Mumbai: The Mahayuti alliance – comprising BJP, Shiv Sena, NCP and other smaller parties – registered a thumping victory in the assembly poll results declared on Saturday. Most candidates of the alliance who emerged victorious received a clear mandate from voters, but some sitting MLAs and ministers struggled to retain their seats and won by slender margins. In fact, at least 13 would-be legislators belonging to both the Mahayuti and the opposition Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance won by less than 2,000 votes, indicating a very close fight. The lowest margin of victory across all constituencies in the state was in Malegaon central, where the sitting MLA from All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), Mohammad Khalique, managed to retain his seat by just 162 votes. Khalique polled 109,653 while his closet rival Shaikh Aasif Shaikh Rashid – a Congress turncoat who contestested under the banner of his own party, the Indian Secular Largest Assembly of Maharashtra (ISLAM) – received 109,491 votes. Shaikh Aasif was elected as the MLA in 2014 but lost to Khalique in 2019. He left the Congress in 2022 and joined the NCP briefly before deciding to float his own party during the split in the NCP last year. The Congress candidate in Malegaon central, Ejaz Baig, received 7,527 votes – it is likely that this division of opposition votes saved the AIMIM MLA Khalique from defeat. The second lowest victory margin of 208 votes was recorded in Sakoli, where state Congress president Nana Patole, a chief ministerial aspirant in the MVA, defeated the BJP’s Avinash Brahmankar. Patole received 96,795 votes against Brahmankar’s 96,587 votes. Patole’s slender margin of victory was due to the division of secular votes as the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) candidate polled 11,188 votes and independent candidate Somdatta Karanjekar polled 18,309 votes. The third lowest victory margin of 377 votes was recorded in Belapur, where two-time BJP MLA Manda Mhatre contested against former minister and BJP leader Ganesh Naik’s son Sandeep Naik, who contested on an NCP (SP) ticket. Mhatre polled 91,852 votes while Naik polled 91,475 votes. Mhatre had defeated Ganesh Naik in Belapur in 2019 by just 1,491 votes. To settle scores, his son Sandeep Naik resigned from the BJP before the polls and joined the NCP (SP). But combined efforts by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), BJP and chief minister Eknath Shinde saved her from defeat. She also benefitted from the division in opposition votes as independent candidate Vijay Nahata polled 19,646 votes and VBA candidate Sunil Bhole polled 2,833 votes. In Mahim, the constituency where Shiv Sena was founded and where Shiv Sena Bhavan is located, Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Mahesh Sawant defeated the sitting Shiv Sena MLA Sada Sarvankar by 1,316 votes. Sawant benefitted from the division of Mahayuti votes as MNS candidate Amit Thackeray, son of MNS chief Raj Thackeray, polled 33,062 votes. In Ambegaon in Pune district, veteran NCP leader and co-operation minister Dilip Walse-Patil managed to retain his seat by just 1,523 votes. Though Walse-Patil has an undefeated track record in the Ambegaon constituency since 1990, this election was tough as his erstwhile mentor in politics and NCP founder Sharad Pawar urged people to voters. Walse-Patil polled 106,888 votes while NCP (SP) candidate Devedatta Nikam polled 105,365 votes. Walse-Patil managed to win because another candidate named Devdatta Nikam, whose poll symbol was similar to that of NCP (SP), polled 2,965 votes.Nazarbayev University Crisis: Shigeo Katsu Demands Audit TransparencySystem Integration Services Market size is set to grow by USD 140.69 billion from 2024-2028, need for enhanced business process efficiency boost the market- Technavio
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NoneJudy Biers, age 67, passed away December 12, 2024, surrounded by family after a battle with cancer. Friends may greet the family from 3-6:00 PM Wednesday, December 18, 2024, at the Brick Meger Funeral Home (1603 Austin Road, Owatonna, MN). Judy was born to parents Donald and Esther (Hielscher) Klassen in Plainview, MN. Donald passed away when Judy was 14 years old. Esther later married Ralph Peterson. Ralph took the whole family under his wing and was a loving father to Judy and the rest of her siblings. She graduated from Plainview High School and after attended Rochester Community College. Judy married her high school sweetheart, Tom Biers March 25, 1977, in Plainview. The two lived in Plainview and Ellendale before settling down in Dodge Center, MN. She worked for C.O. Brown Insurance Agency out of Kasson, MN for over 20 years before finishing her career after 7 years with Safeway Insurance of Dodge Center. In retirement they moved to Owatonna to be closer to the grandchildren. In February of 2022 Judy was diagnosed with cancer and was a true warrior until the end. Judy and Tom loved to be a team. They always played golf together and bowled for many years winning a mixed couples tournament. She enjoyed attending ceramic classes with her mother and eventually acted as caregiver and companion of her mother in her final years. Judy and Tom enjoyed completing home projects. They practically built their house near the golf course in Dodge Center, a task few couples could finish together. The family tradition was to get together for Vikings games. Judy is survived by her husband, of 47 years, Tom; children, Eric (Kjirsten) Biers, Austin, MN, Jenny (Paul) Berge, Owatonna; grandchildren, Bryce, Addie, Peyton, Darby, Abram; siblings, Jean (Bob) LaCroix, Goodyear, AZ, Dan (Lori) Kalssen, Alexandria, MN Tom (Sandy) Klassen, Edina, MN, Peter (Carrie) Klassen, Plainview; step siblings, Jan Cowan, Jim (Theresa) Peterson and Mary Jeakle. She was preceded in death by parents, Donald and Esther; stepfather, Ralph Peterson; brothers, Don, Richard, and Edward. For more information or to leave an online condolence message go to www.megercares.com.LAS VEGAS (AP) — Formula 1 on Monday at last said it will expand its grid in 2026 to make room for an American team that is partnered with General Motors. “As the pinnacle of motorsports, F1 demands boundary-pushing innovation and excellence. It’s an honor for General Motors and Cadillac to join the world’s premier racing series, and we’re committed to competing with passion and integrity to elevate the sport for race fans around the world," GM President Mark Reuss said. "This is a global stage for us to demonstrate GM’s engineering expertise and technology leadership at an entirely new level.” The approval ends years of wrangling that launched a U.S. Justice Department investigation into why Colorado-based Liberty Media, the commercial rights holder of F1, would not approve the team initially started by Michael Andretti. Andretti in September stepped aside from leading his namesake organization, so the 11th team will be called Cadillac F1 and be run by new Andretti Global majority owners Dan Towriss and Mark Walter. The team will use Ferrari engines its first two years until GM has a Cadillac engine built for competition in time for the 2028 season. Towriss is the the CEO and president of Group 1001 and entered motorsports via Andretti's IndyCar team when he signed on financial savings platform Gainbridge as a sponsor. Towriss is now a major part of the motorsports scene with ownership stakes in both Spire Motorsports' NASCAR team and Wayne Taylor Racing's sports car team. Walter is the chief executive of financial services firm Guggenheim Partners and the controlling owner of both the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers and Premier League club Chelsea. “We’re excited to partner with General Motors in bringing a dynamic presence to Formula 1," Towriss said. “Together, we’re assembling a world-class team that will embody American innovation and deliver unforgettable moments to race fans around the world.” Mario Andretti, the 1978 F1 world champion, will have an ambassador role with Cadillac F1. But his son, Michael, will have no official position with the organization now that he has scaled back his involvement with Andretti Global. “The Cadillac F1 Team is made up of a strong group of people that have worked tirelessly to build an American works team,” Michael Andretti posted on social media. “I’m very proud of the hard work they have put in and congratulate all involved on this momentous next step. I will be cheering for you!” The approval has been in works for weeks but was held until after last weekend's Las Vegas Grand Prix to not overshadow the showcase event of the Liberty Media portfolio. Max Verstappen won his fourth consecutive championship in Saturday night's race, the third and final stop in the United States for the top motorsports series in the world. Grid expansion in F1 is both infrequent and often unsuccessful. Four teams were granted entries in 2010 that should have pushed the grid to 13 teams and 26 cars for the first time since 1995. One team never made it to the grid and the other three had vanished by 2017. There is only one American team on the current F1 grid — owned by California businessman Gene Haas — but it is not particularly competitive and does not field American drivers. Andretti’s dream was to field a truly American team with American drivers. The fight to add this team has been going on for three-plus years and F1 initially denied the application despite approval from F1 sanctioning body FIA . The existing 10 teams, who have no voice in the matter, also largely opposed expansion because of the dilution in prize money and the billions of dollars they’ve already invested in the series. Andretti in 2020 tried and failed to buy the existing Sauber team. From there, he applied for grid expansion and partnered with GM, the top-selling manufacturer in the United States. The inclusion of GM was championed by the FIA and