Avengers: Infinity War' set to beat Jungle Book's box office record

Having made Rs 1.87 billion in 10 days, the Marvel superhero juggernaut is set to crush Mowgli's Rs 1.88-billion haul at the box office

At Rs 1.87 billion (net after tax) box-office collections in the 10 days since its release, Marvel’s Avengers: Infinity War is on track to becoming the highest earning Hollywood film in the country. Released on April 27 along with the rest of the world, Infinity War was one of the widest Hollywood releases in the country at 2000 screens, and opened with Rs 400 million, the second highest opening at the box office this year.

A product of the Disney stable, Infinity War is the 19th movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) which started with the first Ironman film in 2008. The film follows the Mad Titan Thanos in his quest for the Infinity Stones so that he can wipe out half the universe. It stars more than 20 of Marvel’s superheroes, and is the culmination of multiple storylines established in the movies that came in the past decade.

On its way to the top, Infinity War would have beaten  The Jungle Book (2016), also a product from the House of Mouse, which made Rs 1.88 billion in its lifetime at the theatres in India. Released on April 8, the film had a nearly 6-week run at the box office , cashing in on the nostalgia the story holds for Indian audiences who have seen the 90’s animated version of Mowgli’s adventures with Baloo and Bagheera, and the summer vacation. Infinity War has breached its record within two weeks of release.

Disney’s strategy for its Hollywood films, especially those with mass appeal, has been honing a sharp focus on localisation in its distribution and marketing. Infinity War released in three Indian languages – Hindi, Tamil and Telugu, apart from English. Apart from dubbing the content in local languages, the studio also marketed the dubs extensively, especially where they tapped into visible local talent like Rana Dagubatti who has voiced Thanos in the Telugu version.

Karnataka polls: BJP fields most criminals, Congress the richest candidates

BJP at the first spot and Congress at second position in giving tickets to candidates with criminal background in Karnataka Assembly Election 2018. Catch latest updates on Karnataka polls 2018

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is at the first spot and the Congress is at the second position in giving tickets to candidates with criminal background in the Karnataka Assembly Election 2018 , says a report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).

The top three candidates with highest assets among all the candidates in fray belong to the ruling Congress  -- Priyakrishna, from Govindarajanagar constituency with Rs 10.20 billion worth total assets, N Nagaraju from Hosakote Assembly seat with assets valued at Rs 10.15 billion and the state Energy Minister D K Shivakumar from Kanakapura segment with Rs 8.4 billion assets.

The ADR released the report after analysing the affidavits filed by 2,560 candidates, which said that 391 candidates declared criminal cases against themselves.

Of the total candidates, the watchdog could not analyse details of 95 candidates belonging to national, regional, local and fringe parties, as their affidavits were badly scanned or were incomplete on the websites of the poll panel and the Chief Electoral Officer of the southern state.

"Among major parties, 83 (37%) out of 224 candidates from  BJP 59 (27%) out of 220 candidates analysed from Indian Nataional Congress, 41 (21%) out of 199 candidates analysed from Janata Dal (Secular) [JD(S)], 5 (20%) out of 25 candidates analysed from Janata Dal (United) [JD (U)] , 5 (19%) out of 27 candidates analysed from Aam Aadmi Party [AAP] and 108 (10%) out of 1090 independent candidates have declared criminal cases against themselves in their affidavits," said the report.

"There are 254 (10%) candidates who have declared serious criminal cases registered against themselves, four candidates have declared case related to murder (Indian Penal Code Section-302) against themselves, and 25 candidates have declared cases related to attempt to murder (Indian Penal Code Section-307) against themselves," said the report, adding that "23 candidates have declared cases related to crime against women".

Red Alert Constituency:

The report says that Red Alert constituencies are the constituencies which have three or more candidates with declared criminal cases.

There are 56 (25%) red alert constituencies in the Karnataka Assembly Elections, 2018, said the report.

Millionaire Candidates:

The ADR report says that around 35 per cent of the analysed candidates are millionaires.

Out of the 2560 candidates analysed, 883 are millionaires.

Among major parties, 208(93%) out of 224 candidates from BJP, 207 (94%) out of 220 candidates analysed from Indian National Congress, 154(77%) out of 199 candidates analysed from JD(S), 13(52%) out of 25 candidates analysed from JD(U), 9(33%) out of 27 candidates analysed from AAP and 199 (18%) out of 1090 independent candidates have declared assets worth more than Rs 10 million.

The average of assets per candidate contesting in the Karnataka Assembly Elections 2018 is Rs 75.4 million.

Among the major parties, the average assets per candidate for 224 BJP candidates is Rs 178.6 million, 220 Indian National Congress candidates have average assets of Rs 387.5 million, 199 JD(S) candidates analysed have average assets worth Rs 209.1 million, and 1090 Independent candidates have average assets of Rs 15.8 million.

