Top Stories of 8th April in a Capsule
Karnataka Polls 2018: BJP releases first list of 72 candidates
BJP’s CM candidate for Karnataka, BS Yeddyurappa, will contest from Shikaripura assembly constituency, the party’s Central Election Committee announced on Sunday. Veteran state leaders Jagadish Shettar and KS Eswarappa will contest from Hubli Dharwad Central and Shimoga Assembly seats, respectively, it said.Senior party leader JP Nadda released the list of 72 candidates following the committee’s meeting. The party has also decided the probable candidates for over 140 seats and the names of remaining candidates are likely to be announced soon. The elections to the 225-seat assembly are scheduled for May 12.
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CWG 2018: India adds 3 gold, 1 silver & 2 bronze medal to total tally
Weightlifter Punam Yadav opened India’s account on Day 4 with a gold in the women’s 69 kg final, before shooters Manu Bhaker and Heena Sidhu secured a 1-2 for India in the women’s 10m Air Pistol. Ravi Kumar then bagged India’s third medal in shooting with a bronze in the men’s 10m Air Rifle. Weightlifter Vikas Thakur also won bronze in the men’s 94 kg category. Then, the Indian women’s table tennis team won their first ever gold at the Commonwealth Games, beating four-time champions Singapore no less. India are also in the final of the mixed-team event in badminton, while boxer Mary Kom secured a medal in her first CWG appearance after reaching the semi-finals of the women’s 45-48 kg event.
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US, North Korea holding secret, direct talks: Reports
The US and North Korea have been holding secret, direct talks to prepare for a summit between American President Donald Trump and Pyongyang's leader Kim Jong-un, according to administration officials. Although the North Korean regime has not publicly declared its invitation by Kim to meet Trump, which was conveyed last month by a South Korean envoy, several officials have said that North Korea has since acknowledged Trump's acceptance, and Pyongyang has reaffirmed that its leader was willing to discuss the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula.
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Kamal Hasaan, Rajnikanth protests amid Cauvery row
Tamil film fraternity led by veteran actors-turned-politicians Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth on Sunday observed a silent protest demanding the setting up of a Cauvery Management Board and the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC). The protest organised by the South Indian Film Artistes Association, popularly known as Nadigar Sangam, saw the participation of members of Tamil Film Producers Council and Film Employees Federation of South India. Leading actors, movie and music directors and other technicians participated in the protest including Illayaraja, Shankar-Ganesh, actors Surya, Vijay, Vishal, Prashanth and others.
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Syria, Russia deny usage of ‘chemical weapons’ in rebel-held Douma
The Syrian government on Sunday denied allegations of a chemical attack in the rebel-held Douma town in the suburbs of Damascus. The statement came as graphic videos and photographs showing the bodies of children, men and women started doing the rounds hours after the incident. At least 70 people were killed in the attack on Saturday evening, the Union of Medical Relief Organizations, a US-based charity that works with Syrian hospitals, told media. However, Russia, Syria’s main ally in the fight against the rebels, also denied that any chemical weapons were used.
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