James Maddison put his untamed lockdown hairstyle on display as he thanked Leicester fans on Instagram after winning the ePremier League invitational on Saturday. 

The 29-year-old moved to the Wanda Metropolitano last summer having fallen out of favour in north London, with the La Liga side splashing £20million on the England international.

The vote was held on Ligue 1's official Twitter account, with Drogba receiving 51 per cent of the 40,094 votes that were cast.

United dithered over whether to pursue a deal for the Canadian youngster, who was playing for Vancouver Whitecaps at the time, with the youngster eventually signing for the Germans.

PETE JENSON IN SPAIN: Diario AS counted 41 players in Europe's top divisions who have come from the Valdebebas academy and there are 42 ex-Madrid youth system players playing in Spain.

The game will take place behind closed doors in Turin, as it was scheduled to do so before the coronavirus pandemic forced the suspension of football in Europe.

Leyton Orient captain Jobi McAnuff fears black footballers are at an increased risk of dying if the season is resumed amid the coronavirus crisis.

Inter Milan new boy Christian Eriksen has revealed that the coronavirus pandemic has caused him a personal nightmare since his move from Tottenham in January.

Napoli will return to training on March 25 despite appeals to wait until the nation's lockdown ends on April 3 and criticism from the AIC for endangering players' health.

Crystal Palace are making individual checks on the welfare of all of their over-70 season ticket holders in their latest gesture following the coronavirus outbreak.

SAMI MOKBEL: Premier League stars will launch on Wednesday the #footballunited campaign as England's elite footballers combine to fight against coronavirus.

Crystal Palace are monitoring developments with Hearts left back Aaron Hickey but have yet to make a bid.

Sports stars are refusing to let the coronavirus lockdown stop them from keeping fit with many coming up with unique 'stay at home' training methods.

SPORTS AGENDA: Twenty five years have passed and thousands of words have been written since Eric Cantona's kung-fu kick on a Crystal Palace fan, which earned him a nine-month ban.

Wilfried Zaha was left disgusted on Wednesday after he lost to Raheem Sterling on FIFA 20 in the first round of the Premier League esports tournament. 

The 21-year-old right-back joined the club from Porto in 2018 for around £18m.but he has had few opportunities this season due to sensational form of Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

2. We have heard the learned Advocates appearing for parties and formulated following substantial questions of law on 26.02.2020, which reads:

"(i) Whether under Rule 5 of CENVAT Credit Rules, 2004 prior to and from 01.04.2012 appellant would be entitled to seek refund without reference to the limitation? Or

(ii) Whether the time prescribed under Section 11B of the Central Excise Act, 1944 would be applicable for claiming refund of CENVAT Credit?"

6

CEA No.35/2018 came to be admitted on 23.07.2019 to consider the substantial questions of law indicated thereunder.

2. I have heard the learned counsel Sri. Vishwajith Rai for Sri. Jayaprakash K.N. for the accused- appellant and Sri. K. Nageshwarappa, learned HCGP for the respondent-State.

3. The brief facts of the prosecution case are as under;

The first informant, Sri. K.Y. Raghavendra Rao is a resident of Vinoba Nagar in Davanagere. He has a daughter and a son. His daughter is a minor. When she 3 was studying in I PUC, accused No.1 used to follow her and tease her. He used to roam in front of her house. She had informed the matter to her parents. In spite of advising the accused, he did not stop following her. The matter was brought to the notice of one Leela Kumaraswamy, working in an NGO. However, accused No.1 did not cooperate when she had called him over phone to enquire about the matter. The accused was threatening the victim girl to listen to his words or to face dire consequences.

2. The petitioner is seeking bail under Section 439 of Cr.P.C. in connection with Crime No.47/2020 of Harihara Town Police Station, registered for the offence punishable under Sections 143, 147, 149, 148, 307, 324 of IPC.

3. The facts of the case in nutshell are that the petitioner/ accused No.1 and the complainant are running a liquor shop in the name and style as "Swapna Bar and Restaurant' in Harihara for a period of six years. The complainant asked the petitioner to submit the accounts pertaining to the business of the said bar and restaurant. In this background, the petitioner/accused No.1 along with his followers, went to the house of the complainant on 21.03.2020 at about 8.45 p.m. and picked up quarrel with him and abused him in filthy language and assaulted with 3 beer bottle on his face and head and caused bleeding injury.

