INDIA: India’s top court refused to legalise same-sex marriages today, with a judge saying it was up to parliament to create such a law.

Chief Justice DY Chandrachud also urged the government to uphold the rights of the queer community and end discrimination against them.

The five-judge bench earlier this year heard 20 petitions that sought to legalise same-sex marriage in the world’s most populous country.

POLAND: The Polish National Electoral Commission announced today that three opposition parties together had won over 54 per cent of the votes in the nation’s weekend parliamentary election.

The conservative Law and Justice party, which has governed the country for eight turbulent years, won slightly over 35 per cent of the votes, losing its majority in parliament and appeared to have no way to hold on to power.

UNITED NATIONS: Health ministers in the western Pacific nominated a surgeon from Tonga, Dr Saia Ma’u Piukala, to lead the World Health Organisation’s regional office at a meeting in Manila today.

Dr Piukala’s nomination for WHO’s top job in the western Pacific comes months after the UN health agency fired its previous director, Dr Takeshi Kasai, following allegations of racism and misconduct.

SOUTH KOREA: Metro workers in the South Korean capital have voted overwhelmingly to take strike action over management plans to cut staff, unions said on Monday.

Some 11,000 members of the Korean Public Service and Transport Workers Union and the Federation of Korean Public Trade Unions voted by more than 73 per cent to support the walkout in Seoul.

Union members will meet on Thursday to discuss plans for the strike.