1. 10 Dead, 80 Hospitalised After Eating Prasad in Karnataka Temple
At least 10 persons including one child died and more than 80 were taken ill after consuming prasad from a temple in Chamarajanagar district. The tragedy took place in Sulwadi village of Hanur taluk on Friday.
According to district level officials, a temple's gopura was being inaugurated which is why so many people had gathered at the temple After the ceremony was completed, the devotees were given rice as prasadam. The DHO suspects that the rice was poisoned, the official said. A sample has been sent to Forensic Science Laboratory in Bengaluru for checking.
40 of those survivors have been taken to KR Hospital in Mysuru where some of them are being treated with ventilator support.
(Source: The News Minute)
2. Metro Services Likely to be Suspended During Weekend
Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) is likely to suspend train services for 24 to 36 hours on the Purple Line over the weekend to carry out maintenance work after a honeycomb formation (cavities in the concrete) was detected on a beam near the Trinity station.
The final call on this will be taken after preparation of a detailed action plan for the work. The BMRCL is working on erecting raised steel platforms to access the area where repairs have to be done. On Thursday, workers were seen building four such structures to support the beam. A stretch of M G Road has been partially barricaded on both the sides for the work.
(Source: The Hindu)
3. Congress’ Poll Victories to Alter JD(S)-Cong Equation in Karnataka
Against the hopes of the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) and beyond the predictions of several analysts, the coalition between the Congress and Janata Dal Secular (JDS) has finished more than 6 months of joint governance in Karnataka.
Unless ruled otherwise, by astrologers of the Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, citing in inauspicious Shoonya Maasa, the coalition will see the next step in their alliance – the cabinet expansion – on 22 December.
However, the Congress’ decisive victory in the Assembly Elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh is expected to alter the coalition equations in the state. The Congress, which in the early days of the alliance, was made to oblige to several demands of the JD(S), to ensure BJP is kept out of the power, is expected to be more aggressive in the coming days.
(Source: The Quint)
4. Mechanic Stabbed to Death by Friend
A- 20-year-old mechanic was stabbed to death by three people, including a friend, over a trivial issue at Doddabele on the outskirts of the city on Wednesday night. The victim is Chandrababu, a native of Doddabele.
The police are looking for the accused Ranjith, the victim's friend who works as a delivery boy at a biscuit factory. A senior police officer said around 11.15 pm on Wednesday, Chandrababu was standing on the Doddabele Main Road.
While Ranjith, who had consumed alcohol, was passing the stretch with his two friends, Chandrababu passed some comments. Ranjith and his friends picked up a fight with Chandrababu and in a fit of rage, Ranjith stabbed him with a knife and fled with friends.
(Source: Deccan Herald)
5. Environmentalists Oppose Expansion of Kaiga Nuclear Plant
Environmentalists in Karnataka’s Karwar are alarmed over the proposed expansion of the Kaiga Atomic Power Station by the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC). The power plant which has currently four units, was recently in the news after Unit-1 of the plant ran uninterrupted operations for a record 940 days with even Prime Minister Narendra Modi calling it a major feat.
At present the power is supplied to Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and the Union Territory of Puducherry with 33% of power reserved for the home state.
But setting up the fifth and sixth unit of the plant will result in felling of thousands of trees. Moreover, activists are questioning the practicality of setting up a nuclear power plant with the prevalence of other safe and cheaper power generating options like solar and wind plants.
(Source: The News Minute)
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