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Voting underway in key Indian states of West Bengal, Tamil Nadu

Voting began on Thursday in two of India’s politically key opposition-held states, with tens of millions casting ballots in West Bengal and the southern Tamil Nadu. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the ruling party in the national parliament, is hoping to make inroads in the opposition strongholds. In West Bengal, which has a population of over 100 million, polling opened in the first phase to elect members from 152 constituencies of the 294-seat legislative assembly. The second phase, covering the remaining 142 seats, will be held on April 29. “Nearly 36 million people are eligible to vote,” said Manoj Agarwal, the state’s chief electoral officer, adding that around 8,000 polling stations had been designated “supersensitive”. Modi’s BJP has waged an aggressive bid to dislodge West Bengal’s Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the firebrand leader of the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC), which has been in power in the state since 2011. Banerjee’...
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Naqvi, US envoy discuss diplomatic efforts for holding 2nd round of US-Iran talks in Islamabad

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met US Chargé d’Affaires to Pakistan, Natalie Baker, in Islamabad, where the two discussed ongoing diplomatic efforts to hold a second round of US-Iran talks, the interior ministry said. According to the interior ministry’s statement, during their “important meeting”, Naqvi and Baker exchanged detailed views on the latest regional situation and discussed diplomatic efforts regarding the possible second round of US-Iran negotiations in Islamabad. Naqvi commended US President Donald Trump’s initiative to extend the ceasefire, calling it a “welcome development” that made significant progress towards reducing tensions. “We also hope for positive progress from Iran’s side,” the interior minister was quoted as saying. The meeting emphasised the need for continuity in diplomatic channels for a lasting resolution to the conflict. According to the ministry, the minister told Baker that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Fie...

Sindh govt cancels BRT Red Line construction contract, to re-award it on an emergency basis: Sharjeel Memon

The Sindh government has cancelled the construction contract for the long-delayed Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Red Line project in Karachi and will re-award it on an “emergency basis”, Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Memon confirmed on Wednesday. The government cancelled the contract for the Mosamiyat–Numaish section of the project. The stalled construction on the Red Line resumed in November after the removal of several bottlenecks following the chief minister’s intervention, but there is still no clear timeline in sight for the project’s completion as thousands of University Road commuters continue to face daily hardships. Speaking to Dawn , Memon confirmed that the contract had been terminated due to delays in the project’s execution by the contractor. He said the contractor was issued several warnings to complete the work within the stipulated time, but failed to comply. The government, he added, tried its level best to accommodate the contractor by resolving issues related to rat...

CM Maryam approves Punjab’s first sky glass bridge in Murree

LAHORE: Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has granted approval for the province’s first sky glass bridge project in tehsil Kotli Sattian, district Murree, to promote tourism. The decision was made during a special meeting jointly presided over by PML-N President Nawaz Sharif and Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif where progress on the Murree Protection and Rehabilitation Plan was reviewed. The meeting also decided to engage international experts to address the issue of landsliding in Murree. The chief minister directed immediate measures to counter the mid-flow downhill effect and ordered relief and rehabilitation efforts for those affected by landslides in Chatta Mor, Darya Gali, Bansera Gali, Naml, Jhika Gali and adjoining areas. The meeting also granted approval for establishment of three new hospitality zones in Murree’s suburban areas, Shawala, Sozo and brewery, where five-star standard hotels would be developed in collaboration with the private sector. It decided to form a tea...