2. The petitioner in Crl.P.NO.101035/2019 is accused No.1 in C.C.No.796/2018. The petitioner is :4: represented in this court as the Branch Manager, ICICI Bank Limited.

3. The petitioner in Crl.P.No.100295/2019 is accused No.1 and accused No.3 and 5 in Crl.P.No.101035/2019 in C.C.No.796/2018.

4. The facts of the matter as per the petitioners in both the matters are as under:

4.1. It is stated that respondent No.1 Sri. Shashikant S. Timmapur had availed a loan of Rs.18,50,000/- in the year 2006 from ICICI Bank Limited ( 'the Bank' for short) by pledging various shares which he held in certain listed companies.

Justin Gaethje tormented Tony Ferguson at UFC 249 on Saturday.Fighting in front of a reduced UFC production crew and no fans, Gaethje put together the best MMA win of the year so far.Gaethje relied on in-and-out footwork, leg kicks, and striking so accurate and powerful that he brutalized his opponent's thighs and tore his face apart.Gaethje now only has one opponent he wants to wage war against — lightweight champ Khabib Nurmagomedov. "I'm happy to represent the United States of America against Dagestan … Russia's best."Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.Justin Gaethje tortured Tony Ferguson at UFC 249 on Saturday, bringing an abrupt end to one of the most intimidating runs in mixed martial arts.Ferguson had been on a 12-fight winning streak which created one half of a salivating match-up

Bhopal, May 10 () In a major administrativereshuffle amid the lockdown, the Madhya Pradesh government hastransferred 50 Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers,including some additional chief secretaries, principalsecretaries and a former chief secretary.This is the first major bureaucratic rejig by theBJP-led state government since Shivraj Singh Chouhan becamechief minister in March this year.As per the order issued on Saturday night, formerchief secretary Gopal Reddy has been posted as chairman of therevenue board at Gwalior, I C P Keshari as vice chairman ofthe Narmada Valley Development Authority, Vinod Kumar asadditional chief secretary (ACS) of the general administrationdepartment and J N Kansotia as ACS of the animal husbandrydepartment, official sources said.Besides, Anupam Rajan

New Delhi, May 10 () Former India opener Gautam Gambhir doesn't see major changes in the way cricket is played in the post COVID-19 scenario besides the ban on using saliva on the ball. The International Cricket Council is considering legalisation of the usage of artificial substances to shine the ball instead of saliva."I don't think a lot of rules and regulations will be changed, you can probably have an alternate for the usage of saliva – apart from that I don't think so many changes will happen," Gambhir told Star Sports. "Players and everyone else need to live with this virus; probably they have to get used to it that there is a virus and that it will be around. Players might end up catching it, and you got to live with it." Though social distancing is possible in cricket to a certain

New Delhi, May 10 () Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday said 75 per cent of COVID-19 cases in the city are asymptomatic or with mild symptoms.The chief minister said the government has also issued an order for requisition of ambulances of private hospitals, adding that the decision has been taken in the wake of shortage of state-run ambulances."They (private ambulances) will have to be pressed into service when the government requires their service," Kejriwal said while addressing an online media briefing.The government has made arrangements for treatment of those at their homes with mild COVID-19 symptoms in accordance with the Centre's guidelines."Out of 6,923 COVID-19 patients, only 1,476 are admitted at hospitals, rest getting treatment at their homes and COVID-19 centres,"

2. Learned counsel for the petitioner undertakes to file the court fee as soon as the judicial work in the High Court gets normal after end of the lockdown prevailing due to Corona (Covid-19) pandemic.

3. The present writ petition has been preferred by the petitioner for quashing and setting aside the notice dated 17.04.2020 issued by the District Certificate Officer, Seraikella-Kharsawan (the respondent no.5) whereby the Director of the petitioner-company has been directed to show cause as to why he should not be committed to civil prison for not depositing the certificate amount. Further prayer has been made for quashing and setting aside the letter as contained in memo no. 667 dated 16.04.2020 issued by the Deputy Commissioner, Seraikella-Kharsawan (the respondent no. 3) directing the respondent no. 5 to immediately issue warrant of arrest against the Director of the petitioner-company and to take steps for attachment of its property. The petitioner has also prayed for setting aside the final order if any passed under Section 10 of the Bihar & Orissa Public Demand Recovery Act, 1914 (in short "the Act, 1914") and to restrain the respondent authorities from taking any precipitate action against the petitioner including suspension of its agreement for milling of rice. Learned counsel for the petitioner, in course of argument has also prayed for an interim protection from any action to be taken by the respondent authorities pursuant to the impugned notice dated 17.04.2020.

