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Gutka Packet Found in Tirupathi Laddu

Pilgrims at Tirumala on Wednesday were shocked by the news that a gutka packet was found in the famous Lord Balaji's Tirupathi Laddu prasadam. A couple, who bought the Laddu Prasadam from TTD counter were baffled when they found an empty sachet of 'Gutka Paan Masala' embedded in the laddu prasadam. The incident didn't happen in Tirupathi for the first time, earlier also threads, nut-bolts, paan masala etc. were found in laddu prasadam on several occasions. Devotees decry that in spite frequent recurrence of such incidents, the temple authorities are not paying attention towards maintaining sanctity of the sacred Tirumala Hills.

LeT Terror Attack Averted in Delhi

The Delhi police have averted a potentially major terror attack in the national capital, that was planned for execution during Holi festival. The Delhi Police on Wednesday arrested two Lashkar-e-Toiba operatives who were planning to strike at one or more locations in the city. Earlier too, LeT plans to target Delhi around Diwali last year were foiled by the police by arresting the operatives before they could strike. In the latest case, one suspect was arrested from a house in south Delhi's Tughlakabad Extension. The second, on a Delhi Police tip-off, was picked up on Wednesday from Hazaribagh in Jharkhand. Delhi Police chief BK Gupta didn't name the suspects, but sources identified them as Ehtesaan and Safaqat. Both are Indians and in their twenties. "Incriminating documents and material were found from the two men. An operation is on to arrest two other members of their module," Gupta said. A flash drive, a sheet with coded messages, mobile phones and sulphur and nitrate-based explosives were seized. The flash drive allegedly has images of the suspects assembling explosives and emulating Osama bin Laden's style of firing an automatic rifle as seen in a popular video. Home minister P Chidambaram said the operatives, who have been sent to 10-day police custody, were planning to bomb a crowded locality. According to a Delhi Police special cell officer, "One of the men visited Pakistan in December last year for training in explosive devices and sophisticated weapons." The Jharkhand Police said both the suspects had stayed in Hazaribagh as students for several years.   

2 Fishermen Killed as Unidentified Ship Hits Their Boat

Just a couple of weeks after killing of two fishermen from the same area allegedly by two naval guards of the Italian ship 'Enrica Lexie' on February 15, freshly 2 fishermen are reportedly killed in a boat-ship collision. Two fishermen were killed and three others reported missing when an unidentified ship collided with their boat off Alappuzha coast in the early hours on Thursday. Two fishermen were rescued by the crew of other boats in the sea, district authorities said. The boat, Dwan-II, had ventured to sea from Neendakara fishing harbour on Sunday with seven fishermen aboard. The Navy, Coast Guard and Marine Enforcement have launched a search to spot and identify the ship and find out how exactly the mishap occurred, Alappuzha District Collector Saurav Jain said. A rescued fisherman said the boat was anchored at sea when it was hit by the ship. The deceased were identified as Francis Justine and Xavier, both from Kollam district. The rescued fishermen were brought to Thottappaly fishing harbour in Alappuzha district and rushed to hospital.  

Virat Kohli Named Vicecaptain for Asia Cup

Indian Team Asia Cup 2012 : India have named Virat Kohli as vice-captain for the team in the Asia Cup which would be held onMarch in Bangladesh. India’s selectors have included Sachin Tendulkar for the Asia Cup while dropped out-of-form Virender Sehwag, Zaheer Khan and Umesh Yadav from a 14-man squad. The national selectors, however, did not make wholesale changes in the squad that performed miserably in the ongoing triangular series and preceding Test series in Australia by retaining many of the players, like Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja and Suresh Raina, who struggled throughout the tour. Yusuf Pathan and Ashok Dinda also include in the squad. Indian Team for Asia Cup : Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt), Virat Kohli (vice-capt), Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Praveen Kumar, Vinay Kumar, Rahul Sharma, Yusuf Pathan, Manoj Tiwary, Irfan Pathan, Ashok Dinda.

