A Chinese mother became so irate with her son’s homework that she tried to kick him, however, she ended up breaking her toe instead. The woman, who goes by the surname Zhang, from Nanjing in the southeast Chinese province of Jiangsu, could not control her emotions and attacked her child while wearing slippers, as per a report in South China Morning Post.

“His homework was dragging on, and I got so angry that I wanted to kick him, but I ended up kicking the wall instead. My little toe broke instantly. My son was quite scared and immediately called his father,” she said.

Images shared by the outlet show the woman’s right toe turned outwards, almost at a 45-degree angle. After X-rays confirmed the fracture, her right foot was wrapped while she was checked and treated in the hospital. After the scary event, Ms Zhang got her kid into a tuition class. 

Many parents who have had similar experiences related to it called this frustrating emotion “Fear of Tutoring Syndrome.” “Helping children with homework has become a high-risk job. It’s like a modern form of torture,” one person wrote online.

Another said, “Seeing this X-ray makes my toes hurt. It is very easy to get annoyed while supervising homework, so now I choose to watch dramas in the living room. My child calls me to check his work after he has completed it.”

“As a parent, I totally understand that feeling of going crazy and breaking down, but we still need to control ourselves. Sending them to after-school classes to do their homework is like spending life-saving money,” said a person.

Unidentified miscreants destroyed the EVMs at the Khongman polling booth during the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections, in Imphal East, Manipur on April 19, 2024
| Photo Credit: ANI

Despite heatwave, Phase I of Lok Sabha polls registers 62.37% polling

The voter turnout in the first phase of the Lok Sabha polls on April 19, which sealed the fate of candidates in 102 constituencies across 21 States, was 62.37%. The voting percentage is likely to go upwards when reports from all polling stations are obtained, the Election Commission of India (ECI) said in a statement. The poll body also commended the “high” voter turnout “despite the heatwave”.

T.N. registers 69.46% as polling passes off largely incident-free

The fate of 950 candidates in 39 Lok Sabha constituencies of Tamil Nadu was sealed on April 19, with 69.46% of the electorate turning up to exercise their franchise in a four-cornered contest. Except for a few minor incidents, there was no major untoward incident during the polling, Chief Electoral Officer Satyabrata Sahoo told journalists. 

Manipur Lok Sabha elections | Over 72% votes cast as violence mars polling; 3 arrested

Amid complaints of voter intimidation, booth-capturing, and violence across several polling booths, the first phase of the Lok Sabha election in Manipur concluded on April 19 evening, with officials pegging the average turnout of the State’s two constituencies at 72.17%. Three persons were arrested in connection with the violence.

Donald Trump’s hush money trial | Full jury of 12 people and 6 alternates is seated in New York

A full jury of 12 people and six alternates was seated on April 19 in Donald Trump’s hush money case, drawing the first criminal trial of a former U.S. president a step closer to opening statements. Lawyers spent days quizzing dozens of New Yorkers to choose the panel that has vowed to put their personal views aside and impartially judge whether the presumptive Republican presidential nominee is guilty or not.

Congress wants EC to take note of BJP’s use of “one issue” to seek votes

The Congress on Friday accused the BJP of using “one particular issue” on social media to attract voters, and urged the Election Commission (EC) to take note of it. “The BJP is using one particular issue on social media as an appeal to voters. This is a flagrant and blatant violation of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, the Election Commission’s Model Code of Conduct, and also of numerous judgments of the Supreme Court,” Congress general secretary (communication) Jairam Ramesh said.

Congress leaders should advise Rahul Gandhi to withdraw statement urging ED to arrest Pinarayi Vijayan, says Brinda Karat

Congress leaders of Kerala should advise Rahul Gandhi to withdraw his statement inviting the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to arrest Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Brinda Karat has said. Ms. Karat termed Mr. Gandhi’s statement shocking and added that he was strengthening the cause of the BJP by demanding the arrest of the foremost Opposition leader who was fighting the BJP and the Union government on all issues.

