Latest news with #PASA
Time of India
6 days ago
- Time of India
Police beat repeat offender in public, video goes viral
Ahmedabad: A video showing two policemen assaulting a man with lathis in the city went viral on social media on Sunday, raising questions over police conduct. The incident took place on Thursday on Diwan Ballubhai Road near Hirabhai Market, where two police personnel were seen beating a man brutally with sticks and kicking him in the abdomen after he fell to the ground. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now A PCR van is visible in the background during the incident. According to police, the man seen being beaten is Bhavesh alias Mango Natwarlal Vadher, a repeat offender from the Kagdapith area. PI S A Gohil of Kagdapith police station said the video is around three days old. Vadher was booked in 12 criminal cases, including assault, extortion, loot, and attacks on police. He was also detained under the Prevention of Anti-Social Activities Act (PASA) three times. Gohil stated that Vadher was released on bail a week ago and resumed threatening and extorting locals. A PCR van was dispatched after the police control room received a complaint about him. During his detention, Vadher reportedly got into a verbal argument with the two constables, leading to the physical altercation. Justifying the use of force, Gohil said that Vadher resisted arrest and police had to use necessary force to control him. An internal inquiry into the incident is underway, and further action will be taken based on the findings.
Time of India
12-05-2025
- Time of India
Bootleggers held under GujCTOC sent to police custody for 7 days
Vadodara: The two bootleggers booked under the Gujarat Control of Terrorism and Organised Crime (GujCTOC) Act by the state monitoring cell were remanded in police custody for seven days by a court in the city on Monday. The two are Chhabinathsinh Rajput, a resident of Ahmedabad, and Ravi Maachi, a resident of Vadodara. Both have dozens of cases registered against them. Rajput has 12 prohibition cases registered against him and was detained under the Prevention of Anti-Social Act (PASA) twice. Maachi was booked in eight prohibition cases and was detained under PASA once. Police said both are linked to organized gangs that smuggle liquor into the state. "Police sought their custody to trace the assets they acquired using the ill-gotten gains and to find the godowns where they stored liquor. The investigation will also focus on tracing the other accused involved in the smuggling," said Raghuveer Pandya, the public prosecutor, adding that this is the third such case in the state against notorious bootleggers.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Astronomers Have Found a Prime Candidate for the Elusive Planet 9
Scientists examined infrared space surveys to narrow down candidates for Planet 9. Planet 9 would be so far from the Sun that it is just not illuminated by much sunlight. The two space surveys, conducted 23 years apart, could show how a secret planet orbits. Since the demotion of Pluto to dwarf planet, there's been a ninth-planet-shaped hole in the hearts of many Earthlings. How will we remember what My Very Excellent Mother Just Served Us now?Well, if we're lucky, we may soon be able to fill that gap. For some time now, scientists have wondered if a regular planet—not a dwarf planet—could explain some of the clustering of objects in the Kuiper Belt that starts at Neptune and extends outward from our Solar System. (Pluto is considered a Kuiper Belt object.) This hypothetical Planet 9 has never been directly observed and remains theoretical, but in new research uploaded to the preprint site arXiV, scientists share a very educated guess about the location of the long-theorized celestial body. (This study is not yet peer reviewed, but it follows a presentation from a 2024 conference and is listed as 'Accepted for publication in Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia (PASA).') To search for Planet 9, the scientists 'search[ed] for objects that moved slowly between IRAS and AKARI detections.' IRAS and AKARI are far-infrared, all-sky surveys completed 23 years apart. Though Planet 9 has never been confirmed, we know a lot about what a planet in its suspected area could be like. The team used qualities like this—such as a very long orbit around the Sun, feasible temperatures, and probable masses—to narrow down the IRAS dataset and the AKARI dataset separately. They then highlighted 13 total bodies that fit the criteria and showed up in both datasets, accounting for changes in epochs and positions in orbit. From there, they inspected the surveys' images and found one eligible bachelor... er, planet. The scientists are careful to explain that the criteria they chose would not necessarily identify the only possible candidates for Planet 9. For instance, if Planet 9 is over the size constraints they placed on their study, it's still likely to be picked up at some point by infrared surveys like this. It could also be a gas giant-type planet on par with or larger than Neptune. But if it's smaller, it's likely below the threshold of observability at such a long range. And long range is, honestly, underselling it—top theories for the positioning of Planet 9 place it around 400 astronomical units (AU). The furthest known planet, Neptune, is only about 31 AU. That's already 31 times further than Earth is from the Sun, creating an orbit that lasts about 165 years. Planet 9 would also have an irregular orbit, scientists believe, so it would spent part of its cycle even further away. This is why two surveys conducted 23 years apart may just be the perfect way to observe Planet 9. In that amount of time, the planet itself will have completed just a tiny fraction of its overall orbit—enough to travel from one spot into the adjacent spot on the subsequent survey. But a lot of other factors would need to line up exactly in order for this candidate to be the real Planet 9, and the scientists are transparent about that. 'The finalist of our Planet Nine candidate pair strongly depends on how the characteristics of Planet Nine are defined. [I]f the actual mass of Planet Nine is not sufficient to make its flux above the detection limits of two surveys, there is no chance of finding Planet Nine in this work.' This group took a stab at observing Planet 9 using the IRAS and AKARI infrared surveys, which can 'see' further than telescopes using the visible spectrum. And indeed, while the odds of actually finding the elusive planet here may be more like the odds of buying a winning lottery ticket, the work opens several next steps for other teams investigating Planet 9. The data may also help narrow down parameters for those using other tools. 'If the existence of Planet Nine can be confirmed by observations in the near future, it will improve our understanding of the history and structure of the entire Solar System in early stages,' the team concludes. And it would get Pluto yet another big sibling. You Might Also Like The Do's and Don'ts of Using Painter's Tape The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life?
