Notification issued for Council polls for 3 seats

Hyderabad, Apr 13 : The Election Commission of India today issued notification for conducting Legislative Council Elections in Andhra Pradesh to fill up three seats from Hyderabad Local Authorities Constituency (two members) and Hyderabad Local Authorities Constituency(one member).Informing this to reporters here, State Chief Electoral Officer I V Subba Rao said the last date for filing of nominations would be April 20.Scrutiny of nominations would be taken up on April 21 and the last date for withdrawals is April 23.The elections would be held on May 7 and counting of votes polled on May 10, he said, adding Model Code of Conduct had already come into force from April 6.As many as 223 voters-- 150 corporators and 65 ex-officio members--were eligible to exercise their preferential vote from Hyderabad and 592 voters including an MP and six MLAs could vote from Rangareddy Local Authorities Constituency, he added.
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Chief Minister Dr.K.Rosaiah, launches land distribution prog

Hyderabad, Apr 14 : Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K Rosaiah today launched the fifth phase of the land distribution to landless poor by handing over the title deeds to women at Shadnagar in Mahaboobnagar district, coinciding with the 119th birth anniversary of Dr B R Ambedkar.Later, addressing the gathering, he said the government, which was committed to the welfare of the poor had decided to distribute land to the landless poor for their empowerment.He urged the opposition parties to extend their help and offer suggestions for the implementaton of the land distribution scheme instead of criticising the state government.It was the duty and responsibility of the opposition parties to offer their constructive suggestions for its implementation in the interest of the landless poor, he added. He said an extent of 1,00,615 acres had been identified for distribution to over 69,506 beneficiaries in 22 districts in the state.''Our government aims to fulfil the mission of Dr Ambedkar for uplift of the weaker sections, particularly the SC/ST's by empowering them with land to achieve sustainable livelihood,'' he said.Each family was given land 2.50 acres of wet land or 5 acres of dry land, including the land originally held by the family.Revenue Minister Dharmana Prasada Rao said the state government had taken up the land distribution programme in a big way.He said the state government has already distributed surplus land to the landless poor in four phases to an extent of 6,03,809 acres.
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Two unknown ladies go missing after stealing new born

Hyderabad, Apr 13 : Two unknown burqa clad ladies came to Imtiyaz Hospital and took away a new born baby from the hospital in the city.According to police, yesterday, two un-known ladies wearing expensive Burqa came to Imtiyaz Hospital and started conversing with the mother of a 6-day-old baby girl and her attendant. After sometime, the lady attendant went down to settle the hospital bills for discharging the baby and the mother's. Meanwhile, one of the ladies asked the babys mother to bring the baby girl to cash counter for conducting a test.Believing them, the mother handed over the baby girl to the lady.Immediately, the said ladies sped away with the baby girl.Search was on to trace the culprits, police said. (thanks to newkrala.com)
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Ceremonies begin at Sania Mirza's house

Hyderabad, April 13: A day after Sania Mirza's marriage with Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik, wedding ceremonies began at the residence of the Indian tennis ace here.The bride and her bride-groom arrived at her residence in Jubliee Hills Tuesday, formally kicking up series of ceremonies. The couple stayed at Taj Krishna hotel after their 'nikah' Monday afternoon. Since Sania and her husband were paying first visit to the house after the marriage, they were given a traditional and warm welcome by her parents. Imran Mirza and his wife Naseema along with other family members came out of the house to receive the newly-wed couple. 'Mehendi', a pre-wedding ceremony, began Tuesday with the arrival of relatives and close friends of Sania and family members of Shoaib at Sania's house, which has been decked up and illuminated for the occasion. 'Sangeet', a ceremony with musical programme, is scheduled to be held Wednesday while Sania's family will host a gala wedding reception at the hotel. The bride's uncle and Gazal singer Talat Aziz is set to perform at 'Sangeet'. Sources close to the family said since the two families advanced the 'nikah', the pre-wedding ceremonies like 'mehendi' were being held after the wedding. Sources said the 'nikah' was advanced to avoid further controversies. Islamic scholars Sunday issued a 'fatwa' terming as un-Islamic the proximity between Sania and Shoaib before the marriage. Sania's family earlier stated that 'nikah' would take place April 15. Shoaib, 28, wed the 23-year-old Sania at a brief and simple ceremony held at the hotel. Under 'nikahnama' or marriage contract, the former Pakistani skipper agreed to pay Rs.61 lakh as 'mehr' to Sania. The Pakistani batsman last week divorced his first wife Ayesha Siddiqui after a bitter row surrounded the three families for a fortnight.
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OBAMA WELCOMES TO Dr. MANMOHAN SINGH.

The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh with the US President, Mr. Barack Obama, at the official welcome for the Nuclear Security Summit, in Washington on April 12, 2010.

(Photo by No.CNR-31221)
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MANMOHAN SINGH, MEETS TO GILANI,

The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh exchanging pleasantries with his Pakistani Counterpart, Mr. Yousaf Raza Gilani, during the official reception for the leaders, at the Nuclear Security Summit, in Washington on April 12, 2010. (Photo by No.CNR-31216)
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Dr.J.Geeta Reddy to attend of "convergence for development of tourist destination" meeting in New Delhi,

The Union Minister of Tourism & Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, Kum. Selja chairing a meeting of convergence for development of tourist destinations, in New Delhi on April 13, 2010.The Minister of Tourism, Andhra Pradesh, Dr. J.Geetha Reddy and the Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Shri Sujit Banerjee are also seen. (Photo by No.CNR-31229)
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PM Singh, meeting with PM Canada,

The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh in a meeting with the Prime Minister of Canada, Mr. Stephen Harper, on the sidelines of the Nuclear Security Summit, in Washington on April 12, 2010.(photo by PIB)

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FUJIFILM’S MANAGING DIRECTOR MR.KENICHI TANAKA LAUNCHES ALL NEW RANGE OF FUJIFILM CAMERAS

FUJIFILM India Pvt Ltd., the wholly owned subsidiary of FUJIFILM Corporation Japan, the pioneer in 3D photographic technology solutions has officially announced the launch and availability of 14 next-gen digital cameras into the Hyderabad Photography market at Byas Foto World, Himayath Nagar. FUJI Film’s M.D. Shri Kenichi Tanaka has launched new series of Fuji Film cameras at Byas Foto World. New models introduced are 'A series' compact value models (AV100, AV150, AX 200, and AX250) targeted on budget conscious casual users featuring high-definition (HD) image and video capture. Four sleek and stylish models under the 'J series' family (JV100, JV150, JX200, JX250) that come with sculpted and innovative looks. These cameras are equipped with state-of-the-art technological features like High-Definition photo and video capture, razor sharp picture clarity with Fujinon zoom lenses, Scene Recognition Auto, Panorama Shooting Mode, Movie Mode with Sound, Picture Search etc. One of the more technologically advanced cameras launched by FUJIFILM amidst the new next-gen camera releases is the FinePix HS10, which is an extreme long zoom camera with high-speed aperture targeted on the needs of professional photographers. It promises to best fit the 'all-in-one' camera's category with an assortment of features which include: world's first 30x optical zoom with manual zoom enabled, advanced photographic features as in performance hungry SLR system and full HD movie capture. It combines 24-720mm (30x) zoom lens with advanced photographic controls and is rated to deliver advanced functionality and SLR-like handling in a single compact, affordable unit.The outlet, Byas Foto World, a division of Byas Foto Retail Private Ltd, is one of the oldest in the city. It was one of the official photographers to the Nizam of Hyderabad and has been in the business for 90 years. Spread over 4500 square feet, Byas Foto World is probably the BIGGEST PHOTOGRAPHY STORE in A.P. dedicated exclusively to photography products like digital cameras of all brands like Fuji Film, Nikon, Canon, Sony, Olympus, Samsung, Panasonic, digital printing where in you can get from passport size photo to a blow up size print up to 40”x60” in minutes, printing on cups, mugs, t-shirts, portrait studios, digital and normal display frames, passport and visa photos. All A to Z services in photography would be present under one roof,      (photo by RSJ THOMAS)======================================================

