Your Morning Briefing for 11 October 2020 | India News,The Indian Express

In rare letter to CJI, Andhra CM lists allegations against SC’s Judge No. 2 | India News,The Indian Express

Good morning, 

We are covering the quid pro quo allegations against the Karnataka government, the Indian Americans on the campaign roster of US presidential election candidates and the last village before China that has blocked entry for outsiders. 

The Big Story

Justice N V Ramana, who is next in line to be the Chief Justice of India, has been accused by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy of influencing the sittings of the state high court. He cited instances when matters related to the Opposition have been allocated to a few judges.

From The Front Page

Two companies in which Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa’s grandson Shashidhar Mardi became a director after the BJP came to power in Karnataka in July 2019 received Rs 5 crore from seven Kolkata shell companies between March and July 2020.

Arguing against the extension of the six-month loan moratorium, the Reserve Bank of India submitted an affidavit before the Supreme Court that it may affect overall credit discipline, and small borrowers will eventually feel the pinch. It also asked the apex court to lift the stay imposed on declaring accounts as NPAs beyond August 31

In what sets the tone for US Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun’s visit to India from Monday, two top US administration officials, including Secretary of State Michael R Pompeo, have slammed Beijing, invoking its ongoing standoff with India.

The oldest steam engine in the world, Fairy Queen, which was built in 1855 and used as a mail train during the 1857 revolt, continues to run in India even today.

The Pandemic

For over six months, Aarif Khan slept in an ambulance parking lot 28 km from his home in northeast Delhi, staying in touch with his family on the phone. He was on call 24X7, responding to Covid duties. On Saturday morning, the 48-year-old succumbed to the virus..

With Unlock 5.0, India’s petrol consumption grew for the first time since February in September, with diesel demand also recovering month on month. The petrol consumption last month, at 2,450 thousand metric tonnes, was even higher than for the corresponding period in 2019.

Mana village in Uttarakhand houses several locations linked to the epic Mahabharat and is known as the last village before the China border. Even though the government lifted curbs on movement of tourists earlier this month, the local gram panchayat unanimously decided to continue the lockdown. Here’s why.

Beyond Covid-19

Though Indian Americans make up only 1 per cent of the US population, they make up at least 2 per cent of the roughly 600 officials on the campaign roster of Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and his running mate Kamala Harris. President Donald Trump’s campaign team too has at least one listed Indian American — Kavya Ramagiri. We bring you their backstories. 

As posters on Taiwan National Day came up near the Chinese embassy in Delhi’s Chanakyapuri, the diplomatic enclave in the national capital, late Friday, Taiwan and China had a face-off once again on Saturday.

In The Name Of The Father: Chirag Paswan performed the last rites of his father, Ram Vilas Paswan, in Patna on Saturday. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar also attended the cremation. [PTI]

ICYMI

• At least seven BJP Tripura MLAs are camping in the national capital to meet the party’s national leadership and demand the removal of Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb.
  
• Mumbai police crime branch on Saturday issued summons to six more people, including the CEO and two COOs of Republic Media Network for probe into an alleged ‘fake TRP scam’.
  
• Delhi University set a new admission cut-off record with its first list Saturday after the Lady Shri Ram College for Women decided on a 100% cut-off for three courses.
  
• Shayara Bano, the first petitioner in the case challenging instant triple talaq in Supreme Court, joined the BJP in Dehradun on Saturday.
  
• A Jabalpur-based doctor on Saturday said that there was no secrecy regarding her movements after reports that the UP government was looking into the presence of a woman at the home of the Hathras victim emerged.

 And Finally...

Bollywood has spent the better part of this year looking over its shoulders as the Sushant Singh Rajput probe advances, and expands. The powers-that-be have long eyed the tinsel town, but is there a plot twist under BJP? The Indian Express goes behind the scenes of a Covid-battered, nervous industry.

Express Sports’ cricket podcast, 99.94, is back! In its first comeback episode, we talk about a rule in cricket that always ends up creating a controversy and has both fans and players divided.

Until tomorrow, 

Leela Prasad and Liu Chuen Chen