A 30-year-old factory worker was allegedly abducted and gang-raped inside a moving sleeper bus in northwest Delhi’s Rani Bagh area, police said on Thursday. According to investigators, the woman was returning home on May 11 when a sleeper bus stopped near Saraswati Vihar. She alleged that after asking a man near the bus for the time, she was pulled inside and sexually assaulted by two men as the bus travelled towards Nangloi. Police later rescued the woman near Nangloi Metro station. The Bihar-registered bus has been seized, CCTV footage is being examined, and the accused driver Umesh and conductor Ramendra have been arrested. (PC: HT)

Mamata Banerjee on Thursday arrived at the Calcutta High Court wearing a lawyer’s gown, likely to appear in connection with a post-poll violence case filed by the Trinamool Congress. She was accompanied by TMC MP and advocate Kalyan Banerjee, his son Shirshanya Bandopadhyay and lawyer Baiswanor Chatterjee. Visuals of Banerjee in legal attire outside the court quickly drew attention amid heightened political tensions in West Bengal following the Assembly election results. Sources said the matter relates to alleged incidents of post-poll violence involving Trinamool Congress supporters.

V. D. Satheesan was on Thursday elected leader of the Congress Legislature Party, clearing the way for him to become Kerala’s next Chief Minister after the Congress-led UDF’s sweeping election victory. The decision followed days of lobbying and high-level discussions in New Delhi involving Rahul Gandhi and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge. Satheesan’s appointment ends uncertainty within the party after the UDF won 102 of Kerala’s 140 Assembly seats. Supporters celebrated outside his Aluva residence as the Congress now moves towards government formation and cabinet discussions with alliance partners. (PC: X)

Donald Trump called talks with Xi Jinping “great” after receiving a grand state welcome in Beijing during a high-stakes visit focused on trade, technology and security tensions. Xi urged China and the United States to be “partners, not rivals” as both leaders held nearly two hours of discussions. Chinese state media also highlighted Xi’s warning against possible conflict over Taiwan. Trump, joined by Tesla chief Elon Musk and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, said he would push China to open its markets further to American businesses. The visit comes as Beijing projects itself as a stronger and more assertive global power. (PC: BBC)

A 30-year-old woman was allegedly gang-raped inside a stationary sleeper bus in Delhi’s Rani Bagh area, with police arresting the driver and conductor in the case. The survivor, who works at a factory in Mangolpuri, was returning home on the night of May 11 when the bus stopped near Saraswati Vihar. According to police, she approached a man near the bus door to ask the time before being allegedly forced inside. The accused then allegedly drove the bus towards Nangloi, where the assault took place. Police have seized the bus, registered an FIR and launched further investigation. The incident has triggered political outrage, with AAP leaders comparing it to the 2012 Nirbhaya case. (PC: NDTV)

Diljit Dosanjh has reportedly been travelling on a United States passport since acquiring US citizenship in 2022, according to a report by The Indian Express. The disclosure has sparked widespread discussion because the globally popular Punjabi singer-actor remains closely associated with Punjab’s cultural identity and recently rejected calls to enter state politics. The report claimed Dosanjh has been entering India on an e-visa since September 2022, indicating he may no longer hold Indian citizenship or an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card. It further stated that he used his US passport during his latest India visit. The development has intensified debate online over nationality, identity, diaspora influence, and celebrity politics in Punjab. (PC: Instagram/ Diljit Dosanjh)

Xi Jinping warned Donald Trump during high-stakes talks in Beijing that mishandling the Taiwan issue could push the United States and China toward direct conflict. According to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV, Xi described Taiwan as “the most important issue in China-US relations” and cautioned that bilateral ties could enter a “highly perilous situation” if Washington failed to approach the matter carefully. Xi further warned that improper handling could cause the two powers to “collide or even come into conflict.” The remarks came during Trump’s first China visit since 2017, amid rising geopolitical tensions, trade disputes, and intensifying military and diplomatic competition between the world’s two largest economies. (PC: X)

Two Punjabi-origin men living in Canada, Damanjeet Singh, 22, and Pardaman Singh, 30, were arrested after a Surrey Police Service probe into an extortion-linked shooting at a residence on Surrey’s 87A Avenue. Officers responding to reports of gunfire on April 22 found damage to a home and vehicle, though no injuries occurred. Investigators later identified a suspect vehicle and conducted searches with support from multiple agencies, including the Canada Border Services Agency. Both accused face firearm-related charges and remain in custody. Police said both are foreign nationals and released their photographs while seeking public assistance in uncovering wider criminal networks tied to violent extortion targeting South Asian communities across British Columbia. (PC: The Tribune)

Keir Starmer warned Labour MPs that a leadership contest would plunge the party into “chaos” amid growing speculation that Health Secretary Wes Streeting could challenge him for the leadership. Starmer is under mounting pressure after Labour’s heavy local election losses and the resignation of four ministers. During meetings with MPs and ministers, he defended his leadership while promoting a legislative agenda focused on health, housing, immigration and public sector reform. The King’s Speech included proposals to abolish NHS England, nationalise British Steel and fast-track green energy projects. More than 80 Labour MPs have reportedly urged Starmer to resign or announce a departure timeline. (PC: PA Media)

An India-bound LPG tanker successfully crossed the strategic Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday amid escalating tensions between the US and Iran, officials said. The Marshall Islands-flagged vessel ‘Symi’ passed through the sensitive maritime route, while another LPG carrier, the Vietnam-flagged ‘NV Sunshine’, was expected to cross by Thursday. The tanker is carrying nearly 46,000 tonnes of cooking gas and is headed towards New Mangaluru Port with 24 crew members onboard. The vessels are among 41 tankers identified by India’s shipping ministry for priority evacuation monitoring during the regional conflict. Officials also said 13 Indian-flagged vessels remain inside the conflict zone as maritime security concerns continue to rise. (PC: AP)