Fossils of massive prehistoric snake found in lignite mine in Gujarat

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee have reported the discovery of fossils of one of the largest snakes that ever existed and likely lived 47 million years ago during a period called the Middle Eocene. The fossils were found in Kutch, Gujarat, and the reptile, named Vasuki Indicus, could have been anywhere between 10 metres and 15 metres long, or as big as a modern-day school bus.

Great Nicobar’s particularly vulnerable tribal group, Shompen, cast their vote for the first time

For the first time, members of the Shompen, one of the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) in the country and who reside in the dense tropical rain forests of the Great Nicobar island, on Friday took part in the election process by casting their votes in the Andaman and Nicobar Lok Sabha constituency.

Left a safer bet than Congress, its leaders not turncoats: Sitaram Yechury

Before hurling allegations at the CPI(M) in Kerala, the Congress will do well to ask itself why a large number of people joining the BJP are Congress leaders, said CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury in an interaction with The Hindu at Parakkandy early this week. “In Kerala, too, people think it’s a safer bet to have the Left which is unlikely to defect to the BJP. In West Bengal and Tripura, we are getting killed. But our leaders don’t become turncoats. That sort of character you require in the party, which the Congress doesn’t have,” Mr. Yechury said.

India delivers first batch of BrahMos to Philippines

India delivered the first batch of BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles to Philippines on Friday. In January 2022, Philippines concluded a $375-million deal with India for three batteries of shore-based, anti-ship variant of the BrahMos becoming the first export customer for the joint venture missile between India and Russia.

China sets up powerful information warfare force to support ‘military struggles’

China’s military helmed by President Xi Jinping on April 19 unveiled a powerful information warfare support force in a major overhaul of a largely opaque structure of strategic units with the aim of supporting “military struggles” in all areas.

IPL-17: LSG vs CSK | Rahul, De Kock fifties propel Lucknow Super Giants to 8-wicket win over Chennai Super Kings

Openers KL Rahul and Quinton de Kock, who made classy fifties on a slow pitch, produced a chasing masterclass to power Lucknow Super Giants to a comfortable eight-wicket win over Chennai Super Kings in their IPL match in Lucknow on April 19.

Unidentified miscreants destroyed the EVMs at the Khongman polling booth during the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections, in Imphal East, Manipur on April 19, 2024
| Photo Credit: ANI

Despite heatwave, Phase I of Lok Sabha polls registers 62.37% polling

The voter turnout in the first phase of the Lok Sabha polls on April 19, which sealed the fate of candidates in 102 constituencies across 21 States, was 62.37%. The voting percentage is likely to go upwards when reports from all polling stations are obtained, the Election Commission of India (ECI) said in a statement. The poll body also commended the “high” voter turnout “despite the heatwave”.

T.N. registers 69.46% as polling passes off largely incident-free

The fate of 950 candidates in 39 Lok Sabha constituencies of Tamil Nadu was sealed on April 19, with 69.46% of the electorate turning up to exercise their franchise in a four-cornered contest. Except for a few minor incidents, there was no major untoward incident during the polling, Chief Electoral Officer Satyabrata Sahoo told journalists. 

Manipur Lok Sabha elections | Over 72% votes cast as violence mars polling; 3 arrested

Amid complaints of voter intimidation, booth-capturing, and violence across several polling booths, the first phase of the Lok Sabha election in Manipur concluded on April 19 evening, with officials pegging the average turnout of the State’s two constituencies at 72.17%. Three persons were arrested in connection with the violence.

Donald Trump’s hush money trial | Full jury of 12 people and 6 alternates is seated in New York

A full jury of 12 people and six alternates was seated on April 19 in Donald Trump’s hush money case, drawing the first criminal trial of a former U.S. president a step closer to opening statements. Lawyers spent days quizzing dozens of New Yorkers to choose the panel that has vowed to put their personal views aside and impartially judge whether the presumptive Republican presidential nominee is guilty or not.

