International

After days of shifting numbers, negotiations and crucial meetings, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) founder and actor Vijay has taken oath as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu on Sunday morning. The swearing-in ceremony is currently underway at Chennai’s Nehru Stadium after Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar on Saturday invited Vijay to form the government following his formal appointment as Chief Minister. ...

Thirty-nine people have been killed in another day of intense Israeli strikes in Lebanon, the country’s health ministry said. One Israeli strike on the southern town of Saksakiyeh killed at least seven people, including a child, the ministry said. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it had been targeting Lebanese armed group Hezbollah and was “aware of reports regarding harm ...

Indian Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday announced Suvendu Adhikari as West Bengal’s chief minister, days after BJP registered a historic victory in the state in assembly elections. The swearing-in ceremony of the new BJP government will be held at Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata on Saturday (9 May).

After outgoing Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee refused to resign from her post, Governor RN Ravi has officially dissolved the state’s legislative assembly. The term of the assembly was due to expire at 12 am on Thursday. Last evening, the Raj Bhavan made public a letter “for general information”. The single-line communication read: “In exercise of the power ...

A US judge on Wednesday released a suicide note purportedly written by convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein weeks before his death in a New York jailhouse. Epstein’s cellmate has said that he found the letter in a book following a failed suicide attempt by the disgraced financier, several weeks before his eventual August 2019 death. “They investigated me for months ...

US President Donald Trump said Wednesday he believed there was “a very good chance” of sealing a peace deal with Iran, but threatened to resume his bombardment of the country if negotiations fell apart. Despite the US leader’s optimism, Iran has yet to respond to a new US proposal, with its chief negotiator warning that Washington was seeking to force ...

The personal assistant (PA) of West Bengal BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari has been shot dead in Madhyamgram, two days after the party’s historic win in the assembly election. The BJP leader’s PA, identified as Chandranath Rath, was shot twice in the assembly constituency in North 24 Parganas district near Kolkata, the police said. Another man, Buddhadeb, who was with Rath ...

At least eight people died and 36 were hurt after a fire broke out in a shopping centre west of Tehran on Tuesday, Iranian state broadcaster IRIB reported. The local fire department said the cladding of the building was flammable and this contributed to a rapid spread of flames, the judiciary’s Mizan news agency reported. Iranian media, including Mizan, showed ...

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi claimed a “record” victory on Monday in key elections in opposition-held West Bengal state after official trends and partial results showed a thumping majority for his Hindu nationalist party. Votes were still being counted under tight security in the state of more than 100 million people, one of five states and territories that held elections ...

Iran hit several ships in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday and set a UAE oil port ablaze, as President Donald Trump’s attempt to use the US Navy to free up shipping provoked the war’s biggest escalation since a ceasefire was declared four weeks ago. Trump’s new mission “Project Freedom”, which he announced on social media overnight to release ships ...