Skip to content 
Search

Latest Stories

Indian Police Investigate Who Helped US Citizen Killed On Remote Island

Indian authorities said on Friday (23) they are investigating whether a young American believed to have been killed by an isolated tribe on a remote island, may have had help from more people than initially thought to make his illegal trip.

John Chau (26), was allegedly killed on November 17 by people of the Sentinelese tribe who inhabit the North Sentinel Island in the Andaman and Nicobar island chain. Chau's family said in a social media post he was a Christian missionary and mountaineer.


It is illegal for people to visit the island and seven people suspected of helping Chau reach it, including fishermen, have been arrested.

The fishermen told police that they saw Chau's body being dragged across a beach and buried in the sand.

Police are now investigating if Chau had help from other people to travel to North Sentinel, said Vijay Singh, senior superintendent of police in Andaman and Nicobar islands, in a statement.

Police plan to investigate "the sequence of events, the sea route followed", and other matters, said Singh.

The Sentinelese, hunter-gatherers armed with primitive spears and bows and arrows, are considered to be the last pre-Neolithic tribe in the world and the most isolated such group.

The tribe, estimated to be only a few dozen in number, have for decades aggressively resisted contact with the outside world.

Anthropologists were briefly in contact with the tribe in the early 1990s, but their effort was abandoned due to fears that contact with the outside world could expose the tribe to pathogens and lead to their extinction.

North Sentinel, 50 km (31 miles) west of Port Blair - the capital of the island cluster - is protected by laws which bar even fishing within a 5-nautical mile radius of the island.

The law also bars tourism or photography of the Sentinelese and certain other tribes in the Andaman islands. Those found guilty of breaking the law face jail of up to three years.

In their social media post, Chau's family called on authorities to release his friends in the Andaman Islands saying they did not blame anyone for his death.

Dependra Pathak, director general of police in the Andaman and Nicobar islands, told Reuters police had to follow the law.

"I understand the emotional concern of the family," he said. "But we'll be handling the entire issue keeping in mind the law."

He said authorities were looking into whether they could retrieve Chau's body.

"We have to respect the utmost sensitivities in this case," he said, adding it was a moral duty to protect and respect the tribe that has lived in isolation for millennia.

Reuters

More For You

Pakistan rejects claim of China’s role in border clash

Asim Munir

Pakistan rejects claim of China’s role in border clash

PAKISTAN’S army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir on Monday (7) rejected Delhi’s allegation that his military received active support from longtime ally China in its conflict with India in May.

The Indian Army’s deputy chief, Lieutenant General Rahul Singh, said last week that China gave Islamabad “live inputs” on key Indian positions.

Keep ReadingShow less
Modi courts Latin nations to expand trade relations

Christine Kangaloo awards Narendra Modi with the Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago last Friday (4)

Modi courts Latin nations to expand trade relations

INDIA’S prime minister, Narendra Modi met Argentine president Javier Milei in Buenos Aires last Saturday (5), urging the expansion of New Delhi’s preferential trade deal with South America’s Mercosur bloc.

The bilateral talks with Milei were the latest in Modi’s whistle-stop diplomatic tour culminating in the summit of Brics emerging economies which began last Sunday (6) in Brazil.

Keep ReadingShow less
Minister 'open to talks' on British Sikh regiment

Lord Coaker (Photo: UK Parliament)

Minister 'open to talks' on British Sikh regiment

A FRESH parliamentary initiative to establish a dedicated Sikh regiment within the British Army has gained momentum in the House of Lords, with defence minister Lord Coaker expressing willingness to engage in further discussions about the long-debated proposal.

The issue was raised in the House of Lords on Monday (7) by Labour peer Lord Sahota, who asked whether there had been any progress on long-standing calls for a Sikh regiment.

Keep ReadingShow less
Heatwave Alert: Don’t Leave Contraceptives or Medication in Cars

Heat can also damage everyday items like sunglasses, suncream and vape devices

iStock

Drivers warned to remove contraceptives and medication from cars during UK heatwave

Highlights:

  • Experts urge motorists to avoid leaving certain items in vehicles during upcoming heatwave
  • Temperatures expected to rise above 30°C across large parts of the UK
  • Contraceptives and common medications can lose effectiveness in high heat
  • Heat can also damage everyday items like sunglasses, suncream and vape devices

Drivers urged to act as UK braces for extended heatwave

Drivers across the UK are being urged to remove a range of everyday items from their cars ahead of a predicted heatwave, with experts warning that the rising temperatures could pose both safety and health risks.

The Met Office has forecast a prolonged spell of hot weather, with temperatures expected to soar into the low 30s on Thursday and Friday. Much of the UK is likely to hit its regional heatwave threshold by the weekend, with this episode potentially affecting a wider area and lasting longer than previous hot spells.

Keep ReadingShow less
Royal Mail

The Royal Mail logo is seen on the side of a van as the UK government clear a 3.57 billion pound takeover offer by Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky in London, December 16, 2024. (Photo: Reuters)

Reuters

Ofcom updates Royal Mail delivery targets, starts pricing review

MEDIA regulator Ofcom has set new minimum delivery standards for Royal Mail and revised existing targets in an effort to reduce delays. It also announced a review into pricing and affordability, amid concerns over rising stamp prices.

Royal Mail, which has faced fines of around $20 million over the past two years for not meeting delivery targets, is currently trying to modernise operations and focus more on parcel deliveries.

Keep ReadingShow less