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Sikh store-owner stabbed to death in US

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A Sikh store-owner has been stabbed to death in the US state of New Jersey, in a third incident targeting the community in the country in the last three weeks.

Terlok Singh was found dead by his cousin Karnail Singh on Thursday in his East Orange suburb store with apparent stab wounds, WABC TV reported.

The assailant had put a knife in his chest, Karnail Singh told the station. Terlok Singh had a wife and children in India. He owned Park Deli and Grocery store in the US to support them.

The Essex County Prosecutor’s office called the incident a homicide, reported ABC7NY.

WNBC TV reported that the police did not have a motive for the killing and had made no arrest as of Thursday evening.

A worker interviewed from a nearby petrol station said he found Terlok Singh’s body in a puddle of blood in the bathroom of the store.

Customers who spoke to the TV said the victim was “extremely generous”. One of them, Anthony Pointdexter, said Terlok Singh was a “great guy and never bothered anybody”.

Two Sikhs were attacked in separate incidents in California over the past few weeks, but they survived the assaults.

On July 31 in Keyes, Surjit Singh Malhi, 50, was attacked by two men when he was putting up a campaign sign for Republican Congressman Jeff Denham, KCRA TV said.

Malhi said they shouted at him, beat him and spray-painted his truck with a white nationalist symbol and wrote “go back to your country” on it, according to the station.

Malhi said that his turban saved him by acting like a helmet and absorbing the blows. The police were considering it a hate crime.

On August 6, Sahib Singh Natt, 71, was thrown to the ground and spat on by two people in Manteca, about 40 km from Keyes.

The police arrested two teenagers and charged them with attempted robbery, elder abuse and assault with a deadly weapon, but not a hate crime.

One of them, Tyrone McAllister, 18, an African American, is the son of police chief Darryl McAllister of Union City.

Earlier, an Indian woman, Sasikala Narra, and her six-year-old son were stabbed to death in another New Jersey town, Maple Shade, in March 2017 but that case has not been solved.

Modi, Shah walk with sea of mourners to bid adieu to Vajpayee

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Tens of thousands of commoners joined Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah in the final journey to bid adieu to Atal Bihari Vajpayee as the former Prime Minister’s body was being taken to Rashtriya Smriti Sthal on the banks of Yamuna river for the last rites.

The journey began around 2 p.m. — an hour behind schedule — from the BJP’s new central office on the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg. Modi and Shah walked behind the flower-decked gun carriage carrying the body of Vajpayee draped in the tricolour as security personnel kept a tight watch.

People from across the country, many of them teary-eyed, threw flower petals on the casket all through the three-kilometer route as an expression of their love, respect and admiration for the late leader.

Slogans like “Atalji amar rahen”, “Jab tak sooraj chand rahega, Atalji ka naam rahega”, “Bharat Mata ki jai” and “Vande Mataram” rent the air as the procession progressed. Some people were carrying banners containing lines from poems written by Vajpayee.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was also in the procession and supporters accompanying him raised slogans of “Jai Shri Ram”. A number of BJP chief ministers including, Shivraj Singh Chauhan (Madhya Pradesh), Manohar Lal Khattar (Haryana), Union Ministers and BJP leaders accompanied the funeral procession.

It passed through some populated areas of Delhi, inclduing Bahadurshah Zafar Marg, on its way to Rashtriya Smriti Sthal, a designated spot for the last rites of Presidents, Vice Presidents and Prime Ministers.

Earlier, Modi, Shah, veteran BJP leader L. K. Advani, Shiv Sena chief Udhav Thackeray, Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, his deputy Manish Sisodia, CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechury, CPI leader D. Raja, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister E. Palanisami were among the national leaders who paid tributes to Vajpayee at the party office after his body was brought there from his Krishna Menon Marg residence.

Before the body was taken from the residence, Congress President Rahul Gandhi, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, DMK Working President M.K. Stalin, MDMK chief Vaiko, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and chiefs of the Army, Navy and the Air Force placed wreaths and paid their last respects.

Modi, Shah, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik and Yogi Adityanath received the body near the gate of the party office. They later paid their tributes by offering flowers.

Bhutan King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk and British High Commissioner to India Dominic Asquith were among those who paid their tributes at the party office.

