Jennifer to collaborate with ‘Call Me by Your Name’ director page no. 02
Fed up with England’s off-field issues, says captain Joe Root
14/12/2017, thursday Edition: Ahmedabad
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ENGLISH DAILY MORNING REPUTED NEWS PAPER, AHMEDABAD Editor : Kapilkumar M. Hirpara
Short News Hyd woman, lover in ‘mutton soup’ after dish exposes husband’s murder
Hyderabad: In a bizarre end to a wellplanned murder, mutton soup served at a Hyderabad hospital exposed the crime committed by a 27-year-old woman and her lover. M Swati had allegedly murdered her husband Sudhakar Reddy and convinced her lover to disfigure his own face with acid and get a plastic surgery done so he could replace Reddy. She was arrested on Sunday. Swati, a nurse at a private hospital in Nagarkurnool town of Hyderabad, was married to Sudhakar Reddy for three years and has two children. Taking cue from Telugu movie ‘Evadu’, where actor Allu Arjun undergoes plastic surgery to resemble another character, Swati conspired with her lover Rajesh to kill her husband and get his property, according to reports.
Hyderabad: Man lures girl, 5, with chocolate, rapes, kills her; arrested Hyderabad: In a shocking incident, a five-year-old girl was raped and murdered in Hyderabad on Tuesday. According to the SHO, Narsinghi police station, a 23-year-old man named Dinesh, lured his neighbour’s daughter by offering her chocolate. The police has registered a case under section 363, 366, 376-A, 302 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and section 5 and 6 of POCSO Act. The police has taken the accused into custody and sent him to judicial remand.
Strange story with no basis: Pak’s Khurshid Kasuri rejects Modi’s conspiracy claim
Islamabad: Pakistan’s former foreign minister Khurshid Kasuri on Wednesday dismissed as “a strange story with no basis” the claim made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Islamabad was interfering in the Gujarat Assembly polls. “I am astonished. I had gone for dinner and I heard him saying that Pakistan is hatching a conspiracy,” Kasuri, who served as Pakistan’s Foreign Minister between November 2002 and November 2007, told Urdu language Samaa TV news channel Recalling that ex-prime minister Manmohan Singh, ex-vice president Hamid Ansari, exArmy chief Gen Deepak Kapoor, four former foreign secretaries and three former high commissioners to Pakistan and military analysts were present in the dinner, Kasuri asked, “are they also part of Pakistan’s conspiracy? It is a strange story with no basis. What else can I say.” Addressing an election rally in Palanpur in Gujarat this week, Modi sought to suggest that Pakistan was trying to influence the assembly polls in the state. He claimed some Pakistani officials and Manmohan Singh met at then Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar’s house over dinner on December 6. “The people who attended the private dinner were talking on India and Pakistan ties...,” Kasuri asserted.
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“NPAs are the biggest liability transferred to us by the previous government. This is bigger than the Commonwealth, 2G and coal scams,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said
NPA was the biggest scam of the UPA government, says PM Modi at FICCI meeting New Delhi : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday blamed the previous government for crippling the banking system and said nonperforming assets (NPA) was the biggest scam of the UPA regime. Speaking at FICCI’s 90th Annual General Meeting in the national capital, the prime minister said NPAs was the biggest liability transferred to the
Centre by the previous government. “The NPA is the biggest scam of the previous government. This is bigger than the Commonwealth, 2G and coal scams. Shouldn’t those who remained silent then have spoken. NPAs are the biggest liability transferred to us by the previous government,” Modi said. His comments come at a time when the country is going through an
Rahul Gandhi’s interview to Gujarati channel
BJP wants EC to take cognizance, Cong says stop threatening journalists
New Delhi : In the run-up to Gujarat elections, a war of words broke out between BJP and Congress over Rahul Gandhi’s interview to a local Gujarati channel. Arguing that the interview was a part of Congress’ election campaign, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal attacked Congress President-elect for allegedly violating the Representation of the People Act, 1951. “It was not permitted to give an interview in the last 48 hours of campaigning in Gujarat. I am sure the Election Commission
will take cognizance of this and take an action,” he was quoted as saying by the
ANI. The second phase of Gujarat polls will take place on December 14. Congress
in retaliation accused BJP of using “EC as a tool for its political gains.” Addressing a press conference, Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala accused BJP of allegedly threatening journalists. “When Congress President-elect Rahul Gandhi gave interviews to a few Gujarati news channels, BJP, in the name of Election Commission, threatened to jail the journalists of those channels for broadcasting it. We condemn this arrogant behavior of BJP,” he said.
