years-long struggle with sales declines and growing competition.

Publicly-traded Tupperware filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, listing assets of between $500 million to $1 billion and liabilities of $1 billion to $10 billion, according to its court filing. The company will seek court approval to facilitate a sale process of the business and to continue operating during bankruptcy proceedings, it said in a separate statement.

The kitchenware company, which for decades dominated the world of food storage, since 2020 had warned of doubt in its ability to stay in business. As of June of this year, it planned to close its only US factory and lay off almost 150 employees.

The bankruptcy filing in Delaware follows months-long negotiations between Tupperware and its lenders over how to manage more than $700 million in loans. The creditors had agreed to give it some breathing room on that debt, but the business continued to deteriorate.

Tupperware founder Earl Tupper in 1946 introduced its plastic products to the public, and subsequently patented their flexible airtight seal. The brand's goods later flooded into American homes, largely by way of independent sales parties hosted in suburban homes.

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Trump Shooting Suspect Isn't Republican Or Democratic But An Independent Voter

Social media users are variously claiming the man accused of planning to assassinate Donald Trump in Florida is registered as a Republican or a Democratic voter, but public records indicate he is currently neither.

Numerous posts tying the alleged plot to political parties ricocheted across platforms after Ryan Wesley Routh was foiled Sunday when a Secret Service agent spotted his rifle protruding from bushes while the former US president was playing golf nearby.

Many claims centred on Routh, 58, saying in one 2020 post that Trump was his "choice" in 2016 but had disappointed him as president, adding: "I will be glad when you gone (sic)."

However, Patrick Gannon, public information director for the North Carolina State Board of Elections, told AFP that Routh requested an absentee ballot in 2016, but did not actually vote.

Data from North Carolina shows Routh -- a self-employed builder now based in Hawaii with a decades-long arrest record -- is actively registered as an unaffiliated, or independent, voter in the swing state. He most recently cast an in-person ballot during the 2024 Democratic primary.

Routh was removed from the rolls in 2003 following a felony conviction, re-registered in 2005 as an unaffiliated voter, but was removed again in 2010 after another felony conviction, Gannon said.

In 2012, Routh submitted his current registration as unaffiliated.

In a book he self-published in 2023 about the war in Ukraine, Routh maintained he was politically independent.

"I get so tired of people asking me if I am a Democrat or Republican as I refuse to be put in a category and I must always answer independent," he wrote.

Scattered social media posts on Routh's since-suspended X account show his political opinions shifting over time, with support shown for both Trump and President Joe Biden, as well as Bernie Sanders and Tulsi Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman turned Trump adviser.

In several posts earlier this year, Routh called for a Republican presidential ticket featuring entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley.

He has also posted fervently about his support for Ukraine's fight against Russia's invasion, and in 2022 was interviewed by AFP while demonstrating in Kyiv.

AFP photos from his Hawaii home show a Biden-Harris bumper sticker -- the decal Biden used before dropping out of the race -- on the back of a truck in the driveway.

Electoral information indicates he is a registered voter in Hawaii, as well as North Carolina.

A spokesperson for the City and County of Honolulu said Routh was registered there and that his status is active. The authorities do not collect information on voters' party affiliation, the official added.

Federal Election Commission data shows various small-dollar donations from a Ryan Routh in Hawaii to 2020 Democratic presidential candidates including Gabbard, Andrew Yang, Elizabeth Warren, Tom Steyer and Beto O'Rourke.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Opinion: BJP Faces Three Big Challenges In Haryana

With the final date for nominations closing in Haryana, frenzied campaigning has begun in the state, which will vote on October 5. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is grappling with a triple anti-incumbency situation and is fighting an uphill battle in an election where the Congress is considered the favourite to win.

Although trends in both Lok Sabha and assembly elections are not favourable for the BJP, the 2024 general elections demonstrate that no election in India is a foregone conclusion until the last vote is counted.

As of September 12, there were 1,745 candidates in the fray - about 20 per seat - with the final date for withdrawal set for September 16. The ticket distribution has sparked rebellion, particularly within the BJP, while the Congress has faced less dissent. Many candidates who were denied tickets have filed nominations as independents. The BJP has replaced 15 MLAs, while Congress has not re-nominated three.

