Latest news with #TamilNadu
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
Drug-free TN: NIB incinerates 3,500kg of seized narcotics
Chennai: As part of the ongoing 'Drug-Free Tamil Nadu' campaign, the Narcotic Intelligence Bureau (NIB) CID unit, incinerated a large volume of seized narcotic substances on Thursday. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now A total of 3,510.68kg of dry ganja, 0.86kg of methamphetamine, and 239.6kg of ganja chocolates, linked to 112 cases, were destroyed at an authorized treatment and disposal facility at Thenmelpakkam in Chengalpet . A Amalraj, additional director-general of police, EBCID, supervized the incineration on Thursday. "All seized narcotics must be destroyed without unnecessary delay. I instructed officers to expedite the process in accordance with legal protocols," he said. The destruction process was carried out in accordance with legal procedures and under the direct supervision of senior officials, including the inspector-general of police, crime; the superintendent of police, NIB CID, Chennai; and the assistant director of the Tamil Nadu Forensic Sciences Laboratory (TNFSL), Chennai. According to police, this is part of a periodic effort to safely eliminate confiscated drugs and psychotropic substances. This year, NIB-CID officers destroyed a total of 7,139.387 kg of dry ganja, 74.15kg of hashish, 58kg charas, 1kg heroin, 241kg of ganja chocolates, and 0.86kg of methamphetamine, all from 355 registered cases. The public has been encouraged to report information related to the illegal sale and trafficking of drugs. Tip-offs can be shared via the helpline number 10581, WhatsApp at 9498410581, or through email at spnibcid@
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Australian family is ripped apart after their 'sacred journey' to India took a tragic turn
An Australian mum who was seriously injured a horrific head-on crash which claimed the lives of her husband and daughter remains stuck in India as her surviving child continues to fight for life. Melbourne couple Dass Santiago and Sandra Edward and their two young daughters were travelling with other family members to the Velankanni Christian shrine in the southern state of Tamil Nadu on May 21 when tragedy struck. The trip was meant to be a 'sacred journey' to visit his ailing mother and commemorate her husband's older brother, who died in Sydney last year. Their van collided with a bus on a highway, which killed six family members, including Mr Santiago, 45, another brother and his sister-in-law. 'I saw my husband die in front of me,' Ms Edward recalled on a GoFundMe page. 'That image is burned into my mind, a cruel, relentless torment. 'Barely surviving the crash myself with multiple fractures and life-threatening injuries, I clung to the hope that my children were safe.' Sadly, Ms Edward's youngest daughter Natasha was also killed, weeks shy of her sixth birthday next month. The family had been travelling in a van to a Christian shrine in the southern state of Tamil Nadu when it collided with a bus Her surviving daughter Angie endured two brain surgeries after the impact crushed her skull. Angie remains in a coma while Ms Edward also remains in hospital. 'How can I ever comprehend that I will never hold my little angel again? My heart is ripped to shreds, she said. 'I've also undergone two surgeries, and I don't know if I'll ever be the same. 'But I must live for Angie. She is my reason to fight, my last shred of hope in this unfathomable darkness.' The GoFundMe page has raised $108,000 within four days. Mr Santiago, who worked for Nissan Dandenong was hailed as a loving father and a devoted husband. 'I need help to bury my beloved Dass and my precious Tash,' the widow continued. 'And most urgently, I need help to medically evacuate Angie and myself back to Australia.' The family were members of the St Kevin's Catholic Parish in Hampton Park, which paid tribute this week 'We offer our deepest condolences to the loved ones of those we've lost, and pray for strength and hope for the ones still battling through this heartbreaking situation,' the parish posted online. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed consular assistance is being provided to an Australian family in India. 'We send our deepest condolences to the family at this difficult time. Owing to our privacy obligations we are unable to provide further comment,' they said. Ms Edward described how she was living in the 'deepest valley of despair' and still remains in hospital. Family friend Leon Vieyra told 7News Ms Edward and her daughter needed access to facilities and support. 'We need better medical facilities to cope with this magnitude that they're going through,' he said.
