A 21- year-old Indian-origin student was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Philadelphia, a media report said. Jude Chacko, hailing from Kerala’s Kollam district, was gunned down while he was returning from work. His parents migrated to the US more than 30 years ago. Chacko, a student who also worked part-time, was attacked by two men during a robbery attempt, the report said citing police officials. This is the second such incident reported this year in which an Indian-origin student was targetted and killed in the US. In April this year, Saiesh Veera, a 24-year-old student from Andhra Pradesh, was shot dead by unknown men at a fuel station in Ohio.
Indian American to run for commissioner
Taral Patel, a 29-year-old Indian-American policy expert has announced his candidacy to serve as Fort Bend County commissioner for precinct 3 in 2024 in the US state of Texas. Patel took to Twitter to announce his candidacy. Patel is running as a candidate of the Democratic Party for the seat. He recently completed his service at the White House, where he served in the office of White House liaison. He is the son of Indian immigrants who came to the US in the 1980s, working in various small businesses while attending Texas Southern University and University of Houston.
Top Pak rights lawyer abducted
Dozens of protesters held a rally in Karachi to demand the release of a top rights lawyer, after he was abducted by armed men the previous day. Jibran Nasir was snatched from his car by more than a dozen armed men, his family said. Nasir’s wife said the couple were returning home in the evening when armed men intercepted their car. The men took Nasir away but left her unharmed, said the lawyer’s wife Mansha Pasha. She said she did not know who was behind the abduction. No one immediately claimed responsibility for Nasir’s abduction and the police said they were investigating. The disappearance drew condemnation from rights activists who also held a peaceful rally in the city to demand authorities intervention for Nasir’s safe release.
US, Saudi urge truce in Sudan as fighting goes on
Saudi Arabia and the US urged Sudan’s warring parties to agree to and “effectively implement” a new ceasefire as fighting showed no signs of abating in the northeastern African nation. Sudan descended into chaos after fighting broke out in mid-April between the military, led by Gen. AbdelFattah Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, commanded by Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo. Saudi Arabia and the US’mediation efforts, were dealt a blow when the military announced it would no longer participate in the ceasefire talks.
Airline checking passengers’ weight before boarding
New Zealand’s national airline is asking passengers to step on the scales before they board international flights. Air New Zealand says it wants to weigh 10,000 passengers during a month long survey so pilots can better know the weight and balance of their planes before takeoff. But the numbers from the scales won’t be flashing up for all to see. There will be no visible display anywhere, the airline promised, and the weigh-in data will remain anonymous even to airline staff. “We weigh everything that goes on the aircraft - from the cargo to the meals onboard, to the luggage in the hold,” said Alastair James, a load control improvement specialist for the airline.
Ajay Banga Takes Over Charge
Indian American Ajay Banga last week took over as the President of the World Bank, making him the first person of colour to head either of the two global financial institutions, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. “Join us in welcoming Ajay Banga as the new President of the World Bank Group. We are committed to creating a world free from poverty on a livable planet,” the World Bank said in a tweet.
Two female Iran journalists face trial
A Revolutionary Court in Iran began the trial of a female journalist on charges linked to her coverage of a Kurdish-Iranian woman whose death in custody last year sparked months of unrest, her husband said on Twitter. Mahsa Amini’s death while held by the morality police for allegedly violating Iran’s strict dress code unleashed a wave of mass anti-government protests for months, posing one of the boldest challenges to the country's clerical leaders in decades. A photo taken by Niloofar Hamedi for the pro-reform Sharq daily showing Amini’s parents hugging each other in a Tehran hospital where their daughter was lying in a coma was the first sign to the world that all was not well with 22-year-old Amini. Hamedi, along with another female journalist, Elaheh Mohammadi, who went on trial, face several charges including “colluding with hostile powers” for their coverage of Amini’s death.
Blast in Lebanon kills 5 Palestinian militants
Five militants from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command were reportedly killed in an explosion close to Lebanon's border with Syria. The group claimed responsibility for the bombing, but security authorities contested their version of events. A PFLP-GC statement said five of its members were killed in an Israeli air strike on a site controlled by the group near the border. The group’s spokesman said an Israeli strike on the Lebanese town of Qusaya had killed five members, including fighters, and wounded 10. However, according to a Palestinian security source and a Lebanese security source, the explosives and ammunition that the PFLP-GC members were transferring when they exploded, killing them.
Kenyan police accused of killing 12 people
Kenyan police were involved in the killing of 12 people, including two children, during violent opposition demonstrations in March, two rights groups said, denouncing a lack of accountability. In Kenya, extrajudicial executions are common and there are few instances of police being held accountable for their actions. Human Rights Watch (HRW) and Amnesty International said they documented 12 deaths during three days of anti-government protests called by veteran opposition leader Raila Odinga over a cost-of-living crisis and last year's disputed election. They said they had corroborated 12 killings in interviews with family members and witnesses. While some of the victims were involved in the protest, most of the 12 were bystanders, passersby or people in their homes and business premises.
Why Venice’s canal turned green
For days, Venetians have wondered what caused a swath of their city’s famous Grand Canal to turn green. Now, the authorities had an answer: Test samples of the water confirmed that the canal’s bright new hue was caused by fluorescein, a chemical often used to find leaks during underwater construction. Now, Italian officials are investigating how the chemical got into the canal.