"Congress Can Contest 300 Lok Sabha Seats, But...": Mamata Banerjee

Amid an internal discord over seat-sharing within the INDIA bloc, TMC chief Mamata Banerjee on Monday batted for the idea of regional leaders spearheading the fight against the BJP in specific regions, suggesting that Congress independently contest 300 Lok Sabha seats.

Ms Banerjee, the chief minister, also accused the CPI(M) of striving to control the opposition grouping's agenda, underscoring that no one confronts the BJP as directly as she does.

"I insist that particular regions should be left to regional parties. They (Congress) can fight on 300 (Lok Sabha) seats alone, and I will help them. I will not contest those seats. But, they are adamant about doing what they want," she said at an 'all-faith harmony rally' in Kolkata, which coincided with the consecration ceremony at the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

Ms Banerjee's comments followed her assertion during a recent internal party meeting that the TMC is prepared to independently contest all 42 Lok Sabha seats in Bengal if not given "due importance".

"I have the power to take on the BJP and fight against it. But, some people don't want to listen to us about seat-sharing. If you don't want to fight the BJP, then at least don't give away seats to it," she said.

Without making a mention of the Congress, Ms Banerjee also criticised the party for delaying seat-sharing discussions in the state.

The TMC boss expressed her unwillingness to accept the Left Front led by the CPI(M) controlling the agenda of the INDIA bloc meetings.

"I suggested the name INDIA during a meeting of the opposition bloc. But whenever I attend the coalition's meetings, I find the Left trying to gain control. This is not acceptable. I cannot agree with those with whom I had fought for 34 years," she said.

"Despite such insults, I have adjusted and attended the INDIA bloc meetings," remarked Ms Banerjee.

In an apparent reference to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi being stopped in Assam from visiting the birthplace of Vaishnav saint Srimant Sankardeva, she said, "Just going to the temple isn't enough." 

She highlighted her proactive stance against the saffron camp, stating, "How many politicians today took on the BJP head-on? Somebody went to one temple and thought it was sufficient, but it was not. I am the only one who visited the temple, gurudwara, church, and mosque. When the Babri Masjid issue (demolition) happened, and violence was taking place, I was on the streets." 

Ms Banerjee's comments drew sharp reactions from both the Congress and the CPI(M).

"We cannot comment on the whims and fancies of the TMC leadership. Let them do whatever they feel like," Bengal Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said.

CPI(M) central committee member Sujan Chakraborty refuted the charge that his party was trying to control the agenda of the bloc's meetings as 'baseless'.

"It was the BJP that was against the INDIA bloc; now she has also become opposed to the alliance," said CPI(M) West Bengal secretary Mohammed Salim during a press conference.

Mr Salim said the fight is between "the communal and the communists".

The CPI(M)-led Left Front, Congress and TMC are part of the 28-party opposition bloc.

However, in West Bengal, the CPI(M) and Congress have aligned against the TMC and BJP.

Fissures within the INDIA bloc have come to the fore, particularly between its key allies, Congress and TMC, regarding seat-sharing for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, in West Bengal.

The TMC's offer of two seats based on Congress' 2019 Lok Sabha election performance was deemed insufficient by the latter, escalating tension between the two parties.

Congress' Chowdhury, a vocal TMC critic, has maintained that it wouldn't "beg" for seats from Bengal's ruling party.

In the 2019 elections, the TMC bagged 22 seats, Congress won two, and the BJP secured 18 seats in the state.

The Trinamool Congress had decided to abstain from a recent INDIA bloc virtual meeting, and emphasised the necessity for Congress to recognise its limitations in Bengal and permit the TMC to spearhead the state's political battle.

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

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H&M Accused Of Sexualising Children In New Ad, Drops It After Backlash

Fashion giant H&M has pulled a controversial advertisement for school uniforms after it was accused of sexualising young children, as per a report in the Independent. Several people said that it had a "highly inappropriate" caption. The campaign showed a picture of two primary school-aged girls in pinafore dresses with the caption, "Make those heads turn in H&M's Back to School fashion."

@hm @hmaustralia what is your intention with this sponsored Facebook ad? Little schoolgirls generally don't want to “turn heads”. The large numbers I engage with in schools want to be left alone to learn and have fun and not draw unwanted attention to their appearance 1/ pic.twitter.com/DDwv42GeNz

— Melinda TankardReist (@MelTankardReist) January 18, 2024

Many internet users reacted strongly against the advertisement. "What the h*** is going on? This is sickening, sexualising kids," said a user.

