PM Modi resigns, 17th Lok Sabha dissolution accepted by President Murmu ahead of NDA government formation, BJP falls short of majority requiring support from JD(U) and TDP.

RIYADH: A driver of healthcare innovation, Dr. Andrew Padmos built and managed a hematology and oncology clinical program at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, establishing the first bone marrow transplant program in the Middle East during his 15-year tenure in the Kingdom that started in 1978.

Saudi Tourism Minister Ahmed Al-Khateeb met with his Honduran counterpart Yadira Gomez, the Saudi minister reported on X on Tuesday. During the meeting, the two sides discussed ways to strengthen cooperation on tourism. Saudi Vice Minister for Tourism Princess Haifa bint Mohammed was also present during the meeting, along with other officials.

MAKKAH: The Interior Ministry has announced that Hajj Security Forces have apprehended eight suspects at Makkah’s entrances for transporting 28 people who did not have Hajj permits, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday. The suspects — three non-Saudis and five from the Kingdom — were stopped for breaching Hajj rules and regulations after transporting violators who had failed to obtain permits required to perform Hajj.

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Transport General Authority confirmed that over 27,000 buses are set to ferry pilgrims around the holy sites during this year’s Hajj. The authority said more than 3,500 buses will transport pilgrims to and from the Grand Mosque via 16 routes with 11 stops and stations. The authority also allocated 355 buses for transportation throughout Makkah and 27 buses in Madinah.

RIYADH: Saudi leaders congratulated Mexico’s new president on Tuesday, the Saudi Press Agency reported. King Salman, and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman sent separate cables of congratulations to Claudia Sheinbaum who won a landslide victory in Sunday’s presidential election to become Mexico’s first woman leader. The king and crown prince expressed their best wishes for her success, and for the Mexican people, wishing them continued progress and prosperity. Sheinbaum has promised to continue the political course set by her populist predecessor.

En séjour dans la ville économique du Gabon, la Députée de la Transition, l'Honorable Pepecy Ogouliguendé a mené plusieurs activités sur les plans social et éducatif. Aussi, a t-elle été reçue par les Délégués Spéciaux du 2e arrondissement de Port-Gentil. Les échanges ont porté sur la gestion, le fonctionnement et les perspectives de développement de la mairie du deuxième arrondissement. C'était ce lundi 03 juin 2024. La Députée de la transition, Madame Ogouliguende née Mavikana Pepecy, (...) - POLITIQUE / SUJET_ECRIT_MAISON

Lors de l'audience collective que leur a accordée récemment le Président de la Transition, le Général de Brigade Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, les Délégués Spéciaux des 52 communes et des 48 départements du Gabon ont reçu une dotation spéciale de du Président de la République. Cette enveloppe est essentiellement destinée à l'achat du matériel de voirie, de bureau et de la papeterie afin d'optimiser le fonctionnement de ces entités. Ici en images, la présentation de cette dotation à la (...) - SOCIETE / SUJET_ECRIT_MAISON

« Evitons de changer simplement de maçon sans changer les matériaux et les outils adaptés au contexte, même si le chantier est vaste et que les ouvriers doivent se relayer : le bandeau qui couvre nos yeux doit être ôté ». Si nous pouvons reconnaître que depuis le 30 août 2023, grâce à la prise du pouvoir par l'armée, notre pays le Gabon est en chantier au sens propre et figuré, il n'en demeure pas moins que nous (peuple gabonais) pouvons faire encore plus car, la marche vers la félicité (...) - LIBRE PROPOS / SUJET_ECRIT_MAISON

The victory of two candidates who are in jail on terror charges has brought up a unique situation. While the law will keep them away from attending proceedings of the 18th Lok Sabha, they also have a Constitutional right to take oath as members. In the results declared by the Election Commission on Tuesday, jailed Sikh preacher Amritpal Singh has won from the Khadoor Sahib seat, while incarcerated Sheikh Abdul Rashid, also known as Engineer Rashid, emerged victorious from the Baramulla constituency.

