An Indian-origin man in the US has been charged with killing four members of his family, including his wife and in-laws, in their apartment in Ohio’s Hamilton City. Reports say that Gurpreet Singh, 37, could face the death penalty if convicted. He was booked into Butler County Jail after his return from Connecticut and will appear in court. A Butler County grand jury indicted Singh on four counts of aggravated murder in the fatal shootings of his wife, her parents and her aunt on April 28. Singh could face the death penalty if convicted, the report said. Each family member had at least two gunshot wounds in the head.
Indian student jailed for damaging college computers
An Indian student has been jailed for 12 months, to be followed by one year of supervised release, for intentionally damaging computer of a college in New York. Vishwanath Akuthota (27) has also been ordered to pay $58,471 as restitution charge. Pleading guilty, Akuthota admitted that on February 14 he inserted a ‘USB Killer’ device into 66 computers as well as numerous computer monitors and computer-enhanced podiums owned by the College of St. Rose in Albany. The device, when inserted into a USB port, sends a command causing the computer’s on-board capacitors to rapidly charge and then discharge repeatedly, thereby overloading and physically destroying the USB port and electrical system. Akuthota has been in custody since his arrest on February 22.
Tulsi Gabbard to go for army drills
Tulsi Gabbard, the first Hindu member of the US Congress and a Democratic presidential hopeful, said that she will leave the campaign trail for two weeks of training exercises in Indonesia, that include counter-terrorism. Gabbard, who has deployed to West Asia twice in her time in the Army National Guard, heads to active-duty training during a crucial time in her 2020 presidential campaign. “I look forward to joining my fellow soldiers for a joint training exercise with the Indonesian military, focused on counter-terrorism and disaster response,” the 38-year-old congresswoman said. Gabbard is the first ever Hindu lawmaker in the US Congress. She is also the first Hindu to run for presidential elections.
Russia prez Putin vows stronger ties with India
Russian President Vladimir Putin greeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi on India’s I-Day and expressed confidence that both the countries will further strengthen bilateral cooperation and constructive interaction on regional and global issues. “Your country rightfully takes pride in great achievements in economic, scientific, technological, cultural and other spheres. India also enjoys high authority in the international arena,” said Putin, according to a statement issued by the Russian Embassy. Also extending his greeting to President Ram Nath Kovind, Putin said the Russia-India relation is “dynamically developing” in the spirit of special and privileged strategic partnership.
Afghan Taliban leader's brother killed in blast
Hafiz Ahmadullah, the brother of Afghan Taliban leader Haibatullah Akhundzada, was among at least four people killed in a bomb blast at a mosque in Pakistan, two Taliban sources said adding that the attack could affect efforts to end the Afghan war. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast which took place as the Taliban and the United States are in the final stages of talks on an agreement that would see America withdraw its troops from neighbouring Afghanistan. Police said more than 20 people were wounded and the death toll could rise. The imam of the mosque was among those killed, police said. Haibatullah was not in the mosque when the bomb went off but his younger brother, Hafiz, was among those killed.
Malaysia bans Zakir Naik from delivering speeches
The Malaysian government has banned controversial Indian origin Islamic preacher Zakir Naik from giving public speeches anywhere in the country. The latest development comes a day after Naik was quizzed by police for his remarks against Malaysian Hindus. According to a report, the Malaysian government is waiting for the outcome of an investigation by the police into the alleged 'inflammatory remarks' by the preacher against minorities in the country. Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Bin Mohamad said, "He (Zakir) has PR status. We can take away the PR status if he does something that is detrimental to the nation." Mahathir said that if Zakir was proved guilty by the police, the administration will take away his Permanent Resident (PR) status.
Trudeau guilty of violating ethics: Panel
Canada’s ethics commissioner said that PM Justin Trudeau improperly pressured a former attorney general to halt the criminal prosecution of a company, a development that could imperil his re-election chances. The report comes just before the start of campaigning for the October 21 polls and it threatens to re-inflame a scandal that rocked the government earlier this year. Ethics commissioner Mario Dion said Trudeau’s attempts to influence the then attorney general and justice minister, Jody Wilson-Raybould, were contrary to the constitutional principle of prosecutorial independence. Trudeau said he takes responsibility “for everything,” but said he “can’t apologise for standing up for Canadian jobs.”
Russian pilot saves 233 with miracle landing
The captain of a Russian passenger jet was hailed as a hero for landing his plane in a cornfield after it collided with a flock of gulls seconds after take-off, causing both engines to malfunction. While dozens of people sought medical assistance, only one was hospitalised. The Ural Airlines A321 carrying 226 passengers and a crew of seven hit the birds as it was taking from Moscow’s Zhukovsky airport en route for Simferopol, in Crimea. Russia’s Rosaviatsiya state aviation agency chief Alexander Neradko told reporters that the crew “made the only right decision” to land the fully loaded plane immediately after both of the plane’s engines malfunctioned. “The crew has shown courage and professionalism and deserve the highest state awards.”
Italy man wins record lottery jackpot of 209 mn Euros
A lucky ticket-holder in Italy has won the country's biggest ever lottery jackpot of 209 million euros ($234 million), the Superenalotto organisers said. The winner has to pick six correct numbers between 1 and 90 - something no one had done since June 2018. But a ticket bought for two euros at a bar in the northern city of Lodi near Milan had the correct result for the night's draw of 7, 32, 41, 59, 75 and 76. The winner had chosen the numbers at random from a lottery machine at the bar. The new record also surpasses that of Euromillions, where the jackpot is limited to 190 million euros.
Missing dentures found stuck in throat 8 days after surgery
A medical journal is reporting the case of a 72-year-old man whose partial dentures apparently got stuck in his throat during surgery and weren’t discovered for eight days. The man went to the emergency room because he was having a hard time swallowing and was coughing up blood. Doctors ordered a chest X-ray, diagnosed him with pneumonia and sent him home with antibiotics and steroids. It took another hospital visit before another X-ray revealed the problem: His dentures were lodged at the top of this throat.
Europe wrestles with electric scooters
Ban them outright. Issue speeding tickets. Make users take a driving test. From Paris to Berlin, European cities are searching for solutions to the two-wheeled phenomenon that’s fast transforming city scapes worldwide: Electric scooters. Proponents call them a leap into the future. Rubbish, say critics, noting growing numbers of injuries and even deaths involving e-scooters.
Brothers leave path of destruction in Germany
German police say two little brothers left a path of destruction in Germany after running away from home. A police spokesman said the four and six-year-old boys stole a neighbour’s gas burner and torched parts of a garage. They flooded another neighbour’s basement, before stealing an aerosol can and spraying varnish on doors and two cars. Officers took them to the local youth welfare office which called the mother to pick up her sons.
Woman thought she had kidney stones, gave birth to triplets
A South Dakota woman who recently gave birth to triplets says she didn’t find out about her pregnancy until she went to the hospital with what she thought were kidney stones. Reports say Dannette Giltz gave birth to the healthy triplets on August 10. Giltz says that despite having two other children, she did not know she was 34 weeks pregnant. She says that when she started having pains, she thought it was from kidney stones, which she has had before. Doctors told her she was actually in labour - with multiple babies. The triplets were born within four minutes. Each weighed about 1.8kg.
Airport worker fired for giving flyer ‘You ugly!’ note
An airport security worker in New York has been fired for handing a passenger a handwritten note that said “You ugly!!!” The June incident came to light after passenger Neal Strassner obtained security video and posted it to YouTube . The video shows the worker handing Strassner the note after he passes through a metal detector.
Gun found in FedEx parcel sent from US to China
Chinese authorities have found at least one firearm in a FedEx package sent from the US, local police said, in the latest incident to befall the logistics firm in China. Police in Fuzhou said “in recent days” they had received a tip about a package sent to a local sporting goods firm. The parcel was sent by a US client and contained at least one firearm, police said. The firearm has been seized and officers are investigating, they added, without specifying the number of weapons in the package.