Congress wants EC to take note of BJP’s use of “one issue” to seek votes

The Congress on Friday accused the BJP of using “one particular issue” on social media to attract voters, and urged the Election Commission (EC) to take note of it. “The BJP is using one particular issue on social media as an appeal to voters. This is a flagrant and blatant violation of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, the Election Commission’s Model Code of Conduct, and also of numerous judgments of the Supreme Court,” Congress general secretary (communication) Jairam Ramesh said.

Congress leaders should advise Rahul Gandhi to withdraw statement urging ED to arrest Pinarayi Vijayan, says Brinda Karat

Congress leaders of Kerala should advise Rahul Gandhi to withdraw his statement inviting the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to arrest Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Brinda Karat has said. Ms. Karat termed Mr. Gandhi’s statement shocking and added that he was strengthening the cause of the BJP by demanding the arrest of the foremost Opposition leader who was fighting the BJP and the Union government on all issues.

Fossils of massive prehistoric snake found in lignite mine in Gujarat

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee have reported the discovery of fossils of one of the largest snakes that ever existed and likely lived 47 million years ago during a period called the Middle Eocene. The fossils were found in Kutch, Gujarat, and the reptile, named Vasuki Indicus, could have been anywhere between 10 metres and 15 metres long, or as big as a modern-day school bus.

Great Nicobar’s particularly vulnerable tribal group, Shompen, cast their vote for the first time

For the first time, members of the Shompen, one of the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) in the country and who reside in the dense tropical rain forests of the Great Nicobar island, on Friday took part in the election process by casting their votes in the Andaman and Nicobar Lok Sabha constituency.

Left a safer bet than Congress, its leaders not turncoats: Sitaram Yechury

Before hurling allegations at the CPI(M) in Kerala, the Congress will do well to ask itself why a large number of people joining the BJP are Congress leaders, said CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury in an interaction with The Hindu at Parakkandy early this week. “In Kerala, too, people think it’s a safer bet to have the Left which is unlikely to defect to the BJP. In West Bengal and Tripura, we are getting killed. But our leaders don’t become turncoats. That sort of character you require in the party, which the Congress doesn’t have,” Mr. Yechury said.

India delivers first batch of BrahMos to Philippines

India delivered the first batch of BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles to Philippines on Friday. In January 2022, Philippines concluded a $375-million deal with India for three batteries of shore-based, anti-ship variant of the BrahMos becoming the first export customer for the joint venture missile between India and Russia.

China sets up powerful information warfare force to support ‘military struggles’

China’s military helmed by President Xi Jinping on April 19 unveiled a powerful information warfare support force in a major overhaul of a largely opaque structure of strategic units with the aim of supporting “military struggles” in all areas.

IPL-17: LSG vs CSK | Rahul, De Kock fifties propel Lucknow Super Giants to 8-wicket win over Chennai Super Kings

Openers KL Rahul and Quinton de Kock, who made classy fifties on a slow pitch, produced a chasing masterclass to power Lucknow Super Giants to a comfortable eight-wicket win over Chennai Super Kings in their IPL match in Lucknow on April 19.

Chinese Maritime Militia vessels are pictured near the Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea. File.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Amidst ongoing tensions in the South China Sea, Liu Xiaoming, Governor of Hainan province — the southernmost and the only tropical island province of China in the South China Sea — said that the construction of the Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP) has taken shape and gained momentum, six years after Chinese President Xi Jinping’s announcement of establishing FTP.

Hainan, a lush tropical island, is not very far from the Philippines and there have been tensions between both countries over the disputed South China sea.

Also read: Second Thomas Shoal | A symbol of defiance

The FTP blueprint is ambitious and as per the first phase of the plan, China aims to establish about 35,000 sq km island as China’s most open economic region by 2025. The ultimate goal is to build a tropical Dubai in the middle of the South China Sea by 2035.

