HEADLINES

 INDIA

 

Abetment to suicide case: No interim relief, Arnab Goswami told to move sessions court

https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumbai/arnab-goswami-bail-bombay-high-court-abetment-to-suicide-case-7025687/

Mumbai : Bombay High Court on Monday rejected the interim bail plea of Republic TV Editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami in an abetment to suicide case registered against him in May 2018. The division bench of Justices S S Shinde and M S Karnik also refused the interim bail to co-accused Nitish Sarda and Feroz Shaikh.The bench said that “no case was made out based on facts of case as per section 439 of CrPC under extraordinary jurisdiction” and said observations are in ‘prima facie nature.’ The court, while rejecting interim bail plea, also clarified that its earlier directions of granting liberty to accused to file for bail under Section 439 of CrPC before the sessions Court remain ‘unaffected’ and if filed, it be heard and disposed of within four days.The court also said the accused have a remedy in law to apply for regular bail before the sessions court, which should be decided on ‘merits of the case’. Rejection of interim application ‘should not be construed as impediment’ for the same, it said. The court, in its 56-page order, said that the fact that the Magistrate did not give notice and opportunity to the first informant to file a protest petition before accepting the report, goes to the root of the matter. The judges held that there was ‘no doubt in their minds’ that the state government can ‘always’ direct a further investigation to the concerned police officers, as done in the present case.“Merely because Magistrate accepted ‘A’ summary submitted by Investigating Officer, that would not mean and preclude IO to invoke provisions of S.173(8) of CrPC to commence further investigation after giving intimation to Magistrate,” HC noted in the order.

 

On Arnab Goswami's Arrest, Maharashtra Governor Dials Home Minister

Mumbai: After arrested Republic TV anchor Arnab Goswami alleged today that he was being "assaulted" in jail and was not being allowed to meet his family, the Maharashtra Governor intervened and dialed the state government to convey his concern.Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari spoke to Maharashtra's Home Minister Anil Deshmukh this morning and expressed concern over the security and health of Mr Goswami in jail.The Governor also asked the state Home Minister to allow the journalist's family to meet with him.

https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/maharashtra-governor-bhagat-singh-koshyari-intervenes-in-tv-anchor-arnab-goswamis-case-speaks-to-state-home-minister-anil-deshmukh-about-his-security-2322650

‘Ensure no defamatory content against Bollywood is broadcast’: Delhi HC tells Republic TV, Times now

New Delhi :Asking news channels to ensure that no defamatory content is broadcast against Bollywood or any of its members, Delhi High Court on Monday said it expects fair reportage and neutrality from the media. The court also said people “are very scared of the fourth estate” and asked the news channels to file written statements in response to the suit filed by thirty-eight leading Hindi cinema associations and production houses against media trials of Bollywood personalities.“We used to find DD very stale. I wish DD comes back. They had some lovely broadcasters then..,” observed Justice Rajiv Shakdher during the hearing of a suit filed by 38 leading Hindi cinema associations and production houses against Republic TV and Times Now for publishing “irresponsible, derogatory and defamatory remarks” against the film industry and those part of it.

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/republic-times-now-bollywood-production-houses-delhi-hc-defamatory-content-7024245/

 

UP justifies ordinance to recover damages to public property by citing violence in Kashmir

Foreign countries, Uttar Pradesh Government claimed in the Allahabad High Court, sponsored the riots in Delhi and the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act and the NRC.In an affidavit justifying the promulgation of the “UP Recovery of Damage to Public and Private Property” ordinance, 2020, the UP Government claimed that cross-border terrorism, violence, riots and protests had gone up after the suspension of Article 370 in J & K.The affidavit also claimed that attacks on the army, police and government buildings and vehicles had also gone up after August, 2019. UP Government’s claim is in sharp contrast to the official position of the Union Government, which has maintained that there was no violence and not even a squeak of protest after Jammu & Kashmir was downgraded and bifurcated into two Union Territories.What is more, the affidavit cites terror attacks at Anantnag in Kashmir to justify the ordinance in Uttar Pradesh.

https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/india/up-justifies-ordinance-to-recover-damages-to-public-property-by-citing-violence-in-kashmir

 

Lucknow: Activist Arrested By UP’s ATS Moves Court For Bail

 NEW DELHI—Lucknow-based activist Naeem Siddiqui, who has been arrested by Uttar Pradesh’s ATS has moved his bail application in judicial magistrate’s court through his advocate Asma Izzat. The order on bail application are likely to be pronounced tomorrow.He was arrested on Nov 5 in connection with his whatsapp messages in which he appealed people to hold special prayers on Fridays and raise black flags on their houses and shops to protest French President Emmanuel Macron’s controversial statements on Islam and support to caricatures of Prophet. The depiction of the Prophet in cartoons, photographs or in any other visual form is not permitted in Islam.Also Read: Family kept in the dark about UP activist’s ‘arrest’ over protest call against French prezHe has been booked under IPC sections 153 A (promoting enmity between different groups), 505 (statements conducive to public mischief) and 120B (criminal conspiracy). Talking to India Tomorrow, Siddiqui’s advocate Asma Izzat said that the order on the bail plea would be issued on Tuesday. She said that there is a provision of 3 years of imprisonment for the charges levelled against Siddiqui.India Tomorrow

https://indiatomorrow.net/2020/11/09/lucknow-activist-arrested-by-ups-ats-moves-court-for-bail/

 

Anti-CAA Activists Continue to Face Witch-hunt in UP

LUCKNOW:Social activists from Uttar Pradesh on Monday said that the state police continued to target those who took part in anti-CAA protests months ago when the discriminatory citizenship law was passed by Parliament.Anti-CAA protesters and activists are being booked under draconian Acts, arrested and externed.Zainab Siddiqui, a Lucknow-based activist, alleged that she and her family members were being targeted by UP police because they had participated in the anti-CAA protests. On the evening of 5 November, a team of security forces went to her house, beat up her family members and arrested her 52-year-old father Naeem Siddiqui.Clarion India

https://clarionindia.net/anti-caa-activists-continue-to-face-witch-hunt-in-up/

 

