EVM fault: Election Commission team to MP
Hours after allegations that a voter-verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) machine linked to an EVM in Madhya Pradesh dispensed only slips with the BJP symbol, the Election Commission on Saturday decided to send a team of officials to the State. It sought a report from the poll authorities in the State, where bypolls are due on April 9.Andhra Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer Bhanwar Lal was appointed to supervise the Ater and Bandhavgarh Assembly bypolls.The team for the implementation of administrative and security protocols will include a Senior Principal Secretary and a Principal Secretary. Technical experts have also been deployed to ensure the correct functioning of the machines.“The integrity of EVMs and VVPATs to be used in the poll will be demonstrated to the complete satisfaction of all stakeholders….these teams will remain in the Assembly constituency till the counting is over,” said the EC, on complaints from the Congress party and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which raised doubts about the fairness of the machines in view of the incident.The said incident took place in Madhya Pradesh’s Bhind on Friday, ahead of the Ater Assembly by-polls, during a mock test in the presence of local journalists. Irrespective of which button was being pressed, a VVPAT was dispensing only slips of the BJP symbol.Expressing serious concern, the Congress and the AAP petitioned the Commission on Saturday.
Kartarpur Sahib inauguration: Harsimrat Kaur, Hardeep Singh Puri to represent India Citing continued killing of Indian soldiers and terror attacks in the State, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Sunday declined Pakistan’s invitation to the ground-breaking ceremony for the Kartarpur corridor. But his Cabinet colleague Navjot Singh Sidhu has accepted the invite.Pakistan hinted at its annoyance with the negative note from the Chief Minister, in a tweet by Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain.Also Read Capt. Amarinder, however, said he hopes to visit the shrine across the border once normalcy between the two countries is restored.Mr. Hussain tweeted, “Pakistan through its conduct has once again showed who stands for peace in South Asia and which force is not sincere. PM @ImranKhanPTI has clearly shown Pakistan stands for peace — KartarpurBorderOpening is history in the making, history will judge those who stood on wrong side.”Capt. Amarinder, in a letter to Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, wrote, “…My reasons for declining your invitation are twofold. Firstly, not a single day passes when Indian soldiers are not killed or injured on the line of control in Jammu and Kashmir. Rather than moving towards normalcy these incidents are increasing.”“..Secondly the ISI has started its nefarious activities within my State. Since my government was sworn in, in March 2017, we have neutralised 17 modules handled-controlled by the ISI and its associates, apprehended 81 terrorists…the last attack was in Amritsar last Sunday on a peaceful religious congregation, in which 3 men were killed.”Mr. Qureshi had invited Capt. Amarinder and Mr. Sidhu to the ground-breaking ceremony on November 28. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan will be inaugurating the ceremony.Mr. Sidhu, meanwhile, in a letter to Mr. Qureshi wrote, “’It is with great honour and unalloyed joy that I accept your invitation to attend the ground-breaking ceremony…I look forward to meeting you on this historic occasion.”His application to attend is now lodged with the Ministry of External Affairs, he added.
The prime accused in the murder of Trinamool Congress MLA Satyajit Biswas was arrested by the West Bengal Police on Monday. Abhijeet Pundari was missing since February 9, the day the MLA was shot dead. He was apprehended from Radhamohanpur Railway Station in Paschim Medinipur district.With his arrest the number of persons apprehended in the case has gone up to five. The police had nabbed Sujit Mondal and Kartik Mondal on the night of the incident, while Kalipada Mondal and Nirmal Ghosh were arrested a few days later from Nadia district. Biswas, MLA from Krishnaganj constituency, was killed in full public view at a Saraswati Puja event in Fulbari area on February 9. He was descending from the stage when he was shot from point-blank range. A number of senior TMC leaders, including newly inducted Minister Ratna Ghosh, were present at the event when the incident happened.BJP leader Mukul Roy was among those named in the FIR in connection with the murder. The Calcutta High Court had on February 13 directed the State police to not arrest Mr. Roy till March 7.
