Shiv Sena to contest 150 seats in Bihar
On Sunday, the Shiv Sena announced that it would contest elections in Bihar on its own, and claimed its anti-migrant image was a hoax spread by rivals. The party’s national spokesperson Sanjay Raut told reporters that the Sena, which is currently in power in Maharashtra in alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party, would contest 150 seats in Bihar. The BJP-led alliance is locked in a stiff contest with the Nitish Kumar-led coalition of the Janata Dal (United)–Rashtriya Janata Dal–Congress.
Jagmohan Dalmiya passes away
Board of Control for Cricket in India president Jagmohan Dalmiya died on Sunday evening. Aged 75, he had been admitted to a Kolkata hospital three days ago after complaining of chest pains. “At 6 in the evening his condition deteriorated and shortly afterwards he suffered a massive cardiac arrest from which he could not recover,” an official of the Cricket Association of Bengal said. The BCCI will now have to nominate an interim president to serve out the remainder of Dalmiya’s three-year term, which began in March 2015.
Netaji’s family demands declassification of files in foreign countries
Family members of Subhas Chandra Bose have demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi ask other countries to declassify files in their possession about Netaji’s disappearance, as they fear some documents relating to the mystery might have been destroyed. They said they would ask Modi to write to the heads of the states of Russia, Japan, China, the US, UK, Japan, Singapore and Malaysia to declassify all files they possess.
Internet ban lifted in Gandhinagar and Vadodra
The mobile internet ban imposed on Saturday after the Gujarat police detained Hardik Patel was lifted on Sunday in Gandhinagar and Vadodara as the situation in the state remained peaceful despite apprehensions toward the contrary. Patel’s arrest for defying orders had sparked sporadic incidents of violence, and Internet services had been curbed in the hope of averting the spread of rumours.
Nine kabaddi players killed in road accident in Odisha
A mini-truck carrying nine kabaddi players and their supporters overturned and fell off a bridge near Lahunipara, about 280 km northwest of the capital Bhubaneshwar, on Saturday evening. The death toll rose to nine on Sunday. The state government has announced an ex gratia payment of Rs.1 lakh for the family of each victim and added that it would bear the medical expenses of those injured. Six players had succumbed to injuries on Saturday and three more died on Sunday.
US to accept 30,000 more refugees over two years
On Sunday Secretary of State John Kerry said that the US will accept an additional 30,000 refugees from around the world over the next two years, as the Obama administration came under further pressure to take in more victims of the Syrian civil war. Earlier on Sunday, Clinton had said that the US should take in more than six times the 10,000 Syrian refugees that has been proposed by President Barack Obama.
Nepal adopts constitution amid several protests
Nepal adopted its first democratic constitution on Sunday, with President Ram Baran Yadav announcing the charter intended to unite the country. However, the adoption quickly aggravated divisions in various places around the mountainous country, with 40 people killed in protests against it in recent weeks. Though there were no reports of major violence on Sunday, three people had been wounded when police fired at people trying to break a curfew in Birgunj in the south.