Seychelles' President Wavel Ramkalawan sent a message of congratulations to the Prime Minister of India,  Narendra Modi, for securing a third consecutive term in the 2024 elections. According to the Foreign Affairs Department, Ramkalawan said, «This outcome is a testament to the confidence that the Indian people place in your visionary leadership and the remarkable progress that India has made under your stewardship, as well as the high regard in which you are held.»  He added: «The special relationship between Seychelles and India has strengthened over the years, with our two nations working ever more closely on a range of issues of mutual interest and concern. India's role as a key development partner and strategic ally for Seychelles has been invaluable.» The head of state of Seychelles, an archipelago in the western Indian Ocean, said, «Our joint undertakings have been marked by robust cooperation in various sectors of shared interest including the military, health, education, infrastructure development, among others. Our collaboration in maritime security has been pivotal in ensuring the safety and stability of the Indian Ocean region. In addition, through our collective efforts in enhancing collaboration in cultural exchanges and human resource development, we have been able to foster mutual respect and better understanding between the people of our two countries.» Ramkalawan added that he is confident that «during your third term in office, our bilateral ties will continue to strengthen and expand. In this regard, I reaffirm my unwavering commitment to working closely with you and your government to bolster our bilateral relations and address the multiple global and regional challenges that confront us.» It was confirmed that Modi, aged 73, will take up his third consecutive term as Prime Minister after India's Election Commission on Wednesday gave final confirmation that the parties that make up his coalition had collectively passed the majority mark in parliament.

INDIA bloc leaders will meet at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's residence Wednesday evening to decide on the strategy to form the government and whether to reach out to former allies Nitish Kumar and N Chandrababu Naidu. «The INDIA Janbandhan leaders will be meeting today at 6 PM at 10, Rajaji Marg to discuss the election results and strategy thereafter,» Kharge said in a post on X.

After suffering a massive defeat in the State assembly and Parliamentary elections, the 24-year-long tenure of Odisha chief minister and BJD chief Naveen Patnaik has ended. Patnaik submitted his resignation to Odisha governor Raghubar Das at the Raj Bhavan in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday.

In a press conference, on the questions of Rahul Gandhi's prospects of becoming Prime Minister, the Shiv Sena UBT leader said, «If Rahul Gandhi is ready to accept the leadership, why would we object? He has proven himself as a national leader for multiple times. He is one of the popular leaders. We all want him and love him. There is no objection and difference in the alliance.»

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra penned a heartfelt message to her brother, Rahul Gandhi, in the wake of his triumphant win in both constituencies he contested and the party's enhanced showing in the recent Lok Sabha elections. In her note, she lauded her brother's unwavering commitment to his beliefs and his steadfast pursuit of truth, even in the face of skepticism and an onslaught of false propaganda.

[allAfrica]

Rep. Donald Payne Jr. (D-N.J.) died following a heart attack in April. More than a month later, he won the Democratic primary for New Jersey’s 10th District.

A man who fired shots at the US embassy in Lebanon has been taken into custody, the Lebanese military has said Read Full Article at RT.com

Standing at two luminous lecterns, against a backdrop that looked like something out of The Matrix, the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Labour pretender Keir Starmer squared up for the first live debate of this election.

EXCLUSIVE: Julia, 27, told MailOnline her opinion on migration had changed following the deadly stabbing rampage last week. -I-m now a lot more aware of the dangers of Islamistic terror,' she said.

The Serbian great exploded in anger during his five-set thriller with Francisco Cerundulo in the fourth round of the French Open earlier today.

[New Times] Researchers from University of Rwanda's College of Science and Technology (CST) are investigating the feasibility of transitioning thousands of fuel-powered taxi motorcycles into electric as one way of providing e-mobility solutions.

[New Times] Elections for Rwanda's next President and Members of Parliament are scheduled to take place on the same dates, in July.

[The New Humanitarian] Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo -- 'When we sang and danced with others, I felt free from these thoughts.'

Report says Ethiopia and allies had ‘intent to destroy Tigrayans as an ethnic group’ and calls for prosecution at ICJ.

