THE HEADLINES
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"The PDP-BJP combine would face its first test today when elections will be held for four seats of Rajya Sabha, in this election stakes are high not only for the two newly formed alliance partners but for present Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha and Congress veteran Ghulam Nabi Azad, the veteran leader is contesting the election with the backing of National Conference. All political parties have issued whips to their party MLAs to vote in favour of their candidates. The results of the elections will be declared around 7 pm after counting starts at 5 pm today. R.K. Raina, AIR News, Srinagar."
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- Polling for Delhi assembly election begin.
- Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi sacks two ministers considered close to Nitish Kumar .
- Supreme Court directs centre to convene a meeting of States and Union Territories within four weeks to frame scheme for medical treatment to acid attack victims.
- Country's foreign exchange reserves touch an all time high of over 327 billion US dollar.
- Islamic State militants claim a US female hostage killed in Jordanian air strikes in Syria.
- Services continue to be on top of the medal tally ; Goa to take on Punjab and Mizoram to clash with Maharashtra in Football Semi -Finals today.
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Polling has begun for assembly elections in Delhi. The polling, which started at 8 AM, will end at 6 PM. A total of 673 candidates including 63 women are in the fray for 70-member assembly. Election Commission has made elaborate arrangements to ensure free and fair polling. Out of a total of 12,177 polling stations, 714 have been identified as critical and 191 as highly critical. Voters working in any business, trade, industrial undertaking and other establishments have been granted a paid holiday today so that they can cast their votes.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged the voters to come out and vote in large numbers in Delhi Assembly polls. In a tweet, Mr. Modi especially urged younger voters to exercise their franchise in record numbers.
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Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi has sacked two ministers considered close to Nitish Kumar. Lallan Singh and PK Sahi were dismissed last night. The Chief Minister has written a letter to the acting Governor of Bihar Kesari Nath Tripathi in this regard. Mr Manjhi also refused to attend a meeting of Bihar JD(U) Legislature Party called by the party President Sharad Yadav in Patna today. Mr Manjhi has termed the today's meeting as unconstitutional. The Bihar Chief Minister has convened a separate meeting a JD(U) legislature Party on the 20th of this month, ahead of winter session of state assembly. A report from our correspondent.
"The power struggle between Jitan Ram Majhi and Nitish Kumar has reached at decicive stage. Political fortune of Majhi will be decided in JDU Legislative meeting today. According to political experts, Nitish Kumar will be elected leader in this meeting and a strong political decision will be taken against Majhi. Amidst changing political scenario, Congress and RJD have announced to support JDU. On the other hand Senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi said that he would like Majhi to continue and the BJP had all options open."
"The power struggle between Jitan Ram Majhi and Nitish Kumar has reached at decicive stage. Political fortune of Majhi will be decided in JDU Legislative meeting today. According to political experts, Nitish Kumar will be elected leader in this meeting and a strong political decision will be taken against Majhi. Amidst changing political scenario, Congress and RJD have announced to support JDU. On the other hand Senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi said that he would like Majhi to continue and the BJP had all options open."
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Head of the Missions Conference in New Delhi today. The three-day conference will focus on what diplomacy can do for India. Usually the focus had been how international issues are shaping up and their impact on India and what India can do globally. This year the theme of the conference is Diplomacy for Development.
External Affairs Ministry spokesman Syed Akbaruddin said, the Prime Minister had requested for inputs on the functioning of Embassies in terms of how people perceive them. He said, these inputs will be taken on board and there will be a detailed session on what Missions are doing to respond to the perceptions.
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Supreme Court has expressed concern over improper rehabilitation of the acid attack victims. A social justice bench, comprising justices Madan B Lokur and U U Lalit asked the government to apprise it of steps taken to provide free treatment to the survivors of the heinous crime. The court also directed the Union Home Secretary to convene a meeting of chief secretaries and Home Secretaries of states in four weeks to work out modalities to implement Section 357C of the CrPC. It mandates provision of free treatment by public and private hospitals to the victims of acid attack. The apex court also asked the Union Home Secretary to file an affidavit in the form of a chart in this regard within six weeks. The court was hearing a PIL filed by Delhi-based acid attack victim Laxmi in 2006.
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India's foreign exchange reserves surged by 5.84 billion US Dollars to touch a fresh all-time high of 327.88 billion US Dollars during the week ending January 30. In the previous reporting week, the reserves had declined marginally by 97.9 million dollars to 322.037 billion dollars. The previous record high was 322.13 billion dollars recorded for the week ended January 16. The increase in reserves was on account of higher foreign currency assets (FCA), which forms a major constituent of overall reserves. In the reporting week, FCA rose by 5.814 billion dollars to 303.325 billion dollars, Reserve Bank data showed.
