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ARY News asked to pay INR 1.58 cr to Geo TV as compensation
MUMBAI: A legal rift raging between two big media groups in Pakistan — ARY News and Geo TV — settled recently in a British Court. ARY News lost the legal battle and will have to pay approximately INR 1.58 crore compensation to Geo.
Pakistani newspapers reported that ARY News had been asked by the court to pay the amount to Geo TV chairman Mir Shakeelur Rehman. As per the media reports, the case was filed by Rehman in London’s High Court of Justice against ARY News for defaming and threatening him.
The court, after reviewing the legal aspects of the case, gave its verdict and ordered the chairman of ARY News to pay the fine for defaming Rehman. The court, however, rejected the charges of heartening the applicant.
The court mentioned in its decision that, even after giving time to ARY News, it neither withdrew the charges levelled against Geo TV chairman nor sought pardon. The case was heard by Justice Sir David Eddy of the Queen’s Bench of High Court of Justice from 1 November to 7 November. On 2 December, the court released its comprehensive verdict.
Rehman filed the case on the basis of ARY’s programme ‘Khara Sach’, in which anchorperson Mubasher Luqman had levelled serious allegations against him (Rehman) damaging the credibility of Geo media group’s chairman. He said in his petition that a series of 24 episodes of the said programme was telecast in the UK and other countries.
News Broadcasting
UDF poised to return to power in Kerala, says Manorama-CVoter survey
Massive opinion poll projects shift in Kerala politics ahead of 2026 Assembly elections.
MUMBAI: The winds of change appear to be blowing through Kerala’s political landscape and this time, they seem to favour the United Democratic Front. A comprehensive mega opinion survey conducted by Manorama News in partnership with CVoter projects a potential comeback for the UDF in the upcoming Kerala Legislative Assembly Elections 2026. The survey, covering all 140 constituencies with a massive sample size of nearly 90,000 respondents, predicts the UDF could win between 69 and 81 seats.
The ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) is expected to secure 57 to 69 seats, a significant drop from the 99 seats it won in the 2021 elections. This would mean the LDF losing 30 to 42 of its sitting seats. Meanwhile, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which drew a blank in 2021, is projected to open its account with 1 to 5 seats.
Region-wise, the UDF is expected to make strong gains in Malabar, winning 25 to 34 out of 48 seats, and in Central Kerala, where it could bag 29 to 33 out of 53 seats. In South Kerala, the LDF is likely to retain an edge with 21 to 25 seats, while the UDF may improve to 12 to 16 seats. The NDA could pick up 1 to 3 seats in the southern region.
The survey was conducted between 14 and 26 March 2026, with additional tracker and snap polls carried out from December 2025 to March 2026. A total of 89,693 respondents participated, ensuring representation across all demographics and social segments.
Manorama News has a strong track record of accuracy, with its previous projections closely matching the actual results of the 2019 and 2024 Lok Sabha elections as well as the 2021 Kerala Assembly polls.
In Kerala’s famously fierce political battles, this survey suggests the pendulum may be swinging back. Whether the final verdict matches these numbers or throws up another surprise, one thing is clear, the 2026 Assembly elections are shaping up to be one of the most keenly watched contests in the state’s history.