2.The petitioner has been transferred from Tirunelveli to Chennai, Egmore Railway Police Station. The petitioner, who is working as a Head Constable in Tirunelveli Railway Police Station, has now been asked to join at Egmore Railway Police Station in the same post.

3.Since it is an issue of transfer and an administrative order, it may not be proper on the part of this Court to examine either reasons for transfer or also the grievances of the petitioner. It is for the http://www.judis.nic.in 2/5 W.P(MD)Nos.6127 of 2020 authorities to examine the same. The grievance of the petitioner is that he has been relieved from Tirunelveli with a direction to join at Chennai. But, he has still not joined at Chennai.

2. The facts necessitating the filing of the present Writ Petition are that the petitioner claims that she was working in the Highways Department and was maintaining her family consisting of her husband, one son and two daughters. The son and first daughter have been married and they are residing separately. The second daughter, who is shown as the third respondent is not married. The petitioner has stated that her husband had died and after that, the third respondent had been continuously harassing her and has been preventing her from enjoying her dwelling house peacefully and 2/6 http://www.judis.nic.in W.P.(MD)No.6099 of 2020 has been trying to dispossess her. Seeking protection under the Tamil Nadu Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act 2007 and Tamil Nadu Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Rules 2009, the petitioner had given a representation on 07.03.2020 to the first and second respondents.

2.We commend the efforts taken by the Police in tracing the girl in the present strained circumstances.

3.In view of the above, this Habeas Corpus petition stands closed.

[ P.N.P.J.,] [ B.P.J.,] 05.05.2020 Index : Yes / No Internet : Yes / No dsk 2/4 http://www.judis.nic.in H.C.P(MD)No.252 of 2020 To

The UK government on Saturday announced a once in a generation transport sector investment of around 2 billion pound, with a major chunk ear-marked for emergency improvements to cycling and walking infrastructure for the country's green recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps made the announcement during the daily 10 Downing Street briefing, during which he also revealed the official death toll in hospitals and the wider community from COVID-19 as 31,587. The Cabinet minister said the new investment in transport looks ahead into the future to ensure the public is supported to use more greener travel options and avoid overcrowding in public transport as travel restrictions are gradually eased in the coming weeks. "Whilst it's crucial that we stay at home, when the country does get back to work we need to ask those people to carry on cycling or walking and for them to be joined by many others as well," he said. The minister also said the move beyond ..

Tesla CEO Elon Musk threatened Saturday to pull the company's factory and headquarters out of California in an escalating spat with local officials who have stopped the company from reopening its electric vehicle factory. On Twitter, Musk also threatened to sue over Alameda County Health Department coronavirus restrictions that have stopped Tesla from restarting production its factory in Fremont south of San Francisco. Frankly, this is the final straw, he tweeted. Tesla will now move its HQ and future programs to Texas/Nevada immediately. He wrote that whether the company keeps any manufacturing in Fremont depends on how Tesla is treated in the future. Musk has been ranting about the stay-home order since the company's April 29 first-quarter earnings were released, calling the restrictions fascist and urging governments to stop taking people's freedom. An order in the six-county San Francisco Bay Area forced Tesla to close the Fremont plant starting March 23 to help prevent the virus'

A fire at a Moscow hospital treating people infected by the new coronavirus killed one patient and forced the evacuation of about 200 others. News reports said the fire at the facility in the northern part of the city has been extinguished. No cause was immediately determined for the fire, which affected a ward of the hospital that had been repurposed for treating victims of the new coronavirus. Mayor Sergei Sobyanin confirmed reports that a patient had died and said those evacuated would be transferred to other hospitals. It was not clear how many of the evacuees were suffering from COVID-19.

Fighting between forces loyal to rival governments over Libya's capital intensified Saturday with heavy artillery shelling hitting the sole functioning airport in Tripoli, setting jet fuel tanks ablaze and damaging passenger planes, authorities in west Libya and the UN said. The Tripoli-based Transportation Ministry said one of the damaged aircraft had been scheduled to leave Tripoli to bring back Libyans stranded in Spain by the coronavirus lockdown. It blamed east-based forces fighting to take the capital for over a year for the attack. Libya has been in turmoil since 2011, when a civil war toppled long-time dictator Moammar Gadhafi, who was later killed. The country has since split between rival administrations in the east and the west, each backed by armed groups and foreign countries. Brega Petroleum Marketing Company said the shelling at Mitiga airport set its jet fuel tanks on fire. The company, which is part of Libya's National Oil Corporation, shared footage of apparent ...

