INX Media case: HC grants P Chidambaram interim protection till July 3

Justice A K Pathak asked Chidambaram to join and cooperate in the questioning session as and when called by the CBI

The Delhi High Court on Thursday granted former Union minister P Chidambaram interim protection from arrest till July 3 in the Central Bureau of Investigation's INX Media corruption case.

Justice A K Pathak asked Chidambaram to join and cooperate in the questioning session as and when called by the CBI.

The court also sought the investigating agency's response on the Congress leader's anticipatory bail plea and listed the matter for further hearing on July 3.

Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the CBI, opposed the anticipatory bail plea saying he was merely called for questioning.

Chidambaram had on Wednesday rushed to a trial court for protection from arrest in Aircel-Maxis case before approaching the Delhi High Court in connection with the INX Media case, in which he has been asked by probe agencies to join investigations.

Chidambaram's role has come under the scanner of investigating agencies in the Aircel-Maxis deal of Rs 35 billion and INX Media case involving Rs 3.05 billion. It was during his tenure as finance minister in the UPA-1 regime that FIPB clearance was granted to the two ventures in which alleged irregularities have been found.

In the INX Media case, the CBI had registered an FIR on May 15, 2017, against alleged irregularities in the FIPB clearance to INX Media for receiving overseas funds to the tune of Rs 3.05 billion in 2007 when Chidambaram was finance minister. Read More

Ramdev's Patanjali takes on WhatsApp with 'Swadeshi Messaging app Kimbho'

Kimbho application is touted to be a competitor of the messaging app WhatsApp. The tagline of Kimbho is kept as "Ab Bharat Bolega"

Yoga guru Ramdev on Wednesday launched a new messaging application called Kimbho under his flagship company Patanjali.

Patanjali's spokesperson SK Tijarawala tweeted, "Now Bharat will speak. After launching sim cards, baba Ramdev has launched a new messaging application called Kimbho. Now Whats App will be given a competition. Our own #SwadeshiMessagingplatform. Download it directly from Google Play store."

Kimbho application is touted to be a competitor of the messaging app WhatsApp. The tagline of Kimbho is kept as "Ab Bharat Bolega".

अब भारत बोलेगा...!

पूज्य @yogrishiramdev @Ach_Balkrishna के मार्गदर्शन में उनके शिष्य नवदीक्षित साधुओं और राष्ट्रनिष्ठ विशेषज्ञों ने #स्वदेशी तकनीक से इजाद कर बनाया यह #KIMBHO एप#भारत #स्वाभिमान

Patanjali's new app to challenge WhatsApp @bst_official Patanjali's new app to challenge WhatsApp

— tijarawala sk (@tijarawala) May 30, 2018

Patanjali's entry into telecom sector

Patanjali on Sunday entered the telecom sector. Ramdev launched Swadeshi Samriddhi SIM cards, in alliance with Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL).

Initially, only the employees and office bearers of Patanjali will be able to avail the benefits of the SIM card.

After its full-fledged launch, people will get discount of 10 per cent on Patanjali products with this card. Just with the recharge of Rs 144, one would be able to make unlimited calls across the country, get 2 GB data pack and send 100 SMSs. Apart from this, people will also get health, accidental and life insurances. Speaking on the occasion, Ramdev said government-owned BSNL is a 'Swadeshi network' and the motive of both Patanjali and BSNL is the welfare of the country.

Read More On → Kimbho App

Heavy rains rattle Mangaluru as Cyclone Mekunu hits coastal Karnataka

National Weather Forecasting Centre has predicted heavy rains in Kerala and the coastal Karnataka region from May 29 to June 2

Several houses were damaged and at least 12 people were injured as Cyclone Mekunu, which had wreaked havoc in Oman in Yemen over the weekend, hit the coastal Karnataka region on Tuesday, resulting in heavy rainfall.

Mangaluru and Udupi were the worst affected, with reports of property loss and waterlogging coming from several areas.

Here are the top updates on rains in coastal Karnataka:

1. Heavy rains are expected in Kerala and the coastal Karnataka region from May 29 to June 2, according to the National Weather Forecasting Centre predictions.

2. Schools in Karnataka will remain closed for the next two days in view of the rain forecast.

3. As many as 12 people have been injured, according to Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner Saisikanth Senthil. Mangaluru was one of the most affected with at least 52 houses there being damaged in the rains, according to media reports. Five rehabilitation centres have been opened and compensation for the injured will be announced on Wednesday, ANI reported.

4. Prime Minister Narendra Modi took cognizance of the matter and said that all assistance would be provided for those affected in the rains. "I pray for the safety and well-being of all those affected by heavy rains in various parts of Karnataka.

→ Cyclone Mekunu ←

Banks on 2-day nation-wide strike from today: Here's how it will affect you

The two-day nationwide bank strike on May 30 and 31 will hit banking operations and might lead to cash-crunch across the country

Employees and officers of various public sector banks across the country are on a two-day strike starting today to protest a nominal 2 per cent wage hike offered by the Indian Banks' Association (IBA).

The strike is expected to hit bank customers hard as it may disrupt month-end salary credit operation. Further, the strike could trigger a country-wide cash crunch as ATMs of most banks would not be replenished in the next two-days. Several ATMs might even remain closed during the strike as security guards employed in these ATMs are also likely to participate in the protest.

Owing to the strike, operations such as clearing of cheques, money transfer, cash remittances, and deposit and withdrawals at branches will not be possible in the next two days.

ALSO READ: Two-day bank strike from today, salary withdrawal, ATM transactions may take a hit

Why are bank unions protesting:

The United Forum of Banking Unions (UFBU), an umbrella body of nine bank unions, has demanded early wage review settlement, sufficient increase in salary and improvement in other service conditions and wage revision settlement for all officers up to scale VII.