With five main parties contesting - Congress, BJP, Indian National Lok Dal-Bahujan Samaj Party, Jannayak Janta Party-Azad Samaj Party, and Aam Aadmi Party-approximately 15 candidates from smaller parties and independents have filed their papers. Over the next few days, parties will attempt to persuade rebels to withdraw their nominations.

Haryana is experiencing several competing and parallel trends. No party has won a third consecutive term in the state since its inception in 1966. However, the BJP, which replaced its Chief Minister just before the general elections, has never lost an election when employing this strategy - evident in Gujarat, Uttarakhand, and Tripura.

The BJP faces anti-incumbency on three fronts: the central government, the state government and Chief Minister, and local MLAs.

The first level of anti-incumbency partially manifested in the general elections. Discontent among voters arose from the mishandling of farmers' protests. 61% of farmers (up 20 percentage points, or pp) supported the INDIA bloc, with many belonging to the influential Jat community, exacerbating the party's troubles.

Women were displeased with the BJP's inaction against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh despite sexual harassment charges by wrestlers. As many as 49% of women (up 20 pp) voted against the BJP. Notably, 20% of the Olympic team representing India in Paris hailed from Haryana.

Youth protests against the new Agniveer Scheme of the armed forces went unaddressed by the BJP. 11% of soldiers in the Indian army come from Haryana, and 47% of voters aged 18-25 years supported the INDIA bloc.

These issues led to significant losses for the BJP in Haryana. The party, which won all 10 seats in 2019, saw its tally dropping to five seats in 2024, with the Congress winning the other five. The BJP's vote share decreased by 12 pp, while Congress gained 16 pp. The BJP led in 44 assembly segments (down 35 from 2019), while the INDIA bloc led in 46 (up 36).

State Level Anti-Incumbency

The second level of anti-incumbency is directed at the Chief Minister and state government. The BJP replaced Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar just six months before the state polls. Khattar was the face of the BJP's anti-dominant caste politics strategy, which had previously succeeded in Maharashtra and Jharkhand after the 2014 victory.

However, the party nominated OBC Nayab Singh Saini instead of someone from the Jat community, failing to placate the influential caste. Haryana has one of the highest unemployment rates in India, according to CMIE, and an inflation rate of 4.12% for August 2024, compared to the all-India average of 3.65%. Unemployment and price rises were top issues in the 2024 general elections.

The Congress has criticised the BJP government for a significant rise in crime. The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report for 2022 shows a troubling 17.6% increase in criminal cases, totalling 2.43 lakh cases. Haryana, after Delhi, has the second-highest number of crimes against women in the country.

Local MLA Anti-Incumbency

The third level of anti-incumbency is against the local MLAs. In state elections, the local candidate is crucial, as 36% of voters considered this the primary factor in the 2014 state polls, according to a CSDS post-poll study.

To address this, the BJP has dropped 15 MLAs and changed the seats for three others, including the Chief Minister, resulting in a 37% denial/replacement ratio. New candidates have been fielded in 57 seats, nearly two-thirds of the assembly, to dilute local anti-incumbency.

Haryana has a history of punishing incumbent MLAs. In the 2019 state elections, the BJP repeated 34 of its 47 sitting MLAs, and half of them lost. The Congress repeated all its MLAs, with half also losing. Out of the 49 repeated MLAs by Congress and BJP, half lost their elections.

Another worrisome trend for the BJP is its tendency to lose seats and vote share in state elections held after general elections. In Haryana, BJP led in 52 assembly segments in the 2014 general elections, which dropped to 47 in the state polls held six months later. In 2019, the party led in 79 assembly segments, which fell to 40 in the state polls. Its Lok Sabha vote share of 58% reduced to 37% in state polls.

The Congress is currently favoured to win Haryana according to initial surveys. However, with elections becoming increasingly complex and pollsters having struggled in both the 2023 state and 2024 general elections, no election in India is a sure thing until the last vote is counted. BJP supporters hope for an upset similar to the 2023 results in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh or a hung verdict due to smaller parties' influence. A fascinating contest is on the horizon.