Suspended Since Aug.2017, Dr. Kafeel Khan Awaits Reinstatement

NEW DELHI: Dr. Kafeel Khan, an Uttar Pradesh paediatrician who has been suspended for alleged medical negligence since August 2017, has demanded immediate revocation of his suspension from BRD Medical College in Gorakhpur, allow him to work as a corona warrior during the raging pandemic.Addressing a press conference at the Press Club of India in Delhi on Monday, he said that he continued to remain suspended even after 1,200 days though the Supreme Court of India had ruled that suspension should not be for more than 90 days.Dr Khan was suspended in August 2017 following the death of some 60 children in the BRD Medical College due to disruption in oxygen supply.Dr. Khan, who feels happy while discharging his medical duties and trying to save lives of patients, said, “The UP government did not pay the commission amount requested by the oxygen supplier that led to its shortage and I became the scapegoat.”

https://clarionindia.net/suspended-since-august-2017-dr-kafeel-khan-awaits-reinstatement/

 

Editors Guild of India Writes To UP CM Over Press Freedom In The State

Editors Guild of India on November 9 sent a letter to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath raising concerns over media freedom and the safety of journalists in the state. "We are writing to urge you to address vital issues with respect to protecting press freedom and the rights and safety of working journalists, in the state of Uttar Pradesh. In the recent past, several incidents have come to fore, which raise deep concerns on the space for free, fearless and independent journalism in Uttar Pradesh," began the letter, signed by Guild President Seema Mustafa,  General Secretary Sanjay Kapoor and Treasurer Anant Nath.  

https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/editors-guild-of-india-writes-to-up-cm-raises-concern-over-press-freedom-in-state/363914

 

Modi govt circulates draft Bill to regulate autonomy in social work practice, education

 Modi government has circulated a draft of the National Council of Social Work (education and practice) Bill, which aims to regulate quality, flexibility and autonomy in social work education and practice. The last date for sending in revisions is November 25.Through the Bill, government aims to set up a National Council of Social Work (NCSW). The NCSW would have a chairperson, a vice-chairperson, and 20 honorary members. Of the honorary members, three would the rank of the additional secretary or higher to represent the ministries of Education, Women and Child Development, and Social Justice and Empowerment.

https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/india/modi-government-circulates-draft-bill-to-regulate-autonomy-in-social-work-practice-education

 

Will hold Tricolour and J-K flag together: Mehbooba Mufti

Days after creating controversy with her remark that she will not hold the national flag, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti on Monday asserted that she will hold the tricolour and the flag of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir together, saying as an MLA she had reaffirmed her faith in the J-K Constitution and the sovereignty and integrity of India as both are inseparable.“I have taken an oath of J-K Constitution when I became the MLA for the first time and I affirm my faith to the Constitution of J-K and uphold the sovereignty and integrity of India – both of which are interlinked. J-K flag and Indian flag, I will hold both these flags together,” the former J&K chief minister told reporters at the end of her five-day visit to Jammu – her first after release from over one-year-long detention under PSA. Mufti had last month said that she was not interested in contesting elections or holding the national flag till the constitutional changes enforced on August 5 last year were rolled back, sparking protests in Jammu.She asserted that the dialogue with Pakistan and the stakeholders within J&K and opening of cross-border roads to bring the divided parts together can bring peace and everlasting solution to the problem.

https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/jammu/pdp-chief-talks-pakistan-opening-cross-border-roads-resolve-jk-7027346/

 

 

J&K Police Suspend Info Gathering Exercise in Jammu's Muslim-Majority Areas After Outcry

Srinagar: Following an outcry, Jammu and Kashmir police have stopped the exercise to collect information about families living in Muslim majority neighbourhoods in Jammu.The issue came to the fore a few days ago when locals from Bathindi and Sunjwan, the two predominantly Muslim majority areas in the winter capital, raised apprehensions that police, in addition to seeking details of tenants, were also collecting personal information on families living in these localities.According to the locals, police had issued 2 forms to every house owner. While one form asked for particulars of the tenants, the “house owner verification” form, which drew consternation, sought complete details about family members. Many people from these areas took to social media to express their apprehensions about the move by the police.IGP, Jammu, Mukesh Singh on Sunday said he has taken note of the “apprehensions” and directed the Senior Superintendent of Police, Jammu district to immediately “rectify the format.”“I have come across apprehensions of certain people in Bathindi and Sunjwan area regarding a format which is being circulated for verification. The format has been taken note of. It is asking for more data than is required,” the IGP said, in a video message.Many house owners however said it was for the first time that, apart from details about tenants, they were being asked to provide information about families as well. A resident of Bathindi-Morh said a policeman along with two persons in civvies arrived at his home and handed over the forms.

https://thewire.in/rights/jammu-kashmir-police-muslim-majority-areas

 

 Article 370: Peoples Conference approaches SC for early hearing of pending petitions

Srinagar:Peoples Conference, headed by Sajad Lone, on Monday submitted a plea before the Supreme Court for an early hearing of the petitions pending before it contesting the measures taken by the Centre since August 5 last year in Jammu and Kashmir, including the abrogation of provisions of Article 370.“(I appeal to) Allow the present application on behalf of the petitioner for an early hearing of the present petition and the other petitions and fix an early date for hearing,” reads party spokesman Adnan Ashraf Mir’s plea.He said the petitions “ought to be heard and disposed of urgently as significant changes to the rights of the residents of the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir have already been brought about by the Centre”.“The petitioners have made out a very strong prima facie case and the issues raised are being considered by a Constitution Bench of the court.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/article-370-peoples-conference-approaches-sc-for-early-hearing-of-pending-petitions/article33057077.ece?homepage=true

