India. Judges asked President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Narayanaswami Srinivasanwas to step down last Saturday amid allegations of corruption. The Srinvasan family firm’s involvement in betting on Indian Premier League (IPL) games was deemed a conflict of interest. The controversy has sparked intense criticism from Indian cricket fans. Srinivasanwas denies any wrongdoing, although an investigation of all officials and cricket teams is ongoing. The Indian Supreme Court assigned Sunil Gavaskar the position of president of the BCCI. He will oversee the IPL’s new season until April 16.
BBC and The Economist
Cairo. The Egyptian Elections Commission set the country’s next presidential elections for May 26 and 27. Commentators predict that voters will elect Egyptian military commander Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. While he was hesitant to declare his candidacy, forcing the EEC to postpone the April elections until May, el-Sisi remains the most popular candidate. He is an ex-military commander known for his independent agenda. El-Sisi headed a coup against Mohamed Morsi last July, who was removed from office that same month. This will be the second free presidential election following the Egyptian Revolution of 2011.
Los Angeles Times
Paris. For the first time in the city’s history, Paris will have a female mayor. Anne Hidalgo, currently the deputy mayor to the outgoing Bertrand Delanoe, beat Natalie Kosciusko-Morizet in last Sunday’s election. Kosciusko-Morizet, the more conservative of the two candidates, worked as a minister under former president Nicolas Sarkozy. Mayor-elect Hidalgo, a socialist, immigrated from Spain as a young child and won by a significant margin. Women currently make up 13.9 percent of local government officials and 26 percent of the National Assembly. Hidalgo plans to establish a new investment program to create more housing and green spaces in the city.
Washington Post and CNN
Brazil. Military forces began an intensive slum clean-up program in preparation for the 2014 Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup. The slum pacification program focuses on areas surrounding Rio de Janeiro, a popular tourist destination for visiting soccer fans and the site of the 2016 Summer Olympics. The main goal is to drive out as many gangs and militia possibly related to drug trafficking as possible. Helicopters and armed officers are entering large slums, colloquially referred to as “favelas,” and seizing weapons in an effort to reduce crime rates. No shots at civilians have been fired. The World Cup begins June 14.
Daily Mail UK and CBS News
