Pramod Thomas is a senior correspondent with Asian Media Group since 2020, bringing 19 years of journalism experience across business, politics, sports, communities, and international relations. His career spans both traditional and digital media platforms, with eight years specifically focused on digital journalism. This blend of experience positions him well to navigate the evolving media landscape and deliver content across various formats. He has worked with national and international media organisations, giving him a broad perspective on global news trends and reporting standards.
A WOMAN listed on the FBI’s '10 most wanted fugitives' has been arrested in India on charges of murdering her six-year-old son, officials have confirmed.
Cindy Rodriguez Singh, 40, was apprehended in a coordinated effort involving the FBI, Indian authorities, and Interpol. This marks the fourth arrest from the FBI’s 'top 10 most wanted' list within the past seven months, FBI director Kash Patel announced in a post on X on Wednesday (20).
Patel credited the collaboration between law enforcement in Texas, the US Justice Department, and Indian authorities for the successful operation. Singh was wanted in the United States on state charges related to the death of her son, Noel Rodriguez-Alvarez.
According to reports, Singh fled the US in 2023 to avoid prosecution. Fox News said that she was arrested in India and has since been transported back to the US, where she will be handed over to Texas authorities.
In March 2023, Texas authorities conducted a welfare check on Noel, who had not been seen since October 2022. Singh allegedly provided false information about his whereabouts, claiming he was in Mexico with his biological father and had been there since November 2022.
Kash Patel 201117-A-PZ314-002
Just two days after the welfare check, Singh flew to India with her husband—Noel’s stepfather of Indian origin—and six other children. However, Noel was not with them and did not board the flight, officials said.
The child reportedly suffered from multiple health and developmental conditions, including a severe developmental disorder, a social disorder, bone density issues, and chronic lung disease.
Singh was formally charged in October 2023 by a Texas district court. Following the issuance of an Iinterpol Red Notice, authorities submitted an extradition request to India last year.
She now faces charges of unlawful flight to avoid prosecution and capital murder of a person under 10 years of age, according to Patel.
India's Agni 5 Missile is displayed during the final full dress rehearsal for the Indian Republic Day parade in New Delhi on January 23, 2013. (Photo: Getty Images)
India says it successfully tested Agni-5 missile from Odisha on August 20
Missile validated all operational and technical parameters
Agni-5 can carry a nuclear warhead to any part of China
INDIA on Wednesday (20) said it had successfully test-fired the Agni-5 intermediate-range ballistic missile from Odisha, with officials confirming it met all required standards.
The defence ministry said, “Intermediate range ballistic missile ‘Agni 5’ was successfully test-fired from the integrated test range, Chandipur in Odisha on August 20.”
In a statement, it added, “The launch validated all operational and technical parameters. It was carried out under the aegis of the Strategic Forces Command.”
Authorities also said the missile, once operational, will be capable of carrying a nuclear warhead to any part of China.
Regional security context
India and China are regional rivals and relations worsened in 2020 after a deadly border clash.
India is also part of the Quad security alliance with the United States, Australia and Japan, which is viewed as a counter to China.
India’s neighbour and rival Pakistan also possesses nuclear weapons.
The two countries came close to war in May after militants killed 26 people in Indian-administered Kashmir, an attack India blamed on Pakistan. Islamabad denied any role.
Diplomatic ties
Despite tensions, Delhi and Beijing have taken steps to improve relations. Last October, prime minister Narendra Modi met Chinese leader Xi Jinping for the first time in five years at a summit in Russia.
Modi is expected to visit China later this month to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit.
At the same time, New Delhi’s ties with Washington have faced pressure. US president Donald Trump has asked India to stop purchasing Russian oil.
The United States has also said it will double new import tariffs on India from 25 per cent to 50 per cent by August 27 if India does not switch suppliers.
Missile programme
The Agni-5 is part of a series of indigenously developed short- and medium-range ballistic missiles designed to strengthen India’s defence posture against both Pakistan and China.
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Protesters calling for the closure of the The Bell Hotel, believed to be housing asylum seekers, gather outside the council offices in Epping, on August 8, 2025. (Photo: Getty Images)
High Court blocks asylum seekers from being housed in Essex hotel
Nigel Farage calls for peaceful protests outside “migrant hotels”
Government considering appeal against injunction ruling
Debate grows over housing asylum seekers in hotels across Britain
NIGEL FARAGE has called for protests after a court ruling blocked the use of an Essex hotel to house asylum seekers.
