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3:14 PM

Cabinet Decisions LIVE: Govt to export 6 million tonnes of sugar, subsidising farmers, says Prakash Javadekar

3:13 PM

Cabinet Decisions LIVE: Sugar prices are low in the country, hurting farmers, says Prakash Javadekar

Sugar prices are low in the country, hurting farmers. The government has decided to export 6 million tonnes of sugar, subsidising farmers. The Rs 18,000 crore earned from exports will go sugar farmers: Union minister Prakash Javadekar

3:09 PM

LIVE: Union ministers Prakash Javadekar and Ravi Shankar Prasad briefing media on cabinet decisions

3:01 PM

Union ministers Prakash Javadekar and Ravi Shankar Prasad briefing media on union cabinet decisions

2:43 PM

Kerala civic polls: Left ahead as counting enters crucial phase

2:41 PM

Republic TV CEO Vikas Khanchandani granted bail on a surety of Rs 50,000

A Mumbai court on Wednesday granted bail to Republic Media Network's Chief Executive Officer Vikas Khanchandani, who was arrested in the alleged TRP (Television Rating Points) rigging scam. Khanchandaniwas arrested on Sunday from his residence here by the police's Crime Intelligence Unit (CIU). A metropolitan magistrate court granted bail to Khanchandani on a cash surety of Rs 50,000, his lawyer Niteen Pradhan informed.

 

The police began a probe into the alleged scam after ratings agency Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) filed a complaint through Hansa Research Agency about rigging of TRP by some channels.

 

TRP, measured by recording viewership data at sample households, is crucial for attracting advertisers. The BARC engaged Hansa to install and maintain barometers which record TV viewership data at sample households. It was alleged that some of these families were being bribed to tune into certain channels to ramp up their TRP. In a charge sheet filed recently, the police alleged that an official of Hansa paid money to sample households to tune into Box Cinema, Fakt Marathi, Maha Movie and Republic TV.

2:30 PM

Republic TV CEO Vikas Khanchandani granted bail on a surety of Rs 50,000

1:52 PM

Kerala civic polls: Left ahead as counting enters crucial phase

Despite facing a host of controversies ahead of the Kerala civic body polls, as counting of votes reached midway on Wednesday, the ruling CPM-led LDF is ahead of its rivals and appears to be consolidating its position. The opposition Congress-led UDF, which initially was seen putting up a better show in the first round of counting that began at 8 a.m., appears to have slightly dimmed, while the hype created by the BJP is yet to catch on.

 

The shocker came at the Kochi corporation, where the Congress' mayoral candidate N. Venugopal lost by just one vote to the BJP and for the Left there was one in the Thiruvananthapuram corporation, when incumbent mayor K. Sreekumar had to bite the dust.

 

In the three-tier local body structure, trends indicate that in the six corporations in the state the Left is clearly ahead in Kollam and Kozhikode and UDF appears to do well in Kochi and at Kannur and Thrissur, it's a neck and neck fight between the UDF and the Left, while at Thiruvananthapuram it remains to be seen if the Left will be able to make it on its own.

 

In the municipalities, the Left has managed to edge forward and is leading in 41, while the UDF, which initially led, has gone down and leads in 39 and the BJP in 4.

1:33 PM

Javadekar and RS Prasad to address media at 3 pm on Cabinet meet outcome

1:29 PM

Kerala Local Body election results LIVE: BJP District President VV Rajesh wins from Poojappura ward

1:03 PM

Kerala Local Body election results LIVE: Section 144 has been in place in northern Malappuram

Section 144 has been in place in northern Malappuram and in some pockets of neighbouring Kozhikode and Kasaragod districts.

12:51 PM

Kerala Local Body election results LIVE: Left front shows edge in Kerala local body polls

12:35 PM

Kerala Local Body election results LIVE: Block Panchayat LDF-108 UDF-43 NDA-0

12:29 PM

Kerala Local Body election results LIVE: LDF leads in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Thrissur and Kozhikode

LDF leads in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Thrissur and Kozhikode (4) while UDF in Cochin and Kannur (2) corporations.

12:18 PM

Kerala Local Body election results LIVE: BJP opens account in Kannur Corporation