US channel’s finding on Soon, experience flight-like Ram Setu reaffirms BJP’s luxury in Shatabdi trains with stand: Ravi Shankar Prasad new ‘Anubhuti’ coaches The claim made in a new show of a US science channel that the ‘Ram Setu’ is man-made and not natural has reaffirmed the stand of the BJP on the issue, Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said Wednesday. He also hit out at the previous UPA government for filing an affidavit in the Supreme Court questioning the belief that the land bridge was built by Lord Ram to reach then Lanka to rescue his wife Sita, as depicted in the epic Ramayana. “Those who filed the affidavit should explain now. The research has supported what
the BJP has been claiming all along…The setu is part of our cultural heritage,” Prasad told reporters here. In a promo for its upcoming show, the channel quotes an archaeologist that the rocks on top of sand pre-date the sand. “This is what the BJP has been saying all along,” Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju said here.
New Delhi : In order to provide a better travel experience to its commuters, the India Railways will soon be adding an aircraftlike luxury chair car — named “Anubhuti” — to the MumbaiAhmedabad Shatabdi Express. The Anubhuti coach, equipped with cushy interiors, seats fitted with LCD screens attached to every seat and wider leg space, has been built at an estimated cost of Rs 2.84 crore at the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai. The Anubhuti (which means experience) coaches were announced in the Railway
Budget of 2013 by the UPA government. The then railway minister Pawan Kumar Bansal had proposed induction of these coaches in his maiden Rail Budget, first into the KalkaNew Delhi Shatabdi, and then into the Jaipur-New Delhi Shatabdi. The coaches were, however, not installed into the Indian Railways owing to various reasons.The coaches are fitted with automatic doors and the interiors and lighting arrangements have been aesthetically designed to enhance the ambience.
economic downturn and the opposition have questioned the government’s move of demonetisation and hasty implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST). The banking system is facing stressed assets of close to Rs 10 lakh crore. At least 400 companies are currently undergoing insolvency resolution process at various National Company Law Tribunals.
I-T dept conducts surveys at Bitcoin exchanges country-wide
New Delhi : The Income Tax Department on Wednesday conducted survey operations at major Bitcoin exchanges across the country on suspicion of alleged tax evasion, official sources said. They said various teams of the sleuths of the department, under the command of the Bengaluru investigation wing, today visited the premises of nine such exchanges in the country including in Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kochi and Gurugram, since early morning. The survey, under section 133A of the Income Tax Act, is being conducted for “gathering evidence for establishing the identity of investors and traders, transaction undertaken by them, identity of counterparties, related bank accounts used, among others,” they said. The survey teams, sources said, are armed with various financial data and inputs about the working of these exchanges and this is the first big action against them in the country.
Govt extends deadline for quoting Aadhaar, PAN in financial dealings till March 31, 2018
PM Modi, Manmohan Singh exchange greetings after war of words
New Delhi : After a bitter war of words between the Congress and BJP during the recently concluded Gujarat poll campaign, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former prime minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday exchanged greetings during a ceremony to honour the martyrs of the 2001 Parliament attack. After shaking hands outside the Parliament House in New Delhi, they paid tributes to security officials who lost their lives in the 2001 attack that killed 14 people. Several other ministers including Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, LK Advani, Sushma Swaraj, Rajnath Singh, Venkaiah Naidu, Ravi Shankar Prasad were also present. Expressing anguish at the “falsehood” and “canards” being spread by PM Modi to “score political points”, Singh in a statement on Monday said, “Modi is setting a dangerous precedent by his insatiable desire to tarnish every constitutional office, including that of a former Prime Minister and Army Chief”. Singh was responding to Modi’s claim at an election rally in Gujarat on Sunday that Pakistan has been allegedly interfering in the state assembly elections.
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India can’t be governed on basis of Hindi, Hindu and Hindustan: Owaisi Hyderabad: President of All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen (AIMIM) Asaduddin Owaisi on Wednesday said that India cannot be governed on the basis of “Hindi, Hindu and Hindustan”. Owaisi, while citing a news report which claimed that a scuffle broke out between members of the BJP and BSP in Aligarh Municipal Corporation in Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday after a BSP corporator
took oath in Urdu, tweeted that he himself has taken oath in Urdu three times earlier as an MP and will do so again in 2019. “As an MP I have taken oath in Urdu three times, so is that unconstitutional and will again take in Urdu in 2019 InshAllah. India cannot be governed on the basis of Hindi, Hindu and Hindustan,” the Lok Sabha member from Hyderabad said in a tweet.
New Delhi : The government on Wednesday extended the deadline to link the Aadhaar number with bank accounts by three months till March 31, 2018. This comes a day before the Supreme Court will commence hearing on mandatory linking of Aadhaar to various schemes. Earlier, the deadline for linking the 12-digit unique identification number with both Permanent Account Number (PAN) and bank accounts was December 31. However, the government extended the deadline last week for linking it with PAN till March 31. According to the December 12 notification, the words “submit the Aadhaar number and PAN by December 31, 2017” have been substituted by “submit the Aadhaar number, PAN or Form No 60 by such date as may be notified by the Central government”.
