Top news of the day: Arun Jaitley opts out of ministerial position, Mamata not to attend Modi’s swearing-in ceremony, and more

Here are the important news stories of the day

Arun Jaitley. File

Arun Jaitley opts out of ministerial position

Former Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has ended all speculation over his health and inclusion in the new Cabinet by writing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that he is opting out of any ministerial position.

Silence difficult, but more desirable to see through poll process, says CEC on EC Lavasa’s public dissent

Breaking his silence on the controversy surrounding 

fellow Commissioner Ashok Lavasa’s demand to record any dissent in the Election Commission’s model code orders , Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora on Wednesday said there are times to remain quiet and times to speak up, indicating the issue could have been raised post elections.

In Bengaluru, Congress leaders closeted with Kumaraswamy to ensure stability of government

Top Congress leaders and 

Karnataka  Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy were huddled at the Kumara Krupa Guest House in Bengaluru on Wednesday morning to douse discontent among the legislators of the coalition parties and to ensure the stability of the government.

Mamata Banerjee not to attend Modi’s swearing-in ceremony

Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief and  West Bengal  Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has said she will not attend the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday as the BJP is spreading information which is “untrue’’.

Naveen Patnaik takes oath as Odisha Chief Minister, 20 sworn in as Ministers

Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president Naveen Patnaik was sworn in as Chief Minister of Odisha for the fifth consecutive term in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday. As many as 20 other members of the new Council of Ministers were also sworn in at the ceremony held at the Exhibition Ground. The Council of Ministers has 10 new faces, including two women.

Pema Khandu sworn in as Arunachal Pradesh CM

Pema Khandu, who pitchforked into politics after the death of his father in a helicopter crash eight years ago, was on Wednesday sworn in as the first Chief Minister of an elected Bharatiya Janata Party government in  Arunachal Pradesh.  Chronologically, he is the 10th. His father, Dorjee Khandu was the fifth.

Pakistan extends airspace ban till June 15

Pakistan on Wednesday extended the ban on use of its airspace from May 30 to June 15. A notice to airmen (NOTAM), issued around 11 a.m., informed airlines about the extension of the ban , which has been in place since February 26, after the IAF struck Jaish-e-Mohammed targets in Balakot, Pakistan.

First time in over 5 years, India’s domestic air traffic growth falls in April

India’s domestic air traffic registered first negative growth rate in more than five years in April, mainly due to the demise of Jet Airways, global airlines’ grouping IATA said Wednesday.

Scott Morrison sworn in as Australia's prime minister

Scott Morrison was sworn in as Australia’s Prime Minister on Wednesday, 11 days after retaining the position in the country’s general election. Along with Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack, Mr. Morrison was sworn in by Queen Elizabeth’s official representative in  Australia, Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove, at a ceremony in the capital, Canberra.

Apple unveils first new iPod model in four years

Apple on May 28 introduced its first new iPod model in four years, highlighting music and games as it continued to make a priority of serving up digital content.