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Archives for September 2018

Literature Round Up

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Chetan Bhagat Reveals The Cover Of His Upcoming Novella

Best-selling author Chetan Bhagat has revealed the cover and a “movie-style promo” of his new book “The Girl In Room 105”, “a funny kind of thriller” about a Kashmiri Muslim girl & a Hindu boy, in a Facebook live on his fanpage on recently.
The book, published by Westland, will be released in Oct, 2016. Terming the book as “not a Chetan Bhagat love story”, the author pointed to its “an unlove story” tagline.
What’s interesting is that Chetan Bhagat also released a “movie-style promo” for it, reasoning that youngsters love videos, but the idea is “to bring them back to books”.
The story is about “a boy who is trying to unlove his ex-girlfriend and gets involved in something bigger”, said the “2 States” & “One Indian Girl” author.
He went on to say it is about a boy, Keshav Rajpurohit, who is from an IIT and teaches in a coaching centre, and is trying to “unlove his ex-girlfriend” Zara, a Kashmiri Muslim.
The dramatized promo has the lead, Keshav Rajpurohit, asking his audience: “Have I told you my dad is a senior member of the RSS?”
The 2 minute long promo shows him drinking one night as he receives a message from Zara and goes to meet her upon her asking.
However, in the confusion about whether Zara sent those messages, the promo ends, leaving “an element of surprise” for the audiences, as Chetan Bhagat put it in the 25 minute Facebook live.
He said people will love the suspense & humor in the book, because it is “a funny kind of thriller”, “a mystery but a funny mystery”. The book cover reveal comes after Bhagat invited his fans to #GuessTheTitle during social media contests.
Answering questions from viewers, Bhagat said the “unloving part” of the story comes from him.
“I find it very difficult to get over people. I just can’t move on. How can you move on when your heart is attached to someone,” he said.
“How can you unlove? It’s not like unplug.”

Asked about why he changed his genre, Bhagat responded that one cannot keep repeating the same formula just because “one thing is a hit”.

Bhagat also answered a question about the protagonist’s name, Keshav Rajpurohit, which is in line with his practice of naming his lead characters after Krishna.
“Krishna’s name is taken billions of times when you make that small change in a name,” he said, adding it is a not a coincidence that his heroes’ names have been based on Krishna since the last 8 times.
A viewer asked Bhagat if a movie can be expected, as his books have continuously been cinematically adapted.

The movie will come later and my readers are more important, Chetan Bhagat said, adding that he likes to keep books exciting.
He said “The Girl In Room 105” can be pre-ordered online on Amazon. The book will hit the stands in Oct, 2018.

Woman youth leader alleges sexual abuse by CPI-M MLA

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A CPI-M woman youth leader has accused a party MLA in Kerala of sexual abuse. The Communist Party of India-Marxist said it is looking into the allegation.

The woman complained to the party’s Central Committee against Shornur legislator P.K. Sasi, after her complaint to the state leadership was not taken up with seriousness.

Party General Secretary Sitaram Yechury on Tuesday directed the state unit to look into the matter.

Yechury told the media in New Delhi that he got the complaint on Monday and it has been forwarded to the state unit. “The state unit will look into it,” said Yechury.

The youth leader from Palghat had brought the instance of Sasi’s behaviour to the notice of the state leadership besides politburo member Brinda Karat.

However, no action was taken. So, on Monday she sent an email to Yechury.

She has attached audio clips in her complaint that she had given to the leaders.

Sasi told the media in Palghat on Tuesday he was not aware of anything and only after this news surfaced in the media he came to know about it.

“This is nothing but a political conspiracy hatched against me. I am in public life for so long and all those who know me, know me well. These are gossips. Well planned out move to tarnish me. I have nothing to be worried about,” said Sasi.

Party Secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said the media reports were “baseless”.

“Who said we have not done anything? We are looking into the issue and what we do in the committee is not discussed outside. We have not swept anything under the carpet,” said Balakrishnan.

He said since it was not a complaint to be given to the police, it was given to the party.

(IANS)

Bridge collapses in south kolkata

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A bridge has collapsed in West Bengal capital Kolkata. Many are feared to have been trapped. A large crowd has gathered at the spot near to where the bridge collapsed. Commuters travelling on cars and bikes have been feared to be trapped. Rescue operations are said to be underway. A segment of the bridge suddenly collapsed, according to early reports. Reports also say around six are said to have been injured.

A bridge collapsed in Majerhat in south Kolkata and a large section of it crashed, leaving many cars trapped. The flyover collapsed in the middle, according to witnesses.
Six people are believed to be injured and many are feared trapped.

The bridge, which is among the busiest in the city, collapsed over rail tracks in the Alipore area. Rescue operations are on.

The area is surrounded by half-constructed buildings, scaffolding and pillars.