 

Ladakh area gets 4G connectivity; mobile tower inaugurated

Jammu :In a significant boost to infrastructure development in areas of eastern Ladakh along the Line of Actual Control, where Indian and Chinese troops are in a standoff for seven months now, Changthang area on Sunday got 4G connectivity.This followed the setting up of the first mobile tower in Tangste area that was inaugurated by Tashi Namgyal Takzee, Executive Councilor for Animal and Sheep Husbandry in Leh district’s Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council. After dedicating the mobile tower to people in the region, Tashi made the first 4G video call to Hill Council’s Chairman-cum-Chief Executive Councilor Advocate Tashi Gyalson and BJP MP from Ladakh, Jamyan Tsering Namgyal.

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/ladakh-area-gets-4g-connectivity-mobile-tower-inaugurated-7015678/

 

 

'We're Only Used to Garner Votes': Kashmiri Pandits Lost Faith in BJP?thewire

6 years into its rule at the Centre, BJP has failed to actualise its own promises, not just made to the Pandit community but also to the Hindu majority country. January 19, 2020 marked 30 years since the violence targeting Kashmiri Pandit community, which led to a mass exodus. Some Kashmiri Pandits also believe that the reading down of Article 370 and the new domicile laws will do nothing to better their situation.The BJP advocated for ‘the return of Kashmiri Pandits to the land of their ancestors with full dignity, security and assured livelihood’ in its 2014 election manifesto and ‘the safe return of Kashmiri Pandits’ as a part of its 2019 election manifesto. Both manifestos also talked about the annulment of Article 370 and 35A. Satish Mahaldar, Delhi-based Pandit activist and chairman of the Reconciliation, Return and Rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits (RRRKP), feels that it is the obligation of the government to rehabilitate Pandits. He adds that successive governments have failed and so has BJP. Mahaldar says that only efforts charted out by the Manmohan Singh regime have been carried forward.Ashok Bhan, a Delhi-based senior advocate who left the Valley in 1990, feels that rehabilitation of Pandits is a mirage. Neera Koul, a teacher at a Delhi school, feels that politicians and public figures using Pandits’ agony for gain are emotionally scarring the community. Ravinder Pandita, founder of Save Sharda Committee, says that over the years, due to the lack of attention to their issue, the Pandits have become frustrated with governments. Khushboo Mattoo, a Jammu-based media professional who migrated from the Valley in 1990, feels that there is a lack of interest in the government to rehabilitate the community. Sunil Pandita, a resident of Jammu’s Jagti camp for the last nine years, openly says, “BJP used Kashmiri Pandits for politics since 1990s; as an opposition party they’re fine, but as a ruling party, they’re not good for us.”thewire

https://thewire.in/rights/kashmiri-pandits-bjp-rehabilitation-resettlement

 

 

Gunbattle in Machil: Officer among four security personnel killed in LoC gunfight

Srinagar :An army officer, 2 soldiers, and a BSF personnel lost their lives in a fierce gunfight early Sunday on LoC in which three militants, who were trying to enter the Valley through the Machil sector in north Kashmir’s Kupwara, were killed, officials said. Two soldiers were also injured in the firing, they said.Chinar Corps, the official Twitter handle of 15 Corps, identified those killed as Capt Ashutosh Kumar, Havildar Praveen Kumar and Rifleman Ryada Maheshwar. “The gallant soldiers made the supreme sacrifice in (the) line of duty at Machil sector, Kupwara on November 8. Deepest condolences to the bereaved families,” the tweet said.

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/gunbattle-in-machil-officer-among-four-security-personnel-killed-in-loc-gunfight-7015316/

 

‘I’m Burning Inside’: Father Of Kashmiri Soldier Killed By Militants Says Army, Police Did Little To Save Him

SHOPIAN, Jammu and Kashmir — One day in September this year, 65 year old Manzoor Ahmad Waghay rented a bulldozer from a local contractor and dug deep into the soft earth near a bridge in Landoora village in Kashmir’s Shopian district in a desperate search for his 24 year old son.The bulldozer churned the earth, but there was no sign of Rifleman Shakir Manzoor Waghay of the 162 Battalion of the Indian Army who has been missing since he disappeared on 2 August this year. A week later, the militants claimed to have killed him in an audio clip.“We can understand his family’s pain but we can’t return his body to them because of coronavirus —  so that a lot of people don’t gather for his funeral, in the same way that the army hides and buries the bodies of dead Mujahideen in unmarked graves. That is why we performed his last rites and we can’t return the body to the family members,” said a male voice in the clip. 

https://www.huffingtonpost.in/entry/father-of-kashmiri-soldier-killed-by-militants-says-army-police_in_5fa52780c5b67c3259ad591f

 

 

India takes big step to normalise Nepal ties, skeds foreign secy visit

Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla will travel to Kathmandu later this month for formal dialogue between the two countries, a sign that New Delhi is willing to go an extra mile to improve bilateral ties that had nosedived earlier this year, people familiar with the matter said.The decision to send the foreign secretary comes days after Army Chief General MM Naravane was conferred the honorary rank of general of Nepali Army. Gen Naravane had met Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on this visit who had underscored that the two countries could resolve all problems between them through dialogue since India and Nepal have a long-standing special relationship.KP Sharma Oli had faced resistance within his cabinet to Gen Naravane’s visit but had dealt with it, withdrawing the defence portfolio from deputy prime minister Ishwar Pokhrel.Gen Naravane’s visit was considered crucial, particularly given that he was the first one within the Indian government to react to protests by Nepal’s government over a border road built in Uttarakhand. It was very possible that Nepal had raised the issue at someone else’s behest, he said in May, a remark that was interpreted to imply that Beijing could have prodded Nepal to create a new boundary dispute.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/india-nepal-ties-get-back-on-track-foreign-secy-heads-to-kathmandu-on-nov-26/story-J6PVm30Gr8xl7bt36NSHNN.html