Sania,Shoaib get married

Hyderabad, April 12 : Indian tennis star Sania Mirza tied the knot with Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik at a hotel here Monday after getting a no-objection certificate from the city police."The Nikah has been completed. Please pray for the couple," Sania's spokesperson Rucha Naik told media persons outside hotel Taj Krishna, adjacent to Taj Deccan. Sania, 23, and Shoaib, 28, signed the 'nikahnama' and said "qabool hai" in the presence of a qazi and two witnesses from each side, sources said. About 70 people, including close relatives and friends from both sides, attended the much-hyped and controversial marriage ceremony. After the 'nikah', the guests offered 'zuhar namaz'. It was followed by lunch, where they were treated with traditional delicacies, including the famous 'Hyderabadi biryani'. Since the Qazi had refused to perform the 'nikah' Friday in the absence of Shoaib's passport, sources said Sania's family got a no-objection certificate from the Hyderabad police. Shoaib's passport, seized last week in connection with a case filed by his first wife Ayesha Siddiqui, is still with the police. Earlier, clad in red traditional bridal wear, which her mother wore on her wedding 25 years ago, Sania left her residence in Jubliee Hills amid drum beats and reached hotel Taj Deccan shortly after noon. From there they went to the adjoining Taj Krishna, where Shoaib and his relatives are staying. She was accompanied by her father Imran Mirza, mother Naseema, younger sister Anam and a few close relatives. Shoaib, who divorced Ayesha last week, wore a black 'sherwani'. His mother, sisters and some close relatives attended the wedding. Security has been tightened at the hotel and the media was not allowed inside. Earlier, Naik told reporters outside Sania's residence that there would be a 'mehendi' ceremony Tuesday. The 'sangeet' would be held the next day while Sania's family would hold the wedding reception April 15. The high-profile marriage was surrounded by controversies ever since it was announced March 29. It is learnt that the two families decided to solemnise the marriage Monday to avoid further controversies, especially in the light of Sunday's 'fatwa' issued by Islamic religious scholars against Sania and Shoaib living together before their wedding. Sania's media manager Sunday night clarified that Shoaib moved out of Sania's house a few days ago. The Sunni Ulema Board, a group of religious scholars, had declared that the act of Sania and Shoaib living together was against Islamic Shariat. It asked Muslims not to attend such marriages where men and women come together in close proximity in violation of Islamic rules. Additional Commissioner of Police N. Narasimha Reddy said it may take a week for Shoaib to get back his passport from a court as some formalities with regard to closure of the case would have to be completed. Ayesha withdrew the case Wednesday after Shoaib divorced her.
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India needs educated citizens in knowledge century: President

President Pratibha Devisingh Patil Monday exhorted students to contribute to nation-building through their talent and knowledge, saying India will certainly emerge a stronger country when the youth determinedly work for it.“When the 540 million youth of the country are educated and they determinedly work for the country, India will certainly emerge as a stronger country,” she said, addressing the golden jubilee celebrations of the Punjab Public School here.The president said that India needed educated citizens who have in them the ability to innovate and invent, particularly in the 21st century, where the progress of the nation would be driven by the knowledge base of its population.Urging students to utilise their time at school in the best possible manner, the president said they must study hard and “for true learning and understanding”.“Therefore, approach your studies with a sense of enquiry. Think independently and creatively. Be disciplined and methodical in your daily lives. Inculcate values like compassion, tolerance and harmony that will instil a feeling of welfare for humanity.”“Promote a feeling of national harmony so necessary for keeping together our country which has diverse religions, faiths, languages, castes, communities and also vast geographical distances. What we need is unity in diversity to keep our great country together.”She also asked students to participate in sports and other extra-curricular activities because it was sports that could teach them to put in their best and to accept both victory and defeat in the true spirit of a sportsperson.Dwelling on the role of teachers in today’s fast changing society, the president said that teachers have a greater responsibility in interpreting developments in the world to students in the proper perspective.She conferred the school’s roll of honour for 2009 on its ex-student, Lt. Gen. Bikram Singh, general officer commanding-in-chief (GOC-in-C) of the army’s eastern command.Punjab Governor Shivraj Patil and Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal were also present on the occasion.   (way2online)======================================================