In the last wage revision in 2012, which was for the period between November 1, 2012, and October 31, 2017, bank employees got a 15 per cent wage hike and AIBOC Joint General Secretary Ravinder Gupta said the unions were expecting a better salary increase this time.

ALSO READ: Around 1 million bank employees to go on 2-day strike from Wednesday

"We had requested the IBA to come up with a better offer than the mere two per cent hike offer made earlier," said C H Venkatachalam, General Secretary of AIBEA, one of the bank union participating in the strike.

"We also asked the IBA not to delink the wage negotiations for bank officers in the Scales 4-7. The IBA did not do anything," he added.

Some banks to remain unaffected

Read More On → Bank Strike

Here's what history of advertising suggests about the future of fake news

History also suggests that the danger will probably recede over time as people grow accustomed to the ads, which will cease to work as effectively

Jordan Peele, the comedian turned horror-movie director, recently made a video meant to give American voters shivers of dread.

It showed President Barack Obama giving a speech he never gave, and uttering sentences that he didn’t actually say. The video demonstrated how easy it is to use current technology to create powerful and persuasive lies, now also known as fake news.

When this video magic is coupled with the ability of companies like Facebook to micro-target each of us and select the news we see, the implications for the future of our democracy seem dire. Fake news and microtargeting can be combined to create a kind of advertising that’s like an evil version of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, and we are being exposed to more of these pernicious morsels every year.

But two lessons from the history of advertising suggest that the fake news phenomenon is likely to change significantly in the years to come. Prospects are gloomy for the near future, as this kind of advertising extends beyond politics. History also suggests, though, that the danger will probably recede over time as people grow accustomed to the ads, which will cease to work as effectively.

First, in all likelihood, fake news will spread, despite efforts to rein it in. So far, most attention has focused on efforts to meddle in American elections. That is no small threat.

Yet, based on the historical record, far more effort goes into persuading Americans to buy things than to elect politicians.

By one estimate, political campaigns in the United States will spend an estimated $8 billion on advertising in 2018. But it is likely to be less than 1/25th of total advertising spending for the year, and new technologies are likely to be deployed more frequently on consumers than voters.

Read More On → Fake News

Pro Kabaddi League 2018: Here's a snapshot of what to expect from auction

The broadcast of the auction will introduce a new packaging feature called 'bid-o-meter'

As the 12 franchises gear up for the sixth season of Pro Kabaddi league, all energies will be focussed on the player auction that takes place on May 30 and 31. This year, 422 players will going under the hammer, and the teams will each have Rs 40 million at their disposal. Here’s a snapshot of what to expect from the process.

A total of 422 players will be drafted into the auction pool of which 58 are overseas players and 87 are players from the Future Kabaddi Heroes Programme (FKH), a nationwide talent scouting programme. Each team can have 18-25 players. This includes up to three players from the FKH, and between two and four overseas players.

The two-day auction will mark the first event for Season 6, with the franchises coming together to build their teams. Out of the 12 franchises, 9 have chosen their Elite Retained Players and the remaining 3 will construct their teams from scratch.

The League has introduced the concept of “Final Bid Match”, whereby the franchises shall be entitled to match the final bid made by another franchise, for one or at most two players from its Season V squad. This is similar to the Right to match feature in the Indian Premier League player auctions.

The broadcast of the auction will introduce a new packaging feature called ‘bid-o-meter’. It is a graphical representation, similar to a speed-o-meter with three distinct ranges (Steal| Fair| Ambitious) for television only. While a bid for a player is active, the needle of the “Bid-o-Meter” will move along the range according to the current bid price till it settles on the final bid, this is done through a backend algorithm.

→ Pro Kabaddi League 2018 ←

CBSE 10th result 2018 to be out tomorrow at 4pm on cbse.nic.in; updates

CBSE 10th result 2018 will be declared on May 29, Central Board of Secondary Education confirmed. Check for CBSE Results updates on Business Standard

CBSE 10th Result 2018 will be declared on Tuesday at 4pm. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) today announced that CBSE Class 10 result 2018 will be declared tomorrow. Over 16 lakh students appeared for Class 10 exams this year. CBSE will release CBSE 10th result 2018 on its official website http://cbse.nic.in or http://cbseresults.nic.in.

"Results of CBSE Class 10 examinations for 2017-18 to be declared by 4 pm on 29th of May, 2018," tweeted Union Education Secretary Anil Swarup.

The CBSE Class 10 exams were marred by controversy in 2018 with question paper leaks being reported from Delhi-NCR, Haryana and Jharkhand of Class 10 mathematics paper, but the HRD ministry had decided against conducting a re-examination in the "interest of students". This was the first batch to appear for the Class 10 board examinations after the CBSE decided to junk the Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE) and reintroduce the board exams.

Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) announced CBSE 12th result on Saturday with the overall pass percentage of 83.01 percent. The top three regions were Thiruvananthapuram with 97.32 percent, Chennai 93.87 percent, and Delhi with 89 percent. Meghna Srivastava, from Ghaziabad, became the national topper with 499 marks out of 500. Anoushka Chandra from Ghaziabad secured the second position with 498. A Vijay Ganesh from Kerala topped the differently able category with a score of 492. Pooja Kumari of Dehradun secured the second position with 489 and, Lavanya Jha of Delhi came third with 487.

