Latest news with #Lazar
India Gazette
15-05-2025
- Business
- India Gazette
"Expect turbulence, but welcome move": Aviation expert Sanjay Lazar after Centre bans Turkish firm Celebi
New Delhi [India], May 15 (ANI): Aviation Expert and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Avialaz Consultants, Sanjay Lazar, on Thursday welcomed the Centre's move to revoke the security clearance of Turkish firm Celebi Airport Services. He added that the passengers will understand the 'good move for the greater good of national security.' 'I do expect turbulence. But all in all, it is a welcome move. BCAS has withdrawn the security permission, which means their staff will not be able to enter the airport. It is definitely going to disrupt airlines which are handled by Celebi NAS. I believe that passengers will understand that this is a good move for the greater good of national security,' Lazar told ANI. Earlier today, Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol said that this decision was taken after multiple requests to ban the agency, recognising the call to protect national interest. The Union MoS exhorted that ensuring the safety and interests of the nation remains the top priority of the government. In a social media post on X, Mohol said, 'Revocation of Security Clearance of Celebi, Turkish company operating ground handling services at Indian Airports. We have received requests from across India to ban Celebi NAS Airport Services India Ltd, a Turkish company operating ground handling services at Indian airports.' 'Recognising the seriousness of the issue and the call to protect national interests, we have taken cognizance of these requests and Ministry of Civil Aviation has revoked security clearance of the said company. Ensuring the safety and interests of the nation remains our top priority,' the statement added. The Central government has revoked the security clearance of Turkish ground-handling company Celebi NAS Airport Services, citing national security concerns. Celebi handles about 70 per cent of ground operations at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, including passenger handling, load control, cargo services, postal services, warehouse management, and bridge operations. It also operates at multiple airports across India. In an official order, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) stated: 'The security clearance in r/o Celebi Airport Services India Pvt. Ltd, under the category Ground Handling Agency was approved by DG, BCAS vide letter no. 15/99/2022-Delhi-BCAS/E-219110 dated 21.11.2022. In the exercise of power conferred upon DG, BCAS, the security clearance in r/o Celebi Airport Services India Pvt. Ltd is hereby revoked with immediate effect in the interest of National Security. This issues with the approval of DG, BCAS.' The decision comes amid growing backlash against Turkey after it extended support to Pakistan during heightened tensions with India during Operation Sindoor, in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. Notably, addressing a press briefing on Friday, Colonel Sofiya Qureshi revealed that on the night of May 7 and 8, the Pakistani army violated Indian airspace several times over the entire western border to target military infrastructure. Not only this, the Pakistani army also fired heavy-calibre weapons along the Line of Control. Around 300 to 400 drones were used to attempt infiltration at 36 locations. She added, 'The Indian armed forces shot down many of these drones using kinetic and non-kinetic means. The possible purpose of such large-scale aerial intrusions was to test air defence systems and collect intelligence. Forensic investigation of the wreckage of the drones is being done. Initial reports suggest that they are Turkish Asisguard Songar drones...' Moreover, following Turkey's open support for Pakistan amid recent tensions between India and its neighbour, fruit merchants expressed strong protest against apples imported from Turkey. They condemned Turkey's stand during the India-Pak tension, calling it a betrayal to the nation and called on the central government to impose a complete ban or at least raise import duties above 100% on apples from about 44 foreign countries, particularly Turkey. Marble traders based in Udaipur, a key hub for marble in Rajasthan, also urged the central government to put a ban on imports from Turkey, whose drones were found to be used by the Pakistani side in the recent conflict. MakeMyTrip also urged people to avoid non-essential travel to Azerbaijan and Turkey over the two countries' support to Pakistan. The All Indian Cine Workers Association (AICWA), representing the Indian film industry's workers, technicians, artists, and professionals, officially announced a complete boycott of Turkey for all film shoots and cultural collaborations. Jamia Millia Islamia has suspended all Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) with Turkish educational institutions, amid escalating calls across the country to boycott Turkey over its vocal support for Pakistan during the recent conflict. (ANI)
Business Insider
04-05-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
Jefferies Remains a Buy on Amcor PLC Shs Chess Depository Interests (AMC)
In a report released on May 2, Ramoun Lazar from Jefferies maintained a Buy rating on Amcor PLC Shs Chess Depository Interests (AMC – Research Report), with a price target of A$18.03. The company's shares closed last Friday at A$14.23. Protect Your Portfolio Against Market Uncertainty Discover companies with rock-solid fundamentals in TipRanks' Smart Value Newsletter. Receive undervalued stocks, resilient to market uncertainty, delivered straight to your inbox. According to TipRanks, Lazar is an analyst with an average return of -4.7% and a 30.77% success rate. Lazar covers the Basic Materials sector, focusing on stocks such as Bluescope Steel , James Hardie, and Sims. Currently, the analyst consensus on Amcor PLC Shs Chess Depository Interests is a Moderate Buy with an average price target of A$17.94, representing a 26.07% upside. In a report released on May 2, Citi also maintained a Buy rating on the stock with a A$19.00 price target.
Daily Mail
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Liberal candidate for McMahon Carmen Lazar wrote a character reference for an Iraqi refugee convicted of a sickening sex act
A Liberal candidate described an Iraqi refugee who was convicted of masturbating in front of a minor on a train as a 'team player' in a character reference for an appeal against his rejected Australian citizenship application. Carmen Lazar, the Coalition hopeful in the seat of McMahon in western Sydney, is a former Labor councillor who fell out with the party after energy minister Chris Bowen, and current McMahon MP, backed another candidate in the 2023 NSW state election. Ms Lazar, an Order of Australia recipient and prominent member of the Assyrian-Australian community, appeared alongside Peter Dutton at a press conference last month where the Opposition Leader claimed she was doing a 'fantastic job'. It was in Ms Lazar's role as program manager at the Assyrian Australian Association that she penned a character reference in 2021 for a man who can only legally be identified by the pseudonym 'TKQS'. At the time he was a 30-year-old Iraqi refugee who had first arrived in Australia in December 2013 with ambitions to be a police officer. But he had his application for Australian citizenship rejected in June 2021 because a delegate for the Minister for Immigration Alex Hawke found he was not of 'good character'. In addition to an extensive history of driving offences, the man had a conviction for committing an act of indecency with a minor. According to a police facts sheet, he boarded a train on April 17, 2018, where he sat a row behind a minor and started masturbating. 'He continued to do so for 15 minutes and whilst looking in the direction of the victim,' the Administrative Appeals Tribunal decision on his rejected citizenship application states. 'The victim left the train carriage and saw the Applicant's penis. The Applicant smiled at the victim as she left the train and when she was standing on the platform.' He was convicted of committing an act of indecency with a person 16 years or over and sentenced to an 18-month Community Correction Order. Yet, when his application for Australian citizenship was rejected in 2021, Ms Lazar provided a character reference for his appeal. It noted that she had known the man since December 2013 when he was a volunteer at the Assyrian Australian Association. 'She (Ms Lazar) writes that he was a reliable "team player" during his time as a volunteer,' the published decision adds. Daily Mail Australia approached Ms Lazar to ask if she knew about his offending before she wrote the reference for him. This publication also inquired whether Ms Lazar took steps to learn why his citizen application had been refused. A spokesperson for the Coalition campaign said 'Carmen is well known for her work with refugees'. 'This would have been one of more than one hundred people she assisted,' they added. 'So again, we cannot comment on a matter where the person's identity is suppressed.' At his original sentencing, TKQS told Liverpool Local Court it was ''not until I was arrested for these offences that it truly hit me that something was terribly wrong with me'.' 'To this day, I struggle to understand why I did behave in such a disgusting way,' he told the court. He claimed he was in a 'dark place' and was stressed by his mother's illness. During his appeal against his rejected citizenship, he also claimed he was suffering from PTSD after being kidnapped as a child in Syria, where he lived for a time. 'I do it (masturbate) when I'm really stressed and I have too much in my mind. I want to relax and to have a good time,' he told the tribunal. It also emerged during his failed appeal that in 2017 he had received a speeding ticket and falsely nominated another person as being behind the wheel. He was fined $250 for the speeding offence and $5,000 for the false nomination, reduced to $2,000 on appeal. He told the tribunal he had done this due to an 'ingrained fear of police based on the reputation and actions of law enforcement officers in my homeland of Iraq and Syria, where corruption, graft, racism and violence was endemic among the police forces'. Tribunal member Shane Evans said he 'accept(s) the Applicant appreciates how much distress and discomfort his offending caused to the victim'. But he was critical of his attempts to explain his driving offences. 'His argument that his actions were driven by a deep mistrust of law enforcement is not supported by evidence and contrary to his previously stated ambition to become a police officer,' Mr Evans stated. Ultimately, his appeal against his rejected citizenship application was rejected on Huly 5, 2022. 'The Applicant's individual offences are not insignificant and his driving record and the nature of the 2017 offence indicate a disregard for the law,' Mr Evans added. 'I have taken into account the Applicant's positive character references, traumatic background and the other good qualities. 'The Applicant's expression of remorse is acknowledged but afforded limited weight given his obfuscation of the 2017 offending including his initial claim to the Tribunal that he had done nothing wrong.' Ms Lazar used to serve as a Labor councillor for Fairfield City Council before her falling out with the party. She was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia in January 2014 for her contribution to the Assyrian community. 'Carmen Lazar is often the first point of contact to offer help and support to new migrants in the area,' an article by the Assyrian International News Agency reported at the time. Ms Lazar and incumbent MP Chris Bowen are also competing against independent Matt Camenzuli, who was touted to unseat the Labor frontbencher in a recent poll. However, Daily Mail Australia revealed serious doubts about the poll's efficacy. The poll said it was 'conducting local research to understand what matters most to McMahon voters' yet people from neighbouring electorates received it too, as did others from as far away as the NSW Central Coast. A video showed that Mr Camenzuli's name appeared to be 'pre-ticked' as a favoured candidate, meaning respondents would actively have to untick his name to choose someone else. Daily Mail Australia approached Compass, the company behind the poll, for comment on the video.
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Local nonprofit hits charitable high despite overall downward trend in donations
In a time when many nonprofits across the country are struggling to stay afloat amid turbulent political and economic pressures, one local grassroots group is moving in the opposite direction. Impact West Seattle, a collective that began in 2018, is celebrating a major milestone: surpassing $500,000 in total donations to area organizations. Using a model that relies on minimal volunteer time and pooling modest donations, Impact West Seattle is making a big impact. 'It was the culmination of a number of different conversations that were happening, and also a lot of people wanting to get involved and get together and feel connected and feel more part of a community,' Rachel Lazar, co-founder of Impact West Seattle, said about how the nonprofit got its start. 'My mom had been doing what's called a RAK group, or Random Acts of Kindness, and it's really just a smaller version of Impact West Seattle, where she would have a group of women over every month, they would each give like $20, end up giving a few hundred dollars to a nonprofit.' Lazar said its success stems from a simple yet powerful approach: members pool quarterly donations ($100 per member), then research, nominate, and vote on which organizations receive Impact West Seattle's grant. Those donations total about $20,000 each quarter. This most recent quarter, Impact West Seattle members were tasked with researching and nominating organizations that relieve food insecurities. Alimentando al Pueblo, a self-described community-building organization with a mission to heal people disproportionately impacted by systemic and historical economic disenfranchisement, was awarded Impact West Seattle's grant, which they said they will use to bolster their food bank operations. Alimentando al Pueblo was founded during the global COVID-19 pandemic. However, instead of thinking about each quarter in terms of grant winners and losers, Lazar said their model creates momentum for every nonprofit nominated. 'The ripple effect is one of the most powerful things,' Lazar said. 'It's not just the winner of the vote that benefits. All the nonprofits we feature gain exposure, supporters, and often long-term relationships with our members.' And, in at least two cases, Impact West Seattle members have become so inspired, they went to work for the nonprofits that were nominated. Impact West Seattle's success comes at a time when a majority of U.S. nonprofits said the current political climate is hindering their ability to carry out their missions, according to a new report from the Center for Effective Philanthropy. In a survey, 585 nonprofit leaders found that 85% have already felt negative impacts from recent political developments, and 94% expect further challenges ahead. Many pointed to changes in federal funding, political polarization, and uncertainty under the Trump administration. Lazar said Impact West Seattle's model allows members the flexibility to donate when they can and push pause when they need to. 'We created something simple and scalable—a space to connect, learn, and give without guilt or pressure,' Lazar said. 