Over 72% turnout in peaceful Karnataka Assembly polls
The Karnataka Assembly elections held on May 10 passed off peacefully with an impressive turnout of over 72.22%, which is likely to surpass the 2018 figures (72.36%) after final reconciliation of figures. Voting was largely peaceful barring sporadic incidents of clashes between party workers.
White House announces PM Modi’s state visit to Washington DC in June
The White House has announced the state visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Washington DC next month. The visit has been in the works for months, with Indian officials working out the logistics for Mr Modi’s first state visit during the Biden administration.
Bypolls held in one Lok Sabha, four Assembly seats
Bypolls were held for one Lok Sabha constituency in Punjab and four Assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh, Meghalaya and Odisha on Wednesday. While the Sohiong Assembly constituency in Meghalaya registered an impressive polling percentage of more than 90%, voter turnout in the Suar and Chhanbey Assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh was far lower, at just 41.78% and 39.51% respectively. In the Jharsuguda Assembly seat in Odisha, 68.12% of voters cast their ballots, while the turnout for the Jalandhar Lok Sabha seat was 50.27%.
Same-sex marriage: gender may be fluid, but the idea of mother cannot be, Ministry tells SC
Gender may be fluid, but for a child, the “idea of mother cannot be”, a host of government bodies led by the Ministry of Women and Child Development told a Constitution Bench in the same-sex marriage case on May 10. The Ministry joined hands with the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights and the Central Adoption Resource Authority to argue that a mother-child cannot be compromised at any cost.
Pakistan Prime Minister says protesters to be dealt with "iron fist"
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday condemned the deadly protests by the supporters of former premier Imran Khan after his arrest in a corruption case and warned to deal with demonstrators with an iron fist. Mr. Sharif made a brief address to the nation after the country was rocked by deadly violence during the last two days which saw attacks on military installations and state properties.
“I would have been equally angry,” said U.K. High Commissioner Alex Ellis, speaking about the violence at the Indian High Commission in March this year by pro-Khalistan groups who took down the tricolour and caused a rift in ties between India and the United Kingdom.
France opens war crime investigation into AFP reporter's death
The French judiciary has launched a war crime investigation into the death of AFP reporter Arman Soldin who was killed in Ukraine, anti-terror prosecutors said Wednesday. Soldin, 32, died when he and his AFP colleagues came under fire by Grad rockets while they were with Ukrainian troops near Chasiv Yar, in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine.
Hong Kong amends law to limit foreign lawyers in some cases
Hong Kong lawmakers on May 10 passed an amendment to a law granting the city’s leader the power to bar overseas lawyers from handling national security cases, following a high-profile row sparked by a pro-democracy Hong Kong publisher’s hiring of a British lawyer. The changes will require overseas lawyers who do not generally practice in Hong Kong to obtain permission from the chief executive before submitting applications to represent clients in national security cases in court.
Sena vs Sena: SC set to pronounce verdict on May 11
The Supreme Court is set to pronounce its verdict on Thursday on a batch of petitions filed by rival Shiv Sena groups following the political turmoil in Maharashtra last year. The court order is expected to decide the fate of the Eknath Shinde-led government in the State. The petitions were filed after Mr. Shinde’s rebellion, which led to the fall of the tripartite Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government led by Uddhav Thackeray, and formation of a new government with the support of the BJP, under Mr. Shinde.
Antonio Carbajal, Mexico keeper in 5 World Cups, dead at 93
Antonio Carbajal, the Mexican goalkeeper who became the first player to appear in five World Cups, died Tuesday. He was 93. The Mexican Soccer Federation confirmed his death. Carbajal had been hospitalized in the north-central city of León for blood pressure problems, was discharged and died at home.
