Prime minister claims victory but opposition dismisses poll results as fixed and unscientific

Indian prime minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata party (BJP)-led alliance is projected to win a big majority in the general election that concluded on Saturday, TV exit polls said, suggesting it would do better than expected by most analysts.

Most exit polls projected the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) could win a two-thirds majority in the 543-member lower house of parliament, where 272 is needed for a simple majority. A two-thirds majority will allow the government to usher in far-reaching amendments to the constitution.

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© Photograph: Debajyoti Chakraborty/NurPhoto/REX/Shutterstock

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© Photograph: Debajyoti Chakraborty/NurPhoto/REX/Shutterstock

Live Nation Entertainment said on Friday it was investigating a data breach at its Ticketmaster unit that it discovered on May 20, the latest in a string of high-profile corporate hacks in the past year.

Meteorologists found 52.9C reading to be false, though new record does appear to have been set

A record temperature registered this week for the Indian capital of 52.9C (127.22F) was too high by 3C, the Indian government has said.

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) had investigated Wednesday’s reading by the weather station at Mungeshpur, a densely packed corner of New Delhi, “and found a 3C sensor error”, the earth sciences minister, Kiren Rijiju, said.

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© Photograph: Manish Swarup/AP

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© Photograph: Manish Swarup/AP

• Wichanee Meechai holds two-shot lead at Lancaster CC
• World No 1 Korda misses cut after Thursday septuple-bogey
• Lexi Thompson says goodbye after 18th and final Open

Wichanee Meechai became the latest surprise in a US Women’s Open filled with them. She started Friday with four straight birdies and matched the low score of the week with a 3-under 67 for a two-shot lead going into a weekend that won’t include Nelly Korda.

Meechai is a 31-year-old Thai whose only victory recognized by the women’s world ranking was nine years ago on the Taiwan LPGA. She had never finished in the top 10 in her 20 previous appearances in the majors.

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© Photograph: Matt Rourke/AP

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© Photograph: Matt Rourke/AP

Jerusalem on Thursday held its annual gay pride parade under heavy security and with a subdued vibe, given the solemn mood in Israel after months of war.

The people of Sudan are at “imminent risk of famine,” United Nations agencies said on Friday, more than a year into a war between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Tesla is recalling 125,227 vehicles in the United States due to a malfunction in its seat belt warning system that can increase the risk of injury in a collision, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said on Friday.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has moved to home care from a hospital in the central city of Banska Bystrica, where he had been recovering from an assassination attempt, the hospital said on Friday.

• Ex-Barça star’s company allegedly received illegal payments
• Agreement for €40m bonus according to court documents

A Spanish judge has placed former Barcelona player Gerard Piqué under official investigation for his alleged involvement in illegal payments in the relocation of Spain’s Super Cup to Saudi Arabia.

Judge Delia Rodrigo concluded there were indications of wrongdoing in the deal between Piqué’s company Kosmos and the Spanish soccer federation (RFEF), according to a court document.

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© Photograph: Álex Caparrós/Getty Images

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© Photograph: Álex Caparrós/Getty Images

Israeli war cabinet minister Benny Gantz's centrist party proposed a bill to dissolve parliament, showing the growing strains in Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.

Papua New Guinea ruled out finding survivors under the rubble of a massive landslide on Thursday, with the exact number of dead still unknown.

Officials are still trying to pinpoint the exact death toll, as rescue teams are set to begin using heavy machinery to recover the dead

Officials in Papua New Guinea have said they do not expect to find survivors under the rubble of a massive landslide in the country’s remote north, with the exact number of dead under almost two storeys of debris and mud still unknown.

Heavy equipment and aid have been slow to arrive to the site of the landslide – which hit almost a week ago – because of the treacherous mountain terrain, a damaged bridge on the main road, and tribal unrest in the area.

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© Photograph: Nickson Pakea/PRESIDENT OF PORGERA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY/AFP/Getty Images

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© Photograph: Nickson Pakea/PRESIDENT OF PORGERA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY/AFP/Getty Images

• Golfer was facing charges of assaulting police officer
• Reports say both parties will not pursue legal action

Charges against world No 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler are being dropped by prosecutors it was confirmed on Wednesday.

