Two Gujaratis working at a convenience store in South Carolina, US, were shot dead during an armed robbery last week. The deceased, in their early thirties, were from Mehsana district. Kiran Patel (33), a native of Bhatasan near Jotana, and Chirag Patel (32) from Kharna near Mansa were killed by unidentified persons when they were at work at ‘Po Boys’ store. Ashish Patel, the younger sibling of Kiran, said his brother had been working in the US for a decade where he lived with his wife and a son.
6 ‘Indians’ killed at Oman excavation site
Six construction workers, believed to be Indian nationals, were killed in Oman when they were buried at an excavation site of a water pipeline project due to heavy rains. The incident happened in the Seeb area of Muscat following heavy rain, the Indian embassy in Muscat said. “We are deeply saddened to learn about the incident involving death of six workers, who are believed to be Indian nationals,” the Indian embassy said. The embassy said they are in contact with the Omani officials to ascertain the full facts of the incident and confirm the identities of the victims. Local media reported that the victims were working on a section of pipe that was 14 metres below the ground. The rescue team took nearly 12 hours to recover the bodies, Muscat Daily reported.
Indian arrested in Sharjah for assaulting wife
A 47-year-old Indian national was arrested in Sharjah after his wife, with a heavily swollen and bleeding eye, posted a video online alleging domestic abuse, according to media reports. Jasmine Sultan, 33, in the video said she needed urgent help as her husband Mohammad Khizar Ulla assaulted her badly. Sharjah police confirmed that they responded to the news and detained the accused. Meanwhile, the Consulate-General of India to Dubai took note of the matter and got in touch with Jasmine. 'We met Jasmine and are in regular touch with her. We have called her husband to the consulate and understand that local authorities are already questioning him. We will provide all possible help to Jasmine,' the consulate-general was quoted as saying.
Nawaz Sharif leaves to London for treatment
Pakistan's ailing former prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday left for London in an air ambulance to seek better medical treatment for multiple diseases, days after a court allowed him to travel abroad for four weeks after he legally challenged the Imran Khan government's condition of furnishing an indemnity bond worth £70 million. The 69-year-old Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo left for London via Qatar after arriving at Lahore airport, where the air ambulance - equipped with an intensive care unit and an operation theatre - arrived from Doha. The three-time prime minister has been diagnosed with an immune system disorder and doctors recommended that he should go abroad for treatment as his condition continued to deteriorate desp ite best possible care in Pakistan. Sharif is accompanied by his younger brother and PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif, his personal physician Adnan Khan and other paramedical personnel.
Lighting kills 26 in Pakistan's Sindh province
As many as 26 people, including women and children, were killed in Pakistan's Sindh province due to lightning following heavy rains. The lightning took place in the areas of Mithi, Chhachhi and Ram Singh Sodho village in Tharparkar district after widespread rains began battering the desert region last week. Moreover, dozens of animals also perished in the region. According to rescue officials, several injured have been shifted to different hospitals.
Pak court rejects Zardari's plea
An accountability court has turned down an application submitted by former president Asif Ali Zardari requesting that he be shifted to Karachi for treatment. According to reports, the application by his lawyer termed Zardari's health as "worrisome" and submitted he should be permitted to receive treatment in Karachi. Zardari was brought to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) from Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi on October 22 and admitted to the cardiology department's VIP ward. He underwent a number of tests and was declared to be out of danger. The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had arrested Zardari on June 10 after canceling his pre-arrest bail by the Islamabad High Court in the fake bank accounts case.
Afghan-Taliban prisoner swap ‘postponed’
A plan to swap two Western hostages with three Taliban prisoners has been postponed, an Afghan government official said, and Taliban sources said the group had moved the Westerners to a “new and safe place.” Afghan president Ashraf Ghani said the government would release a leader of the Taliban’s Haqqani militant faction and two other commanders in exchange for two university professors, American Kevin King and Australian Timothy Weeks. The deal is seen by the Afghan government as a key move in securing direct talks with the Taliban, which has hitherto refused to engage with what it calls an illegitimate “puppet” regime in Kabul. But a diplomat said in Washington that the exchange had not taken place. An Afghan government official said it had been postponed, without elaborating further.
