HYDERABAD: Four activists of a sub-caste in Andhra Pradesh attempted self immolation as the agitation for its inclusion in the Scheduled Castes list turned violent setting off arson in different parts of the State today. The four activists of Madiga Reservation Porata Samiti tried to set themselves on fire in front of the Mandal revenue office at Tadipatri town in Anantapur district to express solidarity with their leader, who has been on a hunger strike for the last five days demanding categorisation of SCs.

CR traffic hit

JABALPUR: Traffic between Katni-Bilaspur and Katni-Jabalpur sections of Central Railway has been disrupted following derailment of eight bogies of a Jabalpur-bound goods train near Katni junction, about 98 kms from here, last night. Several incoming and outgoing long-distance trains were diverted.

Retirement age

NEW DELHI: Army's top brass today unanimously decided against raising the retirement age of commanding officers from58 to 60 years on grounds that Army's efficiency could be affected. The decision was taken at a conference at the Army headquarters here on the strategy for implementation of the government's order of May 13 extending by two years the retirement age.

Re all-time low

MUMBAI: Nervousness gripped the interbank foreign exchange (Forex) market as the rupee went into a tizzy against the US greenback today, piercing through the key-psychological barrier of 42-dollar and slumped to a historic-low of Rs 42.23/37 in intraday trade following hectic all-round demand for dollars. The Indian currency, however, later staged a mild rally and closed at Rs 42.22/24, still a new all-time low logged for a closing quote.

ABS man shot

MUMBAI: Dharamdas Rohit Solanki, an activist belonging to underworld don Arun Gawli's Akhil Bhartiya Sena (ABS) was shot dead at Goregaon on Tuesday. Police said Solanki was ambushed around 8.55 pm when he was walking towards his residence near Sai Baba Temple in SiddarthNagar, Goregaon (west).