A former US police officer of Indian-origin, who was accused of negligent homicide in the 2019 fatal shooting of a woman while aiming at her dog who charged at him, has been acquitted by a court in Texas. Ravinder Singh was on trial after he shot and killed Maggie Brooks, 30, while responding to a welfare check. The Tarrant Criminal District Attorney’s Office said after the jury’s verdict was read, saying that anytime the use of force results in the death of a civilian, they take the case to a grand jury and if the grand jury returns an indictment, they prosecute the case. “A jury heard the facts related to the death of Brooks in 2019. They evaluated the testimony and evidence and determined that Ravinder Singh was not guilty,” the district attorney’s office said.
Indian in Poland called a ‘parasite’, told to ‘go back’
An Indian man has been racially abused in Poland, allegedly by an American, who called him a “parasite”, “an invader” and told him to “go back to your country”. The Indian, whose identity has not yet been established, was filmed in a video that has gone viral on social media. It is unclear in which city the video was shot but Twitter users have been tagging Warsaw Police while commenting on it. In the video, the American is repeatedly asking the Indian, who can be seen walking near a mall and telling him to stop recording him, why he was in Europe. “I am from America. And in America. . . there’s too many of you guys here. So why are you in Poland? Why are you here? Do you think you can just invade Poland? Why don’t you return to your own country?” says the man behind the camera.
Portuguese minister quits after Indian dies
Portugal's health minister Marta Temido resigned following widespread criticism of her decision to temporarily close emergency obstetric services, forcing risky transfers of pregnant women between hospitals, apparently leading to the death of a 34-year-old woman, an Indian tourist. The pregnant Indian woman died after suffering a cardiac arrest during an ambulance transfer from Lisbon's main hospital Santa Maria, which had no vacancies in the neo natology service, to another hospital in the capital. The death came on the heels of a string of incidents this summer that critics blame on a staffing crisis across Portuguese natal units. The health ministry said in a statement that Temido had decided to step down because she "realised that she no longer had the conditions to remain in office".
Pak court extends Imran’s bail
A Pakistani court has extended former PM Imran Khan’s pre-arrest bail for two weeks on terrorism charges relating to a speech after Khan appeared in court, his lawyer said. “It is not at all a case of terrorism,” Faisal Chaudhry, the lawyer said. The bail was approved until September 12, he said. Charges against Khan is related to what police said was a threat to Islamabad police chief and a female judge after Khan spoke about police torture of an aide who faces sedition charges for inciting mutiny in the military. Khan says his words were taken out of context.
Afghan mosque blast kills 18
An explosion tore through a crowded mosque in western Afghanistan, killing at least 18 people, including a prominent cleric close to the Taliban, Taliban officials and a local medic said. At least 21 people were hurt. The explosion in the city of Herat left the courtyard of the Guzargah Mosque littered with bodies, the ground stained with blood, video from the scene showed. The bomb went off during Friday noon prayers, when mosques are full of worshippers. Among the dead was Mujib-ul Rahman Ansari, a prominent cleric who was known across Afghanistan for his criticism of the country’s West-backed governments over the past two decades. Ansari was seen as close to the Taliban, who seized control over Afghanistan a year ago.
Myanmar jails former UK ambassador for one year
A military court in Myanmar has sentenced Vicky Bowman, a former UK ambassador to the country, to one year in prison for immigration offences, according to people with knowledge of the situation. The military regime also sentenced Bowman’s husband, artist Htein Lin, to a year in jail. Aung San Suu Kyi, the former leader who has already been sentenced to 17 years on various charges since being deposed in a coup last year, received a further three years for electoral fraud, according to local media outlet Myanmar Now. The penalty will be the first against the 77-year-old Nobel Peace Prize laureate to include hard labour.
Malaysia ex-PM's wife jailed for graft
A Malaysian court sentenced Rosmah Mansor, the wife of former PM Najib Razak, to a decade in jail for seeking and receiving bribes in exchange for government contracts, just days after her husband was jailed for corruption.
The couple have been the focus of multiple graft investigations since Najib’s surprise election defeat in 2018, when voters’ anger over a separate, multi-billion dollar corruption scandal ended his nine years in power. A flamboyant figure by Najib’s side, Rosmah was scorned in Malaysia for her extravagant lifestyle, and faced questions over her influence in government matters. She will also have to pay a fine of 970 million ringgit ($216. 45 million) -a record amount in Malaysia’s history.
US readies $1.1bn arms deal for Taiwan
The Biden administration is preparing to sell $1.1 billion in missiles and radar support to Taiwan, in what would be the largest such transfer in almost two years. The package would include as much as $650 million in continued support for a surveillance radar sold earlier, about $90 million for roughly 100 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles as well as about 60 additional anti-ship Harpoon missiles, the official said. The state department informally notified Congress of the sale. Even though it offers Taiwan no new military capability, the move could prompt protests from Beijing, which has said American arms sales to Taiwan a violation of agreements that established diplomatic relations with Washington.
Iraq cleric tells supporters to end protests
Iraq’s powerful cleric Moqtada al-Sadr ordered his followers to end their protests in central Baghdad and apologised to Iraqis after 22 people were killed in clashes between rival Shia Muslim groups. “This is not a revolution because it has lost its peaceful character,” Sadr said. “The spilling of Iraqi blood is forbidden.” In a televised address Sadr set a one-hour deadline for his supporters to leave their protests in the fortified Green Zone in central Baghdad, where they have occupied parliament for weeks.
Child dies after being hit by giant hailstone
A 20-month-old girl died after being struck on the head during a violent hailstorm that caused havoc in Catalonia, northeastern Spain, authorities said. Fist-sized hailstones up to 10 cm in diameter rained down on an area around the village of La Bisbal d’Emporda. They caused injuries mostly broken bones and bruising to around 50 other people, broadcaster TV3 said. “People started screaming and hiding”, said musician Sicus Carbonell, who filmed the storm’s destructive aftermath.
Truck spills 150,000 tomatoes in California
A huge mass of tomatoes was strewn all over a highway stretch in California after the truck carrying them collided with two vehicles, swerved and hit the centre median, according to New York Times. More than 150,000 tomatoes spilled onto the road causing traffic chaos on Interstate 80 in Vacaville, the outlet further said. The cargo covered eastbound lanes of the highway for about 200 feet and created a red mass that was about “two feet deep”, according to California Highway Patrol.
Argentina V-P survives murder attempt
Argentina’s vice-president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner escaped unharmed after a man fired a loaded gun at her that failed to go off inches from her head. The attack, which the economy minister called an assassination attempt, comes at a time of acute political and social frictions inside Argentina. It happened as Fernandez de Kirchner stepped out of a car outside her Buenos Aires home, where hundreds of supporters had gathered. Video footage showed a man holding a pistol next to her head. President Alberto Fernandez said the gun had been loaded with five bullets. “This is the most serious event we have gone through since Argentina returned to democracy,” he said in a televised address.