 

 

NGT bans sale, use of firecrackers in Delhi-NCR from Nov 9 till Nov 30

New Delhi :The green body also directed all states and Union Territories to launch special drives to curb air pollution from all sources in view of the potential of aggravation of coronavirus.In view of the deteriorating air quality, National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Monday announced a blanket ban on the sale or bursting of firecrackers in National Capital Region (NCR) from the midnight of November 9 till the midnight of November 30.Besides the NCR region, the direction will apply to all cities and towns in the country where the average of ambient air quality during November (as per available data of last year) have dropped below ‘poor’ category, said NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel.However, the tribunal said that cities and towns with “moderate” air quality can sell and burn only green crackers and that the timings to use them be restricted to two hours during festivals like Diwali, Chatt, New Year/Christmas Eve.

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/diwali-2020-air-pollution-ngt-cracker-ban-delhi-ncr-7022656/

 

‘MSP procurement can’t be stopped; 67% population dependent on PDS for food’

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/msp-procurement-cant-be-stopped-67-population-dependent-on-pds-for-food-7018394/

Jalandhar :Farmers have been protesting against the Centre’s farm laws for the past several weeks as they fear that the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of their crops will be done away with and they will be at the mercy of private players. Experts say that when 67 per cent population of the country falls under the Public Distribution System (PDS) for food grains, stopping of MSP is not even thinkable. And if the government stops MSP, then PDS will also get abolished automatically. However, doing so is not as easy as the government thinks, say experts.Under PDS, food grains are provided to the poor at subsidised rates via around five lakh fair ration shops (ration depot) across the country. Successive governments have been trying to replace this system with cash transfers into accounts of beneficiaries of the PDS, but such projects have not been as successful.

 

Made-in-India Inito fertility monitor prepares for US launch

Chandigarh :Inito, a Bengaluru-based medical technology startup, is gearing up to sell its Fertility Monitor in the US after having secured approval by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).“We are very proud of the fact that we have built something that is of a global standard and meets all the norms set out by the FDA. We are not just building for India, but building for the world from India,” Aayush Rai, co-founder of Inito, told indianexpress.com over a call.

https://indianexpress.com/article/technology/tech-news-technology/made-in-india-inito-fertility-monitor-prepares-for-us-launch-7028861/

 

No Diwali Dhamaka: Passenger vehicles register 9% decline in Oct, two-wheelers down 27 % over last year

Retail sale of automobiles in October gave a stark reminder of the magnitude of the challenge that confronts the domestic automobile industry as passenger vehicles registered a 9 per cent decline while two-wheelers were down 27 per cent over last year. Across all categories, sale of automobiles at the dealerships was 24 per cent less, figures collated by Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA) showed, as per a report carried by BusinessToday.in.The numbers are in stark contrast to the wholesale figures released by automobile manufacturers for the month of October. Dispatch of passenger vehicles was at an all-time high of over 3.3 lakh units with the two biggest carmakers Maruti and Hyundai witnessing highest ever monthly sales. Retail sales for the month, however, came in at a much lower 249,860 units.

https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/india/no-diwali-dhamaka-passenger-vehicles-register-9-decline-in-oct-two-wheelers-down-27-over-last-year

 

Bihar Election: Counting of votes to begin at 8am tomorrow, early trends likely by 10am

 The counting of votes across 243 assembly constituencies in Bihar will begin at 8am Tuesday. Even as most exit polls have predicted a big win for Tejashwi Yadav-led Grand Alliance, or Mahagathbandhan, comprising RJD, the Congress and the Left parties in the state, the incumbent Nitish Kumar is looking to retain another term in the state.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/bihar-election/bihar-assembly-election-2020-counting-of-votes-to-begin-at-8am-tomorrow-early-trends-likely-by-10am-full-schedule-here/story-B65qnW3KcGXxuQQ1mILC0I.html

 

Bihar Post Exit Polls, NDA Worries About Loss, Mahagathbandhan Hopes For Resounding Win: huffingtonpost

Bihar assembly election results forecast by exit polls, after the third and final phase of voting, has left NDA camp worried, as they mostly predict that Nitish Kumar, who had sought a fourth straight term as chief minister, may lose the game to the Tejashwi Yadav-led Mahagathbandhan.Bihar election, which until a month ago seemed like a walkover for NDA, has seen many twists and turns along the way. The last two phases of voting, in particular, were tense for both NDA and the Mahagathbandhan as the leaders of both alliances had to rework their strategies according to feedback from the ground.Top sources with access to the NDA’s backroom told HuffPost India on condition of anonymity that after the second phase on November 3, Nitish spoke to Union home minister Amit Shah on the phone. Nitish, said these people, told Shah that he expected the NDA to get 90-95 seats in the first two phases, and that it would require around 40 seats in the third phase to retain power.Mahagathbandhan camp was also redoing its calculations until the last minute. People familiar with the matter said that RJD’s Bihar unit president Jagdanand Singh met former CM Rabri Devi and Tejashwi. Singh asked Tejashwi to be careful while making statements such as the one on ‘Babu Saheb’, which the NDA had seized on.

https://www.huffingtonpost.in/entry/bihar-election-results-exit-polls-tejashwi-yadav-nitish-kumar_in_5fa8f4e2c5b67c3259b0cff8

 

 

 

BJP under Modi-Shah lost 8 states, 218 by-elections in last 2 years; Bihar will be most embarrassing

