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Kerala Poll Results: Left on winning track, UDF trails

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Photo: Haris Kuttippuram

Photo: Haris Kuttippuram

Thiruvananthapuram: The Left was on course on Saturday for a much-needed electoral victory in the Kerala civic polls, dethroning the Congress-led UDF, available results showed. The BJP did better than last time.

The Left Democratic Front (LDF) was leading in 507 gram panchayats at 1 p.m. The United Democratic Front was ahead in 379 while the BJP was leading in 16 and others in 15. The state has 941 gram panchayats.

At the block level, the LDF was leading in 92 and the UDF in 59 while at the district panchayat level, the rival fronts lead in seven each.

In the trends available for the municipalities, the LDF was leading in 44 and the UDF in 31 and the BJP in just one.

In the six corporations, the LDF won two, the UDF in one, while in three corporations it was a hung house.

Overall in the 2010 polls, the UDF won 65 percent of the total seats.
It is a strong come back for the Left which has not been able to secure a total win in any polls since they won the 2006 assembly polls.

In the 2010 civic polls while the Left won in the corporation (by winning three out of the five corporations), in the other segments – municipalities, district panchayats, block panchayats and gram panchayats, it was the Congress-led UDF that was far ahead of the Left.

The 2015 polls were held for 21,871 seats in 941 village, 152 blocks and 14 district panchayats besides 86 municipalities and six corporations.

As the results began to come in thick and fast, the Left opposition has been able to clearly edge out the ruling Congress led United Democratic Front (UDF) in all the segments of the three-tier local body structure in the state.

The BJP had reason to cheer as it came second in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, pushing the Congress to third position after they won 34 seats, while the Congress could manage only 21 and the Left secured 42.

The BJP, which secured around 500 seats in the 2010 polls, has so far been able to muster about 1,100 seats.

(Agencies)

Bengaluru railway station to be named after Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna

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(Photo: IANS)

(Photo: IANS)

Bengaluru: The Bengaluru railway station will soon be named after Karnataka’s prominent 19th century freedom fighter and warrior Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna, an official said on Thursday.

“On the state government’s recommendation, the Indian Railways and the union home ministry has approved naming the city’s main railway station after Sangolli Rayanna,” South Western Railway (SWR) general manager P.K. Saxena told reporters here.

“The naming ceremony will be held soon after completing formalities and in consultation with the state government,” he said.

Born on August 15, 1798, Rayanna, the ruler of Kittur, now in what is the state’s northern district of Belagavi, fought against the British East India company till his death in 1832. According to history, Rayanna participated in the 1824 rebellion and was captured and executed.

There will be a plaque at the station’s main entrance with a picture and a brief biographical account of Rayanna, who was hanged to death by the British at the age of 33 from a banyan tree at Nandagad in Belagavi district on January 26, 1832.

Bengaluru’s international airport at Devanahalli is named after the city’s founder Kempe Gowda, who made the city capital of his kingdom in 1537.

(IANS)

Imperial Hubris: Obama threatens South Africa with trade sanctions

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S Africa risks suspension of right to ship farm products to US duty-free unless it drops barriers to American products.

The United States says South Africa has been blocking US chicken imports for 15 years [AP]

The United States says South Africa has been blocking US chicken imports for 15 years [AP]

by Al Jazeera

US President Barack Obama has threatened to impose trade sanctions on South Africa for blocking imports of meat from the US.

Obama said on Thursday that he will suspend South Africa’s right to ship farm products to the US duty-free unless it begins to dismantle barriers to American pork, poultry, and beef within 60 days.

“I am taking this step because South Africa continues to impose several long-standing barriers to US trade, including barriers affecting certain US agricultural exports,” he said in a letter to Congress.

At stake are trade benefits South Africa receives under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) which is meant to encourage African countries to open their economies to trade.

The US says South Africa has been blocking US chicken imports for 15 years and has used “unwarranted sanitary restrictions” to keep out US pork and beef.