Another added, "The caption used in the ad seems highly inappropriate and insensitive. Brands should prioritize responsible advertising, especially when it involves children."

"It's pretty tone-deaf to use the phrase 'Make those heads turn' with images of young girls in school uniforms. It feels like they missed the mark on what's appropriate for a back to school campaign," commented another person,

"Bit weird. Slightly odd pose and odd slogan for school uniform!" said a person.

A person said, "This is revolting H&M, take down the ad & investigate how the ad got approval."

"We are a culture lost to corporatism and pornification. This is sick," added an X user.

Another added, "This is absolutely creepy. Take it down."

Reacting to the same, the brand apologised and said that they had removed the ad and it was only live in Australia. "We are deeply sorry for the offence this has caused and will look into how we present campaigns going forward," the company said.

As per a BBC report, in 2023, Chinese-owned online marketplace Temu came under fire after it had launched an advert for sexualising a child. It showed a girl aged between eight to ten wearing a bikini in a pose that "was quite adult for a girl of her age", the Advertising Standards Authority said.

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Hemant Soren Summoned By Enforcement Directorate For Round 2 Of Questioning

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren has been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate again for questioning in an alleged money laundering case. He was questioned last on Saturday at his home in Ranchi. It was the first round of questioning -- he had skipped seven earlier summons.

This time, he has been asked to come to the zonal office of the agency between January 27 and 31.

Mr Soren has claimed that he is the target of a huge conspiracy.

"A conspiracy was hatched against me, but the final nail in the coffin of the conspirators will be put by us... We will not be scared, your leader will face the bullets first and keep your morale high," Mr Soren told the workers of his Jharkhand Mukti Morcha after his questioning by the ED on Saturday.

The case involves "huge racket of illegal change of ownership of land by the mafia" in Jharkhand, according to the Central agency.

The agency has so far arrested 14 people in the case, including 2011-batch IAS officer Chhavi Ranjan who served as the director of the state Social Welfare Department and deputy commissioner of Ranchi.

In November 2022, Mr Soren was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate in another money-laundering case linked to alleged illegal mining in the state.

The nine-hour questioning had followed several no-shows and an appeal in court by the Jharkhand Chief Minister.

Mr Soren has denied any wrongdoing in that case too and alleged a larger conspiracy to "harass a tribal leader". The Central agencies are targeting him because he was not towing the line of the Central government, he had claimed.

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Lost 'Atlantis' Continent Nearly Twice As Big As UK Found Off Australia

A long-lost continent that was nearly twice the size of the UK has been discovered off the coast of northern Australia. The vast landmass was home to up to half a million people around 70,000 years ago but is now submerged around 100 meters deep. According to Live Science, this Australian "Atlantis" comprised a large stretch of continental shelf that, when above sea level, would have connected the regions of Kimberley and Arnhem Land, which today are separated by a large ocean bay. 

Kasih Norman, an archeologist at Griffith University in Queensland, Australia, and lead author on the study, said, ''We reveal details of the complex landscape that existed on the North West Shelf of Australia. It was unlike any landscape found on our continent today.''

The study published in the journal Quaternary Science Reviews noted that the humans who lived there spoke similar languages and created similar styles of rock art to those living in the surrounding areas. It was a "vast, habitable realm" and a "single cultural zone" with similarities in ground stone-axe technology, styles of rock art, and languages, as per the study.

The study's models show the continent or vast archipelago off the northwest coast of Sahul may have supported between 50,000 and 500,000 people. Sahul, the ancient land bridge comprised not only Australia but also New Guinea and Tasmania.

To draw their conclusions, the researchers projected past sea levels onto high-resolution maps of the ocean floor. They found that low sea levels exposed a vast archipelago of islands on the Northwest Shelf of Sahul, extending 500 kilometres towards the Indonesian island of Timor.

"Our ecological modelling reveals the now-drowned North West Shelf could have supported between 50,000 and 500,000 people at various times over the last 65,000 years. The population would have peaked at the height of the last ice age about 20,000 years ago when the entire shelf was dry land. Many large islands off Australia's coast – islands that once formed part of the continental shelves – show signs of occupation before sea levels rose,'' the study said. 