(PTI)

Gait reports claim that Vagmore shot Gauri

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The Special Investigation Team (SIT) who is investigating on Gauri Lankesh murder confirmed that the person who shot Gauri was Parashuram Vagmore.

As per the sources, the SIT used the gait analysis to find out who fired at Gauri near her house at the Rajarajeshwarinagar.

The Gait report confirmed that Parashuram Vagmore shot Gauri.

Gait is clinically useful with videotape slow-motion replay and freeze-frame, offering significant improvement over unaided visual observation.

However the Gait report will be presented to the court to strengthen the proof against Vagmore.

(PTI)

Chandrababu Naidu criticises Modi

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Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu criticised the Narendra Modi-led government on Monday for a continuous rise in fuel prices and said that petrol would be sold at Rs 100 per litre. The Chief Minister said that in addition to petrol prices, the rupee value would also touch Rs 100 against one US dollar.

In the wake of the Reserve Bank of India’s report on demonetisation, Chandrababu Naidu said the Centre was unable to “properly manage demonetisation.”

“What have we achieved from demonetisation? We are seeing the condition of banks today. Big notes should be abolished. What is the need for having Rs 2,000 note? The Modi-government could not properly manage demonetisation,” he said, adding that he doesn’t have any problem if digital currency comes fully into existence, “but there needs to be proper balancing between digital and physical currency,” he added.

Chandrababu Naidu also said cash shortage was still prevalent in many parts of the country, adding that the recent growth in India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was a result of the “basic strength” of people, and “not due to NDA’s achievements.”

“(Prime Minister) Modi is not disciplined, it is inability. Even today, cash shortage is prevailing in ATMs. Nation’s growth rate came down after NDA came into power. If the Centre is disciplined, why is corruption taking place? Why are banks getting insolvent? Modi is not eligible to speak about sincerity, truthfulness, and discipline,” he noted.

With regards to schemes and measures implemented during his tenure as Chief Minister, Naidu said that efforts were channelised towards increasing the earthen water table.

“Our efforts are turning fruitful. This year, almost 2,000 TMC of Godavari water flew into the sea. Projects on Krishna river – Srirsailam and Nagarjuna Sagar – are fully filled up. 12 projects are ready for inauguration in September. We will inaugurate three projects in October and one in November, Naidu said, adding, “As of now, we have spent Rs 58,024 crore for irrigation projects, mostly in Rayalaseema and North Coastal regions.”

(PTI)

Bombay HC refuses to stop framing of charges in Malegaon 2008 case

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The Bombay High Court on Tuesday declined to stay a lower court order for framing of charges in a case against Lt. Col. Srikant P. Purohit and 13 other accused in connection with the 2008 Malegaon blast.

Purohit had challenged the decision of the lower court in the high court, seeking a stay on the framing of charges on September 5, the critical pre-trial process in the case.

On August 29, Special Judge Vinod Padalkar of the NIA Special Court had ruled that charges would be framed against Purohit and the remaining 13 accused in the Malegaon case.

Besides challenging the Special Court order, Purohit also sought a stay on the proceedings until the court finally decided on the applicability of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, under which all the 14 main accused, among them Sadhvi Pragnya Singh Thakur, have been charged, besides provisions of the Indian Penal Code and other laws.

He also questioned the sanction granted by the Maharashtra government in January 2009, for his prosecution and the dismissal of his plea seeking a discharge from the case by the Special Court in December 2017.

The development came exactly 10 years after a powerful low-intensity bomb planted on a motorcycle ripped through a crowded Muslim-majority locality of Malegaon town in Nashik, on September 29, 2008, killing seven and injuring over 100 people.

Purohit, who was granted bail in 2017 after spending nine years in custody, is currently posted at the Military Station in Colaba, south Mumbai.

The 14 accused (including Purohit) are: a former Major Ramesh Upadhyay, Sadhvi Pragnya Singh Thakur, a self-proclaimed seer, Sudhakar Dwivedi alias Dayanand Pandey, Rakesh Dhawde, Sameer Kulkarni, Sudhakar Chaturvedi, Pravin Takalki, Shivnarayan Kalsangra, Shyam Sahu, Ajay Rahirkar, and Jagdish Mhatre, besides two absconders, Sandeep Dange and Ramchandra Kalsangra.

Kerala axes all functions for a year

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The Kerala government on Tuesday announced that it won’t host any function that involves huge sums of money for a year and instead divert the amount for flood relief.

The cancelled events include the much-acclaimed International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), held every December, besides state school youth festivals.

Officials say Kerala has suffered damage amounting to Rs 30,000 crore in the worst floods to hit the state in a century.

A government order said that no government department would host any festival for a year.

The funds earmarked for all such cancelled events would be diverted to the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF).

However, State Culture Minister A.K. Balan said there was some disconnect in the order.

“There needs to be more clarity about this order and a letter has been sent to the Chief Secretary for the same. There was no decision taken by the Committee of Ministers looking into rebuilding the state,” Balan told the media.