“The construction of the Hainan FTP has taken shape and gained momentum, serving as both a booster and an accelerator for Hainan’s high-quality development,” the Governor said while addressing a press conference on April 11. “Going forward, we will actively advance emerging marine industries such as deep-sea technology, marine intelligent equipment manufacturing, and deep-sea aquaculture. We have a greater goal of building a stronger Hainan with a thriving marine industry over the next decade,” he added.

The Governor said that the government will also focus on the aerospace industry as Hainan is ideally suited for the development of the aerospace industry due to its geographical latitude.

“The No. 1 launch pad of China’s first commercial spacecraft launch site was completed at the end of last year, and the construction of the No. 2 launch pad was also finished at the end of March this year, expected to be capable of supporting regular launches starting in June,” he said.

The Governor said that many leading domestic commercial aerospace enterprises are competing for launch opportunities.

“With a focus on the rocket chain, we will also expand and promote the establishment of ‘space plus’ industrial projects, such as the satellite chain and the data chain, striving to develop the Wenchang International Aerospace City into a hub that integrates space launches, R&D, manufacturing, tourism, and international exchanges.,” he said.

Tensions between China and the Philippines have risen over repeated clashes between the two nations’ coast guard vessels in the disputed South China Sea, AP reported earlier this month. Beijing has defended its operations in the South China Sea and blamed the United States for creating tensions.

(The correspondent is in China at the invitation of the China Public Diplomacy Association.)

Chinese People’s Liberation Army soldiers patrol at Tiananmen in Beijing. File.
| Photo Credit: AFP

China’s military helmed by President Xi Jinping on April 19 unveiled a powerful information warfare support force in a major overhaul of a largely opaque structure of strategic units with the aim of supporting “military struggles” in all areas.

The Information Support Force held its founding meeting in the Chinese capital Beijing on Friday, with army veteran Bi Yi as its chief and Li Wei as its political commissar.

As Mr. Xi handed the force’s flag to the unit’s leaders, he said the formation of the force was a major strategic decision by China’s Communist Party and Central Military Commission (CMC) to integrate information resources and strengthen information protection, serving to “support military struggles in all directions and fields”.

The force will report directly to the CMC, the country’s most powerful defence organisation which also oversees the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), or military.

The leadership of the PLA’s existing space and cyberspace strategic forces will be adjusted accordingly, state media reported, without providing detail on how they could be integrated into the new force.

China announced the creation of a new military cyber corps on Friday, saying it would bolster Beijing’s capacity to “fight and win” wars.

The Information Support Force will act as a “key support for coordinated development and application of network information systems”, defence ministry spokesman Wu Qian said.

China has ploughed billions of dollars into modernising its armed forces in recent years as tensions with the United States and other regional powers have escalated.

President Xi Jinping has also sought to bring the military more firmly under his control since rising to power a decade ago.

The new cyber force represents “a strategic step to establish a new system of services and arms and improve (China’s) modern military force structure”, Wu said.

He did not give details about its role but said the corps “bears great responsibility in promoting high-quality development and the ability to fight and win in modern warfare”.

Xi “extended warm congratulations” on the force’s establishment at a grand ceremony in Beijing on Friday, state broadcaster CCTV said.

Footage showed the Chinese leader clad in khaki military dress addressing a beaming cohort of officers in full regalia at an event enlivened by marching songs.

Xi said the force’s founding was “a major decision” by the top echelons of the ruling Communist Party to “improve the modern military force system with Chinese characteristics”, according to CCTV.

“We must resolutely obey the party’s command (and) fully implement the fundamental principles and systems of the party’s absolute leadership over the military,” he said.

China’s territorial disputes include its claim to the self-ruled island of Taiwan, which the United States has committed to helping defend.

Beijing also contentiously lays claim to almost the entire South China Sea, several islands also claimed by Japan, and areas along its ill-defined border with regional rival India.

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

Washington:

The chief of US space agency NASA has told lawmakers in Washington that China is using civilian programmes to hide military objectives in space.

