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Time of India
36 minutes ago
- Business
- Time of India
HC warns petitioner for repeatedly challenging building approvals in Hafeezpet
Hyderabad: The Telangana high court on Tuesday came down heavily on a city-based businessman who had filed a petition challenging the legality of environmental clearances and building-related approvals granted for a major residential project in Hafeezpet, Serilingampally. A division bench comprising Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice P Sam Koshy warned the petitioner not to play with the courts and stated that they would be very harsh. "Your petitioner is repeatedly exposing himself to the wrath of the court. Whatever be the nuances, we shall dismiss the petition with heavy costs," the bench remarked. However, upon the petitioner's counsel urging the court with an apology, the bench permitted withdrawal of the petition and let the petitioner off with a stern warning. You Can Also Check: Hyderabad AQI | Weather in Hyderabad | Bank Holidays in Hyderabad | Public Holidays in Hyderabad T by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Is this legal? Access all TV channels without a subscription! Techno Mag Learn More Undo he petitioner had claimed that building approvals were issued in the names of individuals who were already deceased at the time. Claiming to be one of the landowners, the businessman filed the petition against the land developer, alleging that environmental clearances should not have been granted, as three out of the five GPA (General Power of Attorney) holders had passed away prior to the issuance of clearance. Zeeshan Adnan Mahmood, standing counsel for the Telangana State Pollution Control Board (TSPCB), submitted that there had been a significant delay in challenging a 2019 proceeding in the year 2025, and that despite an existing provision to approach the National Green Tribunal (NGT), the petitioner had instead moved the High Court. State counsel further argued that the structure in question, a 14-storey building, was ready for occupation. "This is a private dispute between the petitioner and the builder. By bringing it before this court, the court's valuable time is being misused. Not being satisfied with the high court's decision in an earlier matter filed by the same petitioner, he has now filed the present petition," he informed the court. The high court observed that the petitioner had already approached other statutory bodies, including RERA, in connection with the matter, and had also previously filed a petition before the high court. In the present case, he had suppressed these facts. Permitting the petitioner to withdraw the case, the court disposed of the matter.
Wall Street Journal
5 hours ago
- Health
- Wall Street Journal
AI Won't Replace Expertise
In 'Robots and Racial Preferences in Medicine' (Letters, July 23), Dr. David Lubarsky all but says—in rebuttal to my organization's finding of continued discrimination at medical schools—that 'empathy,' 'compassion' and other personal characteristics matter more than medical knowledge for physicians. While those are valuable qualities, they aren't substitutes for the clinical competencies physicians must possess to deliver high-quality care. Despite his assertion that GPA and MCAT scores aren't that important, research shows they're the best predictors of whether a medical student will succeed as a physician.
Irish Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Times
Cork must rise above groans of fickle fans and take heed of Jimmy Barry-Murphy's words
The last time Cork lost two All-Ireland hurling finals in a row, in 1982 and 1983, Jimmy Barry-Murphy was the Cork captain in both years. Adding to his sense of personal torment, he failed to score in both games. 'I flopped on two big days,' he said in an interview for Voices from Croke Park, a book published by the GPA in 2010. 'I'm not ashamed to say it. I bombed out on the two days I wanted most to win.' By that stage of his career, Barry-Murphy was one of the most successful hurlers and footballers in the history of the GAA and one of the most adored sportspeople there had ever been in Cork. Stretching back to his first senior final with the footballers in 1973 as a suedehead teenager, Barry-Murphy was a player who delivered on the biggest day. In that All-Ireland final, he scored 2-1. With the hurlers in 1976, he blew the game apart with four points in the final quarter. Two years later he scored the goal that upended Kilkenny. READ MORE I'd be the first to admit that I would have scoffed at all this stuff years ago — Jimmy Barry-Murphy The point was that JBM knew what it took to perform in the biggest games and yet in 1982 and 1983, he couldn't access that knowledge, or he couldn't execute the stuff he knew. Why not? He didn't work that out in time for 1983. By his own account, he didn't confront the question. 'I'm convinced now that I wanted it so badly – captaining Cork to an All-Ireland – that I waited for other people to do it for me,' he said in 2010. 