US to seek Lawrence Bishnoi’s extradition

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India has condemned the attack on a commercial vessel off Oman coast and said 10 Indian nationals aboard the ship were rescued, while one was reported missing.

“We condemn the attack on the commercial vessel GFS Galaxy off the coast of Oman, earlier today. Of the 11 Indian nationals on board, 10 have been rescued so far, while 1 Indian National is reportedly missing,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement.

“The continuing incidents of attacks on commercial shipping in the region are deeply worrisome. We reiterate our call for immediate de-escalation of tensions, and the conclusion of ongoing negotiations for a diplomatic solution so that peace and stability can return to the region,” it added.

“Our Embassy in Oman is closely monitoring the situation and proactively coordinating with the Omani authorities in the ongoing Search and Rescue operation. We thank the Omani authorities for their support,” the ministry stated.

Iran ​said ⁠earlier it had firing a warning shot that ⁠struck ​a vessel ​traveling on an unapproved route.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday condoled the passing away of veteran playback singer S Janaki, and said her songs gave voice to every emotion with unparalleled grace as well as versatility.

Legendary singer S Janaki, fondly known as the “Nightingale of South India,” died in Mysuru on Saturday at the age of 88.

“The passing of the distinguished playback singer S. Janaki Amma is an irreparable loss to the world of music and culture,” Modi said in a post on X.

“Her melodies will continue to enchant listeners in the years to come. My heartfelt condolences to her family, countless admirers and the entire music fraternity in this hour of grief. Om Shanti,” he said.

In her career of more than six decades, Janaki sang for films, albums, television and radio programmes in about 20 Indian languages, including Hindi, Odia, Urdu, Punjabi and Bengali.
 

India’s Foreign Minister, S Jaishankar, has expressed his condolences over the death of 15 Indian tourists who died after a boat capsized in Vietnam.

“Deeply distressed by the unfortunate boat accident involving Indian nationals near Phu Quoc, Vietnam,” Jaishankar said on X.

“Heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. Praying for the swift recovery of those injured,” he added.

A speedboat with 36 people on board capsized off Vietnam’s Phu Quoc Island on Saturday, killing 15 Indian tourists, the Indian Embassy in Hanoi reported. 

The vessel was carrying 32 Indian tourists and four local crew members. Rescue teams saved 21 people.

US Democratic congressman Ro Khanna said that he was detained by armed Israeli settlers during a visit to the West Bank.

Khanna, who was born in the US to Indian parents, said the incident occurred while he was visiting a Palestinian village that he claimed had been destroyed by Israeli settlers.

“Israeli settlers, brandishing American-made M4s, detained me and other Americans on my trip to Palestine,” Khanna wrote on X. 

When Israeli soldiers arrived, “they sided with the settlers and continued our detention,” the congressman said.

“Imagine how people feel every day, Palestinians under the occupation, if they could make an American congressperson feel powerless for 90 minutes,” Khanna continued.

“I felt powerless in that situation, which is not an easy thing, as I have a lot of privilege in life,” Khanna told The New York Times, which said that he was eventually allowed to continue his journey following calls to the US embassy and Israeli police.

Khanna aide Cameron Kasky wrote on X that he was there when the congressman’s group was detained, saying: “The IDF showed up to back up the settlers, not the US congressman.”

Days after charging gangster Lawrence Bishnoi with orchestrating the 2023 murder of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep ​Singh Nijjar in Canada, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) has confirmed that it will seek his extradition.

Bishnoi, whose criminal organization is designated a terrorist enterprise in Canada, is charged with ordering the killing from his cell.

The high-profile killing in 2023 had severely strained the diplomatic relationship between Canada and India at the time.

Last week, the US DOJ charged 37 people in the indictment as part of its “Operation Hardball” — a coordinated international operation involving the US, Canada and Europe.

The operation led to the arrest of 24 people linked to three Indian crime syndicates with transnational networks.

Besides Bishnoi and his aide Goldy Brar, the other gang leaders who have been named in the US indictment are Jaggu Bhagwanpuria, who is lodged in an Assam jail, and Canada-based Ravinder Singh Dhanda, according to a report by Indian newspaper The Indian Express.

Bishnoi and Brar have been charged with ordering Nijjar’s assassination. The FBI has announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to Brar’s arrest.

We are resuming our coverage of all the news and latest developments in India.

Indian gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, who was recently charged with the killing of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep ​Singh Nijjar in Canada, could face extradition to the United States.

India’s foreign minister S. Jaishankar has expressed his condolences after the boat capsize, which killed 15 Indians in Vietnam.

Meanwhile, an Indian origin US lawmaker was stopped and held for about 90 minutes by armed Israeli settlers while touring the occupied West Bank.

Stay tuned for this and more.

