A lady doctor from Andhra Pradesh died in an accident while trekking in Australia. Vemuru Ujvala (23), a native of Krishna district, who was practising at a hospital in Brisbane, died after falling into a gorge while trekking with friends. According to family members, her mortal remains will be flown to Andhra Pradesh. The last rites will be performed in Elukapadu village in Unguturu mandal. Ujvala completed her MBBS from Bond University, Gold Coast, Australia and was practising at Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital. Her relatives said she had fulfilled her childhood dream of becoming a doctor and was planning to do post-graduation but the tragic accident cut short her life. Ujvala along with her friends, was trekking at Yanbacoochie Falls at the Lamington National Park in Gold Coast Hinterland.
Sharif thanks PM Modi for felicitations
Pakistan’s newly elected PM Shehbaz Sharif thanked his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi for felicitating him on his re-election. Sharif, 72, took the oath as PM of Pakistan on Monday, assuming the cash-strapped country’s reins for a second time, nearly a month after an inconclusive election marred by allegations of vote rigging. “Thank you @narendramodi for felicitations on my election as the Prime Minister of Pakistan,” Sharif said on X. On Tuesday, Modi congratulated Shehbaz on taking oath as the 24th PM of Pakistan.
Pak student sentenced to death for blasphemy
A 22-year-old student in Pakistan has been sentenced to death on charges of blasphemy over Whatsapp messages. In the ruling, a court in Pakistan's Punjab province said that the student was sentenced to death over photos and videos that contained derogatory words about Prophet Muhammad. Another student, 17, was sentenced to life imprisonment instead of the death penalty because he is a minor. The action against the student was taken after a complaint was filed in 2022 by the cybercrime unit of Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in Lahore. The complainant alleged that he had received the videos and photos from three different mobile phone numbers.
2 Indian origins to figure on CA’s Nov ballot
Incumbent California Democrats Ami Bera (CA-6) and Ro Khanna (CA-17) coasted to victory in the March 5 primaries for their House seats in Washington. Bera is running for a 7th term and will face off Republican Christine Bish while Khanna wants a 5th term and will run against Christine Chen in the November general elections. The popular Rep Eric Swalwell found that his challenger (CA-14) will be Vinay ‘Vin’ Kruttiventi. At the state level, Darshana Patel, also a Democrat, will face off against Republican Kristie Bruce-Lane for the Assembly seat in District 76. Many others did not fare as well including Rishi Kumar who was running for Congress, and coming in 7th. From Silicon Valley, Tara Sreekrishnan, running in District 26 for the Assembly seat, also lost.
Times Square lights up for Mahashivratri
Mahashivratri celebrations have not just gripped India but several parts of the world. New York's Times Square was lit up with chants of ‘Shiva’ and ‘Shambhoo’ on the occasion of Mahashivratri. Founder of Isha Foundation - Sadhguru - shared the video of the fervour in Times Square on X. In the video, Indians along with people from around the world can be seen dancing to the beats of ‘Har Har Mahadev’. Mahashivratri is one of the most important Hindu festivals. It falls on the 14th day of the dark (waning) half of the lunar month of Phalguna or Magha, a day before the new moon. This year, it is being observed on March 8. The festival is mentioned in ancient texts such as Skanda Purana, Linga Purana and Padma Purana.
Indian writer Amitav Ghosh wins Erasmus Prize 2024
Eminent Indian writer Amitav Ghosh has been awarded the prestigious Erasmus Prize 2024. “He receives the prize for his passionate contribution to the theme ‘imagining the unthinkable’, in which an unprecedented global crisis, climate change, takes shape through the written word,” Utrecht-based Praemium Erasmianum Foundation said. “Ghosh has delved deeply into the question of how to do justice to this existential threat that defies our imagination. His work offers a remedy by making an uncertain future palpable through compelling stories about the past. He also wields his pen to show the climate crisis is a cultural crisis that results from a dearth of the imagination,” the citation said.
Two youths from Punjab die in US road mishap
Two youths from Terkiana village of the Dasuya sub-division in Punjab died in a road accident in the USA. They went to the United States two years ago to earn a living. The deceased have been identified as Sukhjinder Singh (23) and Simranjit Singh (23). According to information, the duo used to drive a trailer together in America. They were going from California to New Mexico. When they reached Highway No. 144, their vehicle collided with a trailer coming from the wrong side. The impact of the collision was so strong that they could be pulled out of the badly smashed trailer only after about six hours of struggle. They died on the spot.
Indian-American journalist honoured
Virginia State Senate has passed a resolution commending the work of an Indian-American journalist T Vishnudatta Jayaraman for his “dedication to journalism and foreign policy”. The resolution was introduced by Indian-American State Senator Suhas Subramanyam, who is also a Democratic candidate for US Congress from Virginia's 10th Congressional district. Introducing Jayaraman in the Senate gallery, Subramanyam referred to him “as the recipient of the prestigious Ashoka Award for social change”, while commending his dedication to journalism and foreign policy.
2 killed in Nairobi mid-air collision
Two planes collided at Nairobi National Park, leaving at least two people dead. 44 others escaped unharmed in the incident. One of the planes involved was a Dash 8 owned by Safari Link, bound for Diani with 44 passengers and crew. The other was a Cessna plane on a training session, carrying two people. The Cessna crashed in the park, while the Dash 8 safely landed back at Wilson Airport. Both planes had taken off from Wilson Airport, according to officials, who confirmed two fatalities in the accident. Safarilink Aviation, however, confirmed the incident and stated that none of their passengers was hurt.
Russia puts Kasparov on ‘terrorists & extremists’ list
Russia’s financial monitoring agency has added former world chess champion and political activist Garry Kasparov, a prominent critic of Kremlin, to its list of “terrorists and extremists.” The listing puts limits on individuals’ bank transactions and forces them to seek approval every time they want to use their accounts. Kasparov, 60, fled Russia in 2014 for fear of persecution. He currently lives in the US. He has been a longtime opponent of President Putin and has repeatedly spoken out against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In Feb last year, he urged the West to keep up its support for Kyiv and said Ukraine had to defeat Moscow as a“pre-condition” for a democratic transition in Russia.