“China has made extraordinary strides [in space] especially in the last 10 years, but they are very, very secretive,” Bill Nelson told the appropriations committee of the US House of Representatives as he testified on the US space agency’s 2025 budget request.

“We believe that a lot of their so-called civilian space programme is a military programme. And I think, in effect, we are in a race.”

Nelson also stressed that it was “incumbent on us” get to the moon, first as he warned: “my concern is if China got there first and suddenly said ‘ok this is our territory, you stay out’.”

The NASA chief said that the US was not going to lose its “global edge” in space, “but you got to be realistic that China is really throwing a lot of money at it and they’ve got a lot of room in their budget to grow.”

“I think that we just better not let down our guard,” Nelson added.

The NASA chief said he hoped “the Chinese space programme would come to its senses and understand that civilian space is for peaceful uses,” but added: “We have not seen that demonstrated by China.”

With the Artemis programme NASA wants to put humans on the moon again after more than 50 years. The moon landing mission Artemis 3 was recently postponed to September 2026.

The long-term goal of Artemis is to establish a permanent lunar base as a foundation for missions to Mars.

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

Washington:

US President Joe Biden called Wednesday for a hike in steel tariffs on China, accusing it of  cheating as he courted blue-collar voters on an election campaign trip to the battleground state of Pennsylvania.

Biden accused Beijing of xenophobia too in a speech to union members in Pittsburgh that also sought to contrast his defense of workers’ rights with the record of his rival Donald Trump.

“They’re not competing, they’re cheating. They’re cheating and we’ve seen the damage here in America,” the 81-year-old Biden said to cheers at the headquarters of the United Steelworkers union.

The Democrat said Chinese steel companies “don’t need to worry about making a profit because the Chinese government is subsidizing them so heavily.”

Biden said he had called for the US Trade Representative to triple the tariff rates for Chinese steel and aluminum if Beijing was confirmed to be using anti-competitive practices.

“They’re xenophobic,” he added. “They’ve got real problems. I’m not looking for a fight with China, I’m looking for competition — but fair competition.”

Biden has taken an increasingly protectionist stance as he competes with Trump for the votes of blue-collar workers in America’s industrial heartland in November’s election.

Beijing reacted furiously after Washington said it was also launching a probe into Chinese shipbuilding following a complaint by unions, including United Steelworkers.

But Biden insisted there would be “no trade war” with China and insisted his tariffs would not hurt his ties with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The two leaders have tried to smooth tense ties in recent months, meeting in California last year and speaking on the phone recently.

– ‘Badly hurt’ –

Biden was on the second day of a three-day swing through Pennsylvania, which he narrowly won over Trump in 2020 and has paid more campaign visits to than any other state in 2024.

The Pittsburgh stop was also designed to put a seal on his union ties, after United Steelworkers officially endorsed him for the election.

Biden recently opposed a bid by Japan’s Nippon Steel to take over the Pittsburgh-based firm US Steel in a further attempt to woo the union.

On Wednesday he said “I promise” to keep the iconic company American-owned.

He also took aim at Trump, saying his predecessor “never lifted a finger” to stop China siphoning off US jobs, and saying his rival’s plans for across-the-board tariffs on all countries would hurt Americans.

On the first day of the trip on Monday, he stopped by his childhood home in Scranton while again taking aim at Trump as an elitist billionaire, as the tycoon languished in a New York courtroom as part of his hush money trial.

Biden mocked him on Wednesday, saying Trump was “busy right now.”

Despite huge differences with Trump on everything from tax to abortion, Biden’s trade policies have increasingly echoed elements of his rival’s “America First” approach.

But unlike Trump, Biden has invested huge amounts in infrastructure and green projects since taking office, hoping that it will bring manufacturing and production of key goods like steel back to the United States.

The Biden administration views China’s practices as a barrier to that.

