Vote counting began on Tuesday for the bye-elections held on December 27 in eight assembly constituencies of Karnataka, amid tight security cover.

The fate of 73 aspirants, which include four Ministers;  Umesh Katti (Hukkeri), Balachandra Jarakiholi (Arabhavi), K Shivanagowda Naik (Devadurga), Anand Asnotikar (Karwar)  and former Minister C Chennigappa will be known by today afternoon. C Chennigappa fought against Anita, wife of the former Chief Minister and JDS leader H D Kumaraswamy,

He was well known for his ice cream colours, however there was always something very serene and peaceful about his figures and that’s how on Monday morning, 67-year-old Manjit Bawa left everyone silently after a cardiac arrest as he lay in a coma that had struck him three years ago.

He was born in the year 1941 in the Dhuri village of Punjab. Bawa rose to celebrity status with his unique style in figurative art, using clean lines, strong colours and flat tones, the reason why his work stood out from that of his contemporaries who concentrated on using subdued colours.

On Monday, the CBI informed a court hearing the Sister Abhaya murder case in Kochi that it was Sister Sephy, who was under arrest along with two priests, who hit the nun on the head with a hand-held axe.

CBI further said that Sister Abhaya was attacked since she saw Sister Sephy in a compromising situation with the two priests at the Pius X Convent hostel in Kottayam district.

Spice exports from the country have increased both in terms of quantum and value during April-November period of this fiscal. It increased 15 per cent in rupee value and 6 per cent in quantity as compared to the same period of last year.

According to the data of Spice board in Kochi, spice oils and oleoresins, including mint products, contributed 42 per cent of the total export earnings while Chilli contributed 21 per cent, cumin 8 per cent, pepper 8 per cent and turmeric 5 per cent.

The ongoing power crisis in Tamil Nadu is increasing day by day. Household and industrial supply of electricity is adversely affected due to the acute shortage of power in the state. The Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) has decided to impose a compulsory two-day power holiday for both the heavy and light industries to control the situation.

The state government of west Bengal has decided to allocate 750 acres of land in Raghunathpur, Purulia to Jai Balaji Group of the city. Jai Balaji Group would use the land for integrated steel, power and cement projects worth Rs 16,000-crore. It would start the first phase of project within a few weeks. The company has also decided to offer jobs to one member of each family whose land has been acquired to set up the projects.