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New Indian Express
8 hours ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Bihar SIR: 80,000 voters registered on wrong, fake addresses in 3 constituencies, reveals report
The voter also questioned the "audacity" of the election officials to put the most disadvantaged of Dalit communities, like Manjhi and Musahar, under one roof, with privileged castes like Brahmin and Baniyas, which is far from reality in rural Bihar. Meanwhile, 459 voters who were registered under their correct addresses in the 2003 electoral roll were found bundled together and registered on a non-existent house number in the newly released draft rolls. "Twenty-two years later, in the name of creating a 'clean' voter list within two months, and with greater use of technology and manpower, the ECI has done worse," the report stated. "This is important for the door-to-door exercise of verification to serve its purpose. We found that the ECI officials across Bihar have not even followed that system this time around for SIR, making the voter lists, in several cases, even more substandard than the earlier ones," the report said. In the Bagaha constituency, nine households with over 100 voters were found registered on the same address. One household, the largest, had 248 individuals. Motihari assembly constituency had three cases of 100 or more voters registered under non-existent addresses, the largest being a house where, going by ECI's new voter list, 294 voters live together. "Between the Pipra, Motihari, and Bagaha assembly constituencies in the Champaran region of Bihar, there are around ten lakh registered voters. This could mean that approximately eight percent of total voters are registered at dubious addresses," the report stated. The investigation also revealed that several of the voter details in these constituencies were filled in by the booth officials without their awareness. In some cases, the booth officials just asked for the Aadhaar IDs or a photograph of the voters and then filled in all other details on their own. The report also claimed that the notional addresses allotted by the EC to people living in rural areas --who might not have house numbers-- were removed from the draft rolls. Notional addresses are also given to homeless people and those living in temporary housing or shelters. The notional number, often prefixed with the letter 'N' is required to be changed only if the individual has moved to a different place with a proper address. "This is important for the door-to-door exercise of verification to serve its purpose. We found that the ECI officials across Bihar have not even followed that system this time around for SIR, making the voter lists, in several cases, even more substandard than the earlier ones," the report said. The report further noted that most of these errors occured at the hands of Booth Level Officers (BLO), who had to rush against time and complete the herculean task before a very short deadline. Besides, the BLOs were not briefed on how to solve issues regarding false and wrong addresses, the report claimed. "Ever since I became a BLO, I have seen many mistakes and got them corrected, but many things were done in a hurry…(For SIR). We had to stay awake all night to upload documents to the Election Commission website. The website did not work during the day. Anyway, no one here has been allotted a separate housing or holding number. Even if it has happened, no one remembers," the report quoted BLO as saying. The report comes as opposition parties are stepping up their protests against the Bihar SIR while also pushing for a debate on the issue in the Parliament. Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, along with key INDIA bloc members, including RJD leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, have launched a 16-day 'Vote Adhikar Yatra' from Bihar's Sasaram to protest the exercise.
Arab Times
28-07-2025
- Sport
- Arab Times
Kuwait Olympic team to face Kazma and Fahaheel in upcoming friendlies
KUWAIT CITY, July 28: Al-Arabi's coach, Marco Alves, has the team training in humid environments to prepare for its AFC Challenge League playoff against Maziya Sports of the Maldives on August 12, which will be played on the Maldives' home turf. To help players adapt to the high humidity common in the Maldives, Alves also arranged additional indoor, air-conditioned training sessions during its Abu Dhabi camp. The team will face UAE clubs Hatta and Baniyas in friendlies on Thursday, August 6, respectively, with the camp concluding on August 8. Fahaheel has planned a training camp in Alexandria, Egypt, scheduled to start in mid-August. Led by Syrian coach Firas Al-Khatib, the team continues preparations and will play a friendly against Kuwait's Olympic team on August 7. Another friendly match is being arranged before it heads abroad. Most players have joined training, with foreign signings Homam Mahmoud (Syria) and Zakaria Benchaâ (Algeria) already on board, and Brazilians Brendon Lucas, Bruno Clisettau, and Vitor da Silva expected to join soon. Kazma will play its first friendly this Thursday against Kuwait's Olympic team before traveling to Turkey for a training camp in early August. Key players, including Jordanians Ali Azaizeh, Yousef Abu Al-Jazar, and Anas Al-Awdat, are training, with Algerian Idris Chaabi joining next week and Beninese forward Samson Akinyoola arriving in Turkey. Kuwait Club held morning and evening training sessions under Montenegrin coach Nebojša Jovović as it gets ready for the Zain Premier League season opener on September 12. The team will continue this routine for two weeks before heading to Prague, Czech Republic, for a 20-day training camp featuring four friendly matches. Al-Nasr has started training at Ali Sabah Al-Salem Stadium's sub-pitch with new signings Mohsen Falah, Mohammed Al-Rashed, and Zaid Zakaria. The club also officially welcomed goalkeeper Naif Al-Azmi to the squad for the new season.
