Why Modi is trying to change the way India votes

India’s government is pushing ahead with contentious plans to fundamentally alter the way the country votes by holding simultaneous elections to state assemblies and national parliament.

Narendra Modi’s cabinet says it plans to proceed with the so-called “One Nation, One Election” proposal, which would end the system of staggered state and general elections and require all votes, including for municipalities and village councils, to take place within a 100-day period once every five years.

The idea has long been a manifesto item for Modi’s ruling BJP, and on his Independence Day speech on 15 August this year the prime minister once again touted the proposal, saying non-stop elections were slowing down the country’s economic development.

But opposition politicians have raised concerns about what they describe as a trend of the Modi years – “centralising” power away from the states, plenty of which are not ruled by the BJP, and into the hands of the federal government and the Prime Minister’s Office.

Critics also question whether there is an existing problem with staggering state elections, and the opposition Congress party says it doubts whether any real savings would be made by changing the system. Some suggest it represents a stunt to rejuvenate Modi’s support base after a weak performance in June’s general election, where the ruling BJP lost its outright majority.

Compiled by a committee led by former president Ram Nath Kovind and featuring top Modi aides including home minister Amit Shah, a 18,626-page report on One Nation, One Election was “accepted” by the Cabinet this week. It came after what the government described as an extensive, 191-day consultation process involving stakeholders and experts, which began on 2 September 2023.

A bill on the proposal is expected to be tabled in the winter session of parliament and aims to streamline the electoral process, reduce the frequency of elections, and “optimise scarce resources”, the panel said.

The panel argued that this proposal will bring stability and convenience to voters, while also reducing the financial burden of conducting multiple elections as it will “avoid disruption of supply chains and production cycles due to migrant workers seeking leave of absence to cast their votes”. Modi unsurprisingly welcomed the proposal, saying it would make India’s democracy “even more vibrant and participative”.

The change would be implemented by the president of the country issuing a notification on the same day as the first sitting of a newly constituted Lok Sabha (lower house of parliament), triggering the transition process. This date would be known as the “appointed date”.

Under the proposed amendments, all state assemblies formed after this appointed date would be dissolved at the end of the Lok Sabha’s full term, regardless of whether they had completed their five-year term or not. This move aims to align the election cycles of the national and state governments.

The BJP-led ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) faces significant hurdles as the implementation hinges on securing a two-thirds majority in parliament, necessitating amendments to the constitution.Though it has a simple majority in both Houses, the ruling alliance falls short of the required two-thirds mark by 52 votes in the upper house or Rajya Sabha and 72 in the Lok Sabha. Additionally, ratification from all states and federal territories is mandatory.

Given the BJP’s lack of majority in the Lok Sabha, they’ll need to collaborate with not just their coalition partners from the National Democratic Alliance but also opposition parties to push this through. The Janata Dal (United), a key NDA constituent, has already welcomed the cabinet’s decision.

But the proposal so far has faced stiff opposition, including from the main opposition Congress party. Mallikarjun Kharge, the chief of Congress, has strongly criticised the plan, labeling it “not pragmatic and practical”. He called it a mere distraction, and an attempt to divert the public’s attention from more pressing issues. Kharge said he was confident the proposal wouldn’t succeed as “the people will not accept it”.

Other opposition parties have also expressed strong reservations. In March, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party from Tamil Nadu pledged to scrap the proposal if the opposition INDIA alliance wins the election. Similarly, Mamata Banerjee, the leader of Trinamool Congress and chief minister of West Bengal, condemned the proposal, calling it an attempt to undermine India’s constitutional framework and promote autocracy under the guise of democracy.

The Independent has reached out to the BJP for comment.

Michael Kugelman, the director of the South Asia Institute at the Wilson Center, argues that the “main motivation” behind the panel’s proposal is “financial”.

“The idea is that by holding fewer elections, you incur fewer costs,” he told The Independent. “Elections are not cheap in India with such a large voter base. So the more elections you have, the more you need to spend money on security, poll workers. So, I think there is whole pragmatic motivation.”

