A US judge last Thursday (30) ordered a new trial for a man convicted of murdering his ex-girlfriend, whose case was turned into a global sensation by a hit podcast.
Adnan Syed, 35, the son of Pakistani immigrants, was sentenced to life imprisonment 16 years ago for the murder of Hae Min Lee in Baltimore.
The case was largely ignored in the media until it was taken up by weekly podcast Serial and turned into a blockbuster when an American journalist revisited the story and queried Syed’s guilt.
Judge Martin Welch in Baltimore granted Syed’s request for a new trial in a court document issued last Thursday.
“We won a new trial for Adnan Syed,” tweeted his defence lawyer Justin Brown.
Maryland state prosecutors had fought against the move, insisting that Syed was given a fair defence.
At trial, prosecutors argued a jealous Syed strangled Lee after school in the car park of a electronics store.
Russian national Nina Kutina and her two daughters were found in a forest cave in Karnataka on 9 July.
Police discovered them during a routine patrol near Ramteertha Hills, a tourist zone known for landslides and snakes.
Kutina says they were happy in nature, but had no valid documents and are now in a Bengaluru detention centre.
Authorities are working with the Russian embassy and the children’s Israeli father to arrange deportation.
Indian police are investigating the unusual case of a Russian woman, Nina Kutina, who was found living in a forest cave in southern Karnataka with her two young daughters. The trio was discovered on 9 July during a patrol in the Ramteertha Hills near Gokarna, a tourist zone bordering Goa. The area is prone to landslides and home to snakes and other wildlife.
Kutina, 40, who does not possess a valid visa, claimed that she had been living in the cave for about a week. However, authorities now believe she overstayed her business visa, which expired in 2017, and had been living in India off the grid for several years. She and her daughters, aged six and five, have been transferred to a detention centre for foreigners near Bengaluru and face deportation.
Kutina says the forest offered her children health and happiness despite wildlife threatsScreengrab ANI
Karnataka police uncover cave family during patrol
Superintendent of Police M Narayana confirmed that officers conducting safety patrols spotted bright clothes hanging near a cave and decided to investigate. Inside, they found Kutina and her daughters living with minimal possessions like plastic mats, saris, groceries, and packets of instant noodles. Despite the poor living conditions and presence of wildlife, the woman appeared content and initially resisted leaving.
“She told us snakes and animals are our friends, humans are dangerous,” Narayana told reporters. Police say it took time to convince her the area was unsafe. She and her daughters were medically examined and found to be in good health.
Officials say the family had minimal belongings including mats and instant noodlesThe Hindu
Years of undocumented travel raise security concerns
Documents recovered from Kutina’s belongings include an expired passport and an old business visa valid from October 2016 to April 2017. She was caught overstaying once before, issued an exit permit, and briefly left for Nepal in 2018. She claims to have visited nearly 20 countries in the last 15 years, including Costa Rica, Bali, and Thailand, but it remains unclear when she returned to India.
Kutina told Indian news outlets that she returned in 2020 and had lived in a Goa cave previously. One of her daughters, she claimed, was even born in a Goa cave. “We really love India,” she said in an ANI interview, adding that grief over her eldest son’s death in a Goa road accident had delayed her visa renewal.
Bright saris hung outside the cave entrance led officers to the Russian woman and her daughtersHindustan Times
Father’s custody plea adds to legal complexity
Authorities have traced the children’s father, identified as Israeli businessman Dror Goldstein, who is currently in India. He claims Kutina left Goa with the children without informing him and says he filed a missing person report. Goldstein told NDTV that he wants joint custody and will oppose their repatriation to Russia.
Police say Kutina has been evasive about her and her children’s documents. She criticised the conditions at the detention centre, describing it as “like jail,” and insisted the forest lifestyle was safe and fulfilling. “They swam in waterfalls, made art, ate tasty food. We were happy,” she said.
Israeli businessman Dror Goldstein, the children’s father, claims he was unaware they had left Goa and now wants joint custodyScreengrab X
Spiritual journey or off-grid parenting?
Speculation that Kutina was on a spiritual mission emerged after a Hindu idol was found in the cave. However, she rejected this claim. “It’s not about spirituality. Nature gives us health,” she explained, defending her decision to live outside conventional society.
— (@)
Authorities are now coordinating with the Russian consulate in Chennai to finalise deportation procedures. Meanwhile, Kutina’s case has raised broader questions around border control, child safety, and the rights of foreigners living in India without documentation.
By clicking the 'Subscribe’, you agree to receive our newsletter, marketing communications and industry
partners/sponsors sharing promotional product information via email and print communication from Garavi Gujarat
Publications Ltd and subsidiaries. You have the right to withdraw your consent at any time by clicking the
unsubscribe link in our emails. We will use your email address to personalize our communications and send you
relevant offers. Your data will be stored up to 30 days after unsubscribing.
Contact us at data@amg.biz to see how we manage and store your data.
Naga Munchetty attends 'An Audience With Kylie' at The Royal Albert Hall on December 01, 2023 in London. (Photo: Getty Images)
NAGA MUNCHETTY is reportedly preparing to leave BBC Breakfast, with her representatives in talks with LBC for potential new opportunities, according to reports.
