Six Indian tourists, mostly senior citizens, were injured when the jeep they were travelling in overturned near a lake in Nepal's Chitwan district, officials said. The accident took place near Darai Lake at Khaireni. The tourists were heading towards Chitwan National Park for a jungle safari, said Kedarnath Panta, an official. They are identified as Ramchandra Yadav, Sudesh Shanker Khadia, Pankaj Gupteshwor, Vaishali Gupteshwor, Sushmita Sudesh Khadia and Vijaya More. Police said that they were undergoing treatment at a hospital.
Air Canada to expand flight network to India
Air Canada announced the expansion of its flight network to India, adding 40 per cent more seat capacity beginning late October for the coming winter 2024-25 season. Air Canada said it would operate 25 weekly flights with 7,400 seats each week this winter from Canada to India, comprising up to 11 weekly flights. These include flights from Toronto to Delhi and Mumbai, daily flights from Montreal to Delhi and daily flights to Delhi from Western Canada via London Heathrow. Air Canada in an official said the new services include the only non-stop flight from Canada to Mumbai, improved service from Western Canada to Delhi with the introduction of new daily flights over London's Heathrow Airport and daily flights from Montreal to Delhi.
Roadside blast kills 7 Pak soldiers
A bomb blast targeting a military truck killed seven soldiers in northwestern Pakistan along the border with Afghanistan, the army said. The incident took place in the Lakki Marwat district which is on the edge of a lawless tribal region divided on both sides of the border. The improvised explosive device exploded near the military vehicle, killing seven soldiers including an officer, the army said in a statement. “The perpetrators of this heinous act will be brought to justice,” it said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility. The tribal region has long been a safe haven for Islamist militants who operate on both sides of the border
Sexual minorities demand equality in Nepal parade
Celebrating the month of June as the month of pride, sexual minorities in Nepal held a parade through the capital painting the roads with rainbow-coloured flags and slogans demanding equality both by the state as well as the society. Hundreds of members of marginalised sexual orientation, gender identity and sex characteristics (PoMSOGIESC) annually organize the parade on the second Saturday of June. Since its inception, the demand for equality and equal treatment has always been raised.
Move to revoke Trump’s licence to carry a gun
The New York police department is seeking to revoke former Prez Donald Trump’s license to carry a concealed weapon after his conviction in his New York hush-money case, according to reports. Trump had a concealed carry permit in New York and had three pistols registered under the permit, the people said. Two of them were turned over to the police department’s license division. The third pistol had been legally transferred to Florida. It is unclear whether it is still in Trump’s possession. Under federal law and state law in New York and Florida, people with felony convictions are barred from possessing a firearm.
Transplanted pig kidney removed from patient
Surgeons in New York removed the kidney of a genetically engineered pig from a critically ill patient last week after the organ was damaged by inadequate blood flow related to a heart pump that the woman had also received, according to officials at NYU Langone Transplant Institute. The patient, Lisa Pisano, 54, who is still hospitalised, went back on kidney dialysis after the pig’s organ was removed. She lived with the transplanted organ for 47 days, Dr Robert Montgomery, director of the institute, said. The kidney showed no signs of organ rejection.
Houthis detain at least 9 UN staffers
At least nine Yemeni employees of UN agencies have been detained by Yemen’s Houthi rebels under unclear circumstances, authorities said, as the rebels face increasing financial pressure and air strikes from a US-led coalition. Others working for aid groups also likely have been taken. The detentions come as the Houthis have been targeting shipping throughout the Red Sea corridor over the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip. Regional officials confirmed the UN detentions. Those held include staff from the UN human rights agency, its development programme, the World Food Program and one working for the office of its special envoy, the officials said.
Russia detains French national
French researcher Laurent Vinatier pleaded guilty in a Moscow court to a charge of failing to register as a foreign agent while gathering information on the Russian military. Vinatier, 47, could face up to five years in prison. He was placed in pre-trial custody until Aug 5. “I apologise for not registering as a foreign agent. The most upsetting thing is that throughout the 10 years of my work I tried to defend Russia and its interests,” state news agency RIA quoted him as saying. Vinatier is a Russia specialist and adviser to HD, a Swiss-based conflict mediation group.
Putin’s 'daughters' make rare appearance
Vladimir Putin’s two alleged daughters both made rare public appearances this week at a flagship economic forum in the Russian prez’s home city of Saint Petersburg. Putin keeps details of his family life fiercely secret and has never publicly confirmed that the two women - Maria Vorontsova, 39, and Katerina Tikhonova, 37 - are his daughters. But the pair have been widely linked to Putin through various media reports and in 2022, the US treasury sanctioned both as “daughters of Russian Prez Putin”. The two have taken on more public roles in recent years, including speaking roles at various events. But public appearances are still rare.
Lebanon arrests 20 over attack on US embassy
Lebanese authorities have arrested 20 people after a shooting near the US embassy in Beirut said to be in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, a judicial source said. A Syrian man was arrested last week after the shooting at the embassy, and a judicial official said at the time that the assailant carried out the attack “in support of Gaza”. The judicial source said “the number of people arrested over the attack on the American embassy has risen to 20, including the Syrian assailant Qais Farraj, who is receiving care at the military hospital in Beirut”.
