Gorilla-like creature resembling ‘Bigfoot’ photographed in Kentucky backyard

London, September 10 (ANI): A gorilla-like creature that resembles the mythical creature ‘Bigfoot’ is causing excitement on the web after being photographed in the back garden of a home in Kentucky in the US.

According to a report in the Telegraph, the large, hairy beast can be seen in a blurry picture taken on an automatic camera set up by an amateur hunter.

While flicking through images of rabbits and deer, Kenny Mahoney noticed a dark, humanoid creature that does not look like any of the southern US state’s known native species.

The mystery animal’s head appears too small for it to be a bear, leaving Mahoney wondering whether he had accidentally captured one of the clearest ever photos of Bigfoot.

“It looked like it had the outline of a head, and like gorilla type shoulders, and then the arms crossed is what it looks like to me,” said Mahoney.

“One of the explanations my brother-in-law said it may be a garbage bag blowed up in there, but all the smashed over vegetation in there – I really don’t know. I have no idea what it is,” he added.

Mahoney said he is very doubtful that the creature in the photo is Bigfoot.

His wife Margaret has sent the image to a wildlife expert in the hope of getting it identified.

The mythical ape-like creature Bigfoot is most regularly sighted in the forests in the northwestern states and provinces of North America, although last month a teenage girl in Poland reported seeing a similar beast.

Last year, two men in the US state of Georgia claimed to have discovered a body of Bigfoot, but subsequently confessed that photos they produced as “proof” of their find actually showed a rubber ape costume. (ANI)

‘Speidi’ want Holly Montag and Sanjaya Malakar to have an affair

New York, June 19 (ANI): Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt-the reel life-turned-real life couple on ‘The Hills’-have said that they want Heidi’s sister Holly to get into a relationship with fellow ‘I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here’ contestant Sanjaya Malakar.

Spencer and Heidi, who like to call themselves “Speidi”, have said that they want the duo to take their flirting to the next level.

“Her and Sanjaya are going to be the biggest couple. They are going to be Sanjolly!” the New York Daily News quoted Heidi as telling MTV News.

The friendship between the ‘Hills’ star and former ‘American Idol’ contestant has grown more flirtatious on the reality survival show within the past week.

Spencer has wished the new reality couple all the best, and said that he’d like to see them take their romance from the jungle to real life.

However, Montag, along with reality TV stalwart Janice Dickenson, was voted off the show Thursday night.

“I’ve actually been praying nonstop that they get married, and I can actually have a brother-in-law named Sanjaya, and I can go to India and hang out, Speidi and Sanjolly are going to Bollywood!” said Pratt. (ANI)

No resolution of Mafia killing spree in Germany, 18 months on

Duisburg, Germany – German state prosecutors’ hands remain tied over a Mafia killing spree at a German pizzeria 18 months ago, German Spiegel magazine reported Saturday. The legal team in the city of Duisburg said they had refused the extradition to Germany of the prime suspect, Giovanni Strangio, who was arrested in Amsterdam last month, as they lacked evidence to proceed in court against the him.

Next week, a Dutch court is to formally decide whether 30-year-old Strangio should be extradited to Italy or Germany.

One and a half years after six members of an Italian Mafia clan were murdered in the western German city of Duisburg, German investigators are struggling with the lack of cooperation with their Dutch and Italian counterparts, Spiegel reported.

Both countries had failed to respond to requests for legal assistance, and the German investigators had not yet received a saliva sample needed for identification purposes.

One of the investigators, who wished to remain anonymous, told Spiegel the investigation marked a “low point in the fight against organized crime in Europe.”

Strangio, 30, was arrested in March after a lengthy probe involving telephone wire tapping, surveillance and close coordination between Dutch, German and Italian police.

At the time police also captured Strangio’s brother-in-law Francesco Romeo, who is thought to have assisted in the murders.

Another brother-in-law, who was also accused in the Duisburg murders of rivals in the southern Italian criminal organization ‘Ndrangheta, was arrested in November, also in Amsterdam.

Giuseppe Nirta, a senior leader of ‘Ndrangheta, had been sought by Italy for more than a decade to serve a sentence of nearly 15 years for drug trafficking.

