KTR decries tactics adopted to avoid loan waiver

BRS working president KT Rama Rao said Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy was doubting and harassing farmers.

Published Date – 29 August 2024, 08:15 PM


KTR decries tactics adopted to avoid loan waiver

File photo of BRS working president KT Rama Rao

Hyderabad: Highlighting the controversy centered around the requirement for farmers to submit a self-declaration to prove their eligibility for loan waivers, BRS working president KT Rama Rao on Thursday called it a humiliating experience.

The new requirement for farmers to provide self-declarations has sparked outrage. He said the process was demeaning. He dubbed it a “Self-Declaration Drama,” a tactic aimed at avoiding fulfillment of the loan waiver promises. Recalling the episode of an elderly woman who was asked to repay her pension in Kothagudem in similar conditions, he said the farmers might face similar treatment.


Rama Rao said Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy was doubting and harassing farmers. He said the government’s promises of loan waivers in many cases was false propaganda, with numerous hurdles placed in the way of farmers seeking relief. He added that the government’s actions were a betrayal of the farmers’ trust.

Highlighting the plight of farmers in Revanth Reddy’s own village, Kondareddypalli, he posted a video by a YouTuber that has gone viral. In the video, over a dozen farmers express their frustration, stating that they have not received any loan waivers. Many were deprived of debt relief due to issues with ration cards and discrepancies in Aadhaar card entries.

Passport Seva Portal in Hyderabad under maintenance, appointments on August 30 rescheduled

Applicants are advised to note their messages for the updated schedule and to attend their appointments according to the revised timings.

Published Date – 29 August 2024, 11:08 PM


Passport Seva Portal in Hyderabad under maintenance, appointments on August 30 rescheduled

Applicants are advised to note their messages for the updated schedule and to attend their appointments according to the revised timings.

Hyderabad: The Regional Passport Office (RPO) in Hyderabad has announced that the Passport Seva Portal will be down from August 29 to September 2 due to technical maintenance. As a result, all passport appointments scheduled that were scheduled for August 30 have been rescheduled.

In a media release, the RPO stated, “The Passport Seva portal will be down for technical maintenance from 29th August 2024, Thursday 20:00 hrs IST to 2nd September, Monday 06:00 hrs IST. The RPO informed the public that all appointments originally scheduled for August 30 at the Passport Seva Kendras (PSKs), Post Office Passport Seva Kendras (PoPSKs), and the RPO in Hyderabad will be rescheduled due to the maintenance activity.


The RPO has assured applicants that they will receive SMS notifications with their new appointment dates by Thursday. Applicants are advised to note their messages for the updated schedule and to attend their appointments according to the revised timings. For further assistance, individuals can reach out to the RPO Hyderabad via the official email: rpo.hyderabad@mea.gov.in.

FM: ‘Final victory’ belongs to Palestinians; Iran to stand with Palestine ‘until the very end’

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has hailed Palestinians’ eleven-month-long steadfastness in the face of the Israeli regime’s genocidal war and atrocities, expressing confidence that “final victory” belongs to the Palestinian people.

The top diplomat made the remarks on Wednesday during a telephone conversation with Khalil al-Hayya, the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas’s deputy Political Bureau chief.

“The current Iranian Administration will continue to robustly pursue its predecessors’ policy of support for the oppressed Palestinian nation,” Araghchi added, stressing that the Islamic Republic would stand with the Palestinians “until the end.”

He also underlined that Tehran would lend its support to whatever agreement leading to a ceasefire and cessation of the underway war on the Gaza Strip that meets the approval of the Palestinian people and resistance.

For his part, al-Hayya said, “The Palestinian people are grateful for the Islamic Republic’s permanent support for the Palestinian cause and their resistance in the face of Zionists’ crimes.”

He cited Iran’s late Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian’s efforts in support of the Palestinian resistance as a case in point.

The call came amid the Israeli regime’s October-present geocidal war on Gaza that was launched in response to a retaliatory operation staged by the coastal sliver’s resistance groups.

The brutal military onslaught has so far claimed the lives of at least 40,476 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and wounded another 93,647.

In July, Hamas agreed to a truce deal featuring withdrawal of the Israeli forces, return of the displaced people, an end to the siege that has been imposed by Tel Aviv on Gaza, and initiation of the territory’s reconstruction process.

The regime, however, rejected the proposal before coming up with “new conditions,” including its keeping its forces inside Gaza along the coastal sliver’s border with Egypt.

The Hamas official, meanwhile, congratulated Araghchi on his recent appointment as Amir-Abdollahian’s successor, for which the top Iranian diplomat expressed his gratitude.

