Nicaragua-bound plane carrying Indians grounded
by France
PARIS, Dec 22: France has grounded on Friday a Nicaragua-bound charter flight carrying 303 Indian passengers. A judicial investigation into the conditions and purposes of the trip has been started, according to some local officials in the eastern Marne region. A unit specialising in organised crime is probing the matter as there are strong suspicions of human trafficking. Cops have arrested two people for questioning, the office of the Paris public prosecution said, adding that authorities had been tipped off by an anonymous source. The flight, carried out by Romanian charter company Legend Airlines, had departed from Dubai and landed at the small Vatry airport on Thursday afternoon for a technical stopover when police intervened, the Marne prefect’s office said in a statement. “The reception hall at Vatry airport was transformed into a waiting area with individual beds to provide passengers with the best possible amenities,” the prefect’s office said. (Agencies)
Pak SC approves Imran’s bail
in cipher case
Islamabad, Dec 22: In a relief to jailed former prime minister Imran Khan ahead of elections, Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Friday approved his and close aide Shah Mahmood Qureshi’s bail in the cipher case related to the alleged leakage of state secrets. The apex court also directed the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders to submit surety bonds worth Rs 1 million each, the Dawn newspaper reported. The order was issued by a three-member bench headed by Justice Sardar Tariq Masood and comprising Justices Athar Minallah and Syed Mansoor Ali Shah on a set of PTI petitions ahead of the February 8 general elections. The case is based on the allegation that a diplomatic document sent by the Pakistan embassy in March last year was mishandled by Khan, 71, and Qureshi, 67, and they violated the secrecy laws of the country. However, Khan will remain in jail as he is convicted in the Toshakhana corruption case. (PTI)
Temples across US to celebrate Ram Mandir inauguration
Washington, Dec 22: Temples across the US are preparing week-long celebrations to commemorate the inauguration of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya on January 22 next year, a top official representing these temples has said. “It’s our fortune and blessings to us that we are part of this phenomenon and the temple of our dreams is getting materialised after centuries of wait and struggle. Everyone’s emotions in the US and Canada are very high. Shraddha (devotion) is built up and everyone is eagerly waiting to receive Bhagwan Shri Ram in his mandir,” Tejal Shah from the Hindu Mandirs Empowerment Council (HMEC) told PTI on Monday. Hindu Mandirs Empowerment Council (HMEC) is the apex body of more than 1,100 Hindu Temples in the United States. The week-long celebrations across small and big temples in North America, she said, will kick off on January 15 and culminate in the live telecast of the Ram Temple inauguration from Ayodhya, she said. (PTI)