If exit polls are any indication, BJP-led NDA is set to receive a huge blow in Bihar assembly elections. Almost all exit poll surveys have predicted a clean sweep for the RJD-led Mahagathbandhan and embarrassing defeat for the NDA in an election which it fought largely by playing up PM Narendra Modi’s personal charisma.While news channels gave RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav credit for steering the Mahagathbandhan towards victory in a deeply polarized election, they refrained from naming Modi for NDA’s debacle.However, it is worth recalling that it was PM Modi who in a last-ditch effort to win the polls tried to give it a communal and nationalistic spin. If the NDA goes on to lose the polls despite that, no one other than him is to be blamed. Indeed, if the Bihar results prove the exit polls correct, the myth around him being ‘undefeatable’ may be busted forever.As it is, the BJP under his leadership has lost as many as 218 by-polls since 2019.

https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/india/bjp-under-modi-shah-lost-8-states-2018-by-elections-in-last-two-years-bihar-will-be-most-embarrassing

 

‘NDA clearly losing in Bihar, just like Trump,’ claims Shiv Sena

Shiv Sena on Monday compared the presidential elections in US to the Bihar Assembly elections to predict that NDA will follow Donald Trump’s suit and “clearly lose”, ANI reported.In an editorial in the party’s mouthpiece Saamana, Shiv Sena asserted that at times people need to deny leaders the “illusion that there is no alternative in the country and the state except for us”.

https://scroll.in/latest/978050/nda-clearly-losing-in-bihar-just-like-donald-trump-claims-shiv-sena

 

MP Bypolls Vote Count on Tuesday; Scindia and Nath's Prestige at Stake

Bhopal: The effect of Jyotiraditya Scindia factor in the upturned political scenario in Madhya Pradesh will be known when the votes are polled for the by-elections for the 28 assembly seats in the state. The votes will be counted on Tuesday. BJP needs to win at least eight of these 28 seats to retain power and attain a simple majority in the 230-member assembly, whose effective strength is 229. The bypoll results are also crucial for former chief minister Kamal Nath, who lost power in the state seven months ago when a section of Congress MLAs revolted against him after Scindia quit the party and joined the BJP.PTI

https://thewire.in/politics/mp-bypolls-counting-scindia-nath

 

Shatrughan Sinha: “Firoz Nadiadwala has been framed”

Never one to mince words, Shatrughan Sinha again shows exemplary courage of conviction by speaking up for beleaguered producer Firoz Nadiadwala whose wife has been arrest by the NCB.In an exclusive conversation with this writer, Shatruji stood up and spoke in Firoz’s defence. “I know the law will take its course. And  I’ve full faith in our legal system. And I completely believe in making our country drugs-free. But to say that Firoz had drugs in his house and to arrest his sweet good-natured wife for possession of drugs is simply preposterous. Yeh to kal koi bhi kisi ke bare kuch bhi bol sakta hai (anyone can say anything about anyone). I cannot believe this to be true  about  Firoz.”

https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/india/shatrughan-sinha-firoz-nadiadwala-has-been-framed

 

 Bigbasket Faces Data Breach; Details of 20 Million Users Put on Sale on Dark Web

New Delhi: Grocery e-commerce platform Bigbasket has faced a potential data breach which could have leaked details of its around 20 million users, according to cyber intelligence firm Cyble.The company has filed a police complaint in this regard with the cyber crime cell in Bengaluru and is verifying claims made by cyber experts.Cyble said that a hacker has put data allegedly belonging to Bigbasket on sale for around Rs 30 lakh.“In the course of our routine dark web monitoring, the research team at Cyble found the database of Bigbasket for sale in a cyber crime market, being sold for over $40,000. The leak contains a database portion, with the table name ”member_member”. The size of the SQL file is about 15 GB, containing close to 20 million user data,” Cyble said in its blog.It added the data put on sale includes names, email IDs, password hashes, contact numbers (mobile and phone), addresses, date of birth, location, and IP addresses of login among many others.

https://thewire.in/business/bigbasket-data-breach-details-20-million-users-dark-web

 CORONA

 India records 45,903 new COVID-19 cases, 490 more deaths

India’s COVID-19 caseload rose to 85,53,657 with 45,903 new infections being reported, while the number of people who have recuperated from the disease crossed 79 lakh, pushing the national recovery rate to 92.56%, according to the Union health ministry data updated on Monday.The death toll from the disease climbed to 1,26,611 with 490 new fatalities being registered, the data updated at 8 a.m. showed.The total number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 79,17,373, pushing the national recovery rate to 92.56% while the case fatality rate stands at 1.48%.The coronavirus has hit another sobering milestone: more than 50 million positive cases worldwide since the pandemic began. Johns Hopkins University’s coronavirus tracker reported more than 50.2 million COVID-19 cases globally as of Sunday.There have been more than 1.2 million deaths from the disease worldwide since the pandemic started. U.S., with about 4% of the world’s population, represents almost a fifth of all reported cases.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/coronavirus-india-lockdown-november-9-2020-live-updates/article33055639.ece?homepage=true

 

  Delhi overtakes Maharashtra as highest contributor to new COVID cases

As the national capital reels under the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of patients under home isolation in Delhi has mounted to 24,723, a rise of 50 per cent in the last two weeks, while the containment zones count has expanded by over 32 per cent in the same period.The number of home isolation cases on October 26 stood at 16,396 and the containment zones count that day was 2930, according to official data. Delhi overtakes Maharashtra as highest contributor to new COVID-19 cases 79per cent of the 45,903 new COVID-19 cases are from 10 states and UTs, with Delhi overtaking Maharashtra and Kerala by reporting 7,745 infections in a span of 24 hours to become the largest contributor to the single-day infections, the Union Health Ministry said on Monday. Delhi had earlier overtaken Maharashtra and Kerala on November 7 also.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/coronavirus-india-lockdown-november-9-2020-live-updates/article33055639.ece?homepage=true

 

 

 Pfizer says early data shows Covid-19 vaccine is 90% effective. Will India get it?