NGT bans chanting of mantras, ringing of bells at Amarnath temple New Delhi : The National Green Tribunal on Wednesday banned the chanting of mantras at Amarnath temple and issued a slew of orders to be implemented by the Amarnath Shrine Board. The directions come after the green court rapped the Amarnath Shrine Board last month for failing to provide adequate infrastructure facilities to pilgrims and
asked it to submit a status report on the same in the first week of December. On Wednesday, an NGT bench headed by chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar said there should be no ringing of bells in the cave temple, situated at an altitude of 3,888 metres in J&K, and pilgrims would have to deposit all mobiles and belongings at the last check post.
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thursday, 14 December, 2017
Russia-India-China talks a positive step
The trilateral meeting of the foreign ministers of Russia, India and China (RIC) in New Delhi on Monday was good for optics. It produced nothing sensational. But when top officials of leading countries gather to speak of charting a productive path and fashion a cooperative outlook, the right signals go out. The meeting of Sushma Swaraj, Wang Yi and Sergei Lavrov should also help balance concerns in any quarters that India has begun to form a bloc with the United States, Japan and Australia (the “Quad”) to box in China in producing a security architecture for the Indo-Pacific region. This was articulated in the wake US President Donald Trump’s recent AsiaPacific visit, and was commented on in China. Mr Trump’s particular reference to “Indo-Pacific”, an accurate enough description, further fuelled calculations that India was being pulled into a potential bloc against China. The notion gained enough traction for Russia’s foreign minister to say in a talk at a New Delhi think tank that a sustainable security architecture for the Asia-Pacific can’t be achieved through a “bloc arrangement” but on “an open-ended collective basis”. Not that the latter is on the cards at all, and no country of the Quad — India included — is interested in barracking China (given their bilateral relations with Beijing). By raising the issue, however, Moscow is signalling the importance of its own ties with China, particularly so in light of the Trump administration’s unceasing hot rhetoric on North Korea, which impacts both Beijing and Moscow. The trilateral communiqué on terrorism once again left out mentioning Pakistan-based anti-India terrorist groups like Lashkar-e-Tayyaba and Jaish-e-Mohammad and only spoke of taking “decisive and concerted actions” against globally proscribed terrorists and terror entities. China has massive investments in Pakistan in the context of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, and it clearly can’t go any farther than this in the foreseeable future. But that shouldn’t turn us off Beijing, and we need to look at the balance. In dealing with regional terrorism emanating from Pakistan, it’s better to be in sync with Moscow and Beijing on a broad political understanding of ways to combat terror than be at odds with them as that would make any consensus elusive. In dealing with terrorism each country will have its own threshold. India must be clear it will act the way it needs to and, in the end, it can’t depend on any country in fighting regional or international terrorism directed against it. It was positive that Ms Swaraj had a bilateral conversation with Mr Wang on the RIC meet sidelines in the first high-level bilateral contact between India and China after the diplomatic resolution of the Doklam crisis. They aired their differences and promised to handle the bilateral relationship with sensitivity. That’s okay for now.
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Hollywood - Bollywood Kareena Kapoor Khan attended Soha Ali Khan’s book launch event with Saif Ali Khan and Sharmila Tagore.
I feel small in front of Soha Ali Khan: Kareena
Actor Kareena Kapoor Khan is all praise for her sister-in-law Soha Ali Khan, saying she is the family’s torchbearer and someone they all turn to for advice. Lauding Soha’s knowledge, Kareena said she is always nervous while listening to the conversations between husband Saif Ali Khan and Soha as she struggles to understand what they are talking. Kareena said she finds herself in a similar position as that of Soha’s husband Kunal Kemmu, who said he can’t get some of the English words Soha uses while they are talking. “I have rarely been intimidated by anyone and media knows. But if there’s one person in the family I am completely in awe of, it is Soha. I’m always a little nervous when I am having dinner with Saif and Soha, I’m like ‘Oh my God, I am never going to understand this conversation’,” Kareena said. “If Kunal can’t, there’s no way I can! Soha has always been so polite, like ‘Hi, what’s up, did you buy anything, so what’s the gossip?’ I’m like, ‘Oh God, I feel so small and lame! But it’s okay. I think we have found our way,” she added. Kareena was speaking at the launch of Soha’s book, “The Perils of Being Moderately Famous”, last night. In her book, Soha talks about finding herself in different capacities - as legendary cricketer Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi and veteran Bollywood star Sharmila Tagore’s daughter, and actors Saif Ali Khan’s sister and Kareena Kapoor Khan’s sister-in-law.
Sushant Singh Rajput gets nostalgic on his mother’s death anniversary
Reminiscing his mother, Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput got nostalgic on his mother’s death anniversary. Penning an emotional message, the 31-year-old actor took to his Instagram page and also shared a black and white photo collage of his late mother. The picture was captioned as, “This day I lost you ma, As long as you were, I was. In your memories I come alive Like a shadow Just a flicker
Time doesn’t move here It’s beautiful It’s forever..” Earlier, the actor had got himself inked to immortalise her presence in his life and the tattoo is a symbol of the relationship he shares with his mother. On the work front, the ‘M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story’ star will be next seen essaying the role of an astronaut in ‘Chanda Mama Door Ke,’ which also stars R. Madhavan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui.