Jowhar (HOL) - Government forces and local militia have reportedly left the Hawadaley neighborhood in Middle Shabelle region on Wednesday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's political alliance won India's weeks-long general election on Tuesday, but the opposition said voters had sent a clear message after his Hindu nationalist party lost its parliamentary majority for the first time in a decade. Commentators and exit polls had projected an overwhelming victory for Modi, whose campaign wooed the Hindu majority to the worry of the country's 200-million-plus Muslim community, deepening concerns over minority rights. The alliance led by Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won an overall parliamentary majority, results on the election commission website showed late Tuesday. But the BJP itself was projected to secure only 240 seats of its own, well down on the 303 it won at the last polls five years ago, meaning it would need to rely on its alliance partners to pass legislation. India had given the party and its allies a mandate «for a third consecutive time», Modi told a crowd of cheering supporters in the capital New Delhi. «Our third term will be one of big decisions and the country will write a new chapter of development. This is Modi's guarantee.» But in a remarkable turnaround largely driven by deals to field single candidates against the BJP's electoral juggernaut, the main opposition Congress party was expected to take 99 seats, almost doubling its 2019 tally of 52. «The country has said to Narendra Modi 'We don't want you',» key leader Rahul Gandhi told reporters. «I was confident that the people of this country would give the right response.» With more than 99 percent of votes counted, the BJP's vote share at 36.6 percent was marginally lower than at the last general election. Modi was re-elected to his constituency representing the Hindu holy city of Varanasi by a margin of 152,300 votes -- compared to nearly half a million votes five years ago. Among the independent lawmakers elected were two serving time in jail -- firebrand Sikh separatist preacher Amritpal Singh, and Sheikh Abdul Rashid from Indian-administered Kashmir, who was arrested on charges of «terror funding» and money laundering in 2019. - 'Moral defeat' - Celebrations had already begun at the headquarters of Modi's BJP before the full announcement of results. But the mood at the Congress headquarters in New Delhi was also one of jubilation. «BJP has failed to win a big majority on its own,» Congress lawmaker Rajeev Shukla told reporters. «It's a moral defeat for them.» Stocks slumped on speculation the reduced majority would hamper the BJP's ability to push through reforms. Shares in the main listed unit of Adani Enterprises -- owned by key Modi ally Gautam Adani -- nosedived 25 percent, before rebounding slightly. Modi's opponents fought against a well-oiled and well-funded BJP campaign machine, and what they say are politically motivated criminal cases aimed at hobbling challengers. US think tank Freedom House said this year that the BJP had «increasingly used government institutions to target political opponents». Arvind Kejriwal, chief minister of the capital Delhi and a key leader in an alliance formed to compete against Modi, returned to jail on Sunday. Kejriwal, 55, was detained in March over a long-running corruption probe, but was later released and allowed to campaign as long as he returned to custody once voting ended. «When power becomes dictatorship, then jail becomes a responsibility,» Kejriwal said before surrendering himself, vowing to continue «fighting» from behind bars. - 'Strength of Indian democracy' - Many of India's Muslim minority are increasingly uneasy about their futures and their community's place in the constitutionally secular country. Modi himself made several strident comments about Muslims on the campaign trail, referring to them as «infiltrators». The polls were staggering in their size and logistical complexity, with 642 million voters casting their ballots -- everywhere from megacities New Delhi and Mumbai to sparsely populated forest areas and the high-altitude Himalayas. «People should know about the strength of Indian democracy,» chief election commissioner Rajiv Kumar said Monday, calling the counting process «robust». Based on the commission's figure of an electorate of 968 million, turnout came to 66.3 percent, down roughly one percentage point from 67.4 percent in the last polls in 2019. Analysts have partly blamed the lower turnout on a searing heatwave across northern India, with temperatures over 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit). © Agence France-Presse

Jean Caillet still remembers being a 20-year-old air force mechanic in Britain during World War II and hearing Allied forces had landed on the beaches of German-occupied France. «We were happy, of course. We were perhaps going to see our country again,» the heavily decorated 100-year-old Frenchman of Jewish heritage told AFP. Caillet was one of millions who worked behind the scenes of the Normandy landings on June 6, 1944 that paved the way towards expelling Nazi forces from France. That summer he was part of just two French Air Force heavy bomber squadrons -- dubbed Guyenne and Tunisie -- that contributed to the Allied aerial campaign in France from behind the lines at a Royal Air Force base in Britain. In the British village of Elvington, 11 kilometres (seven miles) southeast of York, Caillet and his colleagues had their work cut out for them. «When you're 20, it's an adventure,» he said, eyes sparkling. «I was a ground mechanic,» he added, explaining he was in charge of checking the fuel gauge, speedometer and altimetre on the heavy bombers before they took off. «Sometimes it took five minutes, others an hour. I would check five to 20 planes a day. Almost all of them took part in the Normandy battle,» he said, adding he was «proud» to have played a role. - 'Hungry during the war' - In Elvington, he recounted, he made life-long friendships, as well as discovered pints of beer, whisky and the charms of young women. But war-time rationing and bomb-scarred cityscapes were a reminder that a conflict was on, especially when he travelled to London on leave. «Missile shrapnel would rain down in the street,» he said. As friends took off across the Channel, Caillet -- who was not religious -- would sometimes wish them «merde», the French version of «break a leg». But one out of two pilots in the Guyenne and Tunisie squadrons never made it back to base. Caillet said he would have liked to fly a plane too despite the risks. «But I didn't have the build,» he said. «Being hungry during the war must have been a factor... There wasn't a lot to eat in France and Spain. - Spain, Morocco, Algeria - Caillet was born in the northern French city in Amiens on November 8, 1923. He, his parents and little sister spent the first years of World War II there, then fled bombardment to the tiny Normandy village of Mortemer. Living conditions were tough under German occupation, and in early 1942 he decided to flee to escape being rounded up. He found refuge with an uncle across the line in Free France, then decided to leave to join the Free French Army fighting German forces in North Africa. He managed to cross the southern border into Spain, but he was arrested for being undocumented and jailed in the northern city of Girona. After the Red Cross intervened to have him released, he caught a train to Portugal, then found a spot in the tick-infected hold of a former livestock ship heading to North Africa. He docked in Morocco in June 1943, signing up to join the air force, hoping initially to be a pilot. He said he had »terrible memories« of the heat in Morocco, and then caught malaria in next-door Algeria. By late 1943, he had docked in Liverpool to join the RAF. But he was worried about his family after learning his Jewish mother and sister had been arrested. - Return home - He returned home after the war ended, finding his home had been plundered after being occupied by German forces and no sign of his family. »I never found my father, mother and sister. I never heard from them again," he said. Caillet married and settled in the Normandy fishing port town of Dieppe, where he still lives to this day on a street named after him. He and his wife, who opened a shop after the war and had three children, between them had lost 15 relatives in the conflict. Only years later in 1978, through the work of Nazi hunters Beate and Serge Klarsfeld, did Caillet discover what had happened to his family. His father was arrested in August 1942, while his mother and then 15-year-old sister were detained the next year. They were deported to an extermination camp in Poland. © Agence France-Presse

