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1-year-old boy shot, killed in downtown Pittsburgh identified by medical examiner

Posted on by SAT News Desk

PITTSBURGH — A 1-year-old boy was shot and killed in downtown Pittsburgh in the United States on Saturday afternoon. During a press conference following the shooting, officials said the shooting was a targeted incident. 

The child was not the intended target, but a passenger in the car was. Officials said that residents shouldn’t feel unsafe at this time. 

The boy has been identified as DeAery Thomas. According to a release from Pittsburgh Police, the shooting happened at around 2:44 p.m.

Officials at the scene said the shooting was a drive by shooting, and a bullet went right through the window of a Jeep, hitting the child. He was pronounced dead when medics arrived. “I don’t think you can ever say it can be worse when a baby gets killed, or anyone for that matter,” said Cristyn Zett, Commander of Pittsburgh Police in Zone 6. “We are actively working nationwide to reduce violence in all of our cities, and any loss of life is tragic.” Witness Greg Damjanovic heard six gunshots. “Me and my wife ran to the window,” Damjanovic said. “We just saw the mother get out of her Jeep crying, ‘they shot my baby, they shot my baby!’” There is no word on any potential suspect. Officials said that investigators have located the car they believe the suspect was driving later Sunday. 

During the press conference, Mayor Ed Gainey vowed to take action. “I want to show our city we are going to do everything we can to make this summer safe, especially for our children,” Gainey said. 

“These acts of violence will not hold our city hostage. Enough is enough. We will bring the full weight and power of our combined resources to bear and assure we get the most violent actors off our streets.” Read the full story here. 

Nepal Government unveils annual budget of Rs 1,793 billion for Fiscal Year 2022-23

Posted on by SAT News Desk

Kathmandu: The government on Sunday unveiled the budget of Rs 1,793 billion for the next fiscal year.

Announcing the budget for the Fiscal Year 2022/2023, Finance Minister Janardan Sharma said that the government has set Rs 1793.83 billion as the annual budget, an increase of eight percent in comparison to the budget allocated for the current fiscal year.

Of the total budget, the government has set aside Rs 753 billion for recurrent expenditure, while Rs 380 billion has been allocated for capital expenditure. Likewise, Rs 230.22 billion has been allocated for financial purposes, according to Sharma.

Presenting the budget at a joint session of the House of Representatives and National Assembly, Sharma said the government has set a revenue collection target of Rs 1,240.11 billion. To finance its expenditure, the government also plans to secure Rs 55.46 billion as foreign grants. Similarly, to finance the deficit in the budget, the government aims to raise Rs 242 billion from foreign loans, and Rs 256 billion from domestic debts.

Source: Nepal Live Today

International Sagarmatha Day celebrated

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The 15th International Sagarmatha (Mt Everest) Day was observed today at home and aboard by organizing various programs.

Each year, the Day is marked on the 29th of May commemorating the first successful human ascent of the world’s highest peak.

Two climbers Tenzing Norgay Sherpa and Edmund Hillary had set a world history by reaching atop of the peak on May 29 on 1953. Back home, the Day is celebrated on Jeth 15 in the lunar calendar each year as the Sagarmatha Day and this coincides with Republic Day as well. (RSS)

Tara Air Twin Otter goes missing in Nepal; 19 passengers including 12 Nepali, two Indian on board

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Kathmandu: A Tara Air plane that took off from Pokhara to Jomsom at 9:55 am is out of contact.

According to Myagdi police, the locals have heard a sound of a blast near the hill over Lete. However, a crash has not been confirmed yet.

There are 19 passengers and three members of the crew aboard the plane.

According to Tara Air, there are 12 Nepali, four Indian and two German nationals on board the aircraft.

 

Nepal Plane With 22 On Board, Including 4 Indians, Missing

Posted on by SAT News Desk

Kathmandu — A small passenger plane operated by a private airline in Nepal went missing on Sunday with 22 people on board, including four Indians, airline officials said.

