An Indian woman and a four-year-old Indian girl have died in two separate freak accidents in the UAE, according to media reports. The woman died after she was run over by her 17-year-old son in Sharjah’s Muweilah area. The grade 12 student of an Indian school did not have a licence and was taking driving classes, his friends said. According to the family, which is from Uttar Pradesh, the student was trying to park his car when he hit the accelerator instead of the brake and ran over his mother. In another incident, a 4-year-old girl died and her mother injured at a school area in Dubai’s Jebel Ali when a motorist reversing his car accidentally stepped on the accelerator instead of brake and hit the duo.
Indian family to be deported from Israel
Four members of an Indian family, including two children, detained in Israel for staying illegally are likely to be deported soon after the completion of formalities, officials said amidst a crackdown on illegal migrant workers. Inspectors from the Population and Immigration Authority broke into the home of Tina and Minin Lopez and arrested them along with their kids - daughter Eliana (7) and a one-year-old toddler, Ha’aretz Online reported. The family from Karnataka was taken to a detention facility but were released later. They are likely to be deported soon, authorities said. The couple came to Israel to work as nurses 12 years ago. The kids were born in Israel.
Man kills wife because she loved Hrithik Roshan!
In a bizarre incident, a man killed his wife in New York because he couldn’t tolerate her crushing on Hrithik Roshan. He later committed suicide. Donne Dojoy (27) was killed by her husband Dineshwar Budhidat (33), because he couldn’t tolerate his wife liking Hrihtik Roshan. Donne’s favourite movie was 'Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai', Hrithik’s debut movie. One of her colleagues said: “She told me when she was at home watching a movie or listening to a song [with Hrithik in it] he would ask her to take it off because he would get so jealous.” Donne, who had moved out went to watch a movie at Dinehswar’s place and it’s not known what they were doing but in the evening, Dineshwar messages his wife’s sister saying he had killed her. He left his wife’s mutilated body in the building and then hanged himself from a nearby field.
Lanka prez pardons man who killed Swedish teen
Just a week before he leaves office, Sri Lankan president has pardoned a death-row prisoner who murdered a Swedish girl, a move that sparked national outrage. Convicted killer Jude Jayamaha, from a wealthy, high-profile family, walked out of prison following the amnesty granted by President Maithripala Sirisena. Sirisena is about to step down after Saturday’s presidential election in which he is not a candidate. Yvonne Jonsson, then 19, was holidaying in Sri Lanka. She was beaten to death in Colombo in 2005 after she and Jayamaha had a fight. The court was told that her skull was fractured into 64 pieces. Many people speculated on social media that Sirisena may have pardoned Jayamaha to test the waters ahead of possibly pardoning another high-profile death-row inmate whose family owns radio and TV stations that support him.
HK violence spreads to new areas
Police fired tear gas to break up rallies as black-clad activists blocked roads and trashed shopping malls across Hong Kong’s New Territories on the 24th straight weekend of anti-government protests. Pro-democracy protesters vandalised a train station in the central town of Sha Tin and smashed up a restaurant perceived as being pro-Beijing, overturning banqueting tables and smashing glass panels, two weeks before district council elections in the Chinese-ruled city. Violence spilled out onto the streets of Tuen Mun outside the “V city” mall. The rail station was closed in Sha Tin and scuffles broke out between police and protesters in several areas. Thousands of people gathered on a vigil for “martyrs”, after a student died in hospital this week following a high fall during a protest.
Iran discovers massive new oilfield
Iran discovered an oil field containing the equivalent of 53 billion barrels, potentially boosting its reserves as the Opec member struggles to overcome the effects of sanctions on its energy industry. It wasn’t immediately clear how much of the oil discovered in southern Khuzestan province is new, or how much of it can be developed commercially. Iran currently ranks fourth in reserves worldwide - behind Venezuela, Saudi Arabia and Canada - with almost 156 billion barrels, according to 2018 data. However, the Islamic republic’s exports of crude have plunged since the US re-imposed sanctions in 2018. “What is important in this field is the rate of recovery, that is, how much of that we can extract and sell,” President Rouhani was quoted as saying.
Application fee for H-1B visa hiked by $10
As part of its revised selection process, the US has hiked by $10 the application fee of the H-1B work visa, the most sought-after among Indian IT professionals. The H-1B programme allows companies in the US to temporarily employ foreign workers in occupations that require the application of a body of highly specialised knowledge and a bachelor’s degree or higher in the specific specialty, or its equivalent. This non-refundable fee will support the new electronic registration system to make the H-1B cap selection process more efficient for both petitioners and the federal agency, said the US Citizenship and Immigration Services.
