Latest news with #152
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Anbumani questions CM over handling of conservancy workers' protest
PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss on Friday urged Chief Minister M.K. Stalin to stop portraying himself as a saviour of conservancy workers after ignoring their protests for 12 days. Also, allowing police to use 'highhanded approach' while removing the protestors outside the Rippon Buildings in Chennai on Wednesday night. In a statement, he said the demands placed by the conservancy workers were ordinary and justified and there are no obstacles before the Chennai Corporation and State Government to fulfil them. 'They are demanding permanent jobs for those who have been working for more than 10 years and want an end to privatisation of garbage clearance. They want the Corporation to be involved in overseeing of garbage clearance. However, Chief Minister wants to honour the ₹2300 crore contract awarded to the private company with people's tax money. These are the workers who go in advance and clean the place where CM Stalin is visiting on official duty,' he said. In an effort to divert attention from the police action, CM Stalin has announced certain schemes for the benefit of conservancy workers. 'He tried to create a perception as though these are given especially for them. If conservancy workers' demands are fulfilled, they don't have to depend on morning breakfast scheme and they can fulfill their needs by themselves. The worst part of the 'drama' that ensued is the 'arranged' meeting between conservancy workers and CM to 'thank him'. We have seen such playacting since the days of Kalaignar (former CM M Karunanidhi),' he said. Meanwhile, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi founder and Chidambaram M.P., Thol. Thirumavalavan, said the opposition parties are trying to use the protests of the conservancy workers to strain the ties between DMK-VCK alliance and asked why the AIADMK government has not responded to the allegations Responding to the criticism of BJP leader Tamilisai Soundararajan that VCK has not acted in the interest of the protesters, Mr. Thirumavalavan said he has been in close contact with the protesters and speaking to Ministers and the Chief Ministers himself. 'It is laughable that those who just showed their face at the protest are criticising the VCK which has been constantly in touch with the protesters. The intention seems to be to use the protests for political reason, not to ensure justice for the protesters. And, it is also not acceptable to say that I should be the one speaking for the protesters. Why didn't AIADMK speak about it? AIADMK passed G.O. 152 which started the process of privatisation of various zone. I am not defending DMK, but why can't ask questions of the AIADMK,' he said.
Saudi Gazette
6 days ago
- Business
- Saudi Gazette
SAMA: Over 228 million POS transactions worth SR13.6 billion recorded in a week
Saudi Gazette report RIYADH — The number of point-of-sale (POS) transactions in Saudi Arabia during the period from August 3 to 9 reached 228,521,000 with a total value of SR13,680,152,000, compared to SR15,606,245,000 in the previous week. It was revealed in the weekly bulletin released by the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) on points of sale. According to the bulletin, the number of transactions in the transportation sector accounted for 5,819,000 with a value of SR1,037,310,000. The transactions in the health sector amounted to 9,862,000 with a value of SR881,566,000 while in restaurants and cafes sector there were 56,962,000 transactions with a value of SR1,752,504,000, and in baked goods and sweets sector, there were 4,928,000 transactions with a value of SR221,732,000. In hotel sector, there were 989,000 transactions with a value of SR349,972,000, while in food and beverages sector, there were 51,976,000 transactions with a value of SR1,927,744,000, and in clothing and accessories sector, there were 8,378,000 transactions with a value of SR998,901,000, and in culture and entertainment sector, there were 3,663,000 transactions worth SR345,581,000. The number of transactions in professional and commercial services reached 15,083,000 with a value of SR1,035,612,000, while in electronic and electrical appliances, there were 1,641,000 transactions with a value of SR174,837,000, and in furniture and household supplies, there were 2,608,000 transactions with a value of SR489,296,000. In building and construction materials sector, there were 2,447,000 transactions, with a value of SR409,450,000 while in jewelry sector, there were 293,000 transactions, with a value of SR315,067,000, and in communications sector, there were 3,458,000 transactions with a value of SR149,926,000. In education sector, there were 161,000 transactions with a value of SR251,786,000. The public benefits and services sector recorded 700,000 transactions worth SR47,374,000, while in fuel stations, there were 17,226,000 transactions worth SR993,775,000. In laundry services there were 2,914,000 transactions worth SR52,588,000, while the number of other transactions amounted to 39,414,000 worth SR2,245,133,000. At the level of the Kingdom's cities, the number of weekly point-of-sale transactions in Riyadh reached 71,884,000 with a value of SR4,582,144,000, and the number of POS transactions in Makkah reached 9,270,000 with a value of SR578,049,000, while the number of POS transactions in Madinah reached SR9,197,000 with a value of SR545,698,000. The number of POS transactions in Tabuk reached 4,488,000 with a value of SR234,223,000; the number of POS transactions in Hail reached 3,985,000 with a value of SR213,074,000; the number of POS transactions in Abha reached 5,130,000 with a value of SR285,038,000, and the number of POS transactions in Buraidah reached 4,982,000 with a value of SR320,796,000. The number of point of sale transactions in Al-Khobar reached 4,399,000 with a value of SR362,230,000, and the number of POS transactions in Dammam reached 8,579,000 with a value of SR634,676,000. The number of point of sale transactions in Jeddah reached 26,498,000 with a value of SR19,089,220, and the number of POS transactions in other cities reached 20,990,000 with a value of SR878,067,000, the SAMA report pointed out.