Simultaneous elections aren’t a new concept in India, which held votes in this manner from 1951 to 1967. The peak was reached in 1967, when elections in 20 states coincided with the national elections for the lower house of parliament. This synchronised election trend continued in subsequent years, albeit with fewer states participating. For instance, in 1977, 17 states held simultaneous elections, while in 1980 and 1985, the number dropped to 14 states.

The polling schedule started to become more dispersed due to various factors, one of the main reasons being mid-term elections. Other factors that may have contributed to this dispersal included resignations or deaths of incumbents, and election irregularities leading to repolls.

The nine-member government panel also said it found that real GDP growth was higher when simultaneous polls were held, compared to a decrease when they were not.

Kugelman suggests that with the syncronisation of elections, the process is likely to become more “efficient”. “The idea of the proposal is that it becomes more predictable and easy. Given the risk of electoral violence and violence around elections, the idea is, if you do them in a way that they are happening less frequently, and on a more orderly basis, there is simply going to be a lower risk,” he said.

Professor Apoorvanand Jha argues that the proposal threatens India’s federal structure by promoting a unitary concept of the country. “The spirit of federalism is diversity and diversity in all matters and matters of time, being, composition, in matter of nature of state and the tendency of Modi is to centralise everything,” he says.

Jha says the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological parent of the right wing Hindu nationalist BJP, views India as a “unitary country” where states would ideally disappear or be heavily monitored by the central government. This is already happening, he claims, with “governors acting as agents of the union, resembling viceroys rather than representatives of state interests”.

Explaining the impact of simultaneous elections on India’s federal structure, Saral Patel, a member of the publicity committee of the Congress, says the change would likely reduce the focus during election campaigns on local issues compared to the national agenda.

“It poses a long term risk by concentrating power in the centre,” he says. “Because currently each and every state is governed by their whole election schedule and are held accountable in their own right. Whereas if it is combined with the union elections, the larger political compulsions will take precedence over the local issues.”

When Modi won the general election for the first time in 2014, he explains “there was this euphoria, that Modi is invincible, Modi is god and that continued until 2024 [in the general election]”.

However, less than a year later, in 2015 Arvind Kejriwal of Aam Aadmi Party swept 67 of the 70 seats in Delhi, while BJP managed only three assembly seats. “That put the fear of elections into Mr Modi’s heart,” he says. “If national elections were happening together, this sentiment would have been overtaken by the love for Mr Modi,” he says.

He says having state assembly and national elections at different times allows the electorate to hold government accountable based on “different level of governance”.

“And that, that sort of grounds any politician in taking pro-people decision,” Patel says. “And no level should overtake or precede the accountability of the other level. In One Nation, One Election- kind of a scenario, this sentiment would not be there.”

The timing of the proposal in Modi’s third term, rather than his first or second, is a strategic move, says Jha.

He believes Modi’s approach was to periodically create shock and momentum by bringing “forward something which is then touted as a big [and] transformative idea”. This tactic, he says, helps him maintain momentum and prevents exhaustion of all initiatives at once.

He cites examples like the overnight demonetisation of high currency Indian notes, the building of the controversial Ram Temple, and the removal of Jammu and Kashmir’s semi-autonomous status as previous instances of this strategy.

Jha also questions the panel’s claim that elections cause disruption to supply chains and production cycles, as migrant workers seek “leave of absence to cast their votes”.

“Everything keeps running, offices are open, factories are open, nothing is closed,” he says, adding that “farmers are not involved in the election campaign. During the election campaign, there’s only the prime minister who doesn’t work. He keeps touring and campaigning. That is all he does. But others keep working.”

Japan orders mass evacuation as heavy rain lashes quake-hit region

At least one person was killed and tens of thousands of people were evacuated in central Japan as record rainfall lashed the Noto peninsula, which had barely recovered from a devastating earthquake, authorities said on Saturday.