The German shootings were the climax of a feud between the Nirta-Strangio and Pelle-Vottari clans that had already cost several lives in the mob’s home base of Calabria. (dpa)

18-year-old killed in the name of ‘honor’ in Pakistan

Lahore, Apr. 17 (ANI): In a recent episode of honor killing in Pakistan, an 18-year-old girl was murdered by her brother-in-law in an area that falls under thejuridiction of the Kahna Police Division.

The victim was identified as Shamim Bibi, whose in-laws alleged that she was having an illicit relationship with a neighbour.

They said she eloped with the man, after which elders of both families interfered and handed her over to her legal husband, Nawaz Ali.

However, her brother-in-law, Azam, shot her to death.

The victim’s father, Rasheed Ahmed, said he was not informed about the incident, and added that her life could have been saved if she had been rushed to the hospital.

A first information report (FIR) was lodged against Azam on the charges of murder.

No arrests have been made so far. The police are conducting raids to arrest the accused, Kahna Police Duty Officer Abdul Qayyum was quoted, as saying. (ANI)

Katie Holmes’ brother-in-law found dead

Washington, Apr 16 (ANI): Hollywood actress Katie Holmes is mourning the loss of her brother-in-law, it has emerged.

Joseph Jeffrey Fretti, husband of Holmes’ eldest sister Tamera, was found dead on 12 April (09) in his mother Shirley’s home in Sarasota, Florida. He was 48.

The cause of death is yet to be determined, reports Contactmusic.

However, according to RadarOnline.com, medical examiner Russell Vega says foul play or suicide is unlikely.

Fretti was the owner of a funeral home in Toledo, Ohio and had taken his two children to visit their grandmother.

Tamera couldn’t accompany him on the trip but has since flown to Florida to bring the kids back to the family home in Ohio.

The funeral is expected take place in Toledo’s Gesu Church on April 20. (ANI)

A single Orissa royal family of several political hues

Balangir (Orissa), Apr 16 (ANI): Members of Singhdeo, the royal family of Balangir in Orissa, are contesting against each other in the general elections to the Lok Sabha and the state legislature.
Three-time Member of Parliament Sangeeta Singhdeo of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is facing competition from another member of the royal family, Kalikesh Singhdeo.

Kalikesh Singhdeo happens to be her brother-in-law and also a member of the Orissa legislature, representing the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) party from Saintala constituency.

For the Patnagarh assembly seat, Kanak Vardhan Singhdeo, Sangeeta Singhdeo’s husband is contesting against his younger brother’s wife Prakriti Devi Singhdeo.

No wonder, addressing an electioneering rally, Sangeeta Singhdeo called the electoral battle in the family as a soap opera.

She is not particularly happy with Prakriti Singhdeo contesting against her husband.

“Whatever she is doing is rather unfortunate. We are a democracy. Anyone can contest elections. Even I am a politician and the elder daughter-in-law of a royal family. But I am doing politics with a positive attitude. She was campaigning in a different constituency during the municipal elections. She could have contested from there. If so, we would not have faced any problem,” said Sangeeta.

Adding to all this is the matriarch of the family, Premlata Kumari Devi.

Interestingly, she is not campaigning for her son, Kanak Vardhan Singhdeo but her daughter-in-law, Prakriti Singhdeo!

As for her sister-in-law’s (Sangeeta Singhdeo) grouse at Prakriti Singhdeo entering the poll fray, the latter contended that the people wanted her to contest.

“I did not choose the Patnagarh seat, but the people called me here. During municipal elections, I saw the constituency and the condition. People asked me to contest from here,” said Prakriti Singhdeo.
About a couple of months ago, Premlata Devi had written a letter to the BJP chief L.K Advani, urging him not to give BJP tickets to Sangeeta Singhdeo and Kanak Vardhan Singhdeo.

She had even mentioned that she would campaign against them if they were nominated by the party. By Sharda Lahangir (ANI)

PRESS DIGEST – South Korean newspapers – April 13

SEOUL, April 13 (Reuters) – The following is a summary of major South Korean newspapers on Monday, prepared by Reuters in Seoul. Reuters has not checked the stories and does not guarantee their accuracy.

