Ex-journalist elected Australia's new Deputy PM
Canberra: Michael McCormack, a former regional newspaper editor, was elected as Australia's new Deputy Prime Minister on Monday.
He replaces Barnaby Joyce as leader of the Nationals, the governing coalition's junior partner.
Joyce stepped down on Friday following questions over his relationship with media adviser Vikki Campion, and an allegation of sexual harassment by another woman. He called the latter's complaint "spurious and defamatory".
As leader of the Nationals, McCormack automatically becomes deputy to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull - who heads the Liberal Party.
McCormack said Joyce had been an "outstanding leader".
"His service to our party and to our nation will never be diminished. His legacy will endure," he told the media.
McCormack had attracted criticism over a controversial editorial he wrote 25 years ago as editor of the Daily Advertiser, a small newspaper based in the town of Wagga Wagga, in which he described homosexuality as "sordid".
"Unfortunately gays are here and, if the disease their unnatural acts helped spread doesn't wipe out humanity, they're here to stay," he wrote in 1993.
McCormack has since apologised for the piece and said his views have changed.
Although long opposed to same-sex marriage, he voted in line with the majority of his constituents to support its legalisation in Australia last year.
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CM Siddaramaiah to withdraw all cases against pro-Kannada activists
Bengaluru, Jan 27 (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced on Monday that all cases registered against pro-Kannada activists will be withdrawn.
The CM was addressing a gathering at the unveiling of the 25-feet-tall bronze statue of Bhuvaneshwari, the goddess who represents the Karnataka state identity, on the premises of the Vidhana Soudha.
The statue of Bhuvaneshwari, which was sculpted at an approximate cost of Rs 21.24 crore is 41-feet-tall including the pedestal, and weighs around 31.5 tonne.
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While speaking at the event, although he acknowledged that one must love and embrace all languages, the CM said, in Karnataka, Kannadigas should follow the culture of speaking and interacting with “their brothers and other speakers” in Kannada.
“Instead of speaking incorrectly in other languages, we should speak our own language. In all our neighbouring states, the language spoken by the people of the respective state is sovereign. This should be practiced here, too,” said Siddaramaiah.
Insisting that everyone in the state should develop respect for the Kannada language, culture and art, the CM called for more learning and teaching of reading and writing Kannada.
“Only then will Kannada become the sovereign language,” he added.
