The New Indian Express Chennai - December 23, 2023

In this issue

December 23, 2023

Centre, TN spar over release of relief for floods

EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Chennai THE central and state governments crossed swords again on Friday after union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman claimed 900 crore had already been released to Tamil Nadu and state finance minister Thangam Thennarasu retorted that it was a fraction of aid sought after the recent floods in Chennai and south TN.Speaking to reporters in New Delhi, Sitharaman said the centre had released ₹900 crore in two installments towards the State Disaster Relief Fund, the second of which reached TN on December 12, well ahead of the rains in south TN.The union minister then dismissed charges that the Regional Meteorological Centre had not warned TN of the impending rainfall and took a swipe at Chief Minister M K Stalin for meeting with the INDIA bloc in Delhi when south TN was reeling under floods.She criticised the state distributing relief in cash rather than crediting it in bank accounts.Thennarasu, in a statement, disputed her charges.

1 min

KEJRIWAL GETS THIRD ED SUMMONS FOR JAN 3

DAYS after Arvind Kejriwal left for a Vipassana session in Punjab, the Enforcement Directorate on Friday issued its third summons to the Delhi chief minister in connection with the now-scrapped excise policy scam.

1 min

TN to focus on jobs at 2024 investors' meet

THE state government is aiming to increase to 75% the conversion of MoUs signed at the Global Investors Meet into investments on the ground.

1 min

France grounds Nicaragua-bound aircraft with 303 Indians on board

IN an eerie coincidence, on the day Shah Rukh Khan's latest film Dunki - which deals with human trafficking released in theatres the world over, French authorities grounded a plane carrying 303 Indians over suspected human trafficking.

1 min

INDIA bloc leaders hit the streets to 'save democracy'

Rahul links intrusion to lack of jobs, says BJP MPS ran when cans spewed smoke

2 mins

HC dismisses plea against release of Ponmudy's assets

THE Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court recently observed that the temple that is visited by the public is a public temple, and that no individual or group can restrain anyone from performing their religious duties, as guaranteed by the Constitution.While disposing of a petition filed by C Pandiarajan, a member of a scheduled caste (SC) community from Virudhunagar, Justice B Pugalendhi said Thiruchuli tahsildar should ask the village administrative officer and other revenue officials to ascertain whether or not any untouchability-issues prevail in the village.

1 min

'There's motive in detaining Arul under Goondas'

Court directs police to submit all records related to SIPCOT land acquisition proposal, process invocation of Act

1 min

Court rejects Mansoor Ali Khan's plea to file defamation suit, slaps 1 lakh fine

THE Madras High Court on Friday refused to grant leave to actor Mansoor Ali Khan to file a defamation suit against actors Trisha Krishnan, Khushbu Sundar, and Chiranjeevi and imposed ₹1 lakh fine, stating he approached the court for publicity and wasted court's time.

1 min

Female leopard caught in snare dies in Kovai, second incident this week

A female leopard died after being trapped in a snare allegedly placed by poachers in a field near a private tea estate at Theetukkal near Ooty Town on Friday.

2 mins

SL national among 2 held, 56 kg of meth seized

THE Chennai Zonal Unit of Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has arrested two men, including a Sri Lankan national, for allegedly trying to smuggle methamphetamine to Sri Lanka.

1 min

WRD starts survey for channel to link Adyar, Palar rivers

IN a bid to gear up for future challenges after witnessing the destruction brought about by Cyclone Michaung, the Water Resources Department (WRD) has initiated a ground survey in south Chennai to explore the possibility of a new channel to link the Adyar and Palar rivers.Speaking to TNIE, a senior WRD official stated, \"Adyar, Kosasthalaiyar and Cooum are vital water bodies in and around Chennai.

1 min

BJP releases funds only in proportion to its vote share, says Thennarasu

RESPONDING to Union Finance Nirmala Sitharaman's claims on Friday that the Centre has released ₹900 crore towards the State Disaster Relief Fund, Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu said the state had sought 21,692 crore but the Centre had released just ₹450 crore.