The situation worsened after at least 12 swollen rivers breached their banks on Saturday and burst into city streets in Ishikawa prefecture, land ministry official Masaru Kojima said.

At least one person was killed, two were injured and three were missing in Ishikawa, the regional government said. Two of the missing persons were carried away in the strong river currents, local media reported.

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, Wajima city in Ishikawa received a record 318.5mm of rainfall from Friday evening through Saturday noon, including 121mm on Saturday morning alone, prompting officials to order the evacuation of around 45,000 residents.

The agency had issued the highest level of heavy rainfall alert in Ishikawa prefecture, including Wajima city.

The neighbouring city of Suzu saw 84.5mm rainfall in an hour on Saturday morning and 226mm in total from Friday evening, a record for the region.

Japanese TV channels showed floodwaters gushing into Wajima’s streets, transforming them into rivers and submerging cars in their way.

The rain also triggered landslides in the region, which was already reeling from the aftermath of a powerful earthquake that struck in January and left more than 370 people dead, damaged public infrastructure, and disrupted local industry and economy.

The weather agency predicted up to 20cm of rainfall in Ishikawa within the next 24 hours. Nearby northern prefectures of Niigata and Yamagata were also warned of the threat of flooding after heavy rain.

“Heavy rain is hitting the region that was badly damaged by the Noto earthquake, and I believe many people are feeling very uneasy,” chief cabinet secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said.

Mr Hayashi said the government “put people’s lives first” and its priority was conducting search and rescue operations.

He called on people in the affected areas to pay close attention to the latest weather and evacuation advisories and take precautions, adding that the military had been dispatched to Ishikawa to help with rescue work.

Moo Deng: Why is the internet obsessed with a viral baby hippo?

A playful and pudgy baby hippopotamus in Thailand who loves splashing about in water and enjoys belly rubs from her keeper has captivated the internet and left the zoo housing her struggling to manage large crowds jostling to see the latest global celebrity.

Thailand’s Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chonburi, which started posting videos and photos online of Moo Deng, the two-month-old pygmy hippo, is now capitalising on her popularity.

Moo Deng became a meme-worthy internet sensation after zookeeper Atthapon Nundee posted her videos of bathing, playfully biting, and sleeping. Her snot bubbles have a separate fan base.

Because of the popularity of the hippo, whose name translates to “bouncy pork”, the zoo saw a boosted attendance over the past weekend. It drew more than 10,000 visitors, up from around the usual 3,000. Moo’s cuteness has also led to plans for a 24/7 livestream, though it is not yet up and running.

But her popularity has not come without problems. It has been reported that some visitors to the zoo are throwing water and other objects at the baby hippo to get her to react. The zoo’s director has now threatened legal action against misbehaving visitors.

Due to overcrowdeding, interactions with Moo Deng will now be limited to weekends, with each viewing lasting only five minutes, The Bangkok Post reported. Group sizes will be capped at 30 to 50 people to better manage crowds, according to zoo authorities.

Moo’s fame has also brought the spotlight back on past allegations of cruelty at crowded animal shows in Thai zoos amid a post-Covid tourism boost.

Moo Deng was born almost two months ago at the zoo in Chonburi. Only a month after her birth, her videos exploded on TikTok and social media quickly became obsessed.

Vulture wrote: “She has little teeny, tiny baby chompers, she’s perpetually wet, and her name means bouncy pork. It’s the ultimate recipe for internet cuteness.”

She is the Pookie of the moment.

The Associated Press described Moo Deng as having “the kind of face that launches a thousand memes”. Moo Deng in Thai is a type of meatball. It was reported that the name was chosen by fans through a social media poll, keeping in theme with her siblings: Moo Toon (stewed pork) and Moo Waan (sweet pork). The zoo also has a common hippo named Kha Moo (stewed pork leg).

“She’s such a little lump. I want to ball her up and swallow her whole!” a Moo Deng fan Areeya Sripanya told AP on Thursday.

