Qayam Ali A Sikh college student will be able to join the US Army, without being forced to cut his hair, shave his beard or stop wearing his turban thanks to a Washington court ruling.
District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson ruled last week that the Army violated Hofstra University student Iknoor Singh’s rights when it refused to let him compete for a spot as a contracted member of his college’s Reserve Officer Training Corps programme.
An 18-year-old Indian-American was shot dead by his friend, also of Indian-origin, during a dangerous game of Russian roulette in the US state of Texas, media said on Tuesday.
Vikram Virk, 27, confessed to shooting Jaskaran Singh in the head while playing the deadly game in Virk’s car, CBS News quoted police as saying.
Singh was shot in the parking lot of a Red Roof Inn, police said.
Virk allegedly told police that he handed Singh a handgun on Saturday that Virk believed he had emptied. Singh then pulled the trigger twice while pointing it at Virk, according to police.
A Malaysian tanker carrying nearly 7.5 million litres of petrol has gone missing with 22 crew members on board in the waters off southern Johor state’s east coast.
Officials said the MT Orkim Harmony was sailing from Malacca to Kuantan when it disappeared on Thursday.
Malaysia Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) operation director (southern region) Ibrahim Mohamed said the fuel that weighed some 6,000 tonnes was worth around 15 million ringit.
The tanker had on board 22 crew members – 16 Malaysians, five Indonesians and a Myanmar national.
The Congress on Thursday urged the Prime Minister to speak out on the controvery regarding External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje providing help to former IPL chairperson Lalit Modi.
Referring to a recent interview given by Bharatiya Janata Party veteran Lal Krishna Advani, the grand old party further accused the government of being run by a ‘Bada Modi’ and ‘Chhota Modi’.
A hardware problem in the state department’s computer system has hit America’s visa issuing processes across the globe, an official has said.
“The Bureau of Consular affairs is facing some technical problems with the visa systems. This is a global issue, and we’re working around the clock to fix it,” state department spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Wednesday.
In fact, more than 100 computer experts from both the private and public sectors across the US are working on this, he said.
“We don’t expect that the system will be online before next week,” he said.
Pakistan’s ISI had held Osama bin Laden prisoner for nearly six years in Abbottabad and handed him over to the US in a staged raid, a media report said on Wednesday in new controversial account of the al-Qaida chief’s death.
Pulitzer Prize-winning American investigative journalist Seymour Hersh has already termed the official US account of the raid and Osama’s killing as “a fairytale”.
A 28-year-old Bangladeshi, one of the main accused in the sexual assault of a septuagenarian nun at a Ranaghat convent school, has been arrested from Sealdah railway station here.
Nazrul aka Nazu was arrested from Sealdah station while he was getting down from a local train late last evening, SS CID Chittaranjan Nag said today.
“Our sources informed us that Nazrul was trying to reach Kolkata. Working on the tip-off, our officers were waiting for him at Sealdah station and caught him when he was getting down from Bongaon local (suburban train),” Nag said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday greeted the Muslim community on the beginning of Ramzan and said may this holy month enhance the spirit of harmony and togetherness in society.
“My greetings to the Muslim community as the holy month of Ramzan begins. May this Ramzan bring peace and happiness in everyone’s lives,” the Prime Minister said in his message.
“May this Holy Month also enhance the spirit of harmony and togetherness in society,” Modi said in a tweet.
The Prime Minister also extended his greetings in Urdu.
PTI
At a time when controversy over performing yoga is on, a group of Hindus in Uttar Pradesh’s Mahoba district has decided to observe Roza (fast) with their Muslim neighbours during the holy month of Ramzan starting tomorrow.
“We have decided to observe fast with our Muslim brothers from tomorrow at Udal Chowk crossing in Mahoba. We will be sitting in a group of about 60 persons including at least 25 Hindus and will attend ‘Sehri’ and ‘Iftar’ …,” Tara Patkar, coordinator of Bundeli Samaj, said.
At least nine people have been killed in a gun attack at a historic African-American church in Charleston, South Carolina.
Reports state that a white gunman entered the church and opened fire during a Bible study class.
The shooting took place on Wednesday evening and the attacker is still absconding, reported the CNN.
Noting that the killing could have been a hate crime, Mayor Joe Riley said that there couldn’t have been any other reason for someone to walk into a church and shoot people who were praying.
ANI
The Congress party on Thursday called for Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje to resign, adding that the people of the state do not want somebody at the top post who is involved in corruption.
“Before coming to power, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said – ‘Na khaoonga, na khane doonga’ (nor will I take bribes, nor will I allow anyone else to). Today, his ministers are supporting criminals. Why not use the same scale that you use for other people? The Prime Minister needs to break his silence. The Rajasthan Chief Minister needs to resign,” Congress leader Sachin Pilot told ANI.
India’s 7.5% economic growth rate is not its “best potential growth rate” and there is “restlessness” in the Narendra Modi-led government to boost economic growth and set higher GDP targets in the coming years, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has said.