Iran Paralympic team parades in Paris

Thousands of athletes paraded down the famed Champs-Elysées Avenue to Place de la Concorde in central Paris.

About 50,000 people watched the ceremony in stands built around the iconic square, which is the biggest in Paris and is visible from afar because of its ancient Egyptian Obelisk. Accessibility for athletes in wheelchairs was facilitated with strips of asphalt laid along the avenue and placed over the square.

More than 4000 athletes with physical, visual and intellectual impairments will compete in 22 sports from Aug. 29 until Sept. 8.

Iran has participated in the Games with 65 athletes in 10 sports.  

 Female runner Hajar Safarzadeh and male shooter Mohammadreza Mirshafiei carried the flag. 

French President Emmanuel Macron and International Paralympic Committee President Andrew Parsons, attended the Ceremony.

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Buchi Babu: Hyderabad restrict Madhya Pradesh to 207

Hyderabad began well against Madhya Pradesh on day one of All India Buchi Babu Invitation Cricket Tournament match at Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu on Tuesday.

Published Date – 28 August 2024, 04:00 PM


Buchi Babu: Hyderabad restrict Madhya Pradesh to 207

Hyderabad began well against Madhya Pradesh on day one of All India Buchi Babu Invitation Cricket Tournament match at Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu on Tuesday.

Hyderabad: Hyderabad had a strong start against Madhya Pradesh on day one of the All India Buchi Babu Invitation Cricket Tournament match at Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu on Tuesday.

Hyderabad’s bowlers, led by Aniketh Reddy (3/55) and Tanay Thyagarajan (3/59), delivered a disciplined performance. Rohit Rayudu also chipped in with two crucial wickets to guide their team to bowl out Madhya Pradesh for 207 in 74.5 overs. At the close of play, Hyderabad posted 52/0 in 13 overs, with Tanmay Agarwal and M Abhirath Reddy batting at 30 and 22 runs respectively.


Brief Scores: Madhya Pradesh CA 207 in 74.5 overs (Shubham S Kushwah 48, Aniketh Reddy 3/55, Rohit Rayudu 2/31, Tanay Thyagarajan 3/59) vs Hyderabad CA 52/0 in 13 overs (Tanmay Agarwal 30 batting, M Abhirath Reddy 22 batting).

Apple appoints Indian-origin Kevan Parekh as its new Chief Financial Officer-Telangana Today

His sharp intellect, wise judgment, and financial brilliance make him the perfect choice to be Apple’s next CFO, says company CEO

Published Date – 27 August 2024, 10:11 AM


Apple appoints Indian-origin Kevan Parekh as its new Chief Financial Officer

Kevan Parekh

Cupertino: Apple has appointed Indian-origin Kevan Parekh as its new Chief Financial Officer (CFO) who will also join the the executive team at the tech giant.

Current CFO Luca Maestri will transition from his role on January 1, 2025, Apple said in a statement. “For more than a decade, Kevan has been an indispensable member of Apple’s finance leadership team, and he understands the company inside and out,” said Cook.


“His sharp intellect, wise judgment, and financial brilliance make him the perfect choice to be Apple’s next CFO,” the Apple CEO added. Before joining Apple, Parekh held various senior leadership roles at Thomson Reuters and General Motors, where he also had extensive global experience.

An electrical engineer with a Bachelor’s of Science from the University of Michigan and an MBA from the University of Chicago, Parekh has been at Apple for 11 years and currently leads Financial Planning and Analysis, G&A and Benefits Finance, Investor Relations, and Market Research.

“Prior to this role, Parekh led Worldwide Sales, Retail, and Marketing Finance. He began his tenure leading the financial support of Apple’s Product Marketing, Internet Sales and Services, and Engineering teams,” said the company.

Maestri will continue to lead the Corporate Services teams, including information systems and technology, information security, and real estate and development, reporting to Apple CEO Tim Cook. “Maestri has been an extraordinary partner in managing Apple for the long term.”

He has been instrumental in improving and driving the company’s financial performance, engaging with shareholders, and instilling financial discipline across every part of Apple, said Cook. During his time as CFO, Maestri enabled essential investments and practiced robust financial discipline, which together helped the company more than double its revenue, with services revenue growing more than five times.

“It is the greatest privilege of my professional life to serve the world’s most innovative and admired company, and to work side by side with a leader as inspirational as Tim Cook,” said Maestri.

UN chief urges end to Israel’s assault on West Bank as death toll rises to 17

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says he is “deeply concerned” over Israel’s all-out military assault on the occupied West Bank, calling for a swift end to the aggression in the Palestinian territory.