1 min

Flooded freight station hampers import, export at VOC Port; losses run into crores

EXPORT and import of goods at VO Chidambaranar port (VOC port) has been obstructed for the past five days as the Container Freight Station (CFS) has been inundated due to the recent downpour.

1 min

Floods killed 35 in south: Chief secy

Says 249 lorry loads of food, weighing 1200 metric tonnes, were distributed in four districts

1 min

SFI-DYFI workers forcibly free detained leader

DYFI block secretary Nidhin Pullen was taken into custody for vandalising a police jeep

1 min

Info Fusion Centre comes to aid of hijacked ship

NOT many would know that the anchor of the Indian Navy's quick reaction to the distress call by the hijacked Merchant Vessel Ruen lay in Gurugram where the Information Fusion Centre-Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) is located.

2 mins

'Modi Ki Guarantee' to be BJP's mantra for LS polls

WITH an eye on the upcoming general election in 2024, the twoday national meeting of the BJP started with a resolve to win over 350 Lok Sabha seats with the party's poll mantra 'Modi ki Guarantee,' indicating the party delivers on its promises.Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the meeting of the BJP's office-bearers and chiefs of all state units and party's front organisations at the central party office.

1 min

Power structures being challenged, global conflict threat looms: IAF chief

INDIAN Air Force Chief VR Chaudhari on Friday pointed to the global shift in international relations leading to multiple challenges, including that of \"global conflict.\"

1 min

Many Oppn MPs pleaded for suspension, says Joshi

‘After some MPs were suspended, many others wanted to follow suit’

2 mins

Covid numbers on the rise, but test rates yet to gain momentum

DESPITE a sharp rise in Covid-19 cases led by the JN.1 subvariant in over three weeks, test rates in India are still low, thus failing to give the actual caseloads in the country

1 min

Sharp decline in migratory bird population

ANURAAG SINGH @ Bhopal THE recent maiden bird race in Indore, India's cleanest city has raised alarm bells about the drastic decline in the population of migratory birds arriving in the city's forest areas and urban wetlands in winter.Bird Racing is an activity where groups of birders collectively engage in bird watching across various spots in a city.Originating from Mumbai in 2005, Bird Races are now held annually in 12 to 14 cities including Bengaluru, Kochi, Chennai, and Ahmedabad.On December 17, Indore joined the nation's bird race map with its maiden event, which saw 54 participants divided into 14 teams conducting bird surveys from 7 am to 11 am.

1 min

Day after ambush, 3 bodies recovered from Poonch site

THREE men were found dead under suspicious circumstances on Friday near the site of an ambush by terrorists on Army vehicles in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district, leaving five soldiers dead and two injured the previous day.

1 min

Gita in Gujarat school textbooks from next session

WITH an aim to introduce children to India's rich and age-old knowledge systems, the Gujarat government on Friday launched a supplementary textbook on the 'Bhagavad Gita' for classes 6-8

1 min

Cracks in Oppn unity as Bengal CPM says won't seek vote in name of INDIA

RULING out possibility of a united fight against the BJP in We Bengal next year's Lok Sabha elections, the CPM's state unit on Friday made it clear that the INDIA bloc's narrative would be kept aside in its poll campaigns and the party would not seek votes in the name of the Opposition alliance in the state

1 min

N Korea trying its hand on N-bomb fuels, says IAEA

Agency flags increased activity at light-water reactor at nuke complex

1 min

Unprecedented demand for SME IPOs in 2023

THERE has been unprecedented demand for the initial public offers (IPOS) from small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in calendar year 2023.

1 min

MPC raises concerns over recurring food price shocks

Vegetable price may push up food and headline inflation, says panel

1 min

BAJRANG'S DECISION BAFFLES KADYAN

I dropped wrestler home after election, but he didn’t tell me anything: WFI senior vice-president

3 mins

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