Telangana

Hyderabad welcomed the New Year without any untoward incidents as strict police vigilance on drunk driving ensured peaceful celebrations. Revellers marked the occasion late into the night, while large numbers of devotees thronged temples, including Birla Mandir, on Thursday morning.

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi criticized China’s claim of mediating between India and Pakistan, calling it an affront to India’s sovereignty. He urged the government to officially reject third-party intervention, emphasizing that bilateral resolution resolved recent tensions post-Pahalgam attack

A car was gutted after a fire broke out at Abdullapurmet on Thursday. The incident occurred after the driver parked the vehicle outside Ramoji Film City. Fire personnel doused the flames, and officials suspect a short circuit as the cause.

Forest officials in Karimnagar have confirmed the movement of a tiger near Rukmapur village in Choppadandi mandal after pugmarks were found in agricultural fields. The animal, believed to be a male aged three to four years, had earlier been sighted near Bahaddurkhanpet and Vedugatta villages.

GHMC commissioner RV Karnan has ordered a major reshuffle of engineering staff to ensure effective implementation of works across 12 zones and 300 wards. The Commissioner directed all officers to take charge of their new posts immediately.

Magnus Carlsen defended his world blitz crown in Doha, winning a record ninth title after beating Nodirbek Abdusattorov. India’s Arjun Erigaisi settled for bronze, becoming only the second Indian male after Viswanathan Anand to win a World Blitz medal

Khammam’s Two-Town police have booked Shaik Baji of Lenin Nagar for allegedly killing Shaik Rahman (25) of Balaji Nagar in a violent assault stemming from a past rivalry. The incident, which occurred at 4 am near Sun Diagnostic Centre, was captured on CCTV.

Rudra Rao’s unbeaten 87 and Mahaprasada’s fluent 52 powered Pallavi Model School (Alwal) to an eight-wicket win over Gowtham Model School (Ameerpet) in the HCA Inter-schools and Districts under-14 cricket quarterfinal at Hyderabad

David Kripal’s unbeaten century and Abdul Rafeay’s fluent half-century guided Mahbubnagar to a commanding 10-wicket win over Hyderabad in the Kaka Venkatswamy Memorial Telangana Inter-district T20 cricket championship

Hyderabad’s Abhirath Reddy and Pragnay Reddy struck brilliant centuries but their efforts went in vain as Baroda posted 417 and won by 37 runs in a high-scoring Vijay Hazare Trophy preliminary round match at Rajkot

Telangana emerged overall champions in the third National Sports Aerobics Fitness Championship held in Salem, Tamil Nadu, scoring 734 points. Tamil Nadu finished second with 640 points. Telangana athletes won medals across multiple age categories, showcasing strong performances in solo and team events

Despite Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s dismissive remarks on English, professors at Kakatiya University emphasised the importance of mastering the language for career growth. The CELT programme, now in its 54th batch, trained students in both language and life skills, with visible improvements in confidence and fluency.

Water from the Lower Manair Dam in Karimnagar has been released through the Kakatiya canal to support irrigation during the Yasangi season. MLA Dr Kavvampally Satyanarayana and SUDA chairman Komatireddy Narender Reddy inaugurated the release at the LMD project.

The Telangana State government has released Rs 713 crore to clear pending bills for December, following pressure from the BRS in the Legislative Assembly. Former Minister T Harish Rao criticised the Congress government for acting only under pressure, highlighting unpaid allowances and demanding implementation of the Pay Revision Commission and restoration of the Old Pension Scheme.

BRS president and former CM K Chandrashekhar Rao extended New Year greetings to the people of Telangana, pledging that his party would continue to safeguard public interests as the principal opposition. Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy also conveyed greetings, expressing confidence that the government would advance towards the Telangana Rising Vision 2047.

Newly appointed BRS deputy floor leaders in the Legislative Assembly and Council met party president K Chandrashekhar Rao at his Erravelli residence to express gratitude for their appointments. Senior MLAs Harish Rao and Sabitha Indra Reddy, along with MLCs L Ramana, Pochampally Srinivas Reddy and Deshapathi Srinivas, were part of the delegation.

YouTuber Anvesh, known for his channel Naa Anveshana, has been booked at Khammam Urban police station following a complaint alleging objectionable remarks against Hindu goddesses Sita and Draupadi. The complaint was filed by Satyanarayana Rao of Danavaigudem village.

The Telangana Postal Circle has launched a student parcel discount scheme offering a ten percent rebate on speed post and retail parcel bookings. The scheme, effective from January 1, 2026, applies to bona fide students across all post offices in Telangana.

BRS working president KT Rama Rao has issued a stern ultimatum to the Congress government, demanding the immediate implementation of the flagship 'Worker to Owner' scheme before Sankranti. He accused the government of deliberately stalling the project, which aims to empower weavers by turning them into entrepreneurs.

South Central Railway (SCR) has advised passengers at Secunderabad Railway Station to use parking facilities on Platform No. 10, as parking at Platform No. 1 has been temporarily suspended due to redevelopment works. However, pick-up and drop are permitted at Platform No. 1 for short durations.

A Krishnaveni School bus caught fire near RGIA police station while en route from Champapet to Shamshabad for a picnic. Thanks to the quick action of the driver, all students were safely evacuated and no injuries were reported.

The Secunderabad Government Railway Police (GRP) reported 2607 crime cases in 2025, a decline from 2835 in 2024. While thefts and bodily offences remained high, molestation and POCSO cases rose. Deaths from rail mishaps were reduced, but property losses increased to Rs 4.89 crore.

GHMC may be divided into three units in February 2026 after the current council term ends. Commissioner R V Karnan highlighted 2025 achievements, including sanitation awards, engineering works, property tax collection, stray dog removal, and upcoming AI-powered citizen services.

BRS whip KP Vivekananda accused Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy of treating Hyderabad with disdain, dismantling key urban projects, and neglecting the city since Congress came to power. He alleged indiscriminate demolitions under the Musi River rejuvenation plan and criticised the merger of 27 municipalities into GHMC without consultations.