Mike Brown, president of the US National Chicken Council, backed the move and said it made no sense for the US to give special preferences to countries that treated it unfairly.

“This should send a clear message to South Africa and their poultry industry that they will not be given a ‘Get out of jail free’ card every time AGOA rounds the turn,” he said.

South Africa exported $176m in agricultural products to the US under AGOA in 2014 and potential lost benefits are estimated to total $4m to $7m.

South Africa missed an October 15 deadline to agree to new rules for imports of US poultry and meat products.

The country has banned US poultry imports since last December after an outbreak of bird flu.

Bihar battle ends, exit polls split on outcome

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bihar-votes

New Delhi: Bihar’s bitterly-contested staggered elections ended on Thursday evening, with exit polls sharply split on who would get to rule the state: the BJP-led alliance led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi or Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s Grand Alliance.

While three of the nine surveys at the end of five rounds of polling predicted a clear win for the Bharatiya Janata Party and another gave an upper hand to it, five exit polls forecast a narrow or clear majority in the 243-member house to the Grand Alliance.

Despite the exit poll suspense, leaders of both the BJP and the Grand Alliance — the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) of Nitish Kumar and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) of Lalu Prasad — claimed they were sure of victory.

“We are hopeful of getting a clear majority,” said BJP spokesman Nalin Kohli. “Although the (exit polls) ranges are close, I won’t arrive at any hasty assessment,” he said, indicating cautious optimism in the BJP.

Former chief minister Lalu Prasad, however, insisted that the Grand Alliance, which also includes the Congress, was poised to win 190 seats.

“The entire backward community of Bihar has voted for us,” he told the media in Patna. “We salute them for this.”

None of the exit polls, however, gave either alliance such a huge victory as claimed by Lalu Prasad.

While Today’s Chanakya gave 155 of the 243 seats to the BJP and its three allies, NewsX-CNX said the JD-U and its allies would get 135 seats. It forecast a mere 83 seats to the JD-U, the RJD and the Congress.

In contrast, NewsX said the BJP and its allies — the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), the Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) and the Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) — would win only 95 seats.

Other exit polls predicted a close outcome.

Any party or combine would need 122 seats to secure a wafer thin majority in the 243-member assembly. The millions of votes polled in the five rounds of polling from October 12 — about 60 percent of the 66.8 million electorate voted — will be counted on Sunday.

An India Today-Cicero exit poll predicted a hung assembly, with the BJP-led alliance winning 120 seats to 117 by the Grand Alliance. It gave the BJP alliance 113-127 seats and the Grand Alliance 111-123 seats. Four to eight seats could go to other parties.

A Dainik Jagran exit poll said the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) would get a majority with 130 seats as compared to 97 for the Grand Alliance.

The Times Now-CVoter survey gave 122 seats to the Grand Alliance and 111 to the NDA.

The ABP News gave the BJP and its allies 130 seats compared to 108 to the JD-U-RJD-Congress alliance.

News Nation also gave the JD-U and its allies an edge, with 120-124 seats, while the BJP and its allies could get 115-119 seats.

India TV-C Voter also predicted 111 seats to the BJP combine and 122 to the Grand Alliance.

Even before the exit polls were telecast, JD-U spokesman K.C. Tyagi told IANS in Patna that the Grand Alliance was confident of winning a “stupendous mandate”.

Neither Modi or BJP president Amit Shah — who micro-managed the Bihar election — nor Nitish Kumar spoke to the media.

Earlier on Thursday, nearly 60 percent of the 1.55 crore electorate turned out to vote in the last of the 57 constituencies spread across seven districts: Kishangaj, Purnea, Araria, Katihar, Saharasa, Madhepura and Supaul.

Despite widespread apprehensions, the staggered election passed off peacefully, even in areas considered to be strongholds of Maoists who had called for an election boycott.

The voter enthusiasm was evident on Thursday too, with tens of thousands queuing up at polling booths even before they opened at 7 a.m. A total of 827 candidates were in the fray.

Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi’s Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) contested from six constituencies, making its foray into Bihar.

Earlier on Thursday, the stock market dipped over a possible lack of clear mandate in Bihar.

The Bihar election is a big test for the BJP, whose winning streak since the 2014 Lok Sabha polls was halted by the Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi in February this year.

(IANS)

India reach 125/2, swell lead to 142 runs against South Africa

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ind-sa

Mohali: India reached 125/2 in their second innings at stumps to take a vital 142-run overall lead after bowling out South Africa for 184 runs in the first innings on the second day of the first Test here on Friday.

For the hosts, Cheteshwar Pujara (63 not out) and Virat Kohli (11 batting) were at the crease at the end of Day 2. Openers Murali Vijay (47) and Shikhar Dhawan (0) were the dismissed batsmen.

Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin earlier picked up five wickets to hand India the initiative. He (5-51) was assisted by fellow tweakers Ravindra Jadeja (3-55) and Amit Mishra (2-55).

AB de Villiers (63) was the top scorer for the visitors in the first innings, in reply to India’s 201.

(IANS)

Chhota Rajan brought to India

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Chhota Rajan

New Delhi: After being on the run for the past 27 years, underworld don Chhota Rajan was brought here early this morning from Indonesia by a joint team headed by CBI officials for facing trial in various criminal cases registered against him in Delhi and Mumbai.

The 55-year-old gangster, whose real name is Rajendra Sadashiv Nikalje, will be kept in the national capital where he will be questioned by sleuths of various investigating agencies as he has been making claims of having further evidence to nail India’s most wanted terrorist Dawood Ibrahim and his links with Pakistan’s snooping agency ISI.

Immediately after his arrival here in an Indian Air Force Gulfstream-III aircraft from Indonesia’s Bali, Rajan, who is considered as a ‘friendly don’ as he reportedly tipped Indian security agencies about the movement of Dawood and his aides, was whisked away to an undisclosed location under tight security.

Official cars with flashing lights accompanied by heavy- armed escort vans were seen leaving the Palam Technical Area at around 5:30 AM, as anxious camerapersons and photographers made unsuccessful attempts to get a glimpse of the underworld don, who was in one of those vehicles with tinted glasses.

Rajan had told media in Bali that he was happy to return to his motherland and had rubbished reports that his arrest was orchestrated as he was facing threat from Dawood’s men.

Ahead of his arrival in India, Maharashtra government made a surprise announcement of handing over all the cases related to the underworld don to the CBI as the agency had expertise in handling such cases. This move comes barely a few days after the state Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had been making claims that Rajan will be brought only to Mumbai.

The Maharashtra government’s sudden U-turn raised many eyebrows within the police establishment in the megalopolis as the Chief Minister himself had ordered for creation of a special cell inside Aurthur Road prison with medial arrangement of dialysis being made. Rajan is on dialysis as his both kidneys are not working.

Rajan, after his arrest, had expressed reservation over plans to lodge him in a Mumbai jail, fearing that his arch- rival and India’s most wanted terrorist Dawood Ibrahim may target him there.

Till the formalities of CBI to take over the Maharashtra cases are completed, Rajan will be in the custody of Special Cell of Delhi Police which has six cases registered against him.

Interestingly, CBI had told the Bombay High Court, while hearing petitions filed by the family members of murdered rationalist Narendra Dabholkar, that it was severely understaffed and required officers from the Maharashtra Police to assist it in the probe.

Rajan was arrested on the basis of an Interpol Red Corner notice at Bali airport on October 25 after he had arrived in the island city of Indonesia from Australia.

India was keen that the deportation takes place at the earliest and had put in a request to Indonesian authorities immediately after his arrest, sources said.

However, his deportation was deferred by a day as the international airport in Bali was shut down due to spewing of volcanic ash from a nearby mountain.

Immediately after his flight took off, Indian Ambassador to Indonesia Gurjit Singh tweeted: “#ChotaRajan deported successfully to India. Delay due to Bali airport closure ends. Thanks Indonesia for support.”

Rajan is wanted in over 75 crimes ranging from murder, extortion to smuggling and drug trafficking.

Mumbai Police has nearly 70 cases registered against Rajan, including 20 of murder, four cases under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, one under Prevention of Terrorism Act and over 20 cases under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act.

Delhi Police has six cases registered against Rajan, who was a close aide of fugitive underworld don Dawood at one point but split before the 1993 Mumbai blasts were conspired.

In 2000, there was an attempt on Rajan’s life when Dawood’s men tracked him down to a hotel in Bangkok but he managed a dramatic escape by jumping from the first floor of the hotel.

Rajan had fled India in 1988 for Dubai.

(PTI)

‘More minors being recruited into RSS, trend to go up in future’

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rss-children

Mumbai: Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) has claimed that its popularity among the minors was on the rise, as 65 per cent of its shakhas in Maharashtra were composed of members between the age group of 12 and 18 years.

Shakha is a place where RSS volunteers gather every day and currently, there were 50,432 shakhas across the country.

As per the RSS data, out of the 3,429 shakhas spread over four regions of Maharashtra– Konkan, Western Maharashtra, Devgiri and Vidarbha– 2,229 are ‘Bal and Tarun Samyukta Shakha’ (Children and Youth Joint Shakhas) for the members between the age group of 12 and 18.

120 of the total shakhas in the state have members between the age of 18 and 40, which together with Children and Youth Joint Shakhas comprise 68 per cent (2,349 out of 3,429 Shakhas) of the total shakhas.

The shakhas with members over 40 years of age comprise around 32 per cent (1,080 out of total 3,429 shakhas) of the total number in Maharashtra, the data said. These figures have helped the RSS to dispel the “allegation” that the organisation was not present among the youth.

Satish Modh, Sanghchalak of Konkan region of RSS told PTI, “Only nine per cent of our shakhas (4,551 out of the total 50,432 at the national level) comprise members over 60 years of age. These figures themselves prove that we are fast becoming popular among the youth and this trend is more likely to go up in the near future.”

He said that as per the figures till September this year, there were 50,432 RSS shakhas at 31,840 locations across the country. “The number would considerably go up by March next year,” he added.

(Agencies)

19-year-old nurse raped in moving bus near Bengaluru, two arrested

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rape

Bengaluru: A 19-year-old nurse was allegedly raped in a moving bus by its driver at Hoskote on the city’s eastern outskirts, police said on Friday.

“We have arrested accused Ravi, 26, with bus cleaner Manjunath, 23, on a complaint by the victim that she was raped by the driver when she was alone in the bus on Thursday night,” Bengaluru Rural Additional Superintendent of Police S.R. Ramesh told IANS here.

The attack took place when the young woman boarded the bus at Sulibele to go to work at a nursing home in Hoskote, 30 km from the city centre.

“The accused asked the cleaner to drive the bus while he raped her and dumped her later on the roadside at Nagagondanahalli. When she narrated the incident to doctors at a private hospital, police were called to take her complaint,” Ramesh said.

After recording her version of the incident in Kannada, police swung into action and arrested the two people and seized the bus. The bus was registered in the neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.

On October 3, a 23-year-old woman was gang raped by a driver and a cleaner in a moving van in the city’s southeast suburb.

(IANS)

Pakistan win series 2-0 as spinners run riot

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Pakistan

by Dawn

Sharjah: Pakistan spinners took nine wickets as the hosts defeated England by 127 runs to take the three-Test series 2-0 in Sharjah on Thursday.

England started the day needing 238 runs for a series-levelling victory with eight wickets in hand. But Yasir Shah and Zulfiqar Babar made early inroads, dismissing the top order within the first hour.

Captain Alastair Cook offered solid resistance, scoring 63 off 164 balls as Yasir picked up four while Babar and Shoaib Malik ended with three.