The cosmetic brand Sephora, in its advertising for blush products in Thailand, claims to offer Moo Deng’s “pink & peachy tone” cheeks.

A bakery in Bangkok announced on Facebook that it had to limit orders for its Moo Deng-inspired cakes due to overwhelming demand.

The Thai Embassy in Tokyo shared photos of Moo Deng on X and encouraged visitors to the zoo.

Moo Deng even made it to Time magazine. “She is an icon. She is a legend. She is the moment”, read the headline on a piece about her.

According to the zoo, Moo Deng’s mother, Jona, is 25 years old, and her father, Tony, is 24. She is their seventh baby born at the zoo.

Artists have created cartoons, cakes, and latte art inspired by her, and her image has even appeared in posts from the official account on social media platform X. She’s been featured in memes by teams like Germany’s FC Bayern, the Phoenix Suns, the Washington Commanders, and the New York Mets, often with simple photo edits placing her in various hats or human-like scenarios.

Given her rising fame, the zoo director Narongwit Chodchoi announced that they are in the process of copyrighting and trademarking “Moo Deng the hippo” to prevent unauthorised commercialisation.

“After we do this, we will have more income to support activities that will make the animals’ lives better,” he told the Associated Press.

A TikTok video featuring Moo Deng’s caretaker playing with her has gone viral, amassing over 33 million views and more than 2 million likes.

Comments express delight, with one noting that the baby hippo “looks like he (sic) was just hatched”. Other videos of Moo Deng, including one of her mimicking her mother munching on veggies (Moo is still on a milk diet), have also garnered millions of views on TikTok and X.

“The moment I saw Moo-Deng born, I set a goal to make her famous, but I never expected it would spread abroad. I thought she could be famous in Thailand but not internationally,” Nundee, the caretaker who has worked at the zoo for eight years, told The Guardian.

Moo Deng is reportedly having a 24*7 live stream set up for her fans to enjoy her antics without having to visit the zoo where footfalls have increased – thanks to Moo Deng.

Moo Deng’s fame has attracted some overly enthusiastic visitors to the zoo. She typically wakes up to play for just two hours a day, but some videos have shown people splashing water or tossing objects to rouse her from sleep.

In response, the zoo has placed a warning sign at the hippo pit, prominently displayed in Thai, English, and Chinese, advising against throwing things at Moo Deng.

“These behaviours are not only cruel but also dangerous,” zoo director Chodchoi told reporters. “We must protect these animals and ensure that they have a safe and comfortable environment.”

To tackle these concerns, the zoo has now set up security cameras in Moo Deng’s habitat and alerted visitors about potential legal consequences for any rule violations.

The pygmy hippo is an endangered species, with only 2,000-2,500 adults left, according to the IUCN. Their numbers are decreasing due to hunting for bushmeat and habitat destruction, reports note.

Smaller than common hippos, they are mainly found in West African countries like Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Ivory Coast.

Moo Deng’s time in the spotlight is being used by the zoo to highlight the plight of the species. “I hope that the cuteness of Moo-Deng will raise awareness for people to come and learn about [the species],” Nundee was quoted as saying by The Guardian.

An adult pygmy hippo can live up to 50 years and can grow to about half the height of a full-sized hippo. In the wild, their diet mainly consists of grass, leaves, shoots, and fallen fruits.

The Washington Post pointed out that research indicates especially cute animals possess “baby schema” traits – physical features resembling those of infants – that activate our instinct to care for them.

It noted that Moo Deng’s large eyes and adorable skin rolls evoke our nurturing instincts, even though she’s a pygmy hippo.

“When we see these infantile features – those big eyes, large foreheads, small chins, and pudgy bodies – we interpret that as helplessness and as dependency, and it motivates us to care for them,” Daniel Kruger, a research scientist in evolutionary psychology at the University of Michigan and the State University of New York at Buffalo, was quoted as saying.

“That little rolly-polly face is wonderfully squishable. She is often seen screeching and bouncing around like a tusked Roomba. Moo Deng is, effectively, an exotic, somewhat slimy English bulldog. What is there not to love about that?” gushed a Mashable piece.

