A 24-year-old Indian woman who was travelling from Melbourne to New Delhi in a Qantas flight died on the spot when she developed a medical condition while the aircraft was still on the ground, according to a media report. Manpreet Kaur, who had dreams of becoming a chef, boarded the aircraft ready to fly from Melbourne to Delhi on June 20 and died on board after the student reportedly “felt unwell” hours before arriving at the airport but managed to board the flight without any issues. According to a friend, Kaur was travelling to India to see her parents for the first time since she moved to Australia in March 2020.
Indian origin woman jailed for cheating
A 33-year-old Indian origin Singaporean woman was sentenced to three years of imprisonment for cheating 12 people of over SGD 106,000 in total in various scams. District Judge John Ng also imposed a fine of SGD 2,000 on Priscilla Shamani Manoharan, who started her crime spree in 2022. Among other cases, the woman created fake WhatsApp chat records, purportedly between her and a hospital staff member, to convince the victim that she needed money urgently for medical fees. The con woman continued cheating people, two of whom were duped of SGD 11,800 early this year.
India gives $1.16 mn for Hindi promotion at UN
The Government of India has made a contribution of $1.16 mn o expand the use of Hindi in the United Nations. The ‘Hindi @ UN’ project, in collaboration with the UN Department of Public Information, was launched in 2018 with the objective of enhancing the public outreach of the United Nations in the Hindi language and spreading greater awareness about global issues among millions of Hindi-speaking people around the world. India has been partnering with the UN Department of Global Communications since 2018 by providing an extra-budgetary contribution to mainstream and consolidate news and multimedia content of DGC in the Hindi language.
Indian origin woman allowed to visit Kerala
A court in Singapore allowed an Indian-origin Singaporean woman, who was charged with organising a pro-Palestine procession without a permit, to leave the country to visit her grandparents in Kerala. Annamalai Kokila Parvathi, 35, had organised the procession in February with two others to show support for the Palestinian cause without a permit. A permit from the authority for holding a procession is mandatory according to the law in Singapore. Parvathi, who is currently on bail, had applied for permission to go to Kerala to visit her grandparents there. District Judge Lorraine Ho granted the application for Parvathi to leave the jurisdiction, imposing several additional conditions, including an additional bail of SGD10,000, a report said.
One killed while trying to stop fight at Nepali concert
Umesh Dahal, 41, was attending a concert by the Nepali band Mantra in Nashville when an argument erupted, causing people to leave and go into the parking lot, police said. Police said Dahal was trying to break up the fight when he was punched, causing him to fall and hit his head on the concrete. The perpetrator did not stop and kicked Dahal in the head even while he lay on the ground. Punched badly, Dahal was rushed to hospital but after battling injuries, the father of two young girls succumbed on July 2. Police have identified Bishal Rai, 26, as the man who kicked Dahal while he was on the ground.
Gandhi-King Development Foundation
India and the United States signed a statement of intent to formally establish the Gandhi-King Development Foundation by October this year, which aims to address global development challenges. The statement of intent was signed during the visit by US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan to India last month. US Ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti emphasized that this foundation is built on the principles of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr, two iconic leaders who promoted non-violent resistance and civil rights. The foundation underscores our shared commitment to forging global progress by leveraging our collective strengths, Garcetti said.
Top terrorist shot dead in Pakistan
Pakistan’s security forces have killed a high-profile militant commander involved in multiple terrorist attacks in the disputed northern region of Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) in a shootout, top govt functionaries said. “Terrorist commander Shah Faisal was killed during an intelligence-based security operation in the Darel valley of GB’s Diamer district, while his accomplice, Zahidullah, was injured,” GB home minister Shams Lone said. He did not disclose the name of the outfit with which the slain commander was associated but stated he was the mastermind of the terrorist attack in Chilas region last Dec when militants shot up a bus on the Karakoram Highway, killing nine people and injuring 21.
Australia doubles foreign student visa fee
Australia said it had more than doubled the visa fee for international students, the latest move by the government to rein in record migration that has intensified pressure on an already tight housing market. From July 1, the international student visa fee has risen to A$1,600 ($1,068) from A$710, while visitor visa holders and students with temporary graduate visas are banned from applying onshore for a student visa. Official data released in March showed net immigration rose 60 per cent to a record 5,48,800 people in the year to September 30, 2023.
China seizes Taiwanese fishing boat
China’s coast guard has seized a Taiwanese fishing boat and its crew of five and forced it to a port on the mainland Chinese coast, a move that could add to tensions between Beijing and Prez Lai Ching-te of Taiwan. The fishing boat was in Chinese waters 27 miles northeast of Kinmen, a Taiwanese-controlled island close to the Chinese coast, when two Chinese coast guard ships boarded and took control of it, Taiwan’s Coast Guard Administration said. Taiwanese coast guard vessels that sailed to the area to help the fishing boat were blocked by their Chinese counterparts, the administration added. The situation in the seas around Taiwan has become more and more tense, with coast guard standoffs between the two sides seemingly on the rise.
Flight diverted over rotten food
A Delta flight from Detroit to Amsterdam was diverted to New York’s Kennedy Airport after passengers were served spoiled food, airline officials said. The flight took off from Detroit landed in New York “after reports that a portion of the main cabin in-flight meal service were spoiled,” a Delta spokesperson said. Emergency medical responders met the flight and treated 12 passengers. It was not clear how many of the flight's 277 passengers ate the spoiled food. Delta said it would investigate.