Arab Times
26-07-2025
- Sport
- Arab Times
Ahmad Hayel joins Al-Arabi camp in Abu Dhabi
ABU DHABI, July 26: Al-Arabi has officially kicked off its overseas training camp in Abu Dhabi, UAE, ahead of a crucial phase in its season preparations. The camp, which runs until August 8, includes two friendly fixtures—against Hatta on July 31 and Baniyas in early August. Jordanian assistant coach Ahmad Hayel and Ugandan defender Kenneth Semakula joined the squad earlier this week to reinforce the technical and player lineup. Following the conclusion of the Abu Dhabi camp, Al-Arabi will travel to the Maldives on August 8 to face Maziya Sports Club in a decisive AFC Challenge Cup playoff match scheduled for August 12 at 3:00 PM (local time) at the National Football Stadium. The winner will advance to the group stage of the competition. This camp represents the second stage of Al-Arabi's preseason program, after launching the first phase of training last week under Portuguese head coach Marco Alves, with the majority of players present. Al-Arabi has secured four new foreign signings: French-Guinean Hassimi Fadiga, Ugandan Kenneth Semakula, and Nigerian duo Ayano Iwala and Christopher John. The club is also in talks to finalize the fifth foreign player spot. Additionally, local talents Hamad Al-Harbi and Aziz Nassari have joined the squad. Club media coordinator Mishaal Al-Abkal confirmed that all logistical arrangements are progressing smoothly. He noted that the team has been holding daily training sessions, with morning workouts indoors and evening sessions on an outdoor pitch. Al-Abkal added that the team is awaiting the arrival of a new striker in the coming days, as agreed upon by the club's foreign player recruitment committee.
Yahoo
18-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Former Carlisle United striker joins UAE club...on horseback
Former Carlisle United striker Brad Young has joined a club in the United Arab Emirates - with an unusual signing video. The ex-Blues loan man has joined Abu Dhabi-based FC Baniyas, who play in the UAE Pro League. And 22-year-old Young's arrival was accompanied by a moody video of Young arriving on horseback. He is described as "the knight of Baniyas" as he dismounts the horse to find his new team's shirt on a tree. Young has joined Baniyas after a spell with Saudi Pro League club Al-Orobah. He had joined the Saudi outfit last September after a prolific spell with Welsh Premier club The New Saints. Now at Baniyas, he will play under the club's Bulgarian manager Ivaylo Petev. Baniyas finished 12th in the UAE Pro League last season. "Baniyas Club announces its official signing of the English player Brad Young, aged 22, who will be registered under the residents' category," the club announced. "The contract was signed in the presence of the first team supervisor, Marzouq Al-Mansouri, at the Serbia camp." Former Carlisle United striker joins Swiss top-flight club The new season for Young and his team-mates begins on Saturday, August 16. The former Aston Villa FA Youth Cup-winning forward spent time on loan with Carlisle in the 2021/22 season, playing under Chris Beech and Keith Millen at Brunton Park. He made 20 appearances and scored three goals in a half-season spell with the Cumbrians. Young has also played for Ayr United. FLASH SALE: Get unlimited access to every Carlisle United article by subscribing to the News & Star for £6 for 6 months or a full year at half price - click for details
The National
06-07-2025
- Politics
- The National
Syria's coastal areas ravaged by wildfires
Forest fires raged on Sunday in Syria's coastal area for a fifth consecutive day, with neighbouring countries offering assistance to emergency workers battling to extinguish the blaze. Raed Al Saleh, Syria's Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management, described the wildfire, which started on Wednesday, 'one of the most difficult" to tackle due to the region's rugged terrain. The fires have affected 50 square kilometres, he added. Turkey and Jordan have sent fire engines and will soon fly planes overhead to help contain the fires. The Syrian government has so far mobilised 160 fire engines, Mr Al Saleh said. No casualties have been reported. The coast, where most of the fires have occurred, contains most of Syria's green cover, about 4,000 square kilometres, or 2 per cent of Syria's land mass, in 2010, according to data recorded before the civil war broke out. Decades of illegal logging and unlicensed building and farming, particularly during the 13-year conflict, have compromised the country's forests. The war ended in December, when an offensive, led by Hayat Tahrir Al Sham, toppled 54 years of Al Assad family rule. The fires have been rampaging across the Latakia, Baniyas and Tartous governorates. Syrian Civil Defence head Munir Mustafa attributed the rapid spread of the flames to high temperatures and strong winds. An Alawite telegram group with 82,000 subscribers said the radical Ansar Al Sunna group lit fires in the grasslands deliberately. Several Sunni Facebook pages blamed Alawite regime remnants but no one provided any proof. Alawite civil figure Mohammad Al Zuaiter told The National that civil defence crews working overnight had stopped the flames from spreading into the villages of his home area of Wadi Juhannam in Banias governorate. Mr Zuaiter said negligence was probably involved but added that "there are lunatics from both sides who would like to burn not just forests", referring to the Alawite community and pro-government forces. Syria, once a regional breadbasket, is undergoing one of its worst droughts in decades. In the late 2000s, the country became a wheat importer due to a lack of rain and the illegal use of water wells, which affected underground reservoirs.
