Top stories on 26 April in a capsule

Kim Jong becomes 1st North Korean leader to cross-border into South since war

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Friday crossed the ‘demarcation line’ into the South Korean half of the DMZ to meet rival and  South Korean President Moon Jae for the first time, said media reports. The two leaders are expected to hold the historic inter-Korean Summit in Panmunjom, the truce village on the north-south border of the peninsula. As per a report, Kim and Moon are scheduled to meet at 9:30 AM (KST) and the official talks will begin at 10:30 AM. The summit is also expected to set the stage for the first meeting between sitting US president Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in May or June.
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Indu Malhotra to take oath as first female judge of SC today

The Supreme Court on Thursday appointed senior lawyer Indu Malhotra as a judge of the top court, in a first for a female advocate to be appointed directly from the bar council. Malhotra will join the league of seven female judges who have graced the panel of Supreme court of the top court since Independence.  As of now, Justice R Banumathi is the only woman judge in the apex court. Malhotra taught law for a brief period of time in Delhi’s reputed Miranda House College and Vivekananda College. Malhotra was designated as a senior advocate in 2007, the second woman to be designated a senior advocate by the Supreme Court after Justice Leila Seth. In her professional career of 35 years, Malhotra has represented SEBI, Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and the Indian Council for Agricultural Research, among others. Her oath taking ceremony will take place on Friday.
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PM Modi reaches China, to meet Xi for Wuhan Summit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday reached China for the two-day informal summit in Wuhan and hold significant meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Media reports suggest that discussions on Indo-Sino bilateral ties and border dispute of Doklam are on the priority list for both the leaders. Tweeting on the meeting, PM Modi said “President Xi and I will exchange views on a range of issues of bilateral and global importance. We will discuss our respective visions and priorities for national development, particularly in the context of current and future international situations.” Earlier at a joint press conference with Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj, her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi had said that the ‘informal meeting’ will be a success and a milestone in India-China relations. This is the first meeting between the two leaders post the 73-day Doklam stand-off between the two countries.

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Sharad Yadav supporters announce formation of Loktantrik Janata Dal party

Rebel leader of Janata Dal (United), Sharad Yadav and his supporters announced the launch of their party, Loktantrik Janata Dal on Thursday, a political move marking the final split from the ruling party, headed by Bihar’s Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Making the announcement in the press conference, media quoted LJD national secretary Sushila Morale said a national conference of the newly-formed outfit will be organised on May 18. Morale added that Yadav is currently not a part of the party, as his legal claim to represent the JDU is under judicial consideration. Yadav will however play the role of mentor for the party.

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Kushinagar Updates: School principal arrested, Yogi's 'nautanki' comment sparks controversy

The horrific accident that took lives of 13 minor students when a speeding train rammed into their school van at an unmanned rail crossing in Uttar Pradesh’s Kushinagar on Thursday came under controversy with CM Yogi Adityanath’s comment. As Yogi visited the hospital where the injured were lodged, enraged parents of the school children protested and in a retaliatory move Yogi screamed ‘nautanki band karo’ (stop the drama). Meanwhile, the principal of the school the deceased belonged from, Divine Public School, was arrested on grounds that the institution was running illegally. Some media reports suggested that the school was running without proper paperwork and has now been shut.

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Karnataka Polls 2018: BJP to release 224 manifestoes for every Assembly seat

In the elections bound season, it is written that every party will take one step ahead than the other. So As the Congress is releasing district manifesto for the upcoming Karnataka polls, the BJP on Thursday announced that they would be released 225 manifesto for the 224 Assemblies, targeting each seat separately. “We have taken opinions of nearly 3 lakh people offline and online, and we have a vision document for every Assembly segment that will then be given to the candidate as his mandate to be fulfilled after the election,” the man assigned with the task of formulating these manifestoes, MLA Dr Ashwathnarayan said.

