India not just a part of AI revolution, but leading it: PM Modi
New Delhi (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said artificial intelligence must be democratised and become a tool for inclusion and empowerment, particularly for the Global South.
Addressing the India AI Impact Summit, Modi said the expo is taking place in India, which represents one sixth of humanity, a country with the world's largest young population and a hub of the largest tech talent pool.
"Artificial intelligence marks a transformative chapter in human history. India is not just a part of the AI revolution, but is leading and shaping it," he said in the presence of world leaders and CEOs of leading companies at the Summit.
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The prime minister said India not only builds technology but also adopts it at an unprecedented pace.
"Some people have doubts about new technology. But the way the younger generation is embracing AI is unprecedented.There has also been tremendous enthusiasm here regarding the AI Summit exhibition," he said.
"In the course of human history, there have been certain turning points that shaped entire centuries. These turning points set the direction of civilisation and transform the pace of development. Artificial intelligence is one such transformation in history," he said.
The world leaders attending the summit at the Bharat Mandapm include French President Emmanuel Macron, Brazil President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Sri Lanka President Anura Kumara Disanayaka, Bhutan Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, Mauritius Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam, Croatia Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, Serbia President Aleksandar Vucic, Seychelles Vice President Sebastien Pillay, Estonia President Alar Karis, and Finland Prime Minister Petteri Orpo.
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Former South Korean President Yoon receives life sentence for imposing martial law
Seoul (AP): Former President Yoon Suk Yeol was sentenced to life in prison for his brief imposition of martial law in December 2024.
Judge Jee Kui-youn said he found Yoon guilty of rebellion for mobilizing military and police forces in an illegal attempt to seize the liberal-led National Assembly, arrest politicians and establish unchecked power for a “considerable” time.
Yoon is likely to appeal the verdict.
A special prosecutor had demanded the death penalty for Yoon, saying his actions posed a threat to the country's democracy and deserved the most serious punishment available, but most analysts expect a life sentence since the poorly-planned power grab did not result in casualties.
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South Korea has not executed a death row inmate since 1997, in what is widely seen as a de facto moratorium on capital punishment amid calls for its abolition.
As Yoon arrived in court, hundreds of police officers watched closely as Yoon supporters rallied outside a judicial complex, their cries rising as the prison bus transporting him drove past. Yoon's critics gathered nearby, demanding the death penalty.
The court also convicted and sentenced several former military and police officials involved in enforcing Yoon's martial law decree, including ex-Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun, who received a 30-year jail term for his central role in planning the measure and mobilizing the military.
Yoon, a staunch conservative, has defended his martial law decree as necessary to stop liberals, whom he described as “anti-state” forces, from obstructing his agenda with their legislative majority.
The decree lasted about six hours before being lifted after a quorum of lawmakers managed to break through a military blockade and unanimously voted to lift the measure.
Yoon was suspended from office on December 14, 2024, after being impeached by lawmakers and was formally removed by the Constitutional Court in April 2025. He has been under arrest since last July while facing multiple criminal trials, with the rebellion charge carrying the most severe punishment.
Last month, Yoon was sentenced to five years in prison for resisting arrest, fabricating the martial law proclamation and sidestepping a legally mandated full Cabinet meeting before declaring the measure.
The Seoul Central Court has also convicted two of Yoon's Cabinet members in other cases. That includes Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who received a 23-year prison sentence for attempting to legitimize the decree by forcing it through a Cabinet Council meeting, falsifying records and lying under oath. Han has appealed the verdict.
