The US Customs and Border Protection agents discovered cow dung cakes in a leftover baggage of a passenger from India at an international airport in the suburb of Washington DC, according to officials. Cow dung cakes are prohibited in the US as they are considered to be potential carriers of the highly contagious foot and mouth disease. They were destroyed, the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said. “CBP agriculture specialists found two cow dung cakes in a suitcase that was left behind after passengers from an Air India flight cleared CBP’s inspection station on April 4,” a media release said. Foot and Mouth Disease is one of the animal diseases that livestock owners dread most, has grave economic consequences, said the US officials.
Bid to make Diwali as official holiday in NY
Indian American New York Assembly member Jenifer Rajkumar has introduced a new bill in the State Assembly which establishes Diwali as a school holiday in New York. The holiday would be observed in school districts with significant populations that celebrate the festival. Rajkumar said the “law is long overdue.” “As the first Hindu American and South Asian American woman elected to state office in New York, I take special pride in advocating for new American communities, including those that celebrate Diwali,” Rajkumar said. “The South Asian, Indo-Caribbean, Hindu, Sikh, Jain, and Buddhist communities are a vital part of our city, contributing to every sector of our society.” “It is long past time to honor their vibrant cultural heritage by making Diwali a school holiday, as community leaders have advocated for years. The time has come,” she added. Diwali is celebrated by people of multiple faiths, including Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, and Buddhists.
Indian American confesses to killing his mother
A 28-year-old Indian American man walked into a Queens police station and confessed to killing his mother, police said. The mother was found fatally assaulted inside her Queens home. Pushkar Sharma had blood on his clothing when he showed up and told officers he had killed his mother, a police spokesperson said. That was at about the same time that Emergency Medical Service workers were trying to save the life of 65-year-old Saroj Sharma. The victim’s daughter had called 911 after finding her mother unconscious in the basement of her home in the Bellerose Manor neighbourhood, authorities said. Saroj Sharma had bruising to her face and neck, police said. She was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Pushkar Sharma was arrested on charges of murder and sex abuse.
12 killed in Kabul mosque blast
An explosion inside a mosque on the outskirts of the Afghan capital Kabul killed at least 12 people during Friday prayers as worshippers gathered for Eid-ul-Fitr during a ceasefire. The Taliban group, which declared the three-day truce for the holiday, condemned the attack. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. Ferdous Faramarz, spokesman for Kabul police, said the mosque’s imam was among the 12 dead and at least 15 people were hurt. The blast came less than a week after a blast at a school killed 80 people. Taliban also denounced that attack and no one claimed responsibility. US officials believe the attack on the school may have been the work of a rival militant group such as Islamic State. Such groups have not signed on to the holiday ceasefire.
Tibetans in Lhasa told to curtail religious practices
Tibetans in Lhasa have been instructed to restrict certain religious practices during the holy month called ‘Saga Dawa’, in what appears to be yet another move by Chinese authorities to curb the religious freedom of the Buddhist population. According to the Phayul news portal, this decision was notified in a circular sent by the Lhasa City Buddhist Association on May 9 ahead of the fourth month of the Tibetan calendar which began on Wednesday, which Buddhists consider sacred. The reason for the order is premised on the risk of spreading coronavirus. But, the activist group International Campaign for Tibet, believes that the real aim is to further restrict Tibetans religious freedom. “While Covid prevention measures are valid, the Lhasa authorities seem to be using them as a pretext to continue reducing space for Tibetan Buddhists to practice their faith during this holy month,” the US-based group said.
Ohio offers $1mn weekly prize as vaccine incentive
Governor Mike DeWine of Ohio, US, has announced a weekly $1 million prize and full college scholarships to entice more people to get Covid vaccines. The plan unveiled by the Republican drew criticism from Democrats and GOP lawmakers who said it wasn’t right to use government money for a contest. DeWine said he understands people may consider the concept a waste. But he said the real waste is a loss of life to the virus now that shots are available. He said vaccinated people under 18 will be entered into a drawing for full college scholarships.
Macron’s party bars candidate over hijab photo
French President Emmanuel Macron’s ruling party has barred a Muslim woman from running for as candidate on its ticket in a local election after she wore an Islamic headscarf for a photo that appeared on a campaign flier. La Republique en Marche said the party line was that in secular France there should be no place for the overt display of religious symbols on electoral campaign documents. “This woman will not be an En Marche candidate,” Stanislas Guerini, the party’s general secretary, said. French law does not prohibit the wearing of the hijab or other religious symbols in images that appear on campaign fliers. The episode illustrates how sensitive a subject the place of Islam in France has become ahead of next year’s presidential vote, with the main challenge to a Macron re-election bid coming from the far right.
Nigeria President's son-in-law wanted in fraud probe
The son-in-law of Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari is wanted as part of an investigation into an alleged $65 million property fraud, the country's anti-corruption agency said. The Independent Corruption Prosecution Commission (ICPC) said in a statement that Gimba Yau Kumo and two others are suspected of misappropriating funds earmarked for a national property development project. Kumo, who in 2016 married Buhari's daughter Fatima, was the managing director of a Nigerian mortgage bank. He is also under investigation for Tarry Rufus and Bola Ogunsola, whose positions have not been disclosed. Buhari, a former general, was first elected in 2015 on a promise to clean up politics in Nigeria and make fighting corruption one of his main goals. But critics have in the past accused his government and ruling elites of using the country's anti-corruption agencies as political weapons to target their enemies.
Congo sentences 30 to death over Ramadan clashes
Thirty people have been sentenced to death in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for their role in the violence against the police that marked the end of Ramadan in the capital Kinshasa. The verdict was pronounced after a hastily conducted trial. They were charged with criminal association, rebellion, assault and battery, as well as attempted murder. Five people were acquitted. Congo imposed a moratorium on executions in 2003. Violent clashes broke out between Muslim worshippers fighting for access to the Martyrs stadium, Kinshasa's main sports complex, to hold Eid-al fitr prayers. The protesters attacked the police who were present to supervise the ceremony, injuring dozens of them. An initial official report stated that one police officer was killed, and images of the incident were widely circulated on social networks.
Bahrain prince scales new height of Mt Everest
A 16-member Bahrain Royal Guard team led by prince Mohammed Hamad Mohammed Al Khalifa became the first international team to conquer the new altitude of Mount Everest. The Bahrain Royal Guard team successfully reached the peak of Mt Everest last week. The team stood atop the peak between 5.30 am and 6.45 am local time, said Mingma Sherpa, chairman at Seven Summit Treks. This is the first international team to conquer the new altitude of Mt Everest, said Mira Acharya, Director at the Department of Tourism. Nepal and China jointly announced that the revised height of the world’s highest peak was 8,848.86 metres, about 86 cm more than the previous measurement done by India in 1954.
Trump critic Liz Cheney ousted from top post
US House of Representatives Republicans voted to remove Liz Cheney from their leadership, punishing her for criticising former President Donald Trump’s false claims that last year’s election was stolen from him through election fraud. Cheney, the daughter of former vice-president Dick Cheney, voted in January to impeach Trump on a charge that he incited an insurrection at the US Capitol on January 6. In recent days the House No. 3 Republican Cheney said the false claims of a stolen election were “poisoning our democratic system”. It was not yet clear when House Republicans will choose a replacement for Cheney in the position of party conference chair, who helps develop GOP positions on legislation. Cheney’s critics said her criticism of Trump’s false claims about the 2020 election distracted from party messaging about Democrats and President Joe Biden’s agenda.
9 killed in Russian school shooting
A gunman attacked a school last week in the Russian city of Kazan, sending students running out of the building as smoke poured from its windows. At least nine people were killed - seven eighth-grade students, a teacher and another school worker - and 21 others were hospitalised, Russian officials said. Footage released by Russian media outlets showed students dressed in black and white running out of the building. Another video depicted shattered windows, billowing smoke and sounds resembling gunshots in the background. Dozens of ambulances lined up at the school’s entrance after the attack and police fenced off access to the building. Russian media said while some students were able to escape, others were trapped inside during the ordeal.
Tom Cruise returns trophies
Tom Cruise returned his three Golden Globes to join the protest against the Hollywood Free Press Association (HFPA), the organisers behind the awards over the group’s ethics and lack of diversity. US TV network NBC, which has aired the event since 1996, also dropped its broadcast of the award ceremony in 2022. HFPA members have also been accused of making sexist and racist remarks and soliciting favours from celebrities and studios. NBC’s decision came even after the HFPA agreed to recruit more black members and make changes over the next 18 months. The HFPA said that by August 2021, it would add 20 new members and also provide diversity and sexual harassment training.