If you’re a victim, come out and talk about it: Neha Dhupia on sexual harassment
- Kapilkumar M. Hirpara
Editor
Kangana reacts to speculation of Manikarnika being stalled, signs two new movies
Jennifer to collaborate with ‘Call Me by Your Name’ director The Oscar-winning actor Jennifer Lawrence is set to star in and produce a 19th century true-crime drama to be directed by ‘Call Me by Your Name’ helmer Luca Guadagnino. Titled ‘Burial Rites’, the film is based on the Hannah Kent novel of the same name, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The film follows Agnes Magnusdottir (Lawrence), the last woman to be publicly executed in Iceland in 1830. Magnusdottir was sentenced to death for killing two men and setting fire to their home, with the story taking place as she awaits confirmation of her death sentence by the high court.
Kangana Ranaut is back. She may have been on the back-foot, after simultaneous thrashings her films Rangoon and Simran experienced — not to mention the Hrithik Roshan fiasco — but she’s ready to bounce back. And this, despite the rumours of a Bollywood boycott for her. While there were speculations that her Rani Laxmibai biopic titled Manikarnika may be stalled, or its budget slashed, the movie is on track. About the Krish directorial, Kangana confirms, “Yes, we will be completing shooting of Manikarnika by February and will be releasing the film in 2018.” The release date for the movie hasn’t been announced yet, or planned for that matter, but it will be spoken about when the film is ready and done. But that’s not all. The actress has gone ahead and signed two other films. While we’re told that one is a thriller, the other is being made by internationally acclaimed filmmaker Shekhar Kapur. And while Kangana doesn’t divulge details, she admits to signing them.
Former Miss World Diana Hayden pregnant with twins; here’s what’s special about it Former Miss World Diana Hayden is one of the few celebrities who have endorsed egg freezing. In January 2016, she gave birth to a baby girl, born out of an egg that she had frozen eight years ago. Today, the 44-year old is pregnant once again — with twins this time. “Age won’t be a barrier anymore to be a mother — it definitely takes away the pressure. Now, I am having twins and I am 44 today. I was 41 when I froze my eggs. The quality of your eggs deteriorate as you grow older, so this is a healthier option. No matter how fit you are, as your body gets older, it is never going to be as fit as when it was in your 20s,” she explains at the launch of Mini Homes, a high-end luxury brand. While egg freezing might have been an unheard of option earlier, Diana gushes about the process. She goes on to say that the procedure is an option for women, who wish to plan a baby later in their lives. She says, “I did it for social reasons. A lot of women find it difficult to conceive…I didn’t want to be with the wrong person to have kids. When I got married at 40, I realised I had some issues which made it almost 50 per cent difficult for a woman to conceive. So then the eggs that I froze for social reasons came in handy.”While Diana has acted in a handful of movies, she soon made a quick exit from Bollywood. She reveals that it isn’t her cup of tea anymore. “I really wasn’t into it. I have been extremely choosy. It was Aishwarya Rai, Sushmita and Priyanka who were more into films.
Neha Dhupia feels ‘#MeToo’ — the campaign to raise awareness about sexual harassment — is not only valid for people associated with the entertainment industry, but for everyone. The actor says a victim should not hesitate to share one’s ordeal, and instead save innocents from facing same fate by talking about it. Life is getting more and more gender neutral, Neha said, adding that there are still miles to go. “Things are changing for women. They are getting a position of power, and professionally they are doing exceptionally well. They are getting roles with projects like ‘Secret Superstar’, ‘Tumhari Sulu’ or ‘Padmavati’ that are made around women. There are many films which I can name. Life is getting more and more gender neutral,” Neha told news agancy.“It is getting better, but unfortunately there is always that question of #MeToo and there is a Harvey Weinstein that comes across.” Neha was referring to the slew of sexual misconduct allegations levied against the Hollywood mogul. Numerous leading men from Hollywood like Ben Affleck, Brett Ratner, Charlie Sheen, Dustin Hoffman, James Toback and Kevin Spacey, have been accused of sexually harassing people associated with showbiz. The controversy has rocked the entertainment industry the world over. Like many other actors, Neha too asserted that harassment is not restricted to showbiz. “I promise you that is not just in this business. But it is about women across whatever profession they are in. This is happening to them at their home. Anybody could be a victim. My plea is that if you are a victim come out and talk about it because you are not only just protecting yourself but you are also putting a lot of other innocent women in danger.
