08:17 Bullet-ridden body of army officer found in Kashmir:
Almost 10 days after two jawans of the Indian army soldiers were mutilated by Pakistan in Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir, a bullet-ridden body of an army lieutenant has been found in Shopian district’s Herman area in South Kashmir, reports said on Wednesday.
The Army officer has been identified as Umar Fayaz, who belonged to Kulgam.
On May 1, the bodies of two Indian soldiers, who were martyred following a ceasefire violation by Pak in Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir, were mutilated by Pakistan.
Pakistani troops had violated ceasefire along the Line of Control in Poonch sector, attacking a patrol team near the border.
08:14 Apple rises past $800 in market valuation:
Apple shares rose on May 9, pushing its market value above $800 billion, a first for a US company, The Wall Street Journal reported.
That level, evidence of how much the stock has risen this year, is a milestone sure to stoke speculation about whether it will be the first public company to be worth $1 trillion, the WSJ reported.
08:07 Trump fires FBI director: President Donald Trump has fired FBI Director James Comey who was leading the investigation into whether his election campaign had ties to Russia’s alleged interference in the US polls.
Trump told Comey that he was no longer effectively able to lead the bureau and it was necessary to restore ‘public trust and confidence in it.
‘You are hereby terminated and removed from the office, effective immediately,’ Trump said in the letter.
The shock move comes days after Comey testified on Capitol Hill about the FBI’s investigation into Russia’s election meddling and a possible collusion between the country and Trump’s campaign.
07:47 Justin Bieber lands in Mumbai for maiden concert: International pop sensation Justin Bieber arrived in Mumbai today for his maiden concert in India.
The 23-year-old arrived at the Kalina airport at around 1.30 AM in a chartered flight along with his crew.
The singer, who was sporting a pink hoodie, rushed out of the airport, where a group of fans had gathered to welcome him, to a waiting car which took him to his hotel in Lower Parel. He was accompanied by Bollywood star Salman Khan’s personal bodyguard Shera.
His backstage crew, along with his security team, is already stationed in the hotel. After rocking the stage in Dubai on May 6, the Love Yourself singer is set to perform in Mumbai today.
A rage among the youth, especially teenagers, Bieber is touring to promote his critically-acclaimed album Purpose. Titled the “Purpose World Tour”, around 45,000 ‘Beliebers’ are expected to be in attendance for the Grammy-winning singer’s first-ever show in India at Navi Mumbai’s D Y Patil Stadium.
Navi Mumbai Police Commissioner Hemant Nagrale said 500 security personnel along with 25 officers have been deployed to ensure proper security at the stadium, with drone cameras keeping a constant watch.
Apart from local police and the singer’s own security detail, Salman Khan’s bodyguard Shera has also been roped in to ensure Bieber’s safety.
Harry Potter actress Elarica Johnson will host the highly-anticipated event. The opening acts for Bieber’s gig include artistes such as DJ Sartek, DJ Zaeden and Norwegian DJ Alan Walker. The performances will begin at 4 PM with DJ Sartek opening the concert.
Bieber is getting a royal treatment during his India stay. He will be treated to cuisines representing 29 states, people close to the organisers of the tour said. After the show, Bieber is expected to attend a private yacht party with live karaoke singing.
The Cold Water singer is expected to spend the next two days visiting New Delhi, Jaipur and Agra.
Bieber will be showered with custom-made presents which include an exclusive autographed sarod from Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, a Swarovski crystal-studded jacket by Rohit Bal and an Anamika Khanna-designed floor length chanderi silk jacket for his mother Pattie Mallett.
Bieber embarked on the tour on March 9 last year in Seattle and will close it on September 24 this year in Tokyo.
01:36 Emergency declared at US Hanford nuclear site after tunnel collapse:
The United States Department of Energy has declared an emergency at the Hanford, Washington nuclear waste storage site, after a cave-in of a tunnel used to store radioactive materials and equipment.
About 3,000 workers have taken cover at the 200 East Area of the sprawling complex, local media reported. By 10:30 am local time, the take cover orders have been expanded to the entire site, which is about half the size of Rhode Island.
A portion of a tunnel near the plutonium-uranium extraction plant (PUREX) collapsed early Tuesday morning local time, most likely from vibrations produced by nearby road work, KING-TV reported.
Initial reports spoke of a 4-foot (1.2 meter) hole, which was later expanded to 20 feet (6 meters) across, at the junction of two tunnels used in the 1960s to store highly radioactive materials and equipment, such as trains used to transport nuclear fuel rods.
00:40 Informed Jadhav’s mother about ICJ order: EAM Sushma Swaraj:
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said that she has conveyed the International Court of Justice’s stay order on Kulbhushan Jadhav’s hanging to his mother.
“I have spoken to the mother of #KulbhushanJadhav and told her about the order of President, ICJ under Art 74 Paragraph 4 of Rules of Court,” Sushma tweeted.
“Mr.Harish Salve, Senior Advocate is representing India before International Court of Justice in the #KulbhushanJadhav case,” she said in another tweet.
The International Court of Justice has stayed the hanging of Jadhav, who was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of “spying”.
Source: Rediff