Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna made winning starts to their respective campaigns at the Australian Open with contrasting opening-round victories with their doubles partners, in Melbourne on Wednesday.
Around 90-100 people received burn injuries, and the condition of some of them was serious.
Touring Congress strongholds of Amethi and Rae Bareli in the run-up to the UP polls, Priyanka Gandhi on Tuesday said she will do "anything to help" her brother Rahul in the assembly elections.
The search operation is spread across at least 17 premises in four districts of Uttar Pradesh -- Lucknow, Banda, Unnao, Fatehpur, they said.
"You have no idea how well versed she is with Indian tradition. The way she covers her head, does aarti, listens to the shlokas... You cannot see Western culture in her." Meet Pandit Radheshyam, the priest who conducts a havan before Sonia Gandhi files her nominations from Rae Bareli. In exclusive conversation with Rediff.com's Swarupa Dutt.
The Congress president offered prayers at the Churva Hanuman Mandir on the Lucknow-Rae Bareli road hours after landing in the state capital where enthusiastic party workers greeted him with garlands.
'She has kept them poor so that they spend all their time keeping body and soul together and when the time comes to vote, they blindly vote for her. Had they prospered, they would have had the time to think. She wants the mindset to remain the same. It's the perfect vote bank, but that will change,' Ajay Aggarwal, the BJP's candidate in Rae Bareli, tells Swarupa Dutt/Rediff.com
Police said that Pakistan-based Anees Ibrahim, who is brother of Dawood Ibrahim, was connected with the underworld operatives to execute the terror plan.
No-show against Sonia has payback in Delhi, SP tells followers.
For the Congress to be taken seriously, it has to convince those around it that it could actually double its Lok Sabha seat share from the existing 52, and vote-share by a third more from the stagnating 20 per cent in 2014 and 2019, points out N Sathiya Moorthy.
Aam Aadmi Party leader Shazia Ilmi sought to quell speculation that she would be pitted against Congress President Sonia Gandhi in the Lok Sabha polls, saying she "never agreed" to contest from Rae Bareli.
Close on the heels of providing nearly 770 vehicles, India said it would loan two military helicopters to Nepal for use by personnel engaged in security duties for the upcoming Constituent Assembly polls.
Dashing Australian opener David Warner took to instagram to announce the birth of his second child, a daughter with wife Candice. The daughter has been named Indi Rae. Warner and Candice have a 16-month old daughter named Ivy Mae. The proud father posted pictures of the newborn Instagram along with the mother and elder daughter. "@candywarner1 and I welcomed beautiful little Indi Rae Warner into the world this morning. Mum was absolutely amazing. #prouddaddy," Warner posted.
Clashes between BJP supporters and Congress workers marred the last leg of his visit.
A special judge holding trial in the Babri Masjid demolition case, involving Bharatiya Janata Party veterans L K Advani, M M Joshi and others, on Monday moved the Supreme Court seeking six more months to conclude the trial in the case.
The apex court, however, noted that Rajasthan Governor Kalyan Singh enjoys Constitutional immunity and can be tried only after he ceases to hold the office.
To repeated questions, the SP chief asserted that the Congress was 'very much in the alliance'.
The Congress general secretary in-charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh said the people of Amethi and Rae Bareli have self-respect and they do not beg from anyone.
The apex court will also decide whether the trial of the VVIP accused can be transferred from a court in Rae Bareli to Lucknow.
The top court, which had earlier fixed August 31 as the deadline for completion of proceedings including pronouncement of the verdict, took note of the report filed by special judge S K Yadav in the high-profile case.
Priyanka Gandhi asked what was stopping the human resources development minister from setting up an IIT here.
'We keep saying that we have a very close historical, cultural, linguistic and religious affinity with Nepal. Then why be so insensitive that we cannot find time to talk to them for more than 5-6 months'
Congress leaders are confident that Priyanka would act as a catalyst for the party and boost the sagging morale of cadres to put up a spirited fight against the BJP and also the SP-BSP pre-poll alliance which had already shut its door on the Congress, reports Virendra Singh Rawat.
Mayawati made it amply clear that her party will not enter into any alliance with the Congress.
'The BJP would like to capitalise on Yogi's tough image on criminals, law and order situation, and hands-on CM.' 'Modi will be an additional advantage, but it is primarily a contest between Yogi and Akhilesh.'
Samajwadi Party, which has decided not to enter the fray in Amethi and Rae Bareli, on Tuesday disapproved the Bharatiya Janata Party fielding "outsiders" from the Nehru-Gandhi pocket borough, saying such a practice was against democracy.
Gaming expert Sameer Desai reviews racing game Colin McRae DiRT 2, which, according to him, is unrecognisable from the pre-DiRT Colin McRae games many of us have enjoyed for years.
Congress hopes to field upper caste candidates to eat into BJP voter base while SP-BSP focuses on consolidating Dalit-OBC votes in their favour.
The seat sharing formula reached between the BSP and SP is not on the basis of who emerged stronger in the previous election.
'It's going to be very difficult to play all three forms -- and good luck to all the guys that want to keep playing -- it's challenging.'
India has asked bulk buyers to pay market rates for diesel since last January and has also been raising the price of subsidised diesel in small amounts every month in an effort to cut its ballooning fuel subsidies.
Ending suspense, the Bharatiya Janata Party has picked actor-turned-politician Smriti Irani to take on Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi in Amethi.
Named Indira Gandhi National University for Women, the institute will be set up in Raebarelli in Uttar Pradesh.
Priyanka Gandhi's poser in a tweet came a day after the Uttar Pradesh police filed a murder case against Sengar and nine others following a complaint by the Unnao rape survivor's family, alleging "conspiracy" behind the Sunday's car crash in which the victim was severely injured and two of her family members were killed.
The party is finding increasing acceptability in the 18-35 years age group with Rahul Gandhi adding a million followers in the past 2 months and Facebook and Twitter also seeing similar spikes.
Activists of India Against Corruption led by Anna Hazare, got a shot in the arm with a referendum receiving overwhelming support in Congress President Sonia Gandhi's constituency Rae Bareli on Saturday.
The apex court will on Monday take a call on moving the woman and her lawyer to AIIMS in Delhi, it said.
At present, the second AC coaches in Rajdhani trains have 55 berths, while there are 72 in third AC coaches.
If Priyanka Gandhi does take a plunge into electoral politics as demanded by the Congress rank and file, it will tantamount to an admission that Rahul Gandhi lacks the necessary qualities to take on Narendra Modi. On the other hand, the Congress also needs to change the political discourse in its favour, notes Anita Katyal.
Mayawati said that in case of a tie-up with the Congress in the past, the party did not benefit.
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