The New Indian Express Villupuram - December 17, 2024

In this issue

December 17, 2024

SPEAKING HANDS FALL SILENT

When he was born on March 9, 1951, Zakir Hussain was considered an unlucky child. The arrival of the eldest son had coincided with the family's most distressing moment, as his 'Abba', Allarakha Qureishi, had fallen ill with a heart ailment.

2 mins

Record gold imports widen trade deficit

IN what could put pressure on the economy, India's trade deficit -- the difference between imports and exports -- widened to a record $37.8 billion in November, showing a 4.8% drop in exports and a record increase in imports driven by massive gold demand.

1 min

'ONOP is BJP's bid to bring in prez-type govt'

REITERATING the DMK's stand that the BJP-led union government's 'One Nation One Poll' proposal is not suitable for the country, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Monday alleged that the centre seeks to push the bill with the ulterior motive of conducting a presidential form of election, against the spirit of the constitution.

1 min

Tongue-split tattoo: Minor among 3 held

TWO men and a juvenile were arrested on Sunday night for running a tattoo shop without a license and allegedly putting people's lives in danger by performing tongue-split surgery on their customers.

1 min

Ilaiyaraaja temple clip sparks casteist rumour, maestro denies allegations

RENOWNED music composer Ilaiyaraaja broke his silence on the controversy over a viral video in which the maestro was allegedly denied entry to the Artha Mandapam of Srivilliputhur Aandal temple on Sunday.

1 min

Free travel pass for police in govt buses: Home dept

RESOLVING the spat between police personnel and transport corporation staff over free commute in government buses, the home department announced that personnel ranging from Grade II constables to inspectors will be given a bus pass for free travel.

1 min

Return of land will take SL Tamils wounded by conflict closer to peace

15 yrs since war ended, dispossessed Tamils pin their hopes on new govt to regain property

3 mins

Nearly 100 kids participate in cultural event held at Auroville

THE Margazhi Utsavam commenced at the Unity Pavilion in Auroville with participation from nearly 100 students from Auroville schools.

1 min

Officials promise to allot homes to displaced Aalpettai families in Jan

Move follows a warning from families that they will occupy houses if there is further delay

1 min

New farmer's market to be established in Vikravandi

TO boost farmers' welfare and local agriculture, the Chief Minister, at the state Assembly on Monday, announced the establishment of a new farmer's market -- Uzhavar Sandhai -- in Vikravandi taluk.

1 min

Delay in affiliation, tech glitch hinder med college expansion

INDIRA Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute (IGMCRI) has faced significant hurdles in its efforts to expand postgraduate medical seats and introduce new courses, primarily due to administrative delays and technical issues.

2 mins

Bodies of 2 newborns retrieved from river near collectorate in Cuddalore

THE bodies of two newborn girls were recovered from the Thenpennai River near the new Cuddalore collectorate building on Monday.

2 mins

Suspect's plea against charge sheet in girl suicide case binned

THE Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Monday dismissed the petition filed by the hostel warden accused of abetting the suicide of a 17-year-old girl student in Michealpatti of Thanjavur in 2022.

2 mins

NGT tells Aavin to check feasibility of selling milk in reusable plastic bottles

THE southern bench of National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Monday directed Aavin to explore the feasibility of selling milk in reusable plastic bottles.

1 min

Ennum Ezhuthum, Pudumai Penn a hit: SPC

Planning panel's report to CM includes policies for sustainable land use, job, water & community dog management

2 mins

Suspect's plea against charge sheet in girl suicide case binned

THE Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Monday dismissed the petition filed by the hostel warden accused of abetting the suicide of a 17-year-old girl student in Michealpatti of Thanjavur in 2022.

1 min

Basha, Coimbatore serial blast mastermind, dies

S A Basha (84), the founder of banned militant outfit Al-Umma, who was sentenced to life imprisonment in the 1998 Coimbatore bomb blast case, passed away due to age-related illnesses at PSG Hospitals in Coimbatore on Monday evening.

1 min

TN's domestic electricity rates lowest in India

THE state has the lowest average electricity rates for domestic consumers compared to other states, the state government said in an official statement.

1 min

Reserve bank's announcement on loan ceiling deceptive: CPI

THE farmers' wing of the Communist Party of India (CPI) said the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) announcement that farmers can avail loans of up to ₹2 lakh without collateral is deceptive.

1 min

Sadiq's link to textbook corpn: BJP prez asks min to explain

BJP state president K Annamalai on Monday demanded an explanation from state school education minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi on the alleged link between drug kingpin Jaffer Sadiq and a contractor of Tamil Nadu Textbook Corporation.