Zawya
24-04-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Cross Switch Solidifies Market Position with New Payment Licence in South Africa
Cross Switch ( a leading provider of innovative payment solutions, has reached a significant milestone by securing its own Third-Party Payment Processor (TPPP) licence. The TPPP, issued by the Payments Association of South Africa (PASA) and sponsored by Absa, is a regulatory status that strengthens Cross Switch's position in the payments ecosystem. This achievement complements Cross Switch's recent certification as a Visa Payment Facilitator (PayFac). Cross Switch brings a highly flexible payment platform ( to South Africa, enabling business scalability and growth. The company can now independently onboard merchants, fintechs and charities, substantially enhancing its service offering and announcing itself as an essential player in the South African payments landscape. By obtaining an all-important TPPP licence, Cross Switch has reinforced its commitment to delivering quality, compliant and flexible payment solutions tailored specifically for South Africa's private and charitable sectors. Cross Switch's entry as a licensed provider brings an adaptable API that allows South African merchants to transact seamlessly on the African continent, including in key markets such as South Africa, Kenya, Morocco and Ivory Coast. For merchants looking to expand into Latin America, Cross Switch also offers Argentina, Brazil, Mexico and Chile — with new countries, both in Africa and in other emerging markets, to be announced very soon! 'This is a vital step in expanding our network and strengthening our presence across the continent,' said Mark Chirnside, CEO of Africa, Cross Switch. 'By enabling local merchants with multiple payment options, we're empowering African businesses with the tools to reach broader markets and unlock growth opportunities.' Cross Switch now enables South African businesses to confidently target rapid expansion and deeper market penetration through frictionless access to local and international payment methods via its flexible API (CS+). The single API empowers merchants to accept payments across Africa and LATAM, and accept the local payment methods. Cross Switch's immediate future in South Africa involves accelerating merchant onboarding. Contracts already signed represent a client base exceeding 1,000 merchants in South Africa. To complement over 1,000 merchants already using CS+ on the Continent. Securing this licensing is a significant step forward in the Cross Switch journey. The company strives to realise its vision of delivering modern payment solutions that meet the varied needs of merchants and non-profits. The company's highly flexible payment platform drives financial inclusion and business scalability. The company is also committed to expanding rapidly, enhancing its payment methods, and integrating advanced reconciliation engines — all underpinned by rigorous fraud prevention and risk management systems. 'Investing in South Africa is a strategic priority for Cross Switch,' said Tim Davis, Group CEO of Cross Switch. 'We're resourcing up locally to ensure we're ready to meet growing demand, and this licence and certification enable us to deliver world-class payment services that are both agile and scalable.' Cross Switch invites businesses interested in exploring robust and flexible payment solutions to connect directly at to learn how its tailored offerings can support and amplify their operational ambitions. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Cross Switch. Contact South Africa: (+27) 21 205 5818 Luxembourg: (+352) 2088 1454 About Cross Switch: Cross Switch is a payments technology company founded in 2022, operating across emerging markets, with active operations in South Africa, Kenya, Morocco, Ivory Coast and across Latin America. It provides flexible, secure and scalable solutions that support both local and cross-border transactions, helping merchants, fintechs and non-profits expand their reach and streamline their operations. Cross Switch is committed to driving financial inclusion and growth through collaboration, robust infrastructure, high service levels and a strong focus on emerging market needs.
