Top Stories on 10 May in a capsule
CBI confirms rape charge against BJP MLA in Unnao case
____________________
A FIR was filed on Thursday against sitting Congress MLA Munirathna as one of the accused in the case where over 9,000 Electors Photo Identity Cards (EPIC) was recovered from a Bengaluru flat. Confirming the news, chief electoral officer of Karnataka Sanjeev Kumar said, “All the reports on the case had been submitted to the Election Commission of India.” He further added that based on these reports the decision would be taken to whether the elections in Rajarajeshwari Nagar would be postponed or not. On the authenticity of the EPIC found, the electoral officer said around 8000 were verified and genuine. “Some of them are as old as 2012, which cannot be manufactured overnight,” Kumar added.____________
A Kerala girl who appeared for National Eligibility Entrance Test this month, on Thursdayfiled a police complaint against a male invigilator. According to the complainant, she was asked to remove her bra by the security for the metal hooks as according to the rules prescribed by CBSE, metal is one of the prohibited items. Upon entering the exam hall, the male invigilator stared at her chest repeatedly during the course of the exam. According to her complaint, she "felt humiliated" by this violation. A relative of the girl who was also an examinee reported that 25 other girls asked to remove their innerwear.
____________
Superstar footballer Cristiano Ronaldo is all set to become the first in his sport to have his own superhero avatar, as he will be releasing an animated game soon. The Portuguese forward on Thursday announced that he will be launching cartoon series ‘Striker Force 7’ in association with VMS communications and Graphic India. "I have always been a fan of superheroes and I am thrilled to help to create this new animated series, Ronald said according to news reports. Images doing rounds in media of the 33-year-old’s cartoon highlights his pearly white smile, chiselled face and brown hair, and his ripped physique. The character will be used in comics, gaming and for digital content.
____________
The BJP and the Congress party on Thursday left no stone unturned to attack each other on the last day of campaigning ahead of the Karnataka Elections on May 12. Addressing a press conference with CM Siddaramaiah in tow, Congress President Rahul Gandhi spoke of a confident win. “We (Congress) stood together and fought the campaign on fundamental issues. The Opposition has restricted itself to making personal remarks,” Gandhi said in a reaction to the BJP highlighting his mother’s Italian descent. Hours later, BJP chief Amit Shah lashed at the Congress government in the state for the diminishing law and order system in the state. “The voter id scandal shows how desperate Congress is to win the elections. The BJP will win 130 seats in the elections and Yeddyurappa will be the CM,” Amit quipped.
____________
____________
At least 30 people were killed and around 2000 displaced following a dam burst in South Africa’s Kenya on Thursday after heavy rains lashed the region. The flooding caused following the rains burst the banks of Patel dam and submerged the Rift Valley in Nakuru County. "We have recovered 38 bodies and many people are missing. It is a disaster! Almost an entire village was swept by silt and water levels rose over a radius of nearly 2 kilometers," Kenyan police spokesperson was quoted in news reports. According to the Kenyan government, a total of 170 people have died in the last two months due to seasonal rains and at least 225,436 people have been displaced from their homes.
____________
Karnataka Polls 2018: FIR filed against Congress MLA in the fake voter IDs case
A FIR was filed on Thursday against sitting Congress MLA Munirathna as one of the accused in the case where over 9,000 Electors Photo Identity Cards (EPIC) was recovered from a Bengaluru flat. Confirming the news, chief electoral officer of Karnataka Sanjeev Kumar said, “All the reports on the case had been submitted to the Election Commission of India.” He further added that based on these reports the decision would be taken to whether the elections in Rajarajeshwari Nagar would be postponed or not. On the authenticity of the EPIC found, the electoral officer said around 8000 were verified and genuine. “Some of them are as old as 2012, which cannot be manufactured overnight,” Kumar added.____________
Kerala girl files complaint against NEET invigilator for staring 'inappropriately'
A Kerala girl who appeared for National Eligibility Entrance Test this month, on Thursdayfiled a police complaint against a male invigilator. According to the complainant, she was asked to remove her bra by the security for the metal hooks as according to the rules prescribed by CBSE, metal is one of the prohibited items. Upon entering the exam hall, the male invigilator stared at her chest repeatedly during the course of the exam. According to her complaint, she "felt humiliated" by this violation. A relative of the girl who was also an examinee reported that 25 other girls asked to remove their innerwear.
