External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday spoke with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller informed on Thursday, adding that the two leaders discussed the recent attacks on merchant ships by the Yemen-backed Houthi groups in the Red Sea.

The two leaders also reaffirmed their maritime cooperation in the region, the State Department spokesperson informed.

“The Secretary and External Affairs Minister discussed the United States and India’s shared concerns over reckless Houthi attacks in the southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, which threaten the free flow of commerce, endanger innocent mariners, and violate international law,” Miller said.

During their telephonic conversation, the US Secretary of State emphasised that the Red Sea is a major commercial corridor that facilitates international trade and welcomed increased cooperation with India in defending freedom of navigation in the region.

The US Secretary and EAM also spoke about the Israel-Hamas conflict, efforts to prevent the conflict’s escalation and increase the delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza and

Blinken also discussed Russia’s “war of aggression” against Ukraine.

Earlier on Wednesday, the EAM posted from his official X handle, “A good discussion this evening with my friend US @SecBlinken. Our conversation focused on maritime security challenges, especially the Red Sea region. Appreciated his insights on ongoing situation in West Asia, including Gaza. Exchanged perspectives on developments pertaining to the Ukraine conflict. Looking forward to realizing our extensive cooperation agenda for 2024.”

Earlier in December, Blinken said the US has deepened its partnership with India, adding that his country has elevated cooperation with New Delhi, Japan and Australia through the Quad.

“We’ve deepened our partnership with India. We’ve elevated cooperation through the Quad with India, Japan, Australia,” the US State Secretary said at an end-of-year press availability on Wednesday (US local time).

The Quad is a diplomatic network between Australia, India, Japan and the US.

According to a press release issued by the US State Department, Blinken said the US’ partnerships in the Indo-Pacific have never been stronger.

He said the US was “working with the United Kingdom and Australia to produce nuclear-powered submarines. We launched new comprehensive strategic partnerships with Vietnam and Indonesia, a new Defense Cooperation Agreement with the Philippines, new trilateral initiatives with the Philippines and Japan, new embassies in the Solomon Islands and Tonga”.

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

A handwritten note has been recovered from the belongings of the Bengaluru CEO who allegedly murdered her four-year-old son, police sources said. While police hasn’t reveal the exact content of the note, sources say that the accused, Suchana Seth, had written about her bitter relationship with her estranged husband.

The 39-year-old is accused of murdering her son in a hotel room in Goa, reportedly over a bitter custody battle with her husband. She will undergo a medical examination as well as a psychological evaluation. Police sources said that she has not been cooperating with the investigation and has shown “no remorse” so far.

The note recovered was written on a tissue paper with an eyeliner, police said. It has been sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for examination by a handwriting expert.

The note hinted at her strained relationship with her husband Venkat Raman and how she was unhappy with the court order allowing Raman to meet the child. Police sources said that the note suggests the mental state of Ms Seth.

Suchana Seth is the CEO of ‘The Mindful AI Lab’, and according to her LinkedIn profile, she is an AI ethics expert and data scientist with over 12 years of experience in mentoring data science teams, and scaling machine learning solutions at start-ups and industry research labs.

The police have recovered the three items from the service apartment she had stayed at in Goa. She checked into the apartment in Candolim on January 6 and stayed there till January 8. She allegedly killed her son in the apartment and stuffed the body in a bag before taking it to neighbouring Karnataka in a taxi on Monday, police said.

When the apartment staff went to clean the room, they found blood stains on a towel. The staff immediately informed the police and told them that she carried an unusually heavy bag, and her son was not seen with her.

The four-year-old child was smothered to death either with a piece of cloth or a pillow, the post-mortem revealed.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today began 11-day rituals, including observing “strict vows and sacrifice”, to prepare for the Ram temple consecration ceremony on January 22. In a special message to the nation, he said he felt emotional and overwhelmed. 

“I am emotional. For the first time in my life, I am experiencing such feelings,” he said in a 10-minute audio message posted on X.

PM Modi said it was his good fortune to be able to witness the “Pran Pratishtha” ceremony. God, he said, had chosen him as an instrument to represent all Indians at what he described as a “historic and sacred moment”. To prepare for it, the Prime Minister said he would follow strict rules prescribed in scriptures and as guided by saints.

“As our scriptures say, for the yajna (sacrifice) of God, for worship, we must awaken the divine consciousness within ourselves. For this, the scriptures prescribe vows and strict rules that need to be followed before the consecration. Therefore, following the guidance I have received from saints on this spiritual journey… They have suggested the principles of conduct (yam-niyam), and I am starting a special observance of 11 days from today,” he said.

PM Modi referred to Swami Vivekananda’s birth anniversary today, calling it a “joyous coincidence”. He also cited the birth anniversary of Jijabai, the mother of Chhatrapati Shivaji, recalling his own mother too.

The Prime Minister urged Indians to reach out to him through his Namo app and sought their blessings.

“Even though I want to, I cannot capture the depth, vastness, and intensity of it in words. You can understand my state. The dream that many generations have cherished for years, I am fortunate to be present at its fulfilment. The Lord has made me a representative of all Indians. I am just an instrument. This is a huge responsibility,” said the Prime Minister.

“I seek blessing from people.”

The Prime Minister’s message comes in the middle of intense politics over the Ram Temple event, with the ruling BJP slamming opposition parties like the Congress for skipping the January 22 ceremony.