It was Malik, playing his last Test match, who gave Pakistan the prized wicket of Cook, stumped by wicket-keeper Sarfraz Ahmed, to finish with seven wickets in the match.

Shah had Ben Stokes stumped in the next over for 12 to spark celebrations in the field as Pakistan players embraced each other.

The victory lifts Pakistan to an equal highest ever number two in the ICC (International Cricket Council) Test rankings, a spot which they previously attained only for a few days in August 2006.

Pakistan won the second Test by 178 runs in Dubai.

Alastair Cook’s team fought well throughout the three Tests and was unlucky not to win the first Test in Abu Dhabi, forced into a draw due to bad light with just 24 needed for victory.

England are now pushed to sixth from their pre-series third in the Test rankings.

England were in danger of losing the match before lunch but Adil Rashid (22) helped add 49 for the seventh wicket with Cook to delay Pakistan’s win.

Cook punched paceman Rahat Ali for a single to reach his 46th half-century in Tests.

When the final day began England were rocked right at the start, losing four wickets in the space of 31 balls after resuming at 46-2.

Shah trapped Joe Root in the second over with a delivery that kept low and caught the batsman in front of the stumps before he had added to his overnight score of six.

James Taylor survived nine deliveries to score two before Babar spun one across his bat for Younis Khan to take the edge in the slip. In the next over, Shah trapped Jonny Bairstow leg-before for nought.

It became 59-6 when Samit Patel was leg-before in Babar’s next over, leaving England in fear of being bowled out for their lowest total of 72 against Pakistan when they crumbled in Abu Dhabi in 2012.

But the Rashid-Cook stand got England past the 100-mark before Rahat bowled Rashid with 15 minutes to go before lunch.

Movie Review: ‘Wedding Pullav’ is so stale it leaves a bad taste in your mouth

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Wedding Pullav

Producer: Shashi Ranjan & Anu Ranjan
Director: Binod Pradhan
Cast: Diganth Manchale, Anushka Ranjan, Karan Singh Grover, Sonalli Sehgall & Rishi Kapoor
Music: Salim – Suleiman & Rohit R. Kulkarni

Perhaps cinematographer turned debutante director Binod Pradhan had no clue that his debut directorial offering ‘Wedding Pullav’ will turn out to be such a tasteless recipe which will not be liked by the audiences at all. As nothing can be done to make this dish palatable.

The plotted scenerio kicks off with the engagement ceremony of the ‘affordable dream bike engineer’ Aadi (Diganth Manchale) alongwith Rhea (Sonalli Sehgall). Despite being his engagement day, Aadi is not completely happy, as his eyes yearns to see his London based best friend ‘Lambu’ aka Anushka (Anushka Ranjan), who had promised that, come what may, she will attend his engagement ceremony. Merely a few minutes before the ring ceremony enters Anushka in a typical filmi band-baaja style. Rhea, who hails from an estranged family (with Parmeet Sethi as her father and Kitu Gidwani as her mother) gets introduced to Aadi’s ‘best friend’ Anushka. The grand wedding is all set to take place in Thailand. Seizing the right opportunity, Anushka announces to Aadi and his gang that she is dating a London based painter Jay (Karan Grover), who does nude paintings of women for a living. Even though Aadi pretends to be really happy with the news, deep down he starts yearning to be with Anushka. Thanks to a sudden brainwave by the elders in the family, it then gets decided that Anushka and Jay also should get married alongwith Aadi and Rhea in Thailand.

Although Binod Pradhan has selected a wrong project like ‘Wedding Pullav’ as his debut directorial venture he has indeed tried his best to infuse some sparkling interest but all in vain. Need we say anything more.

Performances wise débutante actors both Diganth Manchale & Anushka Ranjan have to seriously hone up their acting skills to survive in this over competitive showbiz world. Even the other actors have failed miserably to leave a worthwhile impact.

This ‘Wedding Biryani’ oops ‘Wedding Pullav’ is so stale it leaves a bad taste in your mouth.

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