'Going into '83, I didn't analyse it deeply why I had played so badly in '82. The disappointment of losing in '82 and '83 was shattering. 'I suppose if I was playing now, there'd be a sports psychologist involved with the team to help out. I'd be the first to admit that I would have scoffed at all this stuff years ago. I wouldn't now. I needed to unscramble certain things in my head going into that game [in 1983] and I didn't do it.' When something extraordinary happens, there is a natural instinct to look for context, something that might add to our understanding and subtract from our bewilderment. Kilkenny captain Liam Fennelly (left), Cork captain Jimmy Barry-Murphy and referee Neil Duggan before the 1983 All-Ireland SHC final at Croke Park. Photograph: Billy Stickland/Inpho When people wondered if any team had ever scored only two points in the second half of an All-Ireland hurling final, as Cork did eight days ago, the answer emerged quickly: Kilkenny in 2004, against Cork. Had you forgotten too? That was a low-scoring game, but nine points was Kilkenny's lowest score in an All-Ireland final since 1936 and for them it must have felt like the sky had fallen in. There must have been Cork players last weekend whose experience carried echoes of JBM in 1982 and 1983: so desperate for something to happen that they wrapped themselves up in a knot. And just like JBM, maybe there was underlying stuff from the final the year before that had been unresolved. [ Joe Canning: Half-time decisions or lack of them looks like a mistake on Cork's part now Opens in new window ] The black box will be recovered, but the investigation will take months. In these situations, first responses are always fascinating. The urge to 'catastrophise' is common in sport and, like water, it follows the path of least resistance. As soon as the final whistle blew in Croke Park, blame exploded like a bomb. It was everywhere. In real life, when something terrible befalls someone in our affections, the first response is compassion and a desire to help. In sport, that is rarely the case, regardless of the feelings you professed while the team was winning. Every team has a hard core of unwavering loyalists, but, in general, support is conditional on performance. It is not the kind of unconditional love that you will receive from the family dog. It is far more shallow than that. So, the Tipperary supporters who had run away from their team in tens of thousands last year embraced their players in triumph. As they did, the tens of thousands of Cork supporters who had delighted in their team through a winning season were suddenly disaffected and angry and wallowing in self-pity and a sense of betrayal. How dare they fail. Part of the problem in Cork was that there had been two weeks of blinkered giddiness in the build-up. It was like that scene in Goodfellas where Joe Pesci's character thinks he's going to become a 'made man' and ends up with a bullet in the back of the head. He hit the deck wearing his best suit. Cork were whacked in a mafia hit. The GAA has no rules about that. There were mixed feelings when Cork cancelled their homecoming reception on Monday. The loyalists felt cheated of their opportunity to express their continuing affection for these players and offer some succour. Most people, though, believed it was the sensible thing to do. The players were mortified enough without having to face a rump of their public. Cork fans celebrate after last year's comprehensive victory against Tipperary in the Munster Senior Hurling Championship. Photograph: Laszlo Geczo/Inpho After the Cork footballers lost badly to Kerry in the 2007 All-Ireland final, Billy Morgan felt the players' efforts throughout the year should be dignified by a homecoming. In the event, a few hundred people turned up. Deserting the footballers never cost Cork people a second thought. It is easy to forget how much that group of Cork footballers suffered before they finally won an All-Ireland in 2010. Losing to Kerry in Munster had been an inherited experience for generations of Cork players, but that group lost four times to Kerry in Croke Park – two All-Ireland semi-finals and two finals – all of which magnified the pain. Stubbornly, heroically, they kept going. It is astonishing sometimes how the wheel turns. In 1965, Cork lost to Tipperary by 18 points in the Munster hurling final. It was the greatest annihilation that either team had visited upon the other in their long history up to that point. Tipp were the reigning All-Ireland champions, but according to newspaper reports, their supporters were outnumbered 'four to one' by Cork followers that day in Limerick. Cork mustered just five lonely points, and yet, by some voodoo, Cork were All-Ireland champions just 14 months later. Does that sound familiar? In May of last year Tipp lost to Cork by 18 points, equalling the greatest beating that either team had visited upon the other. Fourteen months later they were All-Ireland champions too. The people that mattered in Tipp rose above the din of condemnation and their voices ultimately prevailed. In Cork, that must happen too.