The coronavirus in Japan has brought not just an epidemic of infections, but also an onslaught of bullying and discrimination against the sick, their families and health workers. A government campaign to raise awareness seems to be helping, at least for medical workers. But it's made only limited headway in countering the harassment and shunning that may be discouraging people from seeking testing and care and hindering the battle against the pandemic. When Arisa Kadono tested positive and was hospitalized in early April, she was only identified as a woman in her 20s in food business. Soon, friends let her know that groundless rumours were circulating: that the family-run bar she helps with was a hotbed of virus; that she had dined with a popular baseball player who was infected earlier but she has never met; that she was sneaking out of the hospital and spreading the virus. It was as if I was a criminal, Kadono said in an interview from her home in Himeji, western Japan, after ending

U2 frontman Bono believes the future of live gigs looks "very different" as the world struggles to recover from the coronavirus pandemic. According to Contactmusic, the singer said drive-in shows can be a successful alternative as there is a possibility to maintain social distancing. "I think it will be very different for a while. I heard discussion of sort of drive-in type shows. "Outside the stadiums, you have these big (parking lots) -- so setting up drive-ins, where you have bands playing live from their rehearsal rooms," Bono said. The 59-year-old singer, whose real name is Paul David Hewson, is happy that his band was able to finish of its tour before the lockdown. "We haven't learned to phone in our shows. They're full-tilt for us," he said.

Filmmaker Stella Meghie says it is a "privilege" to direct the Whitney Houston biopic, "I Wanna Dance with Somebody". The "Photograph" director said it was important for her to tell Whitney's story and "extend" the music icon's legacy. "Whitney Houston is the greatest singer of all time, so it's a privilege to be able to tell her story. I'm very lucky to have the support of Pat Houston (Whitney's sister-in-law) and Anthony McCarten (screenwriter) and Clive Davis (music producer) to direct the film. "It's amazing talking about her so much and it's just very important to all of us to kind of extend her legacy and to tell her story. It's the most exciting job I've ever been in a position to tell," Meghie told The Hollywood Reporter. Davis, who mentored the late singer, is producing the project along with the Whitney Houston estate and McCarten. Whitney died in 2012 aged 48, drowning in her bathtub after ingesting a large amount of cocaine. Despite a career marked by drug addiction, she ..

South Korea's president is urging citizens not to lower their guard down, but said there's no reason to be panicked amid worries about a new surge in the coronavirus outbreak in the country. President Moon Jae-in made the comments in a speech Sunday as his health authorities detected a slew of new cases linked to nightclubs in Seoul's Itaewon district in recent days. Earlier, South Korea's caseload had been waning for weeks, prompting authorities to relax their social distancing rules. The infection cluster which recently occurred in entertainment facilities," Moon said, "has raised awareness that, even during the stabilisation phase, similar situations can arise again anytime, anywhere in an enclosed, crowded space. Moon added that, We must never lower our guard regarding epidemic prevention. But he also said there's no reason to stand still out of fear. Moon says South Korea has the right quarantine and medical systems combined with experience to respond quickly to any unexpected ..

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who has won bipartisan praise for rallying supplies for his ravaged hospitals and helping slow the coronavirus, is coming under increasing criticism for not bringing that same level of commitment to a problem that has so far stymied him: nursing homes. In part-lecture, part-cheerleading briefings that have made him a Democratic counter to President Donald Trump, Cuomo has often seemed dismissive and resigned to defeat when asked about his state leading the nation in nursing home deaths. We've tried everything to keep it out of a nursing home, but it's virtually impossible, Cuomo told reporters. Now is not the best time to put your mother in a nursing home. That is a fact. Residents' relatives, health care watchdogs and lawmakers from both parties cite problems with testing and transparency that have prevented officials and the public from grasping the full scale of the catastrophe. And they are second-guessing a state directive that requires nursing ..

Pavle Jovanovic, who competed in bobsleigh for the United States at the 2006 Olympics, took his own life last weekend at the age of 43, the US Bobsled and Skeleton federation said Saturday. "The winter sports community has suffered a tragic loss," said federation chief executive Aron McGuire, a former teammate of Jovanovic. "Pavle's passion and commitment towards bobsled was seen and felt by his teammates, coaches, competitors, and fans of the sport. He lived life to the fullest and had a lasting influence on all those who had the opportunity to spend time with him." Jovanovic, who competed in bobsleigh for the United States at the 2006 Olympics, took his own life last weekend at the age of 43, the US Bobsled and Skeleton Federation said Saturday. "The winter sports community has suffered a tragic loss," said federation chief executive Aron McGuire, a former teammate of Jovanovic. "Pavle's passion and commitment towards bobsled was seen and felt by his teammates, coaches, competitors,

They prepared for icy cold and trained to be on the watch for polar bears, but a pandemic just wasn't part of the program. Now dozens of scientists are waiting in quarantine for the all-clear to join a year-long Arctic research mission aimed at improving the models used for forecasting climate change, just as the expedition reaches a crucial phase. For a while, the international mission looked like it might have to be called off, as country after country went into lockdown because of the virus, scuppering plans to bring fresh supplies and crew to the German research vessel Polarstern that's been moored in the high Arctic since last year. News of the pandemic caused jitters among those already on board, said Matthew Shupe, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Colorado and co-leader of the MOSAiC expedition. "Some people just wanted to be home with their families," he told The Associated Press in a video interview from the German port of Bremerhaven, where he and about 90 other

The concessions given by the UP government to traders will prove to be a pace setter for the revival of economic activity in the state at a time when the nation is going through a rough phase due to the COVID-19 outbreak, UP Vyapaari Kalyan Board chairman Ravi Kant Garg said. He said the exemption from labour laws for three years is bound to open gates for economic growth that was hit by the coronavirus lockdown. Such measures will spur economic activities and boost the investment climate in the state, Garg said while talking to a group of reporters on Saturday evening. He further said that exemption of 46 variety of fruits and vegetables from the clutches of Mandi Adhiniyam Suchana through Krashi Utapadan Mandi Adhiniyam (Sansodhan) ordinance 2020 would boost the trade. It is bound to help farmers as well as traders, he added. Now, the farmer would be free to sell his produce outside Mandi Parishad. Exemption of Mandi shulk (Mandi tax) from 46 variety of grains would provide maximum .

The Jawaharlal Nehru University on Saturday announced its academic calendar and said exams will be completed by July 31. JNU vice-chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar said the academic calendar has been unanimously approved by all the deans of Schools and Chairpersons of Special Centres. "Tentatively, students are expected to return to JNU campus between June 25 to and 30 so that they can complete their remaining academic components and complete their examinations. Examinations will be completed by July 31," he said. The next semester for the continuing students will start from August 1. Even if the examination results are not ready by July 31, students will have the opportunity to provisionally register and move on to the next semester. The entire monsoon semester registration process will be completely online making it easy for the students to register even from their homes," he said. The deadline for research scholars to submit their theses/dissertations has been extended to December ...

Apart from Shillong which currently has two active COVID-19 cases, the Meghalaya government has allowed shops to reopen and vehicles to ply across the state from Monday. The decision was taken at a review meeting chaired by Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, official sources said. "The deputy commissioners and district transport officers have been asked to work out the modalities for regulating (public and private transport) on a rotation basis," Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong said on Saturday. All passenger vehicles have been asked to run with 50 per cent occupancy. In Shillong, Tynsong said, the government has granted permission to automobile and stationery shops for resuming business, while adhering to social distancing norms. The relaxations, however, do not apply to two main commercial hubs Lewduh market and Khyndailad market for now, he stated. Meanwhile, the state has ordered mandatory home quarantine for people who recently visited two medical facilities ..

The Bombay High Court has directed the Maharashtra government to issue a clear directive to the state police to ensure ambulances or other vehicles ferrying pets and sick animals to and from veterinary clinics are not stopped during the lockdown. Justice S C Gupte in an order on Friday said the police administration must not obstruct or stop such vehicles. He also directed the state to clarify its stand on permitting residents across the state take their dogs out for a walk during the coronavirus-enforced lockdown period. The court was hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by a Pune resident seeking permission to take her pet dogs outside for their daily walks. The PIL, filed through advocate Harshwardhan Bhende, claimed several police stations under the jurisdiction of Pune Police had issued "arbitrary directions" to housing societies to stop residents from taking their dogs outside for walks. Advocate Bhende also told the high court that several ambulances and

Senior Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Sunday said the Maharashtra government should give permission to private vehicles for ferrying migrant labourers to their native places during the lockdown. Raising concern over migrant workers setting off for their hometowns on foot, Raut said they were falling sick and some have also died. "The labour class is walking back home, this is not a good picture. Their children are with them. Railways is not ready to operate trains for them. The state government should give permission to private vehicles to ply," Raut tweeted. "People are falling ill while walking. Some have died. Even then their walking hasn't stopped, the Rajya Sabha member further said. Sixteen migrant workers sleeping on rail tracks while returning to Madhya Pradesh were crushed to death by a goods train in Aurangabad district of Maharashtra in the early hours of Friday. The labourers, rendered jobless due to the coronavirus-enforced lockdown, had set off for their ...

