US authorities have identified a 24-year-old man as a person of interest in the case of a 20-year-old Indian student who has gone missing during a spring break visit to the Dominican Republic. Sudiksha Konanki, a citizen of India and a permanent resident of the United States, was last seen on March 6 at the Riu Republic Resort in Punta Cana. The Loudoun County Sheriff's Office, Konanki's hometown in Virginia, said Joshua Riibe was seen with Sudiksha at a resort before she went missing. While Konanki's father has asked local authorities to broaden the investigation, authorities maintain that the case is not a criminal investigation and Riibe is not considered a suspect. However, he is considered a person of interest as he was the last one to be seen with Konanki. The Dominican Republic National Police has established a "high-level commission" to oversee the investigation and will be reinterviewing "targeted individuals" who were seen near or with Konanki at the time of her disappearance.
A Chinese student who drugged and raped women in the United Kingdom and China was sentenced to life in prison on Thursday, in a case that a senior British police officer said had uncovered 'one of the most prolific predators we've ever encountered', The New York Times reported.
Thousands of workers of every description -- from journalists to steel workers, from painters to New York cops, from auto to engineering workers -- marched for two hours down 5th Avenue one of Manhattan's most iconic thoroughfares, reports Jyoti Punwani.
'With tears in his eyes, he told me in Gujarati, "What have they done to this country? It has so much potential." That feeling for the country -- it was striking.'
Jasmer Singh was attacked by 30-year-old Gilbert Augustin after their vehicles collided in Queens in New York last Thursday.
The CBI has significantly increased the rate of fugitive repatriation, bringing back 134 individuals in the last five years, doubling the number from the previous decade. This success is attributed to enhanced diplomatic efforts, technological advancements, and improved coordination with Interpol.
From bhikshus of Ashokan 3rd century BC and medieval Sufis to Oxfam, Omidyar and Soros now, non-State actors have any real power only when they work in conjunction with a real State, asserts Shekhar Gupta.
Starting August 1, 2025, all consular services, including passport, visa, OCI, surrender certificate, life certificate, birth/marriage certificate, police clearance, attestations, and more, will be provided exclusively through VFS Global Centres.
Gupta was on vacation in El Portal village in Miami with her daughter, Aria Talathi, when she dialled 911 at around 3.30 am on June 27 about a drowning in the pool at their short-term rental, the New York Post reported, citing the Miami-Dade County Sheriff's Office.
The Centre has extended the tenure of CBI Director Praveen Sood by one year. Sood, a 1986-batch IPS officer of the Karnataka cadre, took over as the CBI director on May 25, 2023. The decision was taken in a meeting of the selection committee headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Sood is known for his hands-on approach and has supervised high-profile cases involving high net-worth individuals.
The police had no reports of domestic violence from the house.
The incident occurred mid-air on a flight bound for San Pedro, when the 49-year-old suspect started attacking passengers with a knife.
People in large numbers participated in the India Day Parade held in New York, United States.
Mr Trump's actions, because of their extreme nature and the dangerous rhetoric that accompanies them, receive the most attention, points out Mihir S Sharma.
An earthquake of magnitude 4.8 struck 7 km north-northeast of Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, on Friday, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported.
Salman Rushdie, the Mumbai-born controversial author who faced Islamist death threats for years after writing The Satanic Verses, was "still undergoing surgery", several hours after being stabbed by a 24-year-old New Jersey resident at an event in western New York State on Friday.
In one video, apparently of the attack, a shirtless man holding clear bottles in his hands is seen pacing as the grass in front of him burns.
In a Truth Social Post, Trump said, "This cannot continue. There will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days."
The news comes just days after Snyder was announced as a marquee addition to the newly formed Real American Freestyle wrestling league, a venture that has attracted attention with pro wrestling icon Hulk Hogan at the helm as commissioner.
The Consulate General of India in New York said in a tweet that the 'assault on two Sikh gentlemen in Richmond Hills, New York' is deplorable.
New York amps up security after concerns reported
'I am pleased to announce the Governments of India and Pakistan have agreed to an immediate ceasefire and to start talks on a broad set of issues at a neutral site.'
Salman Rushdie, the Mumbai-born author of the Booker Prize-winning novel Midnight's Children, was attacked by a man who stormed the stage during an event in New York on Friday while he was getting ready to deliver a lecture.
Vernon Douglas of Brownsville was arrested on Thursday in Brooklyn and charged with multiple counts of robbery, assault, aggravated harassment and hate crimes, the Queens Chronicle reported.
'These characters have huge spirits and they are fighting something that is much bigger than them.' 'The attempt was to portray how they navigate their lives, to retain that spirit and not let it die.'
Israel's aerial assault on Iran is widely viewed as an act of naked aggression with no basis in international law, carried out unilaterally despite US opposition and aimed at derailing ongoing US-Iran nuclear negotiations, observes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
The family of missing 20-year-old Indian student Sudiksha Konanki has asked police in the Dominican Republic to declare her dead, according to US media reports. Konanki was last seen on March 6 at the Riu Republic Resort in Punta Cana town. She has gone missing while on vacation in the Dominican Republic and US federal law enforcement agencies are working with authorities in the Caribbean country in the probe into her disappearance. Despite an extensive search, her body has not been found.
The reality is that far from being friendless, India is better positioned in the world than at any point post-Cold War, asserts Shekhar Gupta.
South Korean declared an 'emergency martial law' on Tuesday with President Yoon Suk Yeol, accusing the opposition of plotting an 'insurgency' and 'trying to overthrow the free democracy' in the country, as reported by the New York Times.
The mother of Suchir Balaji, a 26-year-old former OpenAI researcher who was found dead after accusing the company of violating copyright laws, alleged that her son was 'murdered' and demanded an Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) probe into the matter.
Yoon's decision caused political upheavel in South Korea, including an Opposition-led attempt to impeach South Korea President and protests.
Confronted by outrage in Greenland, the US has scaled down a proposed visit to the island.
Bodies of eight persons were found on Friday in a marsh on the riverbank near Akwesasne, a community which straddles Quebec, Ontario and New York state.
Two people were killed in a 'vehicle explosion' at the United States-Canada border crossing near Niagara Falls in the afternoon hours on Wednesday, CBS News reported citing sources.
The slick clip features shots of yellow taxis and crowds in Times Square and Herald Square in Manhattan, with vibrant French music playing in the background -- a nod to the Paris terror attacks on Friday.
A high-powered enquiry committee set up by the Indian government has recommended legal action against an unnamed individual after probing activities of organized criminal groups and terrorist organizations that undermined the security interests of both India and the US. The probe was ordered after the US alleged an attempt to kill Khalistani separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun by Indian agents in New York in 2023. The committee, which received full cooperation from US authorities, has also recommended functional improvements in systems and procedures to strengthen India's response capability.
Thomas Matthew Cooks was planted on the roof of a manufacturing plant located over 130 yards away from the stage at Butler Farm Show grounds, the New York Post reported, citing sources.
A confident and well-adjusted India would look to capitalise on an unpredictable Pakistan during Sunday's T20 World Cup match.
Rushdie was attacked and stabbed in the neck on Friday while onstage in Chautauqua in Western New York, the New York police said.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances