Google to donate $1 million towards Indonesia quake relief
San Francisco, Oct 2 : Google will contribute $1 million (nearly Rs 7 crore) towards relief and restoration work in Indonesia which was hit by a 7.5-magnitude quake and an ensuing tsunami that has claimed over 1,200 lives.
"We're deeply saddened about the earthquake and tsunami in Indonesia -- @googleorg and Googlers are donating $1M to support relief efforts," CEO Sundar Pichai tweeted late on Monday.
The tech giant has also "activated SOS Alerts to provide emergency info to those impacted," he added.
According to the Indonesian authorities, the death toll has risen to 1,234 from Friday's quake and tsunami hit in the Sulawesi island.
Hundreds of people might still be trapped under the rubble of buildings, the Indonesia's National Disaster Management Agency said. Rescue teams were still not able to reach all the affected areas, the BBC reported.
An estimated 2.4 million people were affected by the disaster, said the disaster management agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho. He said that 800 were badly injured and more than 61,000 people were displaced.
Indonesia is located on the so-called Ring of Fire of the Pacific, an area of great seismic and volcanic activity that experiences about 7,000, mostly moderate earthquakes every year.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Political row in Bengal after 104-year-old man put under 'adjudication category' in electoral rolls
Kolkata (PTI): A 104-year-old man has complained of being listed in the "under adjudication" category in the final electoral rolls issued by the Election Commission following the SIR exercise in West Bengal on February 28, officials said on Wednesday.
Sheikh Ibrahim, a resident of Jamalpur gram panchayat in Purba Bardhaman district, said he has voted in every election since India’s first general polls after Independence and had never faced such an experience.
"Is it a crime to live beyond 100 years? I have always believed in casting votes and exercising my democratic rights. Why can't I vote this time? This is my country," he said.
His 70-year-old son said that after his father was called for a hearing at camps "due to some logical discrepancies as claimed by the EC," EC officials later visited their residence, and all necessary documents were submitted.
"The EC official who conducted the hearing expressed satisfaction and assured his name will be in the rolls. However, after the final rolls were published, we found his name listed ‘under adjudication category.’ We fail to comprehend why," his son said.
Flagging the matter, the TMC alleged on X that "104-year-old Sheikh Ibrahim, who was born in pre-Independent India and has voted in every election since the first general elections, was summoned for a hearing and subjected to harassment after being included in the ‘under adjudication’ list."
"Can you imagine the extent of harassment he has faced? How much lower will the Commission stoop?" the party asked.
"Do they think they can gift Bengal to the BJP by deleting names of valid voters even before the elections? It is not that easy. Bengal knows how to respond, and it knows how to fight," the post read.
There was no immediate response from the EC or the BJP to the allegations.