Veteran Director Kamal, who is also the chairman of the academy that organises the IFFK, said the order had come as a surprise as he had discussed about the conduct of the film festival with Balan in the morning.

“We can hold this festival without any celebrations and utilize our own funds,” said Kamal.

Till Monday, the CMDRF had received Rs 1,036 crore. Kerala Ministers are soon leaving for 14 countries to raise money from public contributions.

Founder of militant Afghan Haqqani network dies

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The founder of the Haqqani militant network has died after several years of illness, the Afghan Taliban has announced.

Jalaluddin Haqqani was a significant militant figure in Afghanistan and had close ties to both the Taliban and Al Qaeda, the BBC reported.

“Just as he endured great hardships for the religion of Allah during his youth and health, he also endured long illness during his later years,” a statement from the Afghan Taliban said.

There were no details in the statement about the date or place of his death.

The Haqqani network has been behind many of the co-ordinated attacks on Afghan and Nato forces over the years.

His son Sirajuddin Haqqani is believed to have taken over control of the group in 2001.

Rumours about Haqqani’s death have circulated for years. In 2015, sources close to the group told the BBC that the leader had died at least a year before. This was never confirmed.

Mohamed Salah makes FIFA shortlist for 2018 Ballon d’Or

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Egypt and Liverpool striker Mohamed Salah has made the world player of the year shortlist for the first time, along with Luka Modric and five-time winner Cristiano Ronaldo.

Lionel Messi, who has won the award five times since 2008, failed to make the three-man shortlist for the first time in 12 years.

Salah, who netted 44 goals in all competitions for Liverpool last season, helped the club achieve second place in the Premier League and also helped Jurgen Klopp’s side reach the Champions League final.

Modric helped Real Madrid to a third straight Champions League title and then led Croatia to the World Cup final.

In his six seasons at Real, Modric has scored 13 goals and made 28 assists.

Broken down over the seasons, he made five assists in his debut 2012/13 season, six in 2013/14, three in 2014/15, three in 2015/16, three in 2016/17 and eight last season.

According to Marca, his work with Toni Kroos in Real’s “engine room” gave the team the “fluidity to achieve superiority in the midfield and generate chances”.

Meanwhile, Ronaldo, Modric’s former teammate, is looking to make it a hat-trick of awards after helping Real Madrid to a third consecutive Champions League title.

He also captained Portugal to the last 16 at the World Cup in Russia before securing a move to Italian champions Juventus this summer.

The award is decided through a combination of votes from national team coaches, captains, members of the media and fans, and will be presented at the Best FIFA Football Awards on September 24 in London.

(Aljazeera)

Japan hit by strongest typhoon in 25 years; nearly 600 flights cancelled

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The strongest typhoon to hit Japan in 25 years made landfall Tuesday, the country’s weather agency said, bringing violent winds and heavy rainfall that prompted evacuation warnings. Typhoon Jebi, packing winds of up to 216 kilometres per hour, made landfall around midday in western Japan near areas still recovering from deadly record rains earlier this summer.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe urged people to “evacuate early” and ordered his government to take all necessary measures to protect residents. Japan’s weather agency has issued warnings about possible landslides, flooding and violent winds, as well as high tides, lightning and tornadoes in a swath of western Japan including the major cities of Osaka and Kyoto. With winds of up to 162 kilometres (100 miles) per hour at its centre, Jebi is classed as a “very strong” typhoon, the weather agency’s chief forecaster Ryuta Kurora told AFP. “This is (the strongest) since 1993.”

In the hours before the storm made landfall, Shikoku, one of four Japanese main islands, was already experiencing “violent storms and the storms will get stronger and stronger,” he added. As the storm approached, Abe called a disaster response meeting and cancelled a trip to western Japan. “I urge the Japanese people to take action to protect your lives, including preparing and evacuating early,” he said. He instructed his cabinet to “take all measures possible”.

Local media warned that the wind speeds Jebi is packing are strong enough to bring down traditional-style wooden houses and power poles, and urged people in affected areas to avoid non-essential travel. Evacuation advisories have been issued for more than 300,000 people in western Japan — including 280,000 in the port city of Kobe — with local officials setting up some 1,500 shelters, the central and local governments said in statements.

Primary and middle schools in affected areas are closed for safety reasons, while regional businesses also reacted quickly, with a major railway firm and Universal Studios Japan in Osaka shutting down for Tuesday. Nearly 600 flights were cancelled, including several international flights departing and arriving at Nagoya and Osaka, along with ferries connecting ports in western Japan.

Jebi has a similar trajectory to Typhoon Cimaron, which made landfall on August 23, disrupting transport links but causing limited damage and few injuries. Japan is currently in its annual typhoon season, and is regularly struck by major storm systems during the summer and autumn.

The country has been sweating through a record, deadly heatwave that was preceded by record rainfall in parts of western and central Japan that killed over 200 people.

(IANS)

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