California: Former Indian American CEO Abhishek Gattani will serve just 13 days in jail for allegedly abusing his wife Neha Rastogi for more than a decade. Papiha Nandy, who organized a nationwide rally on June 15 to gather support for Rastogi, said it was “heart-breaking” that 12 audiotapes, in which Gattani is reportedly heard brutally abusing his wife, were inadmissible as evidence. Despite much outrage from the Indian American community, a Santa Clara County Superior Court judge re-affirmed a plea deal that allows Gattani to serve only 13 days in jail for allegedly abusing his wife for over a decade.
Death toll rises to 163 in Bangladesh landslides
Dhaka: The death toll following landslides in Bangladesh has risen to 163, as firefighters recovered more bodies from different areas of Rangamati which alone accounted for 114 deaths. Several people were killed in the hilly areas of Chittagong, Rangamati and Bandarban in Bangladesh following incessant downpour and landslides. Scores of others were injured and many remained missing. The Chittagong Hill Tracts saw over 300 mm of rainfall in the 24 hours.
Lightning kills 22 in Bangladesh
DHAKA: Lightning has killed at least 22 people in Bangladesh in the last 48 hours, authorities said, a week after monsoon rains triggered a series of deadly landslides in the country. The deaths came as storms swept the country on Sunday and Monday. Hundreds of people die every year from lightning in Bangladesh and experts say climate change has exacerbated the problem. They also blame deforestation and the loss of taller trees like palms that used to act as lightning conductors. Last year authorities declared a natural disaster when the official toll topped 200 deaths, with 82 people dying on a single day in May.
7 killed as blast rocks kindergarten in China
Beijing: An explosion rocked a kindergarten in eastern China, killing at least seven people and injuring dozens, authorities said. The blast occurred at the front gate of the kindergarten in Fengxian County in east China's Jiangsu Province when children were leaving the school. Public security minister Guo Shengkun ordered a “prompt” investigation into the cause and “demanded enhanced checks of possible risks at densely populated venues,” Xinhua said.
Roger Kalia, Sameer Patel get Solti award
California: California.-based Pacific Symphony’s assistant conductor Roger Kalia and Sameer Patel, associate conductor of the San Diego Symphony, are among nine conductors to have received the 2017 Solti Foundation US Career Assistance Award. The Indian American conductors have both won the honour in the past. The award supports and encourages young musicians in the early stages of their classical careers. Kalia has also served as the cover conductor for the Los Angeles Philharmonic, St. Louis Symphony and Indianapolis Symphony. Patel is currently in his second season as the associate conductor of the San Diego Symphony, where he was promoted after serving only one season as assistant conductor.
200 Democrats sue Trump over foreign payments
Washington: Democratic lawmakers are suing President Donald Trump over foreign money flowing into his global business empire. Almost 200 senators and representatives are plaintiffs in a lawsuit alleging Trump is violating the so-called emoluments clause of the Constitution. It's being filed in US District Court for the District of Columbia, the lawmakers said. The plaintiffs argue they have standing to sue because the clause says only Congress may approve foreign gifts and payments. “The framers gave Congress a unique role, a unique right and responsibility,” said Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat who helped organise the lawsuit.
US man sentenced to 72 years for killing grandfather
Washington: A US man was sentenced to 72 years in prison for beating his 84-year-old grandfather to death during a dinner argument. Jason Vanbommel, 34, was sentenced after being found guilty by a jury on April 13 of reckless manslaughter and first-degree assault of an at-risk adult, among other charges. According to local media reports, Vanbommel argued with his grandmother over dinner and when his grandfather tried to intervene he was punched and kicked in the head. The old man died in the hospital.
Send army to Pak to fight IS: China netizens
Beijing: Agitated over the killing of two Chinese nationals in Pakistan by IS militants, Chinese netizens have been demanding that Xi Jinping government should send troops to Pakistan to fight against the terror group. The incident has generated a cascade of discussions on Weibo, with many users calling for revenge. “We shall start a war against IS, killing them on behalf of the two murdered Chinese,” said a user. “It is time to fight violence with violence,” another user said.