Jaitley, who began his 10-day visit to the US yesterday, said that he is “extremely pleased” with what the government has achieved in the last one year but feel that India has the ability to do much better.
Uber Technologies Inc have chosen Bangkok, known for its chaotic traffic, as the first city in Southeast Asia to introduce a one-day free trial for its helicopter service, after launching it in key global metro cities, including Bangalore.
Chan Park, Uber’s regional general manager for Southeast Asia, said Bangkok is one of the worst cities in the world for traffic congestion. “This provides high potential for alternative transport platforms,” Bangkok Post quoted him as saying today. Thailand is among its three fastest-growing markets for its taxi app service in Southeast Asia, it said.
Pakistan is close to finalise a deal with Russia to buy Mi-35 (Hind E) attack helicopters, a sign of increasing defence ties between the Cold War-era adversaries. The deal is believed to be signed after the conclusion of Army chief General Raheel Sharif’s three-day visit to Moscow.
An agreement would be signed ‘very soon’, the Dawn quoted a defence official as saying. The official, however, avoided disclosing when and where the deal would be inked and how many helicopters were being purchased.
Pakistan had been pursuing the helicopter purchase deal since 2009.
In an apparent jibe at the BJP, Shiv Sena onThursday said the new Maharashtra government should have ordered probe into NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal’s “misdoings” soon after it came to power without waiting for court orders.
The BJP ally alleged that Bhujbal’s “shady business” had started when he was in Sena which led to his departure from the party and said there was “nothing surprising” in the alleged huge unaccounted wealth being unearthed from the former state PWD minister’s possession.
South Korea reported three more MERS deaths on Thursday, bringing the number of fatalities to 23 and amplifying fears authorities do not have the virus outbreak under control after the WHO criticised their response.
Three more cases of the virus were also confirmed today, despite authorities’ claims earlier in the week that South Korea had weathered the worst of the crisis. The number of infections now stands at 165, in what is the largest outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome outside Saudi Arabia.
The state government will amend section 1 of the Maharashtra Rajyabhasha Act, 1964, to remove the existing ambiguity and clearly mention Marathi as the official language, Education Minister Vinod Tawde said here on Thursday.
US secretary of state John Kerry has called Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and discussed bilateral ties and regional situation including the recent increase in tension between India and Pakistan.
The call between the two leaders took place soon after Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Sharif and greeted him on the eve of holy month of Ramzan.
Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Tuesday said that the Centre has released Rs. 5,000 crore for Jammu and Kashmir flood relief and added that the government wants to help the state to fulfil its plans for development.
Superstar Salman Khan has painted a beautiful portrait of a man and woman, presumably himself and his “Bajrangi Bhaijaan” co-star Kareena Kapoor Khan. The actor’s black-and-white painting shows the couple in love. The woman is sporting a red bindi in the still picture.
Salman, who is an avid painter, shared his creation with his fans on Twitter. “Bajrangi bhaijaan,” he captioned the photo.
Pakistan police have arrested four persons in southwestern Balochistan province for their alleged involvement in a gay marriage.
The arrests were made on Tuesday in Jhal Magsi district of the impoverished province, a police official said.
The official said two men entered into a gay marriage on Monday while their two friends helped them to perform the Nikah.
The accused told police that they arranged a fake marriage as part of fun but a formal FIR has been registered against them as gay marriage is illegal and a violation of the law in the country, the official said.
Sri Ram Sene chief Pramod Muthalik on Wednesday claimed that “bigger Hindutva organisations” have become “inactive” leaving the smaller groups to unite for the cause.
“Today, bigger Hindutva organizations have become inactive. On the contrary, all small and big Hindu organisations who are striving sincerely for the cause of Hindutva are getting united,” Muthalik said addressing the All India Hindu Convention in Goa through teleconferencing.
Normal life in Kashmir was affected on Wednesday due to strike call by separatists against the killing of civilians in Sopore town of Baramulla district.
Shops, business establishments and schools remained closed due to the strike called jointly by JKLF, Hurriyat Conference factions led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Syed Ali Shah Geelani and supported by almost all separatist groups in the valley.
Public transport was off the roads in most parts of the valley but private vehicles could be seen plying in some parts of the summer capital of the state, officials said.
An influential US Congressman has asked the Obama Administration to work towards making India and other members of the so-called G-4 countries a permanent member of the UN Security Council.
During a Congressional hearing, Congressman Ami Bera called for G4 countries — Brazil, Germany, India, and Japan — to be considered for inclusion in the UN Security Council.
The hearing was about advancing American interests in the UN, wherein US Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power testified.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday extended greetings to his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani ahead of the holy month of Ramadan.
“Spoke to Pres Ashraf Ghani, PM Sheikh Hasina & PM Nawaz Sharif to extend my best wishes at the start of holy Ramadan on June 18. Also conveyed to PM Sharif our decision to release detained Pakistani fishermen on this pious occasion,” the Prime Minsiter tweeted.
“The fishermen released will be able to be with their families to observe this blessed month,” he added.