(Amitabh Tiwari is a political strategist and commentator. In his earlier avatar, he was a corporate and investment banker.)

Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author

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Meta To Start Using Public Posts On Facebook, Instagram In UK To Train AI

Meta Platforms will begin training its AI models using public content shared by adults on Facebook and Instagram in the UK over the coming months, the company said, after it had paused the training in the region following a regulatory backlash.

The company will use public posts including photos, captions and comments to train its generative artificial intelligence models, it said on Friday, adding that the training content will not include private messages or information from accounts of users under the age of 18.

The update follows Meta's decision in mid-June to pause the launch of its AI models in Europe after the Irish privacy regulator told the company to delay its plan to harness data from social media posts.

The company had then said the delay would also allow it to address requests from Britain's Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).

"Since we paused training our generative AI models in the UK to address regulatory feedback, we've engaged positively with the ICO ... this clarity and certainty will help us bring AI at Meta products to the UK much sooner," Meta said on Friday.

Facebook and Instagram users in the UK will start receiving in-app notifications from next week explaining the company's procedure and how users can object to their data being used for the training, Meta added.

Meta has made changes to its approach since it paused the plans in June, the ICO said in a statement, adding the company has simplified the way users can object to the processing of their data and has extended the window in which they can do so.

In June, Meta's plans faced backlash from advocacy group NOYB, which urged national privacy watchdogs across Europe to stop such use of social media content, saying the notifications were insufficient to meet EU's stringent privacy and transparency rules.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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"Women Judges Need To Be Tougher Because...": Justice Hima Kohli To NDTV

Justice Hima Kohli (retired), who has always been vocal about women's rights and is considered a tough judge, recently retired from the Supreme Court. In an exclusive conversation with NDTV, Justice Kohli spoke on a range of issues from her long experience in the legal profession.

"Women judges need to be tougher because they face more difficulties in the judiciary. It was very difficult to become a woman judge back in the 1980s. Women also face many difficulties in advocacy," Justice Kohli told NDTV.

She was the ninth woman judge in the history of the Supreme Court, and the first woman judge in the Delhi High Court.

Justice Kohli has been known as a tough judge, and has been part of many historic decisions, with a focus on women's rights.

Explaining some of the difficulties that women face, Justice Kohli said first and foremost they have to take care of family and children. "Why should only women judges run family courts, child welfare, etc? Women judges should get jurisdiction in other areas too... Gender bias as far as bench composition is concerned is absolutely abhorrent. They face problems in working on criminal cases... First-generation lawyers face the biggest challenge as they do not have any resources, office or anyone to handle files," she said.

"A woman choosing to be a lawyer was difficult in itself. While judicial officers had it easier to make it to the bench, going to the bench from the bar was more difficult for a woman lawyer," Justice Kohli told NDTV.

"How well you handle any situation could determine if you reach there. As a judge, I never had a problem with my colleagues. Senior peers were quite supportive," she said.

She asked the public to keep their trust in the Supreme Court as judges listen to their conscience. Though there have been controversial cases, it is only natural for judges to make mistakes sometimes as they are also human, Justice Kohli said.

She praised the use of virtual hearings as it has enabled justice to reach the homes of the common people directly.

On professionalism, Justice Kohli said it is important for judges to see everyone equally. "Whatever kind of relationship you have with someone outside, you should not cross the line. Mutual relations should not come in the way of work. As judges, we have to look only at the merit of the case and not the face," Justice Kohli said.
 
She pointed at the need for judges to be aware of what's happening in today's world and not to stay disconnected. "Judges should know the problems of the common people. While judges are not on social media, it is important to be aware of what's happening online," Justice Kohli said.

She said her advice to young lawyers would be to sit in court in their free time, or head to the library and not the canteen. "If there is no case, do not sit at home," she said.

Justice Kohli said she was fond of writing poetry, but had to keep some things on the backburner after becoming a judge, which she served for 18 years, as she had to spend a lot of time writing judgments.

She learnt gardening from her sister, and has been an avid music listener, but that gradually faded away after becoming a judge due to workload, Justice Kohli said, adding listening to music in the car was a rarity.