However, at the end of this Ice Age, rising sea levels drowned the shelf, forcing its residents to flee. 

''Retreating populations would have been forced together as available land shrank. Rising sea levels and the drowning of the landscape is also recorded in the oral histories of First Nations people from all around the coastal margin,'' researchers added.

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'Jai Shri Ram' On Antilia: Mukesh Ambani's Mumbai Home Lights Up

Antilia, the iconic Mumbai residence of industrialist Mukesh Ambani, is decked up ahead of the historic 'Pran Pratistha' ceremony at the Ayodhya Ram temple tomorrow.

The 27-storied landmark building this evening lit up with holograms reading 'Jai Shri Ram' in Hindi and diyas. The area around is decorated with lights and banners. 

#WATCH | Mumbai: Reliance Industries Chairman and MD Mukesh Ambani's house 'Antilia' decked up ahead of the Ram Mandir 'Pran Pratistha' ceremony in Ayodhya tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/mKoTRNWZSV

— ANI (@ANI) January 21, 2024

Mr Ambani, who heads the Reliance Industries, is among the top businessmen invited for the grand consecration ceremony of the Ayodhya temple tomorrow.

The event will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a host of prominent personalities, including industrialists, sportspersons, actors, etc.

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Watch: 100+ Teslas Put Up Light Show In Houston Ahead Of Ram Temple Event

Barely hours away from the grand inauguration of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, enthusiastic devotees in Houston arranged an awe-inspiring and innovative Tesla car light show dedicated to Lord Ram.

Over 100 Tesla car owners, calling themselves "Ramji ki Gilahariyan of Greater Houston", gathered at Shri Guruvayurappan Krishna Temple for the light show on Friday evening, attracting hundreds of Ram Bhakts and passersby in the neighbourhood.

The Tesla show at Houston, America#JaiShreeRam #AyodhaRamMandir pic.twitter.com/REPmQSBZ1q

— SINGH___Jee (@BADALSINGH20450) January 20, 2024

The cars had a giant-sized Ram Rath in the backdrop, with a life-size temple oil painting, and loud music of "Jai Sri Ram" giving the place a divine look and feel of being at the temple.

Tesla Car drivers use a key feature wherein the headlights can be programmed to off and on at the same time.

Soon after the beautiful light show, they assembled at the temple for aarti, joined by other bhakts who sang resounding bhajans dedicated to Lord Rama and Krishna and distributed Prasad amongst the devotees.

According to the organisers of the Tesla Light Show, participating car owners had to register for the event in advance.

"We requested all the Ram Bhakts to register for the show, acknowledge and sign the waiver form, to provide vehicle plate numbers for security reasons. Everybody who registered got a magnetic decal or sticker for their car along with a screen-printed T-shirt of Ayodhya temple." The cars were lined up in such a way that when drones took pictures, an unusual letter of "RAM" in red illuminated the surroundings.

"Despite chilly weather and long workday, it was heartwarming to see the enthusiasm amongst hundreds of participants as well as attendees at the temple for this show," said Achalesh Amar from Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), one of the organisers of the event.

"Throughout the USA, we noticed unprecedented enthusiasm for these events. Since mid-January we (VHP) organised 51 massive car rallies in 21 states and 41 cities around the US and participation has been at its peak," he said.

"The Tesla light shows in Houston, DC and San Francisco, or rallies and rath yatras are a small gesture of love for the beginning of the celebration of the Ram Temple inauguration in India as the Hindu community has waited for over 25 generations (495 years) for this moment," said Umang Mehta, one of the active volunteers.

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

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"World's 1st Oxpressway": Akhilesh Yadav's Swipe At UP Government

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav today targeted the Yogi Adityanath government over stray cattle menace, terming a road in Uttar Pradesh "Oxpress way" after dozens of stray oxen were seen slowing down the traffic.

He also shared a video showing cars queued up behind the group of oxen, waiting the cattle to move aside.

ये है उप्र में बना दुनिया का पहला ‘ऑक्सप्रेस वे' (OXPRESS WAY)… जिसका उद्घोष है ‘आपकी जान, आपके हाथ'. pic.twitter.com/jrtvw6FdEd

— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) January 20, 2024

"This is the world's first 'OXPRESS WAY' built in Uttar Pradesh... whose slogan is 'Aapki Jaan, Aapke Haath'," he wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Mr Yadav had been targeting the state government over stray cattle menace.