Obama asks Pakistan to punish Mumbai attackers

Hours after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh expressed concern over Pakistan’s will to punish those responsible for the terrorist attacks in Mumbai, President Barack Obama asked Islamabad to move against the perpeterators.A couple of hours after meeting Manmohan Singh, Obama Sunday told Pakistani Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani that the Indian leader was sincere in improving ties with Islamabad, but wants Pakistan to take action against those responsible for the Mumbai attacks.Obama, according to diplomatic sources, told Gilani at their 40-minute meeting that he also personally believes that Pakistan taking action against those responsible for the Mumbai terrorist attack “would be a positive thing”.The US president also made no commitment on the issue of an India-type civil nuclear deal to meet Pakistan’s acute energy needs saying there is need to have a proper balance between progress and security concerns.Voicing his desire for an improved India-Pakistan relationship, Obama said he believes that this would be not only beneficial to the South Asian neighbours, but would also have a positive impact on the overall situation in the region.“Obama began by noting that he is very fond of Pakistan, having visited the country during college,” the White House said in a statement later.“The President discussed with the Prime Minister (Gilani) the bilateral progress made during the March 24-25 Strategic Dialogue and reiterated the US pledge to work with Pakistan to address issues of mutual concern in the long-term relationship,” it said.“The Prime Minister (Gilani) also indicated his approval of the progress made during the Strategic Dialogue and his hope that the working groups that have been established to address various aspects of the relationship would yield progress in advance of the next Strategic Dialogue meeting, scheduled for late 2010 in Islamabad,” it said.According to the White House, Gilani indicated his assurance that Pakistan takes nuclear security seriously and has appropriate safeguards in place.The Pakistani officials later said that the US president told them that he is satisfied with the measures taken by Islamabad for the safety and security of its nuclear weapons.Gilani not only sought an India type nuclear deal saying it was fully qualified, but also lobbied hard for international acceptance as a responsible nuclear state soon after his arrival.“The prime minister is arguing for Pakistan’s acceptance as a responsible nuclear state at every opportunity he gets, from his meeting with Mr Obama to his speech at the summit,” a Pakistani official said.
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BJP announces state executive commiteee

Hyderabad, Apr 12 : Andhra Pradesh BJP president G Kishan Reddy today announced the office-bearers and the state executive members of the party with nine vice-presidents and four general secretaries.He also announced nine secretaries to the state party, according to a release here.The president announced the State Executive with 83 members in it.He said youth and women have been given special priority in the current list, which was a ''judicious mix of youth and experience''.He said a large number of women had been given opportunity in consonance with the party policy of inducting one-third of its office-bearers and executive members with women.In the office-bearers, there were six BCs, two SCs and one ST with seven women while in the executive there were 12 SCs, 3 STs, 53 BCs and 26 women. There were 58 young leaders who got first opportunity to work at the state-level.
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Govt will take all safety measures to protect dams: Minister

Hyderabad, Apr 12 : Andhra Pradesh Major Irrigation Minister Ponnala Lakshmaiah today said the State Government would take all safety measures to protect canals and dams during pre-monsoon and post-monsoon floods.

Addressing the press here, he said the government had sanctioned Rs 212 crore for taking up permanent and temporary works at the dams and canals and directed the officials concerned to complete the works before the start of the rainy season.He said the committee appointed by the government had given its report with suggestions on safety measures to protect dams and canals during floods. He said the government would consider the suggestions and take all measures to protect the 17 major projects in the State.
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Heatwave prevails in several districts of AP

Hyderabad, Apr 12 : Heatwave conditions prevailed in the districts of Adilabad, Hyderabad, Karimnagar and Mahabubnagar of Telangana region, with the highest maximum temperature of 45 degrees Celsius being recorded at Adilabad.The maximum temperatures rose at one or two places over Telangana and changed little over Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rayalaseema. They were significantly above normal over remaining districts of Telangana and at one or two places over Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rayalaseema. Mainly dry weather was likely to prevail over Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Rayalaseema. Heatwave conditions were likely to prevail over Telangana and isolated parts of Rayalaseema during next 48 hours.Maximum and Minimum temperatures in and around Hyderabad would be 42 and 28 degrees Celsius respectively.
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Sania Mirza to marry Shoaib Malik today

Hyderabad, Apr 12 : Despite the interference of community leaders and controversy surrounding their marriage, ace tennis star Sania Mirza is expected to tie the nuptial knot with Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik on April 12.

"Sania''s nikah with Shoaib will take place shortly," said Sania''s PRO, adding that the reception will take place on April 15.However, due to security concerns the exact location of the wedding was not disclosed.The Sunni Ulema Board had issued a fatwa on Sunday, thereby further adding to Sania''s pre-marital woes.The fatwa claimed that it''s un-Islamic for a man and woman to live under the same roof before ''nikah'', and lashed out at the tennis star and her groom-to-be Shoaib Malik, who has been reportedly staying at the Mirza residence for over a week.''''It''s un-Islamic for a man and woman to see each other during the ceremonies before the ''nikah''. Therefore, what they (Sania and Shoaib) are doing is not correct,'''' said Sunni Ulema Board General Secretary Hasibul Hassan. Sania''s father Imran Mirza had earlier on Friday said the pre-wedding ceremonies would start off from April 13.Pakistan''s Interior Minister Rehman Malik had on Sunday asked Pakistan''s High Commissioner to India Shahid Malik to request the Indian authorities to return Shoaib''s passport, which was seized after Ayesha Siddiqui claimed to be his wife and filed a police complaint against him.The two sports personalities are expected to settle in Dubai after their marriage.
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PM meeting with OBAMA,

