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Archives for December 2018

Bhadre Gowda wins Bengaluru Deputy Mayoral polls from JDS

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Image result for . Bhadre Gowda was the candidate of the JD(S)-Congress

Nagapura ward corporator B Bhadre Gowda of the JD(S) has won the Deputy Mayoral polls held in Bengaluru. Bhadre Gowda was the candidate of the JD(S)-Congress alliance and was elected unopposed as the BJP did not file any nomination. He had held the position of Chairman of Standing Committee in 2016, overseeing ward-level works. The elections for the position of Deputy Mayor were held on Wednesday following the untimely demise of former Deputy Mayor Ramila Shankar, necessitating the elections.

Elections were also held for the positions of chairperson for 12 standing committees of the BBMP Council as well. The elections were conducted by IAS officer Randeep D, who was recently transferred out of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike and given the additional charge of Deputy Election Commissioner of the district. The Congress and JD(S) had finalised Bhadre Gowda’s candidature following a closed-door meeting held between former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda and former Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy.

Prior to Wednesday, however, there were speculations of differences of opinion between the Congress and the BJP about the nominations to different standing committees.

The BJP was also undecided about its senior leader and former Deputy Chief Minister R Ashoka, MP PC Mohan and MLA Satish Reddy, having a visible argument just ahead of the voting. Meanwhile, Ramalinga Reddy also chaired meetings for the Congress.

On October 5, then newly elected Deputy Mayor Ramila Umashankar, passed away at the age of 44, following a heart attack. She had been a JD(S) corporator from the Kaveripura ward.

Along with the Congress’ Gangambike Mallikarjun, who was elected to the post of mayor, Ramila Umashankar was also elected unopposed as the BJP staged a walkout even after nominating Padmanabha ward councillor Shobha Anjanappa as its candidate for Mayor and Nayandahalli corporator Pratibha Dhanraj as its candidate for Deputy Mayor.

Although BJP emerged the single largest party in the 198 ward council with 100 corporators in 2015, the Congress-JD(S) alliance has been winning all elections in the mayoral polls even MLAs, MLCs and MPs in Bengaluru have a vote, which tilts the balance in the favour of the alliance.

TNM

woman fakes own death to extort over Rs 70 lakh from businessman

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The woman, along with three other members of her family, have been arrested for conspiring and conning her lover, a businessman.

58-year-old Krishnadas from Thindlu, is a caterer, and was allegedly in a relationship with 39-year-old Rani, who used to share her personal problems with him. Recognizing that Krishnadas was well-to-do, she began concocting an elaborate plan to extort money from him.

It started with her borrowing a sum of Rs 30,000 to supposedly pay her son’s college fees. Following this, she took Rs 2.75 lakh from Krishnadas stating that it was for her husband’s medical treatment. He had also given her Rs 3 lakh when she said she wanted to start a beauty parlour. Following this, she asked him for another sum and after he refused this time, she began scheming.

In February, Rani invited Krishnadas home and while they were in a compromising position, her brother and son-in-law dressed as policemen ‘raided’ the house. They threatened to book Krishnadas for prostitution and took Rs 5 lakh from him.

Later in July, the two contacted Krishnadas stating that Rani had been murdered and that he was the prime suspect in the case. He paid them a total sum of Rs 30 lakh to close the case. Subsequently, in September, they again called him and said the case would be reopened unless he paid them Rs 20 lakh, which he arranged by pledging his assets.

Preethi, Rani’s daughter, then contacted him in October and threatened to file a case with the Karnataka State Commission for Women, for paying off the police in her mother’s murder case and demanded that he pay her Rs 20 lakh. Krishnadas grew suspicious only after the fake cops called him up in November demanding Rs 65 lakh, at which time he approached the Nandini Layout police and lodged a complaint.

