1. Parties Question Need for Holding Bypolls in Lok Sabha Segments
The announcement of by-elections to three Lok Sabha seats with barely a few months left for the 2019 general elections has upset political leaders in the State. Bharatiya Janata Party State president BS Yeddyurappa on Sunday questioned the rationale behind electing someone for such a short tenure.
“As the general elections will be held in four or five months, I don’t understand the motive behind holding by-elections to three Lok Sabha seats now. None of the three major political parties in Karnataka are enthusiastic about this,” he told presspersons at Shikaripur. He opined that the Election Commission should have avoided holding parliamentary bypolls in the State. To a question, he said he would not consider the byelection results as an indicator of the voters’ mood ahead of the 2019 polls. The former Chief Minister, however, also said the party would take the bypolls seriously.
Mr Yeddyurappa has convened a meeting of the party’s senior leaders in Bengaluru on Monday to discuss various issues, including candidate selection. “I will hold talks with a delegation of party leaders from Ballari, headed by Molakalmuru MLA B Sriramulu, on the selection of candidate for the seat. Similarly, consultations will be held on selection of candidates for Mandya parliamentary seat and for Jamkhandi and Ramanagaram Assembly seats,” he said.
Source: The Hindu
2. 46 Cases of Swine flu Confirmed in B’luru, Public Asked to be Cautious
On Saturday, health department officials in Bengaluru cautioned the public about the recent spike in the number of H1N1, or swine flu, cases. As of Sunday, 46 recent cases of swine flu were confirmed in the city.
Speaking to TNM, Dr Sreenivasa, Bengaluru health officer said, “We are asking the public to take precautionary measures. They should take maintain basic hygiene, washing hands, cover their face when coughing and sneezing, things like this. As of now we are monitoring the situation, surveillance is being undertaken by department officials to ensure that we keep track of all possible cases which may show up.”
Swine flu, or H1N1, is caused by a strain of the influenza A virus and was noted to have been initially transmitted to humans from pigs. Symptoms of swine flu are cough, fever, sore throat, headache, nausea, and vomiting. People may also present with chills and severe myalgia (fatigue).
Source: The NewsMinute
3. Women Achievers Meet at UN Forum in Bengaluru
Over a dozen women achievers from different walks of life participated in a day-long festival at a UN forum in this tech hub on Sunday.
"The event brought together a diverse group of exemplary women from all walks of life on a platform for social media site for Facebook and UN Women forum," said its organiser in a statement here.
Created and curated by veteran journalist Barkha Dutt for 'We The Women' forum, the fest themed on #openingdoors and #breakingbarriers was marked by dialogues on issues such as the fight for women against the religious orthodoxy whether in ending Triple Talaq or demanding the right to enter Sabarimala.
"Issues like the battle by Bohri women to end female genital cutting; the new currents and shifts in popular culture and cinema; challenges and struggles of trans-women; life after the end of Section 377 and trials and achievements of women in uniform were also brain-stormed," said the statement.
Source: Business Standard
4. DRI Seizes 1600 kg of Shark Bones in Bengaluru
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has seized consignments with 1600 kg of shark bones, destined to Hong Kong, under provisions of the Customs Act in Bengaluru.
The contents of the consignment raised many suspicions and accordingly the DRI consulted leading research institutions in the country to ascertain the products.
The National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources (NBFGR), upon testing the consignment confirmed that the samples drawn from the export consignment contained the species of sharks, restricted for exports.
The exporting firms were not even in possession of the legal permits.
During detailed investigations and follow ups, it was established that the marine materials were procured from Cochin with the help of some big suppliers.
The shark bones are in demand in countries like Hong Kong etc, where it is used in making soup powders.
Source: ANI
5. Teenager Held for Sexting Classmates
A 19-year-old student was arrested for sending obscene messages to his classmates and friends through WhatsApp. The accused has been identified as Bhargav, a native of Hindupur in Andhra Pradesh. He was doing his first year BA in St Joseph’s College, Lalbagh Road.
The Ashok Nagar police said Bhargav had failed in his first year exams last year. During his stay in Bengaluru, he used to send obscene messages, photographs and videos to his classmates, including girls. Everybody was aware about it, but nobody came forward to complain to the principal.
Source: Deccan Herald
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)