In a statement on Wednesday, Guterres called for “an immediate cessation” of Israel’s aggression in the occupied West Bank, including its assault on Jenin, Tulkarem and Tubas governorates.

In the early hours of Wednesday, the Israeli army conducted its biggest operation – dubbed “Camps of Summer” – in the West Bank in over 20 years, deploying hundreds of troops and airstrikes on Jenin, Tulkarem, and Tubas, which are major centers of Palestinian resistance against the occupying entity.

At least 17 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli raids and strikes in several towns, with many more sustained injuries. Eight of them were killed in Jenin, five in Tulkarm and four in Tubas, the Wafa news agency reported, citing medical sources.

Guterres strongly condemned the loss of lives, including of children, and urged Tel Aviv to protect civilians and ensure their safety.

“All those injured must have access to medical care, and humanitarian workers must be able to reach everyone in need,” the UN chief said. “These dangerous developments are fueling an already explosive situation in the occupied West Bank and further undermining the Palestinian Authority,” he added.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, head of the Palestinian Authority (PA), shortened his trip to Saudi Arabia and returned to the West Bank on Wednesday over Israel’s relentless aggression in northern parts of the territory.   

In an interview with Israel’s Army Radio on Monday, Israeli minister Itamar Ben-Gvir also proactively confirmed that he plans to construct a synagogue inside the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in the occupied East al-Quds, drawing condemnation from various countries and international organizations.

Elsewhere in his remarks on Wednesday, Guterres also expressed concern over “dangerous and provocative acts and statements” by Ben-Gvir, who has repeatedly visited the al-Aqsa Mosque complex, despite a longstanding ban on Jews praying at the site.

It was the first time for the Israeli minister to openly speak about building a synagogue inside the complex, strengthening the narrative that the Muslim holy site and Palestinian national symbol is under threat from the occupying regime.

Bulldozer politics to divert attention from farmers’ protests, health crisis, rapes and murders

Using HYDRAA and its bulldozers, CM Revanth Reddy might be standing and feeling high on a pile of debris left by the demolitions, but what is slowly emerging from the dust left behind is a strategy to divert public attention from what is actually happening in Telangana.

Published Date – 29 August 2024, 11:00 PM


Bulldozer politics to divert attention from farmers’ protests, health crisis, rapes and murders

File photo

Hyderabad: Using HYDRAA and its bulldozers, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy might be standing and feeling high on a pile of debris left by the demolitions, but what is slowly emerging from the dust left behind is a strategy to divert public attention from what is actually happening in Telangana.

Even as television news channels, YouTubers and the media devote more space and time to HYDRAA, what is not being given much of the prime time or space is the surging number of fevers, with the State facing a health crisis. What is not shown on screens are the tears of farmers who ran to banks on hearing Revanth Reddy’s speech before the elections last year to take loans, only to find themselves running to banks again to check why they did not get the promised loan waiver.


What is not being counted is the number of increasing attacks on women and children, and also the gruesome murders, many of them with political overtones. What is being ignored are the continuing protests by the unemployed, whose frustrations were exploited by the same party before the elections, with the delay in recruitments rubbing in the salt further. What is being forgotten are the frequent power supply disruptions. Of course, that was not the government’s fault, but mischief by lizards and squirrels.

Most importantly, when the drama is all about HYDRAA, who is talking about the Six Guarantees now? And that, apparently, was what the bulldozers were for.

Nobody is asking whether the State government was depositing Rs.2,500 into bank accounts of all the women in the State. Nobody is talking about the Rs.4,000 monthly honorarium for the unemployed. Nobody is talking about how Rythu Bharosa is being delayed even as the crop season is nearing an end. There is no news on what happened to Dalit Bandhu. What about the Rs.500 bonus for paddy, or the Indiramma Indlu scheme, which was in fact launched and then forgotten. Remember the Warangal Rythu Declaration, the Chevella SC/ST Declaration, Minority Declaration or the Kamareddy BC Declaration?

The deteriorating law and order situation, the closing down of about 43 tribal welfare schools which were the only source of education for tribal children in remote and agency areas, the non-payment of salaries to several government employees and contract staff who keep the machinery running, all have been pushed under the carpet cleverly by the bulldozers.

By citing the Bhagavad Gita and taking Lord Krishna’s name while issuing notices to relatives and partymen, Revanth Reddy has used the attention diversion tactic with great effect. But how can he hide behind the bulldozers from questions on his poll promises remains to be seen.

