A 22-year-old Sikh youth was allegedly killed with a sharp-edged weapon in Downtown Edmonton parking, Alberta. The victim, identified as Jashandeep Singh Mann, had arrived in Canada as an international student eight months ago. The Edmonton Police have charged 40-year-old Edgar Whisker with second-degree murder. Reports say that the suspect remained at the scene following the incident. Jashandeep was a native of Badla village in Malerkotla district, Punjab. The weapon used in the attack is believed to be a box cutter. “We can confirm that both men were not known to one another and this appears to be an isolated incident,” Staff Sergeant Colin Leathem with EPS Homicide Section was quoted saying in the official release.
Indian jailed for sexually harassing girl
A 52-year-old Indian national in Singapore has been sentenced to 14 months of jail for molesting a teenage girl. For molesting a child below 14 years old, an offender can be jailed for up to five years, fined, caned, or receive any combination of such punishments. The man cannot be caned as he is over 50. The man pleaded guilty to a molestation charge, The Straits Times newspaper said. The 13-year-old girl trusted him enough to go on a motorcycle ride with him one evening when he molested her near a playground in Sembawang, northern Singapore, Deputy Public Prosecutor Suriya Prakash told the court.
Hindu organisation to distribute Hanuman Chalisa
A prominent Hindu organisation in South Africa has launched a programme to distribute for free one million pocket-sized copies of the Hanuman Chalisa in the next five years. The launch and distribution of the first 10,000 copies, believed to be the smallest printed edition of the Hanuman Chalisa globally, took place during an ‘Utsav of Devotion' at the Vishnu Temple in Johannesburg. “We hosted the event, attended by representatives of over a dozen religious organisations across South Africa, to celebrate spiritual growth, community service and cultural preservation,” said Pandita Lucy Sigaban, the founder of the SA Hindus.
Indian charged for carrying tortoises
An Indian national was charged for allegedly possessing 58 Indian star tortoises during his transit at Changi Airport in Singapore. Abdul Jaffar Haji Ali, 40, was travelling from India to Jakarta when he made a transit halt here when the authorities found 58 Indian star tortoises concealed - sealed and not ventilated - in his personal luggage. “A court here charged Ali with unlawfully bringing the animals into Singapore – an offence under the Endangered Species (Import and Export) Act.” He is accused of transporting them to the city-state without a valid permit or certificate. Ali was also handed a charge under the Animals and Birds Act for allegedly failing to take reasonable steps in ensuring that the tortoises did not suffer unnecessarily.
Huge oil, gas reserves found in Pak waters
A substantial deposit of petroleum and natural gas has been discovered in Pakistan’s territorial waters, a cache so large its exploitation could change the country’s destiny, according to a media report. A three-year survey was undertaken in collaboration with a friendly country to verify the presence of the oil and gas reserves, Dawn News TV quoted a senior security official as saying. The geographic survey has allowed Pakistan to identify the location of the deposits, and the relevant departments have informed the govt of the resources found in Pakistani waters. Terming it an effort to benefit from what he called the ‘blue water economy’, the official said that proposals for bidding and exploration were being studied, meaning that the exploration work can be started in the near future.
Murder suspect identified in student’s death
Bobby Singh Shah, 51, was arrested and charged for the fatal shooting of 21-year-old Nepalese nursing student Muna Pandey in Houston. Police were able to apprehend the suspect after a tipster recognised him from his alleged profile on a “Sugar Daddy” website. According to a criminal complaint, an “unknown male” called her building manager to notify them about a dead body in her unit before hanging up. This led to the recovery of the body of Muna Pandey of Houston Community College in a Houston apartment on August 26. The victim was last seen on the night of August 24, the same evening when the neighbours heard a “loud thump” coming from her apartment.
Pak foils major terror attack bid
Law enforcement agencies arrested 33 terrorists of various banned groups including al-Qaida and 133 Brigade, and foiled a major terror plot in Punjab province of Pakistan, police said. Punjab police registered 32 cases against the terrorists and shifted them to an unknown location, according to the counter terrorism department (CTD) of Punjab police, which conducted 475 intelligence-based operations in different districts of the province this week. “At least 475 suspected persons were interrogated,” CTD said, adding, “The terror plot was foiled by arresting 33 terrorists belonging to banned outfits during operations in different areas of Punjab.” Terrorists from al-Qaida, 133 Brigade, Sipah Sahaba Pakistan, Lashkar Jhangvi, and Tehreek Jafaria Pakistan were arrested with weapons, explosives, and other prohibited materials.
17 children killed Sin Kenya school fire
At least 17 students died after an elementary school in central Kenya caught fire. Police said the toll could increase as more than a dozen others have been undergoing treatment in hospital with severe burns. A probe has been launched to ascertain the cause of fire at Hillside Endarasha Primary in Nyeri county that broke out around midnight and engulfed rooms where children were sleeping. Resila Onyango, a spokesperson for the Kenya National Police Service was quoted as saying that bodies had been "burnt beyond recognition." Kenyan President William Ruto in a post said, "our thoughts are with the families of the children who have lost their lives in the fire tragedy."
Jailbreak bid leaves 129 dead at Congo prison
An attempted jailbreak in Congo’s main prison left 129 people dead, including some who were shot and others who died in a stampede at the overcrowded facility, authorities said. Activists alleged the death toll was higher but did not provide a figure. A provisional assessment showed that 24 inmates were fatally shot by “warning” shots fired by guards as they tried to escape from the Makala Central Prison in the capital of Kinshasa, Congolese interior minister Jacquemin Shabani said on X. “There are also 59 injured people taken into care by the government, as well as some cases of women raped,” he said, adding that order has now been restored at the prison. The prison holds both male and female inmates. It was not known if all 129 fatalities were inmates.
