General Elections 2024 | Phase 6 sees 57.7% turnout till 5 p.m., West Bengal leads with 77.99%
The sixth phase of the Lok Sabha elections for 58 parliamentary constituencies saw a cumulative voter turnout of 57.7% till 5 p.m., as per the data shared by the Election Commission. West Bengal recorded the highest voter turnout (77.99%) followed by Jharkhand (61.41%), Uttar Pradesh (52.02%), Odisha (59.60%), Jammu and Kashmir (51.35%), Bihar (52.24%), Haryana (55.93%), and Delhi (53.73%).
Election Commission releases data on number of votes cast in first five phases of Lok Sabha polls
The Election Commission on May 25 came out with Lok Sabha constituency-wise data on the number of votes cast in the first five phases of the elections, just a day after the Supreme Court refused an NGO’s plea to issue the ECI to upload authenticated, scanned and legible copies of Form 17C showing the account of votes recorded booth-wise. The ECI asserted that there is a pattern in creating false narratives and mischievous design to vitiate the electoral process. It said that any alteration in the number of votes polled is not possible.
Mehbooba alleges PDP workers detained on polling day, protests in Anantnag; police lathi-charge crowd
PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on May 25 staged a protest outside a police station in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag district, where polling is underway in the sixth phase of Lok Sabha elections, against alleged detention of her party workers and polling agents. She also claimed that outgoing calls on her mobile number have been suspended. Police, however, said those detained are overground workers (OGWs) and the action was taken to ensure smooth conduct of elections.
Depression over Bay of Bengal to intensify into cyclonic storm Remal; IMD issues red alerts
A deep depression over the Bay of Bengal is likely to concentrate into a cyclonic storm by May 25 evening and make landfall on May 26 night along the adjoining coasts of West Bengal and Bangladesh, the Met office said. The cyclone is likely to make landfall with a wind speed of 110-120 km per hour, gusting to 135 kmph, it said. The Met office has warned of extremely heavy rainfall in the coastal districts of West Bengal and north Odisha on May 26-27. Extremely heavy precipitation may hit parts of northeast India on May 27-28.
PM Modi raises reservation issue for SC/ST/OBC, promises free electricity to everyone, slams Opposition in Bihar’s Patliputra
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 25 addressed a public meeting at Bikram in Patliputra Lok Sabha constituency and assured Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Class (OBC) people that he would not let anyone snatch their quota of reservation. He also promised that everyone would get free electricity in the country and slammed Opposition INDI (Indian National Development Inclusive) alliance leaders for being known as “communal, casteist and dynastic” people.
PoK is ours and we will take it: Amit Shah at rally in Himachal Pradesh
Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) is a part of India and “we will take it”, Home Minister Amit Shah asserted on May 25 as he castigated the Congress for trying to “frighten us” by saying that the neighbouring country possesses atom bombs. “The Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) is ours and it will remain ours. We will take it,” Mr. Shah told a rally at Amb in Una district in support of Union minister Anurag Thakur, the BJP candidate from the Hamirpur Lok Sabha seat.
China encroached on our land but PM Modi is silent: Mallikarjun Kharge
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on May 25 alleged that China has encroached on India’s land and is constructing houses and roads but Prime Minister Narendra Modi is silent. “Where is the 56-inch chest,” Mr. Kharge asked, taking a dig at the Prime Minister in his address at a rally in Himachal Pradesh’s Rohru. The Congress leader said his party is fighting to save the people of the country and the Constitution and will fill 30 lakh government vacancies if it is voted to power in the Lok Sabha elections.
Six injured in blast at explosives factory in Chhattisgarh’s Bemetara district
Six persons were injured in a blast at an explosives manufacturing factory in Chhattisgarh’s Bemetara district on May 25, officials said. The explosion occurred in the unit located near Pirda village in Berla development block, a district administration official said. Soon after being alerted, police and rescue teams were rushed to the site, he said.
3-month-old baby, six injured as car hits pedestrians, motorcycles in Nagpur
Seven persons, including a 3-month-old baby, were injured, three of them seriously, after a speeding car allegedly driven by an intoxicated person hit pedestrians and motorcycles in Nagpur, an official said on May 25. The police have arrested three persons and recovered beer bottles and ganja from the vehicle, he said. The incident took place around 8 pm near Natraj Talkies in the busy Mahal area, the police official said.
Everything was over in just five seconds: Dombivli factory worker recounts horror
It was ‘pralay’ for five seconds and everything was over. That’s how Avdesh Kumar summed up the Thane factory blast that snuffed out ten lives and injured more than 60.. Mr. Kumar was a worker at the chemical factory where there was a blast on May 23. “It took only five seconds and everything was finished like ‘pralay’ (cataclysm),” said Kumar, recalling the chaos and panic as metal pieces and debris flew in all directions. Kumar spoke to the media after receiving treatment for his injuries.
G7 urges Israel to protect Palestinian banking services: draft statement
G7 Finance Ministers were set to urge Israel on May 24 not to disrupt “vital financial transactions” in the occupied Palestinian territories, following indications it could cut off Palestinian banks. “We call on Israel to take the necessary measures to ensure that correspondent banking services between Israeli and Palestinian banks remain in place, so that vital financial transactions and critical trade and services continue,” a draft statement following talks in Italy, seen by AFP, said.
China war games end, Taiwan details warplane, warship surge
China ended two days of war games around Taiwan, in which it simulated attacks with bombers and practiced boarding ships, and Taiwan’s defence ministry detailed on Saturday the surge of Chinese warplanes and warships involved. Chinese State television’s military channel said late on May 24 the drills had concluded. A commentary in the official People’s Liberation Army Daily said they had lasted for two days from Thursday to Friday, as previously announced.
Singapore Airline passengers endured 62 seconds of extreme turbulence on May 21 London-Singapore flight
The Singapore Airlines Flight SQ321 that was rocked by severe turbulence on May 21 climbed and descended rapidly twice in 62 seconds, stunning the passengers with one dying of heart attack, as the aircraft flew over the Irrawaddy Delta region of Myanmar, it emerged on May 25. Granular flight data from flight tracking website Flightradar24 shows that the Boeing 777-300ER climbed and descended rapidly twice in 62 seconds, starting from 3:49 pm Singapore time, as the plane was nearing the end of a non-stop flight from London to Singapore, The Straits Times newspaper reported.
Peak power demand hits season’s new high of nearly 240 GW on May 24
India’s peak power demand hit the season’s new high of 239.96 GW on Friday, due to soaring mercury levels in various parts of the country, which compelled excessive use of cooling appliances like air conditioners and coolers. As per Power Ministry data, the peak power demand met or the highest supply in the day, was recorded at 239.96 GW on Friday, which is the maximum so far in the summer season this year.
Malaysia Masters badminton: Sindhu beats Busanan in thriller; faces Wang Zhi Yi in finals
Double Olympic medallist P V Sindhu on May 24 earned a shot at the $420,000 Malaysia Masters crown after entering the women’s singles finals with a come-from-behind win over Thailand’s Busanan Ongbamrungphan in Kuala Lumpur. Fifth seed Sindhu, who has not won a title in two years, rallied to prevail 13-21 21-16 21-12 against world number 20 Busanan in a marathon semifinal that lasted 88 minutes to close in on the BWF World Tour Super 500 crown at the Axiata Arena.
