The Shiv Sena-led government in India’s Maharashtra state changed the names of two cities named after Muslim rulers in a late effort to boost support among Hindus before being forced to step down.
The government was toppled by a rebellion among party members, who accused it of failing to support Hindutva, a form of Hindu nationalism.
The state Cabinet on Wednesday approved a proposal to rename Aurangabad, a city founded by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, as Sambhajinagar.
The name comes from Sambhaji, the eldest son of Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji, from whom Shiv Sena took its name. Sambhaji was killed by Aurangzeb in 1689.
The Cabinet also agreed to rename Osmanabad as Dharashiv.
The city was originally named after the last ruler of the former princely state of Hyderabad, Mir Osman Ali Khan. Its new name is inspired by sixth-century caves near the city.
The decision to rename the cities, which are both politically significant for voter turnout, meets a long-standing demand by Hindu nationalists.
It came hours before Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray resigned as chief minister following a week of political drama.
His right-wing, Hindu ultranationalist party was formed in Maharashtra by his father, Bal Thackeray, in 1966.
The western state has been controlled by an alliance of Shiv Sena, Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after Mr Thackeray cut ties with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in 2019.
But last week, more than 40 Shiv Sena legislators rebelled against Mr Thackeray for forming a coalition with "secular" parties and accused him of abandoning the party's Hindutva agenda.
That left Mr Thackeray with about 15 supporters and he stepped down after the Supreme Court declined to stay a floor test to prove the majority of his government.
In a Facebook Live stream, Mr Thackeray said he had no regrets.
“Whatever I did, I did for the Marathi people and Hindutva,” he said.
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Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Key facilities
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Fujairah is a crucial hub for fuel storage and is just outside the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route linking Middle East oil producers to markets in Asia, Europe, North America and beyond.
The strait is 33 km wide at its narrowest point, but the shipping lane is just three km wide in either direction. Almost a fifth of oil consumed across the world passes through the strait.
Iran has repeatedly threatened to close the strait, a move that would risk inviting geopolitical and economic turmoil.
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10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
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COMPANY PROFILE
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Nissan 370z Nismo
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
Tomorrow 2021
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Four stars
