Latest news with #Ansar
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Sad reason woman stole bus and went on 7-mile journey before spitting on cops
Shazma Ansar spat at three officers after stealing the bus and driving for seven miles, smashing into parked cars - a court heard she was suffering from paranoid schizophrenia A knife-wielding woman stole a bus from an airport and took it on a seven-mile journey which ended in a smash with parked cars for a tragic reason. Shazma Ansar, 29, used the blade to threaten driver Mark Lewis and demanded he take her to London from Birmingham shortly after midnight. He went to get police for support but found the bus had gone when he returned. But she was eventually arrested on St. Benedicts Road, Small Heath, after smashing into stationary cars and wedging the bus between vehicles when she was trying to turn around. In custody she also spat at three different officers. Birmingham Crown Court heard Ansar, previously from Shard End, suffered paranoid schizophrenia and had not been taking her medication at the time. On Wednesday she was sentenced to a hospital order with restrictions under the Mental Health Act, reports BirminghamLive. She admitted threatening someone with a knife, aggravated vehicle taking, three charges of assaulting an emergency worker as well as driving without a licence and insurance. Ansar had boarded the bus on Timberley Lane, Shard End, shortly after midnight on September 24 last year. She asked to go to Small Heath but when Mr Lewis said he was going to Birmingham Airport she agreed to go there instead. Prosecutor Sally Cairns said: "When they arrived the defendant was the only passenger. She lay down across the back seats. Mr Lewis drove the bus to a stand at Birmingham Airport and displayed the 'out of service' sign. He asked the defendant if she was going to leave. She demanded to be taken to London. "Mr Lewis told her he couldn't do that, but he could take her back to where she got on. The defendant walked down the bus, close to the driver's side, with a kitchen knife in her hand. She said 'if you don't take me to London I will kill you', swearing at Mr Lewis." Mr Lewis agreed and convinced Ansar to let him go to the toilet. Instead, he alerted police at the airport but when they returned the bus had gone. It was next spotted on Coventry Road where Ansar turned off into St. Benedicts Road which had cars parked on either side. Ms Cairns said: "As it drove down the bus clipped wing mirrors. The defendant turned left and tried to turn the rear of the bus. It collided with a parked car and pushed that car into another car. The defendant carried on driving dragging parked cars caught on the bus. She tried to manoeuvre the bus by doubled parked cars but the bus became lodged." Police arrived to find Ansar beeping the horn, 'acting bizarrely' and 'asking for a Lamborghini'. She was arrested but later on that morning she spat in the face of a detention officer after asking to be let go. She also spat at two police constables after being taken to Sandwell Hospital having complained of chest pains. Psychiatrists have confirmed she suffers from paranoid schizophrenia with symptoms including hearing voices and acting upon them, the court was told. Ansar is currently being treated at Chadwick Lodge secure mental health hospital in Milton Keynes. Recorder Rebecca Wade agreed to the recommendation for a hospital order with restrictions, concluding Ansar had a 'lack of insight' into her mental illness and offending as well as taking into account her 'persistent history of none-compliance with treatment'. She added she posed a risk of causing serious harm to the public if not detained.