CHOSUN ILBO

North Korean leader Kim Jong-il’s brother-in-law Jang Song-taek, who was recently appointed to a powerful military post, visited France, Italy and Switzerland last month for what seemed to be meetings with doctors who allegedly treated Kim or to purchase yachts for Kim’s family, a source familiar with North Korean issues said.

U.S. website Spaceflight Now claimed the North Korean rocket launched earlier this month successfully flew several hundred miles further than previously believed and used more advanced steering than was demonstrated by the North before.

MAEIL BUSINESS NEWSPAPER

Shinhan Financial Group (055550.KS) plans to sell its stake in unit SH and C Life Insurance to BNP Paribas to focus on another unit, Shinhan Life Insurance, according to the company.

Ship engine parts maker STX Enpaco may be the first IPO on South Korea’s main board this year, while Hankuk Cement and Ssangyong Material are also seeking listings, according to securities industry sources.

THE KOREA TIMES

South Koreans accounted for the largest share of foreign students in the United States for the third year in a row, numbering 127,185 or 15 percent of the total, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Resignations shock Chiranjeevi, but says party will win

Hyderabad, April 10 (IANS) Spate of resignations by the leaders of the Praja Rajyam Party has shocked its president and matinee idol Chiranjeevi but he is still confident of coming to power in Andhra Pradesh.

The actor-turned-politician Friday addressed a news conference, a day after party general secretary and spokesman Prakala Prabhakar quit, making serious allegations against the top leadership.

‘Our party will welcome those who want to come and will give a send-off to those who want to leave,’ he said, reacting to the series of resignations by party cadres during the last few days.

‘Are you still in the party?’ he asked party spokesman Mitra in a lighter vein when the latter came to sit beside him.

‘Do you have any doubt?’ asked Mitra.

‘It is not known who and when will give the shock,’ remarked Chiranjeevi.

The remarks are significant as Mitra is also reportedly unhappy with the style of functioning of Chiranjeevi and his brother-in-law and party general Allu Aravind.

Chiranjeevi said internal differences were common for any party but felt that such sweeping allegations should not be made. ‘If they make such allegations, they will be the losers,’ he said while denying that the party had sold assembly and Lok Sabha tickets to the aspirants.

‘Let somebody tell me how many businessmen, contractors and industrialists were given tickets by our party,’ he said while pointing out that the party fielded 35.4 percent of candidates from the backward classes.

He claimed this was the highest number of backward castes candidates fielded by any party in India’s history.

Chiru, as he is popularly known, said the tickets were allotted to candidates after three surveys conducted by the party.

While Allu Aravind was emotional in his reaction to Prabhakar’s allegations, Chiru was calm and cool.

‘Praja Rajyam is a miracle tree, which gives something to everybody,’ he said on Prabhakar’s remark that the party has become a ‘poisonous tree’.

The megastar was confident that his party would come to power, claiming that it had people’s support.

He also announced that the party would launch ‘rail yatra’ from Secunderabad railway station Saturday. ‘The aim of this yatra is to take our election symbol (rail engine) to people,’ he said.

From Milan to Marathwada

FROM THE and #252;ber-chic environs of Milan amid fashion luminaries like Georgio Armani and Gianni Versace to the dustbowls of Marathwada slugging it out with politicians double her age, 27-year-old Preeti Shinde has made a reverse journey of sorts. Shinde, an MBA in Fashion Marketing from the Milan-based Insituto Europeo di Design, seems to be an unlikely candidate for the general elections in Nanded, where the only fashion accessories are multi-coloured bandanas people tie to escape the heat wave.

However, Shinde, as a Lok Sabha candidate from Vinay Kore’s Jan Surajya Party, is giving established politicians in Nanded sleepless nights, as she takes on CM Ashok Chavan’s brother-in-law Bhaskarrao Bapurao Khatgaonkar, in the CM’s home turf of Nanded. A fiery orator who is proficient in Marathi as well as Italian, Shinde is the daughter of ex-IPS officer Madhu Shinde and was born in Jalgaon but has spent the bulk of her life in Mumbai.

After completing her masters in Political Science, Shinde went to Italy to complete her MBA. After returning from Italy, she had been working with a textile firm, Alok Industries, as an assistant sourcing manager. A chance meeting with the 37-year-old Vinay Kore, the chief patron of Jan Surajya Party and cabinet minister in the Maharashtra government, however, made her decide to take the plunge in electoral politics.