Nearly halfway into November, US drugmaker Pfizer has released preliminary data from late stage human trials of the Covid-19 vaccine it developed with German biotech firm BioNTech. The findings are critical as the vaccine is headed for a review by the US Food and Drug Administration later this month, and talks of the shot receiving emergency authorisation have been doing the rounds:What do the early Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine results say?The company’s first interim efficacy analysis signals that the vaccine is able to demonstrate an effectiveness against Covid-19. According to the findings, the vaccine was “more than” 90 per cent effective in preventing Covid-19 among vaccinated participants who had never contracted the contagious infection on the seventh day after they had received the second dose. This was in comparison to participants who had only received a placebo.

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-pfizer-says-its-covid-19-vaccine-is-90-effective-will-india-get-it-7029157/

 

Mumbai Civic Body Bans Firecrackers, Fireworks Ahead of Diwali

Mumbai: Shiv Sena-led Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Monday announced a ban on use of firecrackers and fireworks in the city, ahead of Diwali, saying the step was being taken to check coronavirus spread.The civic body has, however, permitted use of ‘mild firecrackers’ on Laxmi Pujan (November 14), saying Mumbaikars can use ‘anar’ (cracker known for a sparkling display and showers of coloured sparks upwards) and fulzadi (sparklers) at their private premises on that day.

https://thewire.in/environment/mumbai-civic-body-bans-firecrackers-fireworks-ahead-of-diwali

 

 Lockdown Poverty And Hostel Policy Push LSR Scholarship Student To Suicide

KOZHIKODE: This October Sumathi Reddy, a tailor, and her husband Srinivas Reddy, a mechanic, told their children they had come to a difficult decision to survive India’s brutal economic recession: The family would sell their two-room home in Hyderabad, and mortgage Sumathi’s gold ornaments in a final bid to keep their family afloat.Their elder daughter Aishwarya took the news particularly badly.  A second year scholarship student studying mathematics honours at the prestigious Lady Shri Ram College in New Delhi, Aishwarya felt her education was placing an undue financial burden on her working class family at a very difficult time.On November 2 this year, at little after 8 pm, Aishwarya shut herself in one of the rooms of her houseand died by suicide.No-one was responsible for her death, Aishwarya said in her suicide note written in Telugu, “My family has been spending a lot of money on me. I am a burden for them. My studies are a burden. But I cannot live without my studies. I have been contemplating this for days. I think that suicide is my only resort.”

https://www.huffingtonpost.in/entry/lsr-student-suicide-lockdown-poverty-hostel-policy_in_5fa8ab81c5b6f21920dd705e

 

 WORLD

 Biden plans for office as Trump refuses to concede

President Donald Trump is facing pressure to cooperate with President-elect Joe Biden’s team to ensure a smooth transfer of power when the new administration takes office in January.The General Services Administration is tasked with formally recognising Biden as president-elect, which begins the transition. But the agency’s Trump-appointed administrator, Emily Murphy, has not started the process and has given no guidance on when she will do so.The advisory board of the nonpartisan Center for Presidential Transition also urged the Trump administration to “immediately begin the post-election transition process and the Biden team to take full advantage of the resources available under the Presidential Transition Act.”Estonia’s far-right Interior Minister Mart Helme resigned after his comments about the US election calling Joe Biden a “dirtbag” sparked outrage from government colleagues.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/11/8/world-responds-to-biden-as-president-elect-live-updates

 

 

 

Indian-American physician named co-chair of President-elect Biden’s coronavirus task-force

Indian-American physician Dr. Vivek Murthy on November 9 was named one of the three co-chairs of the COVID-19 task-force that will guide President-elect Joe Biden on dealing with the coronavirus pandemic that has claimed over 2,36,000 lives in the country.Dr. Murthy, 43, a former U.S. Surgeon General, along with two other co-chairs — Dr. David Kessler and Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith — would lead a team of leading public health experts who will advise Biden and Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris on the deadly virus.The U.S. is currently the world’s worst-hit nation from the pandemic.PTI

https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/indian-american-physician-named-co-chair-of-president-elect-bidens-coronavirus-task-force/article33059465.ece?homepage=true

 

 

China Refuses To Acknowledge Joe Biden's Victory

Beijing: China declined Monday to congratulate Joe Biden as the winner of the US presidential election, saying the outcome of the vote was still to be determined.While incumbent Donald Trump has yet to concede and has launched several legal challenges, many world leaders congratulated Biden and running mate Kamala Harris after the Democrats were declared winners at the weekend and spontaneous celebrations erupted across American cities.AFP

https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/china-declines-to-acknowledge-joe-biden-victory-2322694?pfrom=home-topscroll

 

 

French government increases pressure on Muslims

PARIS:Pressure on Muslims in France, including Islamic organizations and civil society, has continued to mount in recent weeks since the government announced its fight against "Islamic separatism."On Sept. 1, French weekly magazine Charlie Hebdo republished blasphemous cartoons insulting Muslim Prophet Muhammad ahead of the trial on the 2015 attacks on their offices.Less than a month later, two people were injured in a knife attack near the former offices of Charlie Hebdo. The attack on Sept. 25 was followed by French President Emmanuel Macron's controversial speech on Oct. 2, in which he announced plans to tackle "Islamic separatism" and restructure Islam in France.The government in France immediately began operations against Islamic organizations and places of worship in the name of "fighting radicalism."Pressure on Muslims in the country further increased after Samuel Patty, a French teacher who showed blasphemous cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad during class, was murdered on Oct. 16.

