Pay compensation for crop loss, demands YSRCP

The YSR Congress party has demanded the State government to compensate the loss incurred by farmers due to the heavy power cuts and tender an unconditional apology for going back on the promise of providing seven hour power supply.

“It is very inhuman on part of the government to blatantly impose power cuts at a time when the crops are about to be harvested. The State should pay adequate compensation for the damage of crops besides tendering an apology,” Party MLA G Srikanth Reddy told reporters here on Friday.

Farmers request CM to takeover Nizam Sugars

Leaders of the Lok Satta and other political parties and Federation of Independent Farmers’ Associations (FIFA) on Friday requested Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh N. Kiran Kumar Reddy to undo the privatization of Nizam Sugars.

In a meeting, held at Sundaraiah Vignan Bhavan, the leaders of different political parties and FIFA unanimously resolved that the government annul the privatization of the four units of Nizam Sugars Limited as recommended by the House Committee and endorsed by the Advocate General and the Andhra Pradesh High Court.

Budget unimpressive for Muslims

Finance Minister Mr. P Chidambaram disappointed Muslim community in the union budget presented by him on Thursday. With just 12% there is insignificant increase for Minority affairs ministry in the budget which comes up to Rs 3511 crore. Chidambaram in his speech told that Rs 160 crore has been allotted in the budget for Maulana Azad Education Foundation to reach the target of Rs 1500 crore set in 12th five year plan.

Violence marks 100-hour BTAD bandh in Assam

Normal life was paralysed and sporadic incidents of violence were reported in Bodoland Territorial Administered Districts (BTAD) on Friday following a 100-hr bandh called by Peoples’ Joint Action Committee for Bodoland Movement.

The bandh has been called by Peoples’ Joint Action Committee for Bodoland to demand talks with NDFB(P) at the political level with the Union Home Minister and also to press for a separate Bodoland.

Chiropractic Medical Camp inaugurated

Mr. Zahed Ali Khan editor Siasat daily told that health is a blessing. If one undergoes complete medical checkup once in a year he gets to know the defects and diseases developed in his body. Editor Siasat told this after inaugurating 3-day free Chiropractic camp organized jointly by Siasat daily and Medwin Institute of Medical Sciences at Abid Ali Khan eye hospital.

Woman molested in broad daylight in New Delhi

A 21-year old woman was molested in public and her clothes torn by a motorcyclist here in broad daylight, police said Friday. The attacker has been arrested.

The incident was reported from South Delhi’s Hazrat Nizamuddin area around 4 p.m. Thursday.

The woman, a resident of Nizamuddin, was going with her aunt on a scooty when the man hit her vehicle with his motorbike and began to misbehave with the two women.

“When the girl opposed, he molested her and also tore her clothes,” said an officer.

The attacker, identified as Hasan alias Chinku (24), was arrested on the spot Thursday.

Big B out of hunger strike mode for Prakash Jha’s birthday

Amitabh Bachchan, who plays an anti-corruption crusader on an indefinite strike in “Satyagraha”, reportedly went on an actual near-starvation diet so that the scenes in the film appear authentic. But he broke the regime for director Prakash Jha’s 61st birthday recently.

The 70-year-old veteran is shooting for the movie in Bhopal. Sources from the location say Amitabh has ceased to even communicate beyond what’s necessary.

However, on Feb 27, there was an unexpected break in the Big B’s hunger-strike regime for “Satyagraha” when director Prakash Jha turned 61.

Rahul Gandhi in Mumbai to meet partymen

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi Friday landed in Mumbai to meet party officials. The visit caused some traffic disruption, sparking comments on micro blogging site Twitter.

In his first visit to the state after being appointed the party vice president, Gandhi met with senior leaders and junior party workers, including parliamentarians, legislators, municipal corporators and chiefs from the six district units at the party headquarters in Dadar in central Mumbai.

Parineeti Chopra praises Saqib Saleem

Actress Parineeti Chopra is impressed with newcomer Saqib Saleems work in upcoming film ‘Mere Dad Ki Maruti’.

The ‘Ishaqzaade’ star recently got to see portions of the upcoming release.

“I recently got to see Saqib’s performance in his upcoming film and I think he’s done a really good job,” she said.

MIM to celebrate 55th anniversary on Saturday

The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen will celebrate its 55th anniversary at party’s headquarters Darulsalaam here on Saturday.

In view of the recent twin blast at Dilsukhnagar, the MIM has decided to keep the celebrations a low-key affair. Unlike past, when a grand rally used to be organised from MIM president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi’s residence at Hyderguda to the party’s headquarters, this year, the event will be confined to flag hoisting at 10 AM on Saturday. Asad Owaisi will also deliver a speech on the occasion. (INN)

Two passengers killed in vehicle collision near Rau

Two passengers of an autorickshaw were killed and three others injured when it collided head on with a dumper at Rau here, police today.

The incident took place last night, when they were returning from Bardwani, they said.

The deceased, both auto passengers, were identified as Hapsia and Nasru of Bardwani, a Rajendra Nagar Thana cop said. The injured were rushed to MY hospital where the condition of one woman is said to be serious, he said.

The driver of the dumper fled from the scene after the mishap, he added.

—————PTI

Minor girl raped inside municipal school

A seven-year-old girl was raped allegedly by an unidentified man inside a municipal school in the national capital, police said today.

The incident took place in Mongolpuri in north-west Delhi last evening and it came to light this morning when the parents of the victims approached police.

The girl received severe injuries and has been admitted to a government hospital.

“The victim was raped by a man inside the school campus yesterday. Her parents approached us this morning and a case has been registered. The victim could not tell us anything about the attacker.

Couple commits suicide in Indore

A young couple on Friday allegedly committed suicide at their home in the city, police said. Prakash Vankhare (24) and his wife Pooja (20) hanged themselves at their home in Budhnagar area of Indore, Rajendra Nagar police said.