“We all tend to live insulated lives, not understanding what goes on in far away areas. I always wanted to do something for the nation.

However, it was only after meeting Kore that I decided to turn my words into action,” says Shinde. Kore decided to field Shinde as one of the two candidates of the party and asked Shinde to shift base to Nanded and work with the party cadre.

In her three-month stay at Nanded, Shinde claims to have visited close to 800 hamlets and settlements in her constituency. However, many voters believe that Shinde may not emerge triumphant in the elections, but her presence has forced established politicians work harder to woo the voters.

“The voters of Nanded didn’t have an option apart from the two main political parties, both of whom have failed in developing this area. Shinde provides us an alternative to them,” says Shankar Waghmare, a voter from the constituency.

Shinde, however, believes that she is in the race to win. “I had read somewhere that Bharat and India are two different ideas.

The India of the city’s middle class is pitched against the Bharat of the village folk. My aim is to work towards making these two ideas come together and strive for inclusive growth of everyone.

Fan’s Racing Tip A Dead Cert For Family

A family is celebrating a £20,000 win on this year’s Grand National after getting a tip from beyond the grave. Skip related content
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Fan’s Racing Tip A Dead Cert For Family

Racing fan Danny Shea died from kidney cancer five months ago, but he left his family strict instructions on how to spend the £250 he left them.

As instructed, the Shea family, from Eston in Middlesborough, placed the money on outsider Mon Mome who defied the odds and won the Aintree race at 100-1.

Mr Shea’s wife Pat said she ‘couldn’t believe’ her husband had finally picked a winner.

“He was generally pretty useless at picking winners,” she said.

“He didn’t have much of a clue, though he liked a bet. The best we hoped for was a place.

“I have to say I thought ‘what a waste of money’. But it’s what Danny wanted.”

Mr Shea, who was 66, had worked as an off-shore rigger before being diagnosed with terminal cancer in October 2007.

He knew he would not live to see this year’s National but was convinced that Mon Mome had the talent to defy the odds.

Pat’s brother Pete laid a complicated combination of spread bets with Mr Shea allocating £20 for each punter except Pat who had £60.

Mr Shea’s betting winners were wife Pat, son Martin, daughter Lesley, sisters Pat and Gloria, brother-in-law Pete, and friends Eddie, Freddie, Tommy, Rod and Kelly.

National win from beyond the grave

For one family last weekend’s Grand National was more than just a race – it was the fulfillment of a wish from beyond the grave. Skip related content
Related photos / videos
National win from beyond the grave

Danny Shea, 66, a passionate horse racing fan, died from cancer five months ago.

But knowing he would never see this year’s race he left his family a “tip” and £250 to place the bet.

The Shea family, from Eston in Middlesbrough, scooped £20,000 after carrying out he dying wish and backing 100-1 outsider Mon Mome.

His wife of 40 years, Pat, 63, “couldn’t believe” her husband had managed to pick the winner.

“He was generally pretty useless at picking winners. He didn’t have much of a clue though he liked a bet. The best we hoped for was a place,” she said.

“I have to say I thought ‘what a waste of money’. But it’s what Danny wanted.”

Pat’s brother Pete laid a complicated combination of spread bets with Mr Shea allocating £20 for each punter except Pat who had £60.

Mr Shea’s betting winners were wife Pat, son Martin, daughter Lesley, sisters Pat and Gloria, brother-in-law Pete, and friends Eddie, Freddie, Tommy, Rod and Kelly.

Amid chaos in PRP, Chiranjeevi defends brother-in-law

Hyderabad, April 5 (IANS) Amid utter chaos in his Praja Rajyam Party (PRP), actor-turned-politician Chiranjeevi Sunday defended his brother-in-law and PRP general secretary Allu Aravind, saying the allegations that he sold tickets for this month’s elections were ‘baseless’.

With dozens of leaders continuing to quit the party to protest lack of transparency in selection of candidates for the assembly and Lok Sabha elections, Chiranjeevi defended Aravind, a film producer who is considered to be the brain behind the actor taking a plunge into politics last year.

