UNITED STATES
Serial cow killer sought
The fatal shootings of several cows in southeastern New Mexico have sparked fears of a serial cattle killer running loose. The Eddy County Sheriff’s Office announced this week that another six cattle on two separate properties were shot and killed, according to the Carlsbad Current-Argus newspaper. Detectives say a high-caliber rifle was used in the shooting from within an 800m radius. Deputies have ruled out an accidental shooting and do not believe the cows are being killed for meat, because they were left in fields. The case is being labeled as one of “extreme animal cruelty,” which is a fourth-degree felony.
UNITED STATES
‘Karate Kid’ returns
YouTube Red, the online video giant’s subscription service, on Friday announced a new series based on the cult classic Karate Kid, with two of the film’s principal actors reprising their roles as foes. The 1984 original starring Ralph Macchio as Daniel LaRusso, a bullied teen who turns to elderly Japanese-American Mr Miyagi, the late Pat Morita, for mentoring and training, was a worldwide blockbuster that led to three sequels and a 2010 remake starring Jaden Smith. The new series, titled Cobra Kai after the fanatical dojo attended by the first film’s villains, is set 30 years later and sees Daniel struggling to deal with the loss of Miyagi. His teenage nemesis Johnny Lawrence, played by William Zabka, has held on to a grudge and is determined to restart their rivalry in the ring.
JAPAN
US Navy calls off search
The US Navy has ended a three-day search for a sailor who is believed to have gone overboard during operations in the South China Sea. A statement on Friday said that US, Japanese and Chinese navy vessels and aircraft spent 79 hours combing roughly 25,900km2 of the South China Sea west of the Philippines, demonstrating what it called “the common bond shared by all mariners to render assistance at sea.” The sailor from the guided-missile destroyer USS Stethem, based in Yokosuka, was reported missing and assumed overboard on Tuesday. His name is being withheld pending notification of next of kin, the US Navy said.
UNITED STATES
Comedians gather in NY
Nationally known comedians were to perform yesterday and today at the annual Lucille Ball Comedy festival in western New York, where the late comedy legend was born. Among highlights of this year’s festival — a celebration of what would have been her husband, Desi Arnaz’s, 100th birthday — are performances by Jim Gaffigan, Kevin James, Robert Klein and Lisa Lampanelli. Visitors can also see the late comedian George Carlin’s handwritten notes and jokes.
INDIA
Hair thefts investigated
Police are investigating a mysterious raft of attacks in which Indian women say they are waking up to find someone has chopped off their hair. A top official in Uttar Pradesh on Friday said that police have advised people not to believe or spread rumors following the death of a 65-year-old woman who was beaten by a mob on suspicion that she was a witch responsible for the hair theft. Anand Kumar said village committees have been ordered to quash rumors about ghosts or witches cutting off women’s braids. Police were investigating the claims, he said.
Republican US lawmakers on Friday criticized US President Joe Biden’s administration after sanctioned Chinese telecoms equipment giant Huawei unveiled a laptop this week powered by an Intel artificial intelligence (AI) chip. The US placed Huawei on a trade restriction list in 2019 for contravening Iran sanctions, part of a broader effort to hobble Beijing’s technological advances. Placement on the list means the company’s suppliers have to seek a special, difficult-to-obtain license before shipping to it. One such license, issued by then-US president Donald Trump’s administration, has allowed Intel to ship central processors to Huawei for use in laptops since 2020. China hardliners
A top Vietnamese property tycoon was on Thursday sentenced to death in one of the biggest corruption cases in history, with an estimated US$27 billion in damages. A panel of three hand-picked jurors and two judges rejected all defense arguments by Truong My Lan, chair of major developer Van Thinh Phat, who was found guilty of swindling cash from Saigon Commercial Bank (SCB) over a decade. “The defendant’s actions ... eroded people’s trust in the leadership of the [Communist] Party and state,” read the verdict at the trial in Ho Chi Minh City. After the five-week trial, 85 others were also sentenced on
Conjoined twins Lori and George Schappell, who pursued separate careers, interests and relationships during lives that defied medical expectations, died this month in Pennsylvania, funeral home officials said. They were 62. The twins, listed by Guinness World Records as the oldest living conjoined twins, died on April 7 at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, obituaries posted by Leibensperger Funeral Homes of Hamburg said. The cause of death was not detailed. “When we were born, the doctors didn’t think we’d make 30, but we proved them wrong,” Lori said in an interview when they turned 50, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported. The
RAMPAGE: A Palestinian man was left dead after dozens of Israeli settlers searching for a missing 14-year-old boy stormed a village in the Israeli-occupied West Bank US President Joe Biden on Friday said he expected Iran to attack Israel “sooner, rather than later” and warned Tehran not to proceed. Asked by reporters about his message to Iran, Biden simply said: “Don’t,” underscoring Washington’s commitment to defend Israel. “We are devoted to the defense of Israel. We will support Israel. We will help defend Israel and Iran will not succeed,” he said. Biden said he would not divulge secure information, but said his expectation was that an attack could come “sooner, rather than later.” Israel braced on Friday for an attack by Iran or its proxies as warnings grew of