The bodies were sent for postmortem, police said, adding that a suicide note was found in the room which mentioned that no one was to be held responsible for their taking the extreme step.

The couple had been married for about a year and Prakash was jobless since sometime, police added.

—PTI

Rishi Kapoor tap dances after 36 years

Veteran Actor Rishi Kapoor, who sports a hippie look in David Dhawan’s “Chashme Baddoor” remake, will tap dance with actor Ali Zafar in the film. It is after 36 years that he has performed the dance form for a film.

The 60-year-old has even shot on a Harley Davidson bike for the movie, in which he will dance to the tunes of song “Early morning”. He was last seen tap dancing 36 years back in “Mil gaya hum ko saathi” in the movie “Hum Kisise Kum Naheen” in 1977.

Samsung hires US judge who ruled against Apple

Samsung has reportedly hired a judge who favored the Korean mobile maker in a recent court case against rival Apple.

U.K. Judge Robin Jacob served on the bench last year in a case that forced Apple to publish an apology notice asserting that Samsung did not infringe on the design of the iPad for its own tablet.

Though Jacob had retired a year earlier, U.K. law allows for ex-judges to still sit on the bench.

According to Foss Patents, now Samsung is in the midst of a new case with Ericsson in which Jacob is playing a different kind of role.

Fresh moves on to make cricket an Olympic sport

Fresh moves are afoot to have cricket become an Olympic sport perhaps in time for the 2024 Summer Games.

The popular Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) World Committee is lobbying for Twenty 20 cricket to be included, claiming it could significantly raise the profile of the sport.

The earliest the International Cricket Council (IOC) can apply to be part of the Olympics is for the 2024 Games.

“The MCC World Cricket committee appreciates that a great deal of effort may be needed to lobby for the inclusion of cricket in the Olympic Games of 2024,” MCC said in a statement.

BJP national executive meet begins today

The Bharatiya Janata Party ”s (BJP) national executive committee will meet here today to chalk out its strategy for the forthcoming assembly and general elections.

During the two-day meeting, BJP leaders will endorse new party chief Rajnath Singh”s appointment and discuss preparations for general elections to be held next year and assembly elections in important states before that.

Dalai Lama saddened by resignation of Pope Benedict XVII

Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama has said that he is saddened by the resignation of Pope Benedict XVII.

The Dalai Lama extended solidarity to the pontiff, while praying for his good health on Thursday.

“Firstly (I am) little bit sad, I know him and he is a very intelligent one, but then naturally he is a religious practitioner, and in the meantime very intelligent. So his decision must be realistic, for the greater benefit to concern the people.

Coming soon, coal-powered ‘pollution free’ cars

A coal-powered car that produces nearly no polluting emissions, including carbon dioxide, could be manufactured in the near future through new technological advances, experts have said.

Liang-Shih Fan, a chemical engineer and director of Ohio State University’s Clean Coal Research Laboratory, said that researchers have found a way to release the heat from coal without burning it.

Fan told Fox news that the new method would use iron-oxide pellets as an oxygen source, and contain the reaction in a small chamber from which pollutants cannot escape.

Iran might be ‘outsourcing nuke program to North Korea’: Report

Iran might be outsourcing its nuclear program and providing the country’s best scientist to North Korea, a report has said.

Reports that Iran’s leading nuclear scientist, Dr. Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, was present for North Korea’s third nuclear test on February 11 have raising further concerns.

The London Times first reported on February 17 that Fakhrizadeh, who despite the terms of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1747, may have traveled “evidently to Pyongyang, most likely via China” to witness North Korea’s third and successful nuclear test.

Two minors raped in different incidents

A 16-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a youth when she was returning from the fields after giving lunch to her father, police said today.

The victim was raped by Ashok Kumar yesterday at Jaibhagwan village near the sugarcane fields, police said.

The father of the girl has lodged an FIR and police has registered a case against Kumar, who is absconding.

In another related incident, a minor was allegedly raped by a shopkeeper at Nagal village yesterday.

—PTI

Nana Patekar wants Uddhav, Raj Thackeray to patch up

Bollywood actor Nana Patekar has appealed to estranged cousins, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray and MNS boss Raj Thackeray, to patch up and work together.

“I told them not to stay separately and work together for the benefit of all of us,” Patekar said on Rajat Sharma’s show ‘Aap Ki Adalat’ on India TV.

Raj, late Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray’s nephew, separated from the Shiv Sena in 2006 to form the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS).

Dhoni’s batting reflected on his captaincy: Ashwin

Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin feels that Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s magnificent batting form reflected on his captaincy which helped India produce a clinical performance in the first Test against Australia.
“I think he pointed it out himself after the match that he isn’t sure whether he would be able to replicate the performance again. I mean he scored two hundreds in almost two sessions which was extraordinary,” Ashwin told reporters ahead of the second Test match starting here tomorrow.

Man arrested for raping minor daughters

A man has been arrested for allegedly raping his two minor daughters in the city, police said on Friday.

Roshan Naresh Ghodeswar (40), a history sheeter from Madhya Pradesh who had settled in a north-west city locality sometime back, raped his 16-year-old daughter in July last year and later sexually assaulted the other 14-year-old girl, police said.

The girls’ mother had left Roshan following which he had married another woman.

The girls confided in their step-mother that the accused used to rape them at knife-point, police said.

Group-II results on Saturday

The results of Group-II examination held by the Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) are likely to be announced on Saturday.

It may be mentioned about 5.5 lakh aspirants have appeared for the Group-II examinations held for 781 posts across the State. Its key was released in the first week of February and the APPSC, after examining the objections raised over it, has decided to announce the results on Saturday. (INN)