Chiranjeevi said the allegations that PRP tickets were being sold were a false propaganda and part of a conspiracy by the rivals to tarnish the image of his party. ‘Unfortunately, these allegations are damaging the party,’ he told reporters here Sunday.

The PRP founder and chief, however, claimed that the selection of candidates was done in a transparent manner and on the basis of a survey done by the party. Reiterating that the party was committed to the goal of social justice, he said out of 294 assembly seats, the party gave tickets to 104 candidates belonging to the backward classes.

‘Never in the history of Indian politics, such a large number of candidates from backward classes were fielded by any party,’ said Chiranjeevi, while exuding confidence that the party would come to power in the state on its own.

Chiranjeevi apologised to former police officer C. Anjaneya Reddy, who resigned Saturday as party vice-president, citing lack of transparency in the selection of candidates for assembly and Lok Sabha elections.

The megastar Sunday sent his brother Naga Babu to Reddy’s residence to persuade him to withdraw his resignation and later offered to personally meet him to sort out the differences.

Addressing ‘meet-the-press’ programme here, Chiranjeevi said Reddy was an upright and honest man and he was shocked to know about his resignation. ‘I am apologising to him and will personally appeal to him to come back to the party,’ said the actor.

Reddy, a former Indian Police Service (IPS) officer and a member of party’s think tank, quit the party saying his hopes of seeing a different party were dashed by the lack of transparency in its selection of candidates.

Reddy said the PRP was no different from the Congress party and the Telugu Desam. ‘It also lacks an organisational setup and everything is in the hands of three or four individuals,’ he said.

Meanwhile, the party appears to be heading for more trouble with the resignations of party’s founder member Samaram and president of Chiranjeevi fans association C. Venkateswara Rao.

Unhappy with the leadership, several leaders quit PRP during the last two weeks. Some of them are even contesting the elections as rebels.

PRP general secretary Prakala Prabhakar and state women’s wing chief Shobha Rani were also reported to have taken a decision to quit the party.

Even P. Mitra, party spokesman and a close aide of Chiranjeevi, is unhappy over the situation prevailing in the party. He was pained and shocked when Chiranjeevi’s younger brother and actor Pavan Kalyan allegedly caught him with the scruff of his neck when he called his fans ‘lumpen elements’.

Snatchers gang busted, 3 held

NEW DELHI: The special operation squad of the crime branch has arrested three men for their alleged involvement in over 15 cases of snatching. The
accused are residents of Rohini and have been identified as Bhagat Singh (19), a resident of Sector-3, Amit Kumar (19), a resident of MCD Colony, Sector-4, and Sanjeev Kumar (20), a resident of Vijay Vihar Phase-II, near Sector-4. In another case, the south district police arrested one Amit Kumar, a resident of Rohini who holds an MBA degree, for allegedly committing snatchings in the Defence Colony area.

In the former case, the police laid a trap based on a tip-off near Fountain Chowk, Rani Bagh, where the trio were to come to commit yet another crime on Friday. The police have recovered 12 mobile phones from their possession and about 15 cases of snatchings in the past three months at Prashant Vihar, Rohini and Saraswati Vihar have been solved through these arrests.

“All the accused are school dropouts and have a humble background. The money earned from snatchings has been spent in living lavishly, on girl friends and frequenting red-light areas. The receivers of stolen property and mobile phones have also been identified and we’ll arrest them soon,” said Satyendra Garg, additional commissioner of police (crime). The police said the gang targeted women travelling in rickshaws and was specially active near the Metro stations.

Meanwhile, Amit Kumar (31), who was arrested for being allegedly involved in snatchings in the Defence Colony area revealed to the police that he comes from an educated family. “He himself holds an MBA degree, has done a hotel management course and was presently working in a transport company at Madipur. He had altered the number plate of his brother-in-law’s bike to avoid being caught. Kumar took to crime to support his extravagant lifestyle,” said DCP (south) HGS Dhaliwal.

According to the police, around 1pm on Friday, two girls took a rickshaw in Defence Colony to go from D block to C Block. Kumar first approached the girls to ask for `directions’, then returned after some time to allegedly snatch one of the girls’ handbag. When the girls raised an alarm, three men one Salman and Faizan Malik who were riding a bike, and beat constable Rajesh Kumar responded to their calls. The trio reportedly chased the accused for about two kilometres and finally nabbed him.

