The Assam cabinet on Friday decided to repeal an 89-year-old legislation involving the registration of marriages and divorces by Muslims residing in the state. Assam Moslem Marriage and Divorce Registration Act, 1935, provided for voluntary registration of Muslim marriages and divorces. The Act allowed the government to provide a licence to a Muslim person authorizing him to register Muslim marriages and divorces on applications for such registration. Tourism minister Jayanta Malla Baruah informed that Assam has at present 94 authorized persons who could register Muslim marriages and divorces. But with the cabinet decision, their authority would cease to exist after the issuance of directions for the same by district authorities. Read full story

Controversial bill defeated

The controversial Hindu Religious and Temple Endowments (Amendment) Bill, 2024, was defeated in the Karnataka Legislative Council on Friday evening. During the voting, 18 Bharatiya Janata Party and Janata Dal (Secular) MLCs voted against the bill and seven only favoured it. However, Muzrai department minister Ramalinga Reddy, said the government will put it forth again in the Assembly on Monday. The bill seeks to help the 35,000 Hindu temples and their families with less income. It envisages increasing the burden revenue earning temples and passing the extra funds to temples with lesser income. The funds would be used to support the priests and their children for education and other needs. But opposition leader in the Council said the government needs to support the poorer temples with its own revenues and not out of the funds of the richer temples. Read full story

Legalising marijuana

The German parliament voted Friday to legalise the possession and controlled cultivation of cannabis starting in April, despite fierce objections from the opposition and medical associations. Under the new law, it will be possible to obtain up to 25 grams of the drug per day for personal use through regulated cannabis cultivation associations, as well as to have up to three plants at home. But possession and use of the drug will remain prohibited for anyone under 18. The changes will leave Germany with some of the most liberal cannabis laws in Europe. Read full story

WPL opener

Rookie all-rounder Sajeevan Sajana hit a six to give defending champions Mumbai Indians a nailbiting last-ball win in Friday’s Women’s Premier League season opener. Sajana took the crease in Bengaluru with Mumbai four runs behind the Delhi Capitals in a rerun of the inaugural season’s final last year. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur had been caught at long-on for 55 after attempting a boundary on the penultimate ball. Sajana then danced down the track, bringing Mumbai to 173-6 and sealing a four-wicket win. The 29-year-old, a captain for state side Kerala, had been scooped up by Kaur’s team in December at the bottom end of the player auction price band. Read full story

Milestone for Manoj Bajpayee

Actor Manoj Bajpayee celebrated 30 years in cinema at a special event organised by the Indian Embassy’s Tagore Centre in Berlin. The event coincided with Bajpayee’s presence in Berlin for the premiere of his latest film “The Fable” in the competitive Encounters section at the 74th edition of the Berlin International Film Festival. In a conversation, Bajpayee traced his journey from dreaming about becoming an actor in a small village in Bihar through his persistent struggle of over 15 years to his rise as a celebrated actor in Indian cinema. The discussion, also attended by the Ambassador of India to Germany, highlighted Bajpayee’s upcoming projects and his venture into production.