Khaleej Times
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Khaleej Times
Indian actor Rajesh, veteran of over 150 films, dies at 75
Veteran south Indian actor Rajesh Williams, mononymously referred to as Rajesh, died on May 29, at a private hospital in Chennai. He was 75. The actor suffered a breathing difficulty in the wee hours, when he was rushed to the hospital, his family said. In a career lasting over five decades and nearly 150 films, Rajesh has acted in Tamil, Malayalam and Telugu productions. The celebrated director K Balachander, credited with nurturing the acting careers of icons such as Kamal Haasan, Rajinikanth, Sridevi, Jayaprada and Prakash Raj, introduced Rajesh to cinema. Some of the popular movies Rajesh starred in include 1981's Andha 7 Naatkal ("those seven days", remade in Hindi as Woh Saat Din), the 1974 cult classic Aval oru thodarkathai (she is a novel), Payanangal Mudivathillai (never-ending journeys), the celebrated political biopic of 1997 Iruvar (the duo), Ramana and Saamy (2001). Although he started his career as the lead actor, he went on to do supporting roles with aplomb. Actor Rajnikanth, an associate of Rajesh, expressed his condolences. "The news of the untimely death of my close friend, actor Rajesh, is deeply shocking to me. It causes immense emotional pain. A wonderful human being, may his soul rest in peace. My heartfelt condolences to his family and friends," the extremely popular actor wrote in Tamil on X (formerly Twitter). à®�னà¯�னà¯�à®�à¯�ய நà¯�à®°à¯�à®�à¯�à®�ிய நணà¯�à®°à®°à¯�, நà®�ிà®�à®°à¯� ராà®�à¯�à®·à¯� à®�வரà¯�à®�ளினà¯� à®�à®�ால மரணà®�à¯� à®�à¯�யà¯�தி à®�னà®�à¯�à®�à¯� à®�திரà¯�à®�à¯�à®�ியளிà®�à¯�à®�ிறதà¯�. மிà®�à¯�நà¯�த மன வà¯�தனà¯�யà¯�தà¯� தரà¯�à®�ிறதà¯�. à®�à®°à¯�à®®à¯�யான மனிதரà¯�, à®�வரà¯�à®�à¯�ய à®�தà¯�மா à®�ாநà¯�தியà®�à¯�யà®�à¯�à®�à¯�à®®à¯�. à®�வரà¯�à®�à¯�ய à®�à¯�à®�à¯�à®®à¯�ரதà¯�தினரà¯�à®�à¯�à®�à¯�à®®à¯�, நணà¯�à®°à®°à¯�à®�ளà¯�à®�à¯�à®�à¯�à®®à¯� à®�னà¯�னà¯�à®�à¯�ய à®�à®´à¯�நà¯�த à®�னà¯�தாரà®�à¯�à®�ளà¯�. #ActorRajesh — Rajinikanth (@rajinikanth) May 29, 2025 Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin visited the late actor's house and paid his last respects. Stalin, India Today reported, condoled with the actor's family members. The funeral is expected to take place once the actor's daughter arrives from the US, the outlet said. Actor-producer and politician Radikaa Sarathkumar, who had worked with Rajesh in many films and tele-serials, too expressed her condolences. Deeply shocked and sudden to hear of #rajesh s unexpected demise. Shared so many movies together and had a deep respect to his wide knowledge of cinema and life, will be missed by family, friends and film fraternity. #RIP ð���ð���ð��� — Radikaa Sarathkumar (@realradikaa) May 29, 2025 Rajesh was also a voice artist, dubbing for the Malayalam actor Murali in the Tamil rom-com Dum Dum Dum (2001) and for Nedumudi Venu in Poi Solla Porom (we're going to lie), the Tamil remake of the Bollywood comedy drama Khosla ka ghosla. The actor is survived by two children—a son and a daughter.
