Tribal politician is India's new president

Thursday, 21 July 2022 18:47

By ARN News Staff

A female politician from a tribal community is India's new president.

Droupadi Murmu, 64, has made history after being elected the country's first tribal head of state.

Her rival candidate Yashwant Sinha has conceded defeat.

She will be the second woman to hold the largely ceremonial role when she takes office on July 25 at the start of a five-year term.

More than 4,500 state and federal lawmakers voted in the presidential election on Monday and ballots were counted on Thursday.

Murmu's victory was assured as she was backed by Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which dominates federal and state politics.

More from International News

US seizes Russian-flagged oil tanker linked to Venezuela

The US seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker that was being shadowed by a Russian submarine on Wednesday, after pursuing it for more than two weeks across the Atlantic as part of Washington's efforts to block Venezuelan oil exports.
Power restored in Berlin after longest blackout since World War Two

Electricity was restored to southwestern Berlin on Wednesday after a suspected arson attack on a power station by leftist activists caused a blackout for tens of thousands of households, the longest outage in the German capital since World War Two.
France working with allies on plan should US move on Greenland

France is working with partners on a plan on how to respond should the US act on its threat to take over Greenland, a minister said on Wednesday, as Europe sought to address US President Donald Trump's ambitions in the region.
South Korea's Lee says he asked Xi to play a mediating role on North Korea

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said on Wednesday that much progress had been made in restoring trust with Beijing, and that he had asked Chinese President Xi Jinping to play a role in mediating Seoul's efforts to engage North Korea.
Western Europe braces for another wave of snow and ice

Western Europe braced for more snow and ice on Wednesday, with the first named storm of the year hitting the continent's Atlantic coast.

Al Warqa’a 1 road upgrade boosts traffic flow by 30%
Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has completed major traffic expansion works on Al Warqa’a 1 Street, stretching seven kilometres between Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road and Ras Al Khor Road.
UAE updates laws on agriculture and wildlife protection
The UAE Government has approved a comprehensive package of updated federal laws aimed at strengthening agricultural and veterinary quarantine systems, protecting new plant varieties, and regulating the international trade in endangered animals and plants.
Over 2,400 volunteers support Dubai Police at New Year’s Eve events
Dubai Police have praised the exceptional contribution of volunteers who supported crowd management and organisation during the New Year’s Eve celebrations, describing their efforts as vital to the safe and smooth running of one of the city’s largest annual events.