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Trump favourite Mike Pompeo elected US Secretary of State

In a major win for US President Donald Trump and his inner circle of close allies, former CIA director Mike Pompeo was unanimously voted the Secretary of State on Thursdayamidst the upcoming meeting with North Korea. Some news reported suggested that Pompeo shares Mr Trump’s aggressive stance towards Iran, echoing the president’s calls to end a nuclear deal negotiated under Barack Obama, which worried some Democrates but did not deter the Senate from voting a comfortable 57-42 vote for Pompeo. Pompeo’s appointment after his predecessor Rex Tillerson was fired in March following growing differences with Trump.
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If you attack Tel Aviv, we attack Tehran: Israel warns Iran

The government of Israel issued a direct and deadly warning to rival nation Iran on Thursday over a nuclear deal. “We hear many (Iranian) threats … but if they attack Tel Aviv, we will strike Tehran,” Israel defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman was quoted by media agencies. The hostile relations between the countries follow as Israel views Iran as a serious threat due to its nuclear and missile programs, support of violent regional groups and frequent calls for the destruction of the Jewish state. The relations worsened after Iran and Russia blamed Israel for operating an airstrike on Syria’s T4 military air base, earlier this month where Seven Iranians were killed.

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Congress questions Centre stalling Judge Kurien appointment

On Thursday, the Congress questioned the Centre not appointing Judge Kurien to the post of SC judge, along with Judge Indu Malhotra’s name who were recommended by the Supreme Court Collegium, headed by Chief Justice of India on January 10. Questioning the Centre’s move the Congress alleged that Kurien is being ‘punished’ for his decision to reject the Centre’s request to impose President’s rule in Uttarakhand in 2016, leading Chief Minister Harish Rawat led Congress government back in power. The government in its defense said, the Collegium needs to explain why Joseph was recommended, in spite of other judges being senior than him. The Collegium clarified that Kurien, though 45th in line, was appointed as he was "more deserving and suitable in all respects"

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Shibu Shoren acquitted by Supreme Court in 1994 murder case

Tainted former Union Minister Shibu Soren, who was lodged in jail for the murder of his private secretary, Shashi Nath Jha was cleared off the charges by the Supreme Court on Thursday, upholding the Delhi High Court’s 2007 order. The HC had cleared Soren, who is also leader of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), quashing the verdict of a District Court on grounds that "the trial court's analysis is far from convincing and not sustainable." Soren, reportedly first Union Minister to be convicted of murder was accused of killing his secretary who went missing on 22 May 1994 with the help of his loyalist. The case had gone to the Supreme Court after the CBI and the deceased’s family appealed against the order of the High Court.

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Pakistan Foreign Minister disqualified for holding UAE work permit

Days after former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was banned from holding public office by the Supreme Court, the Islamabad High Court on Thursday disqualified Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif as a member of parliament, for holding an ‘iqama’ or work permit from the United Arab Emirates. A petitioner from the rival party of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) sought Asif’s disqualification on grounds that he had an Unlimited Term Employment Contract with International Mechanical and Electrical Co and was hired as a full-time employee in July, 2011.Unanimously saying that Asif has not been ‘truthful and honest’, the three judge bench ruled that Asif was not even allowed to contest the elections of 2013.

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Facebook records 63% increase in profits post data breach scandal

The shares of Facebook rose on Wednesday after the company reported a 63% rise in profits and a massive increase in users. The company posted $11.97 billion in quarterly earnings, 2.2 billion monthly active users, and 1.45 billion daily active users, both up 13 percent from the same quarter last year. The company’s earnings did not show any downfall post the Cambridge Analytica scandal. Chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg said a handful of advertisers paused spending in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal, but one has already returned. Facebook’s basic income is generated through advertisements while it is spending a major chunk of revenue on safety and security.
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CBI books former Aircel promoter’s companies in 600 crore fraud

The CBI on Thursday registered a case against former Aircel promoter C Sivasankaran's companies for allegedly defaulting on loans worth Rs. 600 crore taken from IDBI Bank. The companies named Axcel Sunshine Ltd and Finland-based Win Wind Oy were used to take loans amounting to 530 crores in 2014. The loan amount then swelled to 600 crores after it was declared under NPAs (Non-performing assets). CBI is carrying out searches at 50 locations, including the residences of former senior IDBI Bank officials. Sivasankaran was also a shareholder of Tata Docomo. The case has been registered under sections relating to criminal conspiracy, cheating, and corruption.