Krishnam Raju, Murali Mohan in star fight for Rajahmundry

Hyderabad, April 4 (IANS) It will be a clash of stars in the Rajahmundry Lok Sabha constituency in coastal Andhra Pradesh as the Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) has fielded veteran actor U.V. Krishnam Raju against Telugu Desam Party’s (TDP) Murali Mohan.

It is expected to be an interesting three-cornered contest as the ruling Congress party’s U. Arun Kumar is seeking re-election.

Krishnam Raju, popularly known as the ‘rebel star’, recently quit the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and joined the PRP of actor-turned-politician Chiranjeevi. The former central minister’s name figures in the seventh list of candidates released by the PRP Friday night.

Though Krishnam Raju was keen to contest from either Kakinada or Narsapur, the constituencies he represented earlier, Chiranjeevi has pitted him against another actor of yesteryears Murali Mohan.

Krishnam Raju, who plunged into politics in the early 1990s, contested the 1991 Lok Sabha elections on a Congress ticket from Narsapur constituency, but lost.

He later joined BJP and got elected twice to Lok Sabha from Kakinada and Narsapur in the 1998 and 1999 elections respectively. He also served as minister of state for external affairs in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government from 2000 to 2004 but lost the 2004 elections from Narsapur.

Since then, he was keeping a low-profile and was unhappy with the style of functioning of the BJP. While joining the PRP a few days ago, he had said that he was impressed by the policies of megastar Chiranjeevi.

Krishnam Raju, who began his film career in 1966, was a popular actor in the 1970s and 1980s and has acted in over 180 films. He is the fourth film personality in Andhra Pradesh to join the race for this month’s Lok Sabha elections.

Popular actress Vijayshanti is contesting as the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) candidate from Medak while Chiranjeevi’s brother-in-law and film producer Allu Aravind is the PRP candidate from Ankapalli.

Though Murali Mohan, a contemporary of Krishnam Raju, has been an active leader in the TDP for many years, this is the first time that he is contesting an election.

Murali Mohan, who started his career in the early 1970s, acted in several films over the next one decade. He later turned a producer. After taking a break from active cinema, he joined TDP and became chairman of the Andhra Pradesh Film Development Corporation. He also started the construction company Jayabher Group, which built many residential projects in and around Hyderabad.

The two actors will be facing Arun Kumar, the sitting Congress MP who has been in the news for taking on media baron Ramoji Rao. However, he faces an uphill task this time as a section of the electorate in Rajahmundry feels that he has not done much for the constituency’s development.

The BJP, which won this seat in 1998 and 1999, has fielded its state general secretary Somu Veeraju but he is not considered a strong candidate.

Chiranjeevi, wife own assets worth Rs.880 mn

Hyderabad, April 4 (IANS) Film star-turned-politician K. Chiranjeevi and his wife Surekha own assets worth Rs.880 million (Rs.88 crore), a record among politicians in Andhra Pradesh who declared their assets while filing nominations for this month’s elections.

The Telugu megastar has less assets in his name than his wife. The couple, however, has beaten Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy’s son Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy and his wife, who declared assets of Rs.770 million (Rs.77 crore).

The Praja Rajyam party president, who filed his nomination papers in Palacole assembly constituency in his native West Godavari district Friday, declared in an affidavit that he has immovable assets worth over Rs.303 million (Rs.30.32 crore) while his wife Surekha is worth Rs.480 million (Rs.48 crore).

The megastar, who plunged into politics last year after a three-decade-long film career, also declared that he has movable assets of over Rs.35 million (Rs.3.50 crore) while his wife’s movable assets are worth over Rs.61 million (Rs.6.16 crore).

The movable assets of Chiranjeevi include Rs.634,521 cash, Rs.2.1 million (Rs.21 lakh) deposits, Rs.11.2 million (Rs.1.12 crore) bonds and shares, a Honda CRV car worth Rs.827,150 and gold worth Rs.19.5 million (Rs.1.95 crore).