Nepal’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Pradeep Kumar Gyawali, Sri Lanka’s Acting Foreign Minister Lakshman Kiriella, Bangladesh Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali will attend the funeral.

The mortal remains were kept in front of a large smiling picture of Vajpayee. A party flag had been placed on each side of the photograph.

Among those present at the party office were union ministers, chief ministers, state ministers, MPs, MLAs and BJP office-bearers.

People had gathered outside the party office in large numbers since morning to pay their tributes. Security men had a hard time keeping the crowds in check. A woman from Darjeeling jumped the gate to get inside the party office.

As the casket reached the party office, people turned emotional and some of them had tears in their eyes.

Tight security arrangements had been made for the final procession by security forces anticipating participation of a large number of people.

Vajpayee, who had passed away at the AIIMS on Thursday evening, has a pan-India appeal and his flair for foreign policy and initiatives were acknowledged globally.

The country is observing a seven-day state mourning as a mark of respect for the leader who had been decorated with Bharat Ratna and was very popular. The tricolour is flying half-staff.

Peace initiatives, nuclear tests: Foreign media remembers Vajpayee

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Atal Bihari Vajpayee will be remembered for his bold peace initiatives and also for the nuclear tests in 1998 — many foreign newspapers on Friday wrote about the late former Indian Prime Minister who passed away on Thursday.

Pakistan’s influential daily Dawn on its front page wrote that Vajpayee “was idolised in Pakistan as a sincere peacemaker and wooed by rivals at home as the right man in the wrong party”.

Recalling Vajpayee’s 1999 visit — one of his three visits to Pakistan, the daily remembered how the then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had famously remarked that Vajpayee “could win an election” from there.

The daily said he would be “remembered for his bold peace initiatives with Pakistan and defiant nuclear tests”.

The Washingon Post in an obituary referred to him as “the Indian Prime Minister who oversaw nuclear tests that ushered in a new arms race in South Asia”.

“Vajpayee shocked the world in May 1998 with five underground nuclear tests, prompting international sanctions, rattling neighbours and setting off an arms race with archrival Pakistan.”

The nuclear tests “established India as an overt nuclear-weapon state”, it said.

“Vajpayee worked discreet diplomacy behind closed doors and set in motion a friendly dialogue with US President Bill Clinton, who went to India in 2000, the first visit by a US president to the country in more than two decades.”

The New York Times recalled how Vajpayee “stunned the world by ending a decades-old moratorium on nuclear weapons tests” and still “managed to ease tensions with Pakistan and build closer ties to the US”.

“His passing away marks the end of an era. He lived for the nation and served it assiduously for decades.”

The Los Angeles Times recalled the February 1999 bus ride to Lahore that “cemented Vajpayee’s stature as a peacemaker even though he had set off the nuclear arms race”.

The Independent also recalled how the “groundbreaking bus ride to Lahore” kicked off “a peace process that, while often rocky, remains the basis of ongoing negotiations” between the two countries.

The Gulf News published a three-column photo on its front page with a bold caption: “A giant of Indian politics bids adieu”.

164 dead in Kerala floods, massive rescue underway

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More than a dozen helicopters, hundreds of defence personnel, NDRF teams and ordinary fishermen with their motor boats on Friday launched a massive rescue operation in Kerala as rains subsided but the death toll touched 164 in 10 days.

Six more deaths were reported on Friday. Although the intensity of rains decreased in several districts since Friday morning, waters from the big dams in Idukki district continued to be let out, keeping 13 districts in red alert, except for Kasargode.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan told the media on Friday that situation continues to be grave.

“The only good news is that rains have come down in certain areas of the state and we are planning to rescue all those who are waiting preferably by the end of this day.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi discussed the flood situation with Vijayan over the phone earlier in the day and said he would be heading to the state Friday later to take stock of the situation.

Since August 8, 164 people have died, while 2.23 lakh people are put up in 1,568 relief camps across the state.

“The worst affected districts include Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Ernakulam and Thrissur, where 52,856 families have been affected,” Vijayan said after a review meeting.

He said 11 more helicopters will join the present fleet of 14 that have already been carrying out rescue and relief operations.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman sanctioned the extra chopperrs, as people marooned in Chengannur and Chalakudy can only be rescued by air.

