5 THINGS FIRST Sabarimala board meets today ahead of temple reopening to discuss Supreme Court's verdict allowing entry to women; Last phase of J&K municipal elections; Pune court to hear rights activist Sudha Bharadwaj's bail application; Man Bookerliterature prize winner to be announced; World Food Day 1. Proving defamation will be tough for #MeToo accused Journalist-turned-politician and Minister of State for External Affairs M J Akbar filed a criminal defamation case against journalist Priya Ramani, becoming the second man to do so in the midst of #MeToo sexual harassment claims, after actor Alok Nath filed a civil defamation suit against writer Vinta Nanda after she accused him of raping her. However, it's unlikely either of the two will get any succour from the courts. Here's why: Criminal intentions: Akbar's case has been filed under Sec 499 and Sec 500 of the IPC, which recognises defamation as a criminal act and if proven calls up to two years of prison sentence. However, the onus of proving so rests with Akbar and not with Ramani. Moreover, given the fact he's a public servant, Ramani is entitled to one of the 10 exceptions under the law, the most common of which are: stating a true fact against a person for public good; expressing an opinion in good faith about an act of a public servant; or even making imputations on the character of another provided it's in good faith and for the public good. Civil lines: In Nath's civil defamation case against Nanda, which claims Re 1 as damages and a public apology, however, the onus of proving there was no attempt at defamation rests with Nanda. Civil defamation is not codified in Indian law, unlike criminal defamation and also takes a long time to settle, given the delays that are inherent in the legal system. Intimidation tactics? Akbar, who has only filed a case against his first accuser, Ramani, instead of all the 11 women who have accused him of sexual harassment or assault, hired a 97-strong lawyers' team from one of India's top law firms, Karanjawala and Company, to fight his case in the Patiala House Court. Meanwhile, Ramani has countered Akbar's charges, denying that there's any political agenda and that she's ready to fight the defamation case. Read more here 2. Why the Indian rupee needs oil companies' help Oily diet: Meeting the heads of global oil companies from Saudi Arabia and UAE at the third annual summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi sought to make the case for paying them in rupees, instead of dollars, in order to stem the continuing depreciation of the Indian currency, which, coupled with the rising crude oil prices, has left the NDA government with little idea on how to stop the rise in retail fuel prices — the 10th consecutive day of rise in diesel pricesnegating the Rs 2.50 per litre cut announced earlier this month. Help for HELP: The Modi government, which had come out with its HELP (Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy) in 2015, to replace NELP (New Exploration and Licensing Policy), eliminated the need for oil companies to pay cess and also allowed 100% ownership by foreign oil companies, among other measures — that however, has still not enthused the oil companies as no new investments have been made in the sector, the PM claimed. Shifting sands: India, the world's third largest consumer of oil, is also looking to transfer its dependence on Iranian oil to Saudi Arabian crude, in view of the US sanctions kicking in from November 4, as 80% of the country's needs are met through imports. Teheran is New Delhi's third biggest supplier of crude oil, after Iraq and Saudi Arabia, with 10% of the crude oil basket share. India had contracted Iran for the supply of 25 million tonnes of crude oil in 2018-19, up from 22.6 million tonnes in 2017-18. Read more here 3. Why Big Pharma wants 'second brand' of cheap drugs for Modicare The proposal: Multinational pharmaceutical companies like Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline Pharma and Abbott have proposedto launch a low priced 'second brand' of their products which can be introduced into government's flagship Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme. The scheme aims to cover nearly 50 crore beneficiaries from 10.74 crore 'deprived' families. The condition: The companies want the government to provide 'policy support' and ensure that these (lower) prices are not used as reference for further price fixation by government agencies. The reason: Creating a 'second brand' means selling the same (or similar) medicine under two brand names. So why do companies do that? One, it helps keep their social and financial aspects separate. While the lower-priced brand can help fulfil the company's social obligation, the higher-priced version caters to the profit maximisation objective (Aventis makes a malaria drug for WHO at no-profit-no-loss and sells the same under a different brand for three to four times the public price). Two, having two brands expands the market and taps consumers at both ends: those willing to pay more as well as those that can't afford expensive medicines. Three, it helps guard against competition nibbling at the market share, especially for out-of-patent medicines which any pharma company can make. Four, a second brand helps in tie-ups with other companies who can then help use their own distribution network to sell that brand. Meanwhile, dozens of patients and families affected by defective hip implants of Johnson and Johnson (J&J) have decided not to participate in the compensation process for victims, saying it lacked credibility and questioned its impartiality. 