Steps to check CBSE 12th result 2018

— Visit the CBSE official website http://cbse.nic.in

— Select "Results"

— Click on CBSE CBSE Class 10th Result 2018

— Enter your admit card details and get your CBSE Class 10 Result 2018 or CBSE Class 12 Result 2018

— Download your CBSE Result 2018 for future reference

Students can access their results via SMS charged at 50 paise per SMS

Check CBSE result through Google

CBSE has partnered with Google to host the CBSE Class 10 on the search engine. Students can check their results on Google by searching for CBSE Class 10 result 2018. They will have to enter roll number to login and access their results.

Read More → CBSE 10th Result 2018

Watson's century helps CSK lift IPL 2018 trophy, beat SRH by 8 wickets

This is the third IPL trophy for the Chennai Super Kings and also for MS Dhoni. Watson becomes 2nd batsman to hit century in IPL final after Wriddhiman Saha

Chennai Super Kings beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by 8 wickets to win the VIVO Indian Premier League (IPL 2018). Shane Watson single-handedly won it for CSK by hitting a magnificent century in the biggest game of the season. He made 117 runs. He had scored a century in the earlier stage of the tournament. Ambati Rayudu hit the winning runs. Coming back from a two-year suspension due to spot-fixing scandal, CSK showed utter dominance over SRH as they beat them in all the four encounters they had in this year's edition. SRH bowlers looked out of form. Barring Bhuvneshwar and Raashid, all the others leaked runs heavily. With this win, CSK lift the IPL trophy for the third time in the seven finals they have played.

Earlier, Bhuvneshwar Kumar was back in the attack and gave just 8 runs. His figures were 4-1-17-0. Rashid came back to bowl his last and Shane Watson completed his 2nd century of the season. Rashid gave 12 runs in his last over. He ended with the figures of 4-1-24-0. CSK needed 13 from 18. Kaul came to bowl the 18th over and Watson showed no mercy.

IPL 2018 FINAL CSK vs SRH SCOREBOARD

Chennai Super Kings innings update: Over by over

Chennai Super Kings playing 11 for today's match: Shane Watson, Faf du Plessis, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni(w/c), Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, Deepak Chahar, Karn Sharma, Shardul Thakur, Lungi Ngidi. Change: Karn Sharma replaces Harbhajan Singh.

Over 1: Faf du Plessis and Shane Watson on the crease. Buvneshwar Kumar came to bowl and bowled a perfect maiden over. CSK: 0-0, Shane Watson: 0(6b), Faf du Plessis: 0(0b)

Over 2: Sandeep Sharma in the attack, missed the length by a fraction and it goes for four. Single taken by Faf to bring Watson on strike. Two dot balls to Watson. Just five from the over. CSK: 5-0, Shane Watson: 0(8b), Faf du Plessis: 5(4b)

Over 3: Bhuvneshwar Kumar to Faf du Plessis, no run. Another DOT ball. Squared du Plessis for no run. Another defensive shot another DOT ball, 10 DOT balls on the trot by Bhuvi.

Click Here To Read More : IPL 2018 Final

Superhero mash-up Avengers beats Jurassic World as world's 4th-biggest film

The third "Avengers" film has minted 1.686 billion dollars at the box office worldwide after 20 days of release, reported Variety

Superhero mash-up "Avengers

Disney Studios announced on Thursday that the third "Avengers" film has minted 1.686 billion dollars at the box office worldwide after 20 days of release, reported Variety.

Earlier, "Avengers: Infinity War" became the fastest film to hit the $1 billion worldwide mark, needing only 11 days to do so. It reached the milestone one day earlier than "Star Wars: The Force Awakens".

It now trails only three titles at the all-time worldwide box office - "Avatar" with $2.79 billion, "Titanic" with $2.19 billion and "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" at $2.07 billion.

Co-directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, the film features a massive ensemble cast including Robert Downey Jr, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Holland, Zoe Saldana and Chris Pratt.

→ Avengers Infinity War Box Office Collection ←

OnePlus 6 launched in India, price starts at Rs 34,999: Details here

OnePlus 6 would go on sale starting May 21, exclusively on Amazon India. However, the OnePlus 6 Avenger Infinity War-based special 256GB storage variant would go on sale some time in June

The OnePlus 6 smartphone comes in three RAM and storage combinations – 6GB/64GB, 8GB/128GB and 8GB/256GB. This OnePlus phone is priced at Rs 34,999, 39,999 and Rs 44,999, respectively.

The phone would go on sale starting May 21, exclusively on Amazon India. However, the OnePlus 6 Avenger Infinity War-based special 256GB storage variant would go on sale some time in June.

ONEPLUS 6: SOFTWARE

→ The OnePlus 6 boots Android Oreo-based OxygenOS 5.1 operating system, which now supports gesture-based on-screen navigation.

ONEPLUS 6: CAMERA

→ OnePlus 6 sports dual camera set-up on the back featuring a 16-megapixel primary sensor, paired with 20MP sensors. The primary sensor is assisted with optical image stabilisation and electronic image stabilisation. Both the sensors feature bright f/1.7 aperture for low-light photography.

ONEPLUS 6: NOTCH-BASED SCREEN

→ OnePlus 6 sports a 6.28-inch 19:9 aspect ratio notch-based screen. Just like its predecessor, the phone’s screen is of AMOLED breed with fullHD+ resolution.

ONEPLUS 6: DESIGN

→ OnePlus 6 is the first premium offering from the stable of OnePlus to feature glass-based design. The OnePlus 6 features glass-aluminium-glass sandwich design, utilising Gorilla Glass 5 on the front and back and sturdy aluminium frame sandwiched in between.

ONEPLUS 6: PROCESSOR

→ OnePlus 6 is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 system-on-chip (SoC), which is an octacore processor paired with Adreno graphic processing unit.

