0815 HRS.

10^th November, 2013

THE HEADLINES:

• Election Commission bans dissemination of exit polls till December 4 in five poll bound states; First phase of polling in Chhattisgarh to take place tomorrow.

• Supreme Court stays  Gauhati High court verdict terming CBI as unconstitutional.

• Former Maldivian President Mohammed Nasheed wins first round of presidential polls, but fails to get an outright majority.

• No agreement at Geneva talks on Iran's nuclear programme. 

• Leh-Manali and Leh-Nubra roads closed following fresh snowfall.

• India’s Ravichandran Ashwin becomes world's number one all rounder in ICC test cricket rankings.

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The Election Commission has banned the publication and dissemination of exit polls of any kind in the five poll bound states from  11th November to  4th December. The Commission sent the orders to Chief Electoral Officers of the poll-bound states of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Rajasthan and Delhi. The exit polls will be banned from 7 A.M tomorrow when polling for the first phase in Chhattisgarh starts till 5:30 PM on December 4 when the Delhi Assembly polls end. Channels are also prohibited from telecasting interviews of voters after they cast their votes. The Commission has also banned the publication of results of any opinion polls 48 hours before polling in a state.

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The first phase of Assembly elections will be held in Chhattisgarh tomorrow. 18 constituencies, mostly in the Maoist infested areas, will go to polls in this phase. Out of these, 12 assembly segments are in Bastar region, while remaining six constituencies are in Rajnandgaon district. Polling in 13 Maoist infested constituencies will be held from 7 AM to 3 PM, while in other constituencies voting will be held from 8 AM to 5 PM. Our correspondent has filed this report 

"The remote tribal Bastar region where polling for assembly elections is scheduled tomorrow is distinctly different from rest part of the country. As Bastar have a better sex ratio, women voters outnumber men in majority of the constituencies. Out of total 29 lakh thirty three thousand voters, who are eligible to cast their votes on November 11, about 14 lakh 88 thousand are females. While male voters are about 14 lakh 53 thousand. Being a tribal area, Bastar is a female dominated society where women get due respect in all walks of life. This also an area where there are no incidents of social ills like dowry. Vikalp Shukla, AIR News Raipur."

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The Congress has released another list of 71 candidates for Assembly elections in Rajasthan. The party has, so far, declared 176 candidates for 200 member assembly. The party has dropped nine sitting MLAs in its latest list. More from our correspondent.

"Prominent candidates of this list are Revenue Minister Hemaram Chaudhary, Chairperson of National Women's Commission Mamta Sharma, State Congress President Dr. Chandrabhan, Agriculture Minister Harji Ram Burdak and Tourism Minister Bina Kak. Party has dropped accused of Bhanwari Devi murder and rape case Mahipal Maderna and Malkhan Singh Vishnoi but given chance to wife of Mahipal Maderna, Leela Maderna from his seat Osian. Another rape accused former minister Babulal Nagar's brother Hajarilal Nagar will be the candidate from Dudu seat. has given ticket to Ramkishor Saini, Brahmdeo Kumawat and Harji Ram Burdak who won previous election as independent candidates. Now both Congress and BJP have to declare candidates on 24 seats. ANURAG VAJPEYI AIR NEWS JAIPUR."  

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The Supreme Court has stayed the Gauhati High court verdict holding the setting up of the CBI as unconstitutional. The Apex court stayed the operation of the High Court's Wednesday order after it was challenged by the Centre yesterday. The two Judge bench comprising Chief Justice of India P. Sathasivam and Justice Ranjana Desai observed that the judgement of the High court has to be stayed as the accused in two sensational cases have sought stay of the trial. They said they are also concerned of all other CBI cases. The Apex court rejected the preliminary objection that the Department of Personnel and Training is not authorised to file an appeal in the matter. The bench said they will consider and go through the appeal filed by the Centre. The court also issued notice to the petitioner on whose plea the High Court had passed the judgement and  posted the matter for hearing on the 6th of next month. Attorney General G. E. Vahanvati earlier told the court that the High Court's reasoning that the DSPE Act not being applicable to the CBI is twisted logic. He said several other cases will be affected by judgement given by the High Court. 

"Several people were trying to take advantage of this to impact pending trials, there fore it was extremely necessary for us that we move as fast as possible. We argued that the division bench of Guahati High Court had asked the wrong questions, proceeded on the wrong premises and come to the completely wrong conclusion."

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In Assam, 6 persons have been arrested in connection with the killing of 7 persons at Gendamari village in Goalpara district on the 3rd of this month. Police said, all of them have been arrested for their alleged involvement in providing logistic and other support to the cadres of United Achik Liberation Army who carried out the killing. 

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In Maldives, former President Mohammed Nasheed has won the first round of the presidential polls held yesterday but failed to clinch an outright majority. This has necessitated a run-off with Abdulla Yameen of Progressive Party of Maldives. Chief Election Commissioner Fuwad Thowfeek has announced that the run-off will be held today between 12 noon and 7.30 PM local time. The Supreme Court has, however, directed to hold the run-off on the 16th of this month. The second placed Abdullah Yameen's party has refused to sign the voters list. A report 

"In a virtual repeat of the September 7 result, former President Mohamed Nasheed secured the first position with 46.9 percent of the votes but failed to cross the halfway mark. He will face Abdulla Yameen of Progressive Party of Maldives, who secured 29.7 percent votes, in a runoff vote. Jumhooree Party’s Gasim Ibrahim finished in the third place, with 23 percent votes. United States and the Commonwealth have issued strong statements calling for holding of second round runoff today as scheduled, warning of political instability in the country if the elections are delayed any further. ABHISHEK DAYAL  AIR NEWS COLOMBO.

