LOCAL NEWS

<p>As the Election Commission announced the Maharashtra Assembly elections on Tuesday, the focus has shifted to the seat-sharing arrangements within the two main alliances&mdash;Mahayuti and Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). According to sources, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is set to contest the highest number of seats within the Mahayuti alliance while the Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) are reportedly in a contest to be the bigger party in the MVA.</p> <h3><strong>Maharashtra Election 2024: Mahayuti’s Seat-Sharing Formula</strong></h3> <p>The BJP is expected to field candidates in 145 to 155 seats, while Chief Minister Eknath Shinde&rsquo;s Shiv Sena faction could contest 85 to 90 seats. Ajit Pawar&rsquo;s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) may field candidates in 50 to 55… Read More »Maharashtra Election: Ruling Mahayuti, Oppn Alliance MVA Inch Closer To Seat-Sharing Ahead Of Nov 20 Polls

The armed forces of the United States and Philippines began large-scale joint exercises with key allies on Tuesday that will take place in several areas in the Philippines, including those facing Taiwan and the South China Sea. The drills, running until October 25, come after China conducted war games around Taiwan on Monday that drew condemnation from the Taipei and US governments. The military exercises will involve more than 2,000 American troops and Filipino soldiers and personnel and include island-based exercises in amphibious landings, live fire and humanitarian assistance, the Philippine Marine Corps said. US allies Australia, Britain, Japan and South Korea are joining the exercises, which are taking place while joint naval drills between… Read More »US, Philippines Begin Joint Military Drills Amid Rising Tensions With China

Bypolls to 48 Assembly seats and two Parliamentary seats will be held in two phases on November 13 and 20, and the results will be declared on November 23, along with the results of the Maharashtra and Jharkhand polls, the Election Commission announced on Tuesday. By-elections will be held for the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat in Kerala, as well as 47 Assembly seats in 13 states on November 13 and Nanded in Maharashtra and Uttarakhand’s Kedarnath Assembly seat on November 20. Announcing the poll schedule for the by-polls, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said that the notification for the polls would be issued on October 18 and 22, respectively, paving the way for nominations, and… Read More »Bypolls To 48 Assembly Seats, 2 Lok Sabha Constituencies Next Month

<p>Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar raised concerns about exit polls and the early trends broadcast by media outlets during elections. Addressing the issue, Rajiv Kumar highlighted the need for self-regulation by pollsters and media, particularly regarding the distortion caused by exit polls.</p> <h3><strong>CEC Rajiv Kumar On Exit Polls, Earlier Poll Trends, EVM Complaints</strong></h3> <ul> <li>Urging ‘self-regulation’, CEC Rajiv Kumar remarked, “A major distortion is being created due to Exit Polls and expectations set by it. This is a matter of deliberation and introspection for the Press, especially for electronic media.” He emphasised that pollsters should reflect on the sample size, survey locations, and accuracy of their projections, and whether disclosures are properly made. “There… Read More »Self-Regulation Required On Exit Polls, Early Trends Results Are ‘Nonsense’: CEC Rajiv Kumar — Top Points

When floods ripped through parts of Europe in September, the scale of the destruction took people by surprise. The intense rains should not have, because those had been predicted by sophisticated forecasting systems enhanced with artificial intelligence. But forewarned did not mean forearmed. Though the rains were accurately predicted, the effects in the deluged areas were not – a fact that highlights the difficulties of dealing with ever more common extreme weather. AI has supercharged weather forecasting, using a range of statistical tools to analyse years of historical data and predict patterns, and at a lower cost than traditional numerical weather predictions. AI technology can create more specific predictions ahead of events such as urban… Read More »Explained: AI Forecasts Floods, But Cannot Erase Risk Of Disaster