Read About → Oneplus 6 Avengers Edition

IPL 2018: RCB beat SRH by 14 runs, jump to 5th spot on points table

In the 51st match of the VIVO Indian Premier League (IPL 2018), RCB beat SRH by 14 runs to stay alive in the tournament.

IPL 2018 : In the 51st match of the VIVO Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018, RCB defeated SRH by 14 runs in a nail-biter and moved to the 5th spot of the VIVO IPL points table. Kane Williamson played a great knock, scoring 81 runs, and Manish Pandey accompanied him but somewhere, de Villiers and Moeen Ali’s knock overshadowed it. The suspense only ended in the last over after Williamson fell on the first ball, the match kept swinging in either direction and just when it looked that Williamson’s side was closer to seal the victory, Royal Challengers Bangaloreswung back in, courtesy, the last two overs by Tim Southee and Mohammed Siraj.

Earlier, Sunrisers Hyderabad won the toss and invited Royal Challengers Bangalore to bat first. Bangalore suffered an early loss in the form of Parthiv Patel, AB de Villiers was at his best today, he made his intention clear right from the start. Rashid stunned Kohli. The dominance was oscillating from one side to the other. Dhawan committed a gaffe by crossing the boundary rope after taking Moeen’s catch, AB de Villiers and Moeen made their fifties, the bowlers had no respite, Rashid finally got breakthrough, de Villiers and Moeen Ali were back into the pavilion. Sarfaraz and Grandhomme played an important cameo. Chasing the target of 219 runs, Hyderabad had a fine start soon, Dhawan and Hales were dismissed. Williamson yet again played a great knock and Pandey accompanied him but they just fell short of a few runs.

How SRH again lost to CSK: In the 46th match of the VIVO Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018, Chennai Super Kings won the match against Sunrisers Hyderabad and remained in the second spot in the VIVO IPL points table. Rayudu continued his top form and smashed a brilliant century that enabled the team to reach the target of 180 runs. The usual formidable bowling attack from Hyderabad looked pale today and much of that goes to the wicket condition. Despite the win, there was no change in the position of the teams on the VIVO IPL points table.

→ IPL 2018 News , IPL 2018 Matches ←

Karnataka: CM Yeddyurappa waives farm loans of up to Rs 100,000; updates

In a joint petition in Supreme Court, the Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular) had sought a stay on the oath-taking taking ceremony of BJP's chief ministerial candidate Yeddyurappa

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader B S Yeddyurappa took oath as the 23rd chief minister of Karnataka on Thursday after the Supreme Court, in a post-midnight hearing, decided not to put a stay on the swearing-in.

Top BJP leaders, including Union Ministers JP Nadda, Dharmendra Pradhan and Prakash Javadekar were present at Raj Bhavan in Karnataka during the swearing-in ceremony.

Earlier, while hearing a plea filed by Congress, the Supreme Court refused to stall the swearing-in of Yeddyurappa. The court, however, made it clear that the swearing-in and the government formation would be subject to the final outcome of the case before it.

The top court sought the letters which Yeddyurappa had written to Karnataka Governor informing him his election as BJP legislature party and posted the matter for further hearing at 10.30 am on Friday.

In a midnight legal push, the Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) had approached the Supreme Court seeking an immediate intervention by the chief justice to stay the move, which it termed as an “encounter of the Constitution”.

The Congress urged Chief Justice Dipak Misra to hold an urgent hearing on Wednesday night itself since Yeddyurappa is slated to take oath as chief minister at 9 am on Thursday.

In a joint petition, the two parties had sought a stay on the oath-taking taking ceremony of BJP’s chief ministerial candidate Yeddyurappa.

The Governor on Wednesday invited Yeddyurappa to form the government, as the saffron party has emerged as the single largest party with 104 seats. Along with one independent MLA, the Bharatiya Janata Party has staked the claim at forming the government.

However, they are still short of the halfway mark of 112 by seven MLAs.

Whereas Congress-JD(S) alliance has 115 MLAs, just above the halfway mark.

“BJP has 104 seats, how will they prove majority on floor, even if they get some independent MLAs? Only way out is to bring Congress and JD(S) MLAs with them, either by using muscle power or buying MLAs. We have filed a petition urging Governor to give us a chance,” Javed, lawyer of the JD(S) and Congress.

Latest Updates on → Karnataka Election Results 2018

Tamil Nadu board class 12 results declared: Here is how you can check score

Almost 866,000 class 12th students appeared for the exam. Of them, around 463,000 were female and 403,000 male candidates, and two transgender candidates

The Tamil Nadu Board of Secondary education oon Wednesday (May 16) announced the class 12th results. The Candidates who appeared for the TN HSC or Tamil Nadu class 12th examinations can check their results on the official website of the board. The examinations were held from March 3 to April 6, 2018.

The TN HSC +2 Result pass percentage was 91.1 per cent. Virudhnagar district topped with 97% pass percentage among all districts.

Meanwhile, girls continued to outshine boys, with 94.1 per cent pass percentage, which was 6.4 percentage points more than the number for boys, according to statistics released by the state government, PTI reported.

Subject-wise, Physics topped the list with 96.4 per cent of the students clearing the subject, followed by Chemistry, Biology and Mathematics at second, third and the fourth spot.

As many as 2,602 had appeared for the examination, out of which 2,110 have passed the examination.

Almost 866,000 class 12th students have appeared for the exam. Of these, around 463,000 are female and 403,000 are male candidates, including two transgender candidates.

Out of the total 866,000 candidates, 532,000 candidates have appeared in Tamil medium.

