Four shot dead
in India political gun battle
AFP, Kolkata
A gun battle between supporters of India’s ruling right-wing party and a regional rival has killed four people in West Bengal, police said Sunday, as violence raged in the tinderbox state. At least 18 others were injured in the clashes that broke out Saturday in the eastern state that has been on edge since Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) launched an aggressive campaign to win parliamentary seats last year.
Moldova court relieves Dodon of duty as President
Reuters, Chisinau
A Moldovan court on Sunday relieved Igor Dodon of his duties as president and appointed former prime minister Pavel Filip as interim president, a statement said.
The court explained its decision by the fact that Dodon had not dissolved parliament as mandated by an earlier Constitutional Court verdict.
Huge extradition law protest fills Hong Kong streets
AP, Hong Kong
A sea of protesters is marching through central Hong Kong in a major demonstration against government-sponsored legislation that would allow people to be extradited to mainland China to face charges. The massive protest Sunday is taking place three days before Hong Kong’s government plans to bring the bill to the full legislature in a bid to win approval by the end of the month.
Kazakhs hold vote for first new leader in decades
AFP, Almaty
Kazakhs went to the polls Sunday to elect their first new leader in 30 years following the departure of ex-president Nursultan Nazarbayev with his handpicked successor set for victory.
Career diplomat and interim president Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, 66, is running for the ruling party with enthusiastic backing from authoritarian Nazarbayev, who stepped down from the presidency in March.
Several injured in Washington gay prade
Reuters, Washington
Several people were injured at a gay pride parade in Washington on Saturday when some in the crowd ran to escape what they thought was gunfire, and a man was later arrested when police found a firearm near him, officials said. Police, at the outset of the incident, received a report of a man with a gun at a park, Washington police Commander Guillermo Rivera told reporters.
Bride among 13 killed in Philippine road mishap
AFP, Manila
Thirteen people including a bride-to-be and two children were killed when the truck they were riding on after attending a traditional pre-wedding ceremony rolled over on a mountain road, police said Sunday.
The dump truck was carrying 53 passengers in eastern Camarines Sur province on Saturday and was going down the highway when it lost control, injuring dozens of other people, said San Fernando town police investigator Victor Quinao.
