THE HEADLINES:
- With one day left for campaigning to end for Delhi Assembly elections, canvassing reaches its peak.
- Aam Aadmi Party convenor Arvind Kejriwal meets Election Commission over apprehensions about tampering of EVMs.
- NIA arrests a close aide of suspected Burdwan blast mastermind from Murshidabad in West Bengal.
- J&K National Highway re-opens for one-way traffic from Srinagar to Jammu.
- A Taiwanese plane plunged into a river killing twelve persons in Taipei.
- Jordan executes two Al-Qaeda prisoners in retaliation to burning alive of its pilot Al-Kassasben by IS militants.
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As campaigning for Delhi Assembly elections, comes to an end tomorrow, political parties are making all out efforts to woo the voters.
Leaders from various parties are holding rallies, road shows and door to door campaign to convince the voters. The main issues making rounds in the election are cheaper electricity, water and transparent administration and women security.
BJP is banking on the development work done by Narendra Modi government in the last eight months while Aam Aadmi Party is talking about initiatives taken during its 49 days rule. On the other hand, Congress is highlighting the development work done in the city in its 15 year rule.
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The BJP today escalated its attack on Aam Aadmi Party after allegations of the use of black money as party fund by it. Party leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said in New Delhi that AAP should disclose names of individuals who donated funds through cheques.
"They had set a benchmark that in donations worth 9,99,999, it shall be approved by their Political Affairs Committee and Political Affairs Comittee comprises of senior and top leaders of Aam Aadmi Party. Therfore, the companies is fictitious, the address is fictitious and the gentleman director who has given the money was found absent. " Toh ye saawal hai Arvind Kejriwal se?"
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Aam Aadmi Party convenor Arvind Kejriwal met the Chief Election Commissioner and conveyed apprehension about tampering of the Electronic Voting Machines, EVMs. Talking to reporters after the meeting, Mr Kejriwal said, the poll panel has assured that if there are any technical snag they will be rectified.
"Election commission has said, that Electronic Voting Machines can not be tampered. Their can be few technical objections in the machine and it can happen anywhere. Physical damage is evident in few machines, and those machines are being changed. And, no one should have any question or doubt about the elections."
BJP and Congress have criticised Arvind Kejriwal for knocking the doors of Election Commission over the issue.
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Communist Party of India (Marxist) today said it will contest in 15 seats in the Delhi assembly elections and support Aam Aadmi Party in the remaining seats. Briefing media, CPI (M) leader Prakash Karat said party has asked its people to support Aam Aadmi Party in the remaining seats as it does not want BJP to come to power in Delhi.
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A plea was filed in Delhi High Court today seeking CBI probe into Aam Aadmi Party's past and current foreign fundings. The PIL was field two days after AAP Volunteer Action Manch, AVAM, a group of volunteers who had broken away from the AAP in August last year alleged a massive scam in the funding of the political outfit. The AVAM claimed that four bogus companies have made donations amounting to two crore rupees to the AAP.
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Targetting the Narendra Modi government, Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi today asked whether the lives of common people have changed in the past seven months. Addressing a rally in Jahangirpuri in New Delhi, Mr. Gandhi said inflation has further gone up and alleged that Mr Modi's businessmen friends have been profitted the most. He said the Prime Minister speaks of Make In India but instead wears a foreign made suit.
The Congress Vice President said that no one can deny what Congress has done for Delhi. He said UPA suffered political loss because it brought the Land Acquisition Bill. Mr Gandhi promised full statehood to Delhi within two years of coming to power.
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The National Investigation Agency or NIA has arrested a close aide of suspected Burdwan blast mastermind Sheikh Rehmatullah alias Sajjid for allegedly running a recruitment camp for Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) terror outfit from a madrassa in Murshidabad in West Bengal. The number of arrests in the case has gone up to 17. PTI reports, the person is identified as Mufazzil Haque and was arrested from Mokimnagar area of the district bordering Bangladesh last night.The blast in Burdwan took place inside a house on October two last year, leaving two persons dead. The NIA took over the case from West Bengal police few days after the explosion after international links started surfacing.
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In Assam, security forces have arrested 3 link-men of militant outfit Karbi People’s Liberation Tigers in Karbi Anglong district last night. Police said, the link-men were arrested in a joint operation under Kheroni police station by police and CRPF. Extortion notes and other documents have been recovered from them.
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The Congress has urged the Election Commission to immediately oust the unauthorized persons from Delhi who may obstruct free and fair polls in the city. It also demanded deployment of additional forces for preventing bogus voting and sealing borders of Delhi to stop entry of unwarranted elements. In a letter to the Election Commission, party's legal cell secretary K C Mittal urged the Commission to take steps to prevent possibility of any mischief during the polls. Mr Mittal said, it has been noticed that rival parties have brought large number of persons from outside Delhi and they are staying in various guest houses of the city to interfere and obstruct free and fair polls.
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In Jammu and Kashmir, the 300 km long Srinagar- Jammu National Highway has been re-opened today for one way traffic from Srinagar to Jammu. The Highway remained closed for three days due to heavy snowfall and slippery road conditions. The Border Roads Organisation cleared snow and other blockades from the highway. According to Traffic Control Room, Srinagar, no vehicle was allowed from Jammu to Srinagar. Meanwhile, the weather has shown some improvement today with no rain or snowfall anywhere across Kashmir Valley.