An agreement between Scheffler and the Louisville Metro Police Department stipulates that both sides have agreed not to pursue any legal action related to his arrest at the US PGA Championship earlier this month, according to Kentucky’s NewsRadio 840 WHAS.

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© Photograph: Sam Hodde/Getty Images

Investigation report says aircraft ‘experienced a rapid change in gravitational force’ during turbulence

The Singapore Airlines flight hit by severe turbulence last week dropped 54 metres in altitude in less than five seconds, preliminary findings from an investigation show.

A 73-year-old British passenger died of a suspected heart attack and dozens of people were injured after flight SQ321 from London to Singapore encountered what the airline described as sudden, extreme turbulence while flying over Myanmar. The flight carrying 211 passengers and 18 crew diverted to Bangkok for an emergency landing.

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© Photograph: Reuters

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© Photograph: Reuters

An investigation into a Singapore Airlines flight hit by severe turbulence showed that a change in gravitational force and an altitude drop caused injuries.

© Sakchai Lalit

Britain’s first Black woman lawmaker, Diane Abbott, said she had been barred from running as a Labour Party candidate in the election.

Thailand’s attorney-general will indict former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra for allegedly insulting the monarchy, an official said.

Pope Francis used an offensive slur for gay men in a closed-door discussion with Italian bishops last week, two sources who were in the room told NBC News.

Elon Musk’s AI startup xAI raised $6 billion in series B funding, reaching a post-money valuation of $24 billion as investors bet big on challengers to companies like OpenAI in the intensifying AI race.

Elon Musk’s AI startup xAI raised $6 billion in series B funding, reaching a post-money valuation of $24 billion as investors bet big on challengers to companies like OpenAI in the intensifying AI race.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico’s condition after an assassination attempt earlier this month is improving, the government and hospital said on Monday.

• Final: Kolkata, 114-2, beat Hyderabad, 113, by eight wickets
• Andre Russell takes three wickets, Venkatesh Iyer hits 52

Kolkata Knight Riders lifted their third Indian Premier League (IPL) title with an eight-wicket thrashing of Sunrisers Hyderabad in a lop-sided final in Chennai on Sunday. Kolkata, who topped the group stage of the 10-team league, had beaten Hyderabad in the first playoff on Tuesday and were even more dominant in the final, which lasted 29 overs.

The Hyderabad captain, Pat Cummins, was left to rue his decision to bat first as his side were skittled for 113 runs in 18.3 overs. Mitchell Starc produced a double strike while his new ball partner, Vaibhav Arora, dismissed the dangerous Travis Head for a first-ball duck to rattle Hyderabad.

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© Photograph: Mahesh Kumar A/AP

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© Photograph: Mahesh Kumar A/AP

• Dominant Pogacar wins by biggest margin since 1965
• Tim Merlier outsprints Jonathan Milan to take final stage

Slovenia’s Tadej Pogacar emphatically won the Giro d’Italia on his debut when he retained his unassailable overall lead after the 21st and final stage in Rome on Sunday, winning by the biggest overall margin since 1965.

The 25-year-old UAE Team Emirates rider had been in the leader’s pink jersey since winning stage two, the first of his six stage successes, and finished the ceremonial 125km flat run on Sunday safely in the bunch as Tim Merlier won the stage.

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© Photograph: Ciro De Luca/Reuters

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© Photograph: Ciro De Luca/Reuters

• Ducati rider finishes ahead of Martín and Marc Márquez
• Márquez recovers from 14th grid start to make podium

Gresini Ducati’s reigning champion, Francesco Bagnaia, won the Catalunya Grand Prix to close the gap on the championship leader, Jorge Martín, who finished second, while Ducati’s Marc Márquez was third despite starting 14th on the grid.

Márquez repeated his heroics from the Saturday sprint when he finished an astonishing second from 14th, keeping the polesitter, Aleix Espargaró, at bay until the chequered flag and finishing five-hundredths of a second ahead to take third.

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© Photograph: Bruna Casas/Reuters

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© Photograph: Bruna Casas/Reuters

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zeleznskyy appealed to President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping to join an upcoming peace summit as his country struggles to stave off unrelenting attacks by Russia in its 27-month-old invasion.

President Zelenskiy says attack on Ukraine’s second largest city is ‘terrorism’ and pleads for more air defence systems

Russian strikes on a crowded DIY hardware store and a building in a residential area in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv have killed at least six people and injured dozens, local officials said.