____________
Ronaldo to launch cartoon series, himself as superhero
 |
| Picture Source: CNet |
____________
'War-of-words’ on last day of campaigning in Karnataka
The BJP and the Congress party on Thursday left no stone unturned to attack each other on the last day of campaigning ahead of the Karnataka Elections on May 12. Addressing a press conference with CM Siddaramaiah in tow, Congress President Rahul Gandhi spoke of a confident win. “We (Congress) stood together and fought the campaign on fundamental issues. The Opposition has restricted itself to making personal remarks,” Gandhi said in a reaction to the BJP highlighting his mother’s Italian descent. Hours later, BJP chief Amit Shah lashed at the Congress government in the state for the diminishing law and order system in the state. “The voter id scandal shows how desperate Congress is to win the elections. The BJP will win 130 seats in the elections and Yeddyurappa will be the CM,” Amit quipped.
____________
No need to wait for PM to inaugurate Expressway: SC
The Supreme Court on Thursday ordered the National Highways Authority of India to ensure that the much-awaited Eastern Peripheral Expressway is inaugurated not a day later than May 31st. The apex court was earlier informed that the 135-km Expressway would be inaugurated on April 20th by PM Modi, a promise that has not been kept owing to PM Modi's busy schedule. "Why was it not done then...Why are we waiting for the Prime Minister to inaugurate it?" the SC asked. The bench added that the Meghalaya High Court has been hearing cases for five years now without being officially inaugurated. The Eastern Peripheral Expressway, which aims at decongesting Delhi, envisions connectivity between Ghaziabad, Faridabad, Gautam Budh Nagar (Greater Noida) and Palwal without any traffic signal.
____________
Railways liable to pay compensation for accidental fall: SC
The Supreme Court on Thursday clarified the laws regarding the ‘railway accident claims’ stating that the Indian Railways must pay a compensation in case of death or injury caused during boarding and de-boarding trains. Giving this ruling, a Bench of Justice H.K. Sema and Justice Markandey Katju said, “In our opinion, if we adopt a restrictive meaning to the expression ‘accidental falling of a passenger’ from a train in Section 123(c) of the Railways Act, we will be depriving a large number of railway passengers of compensation in railway accidents. The bench also added that the compensation as applicable on the date of the accident has to be given with reasonable interest.____________
Azadi will never happen, you can’t fight us: Army Chief to Kashmir youths
Expressing his concern over Kashmiri youths ‘picking up gun’, Army Chief General Bipin Rawat has said that we need to tell the youth ‘azaadi will never happen’ as one cannot ‘fight the Army’. In an interview to The Indian Express, General Rawat said, “I want to tell Kashmiri youth that Azaadi isn’t possible. It won’t happen. Don’t get carried away unnecessarily. Why are you picking up weapons? We will always fight those who seek Azadi, those who want to secede’’. Rawat further said that he doesn’t attach much importance to the number of militants who are killed in encounters with the Army. “These numbers don’t matter to me because I know this cycle will continue”.
____________
Karnataka Polls 2018: Voter IDs being sold for Rs 100
In the run-up of the Karnataka elections on May 12, bribing voters is being practiced in the state with votes being bought for as cheap as Rs 100, a news article report said on Thursday. The story published in a leading news daily implied that candidates would bribe registered voters for their electors photo identity cards (EPIC). The price of EPIC cards varies from Rs 100 in a remote assembly seat to Rs 2,000 in Bengaluru. As per the report, a witness said “I was approached by BJP supporters with a bribe of Rs 1000 for not voting. Others I knew were given a pint of whiskey and cash.”SC orders elections for all Bengal Panchayat seats on May 14
In a huge blow to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee led Trinamool Congress (TMC) government the Supreme Court on Thursday canceled the victory of 17,000 candidates who had won the panchayat polls unopposed and asked the state poll panel to not ‘declare them as winners.’ The bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra also stayed the Calcutta High Court’s order directing the State Election Commission (SEC) to accept the nomination of 3 CPI(M) candidates, that were sent through e-mails on April. Giving the order, the bench said panchayat elections on May 14 should go ‘unhindered’ and the SEC and state government should ensure ‘free and fair’ process.
_____________
Kenya dam burst kills 38; 2000 displaced from homes
At least 30 people were killed and around 2000 displaced following a dam burst in South Africa’s Kenya on Thursday after heavy rains lashed the region. The flooding caused following the rains burst the banks of Patel dam and submerged the Rift Valley in Nakuru County. "We have recovered 38 bodies and many people are missing. It is a disaster! Almost an entire village was swept by silt and water levels rose over a radius of nearly 2 kilometers," Kenyan police spokesperson was quoted in news reports. According to the Kenyan government, a total of 170 people have died in the last two months due to seasonal rains and at least 225,436 people have been displaced from their homes.
____________
