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Assembly Bypoll results 2018 Live Updates: Samajwadi Party, RJD upset BJP in UP, Bihar

Congress has won Meghalaya's Ampati Assembly constituency on Thursday. The party and its allies are now leading in 6 seats.

The Bharatiya Janata Party or BJP is facing a stiff opposition from several counters. The party's lead has dwindled and BJP+ is ahead in just 3 seats. Meanwhile, Congress and its alliances is gaining pace and is leading 6 seats.

The trends of Bypoll results 2018: Congress is leading in Punjab's Shahkot and has already won in Maharashtra's Palus Kadegaon. Trinamool is leading in West Bengal's Maheshtala, RJD in Bihar's Jokihat, JMM in Silli. CPM is leading in Kerala's Chengannur, Samajwadi in UP's Noorpur. BJP in leading in Uttarakhand's Tharali and Jharkhand's Gomia.

Congress has gained a strong lead in Punjab's Shahkot Assembly seat, traditionally a SAD bastion. 

Amid a tight layer of security, the counting of votes for bypolls to 10 crucial Legislative Assembly constituencies began at 8 am on Thursday. 

The 10 Assembly seats are – Punjab's Shahkot, Uttarakhand's Tharali, Meghalaya's Ampati, Kerala's Chengannur, Bihar's Jokihat, Jharkhand's Gomia and Silli, West Bengal's Maheshtala, Uttar Pradesh's Noorpur and Maharashtra's Palus Kadegaon.

The results of these high stake assembly constituencies are been witnessed as a litmus test for both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress ahead of general elections in 2019. 

In Jharkhand, the Gomia bypoll was necessitated after sitting Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) MLA Yogendra Prasad Mahto was expelled following his conviction in coal theft case. Similarly, the Silli seat fell vacant after the sitting JMM MLA Amit Mahto was convicted in a criminal assault case in March this year. 

Uttar Pradesh's Noorpur seat fell vacant after the death of two-time BJP MLA Lokendra Singh Chouhan while the Maheshtala seat fell vacant after Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA Kasturi Das' death in February. 

Former Meghalaya Chief Minister and Congress MLA Mukul Sangma resigned from Ampati seat in March after he won from Songsak. By-poll to Uttarakhand's Tharali, reserved for the member of scheduled castes, was necessitated after the death of the BJP MLA Magan Lal Shah in February. Chengannur seat fell vacant after the death of Communist Party of India (Marxist) sitting MLA K.K. Ramachandran Nair in January. Sarfaraz Alam had won the Jokihat assembly seat on Janata Dal (United) (JD-U) ticket. He later contested from RJD ticket and resigned in April from the post of MLA after his victory in the Araria Lok Sabha by-poll. The Shiromani Akali Dal representative of the Shahkot seat, Ajit Singh Kohar the sitting MLA, died in February, which necessitated by-poll in the assembly. The by-poll in Palus-Kadegaon Assembly constituency was necessitated due to the death of Congress`s Patangrao Kadam, who had won the constituency twice. The EC has declared Kadam`s son elected unopposed as the BJP had withdrawn its candidate.

Rs 500 and 1000 currency notes stand abolished from midnight: PM Modi

In a major step to check black money, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced demonetization of Rs 500 and 1000 currency notes with effect from midnight, making these notes invalid in a major assault on black money, fake currency and corruption. In his televised address to the nation, Modi said people holding notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 can deposit the same in their bank and post office accounts from November 10 till December 30.

Modi said the notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 “will not be legal tender from midnight tonight” and these will be “just worthless piece of paper.” However, he said that all notes in lower denomination of Rs 100, Rs 50, Rs 20, Rs 10, Rs 5, Rs 2 and Re 1 and all coins will continue to be valid. He also announced that new notes of Rs 2000 and Rs 500 will be introduced.

Modi added that there will be no change in any other form of currency exchange be it cheque, DD, payment via credit or debit cards etc.

He said the government has been fighting the menace of black money and corruption ever since it assumed power two years ago. He also urged people to help government in its fight against fake currency and black money.

The prime minister expressed confidence that the staff of banks and post offices will rise to the occasion to introduce the new order within the available time. He said he is hopeful that political parties, workers, social organisations and the media will go further than the government in making it a success.

“Banks will be closed tomorrow. It will cause some hardship to you….Let us ignore these hardships… In country’s history, there comes a moment when people will want to participate in the nation building and reconstruction. Very few such moments come in life,”  Modi said.

The prime minister said the measures were aimed at curbing the “disease” of corruption and black money which have taken deep root. “There is a need for a decisive war against the menace of corruption, black money and terrorism… Corruption, black money and terrorism are festering wounds which make the country hollow from within,” he said.

Following the announcement, there were huge crowds outside ATMs across the country as people lined up to withdraw currency of smaller denominations.

President Pranab Mukherjee arrives in Namibia,uranium supply may dominate talks

President Pranab Mukherjee today arrived in Namibia for a two-day state visit during which key negotiations on Uranium supply for civil nuclear use will take place besides other bilateral issues.

Namibia despite being one of the largest producer of Uranium and having a treaty with India for peaceful use of nukes does not supply the fuel to India because of Palindaba treaty among African Union countries which bars export of the element to non-NPT signatories.