Last year, a farmer was forced to stay atop a tree for two hours to save himself from a bull attack, prompting the Samajwadi Party chief to claim that the police were needed to protect people from stray cattle.

"Today's 'Saand Samachar': To save his life from the bull, the farmer climbed the tree for two hours," he had posted online, adding that "Today's 'Saand Vichar': Now, a 'Saand Raksha Police' should also be formed in Uttar Pradesh."

The problem of stray cattle damaging crops and attacking people had become a major poll issue in the 2022 Uttar Pradesh polls.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, then campaigning in the state, had promised a new system to deal with stray cattle problems.

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Prem Chopra Reveals His Two-Three "Very Good" Scenes Were Cut From Animal

Prem Chopra, who plays the character of Dalbir Dodamal Singh AKA "Bade Daji" in Sandeep Reddy Vanga's Animal, recently revealed that his two-three scenes were cut from the film. The film veteran also said that he considered those scenes were "Very good." Speaking to India Today, Prem Chopra said, "Animal was wonderfully made. Director Sandeep Reddy Vanga wrote the script himself with some help from two assistants. So he was meticulous and very definite about what he wanted. Also, the film got very lengthy. It turned out to be a four-hour fifteen-minute film, so he had to cut it out. Hence, in this way, my two or three scenes were cut, which I thought were very good."

He continued, "But anyway, this is one of the games in the industry. But, I'm surprised that whatever my screen time is, people seem to have accepted me in a big way, and I still get views and information about it. I never expected that. I thought this was a special appearance, but the love is still pouring."

At Animal screening, Ranbir Kapoor greeted the actor while he was leaving the venue. Pictures went viral in which Ranbir Kapoor can be seen holding his hands and talking to him gently. Previously, Ranbir Kapoor and Prem Chopra worked in Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year.

Prem Chopra also praised Ranbir Kapoor's performance in the film. Speaking to news agency PTI, Prem Chopra said, "Ranbir is a very hardworking actor and performed so well in Rocket Singh. In this film (Animal), he is tremendous. He has done a great job. It is a very difficult and complicated role." He added, "It is action-oriented but even then, his character has a great background (story). People seem to love him very much. Not just him, even Bobby Deol is very good in a special appearance. All of them are very impactful."

Animal is directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga. Apart from Ranbir and Anil Kapoor, the film stars Bobby Deol, Triptii Dimri in pivotal roles. The film emerged as one of the biggest hits of recent time.

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Probe Agency Examining Arvind Kejriwal's Fourth No To Summons: Sources

The Enforcement Directorate is examining Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's response to the fourth summons for questioning, officials have told NDTV. A Chief Minister can be issued a non-bailable warrant and arrested after evading summons thrice.

Mr Kejriwal has evaded summons four times, refusing to present himself before probing agency in the alleged Delhi liquor scam. He has termed summons "illegal".

"There is no immunity provided to a sitting chief minister under law. Immunity is only provided to the President or the Governor of a state, so a Chief Minister can be arrested," a senior official said.

The agency, he added, is still examining Mr Kejriwal's reply. It is also considering whether a questionnaire can be sent to him or his statement can be recorded in his office like that of Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, in connection with an alleged illegal mining case.

"The summons issued to Mr Kejriwal is under Section 50 of PMLA and under this section distinction between accused and the witness is not there. His legal team knows that but they still have asked us to specify," he added.

In his reply to the probe agency, Mr Kejriwal has asked them to specify whether he has been called as a witness or an accused.
The Delhi Chief Minister deposed before Central Bureau of Investigation in same case last year, when the agency recorded his statement under Section 161 of the CrPc.

"Under this Section, a statement is recorded as a witness, so Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal went. But under PMLA, this distinction is not defined. That is why he is not appearing before the ED. Also, his legal team knows that any statement he makes will be admissible in a court of law," said a senior Supreme Court lawyer.

Mr Kejriwal skipped the three previous summons on November 2, December 22, and on January 3.

On November 2, the date of the first summons, Mr Kejriwal had travelled to Madhya Pradesh ahead of the state elections to address a rally. He alleged that the ED was acting at the behest of the BJP to malign his image.

On December 22, he was in Punjab on a meditation retreat. On January 3, Mr Kejriwal cited preparations for the Republic Day celebrations and Rajya Sabha polls for three seats in the Capital.

