A Sikh musician, who was a part of a kirtan group in the US, was shot dead by armed miscreants outside a gurdwara in Alabama. The incident took place on February 23. Raj Singh alias Goldy, a resident of Tanda Sahuwala village in Uttar Pradesh's Bijnor district, had gone to the gurdwara to perform kirtan. He had been in the US with the group for the past one-and-a-half years. After performing the kirtan with his group, Goldy was standing outside the gurdwara when unidentified miscreants shot him dead. Goldy was the eldest in his family and the sole breadwinner. His father, Dheere Singh, died five years ago. He leaves behind his mother, two sisters and a younger brother. The family has urged the government to make arrangements to bring the body back home for his cremation.
Minita Sanghvi gets Democratic nomination
Minita Sanghvi officially clinched the Democratic nomination for New York's 44th State Senate district. Both the Saratoga County Democratic Committee and the Schenectady County Democratic Committee have endorsed her candidacy. The 44th State Senate district, encompassing Saratoga County, Niskayuna, and the City of Schenectady, currently under Republican incumbent Jim Tedisco who has held the office for four decades, has witnessed a shifting political landscape. While traditionally Republican, a surge in registered Democrats, outnumbering Republicans by nearly 6,000, signals changing demographics. President Biden's clear triumph over Donald Trump in the 2020 election within the district further emphasises this pattern.
British-Indian couple faces extradition to US
A British-Indian couple faced charges in a London court for allegedly smuggling unapproved medical drugs from India to the US. They are fighting the US government's bid to get them extradited. Kiranjit Ghuman, 45, and Sukhijit Singh Ghuman, 46, who lives on a 23-acre estate in Nottinghamshire, England, were taken into custody last year based on a US extradition request. Their extradition hearing is scheduled for three days starting September 16. As part of their bail conditions, the couple must remain at home from midnight to 6 am. Their passports, US green cards, and Kiranjit's Indian ID card have been confiscated by police.
36 killed, 41 injured in Pakistan rain
At least 36 people were killed and 41 others injured as heavy rains and snowfall lash different parts of Pakistan from Feb. 27 till March 3, Pakistan's National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said. The deceased included 21 children, nine males and six females, the NDMA mentioned in a situation report. The northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province was the worst-hit region, where 27 people were killed, followed by Balochistan province with five deaths, while four deaths were reported in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir, it added. A total of 469 houses were fully or partly destroyed and an estimated 61 livestock animals have perished, according to the report.
Births in Japan hit record low
Government data has revealed that the number of babies born in Japan last year declined for the eighth consecutive year, reaching a historic low. According to the Health and Welfare Ministry, there were 758,631 births in Japan in 2023, marking a 5.1% decrease from the previous year. This figure represents the lowest number of births recorded since Japan began compiling statistics in 1899. A top official has emphasised the urgency for the country to reverse this trend within the next six years.
China to rollover Pak debt on current terms
A media report that China has agreed to extend the repayment period for a $2 billion debt on the same terms after initially pushing for an increase in the price. This development comes as Pakistan's strategy of bolstering foreign exchange reserves through deposits from three countries is proving expensive due to a significant 118% rise in interest costs. The agreement with Beijing entails extending the maturity of the $2 billion loan, which is due on March 23, coinciding with Pakistan Day. According to sources, China had initially proposed raising the interest rate on the $2 billion debt. Currently, Pakistan is paying an interest rate of 7.1%.
Rat on a plane sparks worries for Lanka airline
Sri Lanka’s national airline blamed a rat for grounding a plane for three days, sparking chaotic delays and fears it will scare off investors for the cash-strapped carrier. The stowaway rodent was spotted enjoying the Sri Lankan Airlines Airbus A330 flight from Lahore, triggering a search to ensure it had not chewed through critical components. An official said the plane has now resumed flights, but the grounding had a knock-on effect.“The plane could not be flown without making sure that the rat was accounted for. It was found dead.” The state-owned airline, which had accumulated losses of over $1.8 billion, has three other aircraft grounded for over a year out of a fleet of 23. The carrier has no foreign exchange to pay for mandatory overhauling of the engines.
Grammy award winning Iranian singer jailed
An Iranian singer who won a Grammy presented by US first lady Jill Biden has been sentenced to over three years in prison over his anthem supporting the 2022 protests over the death of Mahsa Amini. Shervin Hajipour posted on Instagram, the same day Iran held its parliamentary election, what appeared to be part of the judgment against him. It said Hajipour received a three-year, eight-month sentence “for the propaganda against the system” and “encouraging people to protest.” The court issued its sentence in part because it found he hadn’t properly expressed regret over the song. It imposed a two-year travel ban and ordered him to create a song on “US crimes,” and post about those crimes online.
This French newspaper comes out only on Feb 29
Satirical French newspaper La Bougie du Sapeur only comes out on Feb 29. It’s a leap year-only publication, filled with cringe-worthy puns and commentary on events of the past four years. The 2024 edition includes an article suggesting France doesn’t need schools anymore thanks to AI. Another floats the idea of dismantling Eiffel Tower during Paris Olympics to curb security risks - and having IKEA produce a manual for rebuilding it. Some friends started the newspaper as a joke in 1980, naming it after a comic book figure who was born on Feb 29. The last edition - in 2020, as the world went into Covid-19 lockdowns - sold 120,000 copies. Its revenue goes mainly to a charity for people with disabilities.
Abortion access in French constitution
France took a step closer to enshrining access to abortion in its constitution, after senators backed a bill to include it as a “guaranteed freedom.” Before the constitutional amendment becomes official, it must receive approval by three-fifths of all lawmakers in a special meeting called a congress, which is planned and considered to be a rubber stamp, since both houses have already supported the bill. While many politicians consider the move natural for the country that produced the universal rights of man, they also conceded the trigger came with US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v Wade.