An Indian-origin woman died while her daughter and the pilot instructor were injured with severe burns in a plane crash in New York area when they were on a “demonstration flight”. The small plane carrying Roma Gupta, 63, and her daughter Reeva Gupta, 33, crashed nearby Long Island homes as the pilot reported smoke in the cabin. Roma was killed when the four-seater single engine Piper Cherokee plane went down in flames as it was returning to the Republic Airport on Long Island from where it had also taken off. The pilot had all necessary certifications, according to Oleh Dekaylo, attorney for Danny Waizman Flight School, and the aircraft had recently passed two inspections, the most recent of which was last week.
Man dies after being hit by train in US
A passenger train struck and killed a 39-year-old man of Indian descent in the US while he was crossing tracks in New Jersey. On February 28, a news portal stated that a pedestrian was struck by an Amtrak train as it was travelling from Washington to Boston. He was pronounced dead at the scene. A GoFundme initiative identified him as Sreekanth Digala from Andhra Pradesh, a resident of Plainsboro, New Jersey. According to the fundraiser, Digala, the only breadwinner of his family, leaves behind his wife and a 10-year-old son. His old parents and in-laws in India were also his sole responsibility.
India aid helps Lanka buy books for 4 mn students
Sri Lanka has used over $10 million from India’s assistance of $1 billion to print nearly half of the textbooks for its four million young students, the Indian High Commission said. India announced a $1 billion line of credit to Sri Lanka last year as part of its financial assistance to help the country deal with its economic crisis. “A concessional credit facility of $1 billion was extended to the government of Sri Lanka by the government of India in March 2022 for supply of essential items including food, fuel, medicines, industrial raw materials. Out of this facility, over $10 million has been used by SPC and private importers to procure printing paper and material from India,” the High Commission said. “This is being used to print 45% of textbooks required by 4 million young students of Sri Lanka for the academic year 2023,” it said in a statement.
4 in fray for Nepal’s VP post
Four candidates, including three women, have registered their nominations for the post of vice president of Nepal ahead of the election scheduled to take place on March 17, the election commission said. Ashta Laxmi Shakya, vice chair of the CPN-UML, Ram Sahaya Yadav, Pramila Kumari Yadav, and Mamata Jha, members of the Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP), are the four candidates fighting for the position. Jha and both Yadavs are from the eight-party alliance and are members of the Madhesi community. According to a clause in the Constitution, the vice president must belong to a different racial or ethnic group than the president. The vice president candidate should be diverse in terms of gender and ethnicity, as President Ramchandra Poudel, who was elected, is a man from the Khas Arya.
Biden proposes to double support to Pak
US President Joe Biden has proposed to double the economic support fund to cash-strapped Pakistan to $82 million for fiscal 2024. “Assistance to Pakistan will expand private sector economic growth; strengthen democratic institutions; and advance gender equity and women’s empowerment,” the state department said. According to the financial plan the State Department provided to Congress, the assistance will help Pakistan recover from disastrous floods, diversify its energy sources, and support initiatives to improve emergency preparedness. The budget proposes to give Pakistan $82 million for fiscal 2024, beginning in October, under the Economic Support Fund category.
Balochistan HC suspends warrant against Imran
The Balochistan high court (BHC) has suspended the non-bailable arrest warrant issued against former PM Imran Khan in a case of hate speech against state institutions after his PTI party filed a petition against the move. The non-bailable arrest warrants were issued on behalf of a citizen for “spreading hate” against state institutions and their offices following his recent speech. Khan’s party filed a petition in the BHC against the orders of a judicial magistrate in Quetta, urging it to cancel the arrest warrant and also quash the FIR filed against him. BHC’s Justice Zaheer-ud Din Kakar suspended the arrest warrant and adjourned the hearing for two weeks.
Ex-PM of Malaysia charged with corruption
Muhyiddin Yassin, a former prime minister of Malaysia, was accused of abusing his position and laundering money for projects that were carried out while he was in office. He claimed that the accusations were politically driven. The charges come just three months after Muhyiddin lost a closely fought general election to Anwar Ibrahim. After relinquishing his position, Muhyiddin became the second Malaysian leader to be accused of crimes. The prosecution said that Muhyiddin exploited his position as prime minister to accept bribes totaling 232. 5 million ring it ($51. 44 million) in a bank account owned by his party, Bersatu. He was charged with four counts of abuse of power and 2 counts of money laundering. Muhyiddin, 75, pleaded not guilty to all six charges.
Germany set to ban parts made by Chinese firms
Germany plans to ban telecoms operators from using certain components made by Chinese companies Huawei and ZTE in 5G networks, a government source said, in a move to address security concerns. According to sources cited by media, the prohibition might apply to network components that are already installed, forcing operators to replace them. The administration remained silent. As managing editor of the China practise at research firm Rhodium Group, Noah Barkin stated, "This is an indication that the German government may now be taking dangers to national security related to China seriously.
Micronesia accuses China of bribery, threats
Micronesia’s president has accused China of bribery, harassment and “political warfare”, in an explosive letter to his country’s legislature. David Panuelo, the outgoing leader, warned parliamentarians that "political warfare" was taking place in the nation while outlining claims of Chinese espionage, pressure on government figures, and "direct threats" against his personal safety. Panuelo had previously voiced concerns about Beijing’s growing power in the South Pacific, most notably opposing a security deal that could allow Chinese troops to be deployed to the region. China, he claimed, had "demonstrated a sharp capability to undermine our sovereignty, opposes our ideals, and utilises our elected and senior officials for their own reasons".
Israel kills 3 Palestine ultras in West Bank
Israeli forces shot and killed three Palestinian militants who opened fire on troops in the occupied West Bank, the military said. The Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, an armed offshoot of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah party, claimed the men killed were its members. The Palestinian health ministry said the men were killed by Israeli fire near the city of Nablus. The military said it confiscated three M16 rifles from the militants after shootout and that one gunman turned himself in and was arrested. The deaths on Sunday bring to 80 the number of Palestinians killed since the start of the year, as Israel has stepped up arrest raids in West Bank.