1. First Phase of Gujarat State Assembly Polls to be Held Tomorrow
Gujarat goes to the polls tomorrow for the first phase of the assembly election being held in 89 seats of Saurashtra and South Gujarat regions, with 977 candidates in the fray.
The second phase of the high-stakes election – with the BJP making a bid for a fifth term and the Congress attempting an electoral revival – will be held on 14 December.
After a campaign that often turned vituperative, around 2.12 crore voters are expected to exercise their franchise in Modi's home state tomorrow to choose between the ruling BJP and the Congress.
Track live updates of the election here.
2. Movie Review: ‘Fukrey Returns’ Is Fun, but No Match for the First
Our beloved Fukrey boys – Honey, Lali, Choocha and Zafar – return with this latest instalment. Fukrey, the surprise hit of 2013 about "chaar Dilli ke laundey" and their much loved shenanigans would warrant a sequel no doubt. The writing then was the hero – sharp and witty, propped up by some great performances.
One would have loved to see more of Ali Fazal and Manjot Singh, but that was not to be. Sigh! Pankaj Tripathi, however, even in a bit role is supremely impressive with his comic timing.
Fukrey Returns isn't in the same league as Fukrey but 2 hours 15 mins of relatively harmless fun doesn't seem such a bad idea after all.
Read the full review here.
3.Chhoti Nirbhaya: A 5-Year-Old Rape Survivor Still Fights Valiantly
Chhoti Nirbhaya loves a pack of good Kurkure with almost single-minded devotion.
She lost a name and gained a moniker last year, when she was raped and brutalised on 9 October 2015. The latter half of the moniker borrowed from a moniker that had, two years earlier, unified a nation in collective horror, when a 23-year-old physiotherapy student was gangraped and brutalised with iron rods. Nirbhaya was left for dead – and, in the course of the next couple of weeks, lost her life fighting.
Her battle is far from over, but the one within has been fought – and countered indefatigably – with the courage worthy of a five-year-old hero.
Watch the video here.
4. Govt Extends Deadline for Linking Aadhaar With PAN to 31 March
The Central Board Of Direct Taxes, on Friday, 8 December, extended the deadline for linking Aadhaar with the Permanent Account Number (PAN) to 31 March.
It has come to notice that some of the taxpayers have not yet completed the linking of PAN with Aadhaar...therefore, to facilitate the process of linking, it has been decided to further extend the time for linking of Aadhaar with PAN.Central Board Of Direct Taxes
This is the third time that the last day for Aadhaar-PAN linkage has been extended from its 31 July deadline.
Read the full story here.
5. ‘I Like Virat’s Passion’: Rahul Dravid Talks India’s Chances in SA
Former India captain Rahul Dravid said Team India has a great chance of performing well in the upcoming tour of South Africa.
Speaking to The Quint at an event in New Delhi on Thursday, 7 December, Dravid expressed that the Indian team has a good quality fast bowling department, a set of batsmen who have experience of playing away from home, and an all-rounder in Hardik Pandya, who can play as the fifth bowler.
When asked what he likes about the present Indian team, he said, “The team is a well-balanced side and the level of consistency in performance has been exceptional.”
Read the full story here.
6. Pics: Anushka Sharma Leaving With Family Amidst Wedding Rumours
Amidst speculation about a wedding in Italy, Anushka Sharma was spotted leaving Mumbai with her parents and brother.
Rumours of an Italian wedding between 9-12 December have been doing the rounds, but Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma have not confirmed it.
Virat Kohli has reportedly applied for a visa for the upcoming South Africa tour – which begins on 30 December – for his “wife”. This has led to the speculation that the couple would be married this month itself.
Check out the photos here.
Video Producer: Hera Khan
Video Editor: Vivek Gupta
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