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Another Hit-And-Run In Mumbai, Teen Dead After Speeding Car Rams Bike

A 17-year-old boy died and another teenager was injured after a speeding car hit a bike from behind in Mumbai suburb Dahisar Friday evening. Police have registered a case under multiple sections of Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita, including causing death by negligence, and the Motor Vehicles Act. A search is on for the car that hit the bike.

The past few months have seen several deaths due to hit-and-run in the Maximum City and other cities in Maharashtra. Many of them turned out to be high-profile cases involving relatives of political leaders or businessmen, and luxury cars such as BMW or Porsche.

In the latest incident, Karan Rajput and his friend Aditya were riding from Dahisar to Kandivli on a two-wheeler. A speeding car hit the bike from behind, leaving the two teenagers seriously injured. They were rushed to a hospital, where Aditya died during treatment. Karan's condition is critical and he is being treated.

Police have registered a case under sections of the Motor Vehicles Act and the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita. The charges include death due to negligent act, putting human life at risk, and rash driving.

Police are now scanning footage of CCTV cameras on the route to identify the vehicle and track it down. A special team has been formed to handle the case.

According to preliminary information, the speeding car hit the bike from behind while overtaking. According to an official, the two teenagers were thrown off in opposite directions and crashed high on the ground. The victim, Aditya, suffered head injuries and was heavily bleeding when he was rushed to the hospital. He died soon after.

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"Tu Suicide Kar Le": Paralympian Navdeep Singh Shares Heartbreaking Tale

Competing in the men's javelin throw F41 category, India's Navdeep Singh clinched the gold medal in the Paris Paralympic Games. Once taunted for his condition (Dwarfism), Navdeep earned India its first-ever Paralympics medal in the F41 men's javelin throw category. Back home after his heroics in Paris, Navdeep has emerged as a celebrated figure, with even Prime Minister Narendra Modi singing his praises. In an interview, however, Navdeep shared a heartbreaking tale when asked about the motivation behind his performances.

Navdeep revealed that he was asked to commit suicide as he would not be able to do anything in life, because of his condition.

"Aapko kya lagta hai hume hausla kaha se aata hai? Jab wo bolte hain ki tu kuch nahi kar sakta. Isse acha to tu suicide kar le. Ye kya jeewan hai tera [Where do you think we get our courage from? When they say you can't do anything. It's better if you just commit suicide. What kind of life is this for you?]," Navdeep recalled, during Shubhankar Mishra's podcast.

Navdeep also paid tribute to his father who stood by him at every step, and motivated him to do well in life despite the challenges that he encountered.

"Shuruwat unhone karwai thi. Har jagah saath they [He was the one who got me started. He was with me every step of the way]," Navdeep said about his father, who sadly passed away before he could see his son make history on the global stage.

Question: Motivation कहां से मिलता है ?
Answer: #NavdeepSingh pic.twitter.com/JMkKQNKZAB

— Shubhankar Mishra (@shubhankrmishra) September 13, 2024

Navdeep was one of India's top performers in the Paris Paralympics, producing a distance of 47.32 meters in the final, that also had its share of controversy over the Iranian athlete's gesture.

Navdeep's gold medal performance isn't just an achievement for him and the country, but also a lesson for those who doubted his ability to succeed almost his entire life and pulled him down rather than giving him the courage to push for bigger things.

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(If you need support or know someone who does, please reach out to your nearest mental health specialist.)

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World's Top 10 Most-Visited Theme Parks

As the global tourism industry continues its recovery from the pandemic, theme parks worldwide are experiencing significant growth. The sector grew by 2.9% in 2024 and 3% in 2023, according to the World Economic Outlook Report.

The latest data from the Theme Index Report by the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) and AECOM Economics & Advisory highlights Disney's continued dominance in the theme park industry. Disney operates eight of the top 10 most-visited parks globally for the 2023-24 period.

Leading the pack, Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom in Orlando retained its title as the most-visited theme park, drawing 17.7 million guests. Disneyland Park in Anaheim followed, with just under 17.2 million visitors. Universal Studios Japan in Osaka ranked third with 16 million attendees, while Tokyo Disneyland came fourth, hosting 15 million visitors.