Here are the steps to Check the Tamil Nadu 12th result 2018 or Tamil Nadu HSC Result 2018 :

Step 1: Go to the official website of Tamil Nadu Directorate of Government Examinations at tnresults.nic.in

Step 2: Find the 'Tamil Nadu 12th result 2018' tab.

Step 3: Click on Tamil Nadu 12th result 2018

Step 4: Enter your Roll number

Step 5: Download the Tamil Nadu 12th result 2018

Karnataka Election Results 2018 : Hung house in Karnataka; Congress, BJP spar over poaching rumours: Updates

After results to the Karnataka Assembly election 2018 threw up a hung Assembly on Tuesday, both BJP and Congress-JD(S) combine are targetting each other with allegations of poaching of legislators

A day after the Karnataka election results 2018 threw up a fractured mandate, some members of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) were reported to be claiming that they were in touch with several of elected members of legislative Assembly (MLAs) from the Congress and the JD(S), and that the BJP would definitely form the next government in the state.

The BJP, apparently, is in talks with at least seven of the 10 Lingayat legislators of the Congress who are unhappy with the party for dividing the Lingayat community votes and are unwilling to accept Kumaraswamy, a Vokkaliga, as their chief minister. Sources in the BJP told Business Standard that the party was also in touch with about half a dozen JD(S) MLAs who might be willing to abstain from voting at the time of the floor test.

Meanwhile, the outgoing Karnataka chief minister, Siddaramaiah, rejected the reports of dissension among Congress MLAs and called them "just baseless rumours”.Counter-claims of the Congress being in talks with some BJP MLAs were also doing the rounds. Sources in the Congress claimed that some BJP legislators had contacted the Congress high-command, saying they would not vote against the Congress-JD(S) coalition if it gets a chance to prove its majority on the floor of the House.

Congress leader D K Shivakumar, while talking to news agency ANI, said that the party had a plan and that they were facing a lot of pressure with the BJP trying to poach Congress MLAs.

In the Karnataka Assembly election 2018 results, the BJP emerged as the single largest party, with 104 seats, but it fell short of the halfway mark of 112 in the 224-seat state Assembly by 9 seats. Congress ended up as the second-biggest with 78 seats, and the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) stood third with 38 seats. The Congress and the JD(S) decided to come together to form a coalition government.

At present, the ball is in the court of Governor Vajubhai Vala, who will decide which side would be invited to form the next government. According to an NDTV report, both sides would meet the governor again on Wednesday to make their case stronger.

Karnataka Assembly election 2018 saw a record 72.36 per cent of the 50.7 million (5.07 crore) voters exercising their right to franchise. Of them, 27,908 electors in defence services voted through postal ballots. The Election Commission had deployed 16,662 personnel for counting of votes amid tight security.

Four of the seven polling agencies had predicted in their exit polls that the BJP would emerge as the single-largest party. While most exit polls predicted a hung Assembly with the BJP ahead, two had said the BJP would either come very close to or cross the halfway mark of 112 seats. The India Today-Axis exit poll had said the Congress might bag a majority. All exit polls had given the H D Deve Gowda-led Janata Dal (Secular) nearly two dozen seats or more. The JD(S), however, beat that projection by bagging 37 seats.

Here are the top 10 developments → Karnataka Assembly election 2018 results

Varanasi flyover collapse: Yogi says preliminary action taken; top updates

At least 15 people were killed as a portion of a flyover being built by a state-run corporation collapsed on busy road in Varanasi on Tuesday; catch all the live updates here

Preliminary action had been taken against erring authorities responsible for the Varanasi flyover collapse that killed at least 15 people and critically injured 11 on Tuesday, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said this morning. Two pillars of an under-construction flyover in Varanasi's Cantt area had collapsed the previous day, bringing down a huge slab, which crushed a mini-bus, cars and two-wheelers.

Several people got crushed or trapped under the debris in the incident, which took place during peak traffic hours on Tuesday evening. Principal Secretary (Home) Arvind Kumar said that around 7 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams of over 325 personnel had been deployed for relief operations at the site of Varanasi under-construction flyover collapse incident. Former UP CM Akhilesh Yadav also asked his party members to reach the accident site and help the people there.

Work on the flyover between Chauka Ghat bus stand and Lahartara had been initiated during the Samajwadi Party rule.

After the incident, the chief minister announced compensation of Rs 500,000 for the kin of those killed in the incident, and Rs 200,000 for those who had been injured. He also met victims at the Kabir Chaura Hospital on late Tuesday night.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh also took stock of the situation in Varanasi. Union Health and Family Welfare minister J P Nadda directed Health Secretary Preeti Sudan to stay in touch with the health officials of Uttar Pradesh.

Meanwhile, KR Sudan, the project manager of the flyover, said the reason behind the mishap could only be ascertained after the completion of the investigation.

Earlier in the evening, the district administration had rushed to the spot for rescue operations and more than a dozen cranes had been pressed into service. Many of those trapped were reported to be labourers working on the flyover, according to an NDTV report.

The flyover was being constructed by Uttar Pradesh State Bridge Corporation and was scheduled to be inaugurated last December.

Addressing reporters last evening, UP Minister Sidharth Nath Singh had said that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had directed the administration to speed up rescue operation. Two ministers were also sent to the city to take stock of the situation. The chief minister directed the district administration and PWD officials to take all necessary steps for relief and rescue operations.

DGP OP Singh was quoted by media reports as saying: "We are in the process of evacuating the 50 people trapped under the debris. A majority of the people trapped are suspected to be the construction workers." Singh also recalled the Kolkata flyover collapse and went on to say that rescue operations were on in full swing.