TG Venkatesh Ready to Campaign in Telangana

Minister TG Venkatesh has said that he was ready to campaign in Telangana in the present by-elections, though other leaders were afraid of doing so. Stating that he would campaign in Telangana when KCR went to Kovuru for campaign, Venkatesh said he would ensure that KCR was not harmed during his campaign in Nellore district. He also said that he would campaign in Kovuru and tell people of the need for keeping the state united, if KCR campaigned on behalf of Andhra Praja Samiti and talked about bifurcation.   Stating that KCR’s meetings might attract large crowds, Venkatesh Sarcastically said that people throng even to have a look at jungle Men. Venkatesh said while he wanted to campaign in Mahabubnagar, some Congress leaders were asking him not to go there. It may be recalled that KCR who first announced that TRS would contest in Kovuru, later changed his version and said TRS was withdrawing from the contest at the request of the Andhra Praja Samiti. He however said that he would campaign for the Samiti’s candidate.

CBI Gets Letters Rogatory in Jagan Assets Case

Jagan Assets case: The CBI special court at Nampally in Hyderabad had issued a Letter Rogatory to the CBI on Tuesday authorizing the investigating agency to probe in foreign countries the details of investments made into companies owned by the YSR Congress Party president Mr YS Jaganmohan reddy.   Under Section 166 of the Cr PC, the CBI submitted 1500-page request to the court seeking Letter Rogatory to find out the sources of investments in foreign countries into Jagan-owned companies. Special judge Nagamaruthi Sarma signed the 30-page Letter Rogatory in the evening. With the authorization, the CBI will be able to find the foreign companies which invested in Jagan companies, the persons who registered those companies abroad and the amounts transferred into the bank accounts of Jagan-owned companies. The CBI will now seek the details from authorities in Dubai, Singapore, Mauritius, Luxemburg, British Virgin Islands and Hong Kong. The Letter Rogatory will be first sent to the Cabinet Secretary at the Centre. He will forward the papers to the Ministry of External Affairs which will send them to the Indian Embassies concerned abroad. The Embassy authorities will hand over the papers to the concerned police departments who would be bound to pass on the information sought. Industrialists Nimmagadda Prasad, Potluri Varaprasad and several others invested hundreds of crores of rupees in Jagan owned companies and the CBI has been gunning for the details of those companies abroad.

School Bus Accident: 2 dead, 13 missing

Rajahmundry School Bus Accident: Two students died and 13 others were missing after a school bus fell into a river canal near in Rajahmundry in East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday, police said. The bus was carrying 45 LKG and UKG students of Sai Teja Public School when it rolled into the Godavari river canal near Ganti Pedapudi village. Thirty children were rescued by the locals, they said. Two bodies have been recovered so far and a search operation has been launched for the missing students, police said. The children were returning home from the private corporate school when the mishap took place. The cause of the mishap was not yet known.Senior Government officials, including those from the police and revenue departments, have reached the accident spot, about 65km from Rajahmundry, the headquarters of East Godavari district, they added.

Mukhesh Goud vs Anjan Kumar Yadav

Mukhesh Goud has on Wednesday expressed anger at the statement of Anjan Kumar Yadav that Secunderabad was not his Jagir. Stating that he stuck to his word of contesting the 2014 Lok Sabha elections from Secunderabad, he made it clear that the constituency was not Anjan’s Jagir either. He said it was for the Congress High Command to decide who has to contest from there and not either of them. It may be mentioned here that Mukhesh has on Tuesday announced his intention to contest from the Secunderabad Lok Sabha seat. Reacting angrily to the statement, Anjan Kumar has questioned if Secunderabad was his Jagir. He said “beware all those who eye for the seat”. He has also questioned who Mukhesh was to tell him wherefrom he should contest. “Does he think he is Ghulam Nabi Azad? What is this nonsense?” he was quoted as shouting. He has also questioned about the need for discussion about a constituency two years ahead of elections. He has claimed that he has accepted the seat when no congressman dared to contest and won over Bandaru Dattatreya in 2004. Reminding that he got a bigger majority in 2009, Anjan said only those who mingle with people get recognition and warned that lobbyists would only be disgraced.