Overall, theme park attendance surged by 23% in 2023, with over 240 million visitors, marking a notable increase from the previous year. The top 10 theme parks alone contributed significantly to this rise, with the combined total for the top 10 theme park operator groups reaching 512.3 million visitors.

World's 10 most-visited theme parks in 2023-24:
 Rank Theme Park                    Location                           Attendance (in millions)

Disney's Magic Kingdom         Orlando, Florida, USA            17.7
Disneyland Park    Anaheim    California, USA                       17.3
Universal Studios Japan         Osaka, Japan                          16.0
Tokyo Disneyland                  Tokyo, Japan                             15.1
Shanghai Disneyland            Shanghai, China                       14.0
Chimelong Ocean Kingdom   Zhuhai, China                          12.5
Tokyo DisneySea                   Tokyo, Japan                            12.4
EPCOT                                 Orlando, USA                             12.0
Paris Disneyland Park         Marne-la-Vallee, France              10.4

Disney's Hollywood Studios Orlando, USA                              10.3

Chinese theme parks saw dramatic increases in attendance due to eased Covid restrictions. Chimelong Ocean Kingdom saw a 184.5% rise in visitors, Zigong Fantawild Dino Kingdom saw a 178% increase, Shanghai Disneyland experienced a 164% boost, Chimelong Paradise observed a 142% uptick, and Universal Studios Beijing saw a 109% gain.

In a historic first, Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi entered the global top 25 theme parks, securing the 17th spot with 1.75 million annual visitors, underscoring the growing appeal of Middle Eastern attractions.

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Indian Man Working With Russian Military Amid War With Ukraine Returns Home

Mohammed Sufiyan, a Telangana native who ended up working as a support staff for the Russian army after being duped by an employment agent, returned home on September 14. The return of Sufiyan (22), who belongs to the Narayanpet district, ends the agonising wait of his family members who were worried about his safety as he was helping the Russian military in its war with Ukraine.

Mr Sufiyan said he was promised a security-related job and not told about having to help the troops in the war. He was told that he would have to undergo training for three months after which his salary would increase.

Mr Sufiyan, who left India in November last year, has been working for the Russian military as a support staff.

Speaking to PTI in July this year, Sufiyan's brother Salman hoped for his brother's early return home following PM Narendra Modi's visit to Russia.

Russia had agreed to India's demand to ensure early release of Indian nationals working with the Russian military as support staff after PM Modi "very strongly" raised the issue with President Vladimir Putin during his visit. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Indian Man Working With Russian Military Amid War With Ukraine Returns Home

Mohammed Sufiyan, a Telangana native who ended up working as a support staff for the Russian army after being duped by an employment agent, returned home on September 14. The return of Sufiyan (22), who belongs to the Narayanpet district, ends the agonising wait of his family members who were worried about his safety as he was helping the Russian military in its war with Ukraine.

Mr Sufiyan said he was promised a security-related job and not told about having to help the troops in the war. He was told that he would have to undergo training for three months after which his salary would increase.

Mr Sufiyan, who left India in November last year, has been working for the Russian military as a support staff.

Speaking to PTI in July this year, Sufiyan's brother Salman hoped for his brother's early return home following PM Narendra Modi's visit to Russia.

Russia had agreed to India's demand to ensure early release of Indian nationals working with the Russian military as support staff after PM Modi "very strongly" raised the issue with President Vladimir Putin during his visit. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Opinion: Kerala: Pinarayi Vijayan May Have A 'Trojan Horse' In His Ranks

A week is a long time in politics, and the last few days in Kerala have proven that yet again. August 31 saw the dramatic removal of Kannur strongman E.P. Jayarajan from his exalted position as the convener of the Left Front. Although many saw that coming in light of the Communist Party of India-Marxist's (CPI-M) performance in the Lok Sabha election - Jayarajan faced heavy criticism for it - the timing took everyone by surprise.

Sources within the party revealed that it couldn't wait any longer as the CPI(M) was beginning its triennial cycle of branch, local, area and district committee meetings in the run-up to the state conference in February, to be followed by the 'Party Congress' to follow in April. The party doesn't generally take disciplinary action against its leaders once the calendar is set in motion.