The Tara Air 9 NAET twin-engine aircraft lost contact while flying from the tourist town of Pokhara, some 200 km northwest of the capital, Kathmandu, to Jomsom, about 80 km to the northwest, they said. The aircraft, which was on a 15-minute scheduled flight, lost contact shortly after take-off at 9:55 am local time.

“The aircraft was seen over the sky of Jomsom in Mustang district and then had diverted to Mt. Dhaulagiri after which it hadn’t come into contact,” Chief District Officer Netra Prasad Sharma was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

The aircraft was hosting 4 Indians and 3 Japanese nationals. The remaining were Nepali citizens & the aircraft had 22 passengers including the crew, according to the State Television.

As per the police officials, the aircraft has been suspected to have crashed in the “Teti ” area of Lete in the mountainous Mustang district, which is the fifth-largest district of the Himalayan nation and hosts the pilgrimage of Muktinath Temple.

“Locals from Titi have called and informed us that they have heard an unusual sound as if there was some bang. We are deploying a helicopter to the area for the search operation,” Ram Kumar Dani, DSP of District Police Office, Mustang told ANI.

The Nepal government has deployed two private helicopters from Mustang and Pokhara for the search for missing aircraft. Nepal Army chopper is also being prepared to be deployed for the search, said Phadindra Mani Pokharel, spokesperson at Home Ministry told ANI over the phone.

Tara Air boasts of having the “widest domestic flights network” in Nepal. “No other airlines in Nepal flies to the remote STOL (short takeoff and landing) sectors as extensively and frequently as we do. We transport essential supplies to the hinterlands, including food grains, medicines, relief materials and operate flights for rescue purposes,” the airline website says.

The airline operates a fleet of seven STOL aircrafts, comprising of five Twin Otter (DHC 6/300) and two Dornier (DO 228) aircrafts.

Nepal, home to the world’s highest mountain, does have a record of accidents on its extensive domestic air network, with changeable weather and airstrips in difficult mountain locations.

In 2016, a Twin Otter turboprop aircraft operated by Tara Air crashed n the western district of Myagdi, leaving 23 people dead. Apart from three crew, 20 passengers, including a Chinese and one a Kuwaiti national, were on board the ill-fated flight.(ANI)

Shah Rukh Khan’s son cleared in a drug case

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According to India’s narcotics bureau, Shah Rukh Khan’s son was cleared in a drug case involving a party on a luxury cruise liner on Friday, with no evidence that he possessed illicit drugs or was involved in trafficking.

Aryan Khan, a 24-year-old aspiring actor and director, was apprehended on a cruise ship off the coast of Mumbai, India’s financial and entertainment center, in October. After three weeks, he was released on bail.

In a statement released Friday, India’s Narcotics Control Bureau said that evidence gathered over the course of an eight-month investigation did not incriminate Khan. It did, however, file accusations against 14 other defendants.

Following the operation on the ship, the narcotics agency claimed it had evidence in the form of WhatsApp communications proving Khan’s involvement in drug trafficking.

Trump: US should fund safe schools before Ukraine

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US: Former President Donald Trump has called on US lawmakers to prioritize funding for school security over sending military aid to Ukraine.

Speaking at a pro-gun conference, Mr Trump questioned how the US “has $40 billion to send to Ukraine” but cannot ensure security in schools.

The meeting of the National Rifle Association (NRA), the largest US gun group, is taking place in Houston.

The intervention comes days after 21 people died in a Texas school shooting. (BBC)

Today marks the 50th day of the “Go Rajapaksha” protest

Posted on by SAT News Desk

Colombo: As the anti-government protests demanding the resignation of Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa over the economic crisis the country is facing entered its 50th day, organizers on Saturday claimed the day would be marked with more intense agitation marches.

Sri Lanka is near bankruptcy and has severe shortages of essentials from food, fuel, medicines and cooking gas to toilet paper and matchsticks.

Sri Lanka’s economic crisis has created political unrest with a protest occupying the entrance to the president’s office demanding his resignation continuing for the past 49 days. Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, the elder brother of the president, has already resigned on May 9.