The immovable assets of Chiru, as the actor is popularly known, include his Jubilee Hills residence here worth Rs.143.6 million (Rs.14.36 crore), a house in Chennai worth over Rs.20 million (Rs.2 crore), land at four different places including Hyderabad and Chennai valued over Rs.130 million (Rs.13 crore).

Chiru’s wife owns houses, flats and other property here, on the city outskirts and in Chennai. They include a Jubilee Hills residence here worth Rs.40 million (Rs.4 crore), another house here worth Rs.12.4 million (Rs.1.24 crore), three houses in Chennai together worth over Rs.35 million (Rs.3.5 crore).

She also has in her name 4.10 acre land in Kokapet on outskirts of Hyderabad valued at Rs.85 million (Rs.8.5 crore), 9.8 acre land in Medak district worth Rs.46.4 million (Rs.4.64 crore), another land in Gacchibowli here worth Rs.19.2 million (Rs.1.92 crore) and plots at three places in Chennai worth over Rs.65 million (Rs.6.50 crore) and another plot in Karnataka worth over Rs.40 million (Rs.4 crore).

The 53-year-old actor, who has starred in 149 films, is also contesting the assembly elections from Tirupati constituency. His brother-in-law and film producer Allu Aravind, who is contesting for the Lok Sabha from Ankapalle, is worth Rs.240 million (Rs.24 crore).

The chief minister’s son Jaganmohan Reddy, an industrialist who is the Congress candidate for the Kadapa Lok Sabha seat, has already declared that he and his wife Bharati together have assets of over Rs.770 million (Rs.77 crore).

The chief minister, who is seeking re-election from Pulivendula assembly constituency in Kadapa district, declared that he owns assets worth Rs.13.4 million (Rs.1.34 crore) while his wife Vijayalakshmi has assets worth Rs.9,943,122.

Opposition leader N. Chandrababu Naidu, who filed his nomination from Kuppam assembly constituency in Chittoor district, declared in the affidavit that he and his wife N. Bhuvaneswari own assets worth Rs.500 million (Rs.50 crore). Majority of the assets are in the name of Naidu’s wife.

Rahul Gandhi files nomination from Amethi

Amethi, Apr 4 (ANI): Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi on Saturday filed his nomination papers from Amethi parliamentary constituency for the Lok Sabha elections.
Rahul was accompanied by his mother Sonia Gandhi, party candidate from Sultanpur Dr. Sanjay Singh and close family friend Captain Satish Sharma.

UPCC president Reeta Bahuguna Joshi was already present at the collectorate.

Rahul’s sister Priyanka Vadra and his brother-in-law Robert Vadra was not present because of death of Vadra’s father on Friday.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi will file her nomination papers for Rae Bareilly constituency on April 6.

The elections in Uttar Pradesh will be held in five phases: April 16, 23, 30 and May 7 and May 13. (ANI)

Rahul Gandhi to file nomination from Amethi today

Sultanpur, Apr 4 (ANI): Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi will file his nomination papers from Amethi parliamentary constituency at Sultanpur district headquarters today.

Rahul will be accompanied by Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who will file her nomination papers from Rae Bareilly constituency on April 6.

Rahul sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, brother-in-law Robert Vadra and state unit chief Reeta Bahuguna Joshi to Sultanpur district headquarters will also present on the occasion.

The elections in Uttar Pradesh will be held in five phases: April 16, 23, 30 and May 7 and May 13. (ANI)

Andhra chief minister’s son worth over Rs.770 mn

With assets of over Rs.770 million (Rs.77 crore), Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy’s son Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy is undoubtedly the richest politician in Andhra Pradesh.

Jaganmohan Reddy, who is making his debut in electoral politics by contesting from the Kadapa Lok Sabha seat, owns movable and immovable assets of more than Rs.774 million (Rs.77.40 crore).

He declared this while filing his nomination papers through his uncle and sitting MP from Kadapa Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy before the district returning officer and Kadapa district collector Sashibhushan Kumar.

Jaganmohan Reddy has set a record if one goes by what has been declared by other candidates who filed nomination papers for the first phase of polls.

According to the statement submitted to the returning officer, Jaganmohan Reddy owns immovable assets of nearly Rs.380 million (Rs.37.99 crore) and his wife Bharati Rs.84.8 million (Rs.8.48 crore).