Polling will be held in a single phase on May 12 for the 223 constituencies, including 36 reserved for the Scheduled Castes and 15 for Scheduled Tribes.

Vivo IPL 2018, RCB vs SRH: Struggling Bangalore face Hyderabad challenge today

In today’s IPL match, Kane Williamson’s Sunrisers Hyderabad will take on Royal Challengers Bangalore at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in must-win game for Virat Kohl’s RCB. Catch IPL live updates

In the 39th match of Vivo Indian Premier League (IPL 2018) Kane Williamson’s Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) will take on Virat Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. A consistent Sunrisers Hyderabad unit would look to consolidate its position at the top of the Vivo IPL points table, while Royal Challengers Bangalore will fight for survival as the two teams clash in today’s IPL match.

RCB have been struggling for survival, needing to win every game and also hoping that other results go in their favour, to remain in contention for the playoffs. They are placed sixth on the Vivo IPL points table with just three wins from their nine games. In today’s match, Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers will have to weave some magic with their willows to make it tough for SRH, whose bowlers have proved to be a headache for all teams. The return of SRH fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar has only strengthened their attack further.

RCB’s big guns, on the other hand, have failed to fire so far. However, now is the time to deliver, since one more defeat would spell their ouster from the tournament. Parthiv Patel (who scored 53 runs against Chennai) and Brendon McCullum need to support their side and the likes of Mandeep Singh and Colin de Grandhomme have to step up. Death bowling has been a cause for RCB’s concern , but they cannot afford to let it remain unchecked when it comes playing against the Sunrisers. Umesh Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal have put up good performances but Hyderabad-lad Mohammad Siraj and Washington Sundar also need to come up with a solid show in IPL today’s match.

As for Sunrises Hyderabad’s bowling attack, pacers Siddharth Kaul and Sandeep Sharma, and spin all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan have been very effective. They have successfully prevented rivals from chasing down low totals on numerous occasions.

Courtesy their splendid bowling attack, SRH emerged as good defenders initially, but by defeating Delhi Daredevils with a seven-wicket margin, they proved that they could pull off tight chases as well. The hosts have already taken long strides towards a play-offs spot but there still are issues that must be bothering them ahead of the business end of the tournament. Opener Shikhar Dhawan’s low strike rate must be one concern for them, along with a shaky middle order. English batsman Alex Hales, who opened the innings along with Dhawan against Delhi Daredevils, has been brilliant. SRH Captain Kane Williamson is one of the highest run getters in IPL 2018 and will look to hold the middle order the way he has done on most of the occasions.

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BSE Odisha 10th Result 2018 out, 76% students pass: Steps to check score

Odisha School and Mass Education Minister Badri Narayan Patra released BSE Odisha class 10 results at Cuttack central office of Board of Secondary Education (BSE) on May 7. Check odisha matric results.

Odisha's Board of Secondary Education (BSE) on May 7 declared the class 10 result 2018 on its official websites www.bseodisha.ac.in and www.bseodisha.nic.in.Students can also check their results on orissaresults.nic.in/ and result.gov.in.

According to official figures, 76.23 per cent students have passed the exam. Of them, 429 students have reportedly secured 100 per cent result. More than 600,000 students had taken the exams, held between February 23 and March 8.

The results were released at the Cuttack central office of the board by the state School and Mass Education Minister Badri Narayan Patra.

Here's how you can check your result:

Step 1:Log on to any of these websites - www.bseodisha.ac.in, www.bseodisha.nic.in , orissaresults.nic.in, result.gov.in

Step 2:Look for 'Result' link and click on it

Step 3:Enter asked details

Step 4:Dowload the result

Results are also available on some of the Results app on google play store.

If the websites are down, one can get the result directly on their mobile by sending an SMS to 5656750 in the given format -RESULT<space>OR10<space>ROLL NUMBER.

According to local media, scanned copies of answer sheets will be available on www.bseodisha.ac.in from 2 pm onwards.

Salman Khan's bail plea in blackbuck poaching case in Jodhpur court today

Salman Khan's bail plea in the 1998 blackbuck poaching case will be heard by a Jodhpur court today. Khan had earlier been found guilty of killing blackbucks and sentenced to 5 years in jail.

Salman Khan's bail plea in the 1998 blackbuck poaching case will be heard on Monday by a Jodhpur court. The Bollywood actor arrived in Rajasthan's Jodhpur on Sunday afternoon to appear before the court. Khan had on April 5 been convicted in the 19-year-old case and sentenced to five years in jail for killing two blackbucks in Jodhpur during the shooting of the 1998 movie Hum Saath Saath Hain.