He hops off a helicopter, whips off his shades and makes a dash through the grounds towards his home to give his mother a surprise, but there she is, waiting at the door with a pooja thali' in her hand. That admittedly cheesy scene between Shah Rukh Khan and Jaya Bachchan from the blockbuster Hindi film Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham was playing in Sonali Puri's mind when she was on a Mumbai-Jammu flight to give her mother a surprise last month. Her mother was at the door just as she had imagined but instead of a thali' was a hand sanitiser! Good hygiene is a blessing in times of coronavirus, my mother told me, laughed the 37-year-old. That was in mid-March, a few days before the coronavirus forced lockdown began on March 25. And home in Jammu is where Puri still is, the short vacation turning into extended mother-daughter downtime, both recalibrating their equations as they spend focused time with each other after years. This Mother's Day, the first time in years perhaps that Puri has been .

In a major administrative reshuffle amid the lockdown, the Madhya Pradesh government has transferred 50 Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers, including some additional chief secretaries, principal secretaries and a former chief secretary. This is the first major bureaucratic rejig by the BJP-led state government since Shivraj Singh Chouhan became chief minister in March this year. As per the order issued on Saturday night, former chief secretary Gopal Reddy has been posted as chairman of the revenue board at Gwalior, I C P Keshari as vice chairman of the Narmada Valley Development Authority, Vinod Kumar as additional chief secretary (ACS) of the general administration department and J N Kansotia as ACS of the animal husbandry department, official sources said. Besides, Anupam Rajan is posted as principal secretary of the public relations and higher education departments. The government has removed P Narhari as commissioner of the public relations department and ...

Former India opener Gautam Gambhir doesn't see major changes in the way cricket is played in the post COVID-19 scenario besides the ban on using saliva on the ball. The International Cricket Council is considering legalisation of the usage of artificial substances to shine the ball instead of saliva. "I don't think a lot of rules and regulations will be changed, you can probably have an alternate for the usage of saliva apart from that I don't think so many changes will happen," Gambhir told Star Sports. "Players and everyone else need to live with this virus; probably they have to get used to it that there is a virus and that it will be around. Players might end up catching it, and you got to live with it." Though social distancing is possible in cricket to a certain extent, other sports will find it tougher when sporting action resumes, said the southpaw. "Social distancing and other rules may not be easy for any sport to maintain. You can still manage to do it with cricket, but ...

: Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has instructed officials to prepare a comprehensive agriculture policy for the state with an aim to make the agriculture sector profitable. Rao said he would be talking to farmers through clusters, farmers groups such as Rythu Bandhu Samithis and agriculture officers through a video conference very soon, an official release issued late on Saturday night said. Rao, who held a review on the agriculture department, instructed officials concerned to prepare the comprehensive agriculture policy and stressed the need for everything to happen in tune with it. "The government should decide on which crops the farmers should cultivate. Planning should be done in such a way that crops should be cultivated based on the food needs of people in the state and the crops, which are in demand in the markets in other regions," Rao said. Alternative crops should be identified and suggested to farmers and cultivation done on these lines, he said,

Notwithstanding the ongoing lockdown which has mostly restricted the movement of vehicles to essential commodities only, the 270-km Jammu-Srinagar national highway has become a nightmare for the commuters due to the pathetic condition of the only all-weather road linking Kashmir with the rest of the country. The people living along the strategic highway, especially in the most slide prone Ramban-Banihal sector, are also exasperated over the slow pace of work on the four-laning project being undertaken by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) over the past nine years. "This is not the road but has become a virtual death trap. You can see the drivers of all types of vehicles, both light and heavy, moving out of their lanes to avoid the massive potholes dotting the highway right from Samroli to Qazigund, a distance of almost 120-kms, thus increasing the chances of accidents on the hilly road," Rajinder Singh, a frequent traveller between the twin capitals, told PTI. Singh said ..