president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, who said Michael Andretti’s application was the only one of seven applicants to meet all required criteria to expand F1’s current grid. “General Motors is a huge global brand and powerhouse in the OEM world and is working with impressive partners," Ben Sulayem said Monday. "I am fully supportive of the efforts made by the FIA, Formula 1, GM and the team to maintain dialogue and work towards this outcome of an agreement in principle to progress this application." Despite the FIA's acceptance of Andretti and General Motors from the start, F1 wasn't interested in Andretti — but did want GM. At one point, F1 asked GM to find another team to partner with besides Andretti. GM refused and F1 said it would revisit the Andretti application if and when Cadillac had an engine ready to compete. “Formula 1 has maintained a dialogue with General Motors, and its partners at TWG Global, regarding the viability of an entry following the commercial assessment and decision made by Formula 1 in January 2024,” F1 said in a statement. “Over the course of this year, they have achieved operational milestones and made clear their commitment to brand the 11th team GM/Cadillac, and that GM will enter as an engine supplier at a later time. Formula 1 is therefore pleased to move forward with this application process." Yet another major shift in the debate over grid expansion occurred earlier this month with the announced resignation of Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei, who was largely believed to be one of the biggest opponents of the Andretti entry. “With Formula 1’s continued growth plans in the US, we have always believed that welcoming an impressive US brand like GM/Cadillac to the grid and GM as a future power unit supplier could bring additional value and interest to the sport," Maffei said. "We credit the leadership of General Motors and their partners with significant progress in their readiness to enter Formula 1." AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
On 20 November former LTTE member and former parliamentarian, ‘Pillayen’ was summoned to the CID and left after a mammoth five-hour questioning session. He was questioned in relation to the allegations made in the Channel 4 film, ‘Easter Bombings of Sri Lanka.’ Easter Sunday 2019 in Sri Lanka marked one of the worst ever co-ordinated terror attacks in the island nation. For a country that had gotten used to a 30-year civil war, the bombings that targeted churches and luxury hotels in Colombo, was a new high in terms of callousness and the death of 275 civilians. For a nation relying on inbound tourism, it was even more appalling as 43 visitors also lost their lives. The bombings had apparently caught the Sri Lankan intelligence apparatus and the Police off-guard and almost too conveniently blamed initially on Islamic extremism. Now, with the election of a new President, Anura Kumara Dissanayake “AKD” and the unprecedented majority in Parliament for his NPP party, there is renewed expectation that the new Government will approach an investigation into the Easter bombings with a real commitment towards unearthing the truth. Malcom Cardinal Ranjith is unequivocal in his call: the people he says have a right to know and in his capacity as the Head of the Roman Catholic Church in Sri Lanka, “we have a right to know because so many of our people died (and were maimed).” It appears that Sri Lanka’s new President, Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD as he is popularly known) shares that view. A few days after his election victory, in a poignant visit to the Katuwapitiya Church – near the tourist resort area of Negombo – where as many as 126 people died, he solemnly promised for a full and impartial enquiry. A week or so later, there was an announcement that the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) was investigating the Easter tragedy and the claims made in a documentary for Britain’s Channel 4. There are not many in Sri Lanka who doubt the new President. He has no political gain from an investigation and a robust investigation revealing the truth means he will be able to fulfil one of his election promises. Soon after the attacks the blame on Islamic extremism caused a number of internecine attacks aimed at the Muslim community in several areas and the law and order situation appeared to be under challenge. In stepped an unlikely hero in the form the Colombo’s Archbishop, Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith. The Cardinal appealed for peace and made it clear that the wider Muslim population must not be blamed. Many in Sri Lanka credit the Cardinal for having ensured that these riots did not spread – especially that the 30+ civil war had come to an end in 2009 and the country had enjoyed a relatively peaceful decade since. The investigation appeared to be going the way of Islamic extremism – especially when some weeks before there was an attack on a mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand. Not many in Sri Lanka quite believed it was as simple as the Government made it out to be: within weeks of the attacks, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the former Defence Secretary in brother Mahinda’s presidency, announced his candidature for the presidency and won the ensuing Presidential election with a significant majority. His primary theme was that it was his party that understood ‘maintaining of the peace’ best. Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith led the way in suggesting there was a different explanation – he was joined by Members of Parliament, Civil Society activists and sections of the media – although all only alluded to this ‘other’ possibility driven by legalities and the near omnipresent sections of the Prevention of Terrorism Act. The call for the identification of the mastermind grew literally daily. One of the first acts President Gotabaya put into play even before the appointment of the Prime Minister and the Cabinet of Ministers, was said to have been the disbanding of the team in charge of investigation the Easter tragedy which was then led by SSP Shani Abeysekera of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID). In fact SSP Abeysekera, a highly respected officer was in effect demoted along with his transfer out of office. Incensed by the treatment meted out to him, he petitioned the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka alleging that his fundamental rights under Sri Lanka’s Constitution had been violated. His application to the Supreme Court makes for interesting reading – and it became a public document. Not many it appears would have read the contents with the exception perhaps of an international, award-winning, documentary maker who was commissioned by Channel 4. The film which was aired on Channel 4 and Danish Television raises three questions: Did Intelligence officials meet covertly with Islamic extremists before they committed the biggest terrorist attack in Sri Lanka’s history? Did Military Intelligence mislead the Police in their attempts to apprehend the terrorist group? Did Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s Government sabotage investigations into the bombings? Gotabaya Rajapaksa who had remained largely silent ever since he literally abandoned his presidential palace and embarked on a mini tour of South Asia, that included the Maldive Islands, Thailand and Singapore, broke his silence soon after the Channel 4 film (Easter Bombings of Sri Lanka 2019) and described the film as a ‘tissue of lies ... absurd’ – he has also denied having disbanded the CID team investigating the Easter bombings. The former strongman-turned President who was rejected by the people two years into his term, maintains that SSP Abeysekera was removed due to an unconnected incident. Others familiar with the timelines, maintain that Abeysekera and 30 others were removed from the investigation. A fresh investigation is likely to unearth the truth in this instance too. The principal whistleblower, a one-time, long-serving aide to ‘Pillayan’, Azad Mowlana has been accused of concocting his claim to pursue an application for a visa to settle in a European country. His claims that a senior Military Intelligence official met with the terrorist group ahead of the Easter bombings; Mowlana also claims that his former boss, Pillayan was told by Gotabaya Rajapaksa to get rid of the Sunday Leader newspaper Editor, Lasantha Wickrematunge. Wickrematunge was killed in broad daylight not far from a high-security zone in January 2009. The passage of 15 years has not resulted in a legal resolution to his unlawful killing. There is a report that Azad Mowlana had been interviewed by international agencies who are treating his claim as credible and that Mowlana had been interviewed by European intelligence agencies. Along with the fact that immigration rules have been tightened across mainland Europe, the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom not many are convinced by claims that Mowlana has been able to ‘hood-wink’ his way towards obtaining a residential visa and or the right to live and work in Europe. One person I spoke to said that perhaps it was this that was ‘a tissue of lies and absurd’. Azad Mowlana is alleged to also possess thus far undisclosed digital evidence which may assist Sri Lanka’s investigators in their quest towards the truth behind the Easter bombings of Sri Lanka. As a result of the Channel 4 film, Sri Lanka’s Government announced that a parliamentary committee would investigate the claims made in the film. Sri Lanka’s President appointed by Parliament after Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country, Ranil Wickremesinghe, did appoint a Presidential Committee although that committee was not formulated under the Presidential Commissions Act, depriving it of any form of quasi legality. The Committee did write to Channel 4 asking if they would