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India’s Haj quota for this year will be 1,36,020. According to Annual Haj Agreement, of the total pilgrims, over one lakh pilgrims will travel through Haj Committee of India and the remaining 36 thousand through Private Tour Operators. The agreement was signed between India and Saudi Arabia in Jeddah yesterday. The Indian side was led by Gen V.K. Singh , Minister of State for External Affairs and Saudi side by Dr. Bandar Ibn Muhammad Hajjar, Saudi Minister of Haj. The two leaders discussed issues pertaining to arrangements for Haj, including better transport facilities for pilgrims to move between Jeddah, Makkah and Madinah, catering services and standardization of baggage.
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In Odisha, the CBI is conducting search operations on Saradha offices at various places in the state, including Puri, in connection with the mega chit fund scam since this morning. An eight-member team of the Central investigating agency, accompanied by officers of the Economic Offences Wing of Odisha crime branch, searching the office of the Kolkata based company at Badashankha in Puri. The office had been sealed by Economic Offence Wing in April last year. The search operation is still on till reports last came in.
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The Karnataka legislative Assembly today saw heated exchanges over ban on entry of VHP Chief Praveen Togadia to Bengaluru. BJP urged the Government to lift ban and allow Togadia to take part in the Vishwa Hindu Samajotsav to be held in Bengaluru on 8th of this month. The Bengaluru city police Commissioner M N Reddi had issued a notice banning Togadia from entering the city till 11th this month. The BJP members trooped into the well of the House shouting slogans against the Government. The Chief Minister replied that the Government will not allow forces bent upon disrupting peace and harmony. At this point, everyone was surprised when JD(S) member Mallikarjuna Khuba too joined the BJP members in the Well of the House.
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In Assam, the pentavalent vaccination program has been launched today to prevent infant mortality. Principal Secretary of Assam Health department Sanjeeva Kumar has launched the program in Guwahati . Our Correspondent reports that pentavalent vaccine will be incorporated in routine immunization program.
"Pentavalent vaccine would reduce the number of injections a child receives up to 1 year. It will fight against five diseases -- Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus, Hepatitis-B and Meningitis in a single injection. Assam government will start awareness campaign on the new vaccination program. Health department also conducted training program for medical staffs on the new vaccine. Official data revealed that Assam has registered 42 infant mortality rates against per thousand live births. Manas Pratim Sarma, AIR NEWS, Guwahati."
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At least 12 people have died after a 'Trans Asia Airways' plane clipped a bridge and crashed into a river near the Taiwanese capital, Taipei. Fifty-eight people were on board the domestic flight, and a number of people were reportedly injured. Taiwan's Central News Agency (CNA) broadcast footage of the plane almost submerged in the Keelung river. Rescue teams are alongside the plane trying to rescue several people still trapped inside.
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Jordan has executed two Al-Qaeda prisoners early today. Government spokesman Mohammed al-Momani said the two prisoners executed by hanging are Sajida al-Rishawi and Ziad al-Karbouly. The executions took place hours after Islamic State group militants released a video showing a captured Jordanian pilot being burned alive in a cage. The pilot, Moaz Al-Kassasbeh was captured by ISIS militants after his F-16 crashed during U.S.-led coalition airstrikes near Raqqa in December.
Jordan had earlier offered to swap Al-Rishawi, a failed suicide bomber, for the pilot, Lt. Moaz al-Kaseasbeh, but wanted proof that the pilot was still alive. Al-Rishawi had been sentenced to death after her 2005 role in a triple hotel bombing in Amman that killed 60 people. Al-Karbouly was sent to death row in 2008 for plotting terror attacks on Jordanians. The swift act comes in the backdrop of statements from Jordanian military which has vowed to avenge the pilot’s murder.
The United Nations Security Council has deplored the apparent burning alive of a Jordanian pilot by the ISIS. The powerful 15-nation Security Council stressed that those responsible for the killing shall be held accountable for this cowardly act.
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Sri Lanka’s newly elected President Maithripala Sirisena today called for a genuine national unity among all communities in the country. In the Independence Day speech from the Parliamentary Complex in Colombo, President Maithripala said that country has not been able to bring the ethnic groups together or unite the people although the separatists have been defeated. He said that it is now time to bring in Constitutional changes to give effect to establishing a truly democratic country.
A national pledge was also read out at the Independence Day function in form of a declaration of peace. Our correspondent reports the pledge paid respect to persons of all communities.
"The much awaited Independence Day address of President Maithripala Sirisena called upon all political leaders of the country to think on what went wrong in the 67 years since independence from colonial rule. The declaration of peace that was read out at the simple yet dignified function at Independence Day today morning acknowledged the sufferings of people of all communities and pledged to prevent any revival of violence in the country.President Maithripala Sirisena noted that while physical peace has been achieved, hearts of the people of the North and the South are yet to reconcile. This was a frank admission of the failure of past governments to bridge the divide between the Tamil minority and the Singhala majority community of the country. He stressed on safeguarding the victory against LTTE terrorists, eradicating poverty from the country, ensuring a national reconciliation and following a balanced foreign policy.Abhishek Dayal, AIR NEWS, Colombo."
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