Straits Times
4 days ago
- Business
- Straits Times
Telco software firm Circles targets listings on Nasdaq, SGX: CEO
co-founder and CEO Rameez Ansar said the IPOs will depend on market conditions and regulators in both countries. ST PHOTO: GIN TAY SINGAPORE – The parent company of local virtual telco pioneer may opt for a listing on the Nasdaq in New York, while the telco itself looks to hold an initial public offering (IPO) on the Singapore Exchange (SGX). Mr Rameez Ansar, who is the chief executive officer and co-founder of Circles, told The Straits Times on May 27 that the IPOs will depend on market conditions and regulators in Singapore and the US. He noted that the double listings would aim to let and the fast-growing Circles software business focus on how they can each best grow, yet retain the benefits of their shared roots. Though he was reticent to pin down when the IPOs might occur, Mr Ansar noted the company has a two-year target to reach 'world-class' business metrics to secure sterling share performance. 'We should be (in a position where), if we have to flip a switch and list, we'd have a good starting point in the US business,' he said, adding that the company has already tied up with American telecommunications giant AT&T. The software business sells and helps deploy a one-stop platform that allows telcos to oversee billing, activate e-SIM cards and provide customer service, among other features. The software, called Circles X and originally built for has now been adopted by customers as far afield as Japan, Pakistan and Mexico. Mr Ansar had just returned from a work trip to the US earlier in May where he had talks with six or so telcos about potential partnerships. 'We have a global software business; it's critical software we make, it's got the right margins, the right revenue growth, so the option is up to us,' he said at the company's new headquarters in Alexandra Terrace. 'I would say that the IPO is a primary strategy right now, but it is also something that gives the business focus.' He declined to reveal specific numbers for the privately held company, but said annual revenue for the software business has crossed the US$100 million (S$129 million) mark, with a growth rate at well above 30 per cent a year and gross margins of over 70 per cent. The software business also has an order book in excess of US$100 million, Mr Ansar added, noting that the unit grew larger than around a year ago. The company's backers include private equity giant Warburg Pincus and EDBI, the investment arm of Singapore's Economic Development Board. Mr Ansar did not entirely rule out another round of private equity fund raising as an alternative to the two listings, nor divesting to fund the software unit's growth plans. However, divestment is not on the cards at this point, despite a November 2024 report from financial news outlet Bloomberg that Circles was weighing up a sale. Mr Ansar said customers have approached Circles on the basis that its software was used to build a viable digital telco – – from scratch. The experience has let Circles understand what telcos need, underscoring how interlinked both brands are, he said. 'I think (the way) people still look at us is like: 'Wow, you guys are a real operator. You're not coming in telling me how the world works as a vendor.'' Still, he conceded there was a possibility for the story to become less relevant to the software business if it gains a much larger customer base on the basis of the platform's brand. The organisational restructuring to allow the listings occurred in 2024, with the delineation of three units: Circles the software provider; and travel eSIM business Jetpac. But an SGX listing would allow to stand and grow on its own merits, including expanding the digital telco beyond Singapore under its own financial muscle, rather than that of the software business, he added. could even, in time, pay licence fees to Circles for the use of Circles X in this scenario. which was launched in 2016, currently operates only in Singapore, though Circles has been operating digital telcos for some overseas customers who do not want to run these digital telcos themselves. Mr Ansar also said each of Circles' individual business lines, as well as the group as a whole, has broken even. He said the idea of listing on the SGX was spurred by the Government's push to revitalise the local bourse. The equities market review group proposed giving corporate income tax rebates for new listings, a recommendation the Government accepted earlier in 2025. Mainboard-listed telcos Singtel and StarHub have posted strong earnings in recent months, albeit on the back of business from enterprises such as data centres and smart city connectivity. Mr Ansar also said the cut-throat price competition in Singapore's consumer telecoms market has led to underinvestment in infrastructure, innovation and providing customers with a better experience. 'Your telco service is being given to you at a price that is one-fourth the price of a cocktail you can buy in that country. It's not about... accessibility, affordability. This is not the question here any more. The question is: What is the trade-off you've made?' For its part, has been trying to provide fresh offerings to customers, such as free, unlimited use of OpenAI's GPT-4.1 generative artificial intelligence model for mobile subscribers. Mr Ansar added that contrary to the past, when infrastructure and consumer-facing parts of a telco business had to be integrated to operate efficiently, it is now more efficient for telco infrastructure and consumer businesses to be separated. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Time of India
Kid's accidental peeing triggers brawl in train; family assaulted, 3 held
Nagpur: An accidental urination by a kid in the general compartment of 04121 Subedarganj Special Express took a violent turn on Friday afternoon. The victim family, including a woman and a child, was brutally assaulted by fellow passengers. The altercation, which began over an accidental act by a 10-year-old boy, resulted in injuries and arrests, turning the train journey into a traumatic experience. According to Government Railway Police (GRP) sources, the incident occurred between Betul and Amla stations. Ansar Ahmed, a native of Sultanpur district in Uttar Pradesh, was travelling with his sister, brother-in-law, and young nephew en route to Hyderabad. The child, seated on the upper berth with his mother, accidentally urinated, with some of the urine trickling down to the lower berth, where the other passengers were seated. Three men, allegedly angered by the incident, began hurling abuses and soon launched a physical attack on Ansar and his family. Ansar was reportedly struck on the head with a belt buckle and sustained injuries requiring stitches. The attackers showed no restraint, assaulting even the woman and the child. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo GRP officials detained the trio after the train arrived at Nagpur station. However, since the incident took place within Betul district jurisdiction, all three accused were later transferred to the Betul GRP for further investigation and legal proceedings. Officials also revealed that tensions between the two groups may have started earlier at Betul station itself over a seating dispute, and the child's act might have triggered the violence. Further probe is under way.