The development comes a day after Munchetty was named the fourth highest-paid woman at the BBC. The broadcaster’s annual pay disclosure showed her salary in the £355,000 to £359,000 range, which includes her work on Radio 5, reported Express Online.
Reports suggest Munchetty is considering leaving following a bullying probe involving BBC Breakfast. While show director Richard Frediani was investigated for his “draconian” management style and alleged misconduct, the fallout also brought attention to Munchetty’s conduct.
A source told The Sun: “The fallout of Frediani’s investigation created a stark ‘him or her’ narrative on Breakfast with Naga flung to the front line. The fact is she loves the BBC and her job but there’s only so much external noise anyone is prepared to take.”
The source added that Munchetty’s team recently resumed discussions with LBC: “LBC would suit her well as the focus remains on news-led broadcasting... Her team last week renewed historic talks with the Global radio station.”
Frediani has returned to work following a period of leave. The BBC told Express.co.uk: “While we do not comment on individual cases, we take all complaints about conduct at work extremely seriously.”
Munchetty currently co-hosts three days a week with Charlie, who is reportedly on £190,000, while Sally Nugent earns £200,000 and Jon Kay £240,000.
Keep ReadingShow less
A view of a flooded water after the heavy monsoon rain in Hyderabad city, 50 millimeter rain recorded here in Pakistan's Hyderabad on 14 July 2025 (Photo: Getty Images)
AT LEAST 54 people have died in the last 24 hours due to heavy monsoon rain in Pakistan, the country’s disaster management agency said on Thursday. The latest fatalities have pushed the overall death toll since the start of the monsoon season in late June to around 180.
Heavy rain has continued almost non-stop across parts of Punjab province since Wednesday morning, leading to urban flooding and house collapses.
Authorities have ordered residents living in low-lying areas near the Nullah Lai river in Rawalpindi, adjacent to Islamabad, to evacuate due to a sudden rise in water levels.
Some evacuations have already been carried out in areas close to the river, while rescue teams are on standby for further evacuations, a spokesperson for the disaster agency said.
“Residents of vulnerable areas should prepare emergency kits with food, water, and essential medicines for three to five days in case of an emergency,” the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said in an alert.
The Rawalpindi administration announced a public holiday on Thursday to keep people indoors. The national meteorological department has forecast heavy rainfall to continue until Friday.
“In the last 24 hours, 54 people were killed and 227 injured across Pakistan, with the majority of fatalities reported from Punjab,” the NDMA spokeswoman told AFP, adding that the numbers were compiled at 8:00 am (0300 GMT) on Thursday.
According to NDMA, nearly 180 people have been killed and around 500 injured since the monsoon began on 26 June. Among the dead are 70 children.
Most of the deaths have resulted from house collapses and sudden flash floods. Several people were also electrocuted.
The monsoon brings 70 to 80 per cent of South Asia’s annual rainfall and typically runs from June to September across India and Pakistan.
The rains are crucial for farming and food security and support the livelihoods of millions of farmers, but they also cause widespread damage every year.
South Asia is witnessing rising temperatures and changing weather patterns, though scientists remain uncertain about how exactly climate change is affecting the region’s complex monsoon system.
Pakistan, with a population of 255 million, is considered one of the most climate-vulnerable countries in the world and is facing extreme weather events more frequently.
In 2022, floods caused by monsoon rains submerged one-third of the country and killed 1,700 people.
(With inputs from agencies)
Keep ReadingShow less
Air India's Boeing 787-8 aircraft, operating flight AI-171 to London Gatwick, crashed into a medical hostel complex shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad on June 12.
Air India’s inspection of fuel switch locking mechanisms found no issues.
DGCA and global airlines, including Singapore Airlines, also conducted similar checks.
Voice recordings suggest pilot actions are under investigation.
Preliminary report found no mechanical or maintenance faults.
AIR INDIA’s inspection of the locking mechanism on the fuel control switches of its Boeing 787 fleet has found no issues, according to an internal communication circulated within the airline.
The checks were carried out following last month’s crash of an Air India flight from Ahmedabad to London that killed 260 people, including 19 on the ground. A preliminary report by Indian investigators found that both fuel control switches had moved from the run to cutoff position shortly after take-off.
Earlier this week, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) directed Indian airlines to inspect the fuel switch locking feature on certain Boeing models. The regulator’s directive followed Boeing’s internal communication to operators that the fuel switch locks on its aircraft were safe.
The checks were also in line with a 2018 Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) issued by the US Federal Aviation Administration, which recommended inspection of the locking mechanisms to ensure they could not be moved accidentally.
‘No issues found’, says Air India internal note
"Over the weekend, our Engineering team initiated precautionary inspections on the locking mechanism of Fuel Control Switch (FCS) on all our Boeing 787 aircraft," Air India’s flight operations department wrote in a message to its pilots. "The inspections have been completed and no issues were found," the communication added, noting that the airline had complied with the regulator’s directive.
It further stated that all Boeing 787-8 aircraft had already undergone “Throttle Control Module (TCM) replacement as per the Boeing maintenance schedule,” adding that the FCS was part of this module.