Officials of the Enforcement Directorate said Mr Kejriwal's name has figured in investigations. The probe, they claimed, substantiate that money received from kickbacks was used by AAP in Goa elections. AAP has called the entire case politically motivated.

The ED will record the statement of Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on January 20 at his officer in Ranchi. Mr Soren has evaded seven summons and two notices sent to him by agency.

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Couple's Daughter Dies From Rare Disease, Then They Made Her Into Stones

After the heartbreaking loss of their 15-month-old daughter, an Idaho couple, Kaylee and Jake Massey, chose a distinctive and meaningful approach to ensure the presence of their late little girl in their home. In April 2023, the couple endured the unimaginable when Poppy, their daughter diagnosed with the rare genetic disorder TBCD at 9 months old, died.  

"When she was born, we knew absolutely nothing. She was just perfect to us. When she was around 4 months old, we noticed that her vision wasn't developing properly. And so after some doctor's appointments and ophthalmologist appointments, it was decided that she needed an MRI on her brain," Mrs Massey told People. "When she was 5 months old is when we finally got that, and the MRI showed that the centre part of her brain, the corpus callosum, hadn't developed properly, if at all."

"After that, we just continued to get diagnosis after diagnosis, but there was no conclusive diagnosis... After doing the most advanced genetic tests on the market, we got the most horrific news to find out that she had a genetic disorder that I think at the time, she was the 38th child in the world diagnosed with," she continues. "The geneticists had never even heard of it before... I don't think we realized what a severe diagnosis it was. We were just really naive in that."

A few days before their daughter's death, the infant developed a respiratory infection. She was admitted to the hospital, "I was just panicky because I felt like Poppy couldn't breathe, and we were so heightened with Poppy," she recalls.

The doctors informed the couple that Poppy had pneumonia in her lungs and also tested positive for a respiratory infection. 

"There have been other kiddos with this TBCD genetic condition that have had pneumonia and hospital stays, and they're there for a week and they go home. And so we had only heard from these other families that they get over it, and then they go home, and they live to be 3 to 5 years old. We were blindsided that her body couldn't take it anymore."

The following day, Kaylee and Jake received the news that they had to transfer Poppy to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). 

"They said it in such a positive way. They said it like, 'They have such better equipment over there, Poppy will get the care she needs.'" 

"It was right as we were pushing her bed into her new room in the ICU...and just about right as we parked her bed is when her eyes kind of looked up at me and I was like, 'Oh, Poppy, your eyes are open.' And then her heart just stopped. And so immediately, the charge nurse started doing CPR and people were just yelling, 'call code,' and frantic chaos ensued at that point."

"That was probably around 6:00 a.m. when she coded, and so we had about five hours with her. We called our parents, who were watching our other two children, and they were able to come and say their goodbyes," she shares. "We felt it was very important to have Rosie and Peter there to say goodbye ... we had to tell them, 'Your sister's going to die today.' "

When the moment arrived for Kaylee and Jake to decide on Poppy's remains, the couple chose an option that was entirely new to them: Parting Stones.

"We were sitting in the funeral home and they handed us a catalogue for us to decide what to do with our daughter, and it was just so horrible to flip through these pages and have to pick out an urn," she says. "We knew we wanted cremation because we wanted her ashes home with us. Having two young kids at home, we did not want anything in our home that our kids would be fearful of, fearful of breaking, fearful of looking at, and we felt like an urn might have that presence in our home."

"We didn't feel like that was right for our family, but honestly, no option felt right for our family. We were just flipping through this catalogue, and there was this picture of these really pretty stones, and we're kind of a nature family. We like to go outside and do things. And I remember my husband and I both kind of stopped and looked at that page," she continues.

"We brought the catalogue home, and we thought about it for a couple of days before we gave them our answer. And it felt like if all the options were bad, this one felt like the least bad option. We chose what was least bad for us, and we also tried to put Rosie and Peter first. What would they be most comfortable around?"

A few months later, the family received a "beautiful box" with a handwritten note. "It was so beautifully said. It was something like, 'Thank you for entrusting us with your daughter. It's been an honour to have her in our care.' It felt so personal, and I remember opening that card and just feeling like these people cared about my daughter."

"We continued to open up these little bags that had the stones in them, and I remember initially, the stones were so beautiful. They're white with little specks of yellow in them, and they say that they don't do anything to the ashes," Kaylee explains. "I don't know what the little specks of yellow are, but they feel like such a little special gift."

