News18 Daybreak | United Nations Designates JeM Chief Masood Azhar A Global Terrorist and Other Stories You Need to Watch Out For

'Extremely Severe' cyclone set to hit Eastern coast

1. At least 19 districts of Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal are likely to be affected by "extremely severe" cyclonic storm Fani, which is expected to make landfall in Puri district on Friday afternoon. The wind speed before landfall has been estimated to be 185 kmph. The Odisha government has set up 900 cyclone shelters to house evacuees and has requested for two helicopters to be stationed for emergency food distribution. The state also plans to evacuate nearly 10 lakh people by Thursday evening. Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu has written to the EC appealing that the Model Code of Conduct be relaxed in four districts where Cyclone Fani is expected to have maximum impact.

2. UN lists JeM chief as a global terrorist. What next?

In what is being as hailed as a huge win for India, the United Nations Security Council on Wednesday designated Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist. The move came after China lifted its hold on a proposal to blacklist him under the Security Council's Sanctions Committee. Hours after the move, Pakistan said that it would “immediately enforce UN sanctions” imposed on Azhar. According to reports, the Pakistan government had put Azhar under house arrest on February 26, soon after the Pulwama terror attacks which his organization had claimed responsibility for. Interestingly, both India and Pakistan have claimed victory over the ban.

3. The Election Commission on Wednesday issued a notice to Congress president Rahul Gandhi for allegedly violating model code of conduct during his speech in Madhya Pradesh's Shahdol.

Gandhi had on April 23 claimed at a Madhya Pradesh rally that Narendra Modi-led NDA government has made a new law that allows officers to shoot adivasis.

"Narendra Modi has made a new law that allows police to shoot at tribals. The law says that tribals can be attacked. They take away your lands, take away your forests, they take away your water, and then they say tribals can be shot at," the notice quoted Gandhi as saying at a rally in Shahdol.

The commission has given Gandhi 48 hours to respond to the notice, failing which "it will take a decision without further reference to him". The notice has been served to him through a special messenger.

4. The notice came hours after the poll panel gave clean chit to Modi for his speech in Latur last month in which he had urged first-time voters to dedicate their votes in the name of the Balakot air strike heroes and the soldiers killed in February’s Pulwama attack

Sixteen persons, including 15 security personnel, were killed as Maoists triggered an IED blast on a truck carrying a team of C-60 commandos in Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli on Wednesday.

Sources said the attack was revenge for the encounters conducted by the commando unit in the region last year, in which 40 Maoist cadres were killed.

While PM Modi and HM Rajnath Singh condemned the attack, several questions were raised about why a bombproof vehicle wasn’t used given the preemptive inputs.

NCP chief Sharad Pawar and state Congress president Ashok Chavan sought Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis' resignation on the issue.

CJI Gogoi appears before inquiry panel probing harassment allegations against him

Ranjan Gogoi, who has been accused of sexual harassment by an ex-SC employee, rebutted all allegations against him. The panel questioned him a day after the complainant withdrew herself from the inquiry. The committee has decided to proceed and conclude its inquiry.

6. the Election Commission cancelled the nomination of Samajwadi Party’s Lok Sabha candidate from Varanasi, the former BSF jawan Tej Bahadur Yadav. The decision was taken as Bahadur had failed to produce an EC certificate confirming that his dismissal hadn't been on grounds of “disloyalty or corruption”.

7. All was however not well for the BJP as its contentious Bhopal candidate, terror accused Pragya Singh Thakur, was barred from campaigning for 72 hours for her remarks on 26/11 hero Hemant Karkare and the Babri Masjid demolition.