Major Fire Turns Village to Ashes in AP

A major fire that broke out in a village in East Godawari district of Andhra Pradesh on Monday morning turned the entire village to ashes. More than 2000 people, all from fishermen community, were rendered homeless in the massive fire in Pallam village in Katrenikona mandal, 30 km from Amalapuram. Though there was no loss of life, the inferno had destroyed over 500 tatched huts in the village. The fire started around 7.15 am in one of the houses when a group of youths lit firecrackers at a function. The fire soon spread fast to other hutments. The property loss was estimated at more than Rs 3 crore. The narrow approach road to the village hampered the firefighters from dousing the blaze quickly. Till evening, the fire raged in some of the hutments in the village. Revenue authorities said the property loss could be much higher as they had not done the stock taking as smoke continued to billow from several households till late in the evening. Fire engines could not reach the village, which is surrounded by sea on three sides. "There was no way the fire engines could enter the village as the narrow road can provide passage to only small vehicle and autorickshaws. Fire engines could not cross the narrow passage by which time the raging fire engulfed the entire village," said a victim. "Our homes have been destroyed. Our little savings also were reduced to ashes. The government must help us out and build pucca houses," lamented yet another victim. The village is politically active with both TDP and Congress having a strong presence. People tried to douse the fire with water and sand but it was of no avail as the flames aided by winds raged across the hutments in no time. "If the passage was wider, the fire officials would have minimized the loss of property," former minister Metla Satyanarayana, who visited the village, said. He demanded that the authorities build a pucca bridge and widen the road to improve connectivity to the village.      

Power Crisis in AP Deepening Day by Day

The power crisis in Andhra Pradesh is deepening day by day with small and medium industries threatening a lock-out. This extreme decision to go for shut-down has stemmed up from the decision of the power companies to compel thses industries to take a 17-day power holiday in a month. This the power companies have decided in view of the impending power crisis. The power companies have issued notices to about 1.61 lakh small and micro industrial units effective Wednesday (February 29), that they should observe 2-day power holiday in a week along with the regular weekly off. Apart from this, they have been told that no power would be supplied between 6 pm and 10 pm everyday in the name of peak load adjustment. Along with the 12 days forced by the three-day a week power closure, the four-hour shutdown between 6 pm and 10 pm would translate into 120 hours of closure or another 5 days of holiday in a month. As a result, the industrial units can work for only 13 days in a month. On Monday, representatives of 17 small and medium industrial units in and around Hyderabad served lock-out notices to joint labour commissioner Ravi Bhushan Rao stating that the power crisis and the holidays imposed on them is virtually sounding the death knell for them even as other units across the state prepared to follow suit. Many other industrial units have decided to announce lay-offs so that they can save on salaries. "I will bring the issue to the notice of the state government as the power cuts issue does not fall under the purview of the labour department," Ravi Bhushan Rao has reportedly told the representatives. Nearly 6,000 units located in and around Hyderabad have decided to go for 15-day lock-out in a month so that they need not pay full salary to the workers. Nearly 13 lakh workers are employed in these units and they are set to receive only half the monthly salary from March onwards. "With only half the month's salary, how does one expect the worker to survive in this metro city," asked a trade union leader in Miyapur industrial estate. In all, 37 lakh workers are employed in the 1.61 lakh small and micro industrial units across the state. Thanks to the power crisis and the power holiday, the unemployment rate is set to drastically increase in the coming months due to the lock-outs and lay-offs. Industrial units in Chittoor, Kadapa, Anantapur, Warangal, Karimnagar, Nizamabad and Medak are also planning to go for lock-out in order to minimise their losses as the production in their units has come down to less than 50%. The unprecedented industrial power cuts saw a reversal of the industrial growth in the state which had touched an all-time high in the 2007-08 financial year when there were no power cuts or power holidays in the industrial sector.  

Trade Union Strike Hits Normal Life Across India

The one-day strike by the trade unions on Tuesday has hit the normal life at several places across India. In all, 11 trade unions along with 8 lakh public sector employees with the exception of those in the Railways are participating in today's strike. Banking, transport and government services have been hit across the country including major cities like Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata. The main grievances of the unions on strike include rising prices, disinvestment of profit-making PSUs and the violation of labour laws. So far, West Bengal seemed to be the worst hit with four flights cancelled and blockades put up at the Asansol Railway Station. Kerala is also bearing the brunt of the nationwide strike. The roads of the capital Thiruvananthapuram wore a deserted look as buses and autos were not running. As a result of the strike banks, telephone and transport services are likely to take a hit. A near complete paralysis is expected in Assam, Kerala, Haryana, Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Bihar. In Andhra Pradesh, the strike seems to be partial in the capital Hyderabad, whereas it is a bit severe in Nalgonda, Visakhapatnam and Guntur districts. However, no ontoward incidents of violence have been reported so far.      