The Many Allegations Against Jayarajan

Seeing red, Jayarajan quickly proceeded to vacate the flat provided to state secretariat members of CPI(M) and left for his native Kannur the next day, without waiting to partake in the party state committee meeting scheduled for September 1. Mathrubhumi reported that the decision to oust Jayarajan was taken in the meeting of four Kerala Politburo members of the CPI(M) - Pinarayi Vijayan, M.A. Baby, A. Vijayaraghavan and M.V. Govindan - where the chief minister was overruled over by the others through a majority of 3-1.

Jayarajan had been cutting a sorry figure ever since he began acting up after the elevation in 2022 of Govindan, his junior, as the state secretary of the CPI(M). The sulking had gone to the extent of not fulfilling his duties as the Left convener. To make things worse, he was accused of amassing wealth by fellow Kannur strongman P. Jayarajan, pointing out that his wife and son owned shares of the Vaidekam resort in Kannur. He was further pushed on the back foot when it came to light that the Rajeev Chandrasekhar-backed 'Niramaya' had taken over the operations of the resort following the revelation.

The BJP Link

Things came to a head when prominent state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sobha Surendran accused him of parlaying with the Kerala BJP in-charge Prakash Javadekar. Jayarajan confirmed it on April 26, the day Kerala voted for the Lok Sabha election. It also did not help his case that he had talked up the chances of the BJP candidates in the Lok Sabha polls when the CPI(M) had made its non-compromising attitude with the party the prime poll focus. All this, coupled with Left ally Communist Party of India (CPI)'s discomfort with Jayarajan, had made his position untenable-although he was expected to keep his chair till at least the party's state conference in February.

It may be recalled here that E.P. Jayarajan's biggest calling card was his unflinching loyalty to Pinarayi Vijayan over the years. In a 2014 interview with Malayala Manorama, Jayarajan had recalled how he met Vijayan as a student leader in 1963 and how the duo had remained close since then. In fact, it was due to Vijayan's backing that Jayarajan escaped party censure on many past occasions.

A Malabar Rebellion

The exit of Jayarajan had barely registered when P.V. Anwar, a Left-backed independent legislator from Nilambur, launched another volley. He publicly leaked damaging phone transcripts between himself and the (former) Pathanamthitta Superintendent of Police (SP) Sujith Kumar, levelling a string of sensational allegations against the Chief Minister's Office and the home department, which is held by Vijayan himself.

Anwar suggested that Kerala's Additional Director-General of Police (ADGP)-in charge of law and order, M.R. Ajith Kumar, known to be Vijayan's close aide, was operating a crime syndicate. It supposedly involved gold smuggling and phone-tapping of state ministers, among other violations. Anwar accused Kumar of being involved in a murder case too. He further targeted Vijayan's powerful political secretary P. Sasi - who is an old Kannur hand with a controversial past and known to steer the state home department from behind the scenes - for the mess.

Anwar's Tactful Ways

Vijayan was left in a bind. At an official function in Kottayam - attended by Ajith Kumar - he hinted that he was willing to act against the officer, but, by that very evening, he did a volte-face. By then it must have dawned on him that if Ajith Kumar was sacked, it would only lead to the demand for the ouster of Sasi, and that would ultimately put the blame on himself. Ultimately, Vijayan did institute an inquiry against Ajith Kumar, but it seemed largely farcical given that the probe officers were Kumar's subordinates. 

Anwar treaded tactfully. He met Vijayan soon after and personally handed over a list of his allegations, careful not to launch a frontal assault at the CM. But the fact that he found public support from another Left-backed independent legislator from Malappuram, K.T. Jaleel, a minister during Vijayan's first term, only piqued curiosity. Both Jaleel and Anwar have been mired in controversies in the past for corruption and nepotism. In fact, Jaleel was disqualified as minister following a Lokayukta verdict against him; Anwar has had multiple run-ins with the law over allegations of encroaching and squatting on public property, and the illegal construction of a check dam.

What is also interesting is that on social media, the CPI(M) rank-and-file has been backing Anwar and his allegations to the hilt, putting the party in a quandary. It is a fact that the home department has had a lot of flak in the past couple of years ever since P. Sasi took over. The lack of democratic functioning of the CPI(M) meant that the lower rungs in the department could hardly raise their voices against anything.