Here are the top 10 developments → Varanasi flyover collapse

IPL 2018: RCB beat Kings XI by 10 wickets, Punjab slip to 5th position

Chasing 89 runs, Royal Challengers Banglore beat Kings XI Punjab by 10 wickets with 71 balls to spare. KXIP slipped to 5th position.

IPL 2018 : In the 48th match of the VIVO Indian Premier League 2018 (IPL) Royal Challengers Bangalore defeated Kings XI Punjab by 10 wickets at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore. Deviating from the usual, RCB’s success was marked by a bowling attack that derailed Punjab’s inning.

After decimating Punjab’s inning to just 89 runs, RCB had captain Virat Kohli and Parthiv Patel wreaking havoc on opposition bowlers. With this defeat, KXIP slipped to 5th position on the VIVO IPL points table.

Earlier, Royal Challengers Bangalore won the toss and opted to bowl against Kings XI Punjab. Punjab’s inning had just taken off but crashed as soon as RCB took three quick wickets, including Chris Gayle and Lokesh Rahul. The next few batsmen came but just for a brief and not much was left for Punjab after the debacle with the bat. The bowlers, especially Umesh Yadav, left no room for any leniency for the batsmen.

Finch gave hope to Punjab but perished soon. Punjab’s inning soon hit the dead end. All Punjab had was a disappointing total of 88 runs on the scoreboard. Just three batsmen managed to touch the double-digit mark for Punjab. For RCB, chasing a meagre target of 89 runs, Captain Virat Kohli and Parthiv Patel were cautious initially but then the ball was often seen crossing the rope after that.

At around 12 runs per over, the scoreboard was enough to depict RCB’s dominance. Punjab’s bowlers had nothing much to defend and the one-sided affair reached it’s conclusion soon.

Here is how KXIP and RCB compare head to head in IPL matches played so far:

Overall

• Matches played: 22
• Kings XI Punjab won: 12
• Royal Challengers Bangalore won: 10

→ IPL 2018 News , IPL 2018 Matches ←

Karnataka Election results LIVE updates: Siddaramaiah's lingayat card fails

Karnataka election result 2018 LIVE updates: With Narendra Modi wave still riding high, trends show BJP snatching another state from Congress

Karnataka Legislative Assembly Election 2018 – The high-stakes battle for the 222-seat Karnataka Assembly ended on Saturday and India will soon know the outcome. The counting of votes is underway, and according to the procedure, postal ballots were counted first. Initial trends hint that Karnataka is headed for a hung Assembly. “All arrangements have been made for counting of votes in 222 seats from 8 am onwards at 38 centres in 30 districts, including five in Bengaluru where polling was held in 26 of the 28 segments,” Chief Electoral Officer Sanjiv Kumar said.

A record 72.36 per cent of the 50.7 million electors cast their votes, with 27,908 in defence services exercising their franchise through postal ballots. The Election Commission has deployed 16,662 personnel for counting of votes amid tight security. “Postal ballots will be counted first before the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) are opened,” Kumar said.

Karnataka election has been billed as the biggest political battle of 2018. The Bharatiya Janata Party ‘s(BJP’s) bid to reclaim the state has faced its toughest challenge from one man – chief minister Siddaramaiah, who looks to beat incumbency. Who will Karnataka pick? The voters have decided and the entire nation will know the Karnataka election 2018 result today.

Also Read → Karnataka Assembly Elections 2018

Meanwhile, four of the seven polling agencies predicted in their exit polls that the BJP would emerge the single-largest party today. While most exit polls predicted a hung Assembly with the BJP ahead, two said the BJP would either come very close to or cross the halfway mark of 112 seats, while the India Today-Axis exit poll said the Congress might bag a majority. All exit polls gave the H D Deve Gowda led Janata Dal (Secular) nearly two dozen seats or more, which could make it the kingmaker in case of a hung Assembly.

A win for the Congress would boost the party’s morale for the Assembly elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Mizoram in November-December, and for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. It would also ensure that the party would not be reduced to ruling only one big state, Punjab, in the entire country. Apart from Punjab, the Congress has governments in only Puducherry and Mizoram.

No government in Karnataka since the Ramakrishna Hegde-led Janata Party in 1985 has been re-elected.

Read More → Karnataka Election Results 2018

Nawaz Sharif 'speaking Modi's words' on Mumbai attacks: Top 10 developments

Calling him a modern-day Mir Jafar, Imran Khan said that Sharif was speaking the language of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and cooperating with the enemies of Pakistan

Pakistan's ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif set the cat among the pigeons after he publicly acknowledged that militant organisations are active in the country and questioned Islamabad's policy of allowing "non-state actors" to cross the border and "kill" people in Mumbai, in an apparent reference to the 2008 Mumbai attacks. In the wake of the remarks, the Pakistan Army is said to be 'extremely upset' with Sharif, who has come under attack for his statement, and will hold a high-level meeting on Monday to discuss the matter. Meanwhile, Sharif's party, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), has issued a statement claiming that his statement has been "grossly misinterpreted" by the Indian media.

Without naming Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed and Maulana Masood Azhar's militant organisations, the Jamaat-ud-Dawah and Jaish-e-Mohammad, Sharif had said in an interview: Militant organisations are active in Pakistan. "Call them non-state actors, should we allow them to cross the border and kill over 150 people in Mumbai? Explain it to me. Why can't we complete the trial," said Sharif.

New Delhi has long accused the Lashkar-e-Taiba of carrying out the attacks in Mumbai in 2008 with the help of ten well-armed terrorists. These attackers arrived on a boat from Karachi and, according to the Indian government, carried out the violent strikes across Mumbai in coordination with Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency. The attacks left 166 people dead.