Telangana Jagrithi President Kavitha Arrested

Telangana Jagrithi president and TRS chief KCR's daughter Kavitha, who was on way to Yamanapally in Adilabad district, was arrested along with 25 of her followers at the Kataram on Sunday. She was proceeding to unveil a statue of Telangana armed struggle tribal leader Komaram Bheem at Yamanapalli and a statue of Telangana Talli at Borlagudem without the requisite police permission. Several TJ activists staged a dharna in front of the Kataram police station for about an hour demanding their immediate release and permission for unveiling of the statues. Protests were also staged at Jagitial and Sultanabad and in other areas. Windowpanes of some RTC buses were also damaged at some places. Komaram Bheem’s grandson Sone Rao, TRS leaders Ch Ram Reddy and Suneel Reddy and G Venkataramana Reddy were among those arrested along with Kavitha. Police registered cases under Section 151 of CrPC against the 26 persons and released them after slapping bind-over case on Kavitha. They had to return without unveiling the statues. Police escorted them till the outskirts of Manthani. Talking with reporters at Karimnagar, Kavitha and Sone Rao accused civil supplies minister D Sridhar Babu, who hails from the district, of being behind their arrest.  

NTPC 24000 Crore Major Power Plant in AP

India's largest power producer NTPC is looking at an investment of Rs 24,000 crore for constructing a 4,000-Mw thermal power plant in Andhra Pradesh, a company official said. "This is a 4,000-Mw (5x800 Mw) power project proposed at Pudimadaka near Anakapalli in Atchutapuram Mandal, Vishakhapatnam district of Andhra Pradesh," the official said. Pudimadaka is among the basket of projects planned for the 13th Plan period (2017-22) but the company can consider taking it up earlier if the land and coal linkage is fast tracked, he added. The feasibility report for the proposed project is under preparation, he said, adding that the land availability and coal linkage would be facilitated by the state government. NTPC would incur a cost of around Rs 24,000 crore for building this plant, as an investment of about Rs 6 crore is required for every megawatt generation, he said. The electricity generated from this project would be consumed by the home state as well as the neighbouring state of Karnataka. The company would sign the Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) with the respective states for the same. Since the project is located close to Vishakhapatnam, sea water can be utilised for Cooling Water system. Meanwhile, the company would soon float the tender inviting bids to supply equipment for its five super-critical power projects at Solapur, Mouda (Maharashtra), Meja (Uttar Pradesh) and Nabinagar (Bihar). These projects are due to come up in the 12th Plan period (2012-17). At present, NTPC operates plants with over 36,000-MW capacity, from all sources of energy. It has 15 coal-based, seven gas-based and six joint venture power stations. The company plans to take this capacity close to 70,000 MW by March 2017. Source:ibnblive.

2012 Oscar Award Winners

The black-and-white film The Artist was the big winner at Sunday's 84th Oscar awards, capturing best picture and major awards for its director and lead actor. Frenchman Jean Dujardin won the Oscar for best actor for his role in the film about a struggling silent-era movie star, while Michel Hazanavicius was honored as best director. Meryl Streep won her third Oscar, taking the award for best actress for her portrayal of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady. Christopher Plummer made history by becoming the oldest actor to win an Oscar. The 82-year-old won the best supporting actor award for his role in Beginners as an elderly widower who embraces his homosexuality. Octavia Spencer received a standing ovation when she won the award for best supporting actress for her role in The Help. She was one of two actresses nominated in the category from the film, which tells the story of African American maids in the racially segregated southern United States of the 1960s. Another big winner was Hugo, a visually rich 3-D tribute to a French film pioneer. It won five awards, including cinematography, art direction and sound editing. In the best foreign language film category, the prize went as expected to Iran's A Separation.Directed by Asghar Farhadi, it tells the story of the difficult lives of a couple seeking a divorce. It already has won numerous awards this year. The award ceremony by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Hollywood honors last year's best films, actors, directors and producers, and is viewed by hundreds of millions around the world. Source: Hawai Reporter