Read it at New Indian Express Related Items
Toyota and BMW have been working on the next generation Supra model since 2012, but now there are reports suggesting the long wait is finally over. Reports suggest that the next generation Toyota Supra, inspired by FT 1 concept, will arrive on the roads by 2018.ALSO READ: BMW i3 sales rise after government’s push to subsidize electric cars Although the concept, which Toyota and BMW were working together, fell apart, the Japanese company began working on the FT 1 concept, while the German car-makers started working on something similar, which is the BMW Z5.With the BMW Z5 being a replacement for the Z4, the Toyota Supra will bring back the coupe version of the car back to life and will sit above the Toyota GT86 in the company’s line-up.ALSO READ:BMW, Intel, Mobileye to jointly develop autonomous cars Moreover, reports also suggest the upcoming Toyota Supra will sport a hybrid powertrain with a petrol engine and an electric motor.However, the details for the Toyota Supra are still in the developing stages, AutoCar India reports that the both Toyota and BMW will use a single factory to produce their own version of a sportscar.ALSO READ:This is the 2018 Toyota Camry, caught testing in Ann ArborAlthough a mere speculation, it is suggested that the upcoming Toyota Supra will be slightly more expensive than the Toyota GT86.
Rio Ferdinand felt Toby Alderweireld was “a definite” to join Manchester United over the summer, while the Red Devils may have been priced out of a move for Real Madrid’s Raphael Varane.Having spent much of the last transfer window chasing centre-half reinforcements, those supposed deficiencies are likely to be addressed again at a later stage by those at Old Trafford.That could be in January or in 12 months’ time, with Jose Mourinho clearly of the opinion that the Red Devils need strengthening in that department. Article continues below Editors’ Picks Man Utd ready to spend big on Sancho and Haaland in January Who is Marcus Thuram? Lilian’s son who is top of the Bundesliga with Borussia Monchengladbach Brazil, beware! Messi and Argentina out for revenge after Copa controversy Best player in MLS? Zlatan wasn’t even the best player in LA! Ferdinand admits that he had expected at least one addition to have been made before now, with Tottenham star Alderweireld the most logical option – even at £60 million ($77m) for a 29-year-old.The former United defender told BT Sport: “I was in favour of bringing Toby Alderweireld from Spurs.“When playing regularly, I think he’s within the top two or three centre-halves in the country, in this league. “I think he’s a fantastic player, he proved it again at the World Cup after not playing so many games last season. “I thought he was a definite, he would have been my go-to choice to be honest.”
Another Premier League rival that United were keen on as deadline day approached was Leicester’s Harry Maguire, although Ferdinand believes the England international made the right decision in staying put for now.He added on a man who shone at World Cup 2018: “Maguire had a fantastic tournament.“I just think for his development another season at Leicester, honing his craft within the Premier League, which is a different stage, different animal to the World Cup, I think it would be best for him from a personal standpoint for him.”With Premier League-based talent having proved to be elusive, United may cast their net further afield.They have been linked with the likes of Bayern Munich’s Jerome Boateng and World Cup winner Varane in the recent past, but Ferdinand feels the latter is likely now out of reach.He said: “The likes of Raphael Varane, who has proved himself to be the best defender on the planet right now, I think he will be too far to go and get him, the amount of money.“I don’t think Real Madrid would sell.”
