A Indian origin man identified as 49-year-old Prashant Basarur died after he was stabbed multiple times near Munich, Germany. His wife Smita Basarur, 43, is reported to be in a critical condition. The incident reportedly took place when the couple got into an argument with a 33-year-old man from Guinea, who lived in the same apartment complex as the Basarurs. As the argument spiralled out of control, the man attacked and stabbed the couple several times. During the attack, Prashant was stabbed multiple times in the body and head. The reason behind the argument is not yet known. On hearing the scuffle, neighbours called the police who arrived and took the Guinea man into custody.
Doctor from Karnataka found dead in US
A 28-year-old doctor from Karnataka was found dead under mysterious circumstances in the hospital campus at St Peter’s University in New Jersey, USA. The family members were informed about incident. The cause of death is yet to be ascertained. The shocked parents demanded probe into the incident. Manideep, who completed MBBS from Kasturba Medical College in Manipal, Karnataka, went to New Jersey for post graduation three year ago. He was working at St Peter’s University Hospital. Manideep’s relative said that the Telugu Association of North America is in contact with the Indian Embassy and the hospital authorities to complete formalities and send the body to India at the earliest.
Dentist from Hyderabad killed in US road accident
A 32-year-old Indian dentist, pursuing an advanced medical course in the US, was among two people killed in a road accident in Chicago, police said. Dr Arshad Mohammed, originally from Hyderabad, was killed when a Volkswagen which was moving in the wrong way on the Veterans Memorial Tollway struck his black Honda, police said. The driver of the Volkswagen, identified as 36-year-old Robert Velazco of Hammond, was also killed in the accident.
Indian priest jailed for 6 years in child sex case
A Indian former Catholic priest has been sentenced to six years in prison for sexually abusing a teenage girl in the US, according to a media report. John Praveen, 38, pleaded guilty in February to sexually touching a 13-year-old girl in the Rapid City church, South Dakota over her clothes last year. Judge Steven Mandel handed down the sentence after prosecutors asked for the maximum of one year in prison. Mandel said that was “not adequate” for Praveen’s crime, the report said. The sentencing came after Praveen pleaded guilty to one count of having sexual contact with a child under the age of 16, a crime that carries a maximum 15-year punishment, the report said.
29 killed, over 600 injured in Nepal storm
At least 29 people were killed and over 600 others injured as a massive storm lashed Nepal, authorities said. According to reports, of the 29 victims, 28 were from the Bara district, while one person was killed in Parsa. The storm accompanied by hail and heavy rain struck the two districts on Sunday night. The victims were either killed after getting buried under rubble of houses and metal roofs or due to electric shock. According to a senior official, majority of the injured were from Pheta and Bhulahi Bharwaliya areas in Bara. The storm destroyed hundreds of houses, uprooted tress, electric poles and damaged over 12 passenger buses. Security agencies, including two battalions of the Nepal Army, police and Armed Police Force were mobilized to carry out rescue and relief operations in the affected areas.
Nawaz Sharif released from jail for treatment
Former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was released from jail after Supreme Court granted him six weeks' bail to receive medical treatment without "leaving the country." According to reports, Sharif, who was sentenced to seven years in prison by an accountability court in Al-Azizia reference case last year, left Lahore's Kot Lakhpat Jail. The three-judge bench led by Pakistan's Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khosa announced the judgment in the former prime minister's favour. While reading out the order, Khosa said that Nawaz Sharif will have to surrender himself to the jail authorities after termination of his bail period. Earlier in March, Sharif had moved the Supreme Court against a decision by the Islamabad High Court, rejecting his bail application in connection with the case. Sharif's counsel filed a plea in the top court, stating that the high court's decision should be declared null and void. However, the Islamabad High Court rejected Sharif's petition seeking bail on medical grounds.
Pak minister brands US envoy ‘little pygmy’
A Pakistani minister has branded the US ambassador to Kabul a “little pygmy” in a diplomatic Twitter row that erupted over ongoing peace talks between Washington and the Taliban. It began after Pakistani PM Imran Khan reportedly suggested an interim government in Afghanistan to help smooth the talks process. But shortly after US ambassador to Afghanistan John Bass issued a tweet rebuking Khan while alluding to his past as captain of Pakistan’s World Cup-winning cricket team and numerous cheating scandals involving Pakistani players. Outraged at Bass' snub, Khan’s minister for human rights Shireen Mazari said, “Clearly you little pygmy your knowledge of ball tampering is as void as your understanding of Afghanistan and the region!”