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Islamic State militants claim that a US female hostage has been killed in a Jordanian air strike in Syria. IS named the woman as aid worker Kayla Jean Mueller in statements online. The group provided no other proof for the claim beyond pictures of the alleged site of the air strike, in Raqqa, the group's stronghold in Syria. The White House said it was deeply concerned by the reports but that it has yet to verify them. Jordan has questioned the IS claims. She was abducted while working in Aleppo, Syria the following year.
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Less than 10 days after his historic second trip to India, President Barack Obama, in his new national security policy, told Congress that the US is primed to unlock the potential of relations with India. Sending his second National Security Strategy, NSS to Congress, he reiterated his commitment to the US' Asia Pacific re-balance. Obama said the scope of US cooperation with China is unprecedented, even as US remains alert to China's military modernisation and reject any role for intimidation in resolving territorial disputes. Running into more than 30 pages, the National Security Strategy says, in South Asia, the US continue to strengthen its strategic and economic partnership with India.
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Elections to four Rajya Sabha seats from Jammu and Kashmir will be held today. Seven candidates including Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, PDP leaders - Mir Mohammad Fayaz and Nazir Ahmad Laway and BJP's Shamsher Singh and Chander Mohan Sharma; and Sajjad Ahmad Kichloo and Nasir Aslam Wani of National Conference are in the fray. Both BJP-PDP and NC-Congress are fighting the elections under seat sharing arrangements. More from Our correspondent:
"The PDP-BJP combine would face its first test today when elections will be held for four seats of Rajya Sabha, in this election stakes are high not only for the two newly formed alliance partners but for present Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha and Congress veteran Ghulam Nabi Azad, the veteran leader is contesting the election with the backing of National Conference. All political parties have issued whips to their party MLAs to vote in favour of their candidates. The results of the elections will be declared around 7 pm after counting starts at 5 pm today. R.K. Raina, AIR News, Srinagar."
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In the 35th National games being held in Kerala, Services continues to be on top of the medals tally with 38 gold medals, 11 silver medals and 12 bronze medals, while Maharashtra is in the second spot with 25 gold medals, 29 silver medals and 20 bronze medals. Haryana is a close third in the medals tally with 25 gold medals,13 silver medals and 6 bronze medals. Hosts Kerala is in the fourth position with 14 gold medals,12 silver medals and 18 bronze medals.
Kerala men will clash with Services in the final of the water- polo event.
Chattisgarh won gold in men's beach handball,while Delhi won gold in the women's beach handball.
In Football, Goa will take on Punjab, while Mizoram will clash with Maharashtra in the semi-finals.
Cycling events will start today at the Velodrome of the Lakshmibhai National College of Physical Education in the capital. Athletic events will begin on Monday.
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NEWSPAPERS HEADLINES:
- The Delhi election related news finds mention in all the papers today. "Delhi's day of reckoning in three cornered battle" is the splash story in the Hindustan Times. The sub head says 'Bedi rolls roti at langar, Kejriwal prays, Maken goes about as usual" .
- 'AAP rejects Imam's support' writes The Hindu. While The Economic Times quotes Kejriwal as saying 'won't go to a man who invites Pakistan, Not Indian, Prime Minister.'
- On the Nitish Katara murder case, the Tribune writes 'Yadav cousins get 30 year jail in Katara murder case'. The Asian Age writes 'Death penalty rejected, Yadav cousins get 30 year jail in Katara murder'.
- Referring to the Manjhi Nitish spat, The Pioneer headlines "Manjhi declares war on Nitish'. The paper adds that wary Jitan Ram may recommend House dissolution, Sharad asks governor not to listen to the Chief Minister.' The Indian Express leads with "facing party axe, Nitish Kumar's chosen one Manjhi declares 'war'".
- "Niti Aayog meet grapples with farm sector woes" leads the Hindu. The subhead reads "Economists call for a fresh push for agriculture growth".
- "SC recalls order refusing to hear Marans" writes the Hindu adding that after ASG explains to Bench that the court is seized of all 2G issues.
- On president Obama's comments on India, The Times of India writes "VHP hits back at Obama, calls him'stooge of church'. The Hindu haedlines says "Arun Jaitley defends 'history of tolerence". The Statesman says 'Obama remark : BJP on backfoot'.
- The India Express on its bottom spread carries the inspiring story of a 15 year old girl Pawandeep kaur hailing from the border town Kadyal in conflict zone of Jammu and Kashmir. Kaur's sensational exploits in gymnastics at the ongoing national games at Kerala has given her town reason to smile.
- The Times of India in its bottom fold carries an awe inspiring story of human grit in the face of adversity. The paper writes of a 45 year old travel company employee who kept up the search of his missing wife in the Uttarakhand flash floods of June 2013.
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