1. Fans in B’luru & Mandya bid Final Farewell to Ambareesh
From superstars and stars to labourers, from political veterans to college students in their 20s, thousands paid homage to Ambareesh on Sunday, 25 November, in Bengaluru and Mandya, home of the actorturned-politician. Among those who broke down was superstar Rajinikanth who said, “Ambareesh the actor can be reborn but we won’t see Ambareesh the human being again.” He confessed that Ambareesh had called him a few days ago and threatened to “kill me” if he did not come calling on his next visit to Bengaluru.
A slew of political leaders and film stars paid homage to Ambareesh at the Kanteerava stadium. His wife Sumalatha and son Abhishek remained by his side all day. Former PM HD Deve Gowda and his wife, his son and CM HD Kumaraswamy, former CM Siddaramaiah and state BJP chief Yeddyurappa were among those who paid their respects. Most actors from Sandalwood were present.
(Source: The Times of India)
2. Former Union Rly Minister and Senior Congress Leader CK Jaffer Sharief Passes Away
Former Union Minister and senior Congress leader CK Jaffer Sharief passed away on Sunday, 25 November morning. He was getting into his car to offer Namaz on Friday, 23 November when he collapsed. He was then taken to Bengaluru’s Fortis Hospital on Cunningham Road, where he was being treated until his death. He was 85.
Sharief, who has been out of public life was preparing an Urdu translation of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad’s book titled ‘India Wins Freedom’. The book was due to be launched on Wednesday by former President Pranab Mukherjee.
Sharief was the Railway Minister of State between 1991-1995 after being a junior railway minister in previous terms. He was one of the mass leaders of the party in Karnataka and was an eight-time MP, contesting and was also part of the Freedom Struggle before joining electoral politics.
(Source: The NewsMinute)
3. AI Techniques Helped Track Gauri Killers: SIT
The Special Investigation Team probing the murder of journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh, told the special court that it used artificial intelligence (AI) techniques to identify the assailants. AI was used for the first time in the state to crack a case.
AI algorithms are new detection tools adopted by police across the globe. They allow cops to gather feeds from CCTV cameras near the crime scene and identify suspects based on description of eyewitnesses and informants.
Gauri was shot dead by two bike-borne persons on September 5, 2017 at her house in Rajarajeshwarinagar, north Bengaluru.
In the additional chargesheet submitted to the court, the SIT said after Gauri’s murder, cops seized three digital video recordings of four CCTV cameras installed at her residence and analysed them.
(Source: The Times of India)
4. Toll Being Paid by KSRTC up by Nearly 50% in Five Years
It’s not just private vehicle owners who are feeling the pinch of rising toll on highways, but passengers using public transport too as transport corporations have passed on the burden to them by increasing bus fares.
A Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) official said, “Five years ago, we were paying ₹45 crore annually and now it has gone up to over ₹67 crore. On all the highways, toll is subject to an upward revision every year and the burden gets transferred to the passengers.”
The KSRTC pays over ₹67 crore annually as toll, while the BMTC shells out ₹3.5 crore to ₹4 crore to ply its buses on toll roads such as Hosur Road, Tumakuru Road, and Ballari Road that connects to the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA).
(Source: The Hindu)
5. Scribe Files Complaint Alleging Death Threat on FB
Activist and editor of Aseema newspaper Santosh Thammaiah has complained to the cyber crime police on Thursday, 22 November, that he is receiving death threats on social media.
Thammaiah (37) was earlier arrested by the Gonikoppal police for making controversial remarks at a public meeting during Tipu Jayanthi. Thammaiah, now out on bail, said in his complaint that five people using the Facebook accounts of Mangalore Muslims and Sangagala Smhara abused and threatened him soon after his arrest. He said they vowed to kill him in a month.
The cyber crime police have taken up the case under various sections of the IT Act, besides criminal intimidation, and are trying to track the accused using their IP addresses.
(Source: Deccan Herald)