“We get to anthropomorphise a personality unto them as a collective. We see open-mouthed, blurry snaps of Moo Deng, and we get to make her a mischievous, cherubic little character. In the absence of, you know, animals being able to express themselves, we do it for them. It’s sort of what we do with our own pets. Together, we make an adorable creation.”

In 2021, the Khao Kheow Open Zoo met with backlash over its elephant swimming shows. It featured performances where elephants swim, dance, and perform tricks while visitors watch through a glass enclosure.

The zoo has defended the shows, despite social media outrage calling it an example of animal cruelty.

The controversy intensified after a photo titled “Elephant in the Room” by Adam Oswell won an award at the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Awards 2021, organised by the Natural History Museum in London.

In an interview, the zoo’s then director, Tewin Rattanawongsawat, defended the shows, saying that swimming is a natural behaviour for elephants and that they are not forced to perform, as no mahouts ride them.

He said that the elephants swim freely and receive food rewards after each show.

Animal rights activists said that the practice was cruel and urged the Chonburi governor at the time to shut down the zoo and transfer the elephants to a sanctuary.

“No elephant would exhibit these types of behaviours in the wild, so in order to make them do so for the crowds, trainers use cruel techniques to make sure their charges will do what they say when they say it,” a petition posted on Care2 noted.

The zoo’s website still shows the timing for elephant swimming shows on its homepage.

The Independent has reached out to Khao Kheow Open Zoo for comment.

In 2018 Attaporn Sriheran, the then-zoo director, again defended the elephant swimming shows. “The show is considered exercise for the elephants. Normally they go into pools to play with water anyway,” Sriheran told Khaosod English.

“The zoo then designed another pool for the elephants to swim and at the same time allows children and visitors to learn about their behaviour as well.”

The Khao Kheow Open Zoo also advertises a “Penguin Parade” on its website. The show involves penguins waddling up in a queue on a ramp for the visitors.

Since the Covid-19 pandemic, as tourism in Thailand rebounded, zoos in the country have come under renewed scrutiny for their treatment of animals and overall welfare standards.

Shohei Ohtani makes baseball history as he enters 50-50 club

Shohei Ohtani has become the first baseball player to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a major league season.

The Japanese superstar reached the landmark with his second home run of the night in the seventh inning of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 20-4 rout of the Miami Marlins.

Ohtani hit number 51 in the final innings – his sixth hit in six at bats during the game – as he also became the first player to hit three home runs and steal two bases in a match.

He had hit number 49 in the previous inning, having reached the half century of stolen bases in the first innings.

Ohtani added another stolen base to his tally in the second.

Only five players had previously managed 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases in the season.

Ohtani joined the Dodgers from the Los Angeles Angels in a 700 million dollar (£527 million), 10-year deal having starred as a pitcher as well as with the bat during his six years in Anaheim.

He has not pitched since joining the Dodgers after elbow surgery, playing solely as a designated hitter.

His 50th home run set a new Dodgers franchise record for a single season.

Bomb drones deployed by warring tribes in India’s forgotten civil war

Ngangbam Ingo’s life fell apart earlier this month when his wife was shot and killed in an attack by a tribal militia in northeastern India, part of the escalating ethnic conflict that has riven the state of Manipur in two.

While sporadic clashes between two ethnic communities in the state have led to a steady trickle of deaths since the conflict began 18 months ago, a new and worrying escalation emerged this month with the first use of weaponised drones – until now both sides have been wielding basic firearms such as hunting rifles and improvised weapons.

On 1 September, Ingo’s wife Ngangbam Surbala, 36, and their 11-year-old daughter Ngangom Rojiya were on their way back from visiting their son, Mahesh, 14, at his boarding school when they found themselves in the crossfire of an attack by suspected Kuki militia.

