The Trinamool Congress’ candidate in West Bengal’s Falta announced that he has withdrawn from repolling there, two days ahead of voting. Jahangir Khan said he was doing so for the constituency’s “development and the public good”, citing a special package announced by the Bharatiya Janata Party government.The TMC said that the withdrawal of the candidature was Khan’s personal decision and not that of the party.On May 4, the Bharatiya Janata Party defeated the TMC in the state polls, ending the 15-year rule of the Mamata Banerjee-led party. While voting in Falta was held on April 29, the Election Commission on May 2 ordered repolling in the constituency, alleging that the democratic process had been subverted there. Repolling will be held on May 21 and the votes will be counted on May 24. Read on.Activist Umar Khalid was denied interim bail in the 2020 Delhi riots conspiracy case. A Delhi court held that the grounds cited in his plea were unreasonable. Khalid had sought 15 days’ interim bail to attend a Chehlum ritual marking 40 days since his uncle’s death and to assist his mother, who is scheduled to undergo surgery on June 2.The court said that merely the fact that Khalid and others accused in the matter had earlier been granted interim bail without breaching conditions did not mean such relief could be granted each time it was sought. The bench also said his father and sister could take care of his mother, noting the prosecution’s submission that it was a minor surgery.He was denied bail by the Supreme Court in January. However, on Monday another bench of the Supreme Court criticised the January verdict, saying that it ignored legal precedent. Read on.The Supreme Court refused to recall its directions issued in November that stray dogs picked up by the municipal authorities from public places must not be released into the same area after they are vaccinated or sterilised. The directions had said that the dogs must be placed in shelters.Dismissing a batch of petitions seeking modifications to the directives, the bench said that the state cannot remain a “passive spectator” while citizens face the threat of dog attacks in public areas. If officials fail to implement the orders, they will be liable for contempt action, the court said. Read on.The Indian rupee weakened to a record low of 96.5 against the United States dollar amid elevated global oil prices and economic headwinds caused by the conflict in West Asia. Its value fell 18 paise during the day, from the previous all-time low of 96.3 reached on Monday.Tuesday was the seventh consecutive trade session in ⁠which the rupee had lost its value.The Indian rupee has been the worst-performing Asian currency in 2026, with a 6% loss in its value ⁠since the conflict began on February ​28. Read on.Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s refusal to answer a question from a Norwegian journalist during a joint press meet with his Norwegian counterpart sparked a debate online about the media’s role in democracy. Helle Lyng Svendsen, a reporter in Oslo, faced a barrage of criticism online after she asked why Modi had declined to take questions from the media.On social media, Bharatiya Janata Party supporters claimed that Svendsen had acted inappropriately and some others were more intemperate in their criticism. Some accused her of being a spy.But Modi’s opponents saw this as just another instance of the prime minister’s evasions. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that Modi “running from a few questions” had undermined the country’s image. Read on.If you haven’t already, sign up for our Daily Brief newsletter.