Other countries have also taken similar steps. Singapore Airlines and Scoot inspected their Boeing 787 aircraft and found the fuel switches to be working properly. "Our checks confirmed that all fuel switches on SIA and Scoot’s Boeing 787 aircraft are functioning properly and comply with regulatory requirements," a Singapore Airlines spokesperson told AFP.
Cockpit voice recorder draws focus to pilot actions
Meanwhile, a report by the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday cited people familiar with the US officials’ early assessment of the crash investigation. It said cockpit voice recordings from the flight suggested that the captain may have cut the flow of fuel to the engines.
The Journal reported that First Officer Clive Kunder, who was flying the plane, asked Captain Sumeet Sabharwal why he moved the fuel switches to cutoff seconds after take-off. One pilot was heard asking the other why the fuel was cut off, and the other replied that he had not done so, according to India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB).
The AAIB did not identify which pilot made which statement. Kunder had 3,403 flying hours, and Sabharwal had 15,638 hours of total flying experience.
The Wall Street Journal said it was not clear if there was any evidence beyond the recorded conversation to indicate that Sabharwal moved the switches. It cited US pilots who had read the Indian report saying that Kunder would have been fully engaged in flying the plane at that stage and unlikely to have reached for the fuel switches.
Preliminary findings and aftermath
The AAIB's preliminary report said both fuel switches were flipped from run to cutoff one second apart after take-off, but it did not specify how they were moved. Almost immediately after take-off, the ram air turbine deployed, indicating an engine power loss.
The plane began losing thrust after reaching 650 feet and then started to descend. The report said the switches were turned back to run and the aeroplane attempted to restart the engines automatically, but it was too low and slow to recover.
The aircraft hit trees and a chimney before crashing into a building at a nearby medical college, killing 241 of the 242 people on board and 19 on the ground.
No mechanical faults, says Air India CEO
In an internal memo, Air India CEO Campbell Wilson said the preliminary report found no mechanical or maintenance faults. He said, “All required maintenance had been carried out.”
The report did not issue any safety recommendations for Boeing or engine manufacturer GE. Following its release, both the US FAA and Boeing reiterated that the fuel switch locks on Boeing aircraft were safe, according to a document seen by Reuters and sources familiar with the matter.
Aviation safety expert John Nance told Reuters that circumstantial evidence pointed to a crew member having moved the fuel switches. “There is no other rational explanation” consistent with the available information, he said, although he added that investigators still needed to examine all possible contributing factors.
Under international regulations, a final report is expected within a year of the crash.
Calls for cockpit video recorders and other investigations
The incident has revived calls for adding flight deck cameras, also known as cockpit image recorders, on commercial aircraft. Nance said investigators would have benefited from having video footage of the cockpit.
Separately, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency said it would investigate Air India Express, the airline’s budget arm, after a Reuters report said it failed to replace engine parts of an Airbus A320 on time and falsified records to show compliance.
(With inputs from agencies)
Keep ReadingShow less
Southport murder suspect Axel Rudakubana appears via video link at the Westminster Magistrates' Court in London, Britain, October 30, 2024, in this courtroom sketch. Courtesy of Julia Quenzler/Handout via REUTERS.
BRITAIN's counter-radicalisation scheme Prevent needs to rapidly adapt to avoid mistakes which saw two men who had been referred to the programme go on to commit deadly knife attacks, a review concluded on Wednesday (16).
Prevent has been a key strand of Britain’s security apparatus since the September 11 attacks on the US in 2001, with the aim of stopping radicalisation and preventing people from going on to commit acts of violence.
But since its inception it has faced criticism from some Muslims who argue it has been used to spy on their communities, while some referrals have gone on to commit acts of terrorism.
The government commissioned a report into the scheme after it emerged that teenager Axel Rudakubana, who murdered three girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance event in Southport last year, had previously been referred by his school, but concerns about his violent tendencies were not acted upon.
David Anderson, the Interim Independent Prevent Commissioner, looked at the case of Ali Harbi Ali, who was inspired by the Daesh (Islamic State group) to stab to death veteran lawmaker David Amess in 2021.
Ali too had previously been referred to Prevent by his school, and Anderson said both cases involved a long string of mistakes and poor judgments.
He concluded that the scheme, while it worked sometimes, had to improve and adapt, applying to those who were simply obsessed with violence, such as Rudakubana. In the longer term, it should become part of a broader safeguarding and violence protection system, he said.
"More needs to be done," Anderson said. "Prevent needs to up its game in the online world, where most radicalisation now takes place."
Home secretary Yvette Cooper said the government would immediately act on his findings.
The most recent figures showed in the year to the end of March 2024, 6,922 people had been referred to Prevent, an increase of 1.5 per cent on the previous 12 months.
Of those, 36 per cent were related to vulnerable individuals with no clear ideology or counter terrorism risk, 19 per cent over extreme right-wing concerns, and 13 per cent regarding Islamist radicalisation.
Only two years ago, another independent review concluded that Prevent should refocus its efforts more on the threat posed by militant Islamism after becoming too concerned with extreme right-wing ideologies.