Acting with the help of police officials, he agreed to give the duo Rs 65 lakh as per their demand. When he went to hand over the cash, Nandini Layout police nabbed Manikandan and Prasad. Preethi and Rani were in a vehicle not too far behind, and they too were caught

TNM

Modi is protector, benefactor, promoter of AgustaWestland: Congress

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 Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of being the “protector, benefactor and promoter” of AgustaWestland and its parent company Finmeccanica, the Congress on Wednesday demanded a CBI probe into Modi’s role in “exonerating” the Italian defence and aerospace major which was blacklisted by the UPA.

A day after British national Christian Michel James, a middleman wanted in the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal case, was extradited to India, the Congress attacked Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of “using him to launch a smear campaign” against opposition leaders.

Citing Michel’s advocate Rosemary Patrizi Dos Anjos’ July 17 statement, Congress spokesperosn Randeep Singh Surjewala said the “Modi government and its agencies were forcing Michel to sign a false confessional statement naming UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi in return for complete exoneration from any charge whatsoever in the AgustaWestland Case”.

“Even Michel’s sister had come out and reiterated the coercions of falsely naming opposition leaders as a ticket for exoneration of Christian Michel. Their interviews were recorded by many Indian TV channels also,” said Surjewala.

“Never before in the history of India has a Prime Minister been found complicit in gaining false evidence against opposition leaders to seek revenge.

“This shocking expose is also a testimony to the disease prevailing in CBI/ED prostrating before the Prime Minister to collect fake and false evidence with a single minded aim of tarnishing the reputation of opposition leaders and serving the political masters as a captive puppet and a willing tool of malicious conspiracy,” alleged Surjewala.

The Congress attack came on a day when both Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah hit out at the Congress saying Michel who has taken Sonia Gandhi’s name, “will spill the beans” on the deal during the UPA government’s tenure.

However, the Congress alleged that the Modi government was indulging in cover-up to “hide its sinister role in helping and promoting the AgustaWestland and Finmeccanica which were blacklisted by the UPA.

“The most intriguing part of the conspiracy is the undisclosed reason on part of Modi government for permitting a blacklisted company to get clearances from Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) and permit its entry as partner or sub-contractor to various Indian corporates.

“Not only this, the Modi government also sought a special opinion from its Attorney General in July, 2014 and permitted AgustaWestland/Finmeccanica to be part of Make in India and bid for 100 Naval Utility Helicopters, besides clearing its investment proposals through FIPB for manufacture of AW119 helicopters in partnership with Tata,” said Surjewala.

The Congress said it was time for the CBI to investigate Modi’s role in exonerating AgustaWestland and Finmeccanica instead of “weaving fake story to deflect attention”.

IANS

Yemen to face worst humanitarian crisis of 2019: UN

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Some 132 million people in 42 countries will need humanitarian assistance and protection in 2019, with Yemen topping the list of most-desperate nations, the United Nations said on Tuesday.

Funding requirements next year will amount to $21.9bn with Yemen facing the worst humanitarian emergency followed by Afghanistan, Cameroon and the Central African Republic.

Presenting the Global Humanitarian Overview for 2019, Emergency Relief Coordinator Mark Lowcock said the UN and its partner organisations aim to assist some 93.6 million of the most vulnerable with food, shelter, healthcare, emergency education, protection and other basic assistance in 2019.

“Most of the humanitarian crises we have seen in 2018 will continue into 2019 because there has been little progress in addressing the root causes,” Lowcock said while addressing the media in Geneva.

“We need to make it a bigger priority to address the underlying causes: Conflicts, poverty, climate change, food insecurity, development programmes’ failure,” he said.

Lowcock said the figure of $21.9bn needed for 2019 does not include the financial requirements for Syria, which will be confirmed upon finalisation of the 2019 Syria Humanitarian Response Plan in February.

He said it is expected total requirements, including those for Syria, will be comparable to current requirements of about $25bn.

Humanitarian funding has increased if compared to previous years, with donors providing a record $13.9bn as of mid-November 2018 – about 10 percent more than at the same time in 2017, which was itself a record.

At least 10,000 people have been killed since the Yemen conflict started in 2014, according to the UN [AFP]

The UN official said the UN response will have to deal with a higher rate of displacement and increasing food insecurity than in the past.