3 / Dt. 14-12-2017, thursday, Ahmedabad
Sports Special
Indian boxer Vijender Singh confident of beating Ghana’s Ernest Amuzu
Jaipur: Just over two years old in the professional circuit, Indian boxing star Vijender Singh says he is quite content with the two belts he has won so far and will not rush things in his quest for a world title next year. Vijender has fought nine bouts so far, winning all of them, and has collected the WBO Asia Pacific and Oriental Super Middleweight titles.The 32-year-old will be fighting his 10th bout come December 23 here against Ghana’s Ernest Amuzu, putting both his title on the line. Amuzu has competed in 25 bouts, winning 23 of them -- 21 of
them being knockouts. “He is a good boxer with a record of 23 wins till now. It would be his first fight in Asia and he would be eager to win here. I am excited for this fight as I have sweet memories of the Pink city where I spent a few months as a TC in Railways,” Vijender recalled. “I am training hard in the ring for my 10th professional fight. I am going to beat him, of course Singh is the King,” he quipped. As for the season ahead, Vijender said he is taking things slow. “I am in no hurry and want to move ahead slow and steady.
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After Virat-Anushka, Rohit Sharma-Ritika Sajdeh’s love wins the internet
Mohali: Since the last two days, the Virat Kohli-Anushka Sharma marriage had taken the world by storm. With that done, it was time to shift focus back on the cricket field, with Rohit Sharma scoring a double ton in the second ODI against Sri Lanka here. Rohit Sharma had a day to remember on Wednesday, when he slammed his third ODI double century during the second match against Sri Lanka here, helping his team reach a total of 392-4 from 50 overs. It was in fact an auspicious day for Rohit, as he gifted his wife Ritika Sajdeh with the double ton on the day of the couple’s second wedding anniversary.
The knock of 208 was also his second against Sri Lanka, the previous being a knock of 264 during the Kolkata ODI in 2014. Ritika was in tears of joy after her husband Rohit got to his historic achievement and gave her a kiss. Rohit Sharma’s first ODI double ton came in a match against Australia in 2013 at Bengaluru, and this was his first as captain of the Indian team. The 30-year-old was chosen to captain the side after Virat Kohli opted to skip the limited-overs series. Kohli will be back with the Indian team ahead of the South African tour in January. India will play three Tests, six ODIs and three T20Is in South Africa.
The Ashes: Fed up with England’s off-field issues, says captain Joe Root
Perth: Captain Joe Root has challenged his England team to stand up and keep the Ashes series alive in Thursday’s crucial third Test against Australia in Perth. Root, who admits he is “fed up” talking about off-field issues, said it was time for his teammates to prove why they have been chosen to play. The tourists are on the precipice, trailing Australia 2-0 in the five-Test series, battling to avoid another heavy defeat that would hand back the Ashes
urn to Steve Smith’s team. To keep the series alive, Root’s men must not lose at the WACA Ground where England last won in 1978. “It’s time to stand up,” Root said Wednesday. “These are the games that when you get them right, they really hit home with people. “And that’s what people want to see -- in the face of adversity, people stand up and really put in those big performances and prove why they have been selected to play for England.
“That’s the opportunity that’s in front of this group, to go and win here at the WACA for the first time in a long time, by playing well for longer. If we get that right, there is no reason we can’t be sat here at 2-1 next week.” England are facing the spectre of repeating the 5-0 series humiliation on their last tour to Australia where Jonathan Trott returned home after the first Test, Graeme Swann retired and following the tour coach Andy
Flower resigned. Root admitted he was sick and tired with the team’s off-field alcohol-related incidents, which began before the tour when Ben Stokes was banned from international cricket while authorities probe his alleged involvement in a fight outside a nightclub. w Scandals involving Jonny Bairstow and Ben Duckett have further harmed the touring team’s reputation.
business Banks set to refer
The country’s digital economy is estimated at USD 450 billion presently.
Prasad to meet IT industry tomorrow on digital economy roadmap New Delhi: IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad is slated to meet the industry on Thursday to discuss the roadmap for India to become a USD 1 trillion digital economy in the coming years. This is a follow-up to a similar meeting held in June this year with tech leaders where the minister had exhorted the industry to help India build a USD 1 trillion digital economy over the new few years by creating affordable technology and an inclusive environment. The country’s digital economy is estimated at USD 450 billion presently. “There is a presentation on digital economy tomorrow... This will be a follow-up of a meeting held earlier this year,” Prasad told PTI. IT industry representatives as well as secretaries of various
government departments are expected to participate in the closed-door discussion, which will also review the progress made after the first meeting in June. “This will essentially be a consultation on the roadmap for digital economy,” said Ajay Prakash Sawhney, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and
Information Technology. When contacted, National Association of Software and Services Companies (Nasscom) President R Chandrashekhar said tomorrow’s meeting is expected to deliberate on measures that are needed to tap the huge digital opportunity in India.