Bulldozer Govt

Hezbollah Arbaeen op. took Zionist regime by surprise

Last Sunday, Lebanese Hezbollah Resistance Movement launched a large-scale surprising attack against the occupying regime of Israel in response to the assassination of one of its senior commander named “Fuad Shukr” who was martyred in southern Beirut, he recalled, adding, “Despite the fact that the Zionist regime always claims that it has high intelligence capabilities, they were completely surprised and suffered a great blow from Lebanon’s Hezbollah Resistance Movement.”

Regarding the implications of Hezbollah’s attack against the Zionist regime, Amani reiterated, “The Zionist regime was definitely confused with Hezbollah’s attack on its positions. With launching a psychological war, they [Zionist regime] tried to make up for their failure and weakness and could do nothing except waging psychological war.”

The envoy praised Secretary General of Hezbollah Resistance Movement Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah for proper handling of the war against Zionist regime and said that all countries have admitted to the deterrence power of Lebanon under the wise leadership of Hezbollah Chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah in a way that the Zionist regime have so far failed to achieve their malicious objectives in Lebanon

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Houthi warns Muslims of 'dangerous situation' in conflict with Israel

The leader of Yemen’s Ansarullah resistance movement has described reconciliation with Israel as “impossible,” stating that the regime openly flouts all international law and regulations and does not commit itself to any fundamental principle.

“Israel is an enemy with which no one can make peace with, as it crosses all red lines and violates all principles and regulations,” Abdul-Malik al-Houthi said in a televised speech broadcast from the Yemeni capital Sana’a on Thursday afternoon. 

He said anyone who is not moved by the scenes of Israeli soldiers ripping up pages from the Muslim holy book of the Qur’an and burning them at the Bani Saleh Mosque in northern Gaza does not have an iota of faith.

“Whoever does not devote full attention to sanctities may overlook his reputation, honor and even his national identity. This is a dangerous situation, which Muslims should seriously take into consideration,” he said. 

“The continued crimes of the Zionists at such levels of ruthlessness, cruelty and viciousness is a disgrace for the entire international community,” Houthi said.

The Ansarullah chief said what is more dangerous than the extremist Jewish settlers’ frequent incursions into the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in the Israeli-occupied Old City of al-Quds is the latest remarks by far-right Israeli minister Itamar Ben-Gvir about his plan to build a synagogue at the site.

He stated that Muslims must take on their religious duties and confront such a scheme.  

“Genocide in the Gaza Strip coupled with the raids across the West Bank show the true nature of the Zionist regime and reveal its danger. The Zionists feel entitled to trample upon the rights of other peoples systematically.

“Muslims will lose big if they fail to assist downtrodden Palestinians. Any Muslim who thinks he would benefit himself and appease Israel with his silence is gravely mistaken,” Houthi noted.

The Ansarullah leader said the US has long been providing political support to Israel and deceiving the public opinion to contain retaliatory strikes from the Lebanese Hezbollah resistance movement as well as the Islamic Republic of Iran.

He said the United Nations has failed to resolve the longstanding Palestinian issue and its statements equate the victim with the oppressor.

“The US is putting in a great deal of efforts to protect the Israeli enemy so the latter can continue its genocidal war in Gaza. The US does not hesitate to provide Israel with the most lethal weapons to kill Gazan women and children,” Houthi said.

“Hezbollah has dealt heavy blows to the Israeli enemy, the results of which are fairly open for evaluation. Hezbollah wields great influence and is humiliating the Zionist enemy, something which Israeli authorities have acknowledged,” he added.

The Ansarullah leader also pointed to retaliatory operations by the Islamic Resistance in Iraq against Israeli targets in the occupied Palestinian territories, stating that the umbrella group of resistance factions struck targets at the ports of Haifa and Eilat this week.

Houthi also said Iran’s response to the Zionist regime in retaliation for the assassination of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran is inevitable, emphasizing that Washington is in a state of great alertness to curtail its fallout.

The US is trying to bring some Arab regimes on board to contain Israel’s response to Israeli atrocities, he said.

Commenting on Yemeni Armed Forces’ maritime operations against Israeli-affiliated merchant vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, Houthi said the strikes will continue unabated.

Yemeni naval units courageously carried out a major operation this week, and struck a Sounion oil tanker as it was sailing in the Red Sea waters, he stated.

The footage of the attack on the Greek-flagged oil tanker is available, which documents the US failure in stopping Yemeni forces’ anti-Israel operations, the Ansarullah chief said.

Houthi stressed that Yemeni forces are trying to expand their military capabilities to conduct more pro-Palestine operations.

The Ansarullah chief finally called upon all walks of the Yemeni society to take to the streets on Friday in a strong show of solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza amid the relentless Israeli ground and aerial offensives.