Saturday marks the 50th day of the “Go Rajapaksa” protest which has also witnessed the death of a parliamentarian.

Indian author Geetanjali Shree becomes first Indian author to win International Booker prize

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CNN: Indian author Geetanjali Shree has won the International Booker Prize — making her the first writer from the South Asian nation to claim the prestigious literary award.

Shree’s winning novel, “Tomb of Sand,” follows an 80-year-old woman as she gains a new lease on life following the death of her husband. Set in the shadow of the 1947 partition of India, Shree explores themes of trauma, motherhood and feminism.

Translated from Hindi to English by Daisy Rockwell, the book is the first in an Indian language to win the award, which recognizes fiction translated into English and published in the United Kingdom or Ireland.

The International Booker Prize is separate from the Booker Prize, which is awarded to novels written in English. In 1997, Indian author Arundhati Roy became the first Indian to win the Booker Prize for her novel, “The God of Small Things.”

Shree and American translator Rockwell will split the £50,000 ($63,000) prize money.

“I never dreamed of the Booker, I never thought I could,” Shree said during her acceptance speech in London on Thursday. “What a huge recognition. I am amazed, delighted, honored and humbled.”

The chair of judges, Frank Wynne, said the book has “an exuberance and a life, a power and a passion, which the world could do with right now.”

“This is a luminous novel of India and partition, but one whose spellbinding brio and fierce compassion weaves youth and age, male and female, family and nation into a kaleidoscopic whole,” Wynne said.

Writer, critic and broadcaster, Viv Groskop, called it “a real masterclass in narrative, in exploring identity and a brilliant look at family relationships.”

Born in 1957 in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, Shree has written three novels and several short story collections. Her work has been translated into English, French, German, Serbian and Korean.

“Tomb of Sand” is the first of her books to be published in the UK.

Rockwell called it “one of the most difficult” works she has ever translated because of the “experimental nature of Geetanjali’s writing” and “unique use of language.”

Shree said her recognition “brings into larger purview the entire world of Hindi literature” and in particular, “Indian literature as a whole.”

“It also brings into view the fact that there is a vast world of literature with rich lineages which still needs to be discovered,” she said in an interview on the Booker Prize website. “I am pleased and humbled to be the conduit for this.” Read the original story at CNN.

 

Sri Lanka to restructure public transportation

Posted on by SAT News Desk

Colombo: Transport and Highways Minister Bandula Gunawardena indicated that public transportation will be reorganized shortly in an effort to reduce the impact of the continuing fuel crisis on the common man.

Minister Bandula Gunawardena was quoted by Colombo Page as saying, “The most appropriate step that can be taken as a public transportation service is to reorganize and improve public transportation, taking into account the need to meet the daily requirements of the home and obstacles that have befallen the education of children as well as the overall standard of living.”

He also stated that the railway infrastructure was crucial in Sri Lanka’s transformation from a self-sustaining to an export-oriented plantation economy.

Nepali student receives $111 million compensation in USA

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Kathmandu: A court in Minnesota, USA, has awarded a Nepali student more than USD 111 million in damages after determining that improper care of his wounded leg after surgery resulted in a lifelong handicap.

The judgment was reached in response to a complaint filed by Anuj Thapa, 25, against St. Cloud Orthopedic Associates, according to Insurance Journal.

Thapa’s left leg was fractured in a pickup soccer game at St. Cloud University in January 2017. He was sent to CentraCare’s St. Cloud Hospital for surgery.

Thapa suffered unmanageable agony, numbness, burning, and muscular difficulties the next morning, according to the lawsuit. He was released later that day, only to return six days later with severe pain, according to the Star Tribune.

Surgery was conducted again, and it was revealed that Thapa had a medical condition that arises when excess pressure builds up in a group of muscles.

According to trial testimony, Thapa has had at least a dozen surgeries on his leg and has been left with disabling and permanent damage.

Nepal’s top court bars govt to construct Nijgadh International Airport

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Kathmandu: Nepal’s Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday ordered the government not to construct the much-debated Nijgadh International Airport.