As of Friday, 16 Army, 28 Coast Guard, 39 NDRF and 42 Navy teams were engaged in the rescue operations, while another 14 more National Disaster Response Force teams would reach Kerala during the day, said Vijayan.

Waters in Idukki and Wayanad areas and certain areas of Pathanathitta have receded, he said.

“One big problem that the rescue teams are facing is that some people are unwilling to move to relief camps. This is not good for their own safety,” Vijayan added.

Many people, especially in the Kuttanadu area, have refused to move to the camps, Finance Minister Thomas Issac said.

Rising waters though forced them to submit to the authorities’ request. Few of the big houseboats were used in areas where there are no narrow waterways.

Waters from the Periyar river and its tributaries kept many towns in Ernakulam and Thrissur submerged. The worst affected include Paravur, Kalady, Chalakudy, Perumbavoor and Muvatupuzha.

“We have no food and there are 150 people waiting to be rescued,” said a group of people who send a video clip to the TV channels from Chalakudy.

Thousands of people are still perched on high rise buildings waiting to be rescued and taken to relief camps. Over 50,000 people are lodged in the Ernakulam and Thrissur camps alone.

The central district of Pathanamthitta is facing its worst ever calamity as the overflowing Pamba river has inundated several towns. Ranni, Kozhenchery are completely submerged.

Hundreds of experienced fishermen from the coastal villages of the state capital arrived at Pathanamthitta and started rescue operations as the helicopters began airlifting people to safer places.

Aluva legislator Anwar Sadat said shortage of fuel was hampering rescues as the only mode of transport to be used is the boat.

“Things are very bad. Aluva is completely marooned. People have no food or water. Our only solace is the numerous fishermen who are rescuing us.

“But now even their families are asking them to return. More defence personnel are required, also they are more competent and the process will gain speed,” said Sadat pleading for help.

On Friday, the Achenkovil river started overflowing into Pandalam town.

Helicopters loaded with food packets left the state capital and headed to the central districts as the number of displaced people crossed lakhs.

The authorities in the worst affected districts have taken over big lorries that can best navigate through the flooded roads to reach people marooned in small pockets. More boats will also be taken from people to aid in the operations, Isaac said.

The Met has forecast less rains in the next 24 hours till Saturday, which should bring some relief.

Rescue operations are progressing well in Malappuram, Kozhikode and Wayanad. The latter two districts have put up over 20,000 camps.

Major national and state highways, as well as the rail traffic, continued to be disrupted in various parts of the state.

Railway operations between Ernakulam and Thrissur are suspended; the Alappuzha sector is open to Thiruvananthapuram but the Kottayam sector is closed.

Some long distance trains were being diverted via the Nagercoil sector.

Kerala is facing the heaviest rains and floods witnessed in the state since 1924 which by now have caused massive destruction with damages to crops and properties estimated to be thousands of crores.

Pakistan’s National Assembly to elect new Prime Minister

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The newly-elected members of Pakistan’s National Assembly, the lower house of the Parliament, are set to vote for the new Prime Minister on Friday.

Former cricketer and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairperson Imran Khan and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif are vying for the top post.

The PTI, which emerged as the single largest party in the July 25 general election, appears to be in a comfortable position to elect its chief as the next Prime Minister. A simple majority of votes from the total strength of the 330-member house is required for a candidate to take the top slot.

According to the poll body’s figures, the PTI has 158 members in the National Assembly after the joining of nine Independents and bagging of 33 seats reserved for women and minorities.

In all, the party has the support of 175 lawmakers as it has the backing of the country’s smaller and regional parties.

On the other hand, Shehbaz Sharif faces an almost impossible task to be elected as the Prime Minister after the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) led by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, with 54 seats, withdrew support for his candidature.

The PML-N has 82 seats in the National Assembly and it was unclear if the party will still be supported by the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (15 seats) and Awami National Party (1 seat).

The Jamaat-e-Islami, which is part of the MMA, announced that it will not vote in the election, Geo News reported.

On Thursday, PPP leader Khursheed Shah said his party apprised the PML-N of its reservations over the latter’s candidature for prime ministership. He warned that if the PML-N does not change its candidate for the post, the PPP would make a decision accordingly.

