America goes to the polls | Top News of Nov 5, 2024

[00:00:09] Hello, this is your Daily Dose of News from Onmanorama. I'm your host Vishnu and these are the major news stories of Tuesday, Nov 5, 2024.

[00:00:19] The dizzying presidential contest between Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Kamala Harris hurtled toward an uncertain finish on Tuesday as millions of Americans headed to the polls to choose between two sharply different visions for the country.

[00:00:33] Actor Salman Khan received a fresh death threat along with a demand of Rs. 5 crore from a person claiming to be the brother of jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoy.

[00:00:43] In a significant ruling, the Supreme Court upheld the constitutional validity of the Uttar Pradesh Board of Madrasa Education Act 2004, overturning the earlier judgment by the Allahabad High Court that invalidated the act.

[00:00:56] Israel's military issued new evacuation orders in the north of the Gaza Strip on Tuesday after carrying out strikes across the enclave which killed at least 30 people.

[00:01:05] The amicus curie appointed by the Kerala High Court on Tuesday recommended strict restrictions on elephant parading in the state. Let's get into the details.

[00:01:14] The dizzying presidential contest between Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Kamala Harris hurtled toward an uncertain finish on Tuesday as millions of Americans headed to the polls to choose between two sharply different visions for the country.

[00:01:26] A race whipsawed by unprecedented events, two assassination attempts against Trump, President Joe Biden's surprise withdrawal and Harris' rapid rise remained too close to call even after billions of dollars in spending and months of frenetic campaigning.

[00:01:40] Trump's campaign has suggested he may declare victory on election night, even while millions of ballots have yet to be counted, just as he did four years ago.

[00:01:48] The former president has repeatedly said any defeat could only stem from widespread fraud, echoing his false claims from 2020.

[00:01:56] The winner may not be known for days if the margins in key states are as slim as expected.

[00:02:01] No matter who wins the White House, history will be made.

[00:02:04] Harris, the first female vice president, would become the first black woman and South Asian American to win the presidency.

[00:02:11] Trump, the only president to be impeached twice and the first former president to be criminally convicted, would also become the first president to win non-consecutive terms in more than a century.

[00:02:22] Opinion polls in the campaign's final days have shown the candidates running neck and neck in each of the seven states likely to determine the winner.

[00:02:29] Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

[00:02:35] The contest reflects a deeply polarized nation whose divisions have only grown starker during a fiercely competitive race.

[00:02:41] Trump has employed increasingly dark and apocalyptic rhetoric on the campaign trail,

[00:02:45] while Harris has warned that a second Trump term would threaten the very underpinnings of American democracy.

[00:02:52] After Salman Khan received a fresh threat along with the demand of Rs. 5 crore from a person claiming to be brother of jail gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, officials said on Tuesday.

[00:03:00] The threat message, which also asked Khan to apologize apparently over an alleged black-buck poaching incident,

[00:03:06] was received at the Mumbai traffic police control room located in Wardley area late Monday night, an official said.

[00:03:11] The message sender claimed he is brother of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, the police officials said.

[00:03:16] If Salman Khan wants to stay alive, he should go to our Bishnoy community temple and apologize or pay Rs 5 crore.

[00:03:22] If he does not do so, we will kill him. Our gang is still active, the message said.

[00:03:27] Police are probing the origin of the threat message and have beefed up security measures for Salman Khan, sources said.

[00:03:32] The police are also checking if the message is linked to Lawrence Bishnoy,

[00:03:35] who was lodged at the Sabarmadi Jail in Gujarat on various charges, including attempted murder and extortion, they added.

[00:03:42] Khan has earlier also received threats along with the demand for money.

[00:03:46] In a significant ruling, the Supreme Court upheld the constitutional validity of the Uttar Pradesh Board of Madrasa Education Act 2004 on Tuesday.

[00:03:54] The court overturned the earlier judgment by the Alhabad High Court that had invalidated the act.

[00:03:59] However, the court also ruled that the act's provisions regulating higher education degrees such as Fazil and Kamil

[00:04:04] conflict with the University Grants Commission Act and are therefore unconstitutional.

[00:04:09] A bench led by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachar, along with Justices J.B. Pardewala and Manoj Mishra,

[00:04:15] reviewed the March 22nd decision by the Al-Habad High Court, which had declared the Madrasa Act unconstitutional on multiple grounds.

[00:04:22] Various Muslim groups filed petitions challenging the Al-Habad High Court's verdict,

[00:04:26] arguing the act aimed to establish regulations for Muslim children's education rather than primarily offer religious instruction.

[00:04:32] In response, groups opposing the act and the National Commission for Protection of Children's Rights contented,

[00:04:37] the act did not meet the quality standards guaranteed by Article 21A of the Constitution.

[00:04:42] They argued that while individuals have the freedom to pursue religious education, it should not replace mainstream education.

[00:04:50] Israel's military issued new evacuation orders in the north of the Gaza Strip on Tuesday after carrying out strikes across the enclave,

[00:04:56] which Palestinian media and medic said had killed at least 30 people.

[00:04:59] An airstrike damaged two houses in the town of Beit Lahia in northern Gaza,

[00:05:04] where the army has carried out new operations since October 5th and killed at least 20 people late on Monday,

[00:05:09] the Palestinian official news agency, Wafa and Hamas Media said.

[00:05:13] The Israeli military said without giving details that its forces had eliminated terrorists in the central Gaza Strip and Jebelia area.

[00:05:20] Israeli troops had also located weapons and explosives over the past day in the southern Rafah area,

[00:05:24] where terrorist infrastructure sites had been eliminated, it said.

[00:05:27] Later on Tuesday, Israeli planes dropped leaflets over Beit Lahia,

[00:05:32] ordering residents who have not yet left their homes and shelters housing displaced families to quit the town completely.

[00:05:38] More than 43,300 Palestinians have been killed in more than a year of war in Gaza,

[00:05:43] the authorities in Gaza say, and much of the territory has been reduced to ruins.

[00:05:47] The war began after Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on October 7th, 2023,

[00:05:51] killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages back to Gaza, according to Israeli tallies.

[00:05:58] Announcing a rare transfer of patients out of Gaza,

[00:06:01] a World Health Organization official said more than 100 people would be evacuated from Gaza on Wednesday,

[00:06:06] including children suffering from trauma, injuries and chronic diseases.

[00:06:11] The amicus curia appointed by the High Court on Tuesday recommended strict restrictions on elephant parading in Kerala.

[00:06:17] According to the report, elephants should only be used for religious ceremonies, not private events or inauguration.

[00:06:22] The patchy domes shall not be included in rituals like Talapukka Malsaram, Vanangal and Pushpavrishti.

[00:06:27] The report also stated that elephants over 65 should not be used for parading

[00:06:31] and that a mandatory rest of 24 hours should be ensured between each ceremony.

[00:06:35] Over a week ago, the High Court, while hearing Osuomotu case on animal cruelty,

[00:06:39] remarked that parading elephants during festivals displayed human arrogance.

[00:06:44] That brings us to the end of this episode.

[00:06:45] Thanks for listening to Daily News Toast, hosted and produced by me, Vishnu Umar Lederan.

[00:06:49] Follow www.onmonorama.com for detailed updates on the latest news and be sure to come back tomorrow.