India on Saturday lodged a strong protest with the UK over a visit to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) by the British envoy to Islamabad, saying it amounted to an “unacceptable” infringement of the country’s territorial integrity. Jane Marriott, the British envoy in Pakistan, travelled to Mirpur in PoK on January 10 and held several meetings with businesspeople, members of the local community and government officials. The external affairs ministry said in a statement that the Indian side has taken “serious note of the highly objectionable visit” by Marriott and a UK Foreign Office official to PoK. “Such infringement of India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity is unacceptable,” the statement said. Foreign secretary Vinay Kwatra lodged a strong protest with Alex Ellis, the British high commissioner in India, on this infringement. Dig Deeper

The estranged husband of Suchana Seth, the Bengaluru CEO who allegedly killed her son in an apartment in Goa’s Candolim, told police that the latter had not allowed him to meet his child for the past five Sundays. Raman also added that divorce proceedings were underway between him and Seth. Venkat Raman, the husband of the murder-accused Bengaluru CEO, was in Indonesia when the crime allegedly took place. Suchana Seth and Venkat Raman tied the knot in November 2010. However, the duo had been living apart since March 2021. According to police, Suchana smothered her son to death before trying to commit suicide by slashing her wrist. She packed the child’s corpse in a bag and hired a taxi to go back to Bengaluru but was arrested mid-way by the Goa police in Karnataka’s Chitradurga. The accused also underwent a routine medical examination under police supervision. Dig Deeper

The Latest News

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India News

7 arrested in Assam for vandalising Hanuman temple, desecrating Ram, Sita idols. Dig Deeper

Good that Congress declined Ram Temple invitation because they love Babur: Himanta. Dig Deeper

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Global Matters

Flight returned to Japan airport after crack found in Boeing 737 window. Dig Deeper

‘We love life despite death, destruction’: Gaza couple celebrate wartime wedding. Dig Deeper

Germany protests: Farmers block roads with tractors as cities grind to a halt. Dig Deeper

Lifestyle and Health

Makar Sankranti, the celebration of sun’s transit into Capricorn, is the time for new beginnings, warmer days and rejoicing over fresh harvest. Dedicated to sun God the festival is celebrated across India and parts of South Asia too. While the festival usually falls on January 14 each year, this year it is delayed by a day and is being observed on January 15. The word Sankranti means ‘to cross over’ or transition. It is believed that a person who passes away on this day gets salvation from the cycle of birth and death. During Makar Sankranti festivities, farmers celebrate the abundance of crops and express gratitude for a good harvest. The day is also considered auspicious for new beginnings and is often associated with various cultural and religious activities. Dig Deeper

Entertainment Focus

Trivikram Srinivas’ Guntur Kaaram, starring Mahesh Babu and Sreeleela in the lead roles, apart from Meenakshi Chaudhary, Prakash Raj, Ramya Krishnan, Jayaram and others in key roles, hit screens this Friday. The film released ahead of Sankranthi and clashed with Teja Sajja’s HanuMan on its opening day. The filmmakers announced on X that it has raked in ₹94 crore worldwide, while Sacnilk.com claims it made ₹41.3 crore on its opening day in India. The official handle of Guntur Kaaram claimed on their X account that the film created a record for a regional film on its first day. They wrote, “Superstar’s reign is supremely dominating in a Record-Breaking Spree. #GunturKaaram rocks the global box office with a gross of – 94 Cr on Day 1 ~ All time record in regional cinema! #BlockbusterGunturKaaram.” Dig Deeper

Sports Goings

When Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek split the opening two Grand Slams last year, respectively, there was a discussion brewing over the new Big Three in tennis, but this time in WTA. The third in the ‘Three’ is Elena Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon winner, who had also reached the final in the Australian Open. Their dominance on the tour over the last 12 months sparked the talk. But eventually, as 2023 rolled on, WTA threw two new Slam winners – Marketa Vondrousova won in Wimbledon and Coco Gauff in the US Open, thus leaving the plot back to what it was ahead of the start of the 2024 Australian Open. Will the Melbourne crowd witness another surprise champion, or will one from the Big Three claim the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup? Dig Deeper