Six people were killed after two guided bombs hit the DIY hypermarket in a residential area of the city, regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said on national television, while 40 people were injured in the attack and 16 still unaccounted for.

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© Photograph: Global Images Ukraine/Getty Images

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© Photograph: Global Images Ukraine/Getty Images

The TSA said it screened 2.95 million airline passengers on Friday, the highest number ever on a single day. It broke a record set in November.

Forty three people who were on board a Singapore Airlines flight that hit severe turbulence remain hospitalized in Bangkok four days after the emergency, a hospital in Thailand's capital said on Saturday.

Foreign ministry’s claim follows death of ex-Royal Marine charged with spying in Britain for Hong Kong

China has accused the UK of false accusations, “wanton stigmatisation” and arbitrary arrests after the unexplained death of a man charged with illegally assisting Hong Kong’s foreign intelligence service.

China’s foreign ministry office in Hong Kong said in a statement on its website on Saturday that it strongly condemned Britain for what it said were false accusations against Chinese citizens, infringing their lawful rights.

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© Photograph: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

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© Photograph: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

China ended two days of war games around Taiwan, in which it simulated attacks with bombers and practiced boarding ships on Saturday.

Amid the tail end of the climbing season on Nepal's Mount Everest, at least three people are believed to have died this week, according to officials and those close to the men.

In Mexico from September to May, 34 candidates or aspiring candidates have been assassinated, with security analysts saying the killings are mostly linked to drug cartels seeking to influence local elections.

Russia has arrested more than 20 people in connection with an attack claimed by Islamic State that killed more than 140 people at a concert hall near Moscow in March, the head of the FSB security service said on Friday.

Pope Francis has attributed a second miracle to an Italian teenager Carlo Acutis, who in his short life used his computer skills to spread the Catholic faith.

China staged mock missile strikes on Friday, state media said, as part of exercises Beijing said were launched to punish Taiwan’s new president, Lai Ching-te.

Advisers to the Food and Drug Administration on Thursday recommended for the approval of Guardant Health’s blood test to detect colorectal cancer.

Lawyer criticises ‘inhumane’ treatment of men who were accused over deadly sinking of vessel crossing from Libya

Greek police have been accused of the “inhumane” treatment of nine Egyptian men after placing them in detention despite a court throwing out charges against them over a deadly shipwreck.

Police said on Thursday they were placing the men in custody as it was thought they could flee the country, two days after a tribunal in the southern city of Kalamata dismissed charges against them due to a lack of jurisdiction.

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© Photograph: Thanassis Stavrakis/AP

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© Photograph: Thanassis Stavrakis/AP

• Bologna have qualified for the Champions League for first time
• ‘The club wishes him the best of luck for the rest of his career’

Thiago Motta has opted not to renew his contract at Bologna, the Serie A club said on Thursday, with the former Italy international set to move to Juventus, according to Italian media reports.

Motta, 41, led Bologna to Champions League qualification for the first time in their history in his second season at the club, and those exploits have put him on the radar of many of Europe’s top teams.

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© Photograph: Michele Nucci/LaPresse/REX/Shutterstock

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© Photograph: Michele Nucci/LaPresse/REX/Shutterstock

New Reuters/Ipsos poll found widespread worries that US could see a repeat of the unrest that followed Trump’s 2020 defeat

Two out of three Americans say they are concerned that political violence could follow the 5 November election rematch between Joe Biden and his Republican predecessor and challenger, Donald Trump, a new Reuters/Ipsos poll found.

The survey of 3,934 US adults found widespread worries that the US could see a repeat of the unrest that followed Trump’s 2020 election defeat, when the then president’s false claim that his loss was the result of fraud prompted thousands of followers to storm the US Capitol.

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© Photograph: Spencer Platt/Getty Images

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© Photograph: Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Boeing has faced mounting questions after door panel detached during January Alaska Airlines flight, forcing emergency landing

US planemaker Boeing faces a “long road” to address safety issues, the head of the Federal Aviation Administration said, as it prepares to receive the company’s plan to address concerns.

In late February Mike Whitaker, the FAA administrator, gave Boeing 90 days to develop a comprehensive plan to address “systemic quality-control issues” and barred it from expanding 737 MAX production.