After a staunch effort by the top order, the West Indies batting crumbled for a second time in the first Test to hand New Zealand a win by an innings and 67 runs on Monday and a confidence-boosting lead in the two-match series.Trailing by 386 runs on the first innings, the West Indies started positively on day three and appeared to ready to carry that into the fourth, rallying behind Kraigg Brathwaite’s 91 to reach 231-2. But its second innings disintegrated around the lunch interval, with the arrival of the second new ball, and it lost its last eight wickets for 88 runs.Brathwaite had anchored the top order, putting on 72 for the first wicket with Kieran Powell (40) and 94 for the second with Shimron Hetmyer (66) and as long as he remained at the crease there seamed a chance the West Indies would at least make New Zealand bat again.But when he was out nine runs short of his seventh Test century, the West Indies effort unraveled and after fleeting resistance from Shai Hope (37), Roston Chase (18) and Sunil Ambris (18) the second collapse of the match continued with increasing speed.From 286-5 at lunch, 100 runs behind New Zealand, the West Indies lost 5-33 to be all out for 319.South Africa-born fast bowler Neil Wagner, who took 7-39 in the West Indies’ first innings and was voted player of the match, struggled in the second innings and had 0-85 at stumps on Sunday after a tough third day. But he came to light with two important wickets after lunch on day four – those of wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich and captain Jason Holder who were both century-makers in the West Indies previous Test against Zimbabwe.advertisementWagner finished with 9-141 for the match, just failing to claim his first 10-wicket haul in Tests but producing the sixth-best match analysis by a New Zealander.His performance on a flat pitch which didn’t live up to New Zealand’s expectations when it won the toss and bowled outweighed those of Colin de Grandhomme and Tom Blundell, who scored centuries in New Zealand’s only innings.De Grandhomme scored his maiden Test century from 71 balls – the second fastest by a New Zealander and the ninth fastest of all time – and Blundell, standing in for the injured B.J. Watling, became the 11th Kiwi to score a Test century on debut.The bowlers backed up that batting effort on Monday, thriving with the new ball. Matt Henry took 3-57, removing both Hetmyer and Powell to expose the West Indies’ vulnerable middle order then dismissing Chase. Trent Boult took 2-87 and the de Grandhomme, with his relatively gentle medium pace, removed Ambris with the first ball after lunch to set the final slide in motion.”It was a superb effort all round really,” New Zealand captain Kane Williamson said.The New Zealand batting effort was crucial after having dismissed the West Indies cheaply, he said. Beyond de Grandhomme and Blundell, Henry Nicholls made 67 and Ross Taylor 93.”We’ve seen the West Indies in the last few series they’ve played and they’ve got better and better through those series so we’ll be expecting them to be better in the next Test,” Williamson said. “We saw today at 230-2, they were in a position of momentum if they were to take it further. We know they’ve got the talent to perform at the top of their game.”Holder refused to make the toss an excuse for the first innings batting performance which placed his team under pressure for the rest of the match.”It was a good batting wicket and I don’t think we helped ourselves the way we batted,” he said. “We were indecisive with our stroke play and we fell to Wagner.”We just didn’t handle it the way we should and we’ve got to find a way to be far more positive and assertive when it comes to short-pitched bowling.”
ATHENS – Aris’ impressive 3-0 victory over Asteras Tripolis in Tripoli seemingly confirmed the rapid rise of the “yellows”. Aris has now secured three consecutive wins in the league-play and, as a result, find themselves sitting in fifth place of the league table which would mean they would qualify for Europa League next season if they can hold on to a top-five finish for the rest of the campaign.The sudden transformation of Aris’ on-field fortunes is largely due to the winter transfers that the club made which so far, have all turned out good moves.. Argentina’s Martin Tonso makes dictates the tempo as an attacking midfielder in the middle of the pitch playing behind the center forward, French stopper Lindsey Rose has significantly improved the defense, Hungarian Mihály Korhut has been charged with manning the “yellows’” left-back of the defense, while the Swede Daniel Larsson transferred to Aris so that he could cover the gap in the final third of the field left by the injured Bruno Gama.Last but certainly not least, Aris added Giannis Fetfatzidis who gives significant impetus to the attack and provides many solutions for his new club in the midfield. With these new additions, it is easy to see why Aris FC is optimistic that the team will be able to return to European competitions after an absence of eight years.The Greek Superleague is in need of Aris, the sleeping giant of Thessaloniki, to be competitive so that the overall play of the league improves.TweetPinShare104104 Shares