SC stays NCLT order allowing Centre to take over Unitech Ltd
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday stayed the December 8 order of the company law tribunal NCLT allowing the Centre to take over the management of embattled realty firm Unitech Limited. A bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud considered the statement of Attorney General K K Venugopal that the government should not have moved the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) when the apex court was seized of the matter. The apex court, which had on Tuesday expressed unhappiness over the Centre’s move to approach the NCLT, said the stay on the company law tribunal’s order would meet the ends of the justice. The top court had on Tuesday asked the Centre why it had not taken the apex court’s permission to move the NCLT for suspension of Unitech’s directors and their substitution by government nominees. Senior
lawyers Mukul Rohatgi and Ranjit Kumar, appearing for the real estate firm and its promoters, had said that the apex court had given time to Unitech chief Sanjay Chandra to negotiate from jail to sell assets to generate Rs 750 crore for refunding money to home buyers but, in the meantime, the Centre has approached the NCLT. Rohatgi had claimed that the NCLT did not issue notice to the firm and its directors and passed the interim order, which was virtually a final order, and allowed the Centre to take over the firm. Earlier, the apex court had agreed to hear on Wednesday the appeal of Unitech Limited challenging the NCLT order allowing the Centre to take over its management. The NCLT, on December 8, had suspended all the eight directors of the realty firm over allegations of mismanagement and siphoning of funds and had authorised the Centre to appoint its 10 nominees on the board.
23 of 28 large dud accounts to NCLT
Sensex drops 175 points on ADB forecast, macro worries
Mumbai: The Sensex fell 175 points to end at a one-week low of 33,053 and the NSE Nifty below 10,200 on Wednesday, disappointed by grim economic data and the ADB lowering India’s economic growth forecast. Investors waited for the Federal Reserve’s two-day policy meeting outcome later on Wednesday. It was a volatile day for the market barometer, which settled lower by 174.95 points, or 0.53 per cent, at 33,053.04 -- a level last seen on December 7. The barometer had lost 227.80 points in the previous session. The 50-share NSE Nifty slipped below the 10,200mark by falling 47.20 points, or 0.46 per cent, at 10,192.95 after hovering between 10,169.85 and 10,296.55. The Asian
Development Bank (ADB) on Wednesday lowered India’s economic growth forecast for the current fiscal to 6.7 per cent from 7 per cent, citing lingering effect of domonetisation, transitory challenges to GST and weather- related risks to agriculture. Government data, released after trading hours on Tuesday, showed that industrial production growth hit a three-month low of 2.2 per cent in October while retail inflation jumped to a 15-month high of 4.88 per cent in November. Domestic institutional investors (DIIs) sold shares to the tune of Rs 853.67 crore while foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) bought equities worth net Rs 843.20 crore on Tuesday, as per provisional data.
Mumbai: With the RBI’s deadline ending on Wednesday to resolve the 28 large stressed accounts that the regulator had identified on its second list, banks are set to refer as many as 23 of them for insolvency proceedings. In August, the Reserve Bank had asked banks to either resolve the 28 more large stressed accounts by December 13 or refer them to the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) by December 31. These 28 accounts together account for 40 per cent of bad loans of around Rs 4 trillion. “Except for Anrak Aluminium, Jayaswal Neco Industries, Soma Enterprises and Jaiprakash Associates, all other accounts are going to the NCLT (for resolution),” a senior banker told news agancy. Some of the large accounts which are likely to go to the NCLT include Asian Color Coated Ispat, Castex Technologies, Coastal Projects, East Coast Energy, IVRCL, Orchid Pharma, SEL Manufacturing, Uttam Galva Metallic, Uttam Galva Steel, Visa Steel, Essar Projects, Jai Balaji Industries, Monnet Power, Nagarjuna Oil Refinery, Ruchi Soya Industries and Wind World India.
