12:30 pm"A BJP storm is sweeping poll-bound Karnataka," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at a rally in Chamaraja Nagar ahead of the Karnataka election.
His visit gains significance with the elections expected to be a cliffhanger and various pre-poll surveys predicting a fractured mandate. Since February-end, several central leaders of the BJP have been visiting the State. It was during this period that AICC president Rahul Gandhi held roadshows and rallies in different regions of the State.
5.00 pmKallazhagar leaves Thenur Mandapam along the Vaigai
A large number of people witnessed the symbolic redemption of Mandooga Maharishi from his curse on the banks of the Vaigai here on Tuesday. The ritual, which used to happen at nearby Thenur village, was transferred to Madurai by King Tirumalai Nayak.
On Monday, the north and south banks of Vaigai river saw lakhs of devotees crouching, leaning and standing on their tiptoes to watch Lord Kallazhagar enter the river here on Monday. The high point of the festival cut across caste and gender lines as unprecedented crowds danced to enthusiastic beats and chanting the name of the deity.
11:30 amVatican treasurer faces historical sexual offences trial
Australian Cardinal George Pell, the most senior Vatican official to be charged in the Catholic Church sex abuse crisis, must stand trial on charges that he sexually abused multiple victims decades ago, a magistrate ruled on Tuesday. Magistrate Belinda Wallington dismissed some of the charges that had been heard in the four-week preliminary hearing in Melbourne but decided the prosecution’s case against was strong enough to warrant a trial by jury.10:00 am
Dominican Republic forges tie with China, breaks with Taiwan
The Dominican Republic’s government announced on Monday that it is establishing diplomatic relations with China and breaking diplomatic ties with Taiwan and will later recognize Taiwan as an “inalienable part of Chinese territory.” The decision was the latest setback for Taiwan in the Caribbean and Latin America. Panama dropped its long-time ties with Taiwan last year and established relations with China, which considers Taiwan to be Chinese territory. The island is recognised as a sovereign nation by only 19 mainly small, developing countries, 10 of them in this region.9:00 am
Korean Air heiress apologises before police questioning
A Korean Air heiress apologised on Tuesday for causing trouble in her first public appearance as a suspect in an abuse of power case after she allegedly threw a drink at someone during a business meeting. The police questioning of Cho Hyun-min, a former senior president at Korean Air, comes amid mounting pressure for elite families to scale back their influence over the companies founded by their relatives decades ago.8:00 am
Workers in Philippines rally to mark May Day
Thousands of workers and activists marched to the Philippines’ presidential palace on Tuesday to demand the government address labour issues, as workers in the Southeast Asian country and elsewhere marked May Day. In Manila, about 5,000 people from various groups held a rally near Malacanang Palace to protest the failure of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte to fulfil a major campaign promise to end contractualisation, the widespread practice of short-term employment.