Bangladeshi woman has twins 26 days after 1st delivery
A 20-year-old Bangladeshi woman has given birth to twins nearly a month after delivering a baby, media reported. All three newborns are alive and healthy. Arifa Sultana gave birth to a premature baby boy in February but just 26 days later she complained of abdominal pains and was rushed to a hospital on March 21 when she delivered twins, gynaecologist Sheila Poddar said. Her twins were found to be healthy and were discharged with no complications, Poddar added. Sultana's case is one of "uterus didelphys", which means she has two separate uteruses. According to Christopher Ng of the GynaeMD Clinic in Singapore, uterus didelphys is "not as rare as people think".
Teen offered admission to 55 US colleges
Georgia high school student Jakelia Baker has been offered admission to 55 colleges with about $ 1.3 million in scholarship awards. The 17-year-old has applied to more than 65 colleges and got offers from about 55, including Clemson, Oklahoma and Michigan State. Finally she has decided to attend Penn State Beaver on an athletic scholarship. Jakelia, who is set to graduate, said she started applying to colleges leading up to her senior year. The teen said she used college admission apps to send applications to a number of schools because "I had no idea where I was going." Then the acceptance letters started pouring in. Jakelia has spent the past four years earning a 4.1 GPA and dominating athletics and other extracurricular activities at her high school.
Facebook bans praise of white nationalism
Facebook has banned praise, support and representation of white nationalism and white separatism, a move that drew qualified approval from New Zealand where a massacre of 50 people in mosques was live streamed earlier this month. Facebook has beefed up its content monitoring teams and taken down event pages that were used to promote and organise rallies by white supremacist groups. The policy will be enforced next week, Facebook said in a blog post, and will apply to both its core Facebook app and Instagram. Facebook has long banned white supremacy under its rules on “hateful” content, but did not previously consider white nationalist content to be explicitly racist.
China set to prosecute former Interpol chief for graft
China will prosecute former Interpol chief Meng Hongwei for graft after an investigation found he spent “lavish” amounts of state funds, abused his power and refused to follow Communist Party decisions, its anti-corruption watchdog said. Interpol, the global police coordination agency based in France, last October said Meng had resigned, days after his wife reported him missing after he travelled back to his home country. Meng has been expelled from the party and his case was handed to legal authorities for prosecution, the statement said.
Two women accuse Biden of inappropriate touching
Two women have alleged that former US Vice President Joe Biden touched them inappropriately. Biden now faces those two accusations as he considers a bid for president in 2020. He is expected to announce his decision this month. The first allegation was made by Lucy Flores, a former Democratic politician in Nevada. Flores said that Biden made her feel "uneasy, gross, and confused" in 2014 when, at a campaign rally, she said he kissed her on the back of the head. Another woman Amy Lappos said that Biden pulled her in to rub noses with her at a 2009 fundraiser in Greenwich, Connecticut. Biden was Vice President at the time. "It wasn't sexual, but he did grab me by the head," Lappos, who was then an aide to US Representative Jim Himes, said.
Catholic priests burn Harry Potter books in Poland
Catholic priests in the northern Polish city of Koszalin burned books they say are sacrilegious this weekend, including volumes from British author J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series of fantasy novels. “We obey the Word,” priests said in a Facebook post showing photographs of the public book burning and quoting Biblical passages from the book of Deuteronomy in the Old Testament. One passage exhorting believers to destroy the enemies of God includes the passage “burn their idols in the fire.” The post shows three priests carrying a basket of books and other items including an African-styled face mask through a church to an outside fire pit. Photographs show priests saying prayers over the fire pit, where other items including a ‘Hello Kitty’ umbrella and other religious objects were burned.
Channel sued for $125m over storm chase death
A mother has filed a $125 million lawsuit against the Weather Channel over her son’s death in a car collision in Texas on March 28, 2017. Two of the channels’ storm chasers, Kelley Williamson and Randall Yarnall, also died in the crash with 25-year-old Corbin Lee Jaeger. But the lawsuit blames the chasers, who allegedly broke traffic laws while livestreaming their pursuit. The suit alleges that Williamson and Yarnall, while streaming the chase online, drove through a stop sign at about 113kmph and crashed into Jaeger's vehicle. The 25-year-old was working as a storm spotter for the National Weather Service. The suit says he was driving away from the storm and had right of way.
Indonesia foils illegal FB sale of komodo dragons
Indonesian authorities said they had seized five komodo dragons and dozens of other animals being sold on Facebook. Five smugglers were arrested in Semarang and Surabaya on Java island for allegedly trafficking the komodos along with bearcats, cockatoos and cassowary birds. The dragons, which can be found on a cluster of islands in eastern Indonesia, were sold for between 15 and 20 million rupiah ($1,000-$1,400).