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Indian Workers Queue Up To Get Job In Israel Amid War Due To "Unemployment"

Thousands of men queued in Haryana during a recruitment drive to send workers to Israel, where the offensive in Gaza, now in its fourth month, has caused a shortage of labour.

Masons, painters, electricians, plumbers and some farmers said they were looking for jobs in Israel with some willing to risk going into a conflict zone because they could make five times more money in a year than they would at home.

"There is unemployment here and it's because of it that people want to leave," said Lekharam, a mason who was among the workers gathered at a recruitment camp in Rohtak, 66 km (40 miles) from the capital, New Delhi.

"If it's in our destiny to die, then we can die either here or there. My hope is that we will go and do good work and spend some time and come back."

India, now the world's most populous nation with a population of 1.4 billion, has an urban unemployment rate of 6.6%, government data shows, but more than 17% of workers younger than 29 are unemployed and others work as casual labour.

Unemployment and underemployment are a key concern for authorities, despite world-beating economic growth of 7.3%.

An Indian foreign ministry spokesperson on Thursday said an agreement on labour mobility with Israel was signed before the conflict erupted last year.

"The idea behind this agreement was to put in place an institutional mechanism to regulate migration and ensure rights of people who go there are protected," said Randhir Jaiswal, the spokesperson.

"Labour laws in Israel are very strict and robust...we are very conscious of our responsibility to provide safety to our people abroad," he told reporters.

This month an Israeli financial daily said the country planned to bring in about 70,000 foreign workers from China, India and elsewhere to boost its construction sector, which has come to a standstill since the October 7 attack by Hamas operatives.

India's National Skills Development Corporation canvassed in recent weeks for workers to live and work in Israel.

Recruiters at the camp refused to comment on the drive.

Vivek Sharma, a 28-year-old mason, said he was aware of the risks in Israel from the conflict but was willing to take the risk if he could earn more.

"Yes, I am aware of the conflict, but I can earn a lot of money in a short time," said Vivek Sharma, who estimates he could end up earning more than a million Indian rupees ($12,000) by working in Israel for a year.

"It could take me at least five years to earn the same amount of money in India."

Government data shows about 13 million Indian nationals work overseas as labourers, professionals, and experts.

Israel and India signed an agreement last year to allow more than 40,000 Indians to work in the Jewish state in the nursing and construction sectors.

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

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India vs China: Explaining Military Strength Beyond Numbers

India has been ranked as the fourth strongest military in the world, just after China, according to the Global Firepower Index, a platform that analyses data based on factors that determine a nation's war-fighting capability. 

China is the biggest spender on defence in Asia. In the financial year 2023-2024, India allocated $73.9 billion, while China reserved $229 Billion of its budget for the military. The Centre for Strategic and Investment Studies (CSIS), a US-based think tank, has said China's defence budget is higher than the published figures. 

According to the Global Firepower Index, China's defence budget is the second highest globally and India stands at number four. The huge gap between India and China should be attributed to the difference in the size of GDPs. India is the fifth-largest economy and spends 13 per cent of its annual budget on defence. Meanwhile, China is the second largest economy in the world. 

India has 1.45 million active personnel and China has 2.03 million soldiers in the PLA Army, Navy and Air Force. Viewing the imbalance in power between the Indian and Chinese military through statistics is myopic, considering factors like operational deployment, experience and nuclear capabilities of both nations are crucial.

Army 

The People's Liberation Army (PLA) was the armed wing of the Chinese Communist Party (CPC) during the civil war. When Mao Zedong came to power, the PLA became the national army and the Air Force and the Navy were its two other components. With more active personnel and a strong domestic industrial complex, the PLA has an advantage over the Indian Army in terms of statistics, but the world's two strong armies, with nuclear weapons, fighting a long war is highly unlikely. Any future armed conflict is expected to be limited to the border like the Galwan Valley clash in 2020. 

China reorganised its military into seven commands based on geography and operational needs. Christopher K Colley and Prashant Hosur Sahas, in their research paper, 'India-China and Their War-Making Capabilities', explain the advantage Indian troops have at high altitudes. The Western Theatre Command of China is the largest of the seven commands and is responsible for operations along the LAC. 