'I still believe inherently that people are good and want to help and do something. We leave these meetings feeling really good, like we've done something to help our community, which is such a rare feeling these days.' Impact's success may also be linked to the fact that it's a woman-led organization. According to the Women's Philanthropy Group, women now control 30% of global wealth and are using their growing influence to drive social change, while a recent study by Philanthropy Insiders found that women tend to prioritize community-focused giving and support causes that promote collective well-being. They're also more inclined toward trust-based philanthropy, favoring unrestricted gifts that give nonprofits the flexibility to meet their most urgent needs. Lazar said she is elated Impact West Seattle will surpass half a million dollars in total grant money at their next meeting, April 29. However, she and her fellow Board members already have their sights on raising their next half million. 'Seeing this big number is so exciting for all of us,' Lazar responded. 'It's a really exciting milestone and hopefully just the beginning of what's to come.' Interested in learning more about Impact West Seattle or starting a similar giving group? You can reach out directly at info@
eNCA
26-04-2025
- Business
- eNCA
India and Pakistan's Kashmir fallout hits economy too
KASHMIR - Rapidly deteriorating relations between India and Pakistan over a deadly shooting in Kashmir are starting to have small but prickly economic consequences for both nations. The killing of 26 men on Tuesday in Indian-administered Kashmir, the deadliest attack on civilians in the Himalayan region in a quarter of a century, triggered public outrage across the world's most populous country. India has unveiled a series of mostly symbolic diplomatic measures against Pakistan, after accusing its regional rival of supporting "cross-border terrorism". Islamabad, which rejected the allegations, responded Thursday with similar tit-for-tat measures - but upped the ante by halting trade with New Delhi and closing its airspace to Indian airlines. Experts say that while the retaliatory moves will not have an immediate or far-reaching impact, it will likely result in longer and more expensive flights for Indians, while forcing Pakistan to increase pharmaceutical imports from other countries. Pakistan's decision to close its airspace to carriers from its neighbour will see journeys from India to Central Asia, Europe and North America take up to two hours longer. "We are currently looking at, on average, an extra 60 minutes to 120 minutes for flights depending on where they go," Sanjay Lazar, aviation expert and CEO of Avialaz Consultants, told AFP. 'Sabre rattle' Pakistan's move is expected to hurt Air India, owned by Indian conglomerate Tata Group, the most. Air India said that some flights to North America, Europe and the Middle East will have to take an "alternative extended route". And the extra flying time may eventually make flights more expensive. "There is extra fuel burn, because you're taking a more circuitous route," Lazar said. "And if you add an extra stop on the route, then you incur additional crew and landing costs too." Airfares could rise if restrictions continue beyond six months, though airlines are unlikely to hike up fares immediately to avoid the risk of "not appearing patriotic enough", he added. Mark D Martin, of Martin Consulting, said ticket prices could rise by more than 35 percent to Middle East destinations and by over 45 percent to Europe. AFP | Narinder NANU "It's always the airline business that gets impacted when India and Pakistan spar and sabre rattle," Martin said. "Let's hope better sense prevails, and this situation deescalates, as this will have an earning impact on airline financials." Indian government data shows that when Islamabad closed its airspace in 2019 -- after New Delhi hit it with airstrikes in response to an attack in Kashmir -- domestic airlines saw a financial cost of nearly 5.5 billion rupees ($64.3 million) during the nearly five-month-long shutdown. Third country trade But analysts say Pakistan's decision to halt trade is unlikely to have a major impact, as regular diplomatic flare-ups between the two nations over decades have prevented close economic ties. India exported less than $450 million in goods to Pakistan between April 2024 and January 2025, a tiny fraction of its overall shipments. Key items included pharmaceutical products worth over $110 million, and sugar worth over $85 million. "Imports from Pakistan were negligible -- just $0.42 million, limited to niche items like figs, basil and rosemary herbs," Ajay Srivastava of Global Trade Research Initiative, a New Delhi-based think tank, said in a briefing note. AFP | Arif ALI But Islamabad also said Thursday it had suspended "all trade with India" including "to and from any third country through Pakistan". It is not immediately clear how this would impact indirect trade through countries such as the United Arab Emirates or Singapore. Indirect trade is far higher, totalling around $10 billion, according to Srivastava. "Informal sources say that Pakistan imports several Indian products this way, including chemicals, pharmaceuticals, cotton and yarn," he said. "On the other hand, India may receive Himalayan pink salt and dry fruits such as dates, apricots, and almonds from Pakistan, also routed through third countries." By Anuj Srivas
