Charles III crowned King at first U.K. coronation in 70 years
King Charles III becomes the 40th British monarch to be crowned at Westminster Abbey in London on May 6, surrounded by heavy symbolism of his many passions, including a drive towards more sustainable living, a multi-faith outlook and a great love for India and the wider Commonwealth. While he ascended to the throne immediately after the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II last September, the 74-year-old will be formally crowned King when the Archbishop of Canterbury concludes the religious ceremony by inviting the 2,200-strong congregation and millions watching worldwide to swear allegiance to the new British Sovereign.
Also read: As King Charles III gets crowned, explore India’s most iconic royal jewels
Defence Minister Rajnath meets jawans at Rajouri base camp, ‘sacrifices will never be forgotten’
Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on May 6 arrived in Jammu division’s Rajouri district to have a firsthand account of the security situation, as the Army’s anti-militancy operation saw one militant dead and another injured at the Kandi Forest encounter site where five soldiers were killed and a Major-rank officer was wounded in a blast on May 5 during a combing operation. Mr. Singh was received by J&K Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha and Army Chief General Manoj Pande on his arrival in Jammu earlier in the day. Later, Mr. Singh flew to Rajouri and interacted with the soldiers at the Army Base Camp of the district.
NEET-UG postponed in violence-hit Manipur, fresh date to be announced soon
Medical entrance exam NEET-UG scheduled on May 7 has been postponed in Manipur in view of the law-and-order situation there, the National Testing Agency announced Saturday. The exam date for candidates whose test centre was in Manipur will be announced soon. “NEET (UG)-2023 exam postponed for the candidates who were allotted examination centres in Manipur and their exam will be held at a later date,” a senior NTA official said.
Manipur violence | At least 54 people dead, Imphal Valley returning to normalcy
The death toll in the ethnic violence which has engulfed Manipur increased to 54, officials said even as unofficial sources placed the figure at several scores dead and more than 150 injured. Life returned to a wary normalcy in Imphal Valley on May 6, as shops and markets reopened and cars started plying on the roads.
China will want to make India’s U.S. ties costly, says Joseph Torigian
In the months since China’s Party Congress in October, protests around the country in November, and the sudden withdrawal of the ‘zero-COVID’ policy the following month, the ruling Communist Party of China is looking to course correct, says Joseph Torigian, Global Fellow at the Wilson Center’s History and Public Policy Program and an Assistant Professor at the School of International Service at the American University, Washington D.C., who researches the elite politics of authoritarian regimes and is currently visiting India.
Sharad Pawar’s decision to withdraw resignation influenced by Opposition leaders
Senior politician Sharad Pawar’s decision to take back his resignation as the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president was not only due to the committee’s decision and pressure from the party leadership at all ranks but also in response to the request of Opposition leaders in the country to ensure unity ahead of 2024 Lok Sabha elections. According to a close confidant of Mr. Pawar, who spoke to The Hindu, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray, Aam Aadmi Party national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, and other Chief Ministers and Opposition leaders urged the NCP patriarch to reconsider his ‘sudden and surprising’ decision in the larger interest of Opposition unity.
Army grounds ALH Dhruv fleet following May 4 crash in Jammu and Kashmir
The Army has grounded the entire fleet of Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Dhruv following the crash of one of the choppers in Jammu and Kashmir on May 4, military sources said. An ALH Dhruv with three people on board crashed following a “hard landing” in Kishtwar in Jammu and Kashmir on May 4.
Custody orders cannot be made rigid and are capable of being altered keeping in mind the needs and welfare of the child at various stages of life, the Bombay High Court said, directing the family court to hear afresh an application filed by a man seeking to be appointed as legal guardian of his minor son after his former wife remarried. A single Bench of Justice Neela Gokhale in the order of May 4 noted that matters of custody of children are sensitive issues that require an appreciation and consideration of the nature of care and affection a child needs in the growing stages of life.
Data | Run-fest IPL 2023: Highest run-rate, most sixes and boundaries per game across all season
he Indian Premier League (IPL) has captured the attention of the cricket-loving public in India and beyond like no other T20 tournament. With the best cricketers from the world, barring Pakistan, playing in the tournament and given the high-risk, high-reward nature of T20s, the yearly extravaganza has only continued to gain popularity.
Charles’s coronation? Not interested, says Kolkata, former British India capital
The last time Britain saw a coronation ceremony for a King and Queen Consort was in 1937, when Calcutta — now Kolkata — belonged to the British Crown and was naturally a part of the event. Today, even though the city retains a lot of its colonial past — far more than any other Indian city — its people remained largely indifferent to the coronation of Charles III and Camilla.
Babar Azam leads Pakistan to big win over NZ and No. 1 ODI ranking
Run machine Babar Azam’s 18th century made the difference as Pakistan defeated New Zealand by 102 runs on Friday and closed in on a one-day international series sweep. Babar’s 107 off 117 balls propped up Pakistan’s 334-6, and New Zealand stumbled to 232 all out, its lowest total of the series. The most lopsided win of the series lifted Pakistan to No. 1 in the ICC ODI rankings and a 4-0 lead. The fifth and last ODI is on Sunday.
Travelling through time in Uzbekistan
Last year, around this time, I was in Iran. In the religious city of Mashshad, in the northeast, I stood stunned by the charm of the shrine of Imam Reza, the eighth Imam of Shia Islam. Built and expanded over the years starting the 9th century, the shrine is now a vast complex, comprising the qabar of the Imam, a large mosque, four seminaries, a museum and a university. Inside the mausoleum, whose walls and dome-shaped roof are studded with priceless stones that shine through its large corridors, one sees believers whispering prayers and wailing towards the qabar. Outside, in the vast courtyards that lead to the complex’s many arch-shaped portals, thousands are waiting for their turn.
Governors also have the right to freedom of speech and expression, says Tamilisai Soundararajan
Governors also have the right to freedom of speech and expression guaranteed by the Constitution of India, and no one can stop them from expressing their views, Governor of Telangana Tamilisai Soundararajan, said in Tiruchi, on Saturday. Ms. Soundararajan’s statement while speaking to reporters, comes in the backdrop of Governor R.N. Ravi’s recent criticism that the ‘Dravidian Model’, being projected by the present government, was a political slogan and an expired ideology that was against the idea of one India.
Karnataka CM promises inquiry into audio clip threatening Kharge family
Karnataka Government will order an inquiry into an audio clip that contains a threat to end the lives of the family of AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, made allegedly by Manikanth Rathod, the BJP candidate from Chittapur in Kalaburagi district, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said on May 6. Mr Bommai told journalists in Hubballi that a case would be registered and an investigation would be conducted into the clip, which is doing the rounds on social media, after confirming its veracity. “Officers will also see if it is doctored. A case will be filed and a proper probe will be conducted,” he said.
“After all, the world is theirs too,” the Madras High Court remarked while issuing a slew of directions to the Government of Tamil Nadu, the State Transport Corporations and private bus manufacturers to make public transport accessible to persons with disabilities, the aged, the pregnant women and children. Acting Chief Justice T. Raja and Justice D. Bharatha Chakravarthy lamented that not even a single low-floor bus was plying in any part of the State as on date, despite the Supreme Court as well as the High Court having passed several judgements since 2005 for the procurement of such government buses.
Government doing all it can to contain Manipur trouble: Kiren Rijiju
The Centre is taking all necessary steps to restore order in the violence-hit Manipur, Union minister Kiren Rijiju said on May 6. The Union Home Minister himself was monitoring the situation and taking all necessary steps, Mr. Rijiju told reporters at the sideline of an event. “Communal violence between two communities is a very unfortunate incident. Many lives have been lost and there is damage to property. Whether Meiteis or Kukis both belong to the same State and need to live together,” Mr. Rijiju said and called for dialogue.
Congress calls Modi ‘master of distortion’ as he embarks on roadshow in poll-bound Karnataka
As Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarked on a roadshow in Bengaluru on Saturday, the Congress called him a “master of distortion” and alleged that he will only inflame prejudice and bigotry in his rally. Congress general secretary, communications, Jairam Ramesh said the PM’s roadshow will block the entire city and create chaos and uncertainty for students writing exams. It shows how desperate the PM is, he said.