4 / Dt. 14-12-2017, thursday, Ahmedabad BJP expects close fight, its Patel candidate is sitting Congress MLA; new Congress candidate is senior OBC leader
Gujarat Assembly elections 2017: Where Hardik Patel lives, BJP fingers crossed
Viramgam : Among the 93 Gujarat seats going to polls Thursday, a showpiece is Viramgam, home to Patidar leader Hardik Patel, and site of a Maruti Suzuki car plant as well as a Japanese industrial park. The Congress is confident of victory while the BJP expects a close finish. “There is a lot of attention on Viramgam this election,” agreed S T Patel, a former councillor of BJP-ruled Viramgam municipality. “People say this is the hometown of Hardik Patel but he has little influence here. If he holds an election gathering here, he will find it difficult to gather 200-300 people.” One of 21 constituencies in Ahmedabad district, Viramnagar has 2.71 lakh voters, about one-eighth of them Patidars, while
Thakors are the largest segment accounting for more than one-sixth of the electorate. Among the BJP’s worries is a local Rajput candidate who is contesting as an independent.“When I say we will win, I am not claiming a huge margin. We expect the victory margin to be between 2,000-3,000 votes. It will be that close,” said Patel. He also took note of complaints against
Sharpest drop in budgetary allocation for minorities: Study
Ahmedabad : A study conducted by an Ahmedabadbased advocacy group, Rehnuma, has revealed that Gujarat has the lowest budgetary allocation for minorities among the seven states that were analysed in the study. The report ‘Minority Appeasement: Myth or Reality? A Ground Report on Minority Welfare in 7 States’, was released in the city on Tuesday. The seven states included in the report are — Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Jharkhand, Telangana , West Bengal and Karnataka. The report stated that all the low budget allocation states (LBA), with the sole exception of Jharkhand “showed a downward trend in annual allocation” for the three years — 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2017-18 — the study analysed, and the trend was the “sharpest for Gujarat”. On the other hand, high budget allocation (HBA) states showed a “steady improvement”. The report adds that among the HBA states, “Karnataka’s budget shows the sharpest rise from Rs 845.02 crore to Rs 2199.94 crore” between 2015-16 and 2017-18. Tanay Gandhi from the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) said, “The idea was to find out if the Prime Minister’s 15-point programme for the welfare of minorities is being implemented or not.” He said, “In Gujarat, we studied Modasa. We conducted focus group discussions in Sahara colony, a rehabilitation settlement in Modasa. The community living there has no awareness about the 15-point programme or the benefits they were entitled to on being rehabilitated.” The report notes that none of the states analysed have seen a change in government in the last three years. According to the study, the allocation for Gujarat in 2017-18 was Rs 51.44 crore, while the highest was made in West Bengal.
the performance of the BJP-led Viramgam municipality in the two years since being elected. “But, in a polarised town as ours, all Hindus will end up voting for the BJP,” he hoped. That day, Patel was the only person manning the party office in the Viramgam town where temple masts and domes of mosques coexist in close vicinity. Jilubhai Desai, who provides cable TV services and declares
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Preparations on for counting of votes of 16 Surat seats on December 18 SURAT: Preparations are in full swing for counting of votes cast during assembly elections for the seats in Surat city and district on December 18 amid tight security. Congress is hoping to stop BJP juggernaut in the Diamond City, especially in the assembly constituencies where Patidar votes will be a decisive factor with regard to victory and defeat of candidates of the two main parties. In 2012 assembly elections, BJP had swept the polls by winning 15 out of the total 16 seats in Surat city and district. All the 12 assembly seats in the city went to BJP, with Congress tasting a bitter defeat. The fate of 175 candidates, who contested on 16 assembly seats in the city and district, were sealed in elecronic voting machines (EVMs) on December 9 by the voters. Around 2,000 polling staff are receiving training for counting around 26.82 lakh votes polled on the election day.
Gujarat Assembly elections: Turnout falls in Surat’s Patel seats, Muslim-majority booths Surat : Voting patterns in Surat district, which went to polls Saturday, show that the turnout fell steeply in five seats dominated by Patidars, and to an extent in booths dominated by Muslim voters in Limbayat assembly constituency. In the Patidar-dominated seats of Kamrej, Surat North, Varachha, Karanj and Katargam, the turnout dropped between 6 per cent and 13 per cent(see box). In the last assembly elections, all the five Patidar-dominated seats went to BJP. Limbayat is dominated by Maharashtra-origin voters followed by Muslims. Across the seat, the turnout dropped to 65.5 per cent from nearly 67 per cent in 2012. The drop was far steeper in the constituency’s 264 booths include 110 where Muslims are the highest segment. In these, the turnout dropped from 72 per cent in 2012 to 68 per cent Saturday. “The reason behind low voting in the Patidar-dominated areas is that people have gone home to Saurashtra and North Gujarat to attend social functions and weddings and did not return to vote. I don’t see other reason,” said P V S Sarma, Surat city BJP vice president. And Kadir Pirzada, a senior Congress leader of Surat who is a member of the AICC as well as the election core committee, said: “We are shocked at the low turnout of voters in Patidar areas, but we are sure that from among those who did take part in polling, most of the votes went to the Congress.”
Jan Sangharsh Morcha (JSM), the Organization has organized the Voter Awareness Program under the #Face4Change campaign at K. K. Shahstri College, Khokhra where they talked to Students and provided information about the importance of Voting and Voting for Proper Candidates.
Six poll officers who ‘forgot’ to return VVPAT say it was ‘oversight mistake’
An election official said it was surprising none of the officers, responsible for collecting the machines, and those in charge of the strong room realised that a VVPAT machine was missing.
Reading the Minds:
In euphoric crowds at Hardik rallies, many Modi fans who ‘will vote for BJP’
The atmosphere was charged up, provocative speeches against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah were on. One of the speakers who had come from Haryana used abusive words against the BJPwhich was cheered by the crowd. The slogan of “Jay Sardar, Jay Patidar” reverberates across the neighbourhood in Nikol — traditionally a BJP bastion — on Monday night as a song dedicated to the community plays in the background.
