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Edinburgh Reporter
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Edinburgh Reporter
Scottish Greens admit error in vote counting process
The top selections remain the same but after some party members raised concerns over the process the party has checked again with the third party which conducted the count. There are some changes in the regional lists and in Edinburgh the new regional list removes Connal Hughes who is replaced by Mariusz Cebulski, and moves Cllr Kayleigh O'Neill above Cllr Chas Booth. The top three candidates on the regional list remain the same as before. The new regional list is as follows: Edinburgh and Lothians East Lorna Slater MSP Kate Nevens Q Manivannan Cllr Kayleigh O'Neill Cllr Chas Booth Adam Al-khateb Jo Phillips Mridul Wadhwa Dan Heap Dr Astri JS Kvassnes Alex Staniforth Mariusz Cebulski The previous list was as follows: Edinburgh & Lothians East: Lorna Slater MSP Kate Nevens Q Manivannan Cllr Chas Booth Cllr Kayleigh O'Neill Adam Al-khateb Mridul Wadhwa Jo Phillips Cllr Dan Heap Dr Astri JS Kvassnes Cllr Alex Staniforth Connal Hughes A Scottish Greens spokesperson said: 'The Scottish Greens are a proudly democratic party that gives every member a voice in our decision-making. 'We sourced a third-party provider to host and count the ballot papers for this year's selection process for the Holyrood election. Following concerns raised by members who had reviewed the voting data, party officials sought advice from the third-party provider on Monday afternoon. The party was assured that the counting had been completed and confirmed to meet the standards requested under our internal party rules. 'During further investigation by the third-party provider, they later discovered a software error in an external programme used to count votes. The party was first made aware of this on Tuesday morning. 'Party officials were not aware of this error at the time of previous statements, and had been reassured by the third-party provider on Monday afternoon that all counting had been completed and verified. 'Following a full revised count with oversight and verification from current party officials and those involved in previous Holyrood selections, we can confirm our full list of candidates for the Holyrood 2026 campaign. All of the previously announced 15 lead candidates remain duly selected and will continue to lead the party's campaign to elect a record number of MSPs. 'We would like to thank the volunteers and staff who worked to identify and resolve this situation under extreme pressure and to Mi-Voice for their cooperation in resolving the error. We understand that this has been a stressful process for candidates and members, and we thank them for their vigilance, patience and trust. 'We are looking forward to working with our strong Green candidates in this election campaign, in which we'll present our positive vision of a better future where people and planet are put above corporate greed' The Director of Mi-Voice, Simon Thomson said: 'Mi-Voice were contracted by the Scottish Green Party (SGP) to provide the voting platform for their candidate selection process. We undertook that work and provided SGP with results, which they then published around midday on Monday 21st July 2025. At around 2pm, we were contacted by SGP office-bearers seeking clarification about the production process of the results. We responded to say that the process had been undertaken according to the agreed procedure. 'Later on the same afternoon, following further discussions, it came to our attention that the count sheets provided for the Holyrood selection results appeared to contain anomalies. 'Following a thorough review, the anomalies were traced to a technical fault with the vote counting software provided by a trusted third-party supplier, which was used in place of the Mi-Voice counting system due to the specific STV rules required. The technical fault impacted the transfer of following preferences in cases where a candidate had been withdrawn from the count to create the ordered list. Although our internal procedures for producing and verifying results were followed, this technical problem was undetected prior to the distribution of the original lists. We notified SGP office-bearers of this issue at around 10am on the morning of Tuesday 22nd July. 