Latest news with #Abin
New Indian Express
07-07-2025
- New Indian Express
17-year-old Kerala teen hitchhikes through 20 states, dreams of conquering Everest
KOZHIKODE: A 17-year-old from Kozhikode has accomplished a journey that remains a distant dream for many, even adults. While most teenagers spent their Class 11 vacation preparing for entrance exams or relaxing at home, Abin Babu set out on an extraordinary solo adventure, travelling through 20 Indian states and Nepal. With little money in hand, he relied on hitch-hiking and the kindness of strangers to turn his travel dreams into a remarkable reality. It wasn't the first time Abin had ventured out alone. His first solo trip happened during his Class 10 vacation, when he travelled across several northern states over 50 days. Convincing his family to let him travel alone was no easy task. 'When I was 14, my father fell ill and was admitted to a hospital in Bengaluru. I had to travel alone to visit him. That experience changed my life,' Abin tells TNIE. The trip helped him realise the freedom and the confidence that comes with solo travel. 'So, by the time my Class 10 exams were over, I was determined to go on a long trip to north India. At first, my parents thought I was joking, but eventually, I stood firm on my decision,' he says. Abin's first journey was carefully planned, travelling by train and visiting only popular destinations. But this time, armed with experience, he took a bolder route. 'For this journey, I didn't travel by train or bus. I hitchhiked, taking lifts from interstate lorry drivers and any vehicle I could find along the way. I stayed and ate at gurudwaras, temples, churches... wherever I could find shelter,' Abin says.
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Brazil's Lula to visit Paraguay following invitation from President Pena
SAO PAULO (Reuters) -Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Thursday accepted an invitation from his Paraguayan counterpart, Santiago Pena, to visit the neighboring country, the Brazilian government said in a statement. The two Latin American nations pledged to resume the review of Annex C of the Itaipu hydroelectric power plant treaty, the statement said. The hydroelectric power plant is a binational venture between Brazil and Paraguay. Negotiations related to the Itaipu plant, initially set to conclude by end-May, were suspended in April following Paraguay's request for Brazil to clarify an "intelligence action" against its neighbor. The ongoing investigations into alleged unauthorized activities by Brazilian intelligence agency Abin in relation to Paraguay were a topic of the talks between the two leaders, who "reiterated respect and dialogue", the statement said. Earlier on Thursday, Pena said in a post on X that he raised concerns about the case during the meeting with Lula and requested further clarification. Lula and Pena met in the Brazilian embassy in Buenos Aires during the Mercosur summit.
Straits Times
03-07-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Brazil's Lula to visit Paraguay following invitation from President Pena
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Paraguayan President Santiago Pena interacts with Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva as they pose for a family photo at the Summit of Presidents of MERCOSUR, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, July 3, 2025. REUTERS/Alessia Maccioni SAO PAULO - Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Thursday accepted an invitation from his Paraguayan counterpart, Santiago Pena, to visit the neighboring country, the Brazilian government said in a statement. The two Latin American nations pledged to resume the review of Annex C of the Itaipu hydroelectric power plant treaty, the statement said. The hydroelectric power plant is a binational venture between Brazil and Paraguay. Negotiations related to the Itaipu plant, initially set to conclude by end-May, were suspended in April following Paraguay's request for Brazil to clarify an "intelligence action" against its neighbor. The ongoing investigations into alleged unauthorized activities by Brazilian intelligence agency Abin in relation to Paraguay were a topic of the talks between the two leaders, who "reiterated respect and dialogue", the statement said. Earlier on Thursday, Pena said in a post on X that he raised concerns about the case during the meeting with Lula and requested further clarification. Lula and Pena met in the Brazilian embassy in Buenos Aires during the Mercosur summit. REUTERS
The Hindu
03-07-2025
- The Hindu
Tambaram gets ‘traffic marshal' two-wheelers to tackle congestion, accidents
The Tambaram City Traffic Police (TCTP) have launched an initiative to improve road safety and traffic management by introducing 26 'traffic marshal' two-wheelers. These vehicles will patrol Grand Southern Trunk (GST) Road, Rajiv Gandhi Salai (OMR), East Coast Road (ECR), 200 Feet Radial Road, and other important arterial roads within the TCTP limits. Each vehicle is equipped with a public address system, siren, and blinking lights to improve visibility, especially during night patrols and rush hours. The traffic marshals will work in eight-hour shifts, focusing on peak hours, clearing traffic congestion, managing accident scenes, assisting with vehicle breakdowns, and ensuring smooth traffic flow near educational institutions and offices. Launching the initiative on Wednesday (July 2, 2025), Tambaram City Police Commissioner Abin Dinesh Modak said the TCTP has also carried out several improvement drives to make roads safer and more efficient, as well as special drives to remove roadside encroachments on major arterial roads. More than 150 roadside food carts have been removed, Mr. Abin said. Wrong-side driving Strict enforcement against wrong-side driving has led to the registration of more than 4,000 cases. Major changes, like the improvements made at the Kamatchi Hospital Junction, where waiting timing has reduced considerably, have been introduced. Similarly, the implementation of a one-way system in Kundrathur has also helped in easing traffic, he said. As a result of these efforts, traffic rule enforcement has significantly increased. A total of 2,25,109 cases under the Motor Vehicles (MV) Act were registered as of June 2025, up from 1,50,778 cases in 2024. Helmet violation cases alone rose to 48,551, compared to 26,051 last year. Drunken driving enforcement has also been intensified. The TCTP registered 4,827 cases in 2025, up from 1,937 in 2024. All offenders faced licence cancellation as part of stricter penalties. Increased late-night patrolling contributed to a drop in accidents during night hours, he added. The officer said public awareness and community engagement remain a key focus, and campaigns like the 'No Helmet No Ride' programme aim to encourage helmet use. Special drives against wrong-side driving and workshops for auto and cab drivers promote safe driving habits and better legal compliance, he added. All accident-prone areas, or 'black spots', have been fixed through coordination with local civic bodies, road authorities, and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), said traffic police officials.
Yahoo
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
New charges accuse Bolsonaro of running spy ring from Brazil's presidential palace
Federal police have formally accused Brazil's former far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro, of presiding over an illegal spying network which allegedly snooped on political rivals, journalists and environmentalists during his administration. Bolsonaro is already facing the prospect of jail time over his alleged role in masterminding a military coup plot designed to help him keep power after losing the 2022 election to the leftwing veteran Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. There is broad consensus among analysts that Bolsonaro's conviction is a foregone conclusion and the 70-year-old populist is expected to face arrest in the coming months once a supreme court trial concludes. The latest accusations relate to a two-year federal police investigation into suspicions that a 'parallel' intelligence agency was set up during Bolsonaro's 2019-23 administration in order to monitor those considered government foes. On Tuesday, police accused Bolsonaro's alleged former spy chief, Alexandre Ramagem – who ran Brazil's intelligence agency, Abin, from 2019 to 2022 – of running the clandestine operation and accused more than 30 others of being involved, including the president's politician son Carlos Bolsonaro. The news website G1 said investigators had concluded that under Bolsonaro members of Abin 'formed a criminal organization in order to monitor people and public authorities, invading mobile phones and computers'. Some of the information gathered was allegedly provided to a covert social media team that operated within the presidential palace and allegedly used illegally collected information as ammunition to launch online attacks. The targets reportedly included four supreme court ministers and powerful politicians including the former president of Brazil's lower house, Arthur Lira, and the then governor of São Paulo, João Doria, a prominent rightwing rival to the president. Journalists and public servants were also reportedly spied on, including Hugo Loss, a respected member of the environmental agency, Ibama, who was on the front line of efforts to protect the Amazon at a time when illegal loggers and miners were emboldened by Bolsonaro's anti-environment rhetoric and climate denial. Loss had worked closely with Bruno Pereira, the Indigenous expert and former government employee who was murdered in the rainforest region three years ago this month with the British journalist Dom Phillips. The newspaper O Globo said police believed the Bolsonarista spy network was created in order 'to make it possible for Bolsonaro to remain in the presidential chair'. Bolsonaro and Ramagem made no immediate comment on the accusations but have previously denied such charges. Carlos Bolsonaro responded to the allegations on X, suggesting that they were the result of a political grudge against his father's political movement. 'Was anyone in any doubt that Lula's PF [federal police] would do this to me?' he tweeted.