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/french-government-increases-pressure-on-muslims/2037247

 

France: 4 Turkish, Algerian children ‘terrorised’ by armed police

Four children were “terrorised” by armed French police on Thursday on allegations they were “justifying terrorism” by voicing concerns over cartoons of the Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him), Anadolu Agency reported.The group of ten-year-olds, three of Turkish descent and one of Algerian descent, were taken to a police station in the south eastern French city of Albertville, after armed security forces raided their houses.Servet Yildirim, the French-Turkish father of one of the children was quoted by Anadolu Agency as saying: “[the police] clearly wanted to terrorise us”.

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20201109-france-4-turkish-algerian-children-terrorised-by-armed-police/

 

France minister visits Egypt in bid to ease tensions with Muslim world

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian met senior Egyptian officials, including President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi and the Grand Mufti of Al-Azhar Ahmed Tayeb in a bid to deescalate tensions with Muslims following the republication of abusive caricatures of the Prophet , news agencies reported.During a meeting with Al-Sisi, Le Drian discussed the issue and the Egyptian president reiterated the importance of “coexistence” among the followers of all religions.Meanwhile, the Grant Mufti said: “Insulting our Prophet is completely unacceptable, and we will pursue anyone who disrespects our honourable Prophet in international courts, even if we spend the rest of our lives on this matter alone.”

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20201109-france-minister-visits-egypt-in-bid-to-ease-tensions-with-muslim-world/

 

 

Azerbaijan liberates 23 villages from Armenian occupation

Azerbaijan:Azerbaijan’s president on Monday announced that his country’s troops liberated 23 more villages from the Armenian occupation.Among the villages that were liberated are Gobu Dilagarda, Yal Pirahmetli, Yuxari Yaglivend, Dilagarda, Seyid Mahmudlu and Elesgerli villages of Fuzuli province; Demirchiler, Chanagchi, Medetkend, Signaq villages of Khojaly; Susanlig, Doni, Tug, Akaku and Azikh villages of Khojavend province; Huseynalilar, Soyudlu and Ashagi Sirik villages of Jabrayil, Yukhari Mollu, Ashagi Mollu and Khojik villages of Gubadli, Kechikli and Ordekli villages of Zengilan province, Ilham Aliyev said on Twitter.Azerbaijani army have liberated five cities, three towns and nearly 240 villages as well as some strategic hills from Armenian forces' occupation since it launched operation in Nagorno-Karabakh region on Sept. 27.

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/azerbaijan-front-line/azerbaijan-liberates-23-villages-from-armenian-occupation/2037135

 

 

Belgium asks Israel for compensation following demolition of Palestinian homes

Belgium has condemned Israel’s destruction of Belgian-funded homes in the occupied West Bank, urged Tel Aviv to refrain from destroying Palestinian schools and demanding compensation for Palestinians affected by the demolitions.Belgian Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a statement that a number of homes in the village of Al-Rakeez, in the occupied West Bank district of Hebron, have been demolished by Israeli authorities in violation of international humanitarian laws.

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20201109-belgium-asks-israel-for-compensation-following-demolition-of-palestinian-homes/

 

 

Israel to build new town near Gaza

Israeli cabinet approved the construction of a new town near the Gaza Strip, according to Israel’s Channel 12, Anadolu reported.Ahead of the cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the government will approve the building of a new town near Gaza.“This is a great news for Israel, this is great news for the communities in the Gaza border area,” Netanyahu said.

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20201108-israel-to-build-new-settlement-near-gaza/

 

Creation of independent Palestinian state could return to US administration’s agenda

Former US Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro said he expects that the new American administration run by President-elect Joe Biden to reconsider the two-state solution with regards to the Israel-Palestine conflict, RT reported.Speaking to Israeli radio, Shapiro, who is currently a visiting distinguished fellow at Tel Aviv’s Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), said: “Joe Biden, whom I know very well, believes that the two states for two peoples is the main way to solve the struggle between Israel and the Palestinians.”

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20201109-creation-of-independent-palestinian-state-could-return-to-us-administrations-agenda/

 

 

UN agency for Palestinians to slash salaries as funds run dry

United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees said on Monday it needs to raise $70m by the end of the month or it will not be able to pay the full salaries of thousands of employees through the end of the year.UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) said it notified its entire workforce of 28,000 people that it will be forced to defer their salaries for the rest of the year. The agency said most of the workers affected are refugees themselves and the cuts will affect employees in countries across the Middle East.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/11/9/un-agency-for-palestinians-may-cut-salaries-amid-cash-crunch

 

Israel must resort to negotiations instead of war with Iran

Israel should reach a “good agreement” with Iran that guarantees a cessation to its nuclear weapons, and its production of precision weapons in Lebanon, military analyst at Israel’s Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, Alex Fisherman, said.“The revival of the United States’ role in the Iran nuclear agreement is not a matter of if but when,” Fisherman added, noting that a war with Iran would “delay the issue for only a few years.”“Unofficial meetings held lately between US President-elect Joe Biden’s foreign affairs and defense team and Israeli officials made it clear his administration is working on a reworked outline for negotiations with Tehran,” the journalist pointed out, stressing that the nuclear-deal was a “top priority for Biden’s upcoming presidency.”

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20201109-israel-must-resort-to-negotiations-instead-of-war-with-iran/

 

 

Ethiopia downplays war fears while attacking Tigray region

Ethiopia’s Nobel Peace Prize laureate leader said on Monday his nation was not descending into “chaos” despite a military offensive against the restive Tigray region where air attacks and fighting have killed at least six people in recent days. The flare-up in the northern region bordering Eritrea and Sudan has raised fears of civil war in Africa’s second-most populous nation where ethnic conflict has killed hundreds since Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed took over in 2018.“Ethiopia is grateful for friends expressing their concern. Our rule of law operation is aimed at guaranteeing peace and stability once and for all by bringing perpetrators of instability to justice,” he tweeted on Monday.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/11/9/ethiopia-downplays-war-fears-while-attacking-tigray-region

 

UN launches new Libya talks amid cautious optimism

Rival Libyan factions met Monday for UN-led talks aimed at bringing a lasting peace to their war-torn North African country and preparing for elections.The meeting in neighbouring Tunisia follows months of relative calm and a key ceasefire deal in October between the two major camps in the long-running conflict.“You have the opportunity to end a tragic conflict,” UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres told delegates in a video message at the opening ceremony. “Now it’s your turn to shape the future of your country.”