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© Photograph: Peter Cziborra/Reuters

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© Photograph: Peter Cziborra/Reuters

• Tadej Pogacar finishes second to extend his massive lead
• Georg Steinhauser wins stage 17 after soloing clear of field

Germany’s Georg Steinhauser halted the race leader Tadej Pogacar’s streak of stage wins at the Giro d’Italia with a solo victory on Wednesday after a day of incessant climbing.

Steinhauser (EF Education-EasyPost) went alone on the first climb of the Brocon Pass with just over 30km of the 159km 17th stage remaining, and he continued to open up a sizeable gap over Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier. With the peloton showing no real urgency in giving chase, the 22-year-old Grand Tour debutant Steinhauser powered up the second climb of Brocon Pass in steady rain to take the victory.

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© Photograph: Luca Bettini/AFP/Getty Images

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© Photograph: Luca Bettini/AFP/Getty Images

Indonesia’s parliament is proposing changes to its broadcast law that would ban investigative journalism and LGBTQ content.

• Suning’s loan was guaranteed by stake in Italian club
• Inter become seventh Serie A club with US owners

The United States-based investment fund Oaktree Capital Management said on Wednesday it has become the new owner of Serie A champions Inter after a missed $428m (£336m) payment from the club’s Chinese holding company, Suning.

Granted in 2021 to the Luxembourg-based vehicle through which the Chinese conglomerate Suning controlled Inter, the loan was guaranteed by the firm’s stake in the club. Under the scheme, Oaktree had the right to take control of the club in the event of a default.

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© Photograph: Alessandro Garofalo/Reuters

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© Photograph: Alessandro Garofalo/Reuters

• ‘It was a hard and painful decision, but I think it is right’
• The 72-year-old has kept Cagliari in Serie A this season

Claudio Ranieri will leave his job as the Cagliari coach by mutual agreement, the Serie A club said on Tuesday, as local media reported that the 72-year-old was set to retire from football. The announcement came after Cagliari guaranteed themselves another season in the Italian top flight with a win at Sassuolo on Sunday.

Sky Sports Italia reported that Cagliari will be Ranieri’s final team, as he has decided to retire from football. The Italian coach, who had previously managed Cagliari from 1988-91, had one year remaining on his contract after joining the club last season and leading them to promotion from Serie B.

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© Photograph: Claudia Greco/Reuters

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© Photograph: Claudia Greco/Reuters

The death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi poses the question of who will succeed him, as well as the country's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

© Iranian Presidency

© AFP - Getty Images

© Adrian Dennis

© Ata Dadashi

Approximately 175 people to be affected by layoffs as CEO Bob Iger returns studio’s focus exclusively to feature films

Pixar Animation Studios, which produced such classic films as Toy Story and Up, began laying off about 14% of its workforce on Tuesday as it scales back development of original streaming series, according to a source familiar with the development.

Approximately 175 people will be affected by job cuts at the Walt Disney Company unit.

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© Photograph: Cinematic Collection/Alamy

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© Photograph: Cinematic Collection/Alamy

• Leader has wrapped up overall victory barring incident
• Riders voted to skip Umbrail Pass due to treacherous weather

Tadej Pogacar emerged from a chaotic day to underline his dominance of this Giro d’Italia with victory on a weather-shortened stage 16 on the Monte Pana as Geraint Thomas dropped to third overall.

Two days after his stunning victory on the queen stage all but wrapped up overall victory barring incident, Team Emirates’ Pogacar was celebrating again, this time in miserable conditions as he took his fifth victory of this race with a late attack, winning by 16 seconds from Giulio Pellizzari (VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè).

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© Photograph: Luca Zennaro/EPA

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© Photograph: Luca Zennaro/EPA

Song about North Korean leader titled Friendly Father includes lines like ‘let’s brag about Kim Jong-un’

South Korea’s media regulator has banned access to a North Korean propaganda music video that it said idolised and glorified leader Kim Jong-un as a “great leader”.

The catchy tune titled Friendly Father has become an unlikely social media hit around the world, going viral on short-form video app TikTok and other platforms.

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© Photograph: 朝鮮通信社/AP

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© Photograph: 朝鮮通信社/AP

Microsoft said on Monday it would launch a new category of personal computer capable of handling more artificial-intelligence tasks without calling on cloud data centers.