Large turnout for public consultation on Everton’s new stadiumby Ian Ferris11 days agoSend to a friendShare the loveMore than 43,000 people responded to Everton Football Club’s second stage public consultation into proposals for a new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock and a community-led legacy project at Goodison Park, reports www.fcbusiness.co.ukThe response makes it the largest commercial public consultation in the history of the city of Liverpool with 63,207 responses received across both stages of the public consultation making it one of the largest ever held in the UK. The results from the second stage consultation, which will be released in November, will be used by the Stadium Development Team to further refine the club’s plans and form part of the planning applications for both Bramley-Moore Dock and Goodison Park. The club remains on-track to submit both applications before the end of 2019. Under ‘The People’s Project’ brand the Everton held their public consultation in two stages – November/December 2018 and July/August 2019 – generating the huge response from fans and residents from across Liverpool City Region and beyond, all offering their thoughts on the club’s ambitious plans. The first stage public consultation saw 20,168 people respond, with 94% of people agreeing that Bramley-Moore Dock was an appropriate site for the new stadium and 95% backing Everton’s plans for a community-led legacy at Goodison Park.During July and August, 43,039 people took part in the second stage public consultation, which included a 19-day roadshow, visiting nine locations across all six Liverpool City Region boroughs. The consultation focused on the designs for a new 52,000 capacity stadium and the plans for transport, heritage and the environment as part of the project. The consultation also outlined design proposals for a community-led legacy project on the site of Everton’s current Goodison Park home. Colin Chong, Everton’s Stadium Development Director, said: “The interest and enthusiasm for The People’s Project has resulted in an unprecedented response to the consultation. We’re grateful to the thousands of Evertonians, fans of other clubs and people that don’t have an interest in football who took part and shared their views with us. “We have been busy working our way through the tens of thousands of comments and ideas and analysing the results which will inform our proposals as we progress to submitting our planning applications before the end of the year. “We’ve been really pleased with the scale of response and how our approach to engagement and public consultation on this project has been recognised as exemplar by industry experts.”First stage public consultation results: – 20,168 respondents– 94% agreed Bramley-Moore Dock was an appropriate site for the new stadium– 95% agreed Goodison Park should be redeveloped to create a legacy the community can benefit from with: health facilities, education amenities, community meeting rooms, leisure provision and homes– 97% said it was important that Everton remain in the City of Liverpool– 86% agreed it was important that Everton stay in North Liverpool– 95% agreed the stadium could be used to host non-sporting events such as concerts TagsPremiership NewsAbout the authorIan FerrisShare the loveHave your say
Antigua/New Delhi: Absconding diamond merchant Mehul Choksi’s citizenship of Antigua may be revoked by the Caribbean country and he could be extradited to India after he exhausts all legal options, Prime Minister Gaston Browne was quoted as saying by a media report. Choksi, 60, had taken nationality of Antigua and Barbuda in November, 2017 using Citizenship by Investment Program (CIP) of the twin island nation. He fled India in the first week of January last year, days before scam worth Rs 13,400 crore was detected and reported by state-run Punjab National Bank (PNB). Also Read – IAF receives its first Rafale fighter jet from France Choksi, promoter of Gitanjali Gems, and his nephew Nirav Modi, who is currently in a London jail, are wanted by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the CBI for allegedly masterminding the biggest banking fraud of India. Prime Minister Browne said the citizenship of the billionaire diamond trader will be revoked by the Caribbean country after he exhausts all his legal options. “His (Choksi) citizenship was processed; he got through but the reality is his citizenship will be revoked and he will be repatriated to India; so there is recourse. It’s not a case that we are trying to provide any safe harbour for criminals, for those who are involved in financial crimes,” he was quoted as saying by the Antigua Observer Monday. Also Read – Cosmology trio win Nobel Physics Prize “We have to allow for due process. He has a matter before the court and as we said to the Indian Government, criminals have fundamental rights, too, and Choksi has a right to go to court and defend his position. But I can assure you, after he has exhausted all of his legal options, he will be extradited,” he said. Under the CIP, a person can take Antigua Barbuda passport on a minimum investment of USD 100,000 in the NDF investment fund in that country. Sources in New Delhi on Tuesday said, “We continue to remain engaged with the Antigua and Barbuda authorities over the issue of Choksi’s extradition.” The CBI has managed to get a Red Corner Notice against Modi but its application to get a similar notice from Interpol against Choksi has met a deadlock at the Lyon-based international police cooperation group. The ED recently told the Bombay High Court that it was ready to provide an air ambulance to bring Choksi to India. Choksi, currently based in the Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda, told the high court that he left India for medical treatment and not to avoid prosecution in the case. He said he would return to India as soon as he is medically fit to travel. He had escaped the country on January 4 last year on an Indian passport and took the oath of allegiance in Antigua on January 15, they said. Choksi allegedly swindled Rs 7,080.86 crore while remaining was siphoned off by his nephew Modi making it possibly the biggest banking scam in the country. They managed to orchestrate the scam by availing credit from overseas branches of Indian banks on the basis of fraudulent guarantees in the form of Letter of Undertakings and letters of credit issued by PNB Brady House branch in Mumbai. The LoU instructions were issued by colluding bank employees using an international banking messaging system but these were not entered in the internal PNB system making them impossible to be monitored. An LoU is a guarantee given by an issuing bank to Indian banks having branches abroad to grant short-term credit to the applicant. The non repayment of these credits brought the liability on the PNB, the officials said.