The 26/11 case is being tried in an anti-terrorism court in Pakistan since 2009 but has hardly made any progress. India maintains that Pakistan has not kept its end of the bargain and sent the case to court without really investigating the conspiracy that led to the attacks. Islamabad, however, squarely blames New Delhi for not providing it with "solid evidence" against prime accused Hafiz Saeed and others.

Sharif, for his part, has been disqualified from holding public office for life by the Pakistan Supreme Court in the Panama Papers case.

Here are the top ten developments around Nawaz Sharif 's remarks on the 26/11 Mumbai terrorist attacks:

1) Pakistan Army upset with Sharif, worried over his remarks: The Pakistan Army is said to be 'extremely upset' with Nawaz Sharif's remarks on the 2008 Mumbai attacks. Citing unnamed sources, news agencies reported that Sharif's statement has left the Pakistan Army extremely worried that "this will give more weight to India's narrative that Pakistan is not doing enough" to rein in terrorist modules operating from its soil and particularly from areas in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Read More

IPL 2018: Rajasthan beat MI by 7 wickets, move to 5th spot on points table

In the 47th match of Vivo Indian Premier League (IPL 2018) Rajasthan Royals beat Mumbai Indians by 7 wickets, thanks to unbeaten 94-run knock by Jos Butler

In the 47th match of the VIVO Indian Premier League (IPL 2018), chasing a competitive target of 169, Rajasthan Royals won the match by 7 wickets. Opener Jos Butler was the key player in the run chase as he made unbeaten 94 runs, hitting his 5th consecutive fifty in the IPL, equalling Virendra Sehwag's record. With this win, RR move to the fifth position on the VIVO IPL points table. Butler was well supported by captain Ajinkya Rahane, who made 37 runs. After Rahane's wicket, Sanju Samson supported Butler as well. Butler's fine innings made sure that the run chase was never an uphill task for Rajasthan Royals. Samson was trying to make sure there were balls to spare to make some positive impact on the net run rate. He was dismissed for 26. Butler hit a six to win the game for RR by 7 wickets.

Earlier, Mumbai Indians were off to a good start as openers Evin Lewis and Suryakumkar Yadav made the full use of powerplay field restrictions by scoring 51 runs. A few chances went down and Evin Lewis changed gear to take on the bowlers. He hit Gopal for two consecutive sixes. MI were 79-0 after 9. Rohit Sharma scored a golden duck once again. Evin Lewis scored a brilliant 60. Ishan Kishan and Krunal Pandya failed to impress. However, Hardik Pandya's cameo of 36 helped MI put up 168-6 on the board. Rajasthan fielders did drop a few sitters in the filed. Samson took a blinder of a catch. Archer bowled decently and took 2 wickets.

Rajasthan Royals playing XI for today's match: Jos Buttler(w), D Arcy Short, Ajinkya Rahane(c), Sanju Samson, Ben Stokes, Stuart Binny, Jofra Archer, Krishnappa Gowtham, Shreyas Gopal, Jaydev Unadkat, Dhawal Kulkarni

Over 1: Darcy Shots and Jos Butler to open the innings for RR. Jasprit Bumrah to start it off for MI. Tries a yorker, and inside edge goes for four. 4 Wides.

→ Mumbai Indians ←

Modi's Nepal visit: PM calls Oli 'bhai', draws on ties 'since Treta Yug'

On the eve of his visit to Nepal, Modi said India would remain a steadfast partner of the Himalayan nation in its quest for growth and development. Catch all the Modi Nepal visit updates here

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday morning arrived in Nepal for a two-day state visit. Ahead of the visit, Modi had tweeted that the "visit reflects the high priority India attaches to friendly relations with Nepal". Further, Modi said India would remain a steadfast partner of Nepal in its quest for growth and development. Kicking off his tour, Modi offered prayers at the Ram Janaki temple in Nepal's Janakpur and inaugurated the Ramayan Circuit Bus Route, before addressing a civic reception. The prime minister is visiting the neighbouring country on an invitation from his Nepalese counterpart Khadga Prasad Oli.

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Raveesh Kumar on Friday tweeted that Modi's Nepal visit would consolidate the principle of neighbourhood first and Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas. He added that it would build on Prime Minister Oli's visit to India. The Nepalese Prime Minister was on a three-day visit to India in April this year, when the two sides signed a number of agreements, which were termed 'game-changing' by the MEA.

According to news agencies, Nepal is all set to welcome Modi, for whom this will be a third tour to the Himalayan nation. "As Nepal enters a new era of consolidating the gains of a democracy and achieving economic growth, India remains a steadfast partner of the Nepal government to implement their vision of 'Samriddha Nepal, Sukhi Nepali' (prosperous Nepal, happy Nepal)," tweeted Modi on the eve of his visit.

According to officials, certain agreements were expected to be signed between the two leaders. Security has been tightened in the country and as many as 11,000 security personnel from both countries have been deployed for the visit.

Here are the top 10 developments around Prime Minister Narendra Modi's two-day Nepal visit:

1) Modi addresses gathering at Rangabhoomi ground, says India's faith 'incomplete without Nepal': Prime Minister Modi was felicitated at a civic reception at the Bahrabigaha's Rangabhoomi ground, where he addressed the people gathered to welcome him. At the reception, Modi said it was his "long due wish to visit the land of Goddess Sita and offer his prayers".

