NorthEast Calling

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

EPL: Hull City beat Liverpool 1-0 to edge clear of danger

London: Hull City edged towards Premier League safety with a 1-0 win over Liverpool on Tuesday that moved them four points clear of the relegation zone and shredded the visitors’ slim hopes of Champions League qualification.

Central defender Michael Dawson scored the only goal at the KC Stadium after 37 minutes, beating a hopeless Liverpool offside trap to head home and the hosts comfortably held on to record their second successive victory.

It moved them up to 15th place in the table with four games remaining, while Liverpool stayed fifth, seven points behind fourth-placed Manchester United who occupy the final Champions League qualifying spot.

It was the second successive game in which Liverpool have failed to score and heaped pressure on manager Brendan Rodgers, whose side have taken four points from their last five games.

Liverpool last won the English title 25 years ago to the day and their performance against Steve Bruce’s strugglers made them look every inch a team in decline.

Although they had the upper hand in terms of possession, they created little going forward and looked frequently vulnerable at the back.

Hull seemed happy to concede the ball to the visitors in the early stages, safe in the knowledge that their infrequent forays forward and whipped crosses into the box regularly induced panic in the Liverpool ranks.

Sone Aluko should have put the hosts ahead after six minutes but headed straight at Simon Mignolet and Jake Livermore’s header forced the Liverpool keeper to parry as Hull sensed blood.

Liverpool’s only real effort on goal in the first half came when Philippe Coutinho’s shot from a Jordan Henderson corner forced Hull keeper Steve Harper into a sharp block.

The hosts, however, looked the more threatening and went ahead when Dawson timed his run perfectly to beat the offside trap and head home a lofted ball from Ahmed Elmohamady.

Liverpool’s lack of firepower in the absence of the injured Daniel Sturridge was evident and they struggled as the match wore on, although Henderson forced a smart save from Harper.

Liverpool threw bodies into the box and Hull retreated but Bruce’s side looked comfortable as they followed up Saturday’s 2-0 victory over Crystal Palace with another crucial three points.

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Rahul Gandhi takes a train to Punjab to meet grief-stricken farmers

New Delhi: In an attempt to reach out to the grief stricken farmers, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi is visiting Khanna and Gobindgarh in Punjab. “I am going to Punjab because I have been told that situation of farmers is very bad there. I am going there to know the reality,” he said.

Farmers in the state are finding it difficult to sell their produce after the recent unseasonal rains. The state has also witnessed suicides by farmers. Khanna grain market is considered one of the largest grain markets in Asia.

The visit comes at a time when farmers in the region have accused the government of tardy wheat procurement. Gandhi took the train to travel to Punjab.

Rahul Gandhi takes a train to Punjab to meet grief-stricken farmers

Farmers in the state are finding it difficult to sell their produce after the recent unseasonal rains.

#rahul gandhi #unseasonal rains #congress #bjp

Congress leader Amarinder Singh had on Monday suggested that Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal stage a dharna along with his ministers outside the Prime Minister’s Office to seek his attention on farmers’ issue.

The Congress Deputy leader in the Lok Sabha, after visiting grain markets of Patiala and Khanna, had said, “If Prime Minister Narendra Modi was not giving time to Badal, he should better stage a dharna instead of loitering around and issuing hollow threats to seek his attention.”

Congress has been alleging that the government is not purchasing the produce of farmers adequately.

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Bangla bandh will not be entertained, says CM Mamata Banerjee

File Photo

A day after three opposition parties in West Bengal – Left Front, BJP and Congress united to call a ‘Bangla bandh’ – a 12 hour state-wide strike on April 30, the West Bengal Chief Minister hit back. She alleged that a bandh will not be entertained.

“A bandh destroys the economy of the state and the country. I am urging all the opposition parties not to resort to this bandh as this also disturbs the democracy of the country,” said Banerjee.

She urged the opposition parties to take out rallies or submit deputation instead of resorting to a strike. “Take out rallies, arrange for meetings and submit deputation. We will allow it, but we will not allow a state shut down,” added Banerjee.

This apart, she requested the people of Bengal to continue with their daily routine and not support this bandh. “Continue with your daily routine. Keep your store and business centres open and help the state government,” Banerjee said.

While addressing media persons here in the city, she took a dig at the erstwhile Left Front government. “The erstwhile Left Front government always resorted to such bandhs as a result of which, the economy of the state has been disturbed,” said the Chief Minister.

The West Bengal Left Front called a ‘Bangla Bandh’ – a state wide strike – for 12 hours on April 30. A day later, BJP and Congress agreed to support this bandh against the alleged rigging by the ruling Trinamool Congress in the recently held civic polls.