4. This week Chinese navy will get really close to India China will this week, beginning Saturday, conduct a nine-day joint naval operation with Malaysia and Thailand, the Chinese defence ministry said. The exercise will help China exert its naval strength, and comes just two weeks after the US sent a warship to South China Sea. But the exercise will raise eyebrows in India, for it is to be held in the Strait of Malacca, just off the shores of Malaysia and less than a 1,000 km from the Nicobar islands — the Indian navy operates an air station at Campbell Bay there. Added setback: The naval exercise comes just months after India conducted a bilateral military exercise with Malaysia to boost ties with the ASEAN nations. China will send three destroyers and frigates, two ship-borne helicopters, three Il-76 transport aircraft and a total of 692 servicemen to the nine-day exercise named Peace and Friendship 2018. China says it is intended to demonstrate the common will of the armed forces of the three countries to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea region. Except that the Strait — a narrow stretch of water between Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand — is not South China Sea, instead connects the Andaman Sea to South China Sea. The near 500-mile stretch is a crucial trade route and is vital for India-ASEAN trade as well as for the transit of Chinese ships. India has so far stayed out of the geopolitics of South China Sea, where China has been ruffling the feathers of other nations (such as Philippines and Vietnam), even when the US had wanted it to join in a patrol. But with China 'extending' the South China Sea closer home, will India have a rethink? NEWS IN CLUES 5. Who served as the 42nd US President? Clue 1: Elected at the age of 46, he became the third-youngest president and the first from the Baby Boomer generation. Clue 2: He was only the second Democrat (after Franklin D. Roosevelt) to be elected to a second term. Clue 3: He also boasts back-to-back Grammys, won in 2003 & 2004. Scroll below for answer 6. 'Murder at embassy' isn't a new story Saudi consulate: Mystery over the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who vanished after entering the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul last week, continues and so do the blame game and diplomatic attacks and counter-attacks. The case may have shocked the world especially since embassies and consulates are places of sanctuary. However, they have been witness to many murders. Here are some: Siege within: A shadowy group known as the Vigorous Burmese Student Warriors stormed the Myanmar Embassy in Bangkok on Oct. 7, 1999. They took 38 hostages to demand democracy in their country. Thailand allowed them to fly to the border, angering Myanmar but ending the standoff without bloodshed. Wrong button: NATO bombs hit the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade by mistake on May 8, 1999, killing three Chinese reporters. In China, protesters retaliated by attacking U.S. missions. Rebel trouble: Leftist Tupac Amaru rebels seized the Japanese ambassador's residence in Lima, Peru, on Dec. 17, 1996, taking diplomats and guests hostage and demanding the release of their imprisoned comrades. The rebels held 72 hostages for 126 days before government troops stormed the premises; one hostage, two commandos and all rebels were killed. Student militants: Militant Iranian students stormed the US Embassy in Tehran on Nov 4, 1979, and took 52 Americans hostages. The attackers demanded the return of the Shah to Iran to face trial. The US refused and launched a failed commando raid to free the captives. Six Americans who fled the initial takeover and found refuge with the Canadian ambassador later escaped Iran with the CIA's help. Their escape was dramatised in the 2012 film "Argo.'' Red anarchy: German anarchists of the Red Army Faction shot their way into the West German Embassy in Stockholm on April 24, 1975, demanding the release of their comrades from prisons back home. They took 12 embassy staff hostage. During the standoff with police, the attackers killed the military and the economic attaches before accidentally blowing up a part of the building. Hostage crisis: The Black September faction took over the Israeli Embassy in Bangkok on Dec. 28, 1972, and held six Israeli embassy staff hostage. The hijackers agreed after negotiations to leave in exchange for safe conduct to Egypt. Read more on such incidents here. Meanwhile, Trump, after a phone call with the Saudi king, suggested that Khashoggi could have been murdered by "rogue killers”.  