For Brutus Is An Honourable Man

It has now been a week since Anwar went to the press with his allegations. But there has been no let-up. If anything, he has only raised the stakes by playing up his claims, capturing Kerala's airtime like none other in recent times. For some, Anwar is a hero. For others, he is a useful instrument. The only commonality is that for most people, his past indiscretions seem easily forgettable now. 

Anwar has also been careful not to take on the CM directly. In fact, he keeps reiterating his faith that Vijayan will turn things around, just like Marc Antony kept referring to Brutus as an honourable man. But the real intent isn't lost on anyone. When SP Sujith Kumar was finally suspended in a couple of days, Anwar celebrated it on social media, saying that this was the "first wicket to fall". So, is M.R. Ajith Kumar the 'second wicket', to be followed by Sasi - and then Vijayan? 

Can Vijayan Survive This Coup?

As of now, nobody seems to know what Anwar's exact plan of action is. Some, like former CPI(M) Malappuram district secretary P.P Vasudevan, have called him a 'trojan horse'. It is also more than probable that a faction within the CPI(M) is backing Anwar. Anwar is purportedly close to P. Jayarajan, but he is equally close to the CPI(M) Kozhikode district secretary, P. Mohanan. It is also being assumed that he has M.V. Govindan's backing.

Anwar's charges have already caused enough damage to Vijayan. The CPI(M) branch meetings underway have been witnessing heavy criticism of P. Sasi and the chief minister himself, virtually unheard of in the recent past. Is Vijayan's grip on the party apparatus loosening? Or is this a palace coup in motion? Whatever it is, only time will tell whether Vijayan can survive the ides of March come April, when the CPI(M) Party Congress will be held. 

(Anand Kochukudy is a senior journalist and columnist)

Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author

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OpenAI Releases New Model With Reasoning Capabilities

OpenAI is releasing a new artificial intelligence model known internally as "Strawberry" that can perform some human-like reasoning tasks, as it looks to stay at the top of a crowded market of rivals.
The new model, called o1, is designed to spend more time computing the answer before responding to user queries, the company said in a blog post Thursday. With the model, OpenAI's tools should be able to solve multi-step problems, including complicated math and coding questions.

"As an early model, it doesn't yet have many of the features that make ChatGPT useful, like browsing the web for information and uploading files and images," the company said. "But for complex reasoning tasks this is a significant advancement and represents a new level of AI capability. Given this, we are resetting the counter back to 1 and naming this series OpenAI o1."

A preview version of the model will be available through OpenAI's popular chatbot, ChatGPT, to paid Plus and Team users on Thursday. Bloomberg previously reported the company could release the new model as soon as this week.

The model's release comes as San Francisco-based OpenAI is looking to raise billions in funding and faces heightened competition in the race to develop ever more sophisticated artificial intelligence systems. OpenAI isn't the only company working on such capabilities; competitors Anthropic and Google have also touted "reasoning" skills with their advanced AI models.

In its blog post, OpenAI gave examples of the AI model's responses to questions on topics including coding, English, and math, and asked it to solve a simple crossword puzzle. In a series of posts on X, Noam Brown, a research scientist at OpenAI, said the company is releasing the model in preview now in part to get a sense for how people use it, and where it needs to be improved.

The experience of using OpenAI's updated AI system will differ somewhat from what people have come to expect with ChatGPT, the company's chatbot. Before responding to a user's prompt, the new software will pause for a matter of seconds while, behind the scenes and invisible to the user, it considers a number of related prompts and then summarizes what appears to be the best response. This technique is sometimes referred to as "chain of thought" prompting.

OpenAI has been working to get computers to carry out multi-step actions for some time. In May 2023, for instance, the company released a blog post and an accompanying research paper about its efforts to improve AI systems' abilities to solve math problems. According to the paper, the company trained a model by rewarding it for each correct step in the process toward coming up with an answer to a problem, rather than by just rewarding it for generating an accurate answer.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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Assam Actress Sumi Bora, Husband Detained In Stock Trading Scam

Assamese actress, choreographer and social media influencer Sumi Bora and her husband Tarkik Bora, who were wanted in connection with the multi-crore online stock trading scam, were detained by the Special Task Force (STF) on Thursday, a senior police officer said.