'The third-party software in question is a widely recognised and industry-standard vote counting tool. We have since reported the issue to the software vendor and have implemented a solution that enables accurate list production moving forward. Using this revised process, we have produced updated candidate lists, which have undergone additional manual validation to ensure they represent the final and accurate outcome. These corrected lists have now been shared with the Party. 'We acknowledge the concern this has raised for Party members and candidates. We understand the frustration and confusion, and we sincerely apologise for the inconvenience and concern it has caused. 'To ensure this does not happen again, we are reviewing our internal quality control measures and introducing enhanced checks, particularly for scenarios involving candidate withdrawals to facilitate the production of ordered lists. 'We remain committed to transparency, responsiveness and continuous improvement.' Central Scotland and Lothians West Gillian Mackay MSP Cllr Claire Williams Cameron Glasgow Edinburgh and Lothians East Lorna Slater MSP Kate Nevens Q Manivannan Cllr Kayleigh O'Neill Cllr Chas Booth Adam Al-khateb Jo Phillips Mridul Wadhwa Dan Heap Dr Astri JS Kvassnes Alex Staniforth Mariusz Cebulski Glasgow Patrick Harvie MSP Ellie Gomersall Cllr Holly Bruce Iris Duane Cllr Seonad Hoy Malena Roche Rana Noor Mohamed Isabel Ruffell Kit Renard Highlands and Islands Ariane Burgess MSP Cllr Kristopher Leask Cllr Kate Willis Cllr Dræyk van der Hørn Cllr Alex Armitage Anne Thomas Julie Christie Mid Scotland and Fife Mark Ruskell MSP Mags Hall Caitlin Ripley Ryan Blackadder Marie Stadtler Clare Andrews Andrew Adam Paul Vallot Elspeth Maclachlan North East Scotland Guy Ingerson Maggie Chapman MSP Esme Houston William Linegar Sylvia Hardie Kathryn Vincent Charlotte Horne Remi Joseph Michel Salvan South Scotland Laura Moodie Ann McGuinness Dominic Ashmole Cllr Neil MacKinnon Barbra Harvie Cameron Garrett Tim Clancey Tom Kerr Korin Matthew Vallance West Scotland Ross Greer MSP Cara McKee Louise Andersen Karen Sharkey Athol Bond Ian Sinkins Paula Baker Ross Collins Charley O'Hear Like this: Like Related
New Straits Times
06-07-2025
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Jinoreeka's rise in squash fuelled by parents' dedication and big spending
KUALA LUMPUR: Parents play a pivotal role in shaping their children's futures — just ask former state hockey player R. Manivannan and his wife Toh Chee Kuan. The Ipoh-based couple have poured in time, energy and over RM250,000 to support their only child, rising squash star Jinoreeka Ning ( The duo run a humble restaurant in Ipoh Garden specialising in curry mee and Hainanese chicken rice, but their greatest pride is Jinoreeka, who is fast making a name for herself on the junior squash circuit, both locally and internationally. The 15-year-old bagged her second continental title on Saturday, clinching the Girls' Under-15 crown at the Asian Junior Squash Championships in Gimcheon, South Korea. It was her second Asian Junior title after winning the Under-13 crown in China two years ago. Remarkably, Jinoreeka, a Form Three student of Methodist Girls' School in Ipoh, who picked up squash at the age of eight, has amassed 20 junior titles without a full-time coach. "I love squash because it's fast-paced and challenging," said Jinoreeka, who dreams of becoming a world-class player within five years. With no coach based in Ipoh, Jinoreeka travels to Cairo for training stints under renowned Egyptian coach Omar Aziz — best known for working with world No. 3 Hania El Hammamy. "I saw Omar on television coaching Hania and told my dad that I wanted him as my coach," said Jinoreeka. "We got in touch and he agreed. When I'm back in Ipoh, I stick to the training programme he provides." Her parents were in the stands to witness her latest triumph in Korea, spending RM10,000 just to be there. Despite their business commitments, Manivannan and his wife prioritise their daughter's budding career. "I've travelled with Jinoreeka to Cairo eight times in the last two years, spending over RM250,000," said Manivannan, 54, who played for Perak and Maybank in hockey. "I even cook our meals when we travel. We want her to be as good as the Egyptians. That's why we're making all these sacrifices." When back in Malaysia, Manivannan drives his daughter to Kuala Lumpur on weekends for sparring sessions at Lake View Club and Jalan Duta Courts. "We're doing everything we can to help her succeed," he added. "Our dream is for Jinoreeka to compete at the British Junior Open next year." Manivannan was part of the Perak side that won the Razak Cup in 1992, and now, more than 30 years later, he's working hard to help his daughter script her own sporting legacy.
