Ram Bhakts hold Tesla music show in Washington DC
Washington, Jan 14: A week ahead of the grand consecration of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, Ram Bhaktas held car rallies in 21 cities across the US with the enthusiastic participants in the national capital organising an innovative Tesla Car musical show dedicated to Lord Ram. Over 100 Ram Bhakts, each owning a Tesla Car, gathered at Shri Bhaktha Anjaneya Temple in Frederick City – a Maryland suburb of Washington DC – on Saturday night. They used one of the key features of Tesla cars wherein the headlights and speakers of these Tesla cars synced with a popular number dedicated to Lord Ram. According to the organisers of the Tesla Music Show, Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America, more than 200 Tesla Car owners had registered for the event and they had to turn on a significantly large number of them. Drone pictures taken by the event organisers showed that these Tesla Cars created a “RAM” by placing these cars in such a way. VHPA plans to organise similar shows on January 20. (PTI)
Former Russian mayor cuts jail time, agrees to fight in Ukraine
Moscow, Jan 14: A disgraced former Russian mayor convicted over bribery had his prison sentence cut short after signing a contract to fight with Russia’s military in Ukraine, local media reported on Sunday. Oleg Gumenyuk, who served as mayor of the far eastern city and cultural hub of Vladivostok between 2018 and 2021, was convicted last year of accepting bribes worth 38 million roubles (about USD 432,000) and sentenced to 12 years imprisonment. However, he was released after agreeing to bear arms and fight as part of his country’s military operation in Ukraine that started nearly two years ago, his lawyer Andrei Kitaev told Russian news outlet Kommersant. He said that the politician’s whereabouts were unknown, but that Gumenyuk was instructed to report to his military unit on December 22. Local officials for the Federal Penitentiary Service in the Primorsky region where the former mayor was held did not confirm the reports. (AP)
Japanese flight returns to airport with cracked window
Tokyo, Jan 14: An All Nippon Airways domestic flight turned back to Japan’s northern airport of Sapporo after a crack was found on the cockpit window, according to the airline and media reports. ANA Flight 1182 was en route to Toyama airport in central Japan on Saturday but had to return to the New Chitose airport for repairs, the airline said. There were no reports of injuries among the 65 people on board. The crack was found on one of the cockpit windows and the cause is under investigation, according to local media reports. The plane involved is a Boeing 737-800 – a different model from the Boeing 737 Max 9 jet that is under investigation by the US Federal Aviation Administration. A plug covering a spot left for an emergency door tore off an Alaska Airlines plane as it flew 4,800 metres above Oregon on January 5, leaving a hole in the plane. (AP)