“My daughter wanted to visit her grandmother, and that’s when they were attacked,” Ingo tells The Independent. At 1.50pm that day, Ingo received a frantic call from his wife.

“She told me there was heavy gunfire. I was worried and told them to take cover, to just hide,” he recalls while speaking in local Manipuri language as his voice shakes with emotion. Just three minutes later, he received another call – this time, with devastating news. “My wife had been shot, and my daughter was injured, a local told me, calling from their phone,” he says, choking back tears.

The latest outbreak of violence this month reportedly claimed at least 11 lives, adding to the mounting toll of arond 225 from fighting between the majority Meitei and minority Kuki communities that began in May last year. Death tolls are pieced together from media reports as the Indian government, which has come under sustained criticism for its failure to restore peace to the region, does not maintain a tally that is publicly available.

The 1 September attacks killed two, while subsequent rocket strikes on 6 September left one dead and six injured, including a teenager.

Villager Laishangthem Romen alleges that state law enforcement abandoned their posts as soon as the shooting began on 1 September in Koutruk.

“The firing went on non-stop for about 20 to 25 minutes, starting at around 2pm, when the woman was killed,” he says, referring to Surbala. As volunteers tasked with “defending” the village took position in bunkers they dug themselves, the first bombs started dropping.

He does not remember how many drones were dropping bombs but he claims there were more than one, adding: “Because when the volunteers gathered in my house to take shelter, we heard simultaneous bomb-dropping sounds from every corner of the village.

“We are used to defending the village using mortar shells, but were not prepared that Kukis would use this much technology to attack us.”

He alleges that India’s paramilitary Border Security Force (BSF), permanently stationed to protect the village, also abandoned it as the bombs started dropping. “That was the most shocking,” he says. “I was worried that today our village would be completely burned down and we would have no option but to run away.”

BSF did not respond to The Independent’s requests for comment.

While at least five homes in the village were burnt down in the sporadic attacks that started at around 3pm, going on till 8.30pm, he is grateful that his home “is only partially damaged” and he was able to send his wife, children, and mother away soon after the firing began.

Romen lambasts the federal and state governments over their inability to contain the violence. “They have totally failed to control this conflict, even though they could do it,” he says.

Another villager, Thangminlun Mate, is still waiting to receive the body of his father, Limlal Mate.

A resident of Kangpokpi, the 21-year-old learnt about the killing of his father on 8 September through a disturbing video circulating on social media. He says: “My father had ventured out to buy hardware for their home in Motbung, just 100-200 metres away in the afternoon. When he did not return by 6pm, I began looking for him.

“It was around 5.30am in the morning, I received a video in one of the groups showing his bleeding body. He was clearly beaten to death.”

A police investigation suggests the 64-year-old former serviceman was abducted by the armed Meitei group Arambai Tenggol after he unintentionally crossed the buffer zone between the two communities, entering into a Meitei-controlled area, reported The Print.

“It has left me sad and shocked,” Mate says as he waits to receive his father’s body which remains at a hospital morgue in state capital Imphal. Though the hospital is only 43 kilometres from his home, as a Kuki he is forbidden to enter – knowing he would be killed for crossing into the Meitei-dominated territory.

The Manipur police say they are investigating the new use of drones, and say it points to the involvement of trained professionals. A high-level government committee has also been formed that is racing to understand the “unprecedented” development, calling it a “significant escalation”.

Delhi is pushing to resolve the longstanding tensions between the two communities, home minister Amit Shah announced, after days of violent student protests and internet suspensions in some areas of the state.

“We hope that we will be able to bring the situation under control,” Shah said at an event this week discussing the first 100 days of Narendra Modi’s third term in power, adding: “If both [ethnic groups] do not come to an understanding, there won’t be a resolution to the matter.”

More than two weeks on, Ingo still struggles to come to terms with the loss of his wife. “Every time I come home, I expect her to call out to me, to greet me,” he says.

“I miss her simple words: ‘Dinner will be ready.’ She was the one who got our children ready for school every morning. I miss her terribly, especially in the mornings and evenings. The silence is deafening, and not hearing her voice is unbearable.”

Ingo’s daughter was shielded from the news of her mother’s death for 10 days. “When she finally learned the news, she was devastated,” he says. “She’s been crying incessantly, struggling to eat, and grappling with the loss. We’re trying to console her, explaining that her mother sacrificed her life for Manipur, that she’s a martyr. We want her to find strength in that.”

Japanese schoolboy stabbed to death in China on 1931 anniversary

A 10-year-old schoolboy from Japan was fatally stabbed near his school in Shenzhen in southern China on Wednesday in the second knife attack near a Japanese school in recent months.

A 44-year-old suspect was arrested at the scene, police in the city said in a statement.

The boy was attacked by the man about 200m from the gates of the school in Shenzhen, according to China’s foreign ministry.

The boy’s father is Japanese, while his mother is a Chinese citizen, ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told a press briefing, adding that the attack was an “individual” case.

The attack took place on the anniversary of an incident on 18 September 1931 that triggered war between China and Japan, a sensitive date at a time when diplomatic relations are in danger of deteriorating.

The 1931 Mukden Incident, also known as “918”, was the beginning of the invasion of Manchuria which ignited the long-standing conflict between the two countries.

“The fact that such a despicable act was committed against a child on his way to school is truly regrettable,” Japan’s foreign minister Yoko Kamikawa told reporters on Thursday.

“We take this incident extremely seriously, and we have once again requested that the Chinese side ensure the safety of Japanese nationals.”

The victim died in the early hours of 19 September, Ms Kamikawa told reporters. Japan has requested China to provide a comprehensive account of the facts and to implement robust safety measures, she added.

While Chinese authorities did not specify a motive, reports suggest that anti-Japanese sentiment in the country has been rising. A similar attack occurred in June when a Japanese mother and child were stabbed in Suzhou.

Ahead of the “918” anniversary, Japan’s foreign minister said “we had just made a request to the Chinese foreign ministry to take thorough measures to ensure the safety of Japanese schools, so we are extremely disappointed that this incident occurred in this situation”.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said they were investigating the case. “China will continue to take effective measures to protect the safety of all foreigners in China.”

Coldplay announce dates for Asia tour including India, Seoul and UAE

Coldplay have officially announced the Asia dates for their Music of the Spheres world tour.

Here is what you need to know to get your hands on tickets.

Which countries are Coldplay performing in?

According to the announcement made by the band on social media, Coldplay will be playing at the Zayed Sports City Stadium in Abu Dhabi on 11 January 2025 followed by two shows in Mumbai’s DY Patil Sports Stadium on 18 and 19 January.

The band will then head to Hong Kong to play at the Kai Tak Stadium on 9, 11 and 12 April 2025, ending the tour with shows in Seoul’s Goyang Stadium on 16, 18, 19, and 22 April.

When will tickets go on sale?

Fans can try their luck with tickets at presales for the Abu Dhabi, Seoul, and Hong Kong dates. Fans heading to Mumbai will only have the general sale to look forward to.

For Seoul, the presale will start on 24 September at 12pm local time and the general sale on 27 September at 12pm local time.

Hong Kong will have the presale on 7 October at 10am local time as well as an opportunity to buy the Klook package experience on 8 October at 10am local time. General ticket sales begin for the city on 10 October at 10am local time.

General ticket sales for Mumbai begin on 22 September at 12pm local time.

How can you register for the presale and get access?

Fans can register for the presale on Coldplay’s official website here before 9am BST on 23 September.

They will receive an email granting them access to the presale the night before it begins in each nation.

How many tickets can you buy?

There is a limit of four tickets per buyer.

Where can you buy the general sale tickets?

Tickets for Mumbai will be sold on the tour’s official ticketing partner Book My Show.

Abu Dhabi, Seoul, and Hong Kong tickets will be available on the respective country’s Live Nation website.

