Latest news with #Mansoor
New Indian Express
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
When Chai Meets Grief : Writer Andaleeb Wajid on her latest book, which explores layered emotions
How does a mere process of making tea, especially for oneself, trigger layers of emotions? For writer Andaleeb Wajid, the technique holds a metaphor of grief. With around 35 novels under her belt, Wajid's recent memoir Learning to Make Tea for One delves into her stirring journey of navigating the challenges of losing loved ones. 'Tea time in my house wasn't a rigid or fixed event. Every evening, I would make tea for the three of us, my husband, Mansoor; and mother-in-law. My husband preferred it if I made the tea. It wasn't a task that I particularly enjoyed though. However, in the days after they were gone and I returned home, I set about making tea and my mind automatically counted out the cups, for Mansoor, Phuppujan (mother-in-law) and me. I then realised that I would never be counting cups for them again. It made me realise that it was a metaphor for my life going forward,' says Wajid, keeping it raw. Writing the memoir was a therapeutic experience for Wajid – allowing her to process the emotions and find solace in the words written. 'As a writer, it made sense for me to put my thoughts down into words, and I was doing it initially as a form of catharsis,' she shares, adding that sharing the pain has diluted its intensity. In contrast with her other works, the latest stands out in terms of style and approach, an intentional move from her end. 'It's more straightforward and is like having a conversation with the readers. Each reader, who picks up the memoir, would probably feel like we are sitting over a cuppa and talking, unloading our deep, painful thoughts,' explains Wajid. She faced several challenges writing her memoir, including organising her thoughts and reliving painful memories, with each word carrying the weight of her loss. 'Writing itself was painful,' she notes, adding, 'It was haphazard and a bit all over the place. I was reliving each of those days, and it made the pain fresh. Time was the only factor that helped me overcome them.'
Time of India
05-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Ex-MLA Abbas Ansari's pleaagainst conviction rejected
1 2 Varanasi: Court of Additional District and Sessions Judge (Gangster/MP-MLA Court) in Mau district on Saturday dismissed appeal of gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari 's son and former MLA, Abbas Ansari, against his conviction in a 2022 hate speech case. The court, however, while granting bail to Ansari and co-accused Mansoor, allowed further hearing on Jul 25 of the plea challenging the quantum of punishment awarded to Ansari by the CJM (MP-MLA) court . The decision keeps up Ansari camp's hope alive regarding restoration of his Assembly membership, which was terminated after the CJM court sentenced him to two years' imprisonment on May 31. Abbas was sentenced for delivering a hate speech at a public meeting in Pahadpur during electioneering in Mar 2022 when he contested as a Samajwadi Party-Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party alliance candidate for the Mau Sadar assembly seat. After the court delivered its order on Saturday, Ansari's advocate, Daroga Singh, said, "Additional District and Sessions Judge (Gangster/MP-MLA Court) Rajeev Kumar Vats dismissed our appeal challenging the conviction in this case. However, it continued the stay against the quantum of punishment sentenced by the CJM (MP-MLA) court and fixed Jul 25 as next date for further hearing. The court also granted bail to Ansari and the co-accused on furnishing bonds of Rs 50,000 each. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like One of the Most Successful Investors of All Time, Warren Buffett, Recommends: 5 Books for Turning... Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Click Here Undo " Daroga Singh said, "After conviction, court fixes quantum of punishment. The CJM court sentenced the maximum punishment, which we challenged at the session court. On the basis of facts, we have challenged it. Since court has full authority to minimise quantum of punishment or even cancel it, hope for justice is alive." Ansari lost his assembly membership when the CJM (MP-MLA) court of Mau on May 31 awarded him two years' imprisonment in the case of hate speech lodged against him on Mar 4, 2022. While contesting the assembly election from the Mau Sadar seat, Ansari, in his Paharpur public meeting speech, targeted a govt officer on Mar 3, 2022, and its video went viral on social media, leading to lodging of the case the next day. The co-accused, Mansoor, who was proposer of Ansari in the 2022 assembly election, was awarded similar punishment. Ansari emerged victorious in 2022 assembly polls from the Mau Sadar seat as a Samajwadi Party-Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party alliance candidate, but went behind bars following arrest by Prayagraj unit of enforcement directorate in a money laundering case in Feb 2023. He was released from jail in March this year.
News18
04-07-2025
- News18
On The Run For 26 Years, 2 Accused In South India Blasts Arrested; Had Falsified Identities
Last Updated: Two blast accused who had been absconding for over 2 decades were arrested in Andhra Pradesh They had been living with false identities for 26 years in a small town. Two individuals, who were wanted in multiple high-profile bomb blast cases in South India and had been absconding for over 25 years, were arrested in a joint operation by Tamil Nadu Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and Annamayya Police in Andhra Pradesh's Rayachoti town, the officials said. The arrested persons were identified as Abu Bakar Siddique alias Amanullah and Mohammed Ali alias Mansoor, who were living under false identities for over two decades, the police said. Both of them were affiliated with the banned terrorist outfit Al Ummah and had been absconding since 1999 in connection with several bomb blast cases in Tamil Nadu, including incidents in Chennai, Trichy, and Coimbatore, they said. They had settled in Rayachoti and had married locally. Both operated small businesses under assumed identities, the police said. They were arrested after the Annamayya District Police carried out searches at Kothapalli and Mahbub Basha Street in Rayachoti on the basis of credible intelligence of their presence. 'A large quantity of explosive material capable of being used in improvised explosive devices (IEDs) was recovered from the houses," the police said. Several incriminating materials were seized from the spot. Electronic items were also confiscated, including walkie-talkies, radio equipment, hacking software, mobile phones, digital storage devices, and coding books. The officials also recovered maps of Indian cities, religious literature, binoculars, edged weapons, and financial records from the site. The police said that during raids, they also recovered materials capable of manufacturing around 50 Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), along with other explosive substances. 'ISIS and Al Ummah share similar extremist ideologies, and Al Ummah is considered one of the largest terrorist outfits in South India," the official said. The police said that there is, however, no confirmation yet on whether the two individuals were carrying out recruitment or training activities in Rayachoti, where they were based in recent years. The police are investigating how explosive materials were brought to the area. National intelligence agencies are also actively involved in the case, the officials said. Amanullah and Mansoor were the main accused in a series of seven bomb blasts that occurred in 1999 across Chennai, Trichy, Coimbatore, and parts of Kerala. While living in Rayachoti, they were involved in the 2013 bomb blasts at the BJP office in Malleswaram, Bengaluru, officials said. First Published: July 04, 2025, 08:55 IST
Business Recorder
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Seniority of IHC judges: Justice Mansoor expresses reservation over presidential notification
ISLAMABAD: Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah expressed his reservation over a presidential notification determining seniority of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) judges, without consulting the Chief Justice of Pakistan and the Chief Justice of the High Courts. The Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court vide its short order on June 19 asked the President of Pakistan to determine the seniority and nature of transfer of the transferee judges, and held that transfer of judges under Article 200 is within the framework of the Constitution, and transfer (permanently or temporarily) cannot be construed as a fresh appointment. President Asif Ali Zardari through notification dated June 27 issued declared Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar as the senior-most judge of the IHC. He also notified that the transfer of Justice Dogar, Justice Soomro and Justice Asif to the IHC was made on a permanent basis. JCP nominates new CJs for high courts On the basis of the notification, the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) by majority nominated Justice Sarfraz Dogar as the chief justice of the IHC. Justice Mansoor, in his letter, which he wrote to the JCP secretary, a day before the Commission's meeting, raised serious constitutional concerns regarding the President determining the seniority of the IHC judges. In the letter, the senior puisne judge, who is now abroad, noted: 'With due deference, it appears that this action was taken without the constitutionally mandated consultation with the Chief Justice of Pakistan and the two respective Chief Justices of the High Courts under Article 200 of the Constitution.' He stated in his view, the requirement of consultation was a binding constitutional mandate and was not a matter of executive discretion that could be conveniently sidelined. The unilateral determination made without such consultation may lack legal validity, he pointed out. He added that while the Supreme Court had directed the president to decide on the seniority of transferred judges, such compliance must still operate within constitutional boundaries. Justice Mansoor further wrote; 'The presidential action in question appears to have been taken in undue haste, which raises concerns about the transparency and propriety of the process concerns that may merit constitutional scrutiny.' The most senior judge, further pointed out that Article 200 of the Constitution contemplates the temporary transfer of judges, not permanent relocation. 'Treating such a transfer as permanent — and accordingly fixing seniority on that basis — could raise serious constitutional questions, particularly where the foundational procedural safeguards appear to have been bypassed.' Calling for institutional caution, Justice Mansoor stressed that the matters raised in his letter warranted careful reflection before any further steps were taken. 'I wish to emphasise that these are preliminary concerns, and I remain fully respectful of the judicial process and the ultimate authority of the Supreme Court to conclusively settle these matters,' he stated. The letter also mentioned that the JCP was urged to delay its decision regarding the appointment of the IHC chief justice until the Supreme Court resolves the underlying constitutional issues. 'Proceeding further at this stage may risk unsettling foundational constitutional principles, including the rule of law, separation of powers, and judicial independence,' he warned. Justice Mansoor also requested that his letter be officially presented before the commission and its contents recorded in the meeting's minutes. He clarified that the presidential notification dated June 27, 2025, necessitated the letter, adding: 'All observations made in the letter are tentative, offered without prejudice, and subject to the final determination by the Supreme Court on the relevant constitutional issues currently under consideration.' Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Chicago Tribune
02-07-2025
- General
- Chicago Tribune
Norridge Public Works awarded ‘gold' standard for water education efforts
The Norridge Village board took a moment at the June 25 meeting to publicly thank Public Works Department staff after the department picked up a 'gold' award from a clean water advocacy organization. The Illinois Section American Water Works Association recognized the village of Norridge with gold status as part of the Naperville-based nonprofit organization's Water Ambassador Program. It was the fourth year in a row Norridge got the honor, and it was awarded at the WaterCon Convention in April. The Norridge Public Works Department excelled in promoting 'where water comes from, the importance of the repairs and the infrastructure to ensure that (community) water is safe,' said ISAWWA Executive Director Annie Storey, who attended the Village Board meeting. 'The award is all about communicating to your consumers, to your community members.' While Public Works Department Director Syed Mansoor – who stepped into the role in February – officially accepted the award at the convention, Storey made another presentation of it during the board meeting. The village was given a street sign designating Norridge a 'Water Ambassador Community' and a certificate. 'Being a small community, (the Public Works Department) runs everything from water to street to resident complaints for garbage cans — anything that kind of falls in between,' Mansoor told Pioneer Press after the board meeting. They are 'the backbone of the whole village.' According to the organization's website, the ISAWWA Water Ambassador Program was established in 2021 and helps educate communities on water and wastewater use. The program was created to 'elevate public perception, knowledge, and consumer education of the water industry.' It operates on four standards 'based on the frequency and method of communication,' including its elected official education, consumer education and conservation efforts. Mansoor explained that Norridge has two pump houses responsible for carrying the water the village buys from the city of Chicago to the village's customers – residents, businesses and more. After completing upgrades to one pump house last year, he said the village is now looking to work on the other one, which is estimated to cost about $4 million. Renovating the village's storm water lift is also being planned.