The STF detained the two in Dibrugarh, the officer told PTI.

A lookout notice was issued against the couple and four others after they failed to appear before the police following a notice issued to them in the wake of the arrest of the prime accused, 22-year-old Bishal Phukan in the case.

The actress in a video message to a few local television channels had claimed that she would ''surrender and fully cooperate with the police''.

Phukan, who owned the company that allegedly duped investors, was arrested along with his manager in Dibrugarh last week.

The probe was taken over by the CID and an SIT was formed.

The DGP posted a photograph of the husband and wife with their faces masked with the remark ‘'The game is up for them. Compliments to the Team STF''.

He, however, did not mention their names.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Surfer To 'Trump Whisperer': Who Can Become Japan's Next Prime Minister?

A photogenic political scion, a military model-maker and a hardliner hoping to become Japan's first woman prime minister are among nine candidates vying to lead the world's fourth-largest economy.

AFP gives a rundown of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) lawmakers competing to win the ruling party's leadership contest -- and therefore become prime minister -- on September 27:

The surfer

Surfing, media-savvy Shinjiro Koizumi is the youthful, photogenic son of the popular former premier Junichiro Koizumi.

As environment minister, Koizumi backed greater use of renewables.

He also took paternity leave in the post, saying he wants to share parenting duties with his television presenter wife.

But this doesn't endear him to LDP elders, who might see Koizumi, 43, as too young and too lightweight to be prime minister.

Model-maker

Shigeru Ishiba is a former defence minister who is popular with voters but less so with LDP lawmakers, resulting in four failed attempts to be party leader.

The 67-year-old has questioned the Bank of Japan's maverick interest rate policy while calling for efforts to counter rural depopulation.

He likes making military models -- including one of a Soviet aircraft carrier for the visit of a Russian defence minister -- as well as trains and 1970s pop idols.

The nationalist

Sanae Takaichi is a vocal nationalist popular with the LDP's conservative wing. She was close to assassinated ex-premier Shinzo Abe, whose supporters are still powerful.

Takaichi, 63, is a regular visitor to the Yasukuni shrine to Japan's war dead -- including convicted war criminals -- so her nomination would likely rile China and South Korea.

Like Abe, Takaichi, who also ran for the leadership in 2021, backs aggressive monetary easing, active fiscal spending and nuclear power. 

But unlike her hero Margaret Thatcher, the former British prime minister, she played drums in a student heavy metal band.

The liberal

Taro Kono, currently minister for digital transformation, is an experienced and outspoken reformist who was defeated by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in the last leadership race in 2021.

US-educated Kono, 61, has held multiple minister jobs and has 2.5 million followers on X. His views are liberal-leaning by LDP standards.

Thirteen years after the Fukushima disaster, he has softened his opposition to nuclear power to meet growing energy demands, including from AI data centres.

The diplomat

Harvard-educated former consultant and current foreign minister Yoko Kamikawa is one of two women in the running along with Takaichi.

While justice minister, Kamikawa ordered 16 executions, including that of the head of the Aum doomsday cult responsible for the 1995 sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway.

As Japan's top diplomat, the 71-year-old has won plaudits, including for a visit to Kyiv, but she reportedly struggled to secure the support needed to run as a candidate.

'Trump Whisperer'

With strong English, Abe's former golf partner Toshimitsu Motegi was dubbed the "Trump whisperer" for his deft handling of tricky US-Japan trade talks.

The Harvard-educated LDP secretary-general has been economy and foreign minister, and is respected for his policy knowledge.

But Motegi, 68, is reportedly feared for having a short fuse. Even Trump reportedly told Abe that he thought Motegi was "too tough".

The others

Former foreign minister and current chief cabinet secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, former health minister Katsunobu Kato and former economic security minister Takayuki Kobayashi are also in the running.

Anything could happen, with the race more open this time around after most of the LDP's factions were disbanded in the wake of a funding scandal.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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