Nearly 70 million people are displaced by conflict, more than ever before, Lowcock said. In addition, crises are exacerbating gender inequality with girls more likely to drop out of schools in areas affected by humanitarian emergencies.

The average humanitarian crisis lasts more than nine years, affecting three-quarters of the people the UN helped in 2018. Large, protracted crises have commanded the majority of resources. Between 2014 and 2018, war and conflict in Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Syria alone accounted for 55 percent of all funding requested and received.

Yemen’s government to swap hundreds of prisoners with Houthis

In 2019, the UN also foresees an 80-percent chance of an El Nino event affecting 25 countries with droughts, tropical cyclones and floods.

“We don’t project that it will be at the same level of impact as the 2016 El Nino, but it will be a significant event and we are planning for dealing with it,” said Lowcock. Natural disasters affect 350 million people on average each year and cause billions of dollars in damage.

Cash-based aid

Lowcock said Yemen will face the worst crisis of all with 24 million people, 75 percent of the population, in need of humanitarian assistance.

The UN has made an appeal for $4bn to provide aid to 15 million Yemenis, out of whom 12 million would be receiving food assistance. In 2017, the UN was assisting three million Yemenis a month. In 2018, the number increased more than two-fold to eight million people.

Other countries where the humanitarian situation will deteriorate in 2019 are Afghanistan – because of the mixture of drought, instability and economic challenges – Cameroon and the Central African Republic, where there has been an upsurge in conflict and violence.

There will be an increasing number of countries where needs are reduced, such as Somalia – which has been recovering from the drought last year – Iraq, Burundi and Haiti.

UN response plans will no longer be needed next year in countries that have recovered from earlier crises such as Burkina Faso, Mauritania and Senegal. While, for the first time, the UN will set out a humanitarian plan to help countries neighbouring Venezuela deal with the large numbers of Venezuelans fleeing unrest at home.

There are places where needs will remain at exceptionally high levels, said Lowcock, including Syria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Nigeria and South Sudan.

Lowcock said the UN is also working on improving delivery methods.

Among the measures to be implemented more systematically, he said, is the use of cash-based assistance. Lowcock said cash-based aid is more effective in helping the poorest and most vulnerable, especially in areas of conflict.

“We have witnessed cash-based assistance work in Somalia where, in 2017, we were able to prevent a famine. That didn’t happen in 2011 when UN supplies were systematically pillaged and ravaged by al-Shabab fighters,” he said.

The UN will also work to implement measures for the protection of people from sexual exploitation, abuse and sexual harassment, he said.

Aljazeera

AIADMK’s silent procession on Jayalalithaa death anniversary

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 A silent procession, floral tributes and a pledge to win the ensuing general elections by the ruling AIADMK leaders marked the second death anniversary of then Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa here.

Wearing black shirts, Chief Minister K. Palaniswami and his cabinet colleagues, MPs and MLAs and others took out the procession from Anna Statute on Anna Salai here to Jayalalithaa’s memorial on the Marina beach.

Placing a wreath and paying floral tributes, the AIADMK leaders and cadres took a pledge to work hard and win the ensuing Assembly and Lok Sabha elections.

DMK leader and Rajya Sabha member Kanimozhi paid tributes to Jayalalithaa.

“Surviving as a woman in a male dominated political world is not an easy task. Late AIADMK chief Jayalalithaa confronted the challenges and proved successful. The lack of clarity shrouding her final days are very unfortunate and not befitting the leader she was,” Kanimozhi tweeted.

Jayalalithaa passed away on December 5, 2016 after being in Apollo Hospital here for 75 days.

IANS

Ex-Coal Secretary gets 3 years jail

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 A Delhi court on Wednesday sentenced former Coal Secretary H.C. Gupta and two other former government officials to three years in jail in a coal block allocation case.

CBI Special Judge Bharat Parashar also slapped a fine of Rs 50,000 on Gupta and former officials K.S. Kropha and K.C. Samria.