We Day and Co-Title Sponsors Microsoft, Allstate and Unilever Project Sunlight, announce the star-studded lineup of speakers and performers for We Day California taking place on February 25, 2015 at the SAP Center.We Day California will bring together 16,000 students and teachers in an inspirational setting celebrating the commitment they have made to take action locally and globally.Taking to the stage this year is a cast of returning favorites and new faces, including Cody Simpson, Colbie Caillat, J.R. Martinez, Cher Lloyd, Kid President, Lt. Colonel Eileen Collins and Marlee Matlin. Along with others, this all-star lineup will join international activists and We Day co-founders, Craig and Marc Kielburger, to share their passion for change, international experiences, and energize the crowd with unforgettable performances and motivational speeches.“Performing at We Day this past fall was such a fantastic experience, I’m so happy to be back and part of this inspiring event in California,” said Grammy Award-winning pop singer and songwriter, Colbie Caillat. “The strong commitment and level of involvement from these students is incredibly inspirational. I’m grateful to be part of this celebration, honoring the hard work and actions they have taken.”“Today’s generation of young people – the Me to We generation – have the power to create and lead real systemic change through We Day, North America’s celebration of service,” said We Day co-founder Craig Kielburger. “Over 200,000 students, coast to coast from 5,000 schools, earn their tickets to We Day by committing to take action on local and global causes they care about. They are truly moving the needle on some of today’s most important issues.”We Day is the movement of our time – a movement of young people leading local and global change. We Day celebrates and inspires this generation’s shift from me to we – towards acting with intention, leading with compassion, and a belief in the power of community. We Day is one of the world’s largest registered charities on social media, with more than five million followers. This year alone hundreds of thousands of young people will come together in stadium-sized events in 14 cities to take part in this unprecedented educational initiative.You can’t buy a ticket to We Day. Young people earn them by committing to take action on local and global causes of their choice. We Day provides a platform for youth to learn about some of today’s pressing social issues, helping to inspire them to become leaders and global citizens and to take action on the issues most important to them. We Day is free of charge to the thousands of students and educators in attendance, thanks to the generous support of National Co-Title Sponsors Microsoft, Allstate and Unilever Project Sunlight.More than a one-day event, We Day is connected to the year-long We Act program, which provides educational resources and campaigns to help young people turn the day’s inspiration into sustained action. We Day and We Act are cause inclusive, empowering young people to find their passion and create the change they want to see. Together, We Day and We Act are a blueprint for building the next generation of global citizens.The full list of speakers, performers and presenters announced to date include: • Cody Simpson – Award-winning Australian singer/songwriter and worldwide music sensation • Colbie Caillat – Grammy Award-winning pop singer and songwriter • Lt. Colonel Eileen Collins – First female space shuttle commander and United States Air Force colonel • Cher Lloyd – English singer and songwriter • Marlee Matlin – Academy Award-winning actress and devoted social activist • J.R. Martinez – Actor, motivational speaker, bestselling author and former U.S. Army soldier and winner of Dancing With The Stars • Team members from The Oakland Raiders • Kid President – 11-year-old Robby Novak, YouTube sensation • Mia Farrow – Award-winning actress and activist • G.R.L. – Platinum-selling international girl group • Mustafa the Poet – 18-year-old poet, writer, actor and emcee • Kristine Bender – President of WATERisLIFE • Luke Bilyk – Actor from the Emmy-nominated TV series DEGRASSI • Dale Stephens – Speaker, author and Founder of UnCollege • Dana Michelle Cook and Sarah Moshman – Filmmakers and creators of “The Empowerment Project: Ordinary Women Doing Extraordinary Things” • Public Figures – A dance team collective of five dance groups from the San Jose/Bay area • Craig and Marc Kielburger – International activists and co-founders of We Day • Spencer West – Me to We motivational speaker, Free The Children ambassador and author • Ezra Frech – 9-year-old athlete and motivational speaker • Zuriel Oduwole – 12-year-old filmmaker, presidential interviewer & Girl Child Education advocate • Ming Horn – Founder of KhodeUp • Hannah Alper – 12-year-old Me to We inspirational speaker, Free The Children ambassador, blogger and youth activist • Ashley Rose Murphy – Motivational youth speaker