Indian Express
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Forwarded, not created: Punjab and Haryana HC grants bail to Fatehabad doctor booked for pro-Pakistan video
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has granted regular bail to a 65-year-old practising bone-setter from Fatehabad, who was arrested for allegedly sharing a pro-Pakistan AI-generated video on Facebook that was critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah during Operation Sindoor. Justice N S Shekhawat, while allowing the bail plea on July 7, observed that Mushtaq Ahmed is a senior citizen with serious health complications and has been in custody since May 17. The court noted that no material was left to be recovered from him and the investigation was nearly complete. 'Further custody of the petitioner will not serve any useful purpose,' Justice Shekhawat said in his order. The case was argued by Senior Advocate Bipan Ghai along with Advocates Nikhil Ghai and Paras Talwar, who submitted that the video in question was not created by the petitioner but had been mistakenly forwarded by him. The police, they said, had already examined his Facebook account, call records, passport and bank details and found no suspicious foreign transactions or recent visits to Pakistan. 'The petitioner visited Pakistan only till 1990 to meet his ailing relatives and hasn't returned in the last 35 years,' Ghai told the court, citing the passport verification done by the investigating agency. Ahmed, who has no other criminal cases against him, was booked under sections 152 and 197(1)(d) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) in an FIR registered at the City Police Station, Fatehabad, on May 15. According to the complaint, the video mocked the sacrifices of the Indian Army and praised Pakistan. The defence argued that the offences invoked, including the new sedition-equivalent Section 152 of BNS, were not applicable. Ghai drew attention to the Supreme Court's interim directions in the S G Vombatkere case, where proceedings under the now-suspended sedition law (Section 124-A IPC) have been kept in abeyance. 'Section 152 of BNS is materially similar and its constitutional validity is under challenge,' Ghai submitted. The court was also informed that Ahmed was scheduled for bypass surgery on July 2, and required urgent post-operative care, which, the petitioners said, was not available in jail. Submitting medical records in support, Ahmed tendered an 'unconditional apology' and assured the court he would not repeat such conduct. 'There was no intention to malign the country or the Army. The video was shared inadvertently,' his lawyers said. Rejecting the State's opposition to bail, the court directed that Ahmed be released on furnishing adequate bail bonds before the trial or duty magistrate.
Time of India
17-06-2025
- Time of India
Connecting people
Times of India's Edit Page team comprises senior journalists with wide-ranging interests who debate and opine on the news and issues of the day. DNA tech means remains of AI crash victims will reach their kin. It has also changed the world When Garuda Airways flight 152 crashed on Sept 26, 1997, many of the 234 fliers were mutilated beyond recognition. Eventually, 48 were interred in a mass grave. Thanks to advancements in DNA matching since then, kin of the Air India crash victims have been spared this pain. At least 135 of the 270 victims – many of them completely charred – have already been identified. Officials hope to complete the task by Wednesday. It's a measure of technology's march since scientist Alec Jeffreys found the first genetic fingerprint on Sept 10, 1984. He didn't discover DNA – that honour goes to Swiss scientist Friedrich Miescher, who made the discovery in 1869, the year Mahatma Gandhi was born. But then, not much happened for the next 115 years. Yes, Watson and Crick figured out DNA's structure and won a Nobel in 1962, but DNA didn't have practical uses until Jeffreys' eureka moment. Within a year, he had helped a boy get British citizenship by establishing a DNA link between him and his parents. The year after, he helped nail the culprit in a double rape and murder case. US caught on in 1986, and by 2013 its Department of Justice was collecting and analysing DNA samples for $40 a pop. Now, you can order a DNA paternity test online. Sequencing machines have become tiny – the smallest ones weigh less than a smartphone and cost around $3,000. US troops used one to identify IS leader Baghdadi on their chopper in 2019. Meanwhile, over 40mn people have given DNA samples to private firms to trace their ancestry. In recent weeks, DNA has revealed mix-ups that happened in hospitals in 1940s when newborns weren't tagged. It's solved decades-old crimes, and freed innocents who lost their youth in jail. It's a gift that keeps on giving. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email This piece appeared as an editorial opinion in the print edition of The Times of India.
The Hindu
20-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
HC restraint on arrest of Akhil Marar
The Kerala High Court on Tuesday directed the police not to arrest filmmaker and social media influence Akhil Marar till May 28, the next date of hearing of his petition seeking anticipatory bail in a case registered against him for allegedly making anti-national remarks in a video shared on social media. He has been booked for the offence Section 152 (act endangering sovereignty, unity and integrity of India) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. When his petition came up for hearing, Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas also sought the response of the police to his anticipatory bail petition. In his petition, he denied having made any statements affecting the integrity or sovereignty of the nation and that the video was only a political analysis. The remarks were made in response to a mocking post by another television journalist. In fact, he had removed the video when he realised that it could be misinterpreted.
