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KOLKATA: Time was when the "mother of all electoral battles" in West Bengal used to be fought in Kolkata South constituency with CPI (M)-led Left Front sparing no efforts to defeat Kolkata (South)'s sitting MP Mamata Banerjee. Kolkata(South) has lent an aura of invincibility to any Trinamool Congress candidate after "didi" (elder sister) as Banerjee is popularly known, chose to vacate this seat to be chief minister in 2011 after emerging victorious in six successive elections. This traditional Kolkata South is going to polls on June 1 in the last phase of the Lok Sabha elections.

HOUSTON: “Staying neutral means staying silent. It means risking the rights of workers and the civil rights of all. It means the continuation of unemployment and poor wages while the powerful continue to get richer.” That’s the warning from Fred Redmond, Secretary-Treasurer of the AFL-CIO and the highest-ranking Black trade unionist in the country.

Karim Khan, a British lawyer specializing in international criminal law and international human rights law, promised to bring ‘determination’ and ‘stamina’ to his role as the chief prosecutor at the International Criminal Court (ICC). He will need these qualities to handle the intense political backlash from seeking arrest warrants for Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and Defence Minister, Yoav Gallant, along with three Hamas leaders.

Menstruation remains a taboo topic, shrouded in secrecy and discomfort. Despite being a natural and healthy process, societal stigmas and misconceptions perpetuate discrimination against many adolescent girls and young women. This stigma, coupled with limited access to menstrual hygiene products, strips them of opportunities, infringes on their rights, and curtails their freedom.

Contrary to the wide publicity that the latest X-Putin agreement will push for “a comprehensive, sustainable and just settlement” of the Ukraine-Russia conflict through peaceful means, the document throws little light on how to solve the situation within a possible timeframe. China merely talks about a dialogue on a peaceful Ukraine war settlement which it initiated last year without any specific agenda. Instead, the agreement clearly focuses on building a strong China-Russia defence partnership. The defence cooperation between the two countries is aimed to thwart any possible threat to Russia by the US-led NATO by indulging in direct military action. The ongoing war has considerably destroyed Ukraine’s economy and social infrastructure. Ukraine alone is not in a position to take on mighty Russia militarily merely with defence supplies from the US, UK and other NATO members. It is a matter of time before Ukraine surrenders. China is believed to have agreed to stand by Russia in case of a direct NATO attack on Moscow. In exchange, Russia will support China’s growing hegemony in the Pacific region, including physical annexation of Taiwan.

The price of 10 grams of 999-carat gold reached an all-time high of Rs 75,160 on May 20. If you plan to buy silver, the story is similar, with silver prices reaching an all-time high of Rs 90,000 a kg on May 17. In fact, although silver has got more industrial usage from the makers of electric vehicles and photovoltaic solar panels, gold and silver prices tend to move similarly.

The African National Congress (ANC) which is ruling South Africa since the end of apartheid regime in 1994, is facing a stiff challenge from the opposition parties in the general elections to be held on May 29. As per the Constitution, the ANC needs a majority of 50 per cent of the votes polled to retain its ruling status, but the latest opinion polls indicate that the ANC can only get 44 per cent of the votes. If that happens, the ANC has to form a coalition with other contending parties to get a majority in the parliament for governing.

The 2024 Lok Sabha elections are closing, and the results will be out on June 4. The aftermath of the election is not simply about winners and losers. It is about more than just the anticipated outcomes. It includes the potential for unforeseen alliances, dramatic shifts in power dynamics, and the emergence of new political forces, all of which are yet to be unveiled.

Election campaign for the lone Lok Sabha Constituency of Union Territory Chandigarh and 13 in Punjabis approaching to its peak. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is clearly seen dominating in Punjab while Congress candidate of INDIA bloc has perceivable edge over the BJP’s in Chandigarh. In fact, the BJP and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) are seen trying hard to retain their political relevance in this region which is scheduled to poll in the last 7th phase of election on June 1.

Russia's Arctic Region is believed to have large untapped reserves of oil, natural gas, and rare earth minerals. These minerals are essential for important and growing industries like artificial intelligence (AI), electric vehicles (EVs), and semiconductors.