An extended bench of the apex court on Thursday annulled all the decisions made by the government regarding the construction of the airport. The bench ordered the government to seek an alternative to the proposed airport if there is a need for another international airport.

The apex court has also annulled the Environmental Impact Assessment Report for the construction of the airport and the decision of the Ministry of Forests to accept it conditionally.

It was estimated that 2.4 million trees will have to be cut down to build the airport in Nijgadh of Bara district which is expected to cost USD 6.7 billion. The government’s policies and programs presented by President Bidhya Devi Bhandari on Tuesday also included the construction of the airport.

[Related: Nijgadh and Nepal’s livable future]

Saying that the construction of the airport would cause irreparable damage to the environment and wildlife, individuals and organizations working for the protection of the environment have been protesting against the construction of the airport in Nijgadh. The project region is extensively wooded, and the forest is known to be the eastern Terai’s only remaining natural hardwood forest. Conservationists and environmentalists who have been fighting to protect Nijgadh’s forest may now breathe a sigh of relief as the verdict can’t be reviewed now.

The final verdict on the writ filed by senior advocates Prakash Mani Sharma and Ranju Hajur Pandey was pronounced by the bench including Justices Hari Krishna Karki, Bishowambhar Prasad Shrestha, Ishwor Prasad Khatiwada, Prakash Singh Raut and Manoj Kumar Sharma.

Earlier in December 2019, the Supreme Court issued an interim order to halt all activities related to the construction of the airport in Nijgadh.

Source: Nepal Live Today

Sri Lanka’s PM sworn in as finance minister

Posted on by SAT News Desk

New Delhi: Ranil Wickremesinghe, Sri Lanka’s prime minister, was sworn in as the country’s finance minister on Wednesday. According to the president’s office, he will now lead discussions with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a loan package to help the country escape a crippling economic crisis.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa swore in Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as finance, economic stabilization, and national policies minister this morning, according to a statement from the president’s office.

Thousands dispaced in DR Congo in urgent need of food

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UK: According to the UN, more than 80,000 people have been displaced by violence in eastern DRC and are in urgent need of food.

In the North Kivu region, fighting between government forces and rebels from the March 23 Movement (M23) has surged in recent weeks.

This week, confrontations expanded south to roughly 20 kilometers (12 miles) from Goma town, the province seat.

According to the UN Office for Humanitarian Affairs, Ocha, many who have been displaced have sought refuge in makeshift shelters, churches, and schools.

If the fighting continues, humanitarian groups fear the worse for the refugees.

The province’s governor’s spokeswoman stated on Wednesday that they were “fronted with this extremely frightening issue.”

India sentences Kashmir rebel Yasin Malik to life imprisonment

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Delhi: A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in the Indian capital New Delhi has sentenced iconic Kashmiri pro-independence leader Yasin Malik to life imprisonment in “terror” funding case.

Malik, one of Indian-administered Kashmir’s prominent rebel leaders, is the chief of now banned Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF). The group renounced violence in 1994.


The court prosecutor had sought the death penalty for Malik. Malik, 56, last week was convicted of “terrorist” acts, including illegally raising funds, membership in a terrorist organisation, criminal conspiracy, and sedition.

The People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), a coalition of pro-India parties in the region, termed Malik’s life imprisonment as “unfortunate”. “Life imprisonment given to Yasin Malik is unfortunate and a setback to the efforts for peace.

We are afraid that this will further compound the uncertainties in the region and will only fuel more alienation and separatist feelings,” the group said in a statement on Wednesday. Read more at Aljazeera. 

Texas shooting: 19 children among dead in primary school attack

Posted on by SAT News Desk

Nineteen young children and two adults have been killed in a shooting at a primary school in south Texas.

The gunman opened fire at Robb Elementary School in the city of Uvalde before he was killed by law enforcement.

The 18-year-old suspect had a handgun, an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle and high-capacity magazines.

The teenager is also suspected of shooting his grandmother before the rampage.

Local media report he may have been a high school student in the area. (BBC)