Coldplay release a limited number of “infinity tickets” for every show, priced at the local currency equivalent of £20. The catch is the seats are completely random and can be anywhere from the floor to the back row and will only be disclosed during ticket pickup on the day of the show.

Infinity tickets are only available to buy in pairs and at a maximum of two tickets per person.

This will be Coldplay’s first performance in India after the 2016 show at the Global Citizen Festival in Mumbai. They will be returning to Hong Kong for the first time since 2009 and last performed in Abu Dhabi in 2016 and Seoul in 2017.

The announcement makes mention of a mystery guest at each show. Palestinian-Chilean singer Elyanna was announced as a support act for Abu Dhabi, while the mystery performers for other Asia dates have not been revealed yet.

The new dates follow the release of Coldplay’s 10th record, Moon Music, scheduled for release on 4 October.

Coldplay have also announced that 10 per cent of the band’s proceeds from the sale of tickets for their shows in London and Hull in 2025 will be donated to the Music Venue Trust, a charitable organisation that supports UK grassroots music venues and emerging artists.

The band pledged to power the production for their Wembley shows with 100 per cent solar, wind and kinetic energy, collected at the venue and elsewhere in the UK and delivered by a specially designed electric battery system.

In June, Coldplay revealed that their Music of the Spheres show had, at that point, produced 59 per cent less CO2 emissions than their previous stadium tour between 2016 to 2017.

Woman rescued from 13ft python after being trapped in its coils

A four-metre-long (13ft) python coiled around a 64-year-old woman in Thailand for about two hours in her home before help arrived.

The snake bit her multiple times and wrapped itself around her, squeezing tighter as Arom Arunroj struggled to free herself, according to Thai media reports.

Despite her attempts to grab the snake’s head, it didn’t let go, Ms Arunroj said.

She was washing up after dinner around 8.30pm local time in her home in Samut Prakan, a province south of Bangkok, when she first felt the bite.

“I looked at it and it was a snake,” she was quoted as saying by Koha News. Ms Arunroj said that she tried to fight the snake and called for help, but no one heard her.

She tried to grab the snake’s head in an attempt to free herself, but, she said, “it kept strangling me”.

After about two hours, a neighbour heard her faint cries and called for help.

“She had probably been strangled for a while because her skin was pale,” Sgt Maj Anusorn Wongmali Anusorn said.

“It was a python, a big one. I saw a bite mark on her leg but knew there might be some elsewhere too.”

The snake reportedly weighed around 20kg.

Police were assisted by members of the She Poh Tek Tung Foundation, a rescue organisation, and Ms Arunroj was transported to the hospital for treatment.

Khaosod English reported that everyone was shocked to find the woman with a giant python wrapped tightly around her midsection.

It took over 30 minutes of intense effort to free her from the snake’s grip. Once the python was pulled off, it swiftly slithered into a nearby forest, escaping capture as rescuers prioritised giving Ms Arunroj first aid and rushing her to the hospital.

“I tried calling out to my neighbours and anyone nearby, but no one heard me. I thought I wouldn’t survive and would surely become the snake’s meal. In a final attempt, I shouted as loud as I could until someone passing by heard me and quickly called the police and rescue unit for help. I’ve never experienced anything like this in my life,” Ms Arunroj told Khaosod English.

While pythons are not venomous, their bite can lead to infection. They kill their prey by coiling around and suffocating it. These massive snakes can grow over 10m long.

Ms Arunroj is a housekeeper at a children’s hospital in Bangkok and has been renting a room in Samut Prakan where the incident occurred. Her husband died in November last year and she has been living alone since then.

Behind her room is a bamboo forest with a pond.

About 12,000 people in Thailand received treatment for venomous snake and animal bites in 2023, as reported by the national health security office. Government data shows at least 26 people died from snake bites through the year.

Last month, a python bit a man’s testicle as he was sitting on the toilet.

He reportedly grabbed the snake to stop it from escaping into his home and tried to pull it out, hitting its head with his hand and a toilet brush, until a neighbour came to help.