The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh meeting the US President, Mr. Barack Obama, at Blair House, Washington on April 11, 2010. (Photo by PIB No:CNR-31189)
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Communal riots cases to be booked against prime accused: police

Hyderabad, Apr 11 : Additional City Police Commissioner (Crime) K Narasimha Reddy today said the communal riot cases would be booked against the prime accused in the recent communal riots in 25 police station limits, including old city in which three people lost their lives.Addressing a press conference here, Mr Reddy said the police were thoroughly investigating into the matter to know the reason for the riots and strict action would be taken against the culprits.He said it would take another 15 days to complete the investigation.He said so far 170 cases were booked and 272 persons, including the TDP Corporator Raju Singh, were arrested in this connection.Raju Singh was the prime accused in four cases, including murder cases, he added.Meanwhile, normalcy restored in all the 25 police stations without any incidents after lifting the curfew completely since yesterday.The city police lifted indefinite curfew imposed on March 29 as peace returned to the riot-hit old city of Hyderabad, providing much-needed relief to the people inconvienced by restrictions for the last 14 days.As a precautionary measure, prohibitory orders would be in force in the 25 police station limits for two days. All processions, meetings and demonstrations were banned in these areas, he added.The city police after relaxing curfew for two hours on April 1 in 17 police station limits, gradually increased the curfew relaxation period every day, before totally lifting the restrictions yesterday.The indefinite curfew was clamped in the wake of killing of three people since March 27 as violence, which erupted over putting of religious flags, spread outside the old city on March 29.Altogether 30 companies of central para-military forces were deployed in the communally-sensitive areas of the old city, besides state police, including personnel of the elite OCTOPUS force raised to combat terror strikes.
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Maximum temperature rises at few places in Andhra Pradesh

Hyderabad, Apr 11 : The maximum temperatures rose at a few places over coastal Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and changed a little over Rayalaseema, the Met department said.The maximum temperature was significantly above normal at many places over Rayalaseema and at a few places over coastal Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.The highest maximum temperature of 43 degrees Celsius was recorded at Bhadrachalam, Nalgonda, Rentachintala in the state, they added.The Met office predicted that dry weather would prevail over coastal Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Rayalaseema during the next 48 hours.
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Andhra Pradesh CM to launch 5th phase of land distribution on Apr 14

Hyderabad, Apr 11: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K Rosaiah today directed the officials to prepare a special comprehensive plan to help the landless poor to make the distributed land cultivable.He also wanted them to see that bank loans were made available to them to take up cultivation. The Chief Minister said unless the distributed land was made cultivable, the landless poor would not be able to sustain and make use of the land. "It is of no use distributing land to the landless poor, unless he is helped to cultivate it and the official machinery should come forward to help them," the Chief Minister said, adding an extent of 1,00,615 acres had been identified for distribution to over 69,506 beneficiaries in the 5th phase in 22 districts in the state.Each family was given land not exceeding 2.50 acres of wet land or five acres of dry land, including the land originally held by the family. The Chief Minister said the State Government had already distributed surplus land to the landless poor in the state in four phases to an extent of 6,03,809 acres.These lands had been distributed among 4,33,723 landless beneficiaries so far.The Chief Minister, who is going to launch 5th phase of land distribution at Shadnagar (Mahabubnagar District) on April 14, the birth day of Dr B.R Ambedkar, today discussed about the preparations for the fifth phase of the land distribution with Chief Secretary S.V. Prasad and other officials."Our Government aims to fulfill the mission of Dr Ambedkar for uplift of the weaker sections, particularly the SC/ST's by empowering them with land to achieve sustainable livelihood," the Chief Minister said.Working in this direction the Government will earmark 50 per cent of the total land being distributed in the fifth phase exclusively for the SC/ST beneficiaries.The Chief Minister suggested the Revenue Minister Dharmana Prasada Rao to take all necessary steps to make the land distribution programme for poor a grand success and in particular to ensure registration of distributed land only in the name of women, which was the ambition of the departed leader Dr Y S Rajasekhara Reddy and to keep the names of the beneficiaries in the website prior to distribution.
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