Gadde Sai Surya Avinash from Chityala village in Andhra Pradesh’s East Godavari district slipped into Barberville waterfall in Albany, New York, and drowned. He left India about 18 months ago to pursue an MS degree in the US. Avinash was visiting his relative’s place as he had a three-day holiday. Later, he went to the waterfall with his friends. His friends said they were standing near the waterfall when Avinash slipped and fell. By the time help arrived, he was dead. His father is a farmer while his mother is a homemaker. This is the second loss in the family in recent times. Three months ago, a relative from the same family died in the US after suffering seizures.
Indian man arrested for groping in Canada
An Indian origin man was arrested for groping women at a public water park in Canada, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said. The 25-year-old walking at a public water park on Mountain Road in Moncton, and groping people. According to the police, there were at least 12 victims, some of whom were under the age of 16. Police located the man who was still on the premises, and arrested him. He was later released from custody, and is now scheduled to appear in Moncton Provincial Court. Police also asked people to come forward in case they know anything related to the case.
Robbery at Indian jewellery firm
In a daylight heist, masked robbers armed with guns and sledgehammers stormed the Bombay Jewellery Company in Berkeley, making off with $500,000 worth of merchandise, authorities said. According to the Berkeley police, seven to eight individuals executed a coordinated attack, forcing their way into the jewellery store. The assailants used sledgehammers to shatter display cases and brandished firearms to threaten and control both staff and customers. The alarm company initially alerted the police, who responded swiftly. However, the robbers managed to spend just over a minute inside the store, fleeing with at least half a million dollars in jewellery.
Indian consulate to aid of students hit by hurricane
The Indian Mission in the US state of Texas is assisting hundreds of students from the country who are badly affected by widespread power outages in the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl’s devastation. Nearly a million homes and businesses remain without essential services, plunging life in the region into uncertainty due to the impact of the hurricane. The Category 1 storm knocked out power to nearly 2.7 million customers after it made landfall in Texas last week, according to US media reports. Consul General of India, DC Manjunath,visited local educational institutions, including the University of Houston, to assess the well-being of Indian students.
Pak reaches $7bn aid deal with IMF
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said it reached a new $7 billion loan deal with Pakistan in a bid to bolster its faltering economy. In exchange, Islamabad agreed to conduct further unpopular reforms, including widening the South Asian nation’s chronically low tax base. Pakistan last year came to the brink of default as the economy shrivelled amid political chaos, catastrophic 2022 monsoon floods and decades of mismanagement - as well as the global economic downturn.
Man in China caught smuggling snakes
A man has been caught trying to smuggle over 100 live snakes into mainland China by cramming them into his trousers. The unnamed traveller was stopped by customs officers as he sought to slip out of Hong Kong and into the border city of Shenzhen, China Customs said. “Upon inspection, customs officers discovered that the pockets of the trousers the passenger was wearing were packed with six canvas drawstring bags and sealed with tape,” it said. “Once opened, each bag was found to contain living snakes in all kinds of shapes, sizes and colours.” The statement said officers seized 104 reptiles, many of which were non-native species. China is one of the world’s biggest animal trafficking hubs, but authorities have cracked down on the illicit trade in recent years
Wife of France’s ex-Prez Sarkozy charged
Former supermodel and French first lady Carla Bruni Sarkozy was given preliminary charges for involvement in alleged efforts to pressure a witness who accused ex-President Nicolas Sarkozy of receiving illegal campaign financing from Libya. Bruni-Sarkozy was placed under judicial supervision, which included a ban on contact with all those involved in the proceedings with the exception of her husband, according to a judicial official. Preliminary charges against Bruni-Sarkozy include witness tampering and participation in a criminal association with an attempt to commit fraud in efforts to deceive magistrates investigating her husband on suspicion of receiving illegal funds during his 2007 presidential election campaign, the official said.
Corruption case against former SA speaker
The former speaker of South Africa's parliament was back in court to face charges of corruption and money laundering. At the Magistrate's court, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula learned that her case was transferred to the high court in Pretoria for trial. The development shows that the prosecution believes it has a solid case against Mapisa-Nqakula. The trial will start on October 16. Mapisa-Nqakula is accused of soliciting a R4.5 million from a defence contractor, during her time as South Africa's defence minister. She resigned as speaker of the national assembly following her indictment in early April. Mapisa-Nqakula denies the charges against her.
Russian court orders arrest of Navalny’s wife
A court in Moscow ordered Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of late Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny, arrested in absentia for two months. The court accused Navalnaya, who lives outside Russia, of participating in an “extremist” group. The decision means she would face certain arrest if she set foot in the country. Navalnaya has stepped into the spotlight following her husband’s death in an Arctic penal colony in Feb and said she will continue the fight for what Navalny called the “beautiful Russia of the future”. Writing on X, Navalnaya told her supporters to focus not on the court order against her, but on the battle against Russian Prez Putin.
Woman swept to sea rescued 37 hours later
A Chinese woman in her 20s who was swept out to sea while swimming at a Japanese beach was rescued 37 hours later after drifting in a swimming ring more than 80 km in Pacific Ocean, officials said. The woman was spotted by a cargo ship off the southern tip of Boso Peninsula. Two of its crew jumped into the sea and rescued the woman. She was slightly dehydrated but in good health and walked away after being examined at a hospital.
