Latest news with #VIB
Time of India
3 days ago
- General
- Time of India
Two Kaimur SIs arrested for taking bribe
Sasaram: A team of Vigilance Investigation Bureau (VIB) on Wednesday caught two sub-inspectors (SI) of Bhagwanpur police station in Kaimur district red-handed while accepting a Rs 40,000 bribe from a woman to halt an ongoing action against her husband. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Rashid Kamal and Lucky Anand were apprehended and a case was registered against them under the Prevention of Corruption Act. The operation was initiated following a complaint from one Chandani Singh, a resident of Parmalpur village, who alleged that the two officers were demanding Rs 40,000 to prevent arrest of her husband Prince Kumar, a named accused in a fraud case and also under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Kamal was the investigating officer. On the day, a special team of the Vigilance Investigation Bureau, Patna, led by DSP Samir Chandra Jha, arrived at the police station around 10am. Acting on precise intelligence, they successfully cornered both the SIs with the marked bribe money. After legal formalities, the duo was taken to Patna for their production before the designated court. Sasaram: A team of Vigilance Investigation Bureau (VIB) on Wednesday caught two sub-inspectors (SI) of Bhagwanpur police station in Kaimur district red-handed while accepting a Rs 40,000 bribe from a woman to halt an ongoing action against her husband. Rashid Kamal and Lucky Anand were apprehended and a case was registered against them under the Prevention of Corruption Act. The operation was initiated following a complaint from one Chandani Singh, a resident of Parmalpur village, who alleged that the two officers were demanding Rs 40,000 to prevent arrest of her husband Prince Kumar, a named accused in a fraud case and also under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Kamal was the investigating officer. On the day, a special team of the Vigilance Investigation Bureau, Patna, led by DSP Samir Chandra Jha, arrived at the police station around 10am. Acting on precise intelligence, they successfully cornered both the SIs with the marked bribe money. After legal formalities, the duo was taken to Patna for their production before the designated court.
Tatler Asia
20-05-2025
- Business
- Tatler Asia
VPBank taps G-Dragon to reinvent its image, while Taylor Swift shows the global trend
VPBank is not alone in this strategic pursuit. VIB, another private Vietnamese bank, has experienced a notable uptick in brand recognition since backing music ventures such as The Masked Singer and the Anh Trai Say Hi concert. Figures from VPBankS reveal VIB's card spending surged at an annual rate of 56%, while its total assets climbed to VND493,000 billion by the close of 2024. Techcombank, too, saw promising returns on its sponsorship of Anh trai vuot ngan chong gai , a show that drew a warm reception from audiences. Capitalising on the momentum, the bank introduced new features and reached a broader customer base. VPBankS noted that the programme's impact helped Techcombank achieve a pre-tax profit of VND27,500 billion in 2024—marking a more than 20% increase on the previous year. Learn more: From Bvlgari, Van Cleef & Arpels to Rolex: Anh Tu Atus turns Anh Trai's 'Say Hi' concert into a high-end personal runway Sensing the appeal, several other banks have joined the fray. Techcombank has thrown its support behind the All-round Rookie series, while TPBank has taken the lead as main sponsor for Em xinh say hi. When artists help banks get closer to customers—and elevate a nation's cultural standing It's not just Vietnamese banks tapping into the power of music. Financial institutions worldwide have seen remarkable growth by aligning themselves with international entertainment, harnessing pop culture to connect with consumers and polish their public image. Specifically, when Taylor Swift announced The Eras Tour concert in Singapore for March 2024, UOB Bank—her exclusive banking partner for early ticket access—saw a 130% surge in new debit card sign-ups across Vietnam and Singapore. The offer proved irresistible, driving not only new registrations but also a remarkable spike in brand visibility. At one point, Swifties—the singer's devoted fan base—were searching for 'UOB' as frequently as the artist herself. The strategy struck a chord: with a fan demographic that is largely female and with around 40% aged between 30 and 40, it aligned seamlessly with UOB's target customer base for financial services. Notably, sponsoring high-profile concerts featuring international stars has an impact that extends well beyond banking metrics. Kevin Cheong, managing partner at tourism consultancy Syntegrate, noted that such large-scale music events can shape how global travellers perceive a destination. Singapore, in particular, emerged as an alluring and premium travel hotspot in the wake of The Eras Tour. A UOB spokesperson confirmed that the partnership with Taylor Swift did more than elevate the brand—it stimulated customer card spending and created valuable momentum across other banking services. According to The Straits Times , the tour generated an estimated US$500 million in tourism revenue for Singapore, underscoring the economic force behind musical megastars. You might be interested in: Taylor Swift and her inspirational journey after Eras Tour Meanwhile, VPBank's announcement that G-Dragon and CL would be performing in Vietnam at the K-Star Spark 2025 event had a noticeable effect on the market. On 14 May, the bank's share price jumped to VND18,900 per unit, marking its highest point in over a month. That single session added more than VND9,500 billion to VPBank's market capitalisation, bringing the total to nearly VND150,000 billion, or approximately US$5.7 billion. These figures reflect the extraordinary reach of artists like Taylor Swift and G-Dragon, whose influence cuts across customer segments with ease. Beyond that, banks' association with entertainment has begun to dismantle long-standing perceptions of the financial sector as impersonal or uninspired. Aligning with beloved celebrities allows banks to forge emotional bonds with their audiences, a rare advantage in an otherwise saturated and fiercely competitive industry. In years past, appearances by global superstars in Vietnam were few and far between. Local music events tended to be modest in scale and limited in production value. That picture is now shifting. With substantial backing from private banks, Vietnam is fast becoming a sought-after destination for international performers, while domestically produced music programmes are growing in both scale and ambition. This trend is set to continue, with financial institutions likely to remain key partners in future large-scale productions—boosting not just brand equity, but also contributing meaningfully to national economic development.
Time of India
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
SI arrested in Vaishali for accepting bribe
Patna: A sub-inspector, Meghnath Ram, posted at Mahua police station in Vaishali district, was arrested by the vigilance team for accepting a bribe of Rs 5,000 on arrest took place at Chhatwara Chowk, near Mahua police station. The action was taken following a complaint from a man who alleged that Ram was demanding a bribe to manage a police to the vigilance team, Damodar Singh, a resident of Samaspura village in Mahua, previously filed a complaint against Ram, alleging that he was demanding a bribe to help with a case (No. 409/25) and to arrest the accused. "Ram called Singh about 2 km away from the police station to Chatwara Chowk to assist with the case and arrest the accused. Singh already reported the bribery demand to the vigilance team," said a press statement issued by the Vigilance Investigation Bureau (VIB).Director general, VIB, Jitendra Singh Gangwar, said this is the 26th case filed against corruption in 2025. Operation Sindoor How India shut down Pakistan's second desperate bid to escalate tensions Pak used civilian planes as shield to launch failed drone attack: India S-400, Spyder, Akash: What is in India's air defence arsenal? "The year marks the 19th trap, resulting in the arrest of 21 accused, with a total recovered amount of Rs 7,40,000," he added. Patna: A sub-inspector, Meghnath Ram, posted at Mahua police station in Vaishali district, was arrested by the vigilance team for accepting a bribe of Rs 5,000 on arrest took place at Chhatwara Chowk, near Mahua police station. The action was taken following a complaint from a man who alleged that Ram was demanding a bribe to manage a police to the vigilance team, Damodar Singh, a resident of Samaspura village in Mahua, previously filed a complaint against Ram, alleging that he was demanding a bribe to help with a case (No. 409/25) and to arrest the accused. "Ram called Singh about 2 km away from the police station to Chatwara Chowk to assist with the case and arrest the accused. Singh already reported the bribery demand to the vigilance team," said a press statement issued by the Vigilance Investigation Bureau (VIB).Director general, VIB, Jitendra Singh Gangwar, said this is the 26th case filed against corruption in 2025. "The year marks the 19th trap, resulting in the arrest of 21 accused, with a total recovered amount of Rs 7,40,000," he added.
