TAM
MIL NEWS
ON
N THE GO
W
WITH APP
PAGE 3
ARTS AND
LAUGHTER AT
KALAA UTSAVAM
PAGE 8
INDIAN TOURISTS
IN SINGAPORE
UP 15.5%
PAGE 4
SINGAPORE, WEEKEND OF FRIDAY,
NOVEMBER
3,
2
0
2
3
REPORT ON PAGE 7
S’pore
designer
stays
true to
her roots
Designer Kavita Thulasidas showcased her collection at the Paris Fashion Week in October.
PHOTO: THE STRAITS TIMES
Page 2
November 3, 2023
tabla
!
INDIA
A statue of Indian cricket
great Sachin Tendulkar was
unveiled at his Wankhede
Stadium home ground in
Mumbai on Wednesday.
The 50-year-old, who
was there with his wife and
daughter, entered the out-
field to the beat of tradi-
tional Indian dhol drums.
Then, at the push of a
button, a statue created by
local sculptor Pramod
Kamble was unveiled with
fireworks and streamers.
The statue is sited high
in a gap next to the Sachin
Tendulkar stand, over-
looking the field of play
from square-on, with the
“Little Master” depicted at
the finish of a classic
straight drive – one of his
most familiar shots.
Tendulkar statue unveiled in Mumbai
PHOTOS: AFP
An SPH Media Limited publication
Editor-in-Chief
(English/Malay/Tamil Media group)
Wong Wei Kong
Editor
Jawharilal Rajendran
Contributing Editor
V.K. Santosh Kumar
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Man detained for deadly explosion
Kerala police detained a man for
suspected involvement in setting off
explosives at a Jehovah’s Witness
gathering on Sunday.
The incident killed at least three
people and wounded 50 others.
Hundreds of faithful were attending a
prayer session at the Zamra
International Convention Center in
Kalamassery.
The suspect, identified as Dominic
Martin, posted a video on Facebook,
claiming responsibility for the blast.
Andhra Pradesh train crash kills 13
The death toll from a train crash in
Andhra Pradesh has risen to 13, with
39 injured, an official said on Monday,
with investigators suspecting human
error as the cause of the crash.
A passenger train had stopped on
Sunday because of a break in an
overhead cable, and an express train
rammed into it from the rear, derailing
two carriages of the stationary train.
Senior government officer
Nagalakshmi S said there were more
than 90 people in the two carriages.
Qatar sentences 8 Indian ex-naval
officers to death
India’s foreign minister on Monday said
the country would “make all efforts” to
secure the release of eight ex-navy
personnel sentenced to death by a
court in Qatar.
The men – among them former
high-ranking and decorated officers,
including captains who once
commanded warships – were arrested
in Doha in August 2022 and accused of
spying for Israel.
Indian woman who married
Pakistani Facebook friend to return
Ms Anju, a 34-year-old Indian woman
who travelled to Pakistan to marry her
Facebook friend Nasrullah, is set to
return to India after getting clearance
from the Pakistan government, Mr
Nasrullah told news agency PTI. He
added that Ms Anju, who changed her
name to Fatima, will return to
Pakistan “as Pakistan is her home
now”.
She was earlier married to one Mr
Arvind, who is in Rajasthan. They
have two children.
Opposition claims government
tried to hack phones
Some Indian opposition leaders have
accused the government of trying to
hack into their phones after receiving
warning messages from Apple.
Apple’s alert said it believed the
recipient was “being targeted by
state-sponsored attackers” without
specifying who the attackers could be.
Delhi’s air quality turns
hazardous
Air pollution in Delhi turned
“hazardous” on Thursday, with the
Mundka area recording an air quality
index reading of 616.
Low wind speeds and continuous
stubble burning in Punjab have been
the major reasons for the drop in air
quality in the national capital.
On Wednesday, the air quality in
Delhi remained “very poor” for the
fifth consecutive day.
Authorities seize $88m of
property in Jet Airways fraud case
The Enforcement Directorate has
seized properties worth Rs5.38 billion
($88 million) as part of its probe into
money laundering allegations against
the now-defunct Jet Airways and its
founder Naresh Goyal.
The agency said on Wednesday
that it had seized 17 residential and
commercial properties in London,
Dubai and places in India, which were
registered in the names of various
companies and people, including Mr
Goyal, his wife and son.
Tamil Murasu’s latest milestone was
marked in Little India, where it was
first published 88 years ago.
The newspaper’s free mobile app,
which provides readers with immedi-
ate access to news, was launched by
Home Affairs and Law Minister K.
Shanmugam last Sunday at an event
attended by about 400 people in
Campbell Lane, outside the Indian
Heritage Centre.
Tamil Murasu News Editor Irshath
Mohamed and Mr Shanmugam in
their speeches highlighted the Tamil
daily’s efforts to come up with cap-
sule-format content and convenient
access to information.
“Initiatives like its one-minute
news videos make news accessible for
all by breaking down complex policy
announcements,” said the minister
who described the publication as the
lifeblood and pride of Singapore’s Ta-
mil community.
He highlighted its pivotal role dur-
ing Covid-19, saying that the nation’s
only Tamil-language newspaper was a
credible news source, conveying relia-
ble and accurate information to all
segments of Indian society, including
migrant workers. “Without confusing
the readers or carrying fake news, Ta-
mil Murasu worked in conjunction
with the Government to deliver nec-
essary information to the Indian com-
munity.”
Mr Shanmugam pointed out that,
amid Singapore’s multi-ethnic land-
scape, Tamil Murasu has fostered a
unique Tamil identity rooted in cul-
ture and heritage.
The new app, which is available for
download, delivers all things Tamil-re-
lated to the community. It has differ-
ent news categories including local,
world, India, sports and entertain-
ment.
Other contents include short vid-
eos, podcasts on community issues
and trends, as well as specially curated
photo galleries and articles on astrolo-
gy, food and home remedies.
Content from the English weekly
tabla!
is also featured.
“If you are looking for quick news,
we have that,” said Mr Venga Subra-
maniam, digital editor, Tamil Murasu.
“For those who want in-depth analy-
sis, we have that, too.”
SPH Media chief executive Teo
Lay Lim said the app “marks a new
chapter for Tamil Murasu, and we will
continue to strive to bring the best
experiences to our audiences”.
The app has been well-received by
users such as Indian Heritage Centre
general manager Bhavani Dass, who
said the app would benefit the com-
munity.
“The younger generation, in par-
ticular, will love it as they will get to
read bite-sized news in an appealing
packaging,” she said.
Accounts executive P. Ram, 32,
said the multimedia platform is high-
ly engaging with its one-minute news
videos and informative short reads:
“Life in Singapore is hectic, and you
spend a lot of time commuting. These
segments come in handy in keeping
abreast of the latest news that impact
the community.”
Music composer and local rapper
Yung Raja, who performed at the
launch, was just as impressed with the
app.
“I get the Tamil Murasu paper daily
at home, but this is so convenient. It is
a wonderful thing for the Tamil com-
munity, especially the youth. It will
certainly help bridge the gap between
the youth and the Tamil community.”
Nanyang Technological University
freshman N.J. Pravin, who loves the
movie ticket booking function, said:
“Tamil Murasu’s content is much
more diverse than just hard, dry news.
I have seen food and entertainment
reviews on its social media platform.”
The app can be enjoyed even by
readers who are not fluent in Tamil.
“The
text-to-speech
function
comes in handy for those who cannot
read Tamil. It will encourage more
people to follow Tamil news with this
app,” said marketing professional
Sudha Jayaraman, 41.
➥
Tamil Murasu launches app
V.K. SANTOSH KUMAR
(From left) SPH Media’s English/Malay/Tamil Media Group editor-in-chief Wong Wei Kong, Tamil Murasu editor
Jawharilal Rajendran, Minister for Home Affairs and Law K. Shanmugam, SPH Media CEO Teo Lay Lim and Tamil
Murasu chief sub-editor A.S. Kunalan.
PHOTO: THE STRAITS TIMES
“I get the
Tamil
Murasu
paper daily
at home,
but this is
so convenient. It
is a wonderful
thing for the
Tamil
community,
especially the
youth. It will
certainly help
bridge the gap
between the
youth and the
Tamil
community.”
– Music composer and
local rapper Yung Raja
(above)
To read tabla! content,
download the Tamil Murasu app at
Apple’s App Store or Google Play Store.
NEWS
tabla
!
November 3, 2023
Page 3