1 min

Hong Fu footwear unit to start Ranipet ops by January 2026

Chief Minister MK Stalin virtually laid the foundation stone for the ₹1,500 crore non-leather footwear manufacturing facility developed by Taiwan-based Hong Fu Industrial Group at SIPCOT Industrial Park in Panapakkam in Ranipet.

1 min

Will finish Polavaram project by 2026: Naidu

Andhra CM outlines broad milestones for mega irrigation project and says will set up key performance indicators

2 mins

Artistes need to critically examine sampradaya

Carnatic singer TM Krishna was presented with the Sangita Kalanidhi MS Subbulakshmi Award at The Music Academy's 98th Annual Conference and Concerts inauguration in Chennai on Sunday.

1 min

Man dies of suspected dengue, mass cleaning drive intensified

THE health department has started an inquiry after a 28-year-old man died in a private hospital on Sunday, allegedly due to dengue.

1 min

Poacher held in Chilika with 29 bird carcasses

IN a major crackdown, wildlife officials arrested a 28-year-old man for allegedly poaching over two dozen migratory and resident birds near Chilika lake.

1 min

5 students bitten by rodents at girls hostel in Telangana

FIVE girl students were administered treatment on Monday after allegedly being bitten by rodents at the Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Girls' Hostel in Keesara mandal of Telangana's Medchal-Malkajgiri district, prompting stinging criticism from the Opposition.

1 min

UPHEAVAL IN LEVANT RAISES UNCERTAINTY AROUND THE WORLD

The governance of Syria can well fall into the hands of fundamentalist groups. Global powers must work towards dousing such a fire rather than reigniting it

4 mins

₹1,000 crore credit guarantee scheme for farmers launched

THE Centre on Monday unveiled a credit guarantee scheme (CGS) to help small farmers who engage in distress selling.

2 mins

PMML Society seeks Nehru letters from Rahul

Historian says records on first PM, including his letters to Lady Mountbatten, withdrawn on orders of Sonia Gandhi

2 mins

Persons with political and religious prejudices mustn't be made judges

In the wake of uproar over Allahabad High Court Judge Justice Shekhar Kumar Yadav's recent comments on Uniform Civil Code and that India will be run by the majority at a Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) function, retired Supreme Court judge Justice A K Pattnaik tells Suchitra Kalyan Mohanty that a judge shouldn't express views on political matters at a public forum.

2 mins

Priyanka asks govt to take steps for safety of minorities in Bangladesh

CONGRESS MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday claimed in the Lok Sabha that a photograph of Pakistan surrendering before the Indian Army in Dhaka, had been removed from the Army headquarters.

1 min

21 fake univs in country, 8 in Delhi; Centre says will protect students

Stringent action

1 min

5 held, booked under Pocso for gang-raping teen

TRIPURA police arrested five people for alleged gang-rape of a minor girl.

1 min

Students stir over paper leak, Bihar exam put off

THE Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) on Monday cancelled the 70th combined preliminary examination conducted by the commission at Bapu Bhawan examination centre in the state capital on December 13.

1 min

Maha Yuti tables ₹35K cr supplementary budget

Maha discontent brews as several cabinet aspirants feel left out

1 min

Alarming groundwater contamination across Gujarat districts, Lok Sabha told

The Government of India, in a concerning update to the Rajya Sabha, has flagged an alarming situation regarding groundwater pollution in Gujarat.

1 min

SP smells BJP plot in Sambhal violence, ruckus in UP House

THE winter session of the UP legislature took off on a fiery note on Monday with the belligerent opposition raising Sambhal violence in which five people lost their lives during the survey of Shahi Jama Masjid on November 24.

1 min

Shah meets families hit by Maoist violence in Bastar, pledges support

UNION Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday expressed his condolences to the families of jawans killed in Maoist attacks and the civilians affected by violence in the strife-torn region of Bastar in Chhattisgarh.

1 min

Gehlot ex-aide pardoned in phone tap case

DELHI'S Patiala House Court has granted a conditional pardon to Lokesh Sharma, the former Officer on Special Duty (OSD) of Rajasthan's ex-Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, in connection with the illegal phone tapping case.

1 min

Lathi-charge on students seeking exam cancellation

THE Jharkhand police resorted to lathi-charge on Monday to disperse students, who were protesting near Jharkhand Staff Service Commission (JSSC) against alleged irregularities in the JSSC-CGL recruitment examination held in September.

1 min

7 picked for questioning in killings of 2 migrant workers in Manipur

Larger conspiracy

1 min

Trudeau's No 2 quits Cabinet after freebie disagreement

CANADIAN Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's most powerful and loyal minister, announced on Monday she was resigning from the Cabinet as Trudeau struggles with declining popularity.

1 min

Sr UK clergyman faces calls to resign over handling of priest abuse claims

THE senior clergyman who is due to take temporary charge of the Church of England faced calls to resign on Monday over his handling of the case of a priest accused of sexual misconduct.

1 min

Was evacuated by Russian military, claims Assad

OUSTED Syrian leader Bashar Assad said he had no plans to leave the country after the fall of Damascus a week ago but the Russian military evacuated him after their base in western Syria came under attack.

1 min

Japan bank staff steals $6.6 mn from safe deposit boxes

JAPAN's biggest bank apologised on Monday for the alleged theft by an employee of more than 1 billion yen ($6.6 million) from customers' safe deposit boxes.

1 min

Gaza hostage deal closer than ever: def minister

DEFENCE Minister Israel Katz reportedly told Knesset lawmakers on Monday that Israel is \"closer than ever\" to closing a deal with Hamas to free the hostages held in Gaza, bolstering Arab media reports of heavy optimism on the chances for an agreement in the coming weeks, The Times of Israel reported.

1 min

Vlogger shares dismal business class experience on Air India international flight

'Meal fell on business class seat as it was broken'

1 min

New Relic aims to further scale up India operations; investing heavily in the country

US-based New Relic, which is in intelligent observability platform space, is investing heavily in India.

1 min

Shares of Dixon rise 5% a day after joint venture announcement with Vivo

A day after announcing a joint venture with Chinese mobile maker Vivo on Sunday, the shares of contract manufacturer Dixon Technologies jumped 5% to a day's high of ₹18,321.15.

1 min

Pvt sector output index rises to 60.7 in Dec

PRIVATE sector output grew at the fastest pace in four months, helping the economy end 2024 on a positive note boosted by strong demand from services and manufacturing sectors leading to record jobs creation.

1 min

European agency endorses approval of Biocon Biologics' biosimilar Ustekinumab

BIOCON BIOLOGICS, a biosimilars company and subsidiary of Biocon, has announced that the European Medicines Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has issued a positive opinion recommending approval of YESINTEK, an Ustekinumab biosimilar intended for the treatment of adults and children with plaque psoriasis and adults with psoriatic arthritis or Crohn's disease.

1 min

LTIMindtree cyber defence centre in B'luru

LTIMindtree, the country's sixth largest IT services company, on Monday announced the launch of the 100-seater AI-driven Cyber Defense Resiliency Center (CDRC) in Bengaluru.

1 min

Leganes stun Liga leaders Barcelona

LA LIGA leaders Barcelona stumbled 1-0 at home against Leganes on Sunday as they suffered another blow in the Spanish title race.

1 min

TALE OF RAIN AND PAIN FOR INDIA'S TOP-ORDER

On a day that witnessed multiple delays due to weather, visitors lose four big wickets and now have an uphill task to save the match

2 mins

We're basically two dead people playing chess, mistakes happen: Gukesh

THE king had arrived home and that led to a frenzy as everybody, who were eagerly awaiting his arrival, wanted a piece of him.

2 mins

Niggle trouble for Siraj as pacer continues to struggle

IT was the 37th over of the Australian innings on Sunday. Mohammed Siraj, having bowled the first two balls, called on the physio.

2 mins

TALE OF RAIN AND PAIN FOR INDIA'S TOP-ORDER

On a day that witnessed multiple delays due to weather, visitors lose four big wickets and now have an uphill task to save the match

3 mins

Women's Euro: UEFA more than doubles prize money

PRIZE money for the 2025 Women's European Championship will more than double compared to the previous edition, with the 16 teams sharing 41 million euros, UEFA said Monday.

1 min

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Express Publications (Madurai) Private Limited is the flagship company of The New Indian Express Group and is publishing Newspapers and Periodicals in the States of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telengana, Karnataka, Kerala, Orissa and Union Territories of Puducherry, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Yanam and Lakshdweep. It brings out its publication of newspapers and periodicals from 33 Centres. It also has Marketing Offices in Kolkata, Mumbai and New Delhi. The Company's publications include English Dailies viz. The New Indian Express and The Morning Standard and Sunday editions The Sunday Express and The Sunday Standard . The Morning Standard and The Sunday Standard are published from New Delhi. The company also brings out Tamil daily Dinamani and Samakalika Malayalam Varika, a weekly magazine in Malayalam. The Company's publications are popular and command large readership.