Around 2.5 lakh PLA troops are under the command but only 40,000 are in Tibet, the rest are deployed in the Xinjiang, Sichuan and Chongqing regions. Quick mobilization is vital and at high altitudes, speedy deployment with little to no time for acclimatization can result in high-altitude sickness. Brad Lendon, a military affairs expert, writes, "India maintains an edge in high-altitude mountainous environments, such as the one where the 2020 face-off is taking place."

Large portions of Chinese troops are not stationed at high altitudes, while the Indian forces have more experience in high-altitude operations and are deployed close to the border. The Himalayan plateau is uneven with variations in elevation and puts the PLA at a disadvantage due to its positioning.  

During the Doklam standoff in 2017, the PLA's single approach to the region through the Chumbi Valley was within Indian artillery range and before the standoff even began, more Indian troops were already present in the region as part of forward deployments. 

The Chinese military has had no combat experience since it invaded Vietnam in 1979. Meanwhile, the Indian Army, with the help of the Air Force, managed to mobilize at least 200,000 troops during the 1999 Kargil conflict to fight Pakistan at high altitude. Indian troops are stationed at the Siachen Glacier and force commanders have rich combat experience because of the counter-terrorism operations in Jammu and Kashmir.

Air Force

China has 3,304 aircraft, while India has 2,296 in all the forces. China's J-20 Chengdu is its fifth-generation stealth fighter. India only has 4.5 generation fighters like Rafale and Tejas MK1A won't be a fifth generation. Most of the IAF fighter jets in the current fleet were acquired in the late 1980s and '90s and are still in service and induction has been slow. The Tejas programme was envisioned in 1985 and the induction took several years. 

The PLAAF has fewer fighter jets positioned in Tibet compared to the IAF. According to Harvard Kennedy School's Belfer Centre, around 180 Chinese aircraft are present under the Western Command and their responsibility is not limited to the defence of LAC along India but other nations like Mongolia, Russia, and Myanmar. 

India has 270 fighter jets positioned in different commands to counter China. If we ignore the difference in posturing, the PLAAF jets are not located close to the border and for any attack operation, the jets have to choose between fuel or payloads for long sorties due to long combat radius compared to the IAF. An Indian MiG-21 shooting down Pakistan's F-16 in 2019 is the latest incident to demonstrate an IAF pilot's combat capability.

Navy 

The argument of combat experience enters the discussion when India and China's military capabilities are compared. The argument holds some relevance as experience helps in survivability and performance. In an article on RAND, Timothy Heath, a defence researcher, writes that though China has a high-tech arsenal, its ability to use these weapons is unclear. 

China has a fleet strength of 730, which includes 61 submarines and 3 Helicopter Carriers. India has a fleet strength of 294 with 18 subs and 0 Helo carriers. The development of the Chinese Navy has been significant and worth appreciating. 

The growth was aimed at countering the US Navy against Taiwan, but China's interest in the Indian Ocean started a decade ago with its economic growth.

India and China are blue water navies, meaning they can operate globally with their aircraft carriers. Its objectives would be to defend the 'Sea Links of Communication' in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and any conflict would not occur in the Pacific but in the IOR. 

The QUAD alliance between India, Australia, the US and Japan aims for the safety and security of the Indo-Pacific region. China has deep interests in the South China Sea and a conflict with Indian Navy would happen in the IOR, implying that the Chinese Navy has to move its fleet from the South China Sea toward the Indian Ocean Region, giving Indian Navy time to choke transit point like Strait of Malacca and get support from QUAD partners. 

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Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2024 Live Updates: Galaxy S24 Series to Debut Soon

Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2024 is set to kick off at 11:30pm tonight and the South Korean tech firm is expected to take the wraps off its flagship phones for this year, the Samsung Galaxy S24 series. Three handsets are expected to arrive as part of the lineup, including the Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24+, and the Galaxy S24 Ultra. Gadgets 360 is attending the launch event live and we'll bring you the latest updates as Samsung unveils its most powerful phones to date.

This year, Samsung is expected to equip its smartphones with AI-powered features. Meanwhile, recent reports have suggested that the Galaxy S24 Ultra, the top-of-the-line model, will be powered by a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip in all markets. The South Korean company is also speculated to offer seven years of software support for its smartphones — the company would be offering the same software support window as Google's Pixel 8 series, if the rumours are true.

Stay tuned to Gadgets 360 to find out all the latest updates related to Samsung's next-generation Galaxy S24 series of smartphones during the company's launch event tonight.

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