1. Kamal Haasan to Return as Host of Bigg Boss 3
Makkal Needhi Maiam founder Kamal Haasan will return to the small screen as the host of the popular reality television show, Bigg Boss, for the third season on Star Vijay. The hit reality show featuring a group of contestants living together in an isolated house for 100 days is expected to begin in the second week of June. Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan shot for the promotional video in a studio outside Chennai on Wednesday. The actor will reportedly be seen with a ‘long and sharp’ moustache in the video.
With the final phase of the State Assembly bypolls getting over on 18 May, sources close to Kamal Haasan say that he will finish his film and television commitments. Kamal Haasan’s production house Raaj Kamal Film International will also remain ‘active’ and continue to tell great stories across film, television and digital mediums.
(Source: The Hindu)
2. Woman, Daughter Held for Setting Man Afire
A 57-year-old woman and her daughter have been arrested for allegedly setting a man on fire at Thiruvalangadu near Chennai owing to a family dispute. Police said the victim Sabapathy was sleeping in front of his house on Tuesday night when his daughter in-law Gayathri and her mother Kalaivani set him on fire. He died of burns on Wednesday.
Police said Sabapathy’s son recently married another woman after he got separated from Gayathri. “Sabapathy’s son Prabhakaran married Gayathri about six years ago and they have a son. About two years ago, they got separated after the relationship soured.
(Source: The New Indian Express)
3. Scorching Weather to Prevail for Two Days
Many parts of the State reeling under heatwave-like conditions may have a respite this weekend. The Meteorological Department expects some parts of the State to receive light to moderate showers on 12 May. While the State has to brace for dry, hot weather till Saturday, a trough that is forming 900 metres above mean sea level is likely to bring rain across the State and relief from soaring mercury level.
During the 24 hours ending on Wednesday morning, Vallathi anicut in Tiruchi district received 10 cm of ranfall, the highest in the State. Many places received good rainfall. Chengalpattu in Kancheepuram district recorded one cm rainfall. Officials of the Meteorological Department said several areas experienced blistering heat as easterlies that brought in cool air continued to remain weak. Winds from the west and northwest directions grew stronger and led to heating up of the land, they said.
(Source: The Hindu)
4. Pollution of Cooum Goes Unchecked
Adjoining Thiruverkadu, near Velappanchavadi around 100 private sewage lorries have been disposing of untreated sewage into the stormwater drains every day for nearly a decade now. Such instances of constant pollution to the Cooum river in and around Poonamallee and Maduravoyal are only increasing in frequency with no efforts taken by the authorities to stop it. One such location where sewage is dumped into the stormwater drains is Noombal Road near Maduravoyal bypass in Poonamallee. Due to constant dumping, sludge from the sewage has accumulated in the drains, blocking them. As a result, sewage overflows onto the road raising a stink, preventing pedestrians from walking on the sidewalks.
(Source: The New Indian Express)
5. Anna University Permits Over 30k Students to Clear Arrears
Anna University’s Syndicate has decided to give one last chance to all candidates from the 2011 Regulations till date who have arrears to take the exams in November-December 2019. The decision follows representations from students, said university officials. The university decided to follow the University Grants Commission norms of permitting students three years to complete the arrears after their course duration.
Last year, a group of students had approached the Higher Education Minister and requested that they be allowed to write the pending arrears. Following the Minister’s recommendation the university gave them a chance. “This year, however, the syndicate on its own took up the issue,” said Registrar J Kumar.
(Source: The Hindu)