After his sister, Baghdadi’s wife nabbed: Turkey
Turkey has captured a wife of the slain chief of the Islamic State terror group, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said. Erdogan made the announcement but did not give details. He did not say when or how the woman was captured or identify her by name. Al-Baghdadi was known to have four wives. “We caught his wife, but we didn’t make a fuss about it. I am announcing this today for the first time,” Erdogan said, while criticising the US for leading a “communications campaign” about Baghdadi’s slaying
Italian Holocaust survivor, 89, gets death threats
Holocaust survivor Liliana Segre has been placed under police protection after she received threats from far-right fanatics, security sources said, highlighting concern about rising extremism in Italy. Segre, 89, called last month for the creation of a parliamentary commission to investigate hate, racism and anti-Semitism after she was the subject of a daily barrage of abuse on social media. Italy’s right-wing parties did not back her proposal and the resulting controversy has only added to the abuse, with a neo-Nazi group this week hanging up a banner to denounce anti-fascism close to where she was making a public appearance. Segre declined to comment on getting police escort.
Chinese pilot banned after flyer’s cockpit pic
A Chinese pilot has been banned from flying after a photo went viral showing a female passenger in the cockpit, media reported. The incident took place on January 4 on an Air Guilin flight GT1011 from Guilin city to Yangzhou city. But it was brought to the airline’s attention after screenshots of the alleged traveller’s post started being shared on microblogging site Weibo. The post showed the woman making a ‘V’ sign with her fingers with the photo captioned: “Thanks to the captain. So happy.” Air Guilin said that the pilot had “violated (regulations) by allowing irrelevant personnel into the cockpit”. Other staff members involved have also been “suspended indefinitely” while further investigations were underway.
Hidden Banksy mural uncovered in London area
A Banksy mural, covered up by builders’ hoarding and scaffolding for almost a year, was uncovered in the heart of London’s Notting Hill. Drawn on the corner of Acklam and Portbello Road in 2008, the artwork had been obscured after developer Enstar Capital began refurbishing the property to make luxury flats. The work - known variously as the Graffiti Painter, The Painter or Velazquez - shows an artist, thought to be Spanish painter Diego Velazquez, with an easel writing “Banksy” in large red letters.
US man fatally stabbed after sandwich altercation
A man was stabbed to death in the US state of Maryland at an outlet of fast-food chain Popeyes after a fight apparently over the restaurant’s popular chicken sandwich, which was back on the menu after a hiatus, reports said. A fight erupted between two men. Police believe the altercation might have arisen over someone cutting in line at the restaurant.
Educator saves caged puppy from drowning in Illinois lake
An educator has rescued a caged puppy from drowning in a Illinois lake. Bryant Fritz was preparing to fish when he found a puppy submerged in rising water and trapped inside of a dog crate. Fritz says he waded into waist-high, freezing water before reaching the cage.
Snow crab sells for $46,000 at an auction in Japan
A Japanese bidder may be feeling the pinch after forking out $46,000 at auction for a snow crab - a price that “probably set a new world record”, local officials said. The winter seafood delicacy is in season from this week in the western Tottori region, where the crustacean was snapped up for a final price of five million yen. In Japan, buyers often pay eye-watering sums to secure a seasonal first at auction, from tuna to melons, with media attention guaranteed. “I was surprised it went for such a high price,” local government official said of the crab that weighed in at 1.2kg and measured 14.6cm across.
Pilot sets off hijack alert at Schiphol by mistake
The company which owns Spain’s Air Europa airline says the pilot that set off an accidental hijacking warning in Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport was teaching procedures to a junior pilot at the time. Globalia said the pilot keyed in the code by mistake as the plane bound for Madrid was preparing for takeoff. The alert triggered a big security operation at the airport. No one was injured. Globalia said it considered the matter finished and no disciplinary action would be taken.
Hong Kong crisis escalates as protester shot by police
Hong Kong police opened fire and wounded at least one protester during a fracas that was broadcast live on Facebook, as chaos erupted across the semi-autonomous territory. Antigovernment demonstrators angered by the shooting of a Hong Kong demonstrator fanned out across the city and disrupted the morning commute and brought parts of the central business district to a standstill around lunchtime. At the gates of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, they set a giant blaze and threw gasoline bombs at police lines under a barrage of tear gas canisters.
Antigovernment demonstrators angered by the shooting of a Hong Kong demonstrator fanned out across the city on Tuesday, blocking major transit arteries and staging a fiery standoff against riot police officers on the fringes of a university campus. Since early June, Hong Kong has been rocked by protests triggered by a bill that would have allowed the extradition of accused individuals to mainland China to stand trial.