We are pausing our coverage for now. Join us again on Sunday morning for more coverage of Indian news and analysis.

The Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project achieved a key milestone as all 13 heavy portal beams in Ahmedabad were launched, The Indian Express newspaper reported.

The construction work on the 508-kilometer (315-mile) high-speed rail (HSR) corridor is progressing rapidly.

The Ministry of Railways is aiming to start the operations for the 47-km-long priority corridor between Surat and Bilimora by August 2027, as part of India’s first bullet train project.

According to National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL), the final precast-prestressed portal beam launched at Sabarmati, weighing approximately 1,640 metric tonnes, is the heaviest among the 13 portal beams launched for the Ahmedabad section.

“The entire launching operation was completed in approximately three hours. The launching operation was carried out using a 2,200 MT crawler crane,” it added.

The police in the eastern state of West Bengal have arrested dozens of people for violence and ‌vandalism during protests this week following the rape and murder of an 11-year-old girl.

According to the police, a mob lynched a person who was not implicated in the crime.

Protesters had blocked roads and torched vehicles after the girl’s body was ​found in a pond on Sunday, a day after she went missing in Baruipur city, about 30 kilometers (20 miles) from Kolkata.

“We have arrested 35 people ⁠for violence and vandalism so far … others involved are being identified through multiple videos that went viral,” ​senior state police officer Arvind Kumar Anand told Reuters news agency.

Separately, police said they had shot dead one of ​four men who had been arrested for the girl’s rape and murder. The suspect, Prabhas Mondal, was shot by police during a reconstruction of the crime scene, according to reports.

India and New Zealand on Saturday elevated their ties to a strategic partnership and set a five-year target to double theirannual bilateral trade in goods and services to $3.7 billion (€3.25 billion) by 2030.

The trade agreement follows talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on his maiden trip to New Zealand, and his counterpart, Christopher Luxon.

The meeting between Modi and Luxon resulted in 10 agreements. Key among them were:

• A roadmap to expand ties in the next four years
• A framework for enhancing Indo-Pacific maritime cooperation
• A reciprocal logistics support pact between the Indian Navy and the New Zealand Defence Force

“We have decided to elevate our ties to a Strategic Partnership. We will move forward across every sector with clear goals and concrete outcomes,” Modi said after the talks.

Modi addressed the Indian community in Auckland on the final day of his two-day trip, saying the futures of India and New Zealand are “intertwined.”

His trip marks the first by an Indian prime minister to New Zealand in 40 years, and comes as part of a tri-country tour.

Before New Zealand, Modi visited Indonesia and Australia as part of his bid to strengthen Indo-Pacific relations.

A boat carrying several Indian tourists has capsized near Phu Quoc island in Vietnam. 

At least 15 people have died, authorities said, adding that 32 Indian tourists and four crew members were on board when the vessel capsized.

Twenty-one people were rescued, and all of the dead have been recovered, authorities said.

“In a tragic incident, a boat carrying several Indian tourists has capsized near Phu Quoc Island in Vietnam a few hours ago,” the Indian embassy in Vietnam said in a statement on X on Saturday.

Exact details of the incident are being ascertained as search and rescue operations by local authorities are ongoing,” it added.

It said it has set up control rooms at the Consulate General of India in Ho Chi Minh City and at the Embassy in Hanoi to provide information and assistance.

A man in the southern state of Telangana is suspected of murdering six people on Friday night, including the 16-year-old girl who had accused him of stalking her.

After he was granted anticipatory bail on charges of stalking, the man reportedly killed the girl, her mother and her grandmother. He is also suspected of killing his own wife and two sons.

After the murders, the man called his father, and confessed to the alleged killings, telling him that he was also planning to end his own life. 

“His father immediately alerted the police, who rushed to the scene and launched an investigation,” the police said, according to a report by Indian newspaper Hindustan Times.

The accused was arrested under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act on May 26.

Police officials have started an investigation and launched a manhunt for the suspect.

Earlier this week, the eastern state of West Bengal also saw violent protests over the alleged rape and murder of a 12-year-old girl by four men.

In 2024, nearly 188,000 cases were registered against children. Of which, kidnapping and POCSO made up 77% of all registered cases, according to Indian news outlet IndiaSpends’ report.

Good morning! This is Midhat from the New Delhi Bureau, bringing you all the details on what’s buzzing in India.

Most parts of the country are receiving the Monsoon showers, which have brought the much-needed respite after a long spell of heat waves.

In the southern state of Telangana, a case of a man killing six people, including the minor girl who accused him of stalking, has sent shockwaves across the country.

On the diplomatic front, India and New Zealand have signed a bilateral trade agreement. The pact comes during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s maiden trip to New Zealand.

Meanwhile, India’s first bullet train project has achieved a key milestone. 

Stay tuned as we bring you the details about these developments and more.