BJP drops Brij Bhushan, fields son Karan Bhushan Singh from Kaiserganj
The Bharatiya Janata Party on May 2 named Karan Bhushan Singh, son of former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, as the party’s candidate from Kaiserganj Lok Sabha seat. Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the incumbent Kaiserganj MP, is facing accusations of sexual harassment from several women wrestlers.
India has registered its protest with China against their ‘illegal attempts to alter facts’ in connection with Beijing’s construction activities in the Shaksgam Valley, the Ministry of External Affairs said. China has invested in the construction of military infrastructure in the Shaksgam Valley, reports suggested. Responding to a question of infrastructure construction in lower Shaksgam Valley in Kashmir by China, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, in his weekly briefing said, “The Shaksgam Valley is a part of the territory of India. We have never accepted the so-called China Pakistan Boundary Agreement of 1963 through which Pakistan unlawfully attempted to cede the area to China, and have consistently conveyed our rejection of the same. We have registered our protest with the Chinese side against illegal attempts to alter facts on the ground.”
The Special Investigation Team has got a lookout circular against Prajwal Revanna, the grandson of former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda and ‘absconding’ member of Parliament of Hassan. The Janata Dal (Secular) has suspended the MP who is accused of sexual harassment of several women and is believed to be in Germany. The government of Karnataka has set up a special investigation team to probe the allegations. The lookout circular has been issued to all immigration points across India, which means Prajwal Revanna will be detained as soon as he reports at any of the immigration points at airports, sea ports, or at border checkposts.
Excise policy ‘scam’: Sisodia moves Delhi HC seeking bail in CBI, ED cases
Former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on May 2 approached the Delhi High Court seeking bail in the corruption and money laundering cases lodged by the CBI and the ED in relation to the alleged excise policy scam. The plea was mentioned before a bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet P.S. Arora for an urgent hearing and the court agreed to list on May 3. “Let the judge go through the file so let it come tomorrow,” the bench said.
Pakistan wants to make ‘shehzada’ next PM of India, says Modi in a dig at Rahul
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 2 dubbed the Congress party a “disciple” of Pakistan, and said the neighbouring country was eager to make the ‘shehzada’ of the grand old party the next Prime Minister of India. His comments came amid reports that Chaudhry Fawad Hussain, a former minister in Imran Khan’s Cabinet in Pakistan, shared a video featuring Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on his social media handle and praised him.
PM Modi should apologise for campaigning for Prajwal Revanna: Rahul Gandhi
Calling JD(S) candidate of Hassan Prajwal Revanna a ‘mass rapist’, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should apologise to the nation for campaigning for such a candidate. Addressing an election rally in Shivamogga on May 2, Rahul Gandhi said, “Prajwal Revanna’s case is not just a sex scandal. It is a case of mass rape.” He claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi knew about his case when he campaigned for him for the Lok Sabha elections. “Mr. Modi should seek an apology from the nation for campaigning for him,” he said.
Delhi L-G sacks 223 DCW employees, alleging they were hired by Swati Maliwal ‘without due procedure’
223 employees from the Delhi Women Commission were removed with immediate effect on the order of Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena on May 2. Alleging that former Delhi Commission for Women Chairperson Swati Maliwal had appointed them without permission. The Women and Child Development department of the Delhi Government has directed the DCW to sack the contractual staffers who it said were hired without “following due procedure”. Former DCW chief and AAP Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal slammed the order.
Andhra Pradesh train crash | Railways delete reference to loco pilots watching cricket
The Ministry of Railways have deleted the reference made to loco pilots “engrossed in watching a cricket match on their mobile phones” in the Vizianagaram train accident in safety circulars issued later which banned the crew from using Bluetooth headsets, official sources said on May 1. The issue pertains to Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw’s statement made in New Delhi on March 3, 2024, that train accident “happened because both the loco pilot and co-pilot were distracted by the cricket match which was going on.”
Russia Ukraine war | Macron doesn’t rule out troops for Ukraine if Russia breaks front lines
French President Emmanuel Macron reaffirmed he did not rule out sending troops to Ukraine, saying the issue would “legitimately” arise if Russia broke through Ukrainian front lines and Kyiv made such a request, in an interview with the Economist published on May 2. The Economist said Mr. Macron gave the interview after delivering a keynote speech last week where he declared that Europe is “mortal” and could “die” partly due to the threat posed by Russian aggression after its February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Iran slaps sanctions on U.S., U.K. over Israel support
Iran announced on May 2 sanctions on several American and British individuals and entities for supporting Israel in its war against the Palestinian militant group Hamas. The Islamic republic, the regional arch-foe of Israel, unveiled the punitive measures in a statement from its Foreign Ministry. It said the sanctions targeted seven Americans, including General Bryan P. Fenton, commander of the U.S. special operations command, and Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, a former commander of the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet.
Hope Palestine’s application for U.N. membership will be reconsidered, endorsed: India
India has voiced hope that Palestine’s bid to become a full member of the United Nations, which was blocked by the U.S. last month, will be reconsidered and its endeavour to become a member of the world organisation will get endorsed. The U.S. vetoed a resolution in the UN Security Council on a Palestinian bid to be granted full membership of the United Nations last month. The 15-nation Council had voted on a draft resolution that would have recommended to the 193-member U.N. General Assembly “that the State of Palestine be admitted to membership in the United Nations.”
South Korea raises diplomatic alert levels citing North Korea threats
South Korea’s Foreign Ministry on May 02 raised the terrorism alert level for five diplomatic offices in the region citing intelligence that North Korea may attempt to harm its officials. The five locations include Seoul’s embassies in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam, as well as consulates in Vladivostok, Russia, and Shenyang, China, the Ministry said in a statement. The terrorism alert level was raised from Attention to Alert, the second highest among South Korea’s four classifications, which indicates the chances of an attack are strong, the foreign ministry said.
India’s manufacturing sector activity moderated slightly in April, but still witnessed the second-best improvement in operating conditions in three-and-a-half years, as per the seasonally adjusted HSBC India Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index which fell to 58.8 from the 16-year high of 59.1 recorded in March. A reading of over 50 on the index indicates growth in activity levels. There was a sharp rise in new orders which grew at the second-strongest pace in almost 40 months, with domestic demand rising faster than export orders. Output growth eased from March but was still the second highest in 42 months.
IPL-17 | Kolkata Knight Riders look to iron out flaws against off-colour Mumbai Indians
Kolkata Knight Riders will look to iron out their flaws and get the better of a mis-firing Mumbai Indians when the two teams, placed on the opposite ends of IPL points table spectrum, clash here on May 3. With six wins in nine games giving them 12 points and the second position in the IPL points table, a berth in the playoffs looks within the grasp of two-time winners KKR. But the Shreyas Iyer-led side will have to find consistency across departments and avoid any slip-ups in order to make it to the final four.