Tamil Nadu CM Jayalalitha Birthday Celebrations

Unlike in the past, Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalitha celebrated her 64th birthday on Thursday in simple and unique manner. She asked her supporters to desist from any grandeur and instead gave a call to work for the welfare of people. She told them ensuring the victory of AIADMK in all 40 Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu and Puduchery in the next elections would be the ideal gift to her from them. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh greeted Jayalalithaa on Thursday. Singh spoke to her over phone and conveyed his greetings. Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, Tamil Nadu Governor K Rosaiah besides a host of dignitaries also wished the leader. Partymen celebrated Jayalalithaa's birthday by distributing clothes and other assistance to the poor people across the state while special prayers were also held. Distribution of free sarees and dhotis, note books to students and mass feeding of poor people in places of worship were among the activities organised by party workers even as a 64 kg cake sporting the party colours was cut to celebrate the day. Jayalalithaa herself had launched a 64-lakh sapling plantation drive across the state as part of her birthday, the first after she led her party to a stupendous victory drubbing arch rival DMK in last year's Assembly polls.    

Brazil Helicopter Crash: Video Clipping

Brazil's Regional Service for the Investigation and Prevention of Aeronautical Accidents is looking into the reasons why a rescue helicopter disintegrated shortly after landing in the northern state of Para on Wednesday. Amateur images taken by the Para Fire Department showed how the aircraft came apart while vigorously vibrating. Officials believe the helicopter experienced what is known as ground resonance, a condition that happens when the aircraft's rotor is working while the helicopter is on the ground. Four people that were travelling aboard the helicopter were injured.      

AP Liquor Mafia Don Balraj Goud on Lookout Notice

A Hyderabad based liquor mafia don B Balraj Goud is on lookout notice. The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) issued a lookout circular to all international airports in the country to nab him. Goud is said to have been involved in irregularities in operating a liquor syndicate through his offices at Chikkadapalli, Hyderabad. According to AR Srinivas, ACB joint director, the syndicate office of Balraj at Chikkadapalli was searched on December 16 and documents and a hard disk was seized. Based on information in the documents, a case was registered against him and others on January 25. Balraj has been evading arrest ever since. It is learnt that earlier, a central investigation agency has also made an attempt to arrest him in another case. Balraj had filed a petition seeking anticipatory bail in the ACB court, which was dismissed.    

Train Rams Into Tractor: 2 Train Drivers Died

The Machilipatnam Express coming from Tirupathi to Machilipatnam, rammed into a tractor at an unmanned level-crossing near Srikalahasti on Friday night. The tractor was fully laden with bricks and took no notice of the speedy train. Both the drivers in the train died immediately due to the high intensity of the collision.  The entire track was filled with heaps of bricks and the train was stranded for several hours. Passengers were unhurt and the details of the driver of the tractor are unknown. The engine of the train was completely gutted by the fire it caught from the high tension wires. The Railways disaster management reached on the spot and swung immediately into rescue operations. Due to the thick cover of darkness, work could not gain momentum and it was estimated that the clearing would take till early hours. Passengers became very restless and tense as the delay was extended.    

Aakash 2 Price Enhanced to $50

Another spoiler for Aakash enthusiasts! While unlike the resistive touchscreen on its predecessor, the Aakash 2 will sport a capacitive one, enthusiasts will also have to brace themselves for an enhanced price tag, as per the official sources. According to the report, enjoying a better, upgraded Aakash tablet will now come at a higher price, than the earlier promised $35 price tag. Quoting one of the officials on the matter, the report states that, "It has been decided that we can go up to $50 for Aakash 2, which will come with a capacitive screen besides a faster processor and other features. However, under no circumstances will we go beyond $50." The report further adds that the HRD ministry, who've been regarded as the force behind the Aakash dream will now invite bids for 5 million units of the Aakash tablet, while the Aakash 2 project will be handled majorly by the Department of Information Technology. Interestingly, the makers of the initial version of the Aakash 2 tablet, Datawind had offered to the government - a better version of the Aakash tablet, still priced at $35. However, it does seem like the proposal didn't get through, and the government instead chose to price it at $50.