Read More On → Modi Nepal visit

Karnataka election: Rahul slams Modi over BJP leader bribery sting; updates

With just one more day to go for the Karnataka Assembly election, the voter ID card row continues while the Congress corners BJP over an alleged bribery sting. Catch all Karnataka polls updates here

With voting just a day away, the BJP and Congress' high-voltage campaign for the Karnataka Assembly election 2018 has ended. The campaigning in the run-up to the crucial polls saw everything from a cross-fire of barbs to a voter ID row. On the last day, Congress President Rahul Gandhi slammed the Modi government for issues ranging from atrocities against Dalits to the country's foreign policy as he expressed confidence in winning the Karnataka polls "hands down". BJP President Amit Shah, meanwhile, accused the Congress of making desperate attempts to win the election in an "undemocratic" way, adding that such machinations would not work and that his party would win 130-plus seats. On Saturday, voters in the state will decide who got it right.

The Congress' candidate from Bengaluru's Raja Rajeshwari Nagar Assembly segment has been booked in connection with the recovery of close to 10,000 voter ID cards from a flat there, along with over 100,000 counterfoils resembling acknowledgement slips used for addition of names into electoral rolls. Further, the Election Commission (EC) on Thursday night deferred a decision on the recovery of voter ID cards from the Raja Rajeshwari Nagar flat, even as it sought fresh information from the state election machinery.

Of course, the end of the official election campaign at 5 pm on Thursday did not mean that the allegations and accusations also stopped. Rahul Gandhi on Thursday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi over allegations that BJP leader B Sriramulu had bribed former Chief Justice of India K G Balakrishnan. The accusation is based on a "sting" video showing the state BJP leader allegedly trying to bribe a kin of the former Chief Justice of India to get a favourable verdict for mining baron G Janardhana Reddy in an illegal mining case. State electoral authorities on Thursday directed TV news channels not to air the video.

The election in 223 of the 224 constituencies in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly will be held on May 12, and the counting of votes and announcement of the result will take place on May 15. The election for one constituency has been postponed following the death of B N Vijay Kumar, the Jayanagar BJP candidate.

→ Karnataka election 2018 ←

Unnao rape case: CBI confirms BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar's role; updates

The CBI probe reveals that the Uttar Pradesh police tried to save Kuldeep Singh Sengar by not naming him in the FIR and chargesheet. Here are the latest updates in the Unnao rape case

In a major development in the politically sensitive Unnao rape case, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has reportedly confirmed rape charge against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar.

Citing sources, The Times of India reported that the CBI corroborated the survivor’s charge that Sengar raped her at his home on June 4 last year while his female accomplice, Shashi Singh, stood guard outside the room.

The central agency is also reported to have found the local police at fault. According to the report, the police did not name Sengar and some other accused in the FIR, even as the survivor mentioned their involvement several times.

In an apparent connivance with the accused persons, the police also reportedly delayed the girl's medical examination and didn't send her vaginal swab or clothes to the forensic laboratory.

“The girl was raped on June 4 by the MLA after she was brought to his house by Shashi Singh on the pretext of providing her a job. Between June 4 and June 10, the girl didn’t speak as she had been threatened. On June 11, she was abducted by three persons — Shubham Singh, Awadh Narayan and Brijesh Yadav. From June 11 to 19, the girl was kept mostly in an SUV and repeatedly gang-raped by these three while on the move,” the English daily quoted a CBI source as describing the sequence of events eastablished by the agency.

The vicitim has stood by her allegations in a statement recorded by the CBI under CrPC Section 164.

The case had led to a massive public outrage after the victim tried to set herself ablaze outside Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s residence on April 8, claiming police inaction in the case. Following the outrage an FIR was lodged against Sengar. The Uttar Pradesh government later handed over the case to CBI.

Sengar is also accused of conspiring to kill the victim's father, who died in police custody after being allegedly thrashed by Sengar’s brother and his aides. At present, he is lodged in Uttar Pradesh's Sitapur jail. Read More

Karnataka election: Rahul Gandhi says Congress wining 'hands down'; updates

With Karnataka Assembly election 2018 now on their heads, the BJP and Congress have just one more day to convince and woo voters. Catch all the updates around the Karnataka election here

With the Karnataka Assembly election 2018 just two days away, the BJP and Congress' high-voltage campaigning will come to an end on Thursday at 5 pm. Prime Minister Narendra Modi today interacted with BJP Karnataka's SC/ST/OBC and slum morcha workers, slamming the Congress for disrespecting B R Ambedkar while trying to burnish his own government's record regarding welfare of SC/STs and OBCs. Congress President Rahul Gandhi said that he was confident of his party's victory in the Karnataka election.

For the BJP, party president Amit Shah and the party's chief ministerial candidate B S Yeddyurappa will be campaigning in the state today, while Congress chief Gandhi and incumbent Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will campaign for their party on the final day.

Apart from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress chief Gandhi, the Karnataka election campaign has also seen political heavyweights Sonia Gandhi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath campaign for their respective parties.

The last day of campaigning for the Karnataka polls comes after Prime Minister Modi and Congress chief Gandhi were face-to-face in the state on the second last day for the campaigning. Working seriously on his 'Congress Mukt Bharat' mission, Modi used all of his oratory skills to lambast the Congress in his four election rallies on Wednesday. On the other hand, Gandhi said in his Basavanagudi rally that the people of Karnataka would reject Prime Minister Modi and the BJP. The Congress president also attacked the Prime Minister for being silent on the issue of alleged Dalit atrocities.

The election in Karnataka will be held on May 12 in 223 constituencies, out of the 224 constituencies of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly, while the counting of votes and announcement of result will take place on May 15. The election for one constituency has been postponed following the death of B N Vijay Kumar, the Jayanagar BJP candidate.

Here are the top ten developments regarding the May 12 Karnataka Assembly election 2018: