WASHINGTON: Emerging hip hop artist and student of criminal law at George Mason University, Virginia, Madhu Valli has been crowned Miss India Worldwide 2017. Valli said she wants to be “the next biggest bridge between Bollywood and Hollywood.” The 20 year old stated that her dream is to be a recording artist. She began learning vocals at the age of eight. “I definitely want to speak to a lot of young Indian-American women about women empowerment and positive self-image. I love both my countries, India and the US and I always wanted to discover a way to be a leader in both!” she said. France's Stephanie Madavane became the runner up at the 26th edition of the beauty pageant, and Guyanese Sangeeta Bahadur took third spot.
Oldest US senator seeks re-election in 2018
WASHINGTON: The oldest member of the US Senate, Democratic Senator for California, Dianne Feinstein, 84 announced that she will stand for re-election next year. Making the announcement on micro-blogging website Twitter, she tweeted, “I am running for re-election to the Senate.” Feinstein added, “Lots more to do: ending gun violence, combating climate change, access to healthcare. I'm all in!” One of the most influential members of the upper house, she was a pioneer along with Barbara Boxer, when both won seats in the Senate in 1992 to become the first female senators for the state of California. She is one of the eight octogenarians in the US upper house.
Pak EC issues arrest warrants against imran
ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan has issued non-bailable arrest warrants from Imran Khan, chairman of the opposition party Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, in contempt of court case against him for repeatedly failing to appear before it for the hearing, and for failing to send a written apology to the ECP for his absence from court. A former party leader had approached ECP seeking Khan's disqualification over allegations that his party was receiving foreign funds.
Drug dealer hid £1m stolen Stanley Spencer painting
BERKSHIRE: A £1 million painting by Stanley Spencr has been recovered at the home of a drug dealer along with hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of cocaine and ecstasy. Harry Fisher, 28 has been sentenced for eight years and eight months after he admitted conspiracy to supply class A drugs, acquiring criminal property and handling stolen goods. The Cookham from Englefield, dated 1948, was privately owned and was on loan to the gallery when it was stolen. It was said to have “huge sentimental value” to its owners, the Elsdens. Fisher was arrested after a kilo of cocaine and £30,000 in cash was found in his Mercedes. Officers also found three kilograms of cocaine and 15,000 ecstasy tablets in Fisher’s flat in Kingston-upon-Thames along with more class A drugs and £40,000 in cash at his family home in Fulham, west London.
Mother's crowdfunding page for son’s birthday present backfires
MANCHESTER: A mother who set up a crowdfunding page to raise money for her son's tenth birthday stands accused of what is termed as “modern-day begging”. Stockports' Paramita Sarkar began a JustGiving page where well-wishers could donate cash rather than giving her son “useless presents”. In the description, she asked parents each give £15 so that she could buy her son Adi “something useful that would be treasured”. While her friends encouraged her to set up the page, several visitors were not impressed. A certain Ebrahim Bathia likened the move to “modern-day begging”. Another wrote, “The cheek of it! Instead of referring to past gifts as 'clutter' maybe you should give them to charity as it's quite clear your spoilt brat of a son doesn't want them.”
64 year old dies after getting head stuck in railings
GLOUCESTERSHIRE: Just weeks after an Indian guru warned a mother-of-two to stay away from ornamental railings outside her flat window, she was found dead with her head lodged between the posts. American-born Kimmy Varma, 64, died because she was stuck in a position where she could not breathe properly. Her family believes she had leaned out of her Cheltenham flat to have a cigarette- something she is known to have done often. Pathologist Dr Chandima de Cates said Varma died from 'positional asphyxia' at a time after she had been drinking alcohol and had taken medication including Solpadeine painkillers. Her blood alcohol level was 132mgs and the level in urine was 201 mgs. The legal limit blood alcohol limit for a driver is 80mgs and in urine 107mgs.
Shahid Khaqan Abbasi becomes Pakistan's first PM to fly military helicopter
LAHORE: Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi took the Turkish attack helicopter T-129 for a test flight, becoming the first Pakistani premier to fly a military helicopter. Abbasi, speaking to Pakistani and Turkish media, said Turkey's defence production industry was one of the best in the world and second to none. He appreciated Turkish aircraft and termed it an impressive and good machine. Abbasi also lauded the Turkish aviation industry and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for such achievements in defence production. He also inspected the helicopter, where he was briefed by the Turkish aviation officials about specifications and technical parameters of the combat chopper.