He also sentenced Vikash Metal and Power Ltd (VMPL) Managing Director Vikash Patni and authorised signatory Anand Mallick to four years in jail.

Last week the court convicted all five of conspiring to get the Moira-Madhujore coal block of West Bengal in favour of VMPL.

It was the sixth judgment by the Special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court that is exclusively dealing with the coal block allocation cases.

Over 20 other cases probed by the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate were still pending.

Sonia’s name in diary, Michel will reveal secrets: Modi

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 Tomtomming his government’s success in the extradition of Christian Michel, a middleman in the AgustaWestland chopper deal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said the British national, who has taken UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi’s name, will spill the beans on the deal during the UPA government’s tenure.

He also said that the government succeeded in the Supreme Court when it said the government had all the right to reassess the past income tax returns of Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, who have been claiming that their assessment is “final” after doing “loot”. “Let us see, how long will you escape (in the case),” he said.

Modi also hit out at Congress President Rahul Gandhi’s brother-in-law Robert Vadra, saying he will not be spared once the BJP forms the government in the state and said a similar fate would also befell former minister P. Chidambaram.

Addressing an election meeting, the Prime Minister used the “namdaar” jibe and said those leaders, whose four generations ruled the country, had to knock the doors of court and were out on bail and would not be spared.

“You must have read in today’s newspapers about VVIP helicopter scam of thousands of crore. You would be aware about a letter of Madam Sonia Gandhi. When we came to power to find out the files. We kept searching for it and finally found a ‘razdar’ (one who knows all secrets).

“He was a middleman of England, who was living in Dubai. He used to serve the friends of ‘namdaar’ in Dubai. The government has brought him to India. This ‘razdar’ will reveal the secrets. Don’t know where and how far it will go,” he said.

Modi said a ‘chaiwala’ was able to do so because the people who voted him to power.

“Why those who did corruption are on bail today? Why the sons of these corrupt are in jail today? How this ‘razdar’ was brought to India?” he asked the people and answered it himself saying this was possible because of their one vote.

Hitting out at Vadra over the controversial land deal in Barmer district of Rajasthan, he accused the Congress of betraying the farmers and claimed that if the BJP forms the government in the state he would not be spared.

“One relative of ‘namdaar’ snatched the farmers land almost free of cost with the help of then Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and earned crores of money without any investment. Those who looted the money can’t be spared. They must be punished. But it won’t be possible if Congress forms its government. If the BJP forms its government in the state, he will surely be punished,” Modi said.

Without taking his name, he also hit out at Chidambaram for his alleged involvement in the INX Media money laundering case and referred to the arrest of his son Karti, who is out on bail.

“Every time he pleads for next date in the court. How long will you take relief from the court? The judgement will come some day and you will be behind the bars,” Modi said.

Tsunami alert on Pacific islands after 7.5-magnitude quake

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 A 7.5-magnitude earthquake shook off the coast of the Pacific island of New Caledonia, prompting warnings that tsunami waves of up to three metres can reach New Caledonia and Vanuatu.

The earthquake struck at a depth of 10 km on Wednesday, with its epicentre 168 km east-south-east of Tadine, a town on one of New Caledonia’s Loyalty Islands, the BBC reported.

New Caledonia is part of the Pacific’s “Ring of Fire”, where many earthquakes occur. It is a French overseas territory with a population of about 270,000.

“Based on the preliminary earthquake parameters, hazardous tsunami waves are possible for coasts located within 1,000km of the earthquake epicentre,” warned the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre (PTWC), saying waves could reach between one and three metres high.

The New Caledonian High Commission issued a tsunami warning for all of New Caledonia, ordering the “immediate evacuation” of people to refuge areas and the “application of safety instructions”, with residents being alerted by urgent text message instructing them to go to refugee shelters.

Those unable to reach a shelter were asked to move more than 300 metres away from the coast or seek refuge in elevated areas.

A spokesman for the Vanuatu Geohazards Observatory said the sparsely populated island of Tanna was expected to be the most affected part of the country but no evacuations had been ordered, the Guardian reported.