Sources told Geo News that the PPP had decided not to vote for either candidate in the election.

Many Indians still languishing in Pakistan jails: Jaipur man

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Gajanand Sharma, a Jaipur man who was released from a Pakistani jail earlier this week after over 36 years, said that many more prisoners like him were still languishing in prisons in Pakistan.

His grand-daughter Nikita told the media on Thursday that Sharma still needs to come out of the haunting pains he suffered during his long stay in the Pakistani jail.

Sharma disappeared in 1982 and his family members were clueless about his whereabouts till May 4 when they received a letter from the local police asking for verification.

Nikita, who spoke on behalf of her grandfather, said that the other Indian prisoners who were still lodged in the prisons were paying the price for crossing the border by mistake.

She said that prison authorities used to brutally torture Sharma, who at one point also had his wrist broken.

He also bears a cut mark on his ankle which according to Sharma was meted out to him by the jail authorities.

According to the family, Sharma is still comfortable sitting in dim light. Whenever someone puts on the fan, he gets scared and recalls horrific memories where he was given electric shocks on his feet.

Nikita said her grandfather crossed the border into Pakistan by mistake and has been repenting ever since.

Sharma’s wife, Makhni Devi said her husband was into wrestling during his younger days.

During that time, he used to gulp two litres of milk and had a healthy diet. That’s the reason he returned alive after being a witness to so many tortures, she added.

His memory also seems unstable at times and is forgetting things, Makhni Devi said.

“I struggled a lot with my children. I worked as a maid in houses, cleaned utensils, mixed spices, worked in hospital and what not to raise the children. Now, I am happy that my husband is back to take care of his family,” she added.

India beat Nepal to make U-15 SAFF final

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The Indian U-15 womens team progressed to the final of the SAFF U-15 Championship after defeating Nepal 2-1 in the semi-finals at the Changlimithang Stadium here on Thursday.

Lynda Kom’s 31st minute strike followed by Kritina Devi’s 58th minute goal led the Indian Women to a hard fought win over a determined Nepalese side, after the opponents had found the net in 37th minute through Rajani Thokar.

The Indians had the chance to take the lead in the first minute itself but Avika Singh’s shot crept inches past the goal. Nepal recuperated after the nervy start and despite focusing on counter-attacks to test the Indian defence, could not give the U-15 Women a scare.

In the 25th minute, Avika Singh had another opportunity to give India the lead but this time her shot rattled the bar and went out after Shilky Devi had found her in the box with some crafty play. A minute later, Sunita Munda hit the Nepal sidenetting as India upped the ante.

The breakthrough came in the 31st minute when Lynda Kom was found inside the box by a cross from Sunita Munda and Kom slotted the ball home with sheer acumen to give the Indian Women a solitary goal lead.

However in the 37th minute, Nepal equalized their deficit when goalkeeper Manish made a howler of a routine save and Rajani Thokar latched on to find the net for the opponents as the scoreline read 1-1.

In the 55th minute, Lynda Kom was once again provided with an opportunity to find the net, but this time, an onrushing custodian saved her shot. Three minutes later, Kritina Devi chipped the Nepalese custodian from distance and found the back of the net to give India the lead as the scoreline read 2-1.

Sunita Munda’s speed down the middle of the pitch proved to be threat for the Nepalese defence line and in the 66th minute, she found Shilky Devi, whose shot was saved by the opposition custodian.

Although Nepal attacked with numbers in the dying embers of the match, the Indian Women committed bodies in defence and matched blow to blow. The full-time scoreline read 2-1 as India defeated Nepal in the semi-finals.

The final is slated for Saturday and India will face the winners of the second semi-final clash between hosts Bhutan and Bangladesh.

BCCI, cricket team join nation in condoling Vajpayee’s death

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The Indian cricket team and the BCCI joined the nation in mourning the death of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who passed away on Thursday after battling ill health. He was 93.

“The Indian cricket team and BCCI condoles the sad demise of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Atalji dedicated his life in service of the nation,” the BCCI said in a statement.

Vajpayee, the first non-Congress Prime Minister to complete a full term in office, died here on Thursday after a prolonged illness.

Several former and current India cricketers also took to Twitter to condole the demise of the former Prime Minister.

