1. Third Woman Chief Justice of Tamil Nadu, Vijaya Kamlesh Tahilramani Takes Oath
Former Bombay High Court judge, Justice Vijaya Kamlesh Tahilramani was sworn in as Chief Justice of the Madras High Court by Governor Banwarilal Purohit on Sunday. The ceremony that took place in the Raj Bhavan saw the Governor administering the oath of office to the new Chief Justice.
Born in 1958, the 60-year-old Chief Justice enrolled into the Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa in 1982. She practised as a lawyer in both the Bombay High Court and in City Civil and Sessions courts in Mumbai. She has handled multiple cases as a Government Pleader and Public Prosecutor on the appellate side. These reportedly range from matters that fell under the National Security Act to cases regarding the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic substances act.
(Source: The News Minute)
2. SPI Cinemas – Iconic in Chennai as ‘Sathyam’ – to Be Acquired by PVR
In a crucial business development on Sunday, multiplex chain PVR cinemas announced that they will be acquiring an iconic Chennai brand – SPI Cinemas Pvt Ltd, originally called Sathyam Cinemas. According to a press release by PVR cinemas, the founders of SPI Cinemas, Kiran M Reddy and Swaroop Reddy, will continue to be associated with the business and will provide “strategic guidance in integrating the business with PVR.”
According to The Economic Times, the total deal could be valued at around Rs 850 crore. A source close to the Reddys told that the decision to let PVR acquire SPI Cinemas was also partly driven by the fact that operating the business, especially in Tamil Nadu had become tough over the last few years.
(Source: The News Minute)
3. Actor Vikram’s Son Dhruv Rams Car into 3 Autorickshaws; 1 Critical
Tamil actor Vikram's son Dhruv was involved in an accident early on Sunday, 12 August, when he allegedly rammed his car into three auto-rickshaws in Teynampet. Police sources told The News Minute that investigations regarding the case are underway at the J2 Adyar police station.
According to reports, the auto-rickshaws were stationary when the actor's car hit them and one person has been injured due to the impact. Meanwhile, the auto-rickshaws have suffered significant damage. The Pondy Bazaar police station was the first to be alerted about the accident and members of the police force rushed to the site. Following this, the case was handed over to the Adyar traffic police.
(Source: The News Minute)
4. ‘Great Indian Dog Show’ Stands True to Its Name
You don’t often get to see dogs at plush shopping malls. Well! this was a sight one could not miss at the Phoenix MarketCity on Sunday. The mall was hosting a one-of-a-kind ramp show for Indian pet dogs, who were accompanied by their owners. ‘The Great Indian Dog Show 2018’ organised by the Blue Cross of India stood true to its name.
The event witnessed hordes of native Indian breeds, walking the ramp with their owners. Some were crippled, some were victims of abuse and some lucky enough to not be harmed by erratic human behaviour. Bhadra, the street dog which garnered national attention after she was flung off a five-storeyed building, also walked the ramp with her proud owner. The event also combined an adoption drive for Indie puppies, rescued dogs and kittens.
(Source: The Hindu)
5. Forest Department, ISRO to Ink MOU for Faster Fire Alerts
In the aftermath of Kurangani forest fire in March, which claimed more than 20 lives, State forest department will enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with ISRO’s National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) to get faster fire alerts.
The MoU is likely to be formalised in a few days. The agreement will reduce the time-lag in communication during emergencies such as forest fires. A top forest official told that terms and conditions have been finalised and signed by RK Upadhyay, Principal Chief Conservator of Forest and sent to NRSC to complete the agreement. Once there is a formal agreement signed, the alerts will land directly on forest officials mobile phones within minutes.
(Source: The New Indian Express)
6. Thirumurugan Back in Jail; Sedition Added to Charges
The 17 May movement coordinator Thirumurugan Gandhi was remanded in yet another case, booked against him in 2017, with the addition of a sedition charge. On Friday, a metropolitan magistrate had declined to remand him in a case booked by the Cyber Crime Cell. However, Gandhi was picked up by the Royapettah police within a few minutes of being set free.
The police did not give any immediate answer to his questions about why he was being arrested. Late into the night, he was informed that he was arrested in connection with a case booked by the Royapettah police, after he and 150 others took out a procession to garland a Periyar statue on 20 September, 2017.
(Source: The Hindu)
7. Mercury Dips 7 Degrees Below Normal in Chennai
Mercury dipped over seven degrees below normal on Saturday, with overcast conditions prevailing for most part of the day. The day started with a mild drizzle and it persisted. The average maximum temperature for the month of August is 34.4 degrees Celsius and the temperature this August has been consistently between 37-38 degrees, although there were evening rains daily.
But on Saturday, Nungambakkam weather station recorded a maximum temperature of 27.1 degrees Celsius, which is 7.3 degrees below normal and Meenambakkam registered 27.8 degrees Celsius, which is 6.8 degrees below normal. S Balachandran, Deputy Director-General of Meteorology (DDGM), Regional Meteorological Centre, told that a low pressure is brewing over northwest Bay of Bengal and the upper air circulation over south Odisha and north Andhra Pradesh coasts is influencing the weather here.
(Source: The New Indian Express)