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I am as good as my director, says Ranbir Kapoor

Ranbir Kapoor in a Bombay Velvet poster.

As someone who has teamed up with some of the best directors in Bollywood, Ranbir Kapoor says he considers himself as good as the filmmaker he is working with.

The 32-year-old actor, who will be next seen in the role of a street-fighter trying to make it big in Anurag Kashyap’s “Bombay Velvet”, loved collaborating with the “Dev D” helmer.

“I am as good as the director. I have always been selfish about working with good directors. Anurag has this reputation of being intense and a rebel but he’s like a teddy bear,” Ranbir said during second trailer launch of the movie, hitting screens on May 15.

Ranbir was supposed to do a different film but it did not work out and then he got “Bombay Velvet” script from Phantom’s Vikas Bahl.

“Vikas gave me this script and I read it on the plane and called up Anurag and told him that I wanted to do this role. Anurag, on the other hand, felt that I had always done urban characters. He told me he will get back to me in 2-3 days. He called me after a week,” Ranbir said.

The actor said the director is so loved by his crew that they felt ignored at times.

“If Anurag sneezed, the entire set was running for him. I have never seen such following. It is not demanded. I think Anurag inspires everybody around him and everyone has love for him.

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West Bengal CM announces no victory marches to be carried out following Nepal earthquake

File Photo

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Trinamool Congress supremo announces no victory marches would be carried out following a thumping victory in polls held to Kolkata Municipal Corporation and 91 civic bodies of the state after thousands of lives were claimed in Nepal earthquake.

“Despite all odds, we have registered a thumping victory in civic body polls. I am urging all party supporters not to take out any victory marches following the death of thousands of people in Nepal earthquake,” said Banerjee while addressing media persons in Kolkata.

The Chief Minister said that on May 9th on the occasion of Rabindra Jayanti, victory marches will be carried out across the city and the rest of the state.

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US Defence Secretary to visit in June to ink defence agreement

Ashton Carter File Photo

The new US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter will be visiting India in June and will sign the enhanced Defence Framework Agreement for the next ten years between the two countries.

Also on the agenda will be the nearly $2.5-billion deal for 22 Apache and 15 Chinook heavy-lift helicopters besides taking forward the talks on proposed co-development and co-production of military technology, ranging from aircraft carrier launch systems to mini drones. Pointing out that India and US are tracking some 77 different line of effort that came out of President Barack Obama’s visit here, US Ambassador to India Richard Verma said, “We have re-energised or launched 30 new initiatives, 30 different dialogue”.

He said that the US Embassy here has every element of American government and at any given day, they are interacting with some element of the Indian government, adding “we are not going to let the momentum go”. “I think that is a very good thing and a very positive thing. We are not going to let the momentum go and and we are not going to slow down what has been accomplished,” he said, adding that he was looking forward to the next high-level dialogue between the two governments in June.

He said Carter will be here in early part of June and US was looking at signing a new 10-year defence agreement, agreed to during Obama’s visit. “We are looking to do more in terms of exercises and joint training, interoperability with our Indian counterparts and hopefully provide more in terms of increasing India’s indigenous capability to make defence products right here in India,” he said at the first US-India Think Tank Summit.

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Uproar in Rajya Sabha over Modi flaying opposition outside India, Jaitley says can’t issue gag …

New Delhi: High drama was witnessed in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday as the opposition protested over Prime Minister Narendra Modi flaying the opposition during his visit abroad. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley was quick to defend Modi saying no gag order can be issued against the Prime Minister.

“Why can’t PM Modi speak on what happened in last 60 years? The Prime Minister is entitled to say he will put an end to what happened for 60 years,” said Jaitley.

Rajya Sabha was adjourned twice briefly as Opposition created ruckus over Modi’s remarks against previous government abroad.

Uproar in Rajya Sabha over Modi flaying opposition outside India, Jaitley says can't issue gag order against PM

Modi had said in Toronto, “My job is to ensure that India is cleaned up. It will take time to clean up the mess of the past. My mission is ‘Skill India, not Scam India’.”

#narendra modi #arun jaitley #corruption #congress

Senior Congress leader Anand Sharma said, “The Prime Minister said he will be cleaning up the mess of last 60 years. PM Modi has insulted India’s history for last 60 years. He has insulted Jawahar Lal Nehru, Atal Bihari Vajpayee with his remarks.”

While addressing Indian diaspora at Ricoh Colosseum in Toronto, Modi said, “The government in India has changed, so has the outlook of Indians. My job is to ensure that India is cleaned up.

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