7. Happiest place on earth has a dark unhappy secret Happy voters: Bhutan, often described as the 'happiest place on earth' where happiness is equated to wealth, goes to polls (its third ever) this week. Since 1998 the country claims to pursue gross national happiness over economic gains. But a bunch of Bhutanese won't be voting and that's the dark secret that Bhutan's happy image hides. Unhappy lot: About 1 lakh Bhutanese citizens, a sixth of the country's population then, were brutally driven out of the kingdom in the 1990s and ended up in refugee camps in eastern Nepal. About 7,000 of them remain in these camps. The majority have been resettled by United Nations in third countries like United States, Australia and Norway. Bhutan's Rohingya: The Nepali-speaking Lhotshampawere branded immigrants and stripped of citizenship rights when the then-king introduced a 'One Nation, One People' policy in 1985. The policy made following the customs of the Buddhist majority mandatory, including wearing their traditional dress, and speaking Nepali was banned. Those who resisted where labelled anti-nationals, arrested and subjected to brutal treatment including rape and torture, according to Amnesty International. The security forces made detainees sign declarations saying they would leave Bhutan voluntarily as a condition of their release. 8. Can disappearing ink make voters disappear? Missing voters: Maldives President Abdulla Yameen lost elections last month and is supposed to make way for the winner after his term ends on November 17. But now he doesn't want to go. So, he has challenged the result in the country's top court. Mystery ink: At the hearing, Yameen's lawyer has accused the printer of coating ballot papers with an unnamed substance to make votes marked in Yameen's box vanish. A 'special pen with disappearing ink' had been given to people who were going to vote for his client, he said. Elections Commission has denied any wrongdoing, including using any special ink. Real politics: The strongman leader had expected to romp home in the September 23 poll, with opposition leaders jailed or exiled. But in a surprise turn of events, a little-known united opposition candidate, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, was declared the winner, sparking celebrations across the country. Yameen initially said he accepted defeat and was ready to step down when his term ends. But last week he launched a Supreme Court challenge, seeking to annul the result. Read the full story here YOU SHARE YOUR B'DAY WITH... Source: ESPNCricinfo.com 9. Will this be the fastest Royal baby ever? First there was royal love, then came the royal marriage, and now a royal baby. On Monday, the Kensington palace confirmed that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex (Prince Harry and Meghan Markle) are expecting their first child in the Spring of 2019. The announcement came ahead of the couple beginning their first official foreign tour together in Australia. The baby will be seventh in line to the throne, and it is understood that the Duchess is past the 12-week mark. Clearly, the wait for a new cousin hasn't taken too long for Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. Here's a look at the time between the wedding and first child for royalty down the years: Queen Elizabeth & Prince Philip Marriage: Nov. 20, 1947 Birth of Prince Charles: Nov. 14, 1948 Length: 11 months, 25 days Prince Charles & Diana, Princess of WalesMarriage: Jul. 29, 1981 Birth of Prince William: Jun. 21, 1982 Length: 10 months, 22 days Prince William & Kate, Duchess of CambridgeMarriage: Apr. 29, 2011 Birth of Prince George: Jul. 22, 2013 Length: 2 years, 2 months, 25 days Prince Harry & Meghan, Duchess of SussexMarriage: May. 19, 2018 Baby expected (as reported): End-April/first week of May, 2019 Full story here. 10. Two male penguins fall in love, and now await their first child Sphen and Magic are two male gentoo penguins living amongst their folks in Sydney's Sea Life Sydney Aquarium. They are good friends. Actually, "more than friends", say the aquarium staff. The two started bonding ahead of the 2018 breeding season, before starting to collect pebbles — a behaviour that suggested they wanted to make a nest together. So the staff gifted them a replica egg, and they were impressed by how the two incubated it... So impressed they have now given them an actual egg. Sphen and Magic — the couple are called 'Sphengic' — now share the responsibility of incubating the egg and bring to life their first offspring (The staff say male and female penguins too share the duties and hence everything is in line here). 'Sphengic' are "going to be amazing", say the staff, but if they struggle in their parental duties the staff are ready to step in. (The two aren't the first same-sex couple, if you are wondering — for instance, Silo and Roy were a couple for six years, before Silo found a female penguin named Scrappy) Follow Sphengic here Follow news that matters to you in real-time. Join 3 crore news enthusiasts. GET APP Answer To NEWS IN CLUES Bill Clinton. His two-decade old scandal with then-White House intern Monica Lewinsky has come under renewed scrutiny in the #MeToo era. While some have said he should have stepped down as US President after being impeached in late 1998 for lying about the affair (though the Senate could not process it), his wife Hillary said her husband’s affair was not an abuse of power and he was right to not resign.