Time of India
03-05-2025
- Time of India
Man gets life term for shooting trader over refusal to lend bike, Rs 500
Agra: A local court in Aligarh on Friday sentenced a 35-year-old man to life imprisonment for killing a tyre trader in 2020 after the victim refused to lend him his bike. Ansar Ahmed, 32, a resident of Kothi Aftab Manzil in Aligarh, was shot in the head by Asif Ahmed on Nov 28, 2020. Ansar's brother, Abrar Ahmed, told police that Asif ran a cigarette cart in the Civil Lines area, near Ansar's shop. "On the day of the shooting, Asif approached my brother and asked to borrow Rs 500, claiming it was for an urgent need. However, Ansar refused to lend him the money considering Asif's bad habits." He added that later that evening, Asif returned and asked to borrow Ansar's bike, another request that the trader rejected. Afterwards, Ansar was on his way home with his nephew after closing the shop when Asif approached them from behind and shot Ansar in the head saying he did it because the trader "refused to lend both the money and the bike". Ansar was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he died during treatment. Following a complaint filed by Abrar, police registered a case under IPC Section 302 (murder) and arrested Asif. The body was sent for a postmortem exam, and a charge sheet was filed some weeks later. "The trial was conducted in the court of additional sessions judge Amit Kumar, who delivered the verdict on Friday after examining all evidence and witness testimonies. As the court pronounced its judgment, the convict was taken into police custody and sent to jail," said additional district govt counsel (ADGC) Ravi Kant Sharma. He added that the court also imposed a Rs 40,000 fine on Asif, and failure to pay it would lead to an additional two months in jail.
See - Sada Elbalad
17-04-2025
- Politics
- See - Sada Elbalad
Negm: Islam Offers Holistic Model of Solidarity
Mohamed Mandour In his address at the international conference titled "Citizenship, Identity, and the Shared Values of Coexistence' held in Abu Dhabi, Dr. Ibrahim Negm, Secretary-General of the General Secretariat for Fatwa Authorities Worldwide, emphasized that compassion and social solidarity lie at the heart of the Islamic message. These values form the foundation for building cohesive societies capable of confronting modern challenges such as poverty, violence, and social fragmentation. Dr. Negm stressed that Islam offers a holistic model of solidarity that transcends emotional or material support, encompassing ethical conduct, faith, and institutional action. Drawing on examples from the Prophet's life—such as the brotherhood between the Muhajirin and the Ansar—and the waqf (endowment) system, Negm called for the revival and application of these principles to address contemporary moral and societal crises. read more Gold prices rise, 21 Karat at EGP 3685 NATO's Role in Israeli-Palestinian Conflict US Expresses 'Strong Opposition' to New Turkish Military Operation in Syria Shoukry Meets Director-General of FAO Lavrov: confrontation bet. nuclear powers must be avoided News Iran Summons French Ambassador over Foreign Minister Remarks News Aboul Gheit Condemns Israeli Escalation in West Bank News Greek PM: Athens Plays Key Role in Improving Energy Security in Region News One Person Injured in Explosion at Ukrainian Embassy in Madrid News Egypt confirms denial of airspace access to US B-52 bombers News Ayat Khaddoura's Final Video Captures Bombardment of Beit Lahia Lifestyle Pistachio and Raspberry Cheesecake Domes Recipe News Australia Fines Telegram $600,000 Over Terrorism, Child Abuse Content Arts & Culture Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban's $4.7M LA Home Burglarized Videos & Features Bouchra Dahlab Crowned Miss Arab World 2025 .. Reem Ganzoury Wins Miss Arab Africa Title (VIDEO) Sports Neymar Announced for Brazil's Preliminary List for 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers News Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly Inaugurates Two Indian Companies Arts & Culture New Archaeological Discovery from 26th Dynasty Uncovered in Karnak Temple Arts & Culture Arwa Gouda Gets Married (Photos)