Advertisement Jonathan Ahee, the co-chair of Toronto’s Film, Television and Digital Media Board, says about 80 per cent of Toronto productions are filmed in the King corridor.He’s concerned that the objectives of the city and the film industry — improved transit flow and efficient movie-making — could be on a collision course.Coun. Joe Cressy (Ward 20 Trinity-Spadina), whose ward includes the King Street corridor downtown, says there’s no need for filmmakers to be concerned about potential changes to their most popular outdoor location. (CBC News)“Obviously, we’re very concerned about what a re-imagined King Street could do to the views,” he told CBC Toronto. “For us, if it starts getting into building facades, or changing the sidewalks to a large extent, I’ll make sure the film industry’s views are heard because that’s integral to our ability to capture productions.”Last month, Mayor John Tory announced that the film and television industry generated $2-billion last year, a record. He promised to make the city even more appealing to production companies through streamlined application processes.‘Film industry abhors instability’Aside from the potential for an altered streetscape, Ahee said he’s also concerned about the impact the new King Street could have on sidestreet parking in the King corridor. He said production companies need those secondary routes to park their supply caravans, which can be up to 50 vehicles long.“The biggest concern is it affecting film productions’ ability to shoot in the downtown core,” he said. “The film industry abhors instability.”But Coun. Joe Cressy, who represents Ward 20, Trinity-Spadina, an area that includes a downtown stretch of King Street, dismissed those concerns.New York City model“Listen, this is the New York City model we’re putting in place and you’d be hard-pressed to say in New York City they’re moving people, but they’re not doing filming,: he said. “In fact, they’re doing both, just as we will.”Ahee said he’s confident that the city planners behind the revamped King Street will be able to work with other stakeholders, such as those in the film industry, to come up with a design that will respect all of the street’s users.He sits on the King Street Pilot Study’s stakeholders’ group, which meets at the end of this month for an update on the plan’s progress.By Mike Smee, CBC News Login/Register With: Advocates for the city’s film industry are expressing concern about a remake that’s underway in Toronto: the re-imagining of a downtown stretch of King Street.Toronto’s busiest and most notoriously congested transit route is the subject of the King Street Pilot Study. Planners envision a new King, that emphasizes transit over traffic, with expansive sidewalks and bike lanes that would stretch from Bathurst Street to Jarvis or Parliament Street.But the King Street corridor also happens to be the city’s busiest movie set, by far. That’s because its streetscape can easily stand in for New York City, or Chicago. Facebook LEAVE A REPLY Cancel replyLog in to leave a comment Advertisement Advertisement Twitter
Chandigarh: Bengaluru’s Trishul Chinnappa held on to the lead for the second day in succession but it was Greater Noida-based golfer Sudhir Sharma’s exquisite eight-under-64 that hogged the limelight in round two of the TATA Steel PGTI Players Championship, here on Wednesday. The 31-year-old Sudhir’s magnificent effort eclipsed the long-standing course record at the Chandigarh Golf Club (CGC) and saw him return to form after a long gap. On day two, Sharma climbed 44 positions to tied fourth at eight-under-136. Also Read – We will push hard for Kabaddi”s inclusion in 2024 Olympics: RijijuChinnappa’s three-under-69 gave him a one-shot lead at 10-under-134 at the halfway stage of the Rs 30 lakh event. The second position was shared by Patna’s Aman Raj (68) and Bangladesh’s Md Dulal Hossain (68) at nine-under-135. The previous course record of 65 was broken after 13 long years as it was first set by legend Mukesh Kumar in 2006. Thereafter, it was matched by the likes of Gaganjeet Bhullar, Gaurav Ghei, Ranjit Singh, Shiv Kapur and Chinnappa. Chinnappa had equaled it on Tuesday during the first round of the ongoing event. The cut came down at even-par-144 with 57 professionals progressing to the last two rounds. Noida’s Gaurav Pratap Singh (67) and Kolkata’s Shankar Das (68) were both tied fourth along with Sudhir at eight-under-136.