The chief minister’s son, an industrialist, said he has Rs.31,695 in cash and Rs.1.6 million (Rs.16 lakh) in the bank. He also has third party loans of Rs.66.3 million (Rs.6.63 crore) but no bank loans.

A major part of his money is in 15 private firms in the form of bonds and shares. This includes shares of Rs.300 million (Rs.30 crore) in Bharati Cements and Rs.61.3 million (Rs.6.13 crore) in Sandur Power Project company.

The statement also shows that Jaganmohan Reddy and his wife own properties in Hyderabad, on the outskirts of the city, and in other parts of Kadapa district, Udupi and Shimoga.

Interestingly, the statement says that the couple has only 667.3 grams of gold worth Rs.1.59 million (Rs.15.94 lakh), no vehicle and no bank loan.

Jaganmohan, an industrialist who also owns a Telugu daily and television channel Sakshi, was already at the centre of a row with the opposition parties making allegations of irregularities in the industries owned by him.

The chief minister, who is seeking re-election from Pulivendula assembly segment – a part of the Kadapa Lok Sabha seat – is yet to file his nomination papers.

Meanwhile, leader of opposition N. Chandrababu Naidu, who led a campaign against Jaganmohan Reddy recently, declared that he has Rs.23,400 in cash and no agriculture land.

Naidu and his wife Bhuvaneswari own movable and immovable assets valued at Rs.500 million (Rs.50 crore). He claimed the majority of the assets are in the name of his wife.

Bhuvaneswari has bonds and shares of over Rs.156.9 million (Rs.15.69 crore) in her company Heritage and shares in some other companies.

The Praja Rajyam party’s general secretary and eminent film producer Allu Aravind is worth Rs.240 million (Rs.24 crore). Aravind, who is also the brother-in-law of party president megastar Chiranjeevi, is contesting Lok Sabha elections from Ankapalli constituency in coastal Andhra.

Aravind declared that he has Rs.374,000 in cash, banks deposits of Rs.59.8 million (Rs.5.98 crore), investments in various companies in the form of shares and bonds worth Rs.65 million (Rs.6.5 crore).

Indo Asian News Service

Bruce Willis’ brother-in-law works as binman in London

London, Mar 29 (ANI): American actor Bruce Willis’ brother-in-law has been revealed to be a binman in a London suburb.

Martin Heming, 42, who became the 54-year-old actor’s brother-in-law after Willis married lingerie model Emma Heming, 30, last weekend, is delighted for his sister, who is the face and body of underwear company La Senza.

“I just think ‘Good for them’,” the Daily Express quoted him as saying.

“I don’t live a glamorous life. I’m a binman and I certainly don’t earn anything like as much as Bruce Willis. I drive commercial waste around in a lorry.

“As long as she’s happy that is the main thing,” he said.

Although he has not spoken to his sister for a year, Martin is hoping to meet up with her and Willis soon.

“I am just waiting for an invite,” he added.

He admitted his life is “far from Hollywood”, with a binman’s average salary being around 20,000 pounds to 30,000 pounds a year, and that he was not jealous of his sister and enjoyed working for London-based Grunden Waste Management. (ANI)

Sadhu Yadav meets Sonia Gandhi in Delhi

New Delhi, Mar 21 (ANI): Former leader of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) Sadhu Yadav on Saturday met Congress party chief Sonia Gandhi here for first time, after his induction in the Congress party.

“We expressed confidence in Congress party. We expressed confidence in Sonia Gandhi and in Rahul Gandhi. Under their leadership, we will work in Bihar and will make Congress party’s presence strong in the state,” said Sadhu.

On March 17, RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav faced revolt within his party when his brother-in-law, Sadhu, declared that he would contest from a seat left for Ram Vilas Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party (LJP).

Sadhu’s challenge came after the RJD announced a seat-sharing deal with the LJP in Bihar, where his name did not figure in the list of nominees.

Sadhu attacked the alliance, saying the Betiya seat has gone to the LJP where filmmaker Prakash Jha will contest on a LJP ticket.

Sadhu is currently a MP from the Gopalganj constituency, which has now become a reserved seat.

Elections in Bihar are to be held in four phases on April 16, 23, 30 and on May 7. (ANI)