‘She will start in 6 weeks’: Elon Musk finds new Twitter CEO

The Congress leadership has decided to conduct a re-enumeration of caste data in Karnataka, responding to concerns raised by socially, economically, and politically influential communities who claimed they were excluded from the previous caste survey conducted a decade ago. The Lingayats and Vokkaligas are among those contesting the findings of the earlier survey.

The decision was made during a high-level party meeting, which also addressed the Bengaluru stampede incident that claimed 11 lives on June 4.

The meeting, attended by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, senior leader Rahul Gandhi, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, focused on the caste census as a major state issue.

Briefing the media afterward, AICC General Secretary K C Venugopal stated:

"The caste census was discussed. While the Congress supports the Karnataka government's previous caste survey in principle, concerns have been raised by certain communities regarding how caste data was counted."

Venugopal emphasized that the existing caste data is outdated, prompting the Congress to recommend a fresh enumeration within 60 to 80 days.

This decision follows the Centre's recent announcement of the schedule for a national census with caste enumeration, adding significance to Karnataka’s move.

Mangaluru: A man has reportedly lost ₹37.5 lakh after falling victim to an elaborate online stock market scam operated via WhatsApp.

According to the complaint, the victim received a voice call on WhatsApp from a woman identifying herself as Divya Sha, who claimed to be a representative of a company named "Interactive Brookers." 

She offered enticing investment opportunities in the stock market and promised substantial returns. She further informed the victim that a senior official named Mayank Sinha would provide investment training through a WhatsApp group titled Vijay Path Club 231.

Soon after, the victim’s number was added to the group, where training sessions were conducted three times a day, allegedly to teach members how to profit from stock market trades.

Initially investing just ₹1,000, the victim was gradually coaxed into making larger payments. Between April 18 and May 29, a total of ₹37.5 lakh was transferred by the victim to multiple bank accounts shared by the scammers, using RTGS and IMPS transactions. The investment app used by the fraudsters showed inflated returns, displaying a balance of ₹1.29 crore, including fake profits.

However, when the victim attempted to withdraw the funds, the scammers demanded an additional 20% "tax" payment and further investment—raising suspicions. Realizing something was amiss, the victim approached the authorities.

A case has been registered at the Cyber Economic and Narcotics (CEN) Crime Police Station, and an investigation is underway.

The world is now witnessing the highest number of active state-based conflicts since the end of the Second World War, with 59 ongoing wars and 78 countries involved, according to the 2024 edition of the Global Peace Index released by the Institute for Economics & Peace.

The report paints a grim picture of international stability, warning that global peacefulness continues to erode amid a backdrop of deepening geopolitical rivalries, rising militarisation, and a growing number of cross-border disputes.

“Many of the leading indicators that typically precede large-scale conflict are now at their worst levels since 1945,” the study stated.

Sharp Rise in Conflicts

There are currently 59 active state-based armed conflicts, three more than last year, making this the most violent period since WWII. The conflicts are not only increasing in number but also in complexity, with 78 nations now engaged in violence beyond their borders, a trend that the index attributes to growing global fragmentation and the assertiveness of middle powers.

Major flashpoints highlighted in the report include:

Russia-Ukraine

Israel-Palestine and Israel-Iran

China-US tensions over Taiwan

India-Pakistan

Armenia-Azerbaijan

North Korea-US

Iran-US

Yemen-Saudi Arabia

EU-Russia and UK-Russia

The report particularly noted the recent escalation between Israel and Iran, where Israel launched airstrikes on June 13 targeting Iranian military and nuclear infrastructure, killing senior Iranian officers—an incident that marked a dangerous expansion of the Middle East conflict.

Internationalisation of War

Conflicts are no longer localised. The report stresses that 78 countries are directly involved in conflicts beyond their borders, marking a significant shift toward internationalised warfare. The causes range from proxy wars and foreign interventions to the increasing involvement of middle-tier powers asserting dominance in their regions.

Decline in Conflict Resolution

The world is also seeing a steep decline in effective conflict resolution. The success rate of wars ending in a decisive military victory has plummeted from 49% in the 1970s to just 9% in the 2010s, while peace agreements as a method of resolution have dropped from 23% to just 4%.

Meanwhile, the long-term trend of falling militarisation has reversed. In the last two years alone, 106 countries have become more militarised, reflecting a broader shift toward rearmament and power projection.

Global Rankings

The Global Peace Index ranks 163 countries and territories, covering 99.7% of the world’s population.

Most Peaceful Countries (Top 5):

Iceland (since 2008)

Ireland

Austria

New Zealand

Switzerland

Least Peaceful Countries (Bottom 5):

Russia (for the first time)

Ukraine

Sudan

Democratic Republic of Congo

Yemen

Regional Overview

Western and Central Europe remains the most peaceful region globally.

Middle East and North Africa (MENA) retains its position as the least peaceful.

South Asia is now the second least peaceful region, with growing political repression in Bangladesh and enduring tensions between India and Pakistan contributing to its decline.

Interestingly, South America was the only region to record an overall improvement in peacefulness last year, with 7 of 11 countries showing gains.

Final Outlook

Overall, 87 countries saw a decline in peacefulness, while only 74 improved, leading to a net global deterioration of 0.36%. The report concludes that without major diplomatic interventions, the world is on a trajectory of escalating conflict and instability unseen since the mid-20th century.