Former India captain and coach Anil Kumble wrote: “A sad day for the country, as we lose one of our greatest leaders. #AtalBihariVajpayee contributed so much for the betterment of the country. May his soul rest in peace.”

“It’s been a sad week, the demise of one of India’s finest leaders “Mr. Vajpayee” is heartbreaking,” India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin wrote.

India opener Shikhar Dhawan wrote: “My deepest condolences on the passing of our former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ji. One of the few politicians I always respected for his honesty and devotion to the national cause. May his soul rest in peace.”

India batsman Cheteshwar Pujara in his message wrote: “Deeply saddened to hear about the loss of Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji. His values and ideologies will be remembered forever.”

Vajpayee, who was honoured with the Bharat Ratna in 2014, was undergoing treatment at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).

His condition worsened on Wednesday evening with leaders from across the political spectrum thronging the hospital and enquiring about his health.

India U-23 footballers to travel to Australia for camp

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A 22-member India U-23 football team will travel to Australia on Friday as part of their preparation for the forthcoming SAFF Suzuki Cup. The squad has been camping here since July 28.

India will be based at the Valentine Sports Park in Sydney for another 16-day long preparatory camp before they eventually leave for Dhaka on September 1, according to a statement.

“The exposure trip was planned before the Asian Games but unfortunately, we were barred from taking part in the Games. We didn’t see any reason to cancel the trip and had to postpone it prior to the SAFF Tournament,” head coach Stephen Constantine said.

Apart from the 22 players, two players have been kept in reserve who might get a call-up to join the contingent in Australia if circumstances demand so; 20 boys will eventually travel for the SAFF Suzuki Cup.

Constantine also thanked the clubs for releasing the players from their club commitments for national duty.

“I would like to express my gratitude to the clubs for letting the players join the more-than-a-month long National Team Camp. We need such support from them until the AFC Asian Cup 2019. It’s good for the country as well as the clubs. I appreciate that”, he added.

“Although we didn’t qualify for the AFC U23 Championship, these boys showed good signs in Qatar last year. A few new boys have come and they’re putting in an effort to integrate with the other boys.”

“It’s a group of talented youngsters and I believe a good number of players will graduate to the senior team in time,” the coach said.

On being asked whether the U-23 boys will be under pressure against the senior teams in the SAFF Suzuki Cup, he explained: “I take it as a challenge for us. If the senior boys compete in the SAFF Tournament, these young boys won’t get the opportunity to play anytime soon. I think this tournament should be treated as a platform to give more exposure to the U23 boys which will be beneficial for India in future.”

The list of 22 players along with 2 reserves is as follows:

Goalkeepers: Vishal Kaith, Kamaljit Singh, Sukhdev Patil.

Defenders: Davinder Singh, Salam Ranjan Singh, Sarthak Golui, Subhasish Bose, Mohd. Sajid Dhot, Jerry Lalrinzuala.

Midfielders: Nikhil Poojary, Isaac Vanmalswama, Nandha Kumar, Vinit Rai, Germanpreet Singh, Anirudh Thapa, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Ashique Kuruniyan, Vignesh D.

Forwards: Sumit Passi, Hitesh Sharma, Manvir Singh, Farukh Choudhary.

Reserves: Lalruatthara, Rohit Kumar.

Somdev Devvarman predicts bright future for surfing in India

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Putting his weight behind surfing, former India tennis star Somdev Devvarman on Thursday predicted a bright future for the new Olympic sport in India.

Speaking at the official launch ceremony of the sixth Covelong Point Surf, Music & Yoga Festival, which will run for three days, Somdev revealed that he had been an avid surfer himself.

The festival will see close to 170 wave riders from 10 nations compete for top honours, including defending champions in both the Men’s and Women’s categories, namely Raghul Paneerselvam and Suhasini Damian respectively.

At the media event, Somdev said: “I never used to swim before but in the last 2-3 years I am just hooked to surfing.”

“As an athlete, it is amazing to see surfing pick up as a sport. Surfing is potentially one of the more popular sports across many parts of the world and it’s heartening to see the sport pick up in India.”

Somdev said that the sport is now going to be a part of the Olympics and it was great to see many Indian youngsters taking up surfing as it’s from here that the country might have it’s future Olympians.

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