China accounts for about half of global steel production, while exporting the metal at a significantly lower cost than US steel prices, a senior US official told reporters.

Beijing said it firmly opposes the shipbuilding probe announced Wednesday, calling it “full of false accusations, misinterpreting normal trade and investment activities as harming US national security and corporate interests, and blaming China for its own industrial problems.”

The trade tensions come against a backdrop of wider stresses between the world’s two biggest economies.

China was also angered when Biden hosted the leaders of Japan and the Philippines last week in a concerted front against China’s increasing assertiveness in the Asia-Pacific region.

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

A divorce court in China has ordered a man to pay his disabled wife 30,000 yuan (approximately Rs 352,000 or $4,200) as compensation after he called her “trash”. According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the court described the man, named Zhao, as a domestic abuser as he frequently insulted his wife, surnamed Qian. The couple got married in 2007 and became parents to two children, but their lives changed after Ms Qian became disabled in a traffic accident in 2015. 

After the car crash, Mr Zhao’s attitude changed towards his wife, the outlet reported. He began to disrespect Ms Qian, ignoring her and verbally abusing her. When he filed for divorce, Ms Quan consented and made a claim for damages. During multiple hearings, the court learned that Mr Zhao showed no love or care for his wife. When Ms Qian needed more support because of her disability, he constantly humiliated and oppressed her instead. 

The court believed Mr Zhao did harm to Ms Qian. It ruled that his belittling behaviour towards the wife had constituted psychological abuse and his verbal attacks had totalled up to domestic violence. 

The court decided Mr Zhao should pay Ms Qian compensation of 30,000 yuan and be awarded only 40% of the value of the jointly-owned property. 

Also read | “I Want A Drug Test”: Trump Suggests Biden Was “Higher Than Kite” At State Of The Union

The story saw a lot of angry reactions from users on Chinese social media. “There was no need to humiliate her. She must have suffered a lot,” one user said. “Since the beginning of her disability, the man’s purpose has clearly been to divorce her,” said another.

“Do you not think the penalty was too mild?” asked another. “How did she tolerate the abuse for years? Poor woman,” expressed a fourth user. 

Notably, China’s Anti-Domestic Violence Law of 2016 stipulates that abusers who cause severe injury or death to victims can be jailed for up to seven years.

New Delhi:

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju condemned the renaming of several areas in Arunachal Pradesh by China and said that the baseless claims made by China will not change the ground reality.

“I strongly condemn China’s illegally ‘standardised’ geographical names given to 30 places inside Arunachal Pradesh. China has been making all baseless claims but that’s not going to change the ground reality and the ‘historical facts’,” he said.

Taking to social media platform X, he wrote, “Arunachal Pradesh is an inalienable part of India, and the people of Arunachal Pradesh are supremely patriotic Indians by all standards & definitions.”

Meanwhile, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge condemned the renaming of several areas in Arunachal Pradesh by China on Monday and urged the Centre to reprimand the actions of China while calling Beijing’s action “ludicrous”.

Citing a media report that mentioned China’s renaming of several locations in Arunachal Pradesh, Congress chief Kharge said that when China resorts to such provocation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tries to seek refuge by creating a false narrative on Katchatheevu.

Notably, the decades-old territorial and fishing rights dispute around Katchatheevu Island is in the limelight ahead of polling in Tamil Nadu for Lok Sabha polls on April 19, with the BJP and the opposition engaged in a war of words over the issue.

PM Modi on Monday targeted the Congress party and DMK over the Katchatheevu island issue. He said that Congress “callously” gave away the island. He also alleged the ruling party of Tamil Nadu did “nothing” to safeguard the state’s interests.

“Eye-opening and startling! New facts reveal how Congress callously gave away #Katchatheevu. This has angered every Indian and reaffirmed in people’s minds–we can’t ever trust Congress! Weakening India’s unity, integrity and interests has been Congress’ way of working for 75 years and counting,” PM Modi said in a post on X on Sunday, referring to a media report.

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