The Ministry of Finance, National Planning and Trade will make the second compensation payments  by June 19 to La Misere residents affected by the contaminated water incident that took place more than a decade ago, said a top government official on Tuesday. Around 1,400 inhabitants from La Misere and Petit Barbarons in the western parts of Mahe, the main island, including those working in La Misere, were affected by the water pollution during the construction of the former UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan's palace complex in 2010. The incident occurred after an accident at the sewage plant caused diesel and raw sewage to seep into local water sources, causing severe health problems to the local population once the contaminated water reached homes. The construction firm for the project, Associated Contracting and Consulting Limited (ASCON) agreed in March 2011 to a total payout of SCR99 million ($7.2 million) after over 90 percent of residents from affected homes accepted the SCR250,000 ($18,289) offered to each home. The Seychelles' government had pledged to pay the $15 million to settle the second round of compensation claims and that the payments were done in phases with the first payment in 2020 followed by the second one in 2021. Following the first compensation payments made in 2020, the second payments «will only be made to those who were paid the initial instalment of compensation money,» said the secretary of state for finance, Patrick Payet. The payments that will be made on June 19 will be to those qualifying for the compensation and whose information remains the same as that provided at the time of the last payment. The rest of the payment will made by June 27. Government officers will be available at the La Misere School on Saturday 8 June to collect information needed to update information the ministry has collected from the Civil Status data and the Department of Information Communication and Technology (DICT). This second installment is the payment on the balance of the SCR50,000 ($3,664), SCR 25,000 ($1,832) and SCR15,000 ($1,100) made in 2020. In total, the government will pay $8.6 million in the final installment to the 1,758 individuals who qualified for compensation. Payet told the press that additional work will have to be carried out to assess the validity of 1,149 new individual claims - which may cost SCR123 million ($8.9 million) in total. Tamatave said that a series of procedures were being established to ensure that the process goes smoothly. She said that since the last payment, «107 people have changed their names and these individuals have to send their change of name documents to receive payments.» Tamaktave explained that in addition to the name changes, there are 707 residents paid with a cheque in 2020, who will have to provide their bank details to officials for funds to be directly transferred to their accounts. «This time we will mainly transfer the funds to their bank accounts, which is why we are asking people to come in with the bank cards and details,» she added. Official figures also show that 49 of those on the initial list of those compensated in 2020 have passed away, delaying their beneficiaries' payments. «The procedures will be much longer as there are affidavits and executors that come into play, and we don't expect that the payments will be made by the end of June,» said Tamatave.

The EU’s Eastern Partnership policy, initiated in 2009, covers six post-Soviet states: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. It was created to support political, social and economic reform efforts in these countries with the aim of increasing democratisation and good governance, energy security, environmental protection, and economic and social development. All the participating countries (except Belarus whose membership is suspended) send delegations to the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly. Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP