Latest news with #NIAS
The Independent
23-07-2025
- The Independent
Two children and woman killed in shooting while man remains in hospital
Two children and a woman have died in a shooting in Co Fermanagh, police have confirmed. A fourth person, a man, remains in a serious condition in hospital after the incident in the Drummeer Road area of Maguiresbridge. All four people are members of the same household, police said. Superintendent Robert McGowan confirmed all four suffered gunshot wounds. Officers remain at the scene, which has been cordoned off. Police are probing a triple murder and attempted suicide line of inquiry. Police said the three victims are a woman aged in her 40s and two children, one male and one female, however their ages have not yet been confirmed. Mr McGowan said that the suspect has a 'limited footprint' with police. Speaking in Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh, Mr McGowan said that two people were pronounced dead at the scene while a third person died in hospital on Wednesday afternoon. The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) said they received a 999 call at 8.21am on Wednesday and dispatched three emergency ambulances, one rapid response paramedic, two ambulance officers and an ambulance doctor to the scene. Mr McGowan said: 'Earlier this morning, police received a report of an incident in Maguiresbridge. 'Officers, along with their colleagues in the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service, attended a house in the Drummeer Road area. 'Tragically, despite best medical efforts, two people were pronounced dead at the scene. Sadly, I can confirm that a third person has this afternoon passed away in hospital. 'The fourth person, who was taken to hospital, remains in a condition described as serious. 'All four had sustained gunshot wounds and I can confirm that all four individuals are from the same household.' Mr McGowan said the incident was ongoing when police arrived at the scene on Wednesday morning. 'It just happened prior to police attending, so, as you can appreciate, it's a very harrowing scene for all involved,' he told reporters. 'So, not only police officers, but colleagues in the ambulance service, and family members. Without going into detail, it's a very harrowing scene for anybody to attend.' He added: 'There is limited domestic history involving the people concerned and that is certainly one line of inquiry that the detectives will take forward.' He said the alarm was raised by a phone call made from the house where the incident was taking place. 'I am keen first and foremost to express my sympathy to the family members and loved ones who are today left in total shock and who will struggle to come to terms with their unimaginable loss,' he added. 'Detectives have now commenced a murder investigation and are working at pace to determine the circumstances. 'This is a quiet rural location and I'm aware that this tragic event will have sent shockwaves of sadness throughout the community.' Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O'Neill said on Twitter: 'I'm absolutely heartbroken by the news from Maguiresbridge today. 'My thoughts are with the victims, their loved ones, and the local community. 'I have no doubt that the people of Maguiresbridge will come together and support one another through this incredibly difficult time.' 'My thoughts are with the victims, their relatives and the local community in Fermanagh. 'I would urge the public not to speculate and to allow the PSNI to continue their investigation.'
BreakingNews.ie
23-07-2025
- BreakingNews.ie
Fermanagh shooting: Two children and woman killed while man remains in hospital
Two children and a woman have died in a shooting in Co Fermanagh, police have confirmed. A fourth person, a man, remains in a serious condition in hospital. Advertisement Superintendent Robert McGowan confirmed that all four people suffered gun shot wounds. The scene in the Drummeer Road area of Maguiresbridge, Co Fermanagh. Photo: Oliver McVeigh/PA Police said the incident happened in the Drummeer Road area of Maguiresbridge, and that officers were at the scene which had been cordoned off. Speaking in Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh, Superintendent McGowan said that two people were pronounced dead at the scene while a third person died in hospital on Wednesday afternoon. The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) said they received a 999 call at 8.21am on Wednesday, and dispatched three emergency ambulances, one rapid response paramedic, two ambulance officers and an ambulance doctor to the scene. Advertisement Superintendent McGowan said: 'Earlier this morning police received a report of an incident in Maguiresbridge. 'Officers, along with their colleagues in the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service, attended a house in the Drummeer Road area. 'Tragically, despite best medical efforts, two people were pronounced dead at the scene. Sadly, I can confirm that a third person has this afternoon passed away in hospital. 'The fourth person, who was taken to hospital, remains in a condition described as serious. Advertisement 'All four had sustained gun shot wounds and I can confirm that all four individuals are from the same household. 'I am keen first and foremost to express my sympathy to the family members and loved ones who are today left in total shock and who will struggle to come to terms with their unimaginable loss. 'Detectives have now commenced a murder investigation and are working at pace to determine the circumstances. 'This is a quiet rural location and I'm aware that this tragic event will have sent shockwaves of sadness throughout the community.' Advertisement Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Hilary Benn said: 'The news from Maguiresbridge is tragic and deeply distressing. 'My thoughts are with the victims, their relatives and the local community in Fermanagh. 'I would urge the public not to speculate and to allow the PSNI to continue their investigation.' Fermanagh and South Tyrone MP Pat Cullen expressed her deep shock. Advertisement 'Firstly my thoughts are with the victims and their families at this tragic time,' the Sinn Fein representative said. 'I am in contact with the police around this ongoing situation. 'Police are currently at the scene of an incident outside Maguiresbridge and there are a number of road closures while they carry out their investigations. 'I would urge people to not speculate on the details of this tragic and shocking incident.' DUP MLA Deborah Erskine described a truly shocking incident which has 'stunned the entire community'. Ireland Judge criticises delay in assessing Mary Ward murd... Read More 'The area of Maguiresbridge where this has happened is a rural, quiet area and everyone is deeply affected by what has happened this morning,' she said. 'My deepest condolences are with the families of those who have been killed as a result of this incident. Their lives have been turned upside down this morning. 'This morning I was speaking to police dealing with the incident. I paid tribute to the emergency services at the scene. I also appeal for privacy to allow the PSNI to carry out their investigations.'
BBC News
22-07-2025
- Health
- BBC News
NIAS volunteers drive cancer and kidney dialysis patients
Kindness, compassion and a free car ride goes a long way when you're undergoing hospital treatment for health issues, such as terminal cancer or kidney patients rely on the goodwill of strangers, many of whom become volunteer drivers for the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) are among the lesser known roles that keep the health service ticking along - and they do it all for free."It is vital to the running of NIAS," said Yvonne McMichael from NIAS."They go above and beyond on the daily." More than 75 people, from across Northern Ireland, give up their time - and cars - as part of NIAS's Voluntary Car them is Willie Hutchinson whose three children have all had kidney their transplants, they underwent dialysis - a procedure which removes waste products and excess fluid from the blood when the kidneys stop working."They used the car service quite a lot to get to the renal units," the former lorry driver told BBC News him, volunteering is his way of "pay back"."Somebody did it for them so I'm doing it for somebody else," he said. In 2023, the grandfather of six was awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) for services to Hutchinson's nominee was a patient he brought to and from hospital appointments for a number of years."The day that I got the award, I had brought him home – he wasn't well – and I took him into the house and he more or less fell into the chair," he said."I told his wife to ring for the doctor."He died that afternoon so he never found out that I'd got the award after all the work he had done to put me forward for it."It was a bit sad and bittersweet that he didn't know I'd got it but his family were thrilled to bits for me." 'Not just transport' The volunteer drivers are not employed, or paid, by NIAS, and only receive a mileage allowance for transporting patients - in their own cars - to and from hospital voluntary service saves NIAS money as it is significantly cheaper - and uses less resources - than taxis or Nicholl, a former mayor of Mid and East Antrim, has been on dialysis for almost seven years and relies on the service."I can tell you from experience that volunteer drivers are not just transport but they're part of the caring system," he said."These volunteer drivers give of their time freely. It's not just a lift to them, they have compassion, they bring calmness at a time when a patient like me needs that." With ambulances in high demand staff and resources stretched, Yvonne McMichael, who oversees the volunteer car service, says the work the volunteers do is "top tier"."With the capacity levels that we have at the minute, we do not have enough ambulances to provide the service to everyone who needs to get," she said."They cover Northern Ireland, providing service to seven renal units and also transferring patients to the two cancer centres at Belfast City Hospital and Altnagelvin, as well as taking patients to other appointments." Before becoming a volunteer driver, Martin Garrity had worked in an office for 35 years."I wanted a wee change," he said."I was chatting to a friend of mine who was doing voluntary driving at the time and he suggested to me I try it and 15 years on, I'm still here."For him, the best thing about it is the people he has met."When you have your patients maybe three times a week, you build up a friendship with them and their families and they're so appreciative," he said."You get close to them and they confide in you about certain things. Sometimes there's bad news and it's sad, it's tough."So will he still be volunteering in another 15 years?"I hope so," he said."The reward you get is worth it and I'd say the other drivers would say the same."
Time of India
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
41st anniversary of The Times of India, Bengaluru: Front and centre of public policy; in many ways, the city is both a complement and a counterpoint to New Delhi
Bengaluru has emerged as a global public policy hub, fostering a unique model of civic engagement driven by collaboration between experts, philanthropists, and the government. Institutions like GIPA, ISEC and NIAS laid the groundwork, while the IT boom fueled further growth. It took nearly 30 years before for this committed group of liberal nationalists led by D V Gundappa, a renowned writer and philosopher, could establish the Gokhale Institute of Public Affairs (GIPA) in 1945 – Bengaluru's first think tank – 'to promote education for and in the conscientious practice of democratic citizenship'. The institute formalised the activities of the so-called 'Gokhale group' of intellectuals and public officials of the erstwhile Mysore state that realised that a free and democratic India needed a non-partisan forum to discuss ideas on which the new nation-state would be founded. Indeed, the very first article in its journal argued that the draft Constitution of India did not secure individual liberty as well as it ought to. You Can Also Check: Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru After Independence, though, institution-building shifted focus from public education to education, as Mysore (later Karnataka) provided a conducive environment for the establishment of private professional colleges that serviced the demands of the new country. There were a few exceptions, though. Prof VKRV Rao founded the Institute for Social and Economic Change (ISEC) in 1972 to promote research in social sciences relevant to public policy, and Dr Raja Ramanna persuaded JRD Tata to create the National Institute for Advanced Studies (NIAS) in 1988 to not only engage in multidisciplinary research, but also serve as a common watering hole for administrators, managers and researchers. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Gold Is Surging in 2025 — Smart Traders Are Already In IC Markets Learn More Undo These institutions illuminated intellectual and social life of the city in the decades before liberalisation sparked an economic boom from which a new generation of public policy institutions emerged. Prof Samuel Paul's Public Affairs Centre (PAC) not only took up policy research and advocacy relevant to a by-then fast-growing metropolis, but attracted outstanding young talent to civil society. PAC engaged with the first generation of Bengaluru's tech entrepreneurs, who happened to be both idealistic and resourceful, and laid the ground for what I have called the 'Bengaluru Model of Civic Engagement'. This model involves working with (not against) the govt; generally engages in non-partisan, non-ideological ways; is open to experts from various domains; and is funded by high-integrity philanthropists. The captains of the IT and biotech industry generously channelled the city's newfound wealth into public causes, setting an example for the rest of the country. Over the past three decades, several outstanding organisations have emerged along these lines. Prominent among them are the Centre for Budgetary and Policy Studies (CBPS), Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP), Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), Arghyam, Azim Premji University (APU), Indian Institute of Human Settlements (IIHS), Bangalore International Centre (BIC), Indian Software Product Industry Round Table (iSpirt), Independent And Public-Spirited Media Foundation (IPSMF), Bangalore Political Action Committee (BPAC), ReapBenefit and Takshashila Institution (which I cofounded). These cover a broad range of topics, local to global. Thus, you will find Bengaluru's fingerprints on international and national policies ranging from urban governance to genetics, climate change to outer space, national security to digital public infrastructure, but you will have to look carefully, because the Bengaluru model tends to downplay its own contributions and rightly give credit to the political leaders and policymakers who implement them. This is not to say that all civil society organisations in the city follow this model. There are the fierce critics of govt policy, the fearless activists pursuing civic rights and other just causes, non-governmental organisations engaged in social work and partisan ideologues engaged in public discourse. Bengaluru has emerged a global public policy hub because the city attracts outstanding talent across disciplines. Consider for instance, my colleagues: a semiconductor engineer, a microbiologist, a failed actor, a PhD-holding retired general, a spy, an investment banker and a former bartender. Many of them have come back to India after having studied and worked abroad. That's not all. It is relatively easy to assemble outstanding experts in almost any field because they are available in and around the city. Very few cities in the world can draw on the varied talents of such a diverse intellectual community. On the flip side, think tanks do find it hard to attract good talent because the city is booming and non-profits have to compete with global companies for talent. After all, even the most passionate scholars must pay off their rents and EMIs. Also, unlike in New Delhi, Bengaluru does not have institutional areas where non-profits can be housed at reasonable cost. This means, they are spread out across a city divided by traffic, and dampening interactions across institutions. Being distant from the national capital has another downside: there is a tendency for organisations to focus on local issues, limiting the mental landscape of talented people. In recent years, one issue – climate change – has attracted extraordinary amount of funding, pushing talented young people into an increasingly crowded field. This is not to say that the cause is unimportant, but India needs to invest in brain power to address the challenges of geoeconomics, global security, information-age governance, political philosophy, science and technology policy, economic growth and other fields critical to our future. It would be a pity if the city's intellectual and creative capacity neglects grappling with the complex policy issues facing the state, nation and planet today. In many ways, Bengaluru is both a complement and a counterpoint to New Delhi. It often focuses on issues and ideas that the national capital is yet to be concerned with, and that the political system thinks is unimportant or impossible. It also shows that a different approach to citizenship is possible, and the distance from Delhi often allows a different perspective of national interest.