Entrepreneur
5 days ago
- Business
- Entrepreneur
Saarathi Finance Raises INR 475 Cr to Empower Bharat's Micro and Nano Entrepreneurs
The round was led by marquee investors including TVS Capital Funds, Lok Capital, Evolvence Equity Partners, Paragon Partners, and prominent angel investors, who together contributed INR 350 crores. You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. Saarathi Finance, a Greenfield NBFC founded in 2024 by Vivek Bansal (Founder and CEO) and Sunil Daga (Co-founder), has raised INR 475 crores in equity capital to support micro and nano businesses across India's underserved regions. The round was led by marquee investors including TVS Capital Funds, Lok Capital, Evolvence Equity Partners, Paragon Partners, and prominent angel investors, who together contributed INR 350 crores. The remaining infusion came from the founders themselves, underscoring their deep conviction and commitment. The funding round values Saarathi Finance at over INR 900 crores. Headquartered in Mumbai, Saarathi Finance is on a mission to bridge the vast INR 44 lakh crore credit gap in the MSME sector, focusing particularly on semi-urban and rural regions of Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh. The raised capital will be deployed to expand Saarathi's footprint, scale its tech-enabled lending platform, and build a high-quality secured and unsecured loan book tailored to MSMEs. Saarathi aims to provide flexible, fast, and personalized credit solutions, combining data-driven insights with a local understanding of its customers. Vivek Bansal shared, "We are committed to empowering Bharat's entrepreneurs by providing more than just credit – a partnership that values and supports their growth. This funding milestone enables us to accelerate our mission, ensuring every stakeholder, from entrepreneurs to investors, is valued and cared for in our journey." Saarathi's core offering includes secured and unsecured business loans, with a strong emphasis on flexible income assessment and rapid processing. By leveraging technology and deep customer engagement, Saarathi's philosophy—"Aap Akele Nahi Hai" (You are not alone)—is central to its promise of inclusive growth. Backing the vision, Gopal Srinivasan of TVS Capital Funds stated, "Saarathi Finance embodies the spirit of inclusive growth… crucial to India's journey towards a USD 10 trillion economy." With an experienced founding team and the confidence of seasoned investors, Saarathi Finance is poised to transform the credit landscape for India's grassroots entrepreneurs.
Times of Oman
5 days ago
- Health
- Times of Oman
"Current Covid variants in India transmissible but not severe": Dr Arjun Dang
New Delhi: The number of COVID-19 cases in India reached 1,010, on May 27. According to medical experts, the symptoms are similar to cold or flu symptoms. Amid rising sample requests in the wake of a fresh infection wave, Dr Arjun Dang, CEO of Dr Dangs Lab, said the laboratory is witnessing a surge in testing. Speaking to ANI, Dr Dang stated that the number of samples has increased, "There has been an increase in the number of sample requests that we are receiving. But this time, we are better prepared, more informed, and we have better surveillance tools. With the scientific tests that we have, we are in a good place from the preparedness perspective to face this effectively and minimise any kind of damage that the current wave might cause." He further said the circulating variants are subvariants of Omicron showing mild symptoms, "We must understand that the current spreading variants are again a sublineage of the Omicron virus. Additionally, in states like Tamil Nadu and Gujarat, we have certain other sub-variants as well that have been named as Variants Under Monitoring, and these are basically of two types, that is, LF7 and NV.1.8.1. Currently, the cases that we are seeing are more transmissible. They can infect people easily, but again, from the severity perspective, till now, we have not seen any severe cases." "All of these are actually presenting as common cold and flu, and the usual symptoms that we have in any kind of common cold, even the hospitalisations, have been minimal," Dang said. Dr Arjun also said that majorly since few days testing has been increased, "I think, may this month had started on a very low note with minimal cases, but I think in the past five to seven days is when we've seen a major uptake and now we are getting significantly high cases to test on a daily basis." Recently, in an Exclusive interview with ANI, Dr Rajiv Bahl, DG, ICMR, said the government is focusing on transmission, surveillance, and preparedness, but currently circulating variants have mild symptoms like Omicron. "The government and health agencies are closely monitoring COVID-19 cases and taking necessary steps. Currently, the number of active cases is low, and most cases are limited to southern and western India. The government is focusing on three key factors. The rate of transmission and the rapidly increasing cases. Whether the virus is evading our natural and vaccine-induced immunity. Whether the current infections are more severe than before or have mild symptoms like Omicron."