New Zealand’s Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management, however, tweeted that there was no tsunami threat to the nation’s coasts even though the tsunami alert issued for coasts within 1,000 km.

The United States Geological Survey also recorded a series of aftershocks, two of them at 5.9 magnitude.

More than 20 Pacific islands and countries, including Hawaii and New Zealand, could also register a slight increase in wave height, authorities said.

“The national authorities will determine the appropriate level of alert for each country,” the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said.

Saudi Arabia to open consulate office in Bengaluru

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Dr Saudi Mohammed Alsati, Saudi Arabian ambassador met chief minister HD Kumaraswamy at Vidhana Soudha on Tuesday, December 4 and informed that Saudi Arabia will be shortly opening its consulate office in Bengaluru.

Mohammed Alsati expressed that nowadays many numbers of people are travelling from Bengaluru to Saudi Arabi hence people seeking Saudi Visas has doubled. In order to meet such demands, they have decided to open a consulate office in Bengaluru.

He further informed that hundred years back a woman from Bengaluru had opened a school for girls at Mecca and requested that he would be very grateful if the government shares information of her descendants living in the city so that they can honour the family.

PTI

 

Extradition blade hanging, Mallya offers to repay 100% bank money

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 Absconding liquor baron Vijay Mallya, wanted in a Rs 9,000 crore bank loan default case, on Wednesday offered to pay back “100 per cent of the principal amount” as speculations over his extradition were raised after AgustaWestland middleman Christian Michel was brought here for interrogation.

His move came a day after the British national and middleman in the Rs 3,600 crore AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal was extradited to India from Dubai and handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) late on Tuesday.

Lashing out at the quick media narrative about his extradition to India, Mallya said: “I see the quick media narrative about my extradition decision. That is separate and will take its own legal course.

“The most important point is public money and I am offering to pay 100 per cent back. I humbly request the banks and government to take it. If payback refused, Why?” he said.

Late in 2017, India filed extradition proceedings against him which he has contested and pending the final verdict in the case, he is currently on bail in London. The court is set to pronounce its verdict on December 10.

“Airlines struggling financially partly because of high ATF (Aviation Turbine Fuel) prices. Kingfisher was a fab(ulous) airline that faced the highest ever crude prices of $140/barrel. Losses mounted and that’s where banks money went.

“I have offered to repay 100 per cent of the principal amount to them. Please take it,” Mallya tweeted.

Kingfisher began defaulting on loans beginning 2009-10.

Hitting out at the political parties and media for accusing him of running away with the money, the head of the now defunct Kingfisher Airlines said that all of the accusation was false.

“Politicians and media are constantly talking loudly about my being a defaulter who has run away with PSU (public sector undertaking) banks’ money.

“All this is false. Why don’t I get fair treatment and the same loud noise about my comprehensive settlement offer before the Karnataka High Court. Sad,” he said.

On September 12, during the hearing of his case in London’s Westminster Magistrates’ Court, Mallya told reporters that he left India after meeting Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in 2016, which the minister called “factually false”.

“I had a scheduled meeting in Geneva. I met the Finance Minister before I left… repeated my offer to settle with the banks. That is the truth.”

Mallya had said he had also told Jaitley that he was leaving for London.

Mallya, who left India on March 2, 2016, also claimed that he had made a comprehensive settlement offer before the Karnataka High Court.

The liquor barron also pointed out that for three decades by running India’s largest alcoholic beverage group, he contributed thousands of crores to the state exchequers.

“Kingfisher Airlines also contributed handsomely to the states. Sad loss of the finest Airline but still I offer to pay banks so no loss. Please take it,” he said in another tweet.

Mallya is wanted for committing alleged bank frauds of Rs 9,000 crore, and is currently holed up in the UK, fighting several cases.

On June 22, the Enforcement Directorate had moved the Special PMLA Court to declare Mallya a ‘fugitive economic offender’ and confiscate all his properties, estimated at more Rs 12,000 crore, making it the first such case of its kind under the new FEOA (Fugitive Economic Offender Act) law.

IANS

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