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/11/9/un-libya-envoy-voices-optimism-ahead-of-talks-in-tunisia

 

 

Gunmen kill 11 in attack on Iraqi army post in Baghdad

Unidentified gunmen have killed at least 11 people and wounded eight others, including soldiers, in an attack on an Iraqi army post in western Baghdad, police sources and medics said on Monday.Assailants in four vehicles attacked the post in the capital’s southwestern district of al-Radhwaniya using grenades and automatic weapons, sources said.The Iraqi military said in a statement a “terrorist group” had attacked a post of government-backed Sunni militiamen, killing four people and wounding three.The army and police forces started an operation in search of the attackers.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/11/9/gunmen-kill-11-in-attack-on-iraqi-army-post-in-baghdad

 

 

Turkey’s lira surges on finance minister, central bank shake up

Turkey’s lira staged its biggest rally in more than two years on Monday, soaring nearly 6 percent after the surprise departure over the weekend of the finance minister and the central bank governor, whose replacement said he would zero in on inflation.The newly-installed governor, Naci Agbal, said the central bank would “decisively” use all policy tools to achieve its main goal of price stability. Turkish inflation has held near 12 percent all year, well above a target of approximately 5 percent.

https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2020/11/9/turkeys-lira-surges-on-finance-minister-central-bank-shake-up

 

 

Aung San Suu Kyi in line for second term as Myanmar votes counted

Aung San Suu Kyi is expected to win a second term in office when authorities in Myanmar release early election results on Monday.Sunday’s general election was seen as a referendum on the government led by Suu Kyi’s ruling National League for Democracy (NLD), which remains popular at home but has seen its reputation collapse overseas amid allegations of genocide against the country’s mostly Muslim Rohingya minority.The Election Commission is expected to announce early official results later on Monday.In a running tally on its official Facebook page, the NLD said it had won 15 of the 315 seats being contested in the 425-member lower house.In Rakhine state, some people posted protest “can’t vote” selfies on Facebook with their little fingers coloured white — mimicking the purple ink to mark those who have cast their ballots.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/11/9/aung-san-suu-kyi-in-line-for-second-term-as-myanmar-votes-counted

 

Myanmar excludes over 1.1 million Rohingya from elections

Myanmar excluded more than 1.1 million Rohingya refugees from the nation's second openly contested election in decades, leading the United Nations to warn that the polling was not free or fair, as the country's ruling party led by State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi on Monday claimed it won a majority of seats.Mohammad Yusuf, who lives in the world's largest refugee settlement in Bangladesh, says he voted in almost every Myanmar election from 1974 until 2010, the last time ethnic Rohingya were allowed to cast ballots in the country he still calls home after fleeing three years ago.When Myanmar held its second democratic election after decades of military rule, Yusuf was among hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims deprived of participation. "Not being able to vote makes me feel really sad. It feels as though we are dead and we don't matter," Yusuf, 65, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation by phone.DAILY SABAH

https://www.dailysabah.com/world/asia-pacific/myanmar-excludes-over-11-million-rohingya-from-elections

 OPINIONS-EDITORIALS-VIEWS

 

Ulterior Motive of ‘Love Jihad’ Laws Is to Drive Muslims Out of the Social Ecosystem:N.C. Asthana

https://thewire.in/communalism/love-jihad-laws-muslim-exclusion-ulterior-motive-hindutva

 

If exit polls are right, it is the end of the road for JD(U) and Nitish Kumar tomorrow:Abdul Qadir

https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/india/if-exit-polls-are-right-it-is-the-end-of-the-road-for-jdu-and-nitish-kumar-tomorrow

 

Namonetisation, when a delusional Narendra Modi made his stupidest move:Mohan Guruswamy

https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/opinion/namonetisation-when-a-delusional-narendra-modi-made-his-stupidest-move

 

Why did Hispanics, Blacks and Muslims, besides Whites, vote for Trump?Saurabh Kumar Shahi

https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/international/why-did-hispanics-blacks-and-muslims-besides-whites-vote-for-trump

 

For Muslim Americans, Trump’s Defeat Brings Cautious Optimism;Zafar Aafaq | Clarion India

https://clarionindia.net/for-muslim-americans-trumps-defeat-brings-cautious-optimism/

 

‘America First’ is No More, But Can President-elect Biden Fix the US Reputation Abroad?

https://clarionindia.net/america-first-is-no-more-but-can-president-elect-biden-fix-the-us-reputation-abroad/

 

Muslims’ Educational Backwardness Only a Post-Independence Fact: Dr John Kurrien

https://clarionindia.net/muslims-educational-backwardness-only-a-post-independence-fact-dr-john-kurrien/

 

Will Joe Biden alter US policy in the Middle East?Thomas Falk

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/11/9/biden-expected-to-alter-the-regions-status-quo-analysis

 

Myanmar’s election is unlikely to change anything for Rohingyas – or support transition to democracy;DB Subedi, The Conversation

https://scroll.in/article/977849/myanmars-election-is-unlikely-to-change-anything-for-rohingyas-or-support-transition-to-democracy

 

Opening up J&K’s land to ‘outsiders’ is touted to be a pro-development ­measure, but restrictions ­continue in many other states, including BJP-ruled ones:Naseer Ganai,  Ashwani Sharma, outlookindia

https://magazine.outlookindia.com/story/india-news-open-sesame/303926

 END