assist in their enquiries – only to be told that Channel 4 had said what they did in the film and had nothing further to add. The terms of reference of that Committee has not been publicly published in any of Sri Lanka’s mainstream media outlets. An email addressed to that committee went unanswered – where the Terms of Reference was requested. Field Marshall Sarath Fonseka – Sri Lanka’s war time Army Commander – and a former Member of Parliament alluded to the ease with which intelligence officials could obtain a travel document, saying ‘this is a matter that can be done over the telephone’. He said this during a Sri Lankan parliamentary debate on the claims made by the Channel 4 film. Major General Suresh Sallay denied Azad Mowlana’s claims stating that he was in Malaysia at the time he is alleged to have met members of the terrorist group. Described as Sri Lanka’s top spy, Salley maintains he was in India on the day of the Easter bombings. There was no claim made in the film to suggest Salley was in Sri Lanka or not on the day of the Easter bombings. Salley also maintains that he was not part of the intelligence apparatus in the period January 2018 to April 2019. Following the broadcast of the film, Suresh Salley lodged a complaint with Britain’s media regulator. The regulator reported back to Salley stating that the broadcaster had not broken any of the rules he had complained of. OFCOM said in part, “Having viewed the program in its entirety alongside considering the individual elements of the complaint, we considered that, even if some of the statements complained about were inaccurate the allegations made by the whistle-blowers regarding the extent of the complainant’s involvement in the Easter bombings were not dealt with in a way that was unfair to him in the program.” International concern has been constant ever since the Easter bombings of Sri Lanka. In 2022, Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith visited the Vatican. Pope Francis issued a statement asking for the truth to be told ‘for the love of your people, for the love of justice’. An UN agency also called for an investigation into the attacks. In 2023, President Ranil Wickremesinghe told DW TV that Sri Lanka will not have any inquiry involving foreigners. Although he did not say as much, the fact is that for Sri Lanka to facilitate foreign investigators on their soil, Sri Lanka’s Parliament has not ratified international agreements that would make such an independent international investigation possible. Such anomalies are exactly what international agencies are likely to be raising with Sri Lanka’s new administration. President Dissanayake and his team have not openly refused to honour international obligations yet some of the mechanisms do not always lend themselves to full co-operation. Left alone, these anomalies can only sow greater dissatisfaction about Sri Lanka’s compliance. Easter 2025 will mark the sixth anniversary of the Easter tragedy. A new President, a new Parliament with the enviable record of being the only single party to ever gain a two-thirds majority in Parliament have all the necessary implements to ensure that a full and impartial investigation is carried out. All members of this new administration also have the distinction of not having been involved in any shape or form in the events that led to this tragedy. This tragedy has left a permanent black mark on Sri Lanka’s ability to sustain meaningful compliance of international treaties and honour in full the UN charter on the right to life. Various politicians in Sri Lanka did however join the blame game: ‘Channel 4 was against Sri Lanka’: No one pointed out any reason leaving many to dismiss this as rhetoric and one more excuse in not getting at the truth. No one in Sri Lanka’s establishment has ever sought to explain the several images and videos to emerge alleging violations of human rights; the mothers of the missing have conducted what could well be the longest ever continuous protest to no avail, there has been no move towards a sustainable resolution by at least issuing an unqualified apology followed by appropriate reparations. Perhaps after all, President AKD may well have his work cut out for him. The film raised three important questions: however, a fourth equally important question remains: why was the general public, the church administration and the hotels associations not forewarned about the impending attacks? Afterall, the Indian intelligence agency RAW had provided credible intelligence of the attack at least a fortnight previously. Who was responsible for this inaction? Was it really a coincidence that then President Sirisena and his family almost conveniently left the island to India and then onwards to a south Asian nation and avoided being in Sri Lanka on that fateful Easter Sunday? Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith must have the last word on the Easter tragedy: “We will continue with this struggle – until we know the truth”None