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Iran and six major world powers have failed to strike a deal at the Geneva talks after four days of intense negotiations. European Union's Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton said, the two sides have made some concrete progress but still there are issues which remain unresolved. Our West Asia correspondent has filed this report 

"Foreign ministers of US, UK, France, Russia, China and Germany had joined the Geneva talks to give a push for a deal over Iran’s controversial nuclear program. But even after four days they couldn’t arrive at an agreement. According to reports, the differences persisted over shutting down of Iran’s reactor that could produce weapons grade fuel, fate of higher already enriched higher grade of Uranium by Iran and the quantum of relief in sanctions as sought by Tehran. A fresh round of talks is expected after 10days. The two sides were working to curtail Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for a limited relief from sanctions. Atul K Tiwary,AIR News,Dubai."

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Philippines say, they fear 10,000 people may have died in the devastation wreaked by Typhoon Haiyan. The Philippine government has so far only confirmed the death of 700 people after the storm struck. But  the regional police chief said, he was told by the provincial governor of Leyte that there were about 10,000 deaths on the eastern island alone. Hundreds of thousands of people are reported displaced from their homes.

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External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid is most likely to head the Indian delegation at the CHOGM Summit to be held in Sri Lanka next week. The Prime Minister is likely to skip the summit. He is expected to write to Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa by today about his decision. The decision comes in the backdrop of  the opposition by parties in Tamil Nadu as well as a section within the Congress alleging that the Sri Lankan government had committed gross violation of human rights and had no plans to devolve powers to the ethnic Tamils. However, there is no official announcement over Dr Manmohan Singh's decision to skip the Commonwealth Heads of Government Summit to be held on the 15th and 16th of this month. The MEA spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin had earlier said, in 10 summit level meetings since 1993, the Prime Minister represented India five times while on four occasions, ministers had headed the Indian delegation. He said that the External Affairs Minister will represent the country in the Summit. 

"There are two preceding issues before the summit levels, for those we have communicated, who would be our representatives, for example for the senior officials equivalent meeting. As regards the next level which is the ministers we have communicated that the External Affairs Minister Sri Salman Khurshid will be our representative."

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In Jammu and Kashmir, entire Ladakh region is reeling under severe cold conditions. The minimum temperature recorded in Leh town was minus 5.2 degree Celsius. Our correspondent reports that following  fresh snowfall yesterday, the Leh-Manali highway and Leh-Nubra road were closed for traffic last evening. More from our correspondent: 

"With the beginning of extreme cold conditions, the hardship and difficulties of people because of harsh climatic conditions in this part of Himalayan region of the country also commenced. People have to heavily depend on air connectivity due to closure of highways in winter for any kind of needs and emergency works in other parts of the country. People have to depend the only mode of communication which is flight, for advance medical treatments, postal and other communications and appearing of examinations other than district cadre etc. Fresh vegetables and fruits became golden items during this extreme climatic weather as these are not available locally. Yangchan dolma AIR NEWS FROM LEH LADAKH."

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 India’s Ravichandran Ashwin has become the world’s number one all rounder in the ICC test cricket rankings, thanks to his excellent century and a five wicket haul against the visiting West Indies team in the Kolkata test. Ashwin leap-frogged Shakib Al Hassan of Bangladesh and Jacques Kallis of South Africa with 81 rating points. Test debutants, paceman Mohammed Shami and opener Rohit Sharma, have also made impressive entries into the latest ICC test rankings which was released in Dubai yesterday. South Africa’s A.B.Devilliers and Dale Steyn lead the ranking list among the batsmen and the bowlers respectively.

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The 19th Kolkata International Film Festival will begin today. The eight day long festival will start with the Screening of noted director Rituparna Ghosh’s “Taak Jhaank” at the Netaji Indoor Stadium. Our Kolkata Correspondent reports that 189 films from 63 countries will be screened at 13 venues. The focus of this year’s festival is on South-East Asian films. 

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NEWSPAPERS HEADLINES 

• The decision by the Supreme Court staying the Guwahati High Court verdict, declaring the CBI as illegal, dominates the headlines of most news dailies. "SC rescues CBI, stays HC verdict declaring it illegal" reports the Hindustan Times, while the Pioneer headlines "CBI lives another day".

• PM not to attend the CHOWGM meet in Sri Lanka, has also attracted the attention of major news dailies. "PM finally picks TN over Lanka" remarks the Asian Age while the Pioneer comments "PM chooses desi politics over role abroad".

• The Hindustan Times reports in a front page story that the CBI probing the allegedly staged killing of Sadiq Jamal Mehtar by the Gujarat police in 2003, has confirmed that a retired assistant director of the Intelligence Bureau who was then with its Maharashtra unit provided a fake input in the case.

• Many newspapers have also highlighted BSP Chief Mayawati's decision not to have any pre-poll alliances. "2014 LS polls to be a lone fight for BSP:Maya-will capitalize on "internal dissension" in BJP" reports the Pioneer.

• The Times of India in its lead story on the crisis of Indian higher education reports "40 percent of teachers temporary, quality of learning badly hit" and goes on to add that many of them are poorly paid and are on contract to teach for 6 to 8 months.

• The Indian Express, quoting the BSF chief, says India will build a raised embankment along a 179 kilometer stretch on the Border in Jammu sector to preempt infiltration or shelling.

• And finally, the Tribune reports that a special stamp with the portrait of the sporting icon Sachin Tendulkar will be released by the postal department on November the 14th - the day Sachin plays his 200th and also his last test match.