Business Wire
09-05-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Lightcast Announces Limited Commercial Release of Envisia™ Single-Cell Functional Analysis Platform for Antibody Discovery
CAMBRIDGE, England & CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Lightcast Discovery Ltd., a pioneering life science tools company, today announced the limited commercial release of its Envisia™ benchtop platform — a breakthrough droplet-based, single-cell functional analysis system designed to accelerate antibody discovery and development. The company will debut the instrument at booth #711 and present new data from its technology access program at the Essential Protein and Antibody Engineering Summit (PEGS), taking place May 12-16, 2025, in Boston. 'The Lightcast Envisia platform is truly one of a kind, enabling us to analyze single-cell functional activity in real time,' said Toon Swings, PhD, Technology Expert at VIB. 'The Lightcast Envisia platform is truly one of a kind, enabling us to analyze single-cell functional activity in real time,' said Toon Swings, PhD, Technology Expert at VIB. 'We are able to track cell behavior, administer treatments, and monitor responses over time, which helps identify and select cells of interest for downstream studies.' While traditional single-cell analysis techniques often rely on genomic data to infer function, the Envisia platform uses droplet microfluidics to perform highly controlled, sequential single-cell functional assays that capture rich functional data sets to improve decision making. Built around Lightcast's proprietary light-controlled droplet manipulation technology, the platform enables parallel interrogation of tens of thousands of picoliter-scale droplets, offering unmatched precision and flexibility. By integrating functional screening early in the antibody discovery process, the Envisia platform allows researchers to select and advance the most promising candidates. It also opens new possibilities in cell-cell interaction studies and broader applications in immunology and oncology. 'The Lightcast team is excited to introduce Envisia to the scientific community at PEGS Boston and to highlight the cutting-edge work being done by our pharmaceutical and academic collaborators,' said Paul Loeffen, PhD, CEO of Lightcast. 'This limited product release marks a major milestone as we shift from technology development to customer-driven deployment. Researchers can secure their place now to gain a first-mover advantage and access to unprecedented functional insights that will power the next wave of innovative biologics and therapies.' Featured PEGS Boston Presentations Advances in Immunotherapy Luncheon 'Advancing Antibody Discovery with Single-Cell, Function-Focused Profiling' Presenters: Paul Loeffen, PhD, CEO of Lightcast Kathrin Herbst, PhD, Director of Science at Lightcast Poster Number: A60 Poster Presenter: Simon Margerison Date/Time: May 12-13, 2025 As part of the limited release, Lightcast is working closely with leading pharmaceutical and academic institutions to validate performance, optimize protocols, and expand application areas, all in preparation for the launch of a diverse array of validated protocols later in 2025. The complete Envisia workflow will include advanced instrumentation, intelligent software, a purpose-built cartridge system, and assay kits optimized to a broad array of functional applications. The fully automated, end-to-end workflows will support a wide range of cell types, assay formats, and research applications. To learn more about the Envisia platform, visit About Lightcast Lightcast Discovery aims to unleash new capabilities within the single-cell analysis field by developing a more accessible, scalable, and flexible platform for scientists in basic, translational, and applied research. These capabilities will empower new biological discoveries and accelerate the development of novel drugs, therapies, and biologics. Founded in 2019 and based in Cambridge, UK, Lightcast has invented a technology that uses rays of light to control picoliter-scale droplets for functional analysis of individual cells. For more information, visit Lightcast, the Lightcast logo, and Envisia are trademarks of Lightcast Discovery Ltd.
Time of India
28-04-2025
- Time of India
Revenue clerk caught taking Rs20k as bribe
Patna: The Vigilance Investigation Bureau , Patna, on Monday arrested Ravi Shankar Sharma, a revenue clerk at the Sirdala circle office in Nawada district, for allegedly demanding a bribe of Rs 20,000. Sharma was caught red-handed while accepting the bribe at his office. A complaint was lodged by Mohammad Amir Hamza, a resident of Aparadih village in Nawada district, on April 17. He alleged that Sharma demanded a bribe to register the equal share of land among his five brothers in Register-2. Following verification, the vigilance registered a case and formed a team to investigate the matter. Director general of vigilance, Jitendra Singh Gangwar, said, "During the investigation, the vigilance team found prima facie evidence of bribery and arrested Sharma." A search of his office and rented house led to the recovery of an additional Rs 1,50,400 in cash. Sharma will be presented before the special vigilance court in Patna after interrogation. The VIB's action is part of its efforts to curb corruption in govt offices, Gangwar added.