Vadodara : A day after Narmada District Election Officer (DEO) served a showcause notice to the zonal officer of Dediapada Assembly constituency and five others for allegedly “forgetting” to return a VVPAT machine after the first phase of polls on December 9, the six officers submitted their explanation on Tuesday. DEO R S Ninama told The Indian Express that they accepted that it was a “mistake due to oversight”. “The officers have said that it was a mistake. We
have submitted our report to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Gujarat, stating that the VVPAT machine was submitted later than the designated time. We are awaiting instructions from the CEO to initiate any further action if needed,” Ninama said, however, maintaining that the machine was a ‘reserved’ one and not used in the actual polling process. The DEO’s notice had come a day after the machine was returned on Sunday by a jeep driver on election duty.
Prime Minister wraps up: Reply to Opposition lies, take Gujarat to new heights Ahmedabad : Ending his highoctane campaign for the second and final phase of the Gujarat Assembly elections Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi boarded a seaplane from the Sabarmati Riverfront — the BJP’s symbol of vikas in the state — to fly a route that touched
international
several constituencies and gave him a vehicle to drive home his message. The seaplane took off from the Sardar Patel bridge side around 11 am to land at Dharoi Dam site in Mehsana around 11.25 am in Sabarkantha district. Modi then left for Ambaji temple in Banaskantha district by road.
Gujarat polls
EC issues notice to BJP candidate from JamalpurKhadia seat
Ahmedabad : The Election Commission has issued a notice, seeking explanation from Bhushan Bhatt — the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from Jamalpur-Khadia assembly constituency inAhmedabad city — after a video of him asking party workers not to bother about the EC’s model code of conduct went viral on Tuesday. Bhushan Bhatt, who is a sitting MLA and son of late BJP leader Ashok Bhatt, is seen talking to his supporters to turn up with at least 3000-4000 two-wheelers along with BJP flags at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s event on the Sabarmati Riverfront. Bhatt is also heard saying that he does not care about the Election Commission and offers to provide money to those who turn up with two-wheelers.
Bhuj-Barely Express will leave 03.05 HRs of Today‘s Night Train No. 14322 Bhuj-Barely Express of Date 13 December is rescheduled and will Depart at 03.05 Hrs on 14 December (10 Hrs late) From Bhuj instead of 17.05 Hrs Today, Due to link Rake of 14311 Barely- Bhuj Express is running 12 Hrs. Late.
The nuclear-armed North has rattled the international community with a flurry of nuclear blasts and missile launches.
Vow to ‘win victory in showdown’ against US: Kim Jong-un Trump an idiot, Republicans must pull their heads out of their asses: FBI agent
Washington: A senior FBI agent removed from special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia probe 2017 referred to Donald Trump before his election as an “idiot,” in emails turned over to the Senate, US media reported. Peter Strzok, a senior counterintelligence investigator, also suggested that the Republican Party “needs to pull their head out of their ass,” USA Today reported. Strzok was removed from Mueller’s staff earlier in 2017 after Justice Department investigators began reviewing whether investigators had shown bias against Trump. Strzok’s reference to
Trump as an “idiot” came in an email exchange with another agent, Lisa Page, in August, 2015. “I just saw my first Bernie Sanders bumper sticker. Made me want to key the car,” Page wrote. “He’s an idiot like Trump. Figure they cancel each other
out,” Strzok replied. In a March 2016 message, Page exclaimed: “God trump is a loathsome human....omg he’s an idiot.” “He’s awful,” Strzok replied. Special counsel Robert Mueller removed Strzok from his Russia election meddling
probe this summer after becoming aware of the emails. Page by that time had already ended her assignment in Mueller’s office, according to Politico, one of several US news organizations that obtained copies of the email.
Seoul: North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un vowed to “win victory in the showdown” against the US with his rapidly advancing nuclear arsenal, state media said Wednesday, after the country’s latest missile test heightened global tensions. The nucleararmed North has rattled the international community with a flurry of nuclear blasts and missile launches, most recently on November 29 when it test-fired its longest-range intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), capable of reaching all major US cities. Kim told workers behind the latest test that his country would “victoriously advance and leap as the strongest nuclear power and military power in the world” at a conference on Tuesday, according to state news agency KCNA. “The... national defence industry will continue to develop and we will win victory in the showdown with the imperialists and the US,” he was indirectly
quoted as saying. The country’s nuclear force had been completed in a “death-defying struggle” and despite a high cost, he added. Kim’s comments come as global powers scramble for a response to the crisis, with the US backing stringent economic and diplomatic sanctions on Kim’s regime to halt
its nuclear drive. But the North has continued to lob missiles, posing a major challenge to US President Donald Trump. Fears of a catastrophic conflict with the nuclear-armed regime have spiked as the leaders have taunted each other, with Trump dubbing his rival “Little Rocket Man”.
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