Irish Times
5 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Times
Tom Parsons: Intercounty players give us something money can't buy, so why are they left out of pocket?
There's something sacred about All-Ireland Sunday. The colour, the songs, the sense of shared history, it's Ireland at its proudest. As the final whistle nears and hearts beat faster in the stands and sittingrooms across the country, the players become more than athletes. They become symbols of county pride, of sacrifice, of identity. But here's the truth the crowd won't see: the 30 players who take the field this Sunday, the heroes we will celebrate, are carrying the weight of it all at a personal cost. Almost everyone working in Croke Park on All-Ireland Sunday will be paid for their role. Ticket sellers, catering staff, analysts, physios and broadcasters are all rightly compensated for their time and expertise. It's a world away from the volunteer spirit that defines our local clubs. And yet, the players, the reason we all gather, will return to the dressingroom having given everything, only to be left out of pocket. That's the quiet reality of being an intercounty player today. According to independent research commissioned by the GPA , players absorb an average of €4,602 per year in unreimbursed costs, despite a charter in place with the GAA. Behind that figure is a lifestyle shaped by elite demands. Players are expected to follow a high-protein, high-carbohydrate diet just to recover and perform. That kind of nutrition doesn't come cheap. READ MORE And that's just what they spend. When you factor in missed overtime, paused careers, academic sacrifices and lost personal opportunities, the real cost is far greater, with long-term impacts on lifetime earnings. These are not just athletes. They are students, apprentices, teachers, tradespeople and parents. As GPA chief executive I've seen this up close. I've spoken to players stepping away, not because they've fallen out of love with the game, but because their families simply can't shoulder the financial burden. I've seen students scraping together rent in Dublin or choosing between sleep and a shift to stay afloat. There's one moment I'll never forget. After an All-Ireland final, I sat on the team bus beside a young Mayo player. He had just played the game of his life. Still in his match gear, he quietly rang his mum and asked, almost shyly, if she could Revolut him €70 so he could go out with the team. That moment stuck with me. A young man who had just given everything, in front of a national TV audience, unable to afford a night out with his team-mates. That's the reality few ever see. Kerry and Donegal meet in an All-Ireland final for the first time since in 2014 on Sunday. Photograph: Tom O'Hanlon/Inpho Could any of the students playing this weekend, or any summer weekend, be working in a bar the night before a match? Not a chance. Their weekends are consumed by recovery, preparation, travel and pressure. Yet the financial safety net simply isn't there. And still, they show up. They give their time, their bodies, their best years, not for money, but for pride. For the honour of representing their communities, their counties and our games. That's what makes Gaelic games extraordinary. The amateur ethos is at the heart of it all and it's something worth protecting. But here's where the challenge lies. Olympic and professional athletes rightly receive State support through carding schemes, tax relief and direct investment. Intercounty players, because of their amateur status, don't qualify for most of these. Instead, the 30 players who line out this Sunday receive a State grant, which is €1,400 annually, to help cover expenses like car insurance, fuel, food and physio. This isn't about professionalising the game. It's about sustaining it. The recent Indecon report is clear: intercounty players are central to an ecosystem that generates €591 million in economic impact, supports 4,200 jobs, and contributes €62 million in tax annually. Intercounty games generate the vast majority of GAA revenue. The GAA reinvests 83 cents of every euro back into clubs, coaching and infrastructure; a world-class model. But the players, the heartbeat of it all, are being asked to carry more than their fair share. That's why the GPA is calling for increased State support, not to undermine amateurism, but to preserve it, to protect the soul of our games and the players who make them possible. Because without them, there is no spectacle. Without action we risk losing them, not only injury or burnout, but to financial strain. This is a respectful but urgent call to Government , Sport Ireland and all those in positions of influence. These players don't seek praise, but they do deserve recognition; in policy, in improved funding and in action. This Sunday, the whole country will win. But if nothing changes, the players will continue to lose. And that's a story we can't keep repeating. Tom Parsons is a former Mayo footballer and is the chief executive of the Gaelic Players Association
Axios
6 days ago
- Business
- Axios
Tennessee launches automatic college admission in 230 high schools
Tennessee is launching a first-of-its-kind college program this year that will send thousands of high school seniors automatic college admission letters along with personalized financial aid estimates. Why it matters: The "direct admissions" effort is meant to slash through the "forest of red tape" students face when navigating college searches, officials said. Participating students won't even have to apply to understand their options at dozens of participating in-state colleges. "No applications, no essays, no fees," said researcher Taylor Odle, who is evaluating the experimental program to see how it improves college enrollment. How it works: The program is in a pilot phase, and will only apply to students in about 230 randomly selected Tennessee high schools for now. Students at those schools only need to sign up for the Tennessee Promise program by Nov. 1 to participate. They'll get a letter later that month laying out their college options. During the pilot phase, about half of the direct admission letters will include personalized financial aid estimates, including merit-based scholarships students are likely to receive, as well as eligibility for Tennessee Promise, which offers students tuition-free community and technical college. Yes, but: They'll still have to file the FAFSA to secure need-based federal aid. Between the lines: During the pilot, researchers will track outcomes to see if including financial aid packages boosts enrollment numbers. They'll use their findings to shape recommendations for long-term services in Tennessee and nationwide. By the numbers: State leaders expect to send direct admission letters to 41,000 high school seniors this fall, telling them which colleges are saving a spot for them. Fifty-three in-state colleges and universities are participating. That total includes private and public universities as well as technical and community colleges. Colleges will use ACT and GPA thresholds to determine which students qualify. The big picture: Tennessee has led the effort to improve college access for years. Programs like the Tennessee Promise have inspired policies nationwide. The latest pilot program makes Tennessee the first in the nation to combine direct admissions with up-front financial aid estimates. The bottom line: Complicated applications and financial aid boondoggles can drive students away from considering college. Leaders hope that making the process more user-friendly will open up new opportunities, especially for low-income or rural students who are less likely to attend college. "This effort is really about removing barriers and shifting the conversation to make it easier for young people," said Tennessee Higher Education Commission director Steven Gentile. Participating Davidson County schools Antioch High School Cane Ridge High School Glencliff High School Hillsboro High School Hillwood High School Hume-Fogg High School Independence Academy High School John Overton High School KIPP Nashville Collegiate High School Knowledge Academies High School LEAD Academy LEAD Southeast Maplewood High School Martin Luther King Jr. School McGavock High School MNPS Virtual School Nashville Big Picture High School Nashville School of the Arts Pearl-Cohn High School Republic High School The Academy at Hickory Hollow The Academy at Old Cockrill Valor College Prep Whites Creek High School Participating Rutherford County schools Blackman High School Central Magnet School Eagleville School Holloway High School Lavergne High School Oakland High School Siegal High School Stewarts Creek High School Participating Sumner County schools Beech Senior High School Gallatin Senior High School Hendersonville High School Merrol Hyde Magnet School Portland High School Station Camp High School Sumner County Middle College High School Westmoreland High School White House High School Participating Williamson County schools Brentwood High School Centennial High School Franklin High School Fred J Page High School Independence High School Nolensville High School Ravenwood High School Summit High School Participating Wilson County schools