16 killed as two trains collide in Bangladesh
At least 16 people were killed and over 50 others injured in a head-on collision between two trains in east-central Bangladesh. Chittagong-bound Udayan Express from Sylhet and Dhaka-bound Turna Nishita collided near Mondobhag station. An official said that the accident occurred because the loco masters did not obey the signals. "Three coaches were badly mangled and the victims are from these coaches," the official said. Three separate probe committees have been formed to investigate the mishap. Nine of the deceased, including five men and four women, died on spot. Others died at different hospitals after the injured passengers were taken there. A police official said that 12 people died on the spot, while three others succumbed to injuries at different hospitals.
51 kids injured in chemical attack on China school
At least 54 people, including 51 kids, sustained burn injuries after a disgruntled man broke into a kindergarten and sprayed a corrosive chemical on students in China’s Yunnan province, authorities said. The incident took place, when the 23-year-old man, surnamed Kong, climbed into the kindergarten and sprayed caustic soda (sodium hydroxide), Xinhua reported. “Because his parents divorced during his childhood, the lack of family warmth resulted in psychological distortion,” said local authorities, adding that Zhang’s work and life were unsatisfactory as well.
World's most expensive watch
A one-of-a-kind Patek Philippe watch sold for $31 million (£22.2 million) at a charity auction in Geneva, making it the most expensive wristwatch ever auctioned. The Patek was sold as part of the Only Watch auction held by Christie's to benefit research on Duchenne muscular dystrophy. For the sale, watchmakers including Patek, Audemars Piguet and F.P. Journe created and donated one-of-a-kind watches, which are coveted by top watch collectors around the world. The fact that the sale was for charity helped boost the bidding prices, according to the auctioneers. The buyer of the watch has not been identified. The Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime reference 6300A-010 is the only one of its kind that will be made in stainless steel.
Kuwait's government submits resignation
Kuwait's prime minister has submitted his cabinet's resignation to the ruling emir of the Gulf Arab state, a government spokesman said. The resignation came after Kuwaiti lawmakers submitted a motion for a no-confidence vote against Interior Minister Sheikh Khalid al-Jarrah al-Sabah, who is a senior member of the ruling Al Sabah family. Cabinet resignations in Kuwait happen frequently when elected lawmakers are set to question or submit a no-confidence vote against senior government officials. The emir still has to accept the resignation in order for it to be final. He would then request a new cabinet to be formed. Lawmakers had questioned Sheikh Khalid over alleged abuse of power, charges he rejected.
18 killed as Israel strikes in Gaza
Israeli airstrikes killed more Islamic Jihad militants in Gaza last week as rocket fire toward Israel resumed after a brief lull, raising the toll in the strip to 18 Palestinians in the heaviest round of fighting in months. The military said more than 250 rockets have been fired at Israeli communities since the violence erupted following an Israeli airstrike that killed a senior Islamic Jihad commander accused of being the mastermind of recent attacks. Israel stepped up its battle against Iran and its proxies across the region. The latest fighting brought life in much of Israel to a standstill.
Saudi video calls homosexuality extremist idea
A promotional video published by Saudi Arabia’s state security agency categorises feminism, homosexuality and atheism as extremist ideas, even as the kingdom seeks to promote tolerance and attract foreigners. The animated clip posted on Twitter by a verified account of the State Security Presidency said “all forms of extremism and perversion are unacceptable. Excess of anything at the expense of the homeland is considered extremism”, the promo said.
Iranian refugee ‘free’ after 6 years in Oz detention camp
An Iranian asylum seeker and award-winning author held in an offshore Australian detention camp for more than six years said that he had arrived in New Zealand, and was celebrating “freedom”. Behrouz Boochani was sent to Manus Island in Papua New Guinea after fleeing Iran in 2013. He was picked up on a vessel packed with asylum seekers attempting to reach Australia from Indonesia. The 36-year-old journalist later won the Victorian Prize for Literature for a book detailing his life under Australia’s harsh offshore detention policy. “I just arrived in New Zealand. So exciting to get freedom after more than six years,” Boochani tweeted.
Bond author’s steamy letters go on sale
Sexually-charged letters between James Bond creator Ian Fleming and his wife Ann were put up for auction, part of a collection of correspondence that also charts the success of his 007 books. The couple first met in 1934, when Ann was married to her first husband, but they did not tie the knot until 1952. In one letter, Ann wrote to ask Fleming to “put me in your bed with a raw cowhide whip in my hand so as I can keep you well behaved”. The collection contains more than 160 letters, estimated at £200,000-£300,000 ahead of the December 3-10 sale.
Canada politician told to leave House over hoodie
Canadian politician Catherine Dorion has inspired a backlash online after being forced to leave the National Assembly in Quebec because she was wearing a hoodie. Dorion, who is a member of the left-wing Quebec Solidaire party, entered the halls of the legislature on 7 November in a sweatshirt and jeans. Her outfit sparked complaints from colleagues so Dorion decided to leave the office as she didn’t want to “cause a scene”. The incident has sparked anger with some saying the response is sexist.
2 killed in California school attack
A student opened fire at a Southern California high school, killing two students and wounding three others before he was captured in grave condition after shooting himself in the head, authorities said.
The shooting occurred at Saugus High School in Santa Clarita, about 48 km northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said six people were shot, including the 16-year-old student suspect. A video of the shooting shows the gunman shooting himself in the head. Authorities say he was carrying a .45 caliber handgun. The two students who died were 16 and 14. Their names were not released.
Bill Gates tops Jeff Bezos as world’s richest
This time it’s official. Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates overtook Amazon’s Jeff Bezos as the world’s richest person, reclaiming the top ranking for the first time in more than two years. Gates may have been helped in part by the Pentagon’s surprise decision announced October 25 to award a $10 billion cloud-computing contract to Microsoft over Amazon. Shares of Microsoft have since climbed 4%, giving Gates a $110 billion fortune, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Amazon’s stock is down about 2% since the announcement, putting Bezos’s net worth at $108.7 billion.
Oz man accused of starting bushfire to protect weed crop
An Australian man has been accused of deliberately lighting a fire to protect his cannabis crop, sparking an out-of-control bushfire as blazes rage along the country’s east coast. Four people have been killed and more than 300 homes destroyed in the bushfires. Police said a 51-year-old man appeared before a local court charged with intentionally lighting a fire in New South Wales. The alleged bungled attempt at backburning - a practice used by firefighters to clear the undergrowth that fuels fires - quickly spread the flames and the man didn’t try to extinguish the blaze, police said.
Bangladesh flies in onions
Bangladesh is importing onions by air as the price of the essential ingredient soared to record highs, an official said. The price of onions has climbed to eye-watering levels in Bangladesh since India banned exports in September. One kg of the vegetable usually costs 30 taka (Rs 25) but has soared to up to 260 taka (Rs 220) after the ban. Hasina’s deputy press secretary said that “PM Sheikh Hasina said she has stopped using onion in dishes”.
Man pleads not guilty after son brings drugs to school
A Massachusetts man has pleaded not guilty to drug charges after authorities said his 5-year-old son brought heroin to school and told his teacher that when he tastes the powder he becomes Spider-Man. Daily Hampshire Gazette reports that 29-year-old Benny Garcia was arraigned in a district court. He faces charges of drug possession and reckless endangerment of a child.
After attack, owner gifts kebab shop to staffers
The owner of a kebab shop targeted in a deadly far-right attack in the German city of Halle last month has gifted the eatery to the two brothers who were working there during the shooting. Siblings Ismet and Rifat Tekin got the ownership of the Kiez-Doener. A 20-year-old customer was shot dead when a gunman opened fire on the kebab shop after earlier trying and failing to storm a synagogue.
Pakistani jailed for Dutch anti-Islam MP murder plot
A Dutch court sentenced a Pakistani man to 10 years behind bars for planning to assassinate anti-Islam politician Geert Wilders after the MP announced a cartoon competition depicting Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). The man, identified as Junaid I. by local media, was arrested in August 2018 at a train station in The Hague after he posted a film on Facebook in which he said he wanted to “send Wilders to hell” and urged others to help. Judges at The Hague's district court found the 27-year-old man, who had travelled from France, guilty of “planning a murder with a terrorist motive” and “incitement to commit a terrorist deed”. Wilders, 56, known for his peroxide bouffant hairdo and firebrand anti-immigration and anti-Islamist statements, lives in a safe house and has been granted 24-hour protection by the Dutch state.