"Regarding uranium, there is a proposal which has been pending at their end basically because of African Union decisions. Whether we can move them along, in terms of becoming a supplier of uranium for us that is one of the key objectives that we have there," Secretary (Economic Relations) Amar Sinha had said.

The treaty signed in 2009 with India sets the framework for long term supply of uranium but it is pending ratification by Namibian Parliament.

"Namibia as you know is the fourth largest producer of uranium, but they have an African Union Agreement which sort of impedes the implementation of agreement. Namibia has not been able to break that unity, the binding commitment that they took, it's called the Pelindaba Treaty," Sinha had said.

During talks, India might raise the issue of uranium supply impressing upon Namibia.

"And the fact is because this MoU which we thought will kick in quickly has not happened and we have had been looking in signing agreements with other countries like Kazakhstan, Australia and few others. So eventually if we actually meet our requirements from non-Namibian sources, it will be a loss for the Namibian industry," he said.

The strength of Namibian economy is mineral with mining sector which contributes around 11 per cent to the GDP and it fetches 50 per cent of their foreign exchange earnings making them highly dependent on that.

Another material in abundance is diamond but the mining works through long-term contracts, monopolies and cartels so despite being largest users of diamonds, it does not reaches Indian shores directly from Namibia.

"We are one of the largest users of the diamonds in terms of the polishing and finishing but it doesn't comes directly to us and I don't think there is possibility right now because they have a long term commitment with DeBeers. Indian diamond merchants based outside in Antwerp source it from DeBeers and then it gets shipped to India," he said.

India will offer assistance to Namibia in setting up Mining Engineering trading set up. 

Tourists sight 2 cubs at Ranthambore Tiger Reserve; authorities say there could be few more

In what could be termed as a joyous moment for all the wildlife lovers, two cubs were sighted at the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve.

These cubs were spotted in Dhakda in Kachida area of the park in zone 5 by some lucky tourists.

As per the forest department, T-73 could be the mother of the two three-month-old cubs and the possibility for more cubs cannot be denied.

T-73, a small tigress is the daughter of T-17 aka Sundari, that was the most sighted tigress in the zone.

This is definetly a good news for wildlife enthusiasts as for a very long time, the area has been devoid of any tigers.

Besides, T-73 is also the first tigress to select this area and live here.

VHP affiliate wants ministry on cow welfare and even sets a deadline for Modi govt

The Bharatiya Govansh Rakshan Samvardhan Parishad has even given a deadline to the Narendra Modi government for the same while reminding it of its pre-poll promise to protect cows, considered sacred by Hindus.

A leader of the organisation told theHindustan Times newspaper that the ministry was needed to ensure a complete ban on cow slaughter, consumption of beef and protection of Indian breeds, some of which are on the brink of extinction.

The demand comes at a time when consumption of beef has become a controversial issue and has even led to attacks by some fringe right-wing groups.

Dadri lynching incident is one such example.

Cow protection is one of the key areas on which the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), parent organisation of the VHP as well as the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, focuses on.

Already, laws on cow protection have been formulated by several states ruled by the BJP.  

Fodder scam: RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav appears in Ranchi CBI court

 RJD chief Lalu Yadav on Monday appeared in a special CBI court here over his involvement in a multi-crore fodder scam.

On June 2, the court had summoned 38 people accused in a case related to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 3.31 crore from Dumka treasury including the RJD chief. 

Lalu arrived on Ranchi on Sunday evening from Patna. 

The case trial is under process.

Lalu Yadav had already been convicted in a fodder scam and he was awarded five years sentence in October 2013. He is currently on bail.

Narendra Modi's address to US Congress: From humour to terrorism 

Addressing a joint sitting of the US Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday touched upon various issues including terrorism, yoga, economy, Indo-US strategic ties and civil nuclear cooperation.

In the course of his 45-minute speech, PM Modi not only covered all major aspects of the growing relationship between India and the US, but also included humour when he compared the functioning of the US Congress with the chaos in the Indian Parliament.

Here are the some top quotes of PM Modi's speech, which was well received by the American lawmakers, who interrupted his address more than 40 times to cheer him.

- Terrorism is being "incubated in India's neighbourhood".

- SIRI (an iPhone programme) tells us that India's ancient heritage of Yoga has over 30 million practitioners in the US. It is estimated that more Americans bend for yoga than to throw a curve ball.

- India lives as one; India grows as one and India celebrates as one.

- For my government, the Constitution is its real holy book. And, in that holy book, freedom of faith, speech and franchise, and equality of all citizens, regardless of background, are enshrined as fundamental rights.

- In every sector of India's forward march, I see the US as an indispensable partner.

- I am informed that the working of the US Congress is harmonious, he said much to everybody's laughter. I am also told that you are well-known for your bipartisanship. Well, you are not alone. Time and again, I have also witnessed a similar spirit in the Indian Parliament, especially in our Upper House.

- Connecting our two nations is also a unique and dynamic bridge of three million Indian Americans. They are among your best CEOs, academics, scientists, economics, doctors, even spelling bee champions.

Modi is the fifth Indian Prime Minister after Rajiv Gandhi, PV Narasimha Rao, Atul Bihari Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh to address a joint sitting of the US Congress.