A EUROPEAN ELECTION candidate came in for criticism yesterday after her campaign van was seen parked in a disabled parking spot outside a Westmeath Centra.An “honest mistake” by the driver, the candidate said… But are the rest of us fully qualified to cast the first stone?Last week, a judge called the practice of able-bodied motorists parking in illegal spots “boorish” and banned a driver from the roads for six months.Time to confess (you’ll feel better). Have you ever illegally parked in a disabled space? Never. How could you even ask? (7909) Yes. Often. (236) Yes. But just for a few minutes – that’s okay, right? (1095) Yes. Often.Yes. But just for a few minutes – that’s okay, right?Never. How could you even ask?Yes. But I have a permit.Vote Poll Results: Yes. But I have a permit. (494)
The gap between the rich and poor in Greece has increased since the beginning of the crisis, with the poor getting poorer and the rich getting richer, according to a conference organised by the Parliamentary Budget Office this week. Whereas in 2009 the wealthiest fifth of the population had incomes that were five times higher than the poorest fifth, they now earn 7.5 times more, according to Manos Matsanganis, an associate professor at the Athens University of Economics and Business. “The poor are now 56 per cent poorer in comparison to those who were in financial difficulty in 2009,” Matsanganis said. He added that 42 per cent of the population now have incomes that are less than the poverty line – set at 60 per cent of the median household income – as it existed in 2009. The hardest hit were the unemployed, private-sector workers, a large section of the self-employed and young people. Less affected by the fall in income, he said, were farmers and employees in state-owned utilities. “The vast majority of the unemployed have been out of work for over 12 months, while only 15 per cent of them are receiving unemployment benefits,” he added. The situation for the elderly has deteriorated significantly in terms of income. The general climate has been made worse by the reduction in unemployment benefits and the special property tax levied through electricity bills. Addressing the same conference, Georgia Kaplanoglou, an assistant professor of economics at Athens University, said that the percentage of the population living below the poverty threshold had increased from 19 per cent before the country signed up to the troika austerity memorandum to 28.9 per cent. She also showed, citing relevant data, that the increase in excise duty on home heating fuel had disproportionately burdened the middle and poorer classes. Source: enetenglish Facebook Twitter: @NeosKosmos Instagram
HILLSBORO, Ore. — Authorities in a Portland suburb released the identity Wednesday of a man who they say tried to steal a helicopter at gunpoint before being fatally shot by police.Holden Austin Gorka, 25, had no known address and no known mental health or drug abuse issues, the Hillsboro Police Department said in a statement.An autopsy was completed Tuesday but results of toxicology tests won’t be ready for another two to three months, authorities said.The name of the officer who fatally shot Gorka will be released Thursday, the statement said.According to authorities, Gorka jumped a fence at the Hillsboro Airport on Monday and held a flight instructor and a student at gunpoint, firing at least one shot before police showed up. That shot — and possibly a second misfire — were directed away from the victims, who were in the helicopter as it was warming up for takeoff.The man got into the helicopter, but officers arrived before he could take off. The man then ran across a street and into a field, where he was shot.The man died at the scene shortly before noon. No other injuries were reported.Investigators have to yet to establish the man’s motive for trying to steal the helicopter, but authorities said Wednesday that he was not connected to the Hillsboro Aero Academy, the airport’s flight-training school. Holden Austin Gorka