Time of India
14-07-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Emissions standard debate: Centre defends SO₂ norms tweak, justifies rationale citing IIT, NEERI studies
The central government on Monday defended its controversial move to ease sulphur dioxide (SO₂) emission norms for thermal power plants, asserting that the revised rules were based on detailed scientific analysis and extensive consultations. It also criticised media reports calling the move a 'regulatory dilution', saying they had 'grossly misinterpreted' the policy's intent and rationale. The clarification comes in response to mounting criticism following the environment ministry's July 11 notification, which extended emission deadlines and exempted hundreds of coal-fired plants—classified as Category C—from installing flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) units. In a statement issued Monday, the ministry said: 'Media reports misrepresent both the scientific evidence and the environmental policy rationale underlying the revised notification.' It emphasised that the decision followed consultations with stakeholders and premier research institutions, including IIT Delhi, the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). 'Contrary to claims of regulatory dilution, the ministry's decision represents a rational, evidence-based recalibration anchored in current ambient air quality data, sectoral emission trends and broader sustainability imperatives,' the statement said, PTI reported. The ministry pushed back against suggestions that India's National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for SO₂—last revised in 2009—are outdated, calling such claims 'scientifically unfounded.' It said any revision to SO₂ limits must be based on actual contributions to PM2.5 levels and associated health impacts, rather than 'rhetorical assertions.' The ministry cited a study by IIT Delhi, which showed that sulfate—formed from SO₂—contributed only 0.96% to 5.21% of PM2.5, and 0.57% to 3.67% of PM10, in cities near thermal power plants. By contrast, the ministry said, claims that sulphur compounds contribute 12–30% to PM2.5 were 'unsubstantiated' and not backed by any rigorous Indian study. 'Current exposure levels provide no credible evidence to suggest that SO₂, under prevailing ambient conditions, is a major public health concern,' it said. The revised notification retains the December 2027 compliance deadline for Category A plants—those located within a 10-km radius of the National Capital Region or cities with a population of over 1 million. For Category B plants—those near critically polluted areas or non-attainment cities—the ministry has moved from a fixed 2025 deadline to a case-by-case assessment approach. The most sweeping change applies to Category C plants, which comprise the bulk of India's thermal fleet. These units have been completely exempted from installing FGD units, provided they comply with prescribed stack height norms by December 31, 2029. The earlier deadline was December 2026. Of roughly 600 thermal power units in India, 462 are in Category C and 72 in Category B, according to the ministry. India first announced SO₂ emission standards for coal-based power plants in December 2015, mandating FGD installation within two years. But nearly a decade and four extensions later, 92% of plants are yet to comply. Environmental groups have expressed concern that this rollback will worsen India's already severe air pollution crisis. Medical experts have long linked SO₂ exposure and secondary PM2.5 formation to respiratory and cardiovascular ailments. However, the government insisted that its revised standards strike a balance between environmental objectives and energy sector realities. 'This is not a dilution, but a strategic recalibration based on evolving scientific and sectoral evidence,' the ministry said. Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays and public holidays . AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