Time of India
07-06-2025
- Time of India
Two arrested near Salem for determining gender of fetuses
SALEM: Two people were arrested near Thalaivasal in Salem district on Saturday on charges of conducting scans for determining the gender of fetuses. There were reports that pregnant women from Dharmapuri district were being taken to a residence in Mani Vilundhan Puthur near Thalaivasal for the purpose of determining the gender of the fetuses. Officials led joint director of Dharmapuri district health services Dr Shanthi monitored the house. "Two men were caught in the act while attempting to perform the scan in a room on the terrace of the house," Dr Shanthi told reporters. The suspects have been identified as Manivannan, 36, of Arasakalathur in Kallakurichi district and Prasad of Panamarathupatty in Salem district. The team confiscated scanning equipment and Rs 20,000 in cash from them. The health department team handed over the suspects to the Thalaivasal police, who arrested them after registering a case.
Hindustan Times
31-05-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Karnataka issues fresh Covid-19 guidelines for schools ahead of reopening. Check details here
With schools across Karnataka set to reopen in June, the state government has rolled out a new set of Covid-19 safety guidelines to protect students and staff amid a gradual uptick in cases. The decision was taken following a high-level review meeting chaired by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on May 26. (Also Read: Karnataka reports third Covid-19 fatality amid rise in cases) The directive, applicable to both government and private schools, urges institutions to stay alert and prioritize the early detection and isolation of symptomatic individuals. Children showing signs of fever, cough, or cold should not be sent to school and must receive medical attention, according to the advisory. Return to school will be permitted only after full recovery. Schools have been instructed to monitor students daily and ensure any child developing symptoms during school hours is sent home promptly. In such cases, parents must be notified without delay. The guidelines also extend to teachers and non-teaching staff, who are advised to refrain from coming to school if they feel unwell. In addition to screening, schools must enforce Covid-19 Appropriate Behaviour (CAB), including regular handwashing, respiratory hygiene, and mask etiquette wherever needed. Authorities have stressed the need for strict implementation of these measures to avoid the risk of outbreaks. The precautionary steps come amid a modest rise in Covid-19 cases across Karnataka. As per data from the Department of Health and Family Welfare, the state recorded 114 new cases in the last 24 hours, taking the cumulative total since January 2025 to over 360 cases. Health officials also confirmed a Covid-related death on May 25, a 62-year-old man in Mysuru with underlying health conditions. He succumbed to complications arising from Covid pneumonia, septic shock, and multiple organ dysfunction, alongside hyponatremia (low sodium levels). (Also Read: Manivannan takes over as BDA commissioner, Mohandas Pai calls him 'action-oriented')
Hindustan Times
31-05-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Manivannan takes over as BDA commissioner, Mohandas Pai calls him ‘action-oriented'
In a key bureaucratic reshuffle, the Karnataka government on Friday appointed senior IAS officer Manivannan P. as the new Commissioner of the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA). According to a report by The Hindu, a 1998-batch officer, Manivannan will take over with concurrent charge while continuing as the Principal Secretary of the Social Welfare Department. His appointment, effective May 31, comes as the current BDA Commissioner Jayaram N. is set to retire on the same day, the report added. The BDA, often at the centre of criticism over Bengaluru's chaotic urban expansion, is currently grappling with multiple challenges. One of its flagship projects, the Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Layout, has seen sluggish progress, and residents continue to complain of poor infrastructure. Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar recently announced that the skydeck project, part of the city's broader development push, will take shape within this very layout in Kengeri. The BDA, along with the BBMP, has also faced backlash for approving layouts and constructions without ensuring adequate infrastructure, thereby contributing to urban sprawl and civic stress in India's tech capital. (Also Read: Bengaluru's long-waited Ejipura flyover gets official attention as BBMP chief pays visit) The appointment has drawn attention from public figures and civic commentators. Prominent Bengaluru-based entrepreneur and investor Mohandas Pai welcomed the decision on X (formerly Twitter), saying, 'Thank you very much Rao avare. Your constant Indus film is very needed. Pl busy Shante's 25 days to see progress. Only way to get things improved. @BBMPCOMM great work. Thanks Minister @DKShivakumar for having an action-oriented dynamic officer.' Pai's endorsement reflects a broader hope among citizens that Manivannan's track record of proactive governance will bring new energy and accountability to the BDA. Manivannan has previously held key roles across departments in Karnataka, and his appointment comes at a time when Bengaluru's planning agencies are under increased scrutiny for their role in shaping the city's future. (Also Read: 'You had no role in India's progress': Mohandas Pai shreds Indian-American millionaire over quality of life remarks)