Subsequently, Salman was granted bail after spending two nights in the Jodhpur Central jail. Salman's Hum Saath Saath Hain co-stars Tabu, Sonali Bendre, Saif Ali Khan and Neelam and Jodhpur resident Dushyant Singh, another accused in the case, were all acquitted due to lack of evidence.

The blackbuck case is not the only instance of legal trouble Khan is facing. Also in April, a Mumbai court cancelled the bailable warrant against Khan in connection with the 2002 hit and run case. The court had issued the bailable warrant as Khan had not completed the procedure of providing surety on the past two dates. Further, a Ludhiana court on May 1 rejected a petition against Salman and Shilpa Shetty that sought action against them under the SC/ST Act for allegedly using derogatory words against the Valmiki community. In the same case, the Supreme Court on April 23 put on hold proceedings pending against Khan before several courts across the country in cases registered under the SC/ST Act.

Salman is set to be back on the small screen as the host of Dus Ka Dum and is shooting for the big screen venture Race 3, among other projects.

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Nobel Literature Prize 2018 postponed over 'MeToo' scandal: Swedish Academy.

The Swedish Academy has been facing a crisis after reports emerged of 18 women claiming to have been raped, sexually assaulted or harassed by an Academy member's husband.

The Swedish Academy said on Friday it would postpone this year's Nobel Literature Prize for the first time in almost 70 years, as it is rocked by turmoil over links to a man accused of rape and sexual assault.

"The Swedish Academy intends to decide on and announce the Nobel Prize in Literature for 2018 in parallel with the naming of the 2019 laureate," it said.

The institution, founded in 1786, has on seven previous occasions chosen to reserve the prize: in 1915, 1919, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1936 and 1949.

"On five of those occasions, the prize was delayed then awarded at the same time as the following year's prize," the Academy said in a statement.

The body has been plunged in crisis since November, in the wake of the global MeToo campaign, when Swedish newspaper of reference Dagens Nyheter published the testimonies of 18 women claiming to have been raped, sexually assaulted or harassed by Jean-Claude Arnault, an influential figure on the Swedish culture scene.

Arnault, the French husband of Academy member and poet Katarina Frostenson, has denied the allegations.

The revelations have sowed discord among the Academy's 18 members about how to move forward, and in recent weeks, six of them have chosen to resign, including permanent secretary Sara Danius.

"The active members of the Swedish Academy are of course fully aware that the present crisis of confidence places high demands on a long-term and robust work for change," the Academy's interim permanent secretary Anders Olsson said in the statement.

"We find it necessary to commit time to recovering public confidence in the Academy before the next laureate can be announced," he said.

Aadhaar doesn't pose any privacy issue and is worth emulating: Bill Gates

It is believed that several countries, including some from India's neighbourhood , have approached New Delhi for assistance in this matter.

India's Aadhaar technology does not pose any privacy issue and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has funded the World Bank to take this approach to other countries as it is worth emulating, Microsoft founder BillGates has said.

The 62-year-old multi-billionaire entrepreneur and philanthropist said Nandan Nilekani, Infosys founder who is considered as the chief architect of Aadhaar, was consulting and helping the World Bank on the project.

Asked if India's Aadhaar technology is worth emulating by other countries, he replied, "Yes". "The benefits of that (basic ID — Aadhaar) are very high," he told PTI. More than a billion people in India have enrolled in Aadhaar, the world's largest biometric ID system.

"Yes, countries should adopt that approach because the quality of governance has a lot to do with how quickly countries are able to grow their economy and empower their people," Gates said in response to a question.

"We have funded the World Bank to take this Aadhaar approach to other countries," he said.

It is believed that several countries, including some from India's neighborhood , have approached New Delhi for assistance in this matter.

"Aadhaar in itself doesn't pose any privacy issue because it's just a bio ID verification scheme," Gates, the head of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, said when asked about the concerns about privacy issues raised by certain quarters in India.

"The individual applications that use Aadhaar, you have to look and see what's been stored and who has access to that information. And so, application by application, you have to make sure that's well managed. In the case of the financial bank account I think it's handled very well," he said.

"(It uses) Aadhar to set up the accounts so that you can both get your cell phone and get your bank account," he added.

Observing that Aadhaar was started before Prime Minister Narendra Modi came into office, Gates said that it was very much to his credit that he was willing to embrace it.

"I'm both good friend and an admirer of Nandan Nilekani and some of the initiatives of digitisation efforts that can help with education that can help with governance," he said.

In his lecture on 'Technology for Transformation' organised by NITI Aayog on November 2016, Gates had said that Aadhaar is something that had never been done by any government before, not even in a rich country.

Aadhaar is a 12-digit unique identity number for Indians, based on their biometric and demographic data. The data is collected by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), a statutory authority established in January 2009 by the Government of India.