Morning news brief: Fourth phase of India Lok Sabha elections; Donald Trump trial, and more

New Delhi, India

Voting for the fourth phase of India Lok Sabha elections is underway across 96 parliamentary constituencies in nine states and one union territory.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has warned that a full-scale Israeli offensive in Rafah, Gaza, could result in chaos without effectively dismantling Hamas. 

In other news, Elon Musk's social media platform X has successfully contested a legal directive from an Australian online watchdog that sought a global ban on videos that show a church stabbing.

Meanwhile, Michael Cohen, once a close legal aide to Donald Trump, will soon take the stand as a primary witness against him in the ongoing hush money trial.

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Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Phase 4 voting underway with bigwigs vying for wins

Voting for the fourth of India's seven-phase elections is being held on Monday (May 13) across 96 parliamentary constituencies in nine states and one union territory. Alongside, all 175 constituencies of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly and 28 seats of the Odisha Legislative Assembly are going to polls where chief ministers Jagan Mohan Reddy and Naveen Patnaik are seeking re-election. 

Gaza war: Israel's Rafah offensive will provoke 'anarchy' without eliminating Hamas, says Blinken

The United States (US) Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Sunday (May 12) that an all-out Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip's Rafah would provoke "anarchy" without eliminating Hamas. "Israel's on the trajectory, potentially, to inherit an insurgency with many armed Hamas left, or if it leaves, a vacuum filled by chaos, filled by anarchy and probably refilled by Hamas," Blinken told CBS News.

Elon Musk's X wins legal battle over ban on church stabbing video

Elon Musk-owned X won a legal battle against the Australian online watchdog over imposing a global ban on dozens of videos shared of the church stabbing incident, which have been shared and circulated on the social media platform.

Michael Cohen: Key Witness in Donald Trump's trial over hush money

Michael Cohen, former President Donald Trump's estranged lawyer, is a key witness for the prosecution in the hush money trial. While his insider knowledge could provide jurors with a crucial perspective on the alleged campaign finance violations, his past legal troubles also raise questions about his credibility.

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