On Tuesday, the High Court in London granted a temporary injunction stopping asylum seekers from being placed in the Bell Hotel in Epping, about 32 km northeast of London. The case, based on a planning issue, will be heard in full later this year.
Protests in Essex
The Bell Hotel has seen regular demonstrations since a resident was charged with sexual assault, which he denies. Police have deployed in large numbers to separate anti-immigration and pro-immigration groups during the protests.
The injunction has prompted other councils to seek legal advice on whether they can also act to remove asylum seekers from hotels in their areas.
Farage statement
Farage, leader of the Reform Party, said all 12 local authorities under his party’s control would act.
"Let's hold peaceful protests outside the migrant hotels, and put pressure on local councils to go to court to try and get the illegal immigrants out; we now know that together we can win," he wrote in the Daily Telegraph.
"No doubt we will be attacked as 'far Right' provocateurs for daring to suggest that people follow the lead of Epping’s parents and residents by protesting peacefully."
Government response
Britain houses about 30,000 asylum seekers in more than 200 hotels while they await decisions on their claims. The government has said it plans to close them all by 2029.
The Home Office told the court that the injunction would have a "substantial impact" on its legal duty to provide accommodation. Security minister Dan Jarvis said the government was considering whether to appeal.
"The big challenge remains, which is, we need to process asylum claims much more speedily and much more effectively than was the case previously," Jarvis told BBC TV.
Labour revolt
Keir Starmer is facing pressure from Labour-run councils after a High Court ruling in Epping blocked the use of a hotel for asylum seekers.
Local authorities, including Wirral and Tamworth, have indicated they will challenge the Home Office over hotels being used without consultation or planning approval, The Telegraph reported.
Several other councils signalled they are preparing similar legal action.
Wider debate
Critics argue that housing asylum seekers in hotels puts communities at risk and point to crimes in Epping and elsewhere involving some migrants. Others highlight the contrast between hotel accommodation and the difficulties many in Britain face with rising costs and a lack of affordable housing.
Pro-migrant groups say far-right organisations and politicians are exploiting tensions for political purposes.
Across Europe, governments have faced similar disputes. In Britain last year, hotels with migrants were attacked during unrest linked to misinformation about a crime in Southport.
(With inputs from agencies)
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The bank holiday weekend is approaching for England, Wales, and Northern Ireland
England, Wales, and Northern Ireland set for mostly dry conditions at the start of the long weekend
Temperatures climbing back into the low to mid-20s, though cooler along North Sea coasts
Bank holiday Monday outlook remains uncertain, with risk of rain in southern and western areas
Remnants of Hurricane Erin could influence unsettled weather after the weekend
A mixed outlook for the long weekend
The bank holiday weekend is approaching for England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, but the weather forecast carries a degree of uncertainty. While high pressure looks likely to dominate at first, unsettled conditions could follow, depending on the path of Hurricane Erin currently tracking through the Atlantic.
Saturday and Sunday: mostly settled
High pressure is expected to bring largely dry weather across much of the UK at the start of the long weekend. There should be some sunshine, with only isolated showers possible. After a cooler spell, temperatures will recover, climbing into the low to mid-20s Celsius. However, coastal areas along the North Sea are likely to stay cooler, with more cloud cover and a fresh onshore breeze.
Bank Holiday Monday: uncertainty grows
The forecast for Monday is less clear-cut. Some computer models indicate a continuation of largely settled conditions, while others suggest rain may push into southern and western regions. Forecasters emphasise that details will only become clearer nearer the time.
Influence of Hurricane Erin
Attention is also on Hurricane Erin, currently located east of the Bahamas. While the storm itself will not reach the UK, its remnants could impact the weather patterns in the North Atlantic. This may bring more unsettled conditions after the bank holiday, though the timing and extent remain uncertain.
A season of contrasts
This summer is shaping up to be one of the hottest on record, but the late August outlook highlights the variable nature of UK weather. With the Atlantic hurricane season now active, forecasts often carry greater uncertainty at this time of year.
A 21-year-old man has been sentenced to 14 weeks' imprisonment and a two-year restraining order for sending racist death threats to Rishi Sunak in June last year, when he was the prime minister.
Liam Shaw from Birkenhead in Merseyside, pleaded guilty to sending two threatening and offensive emails to the public parliamentary email address of Sunak, MP for Richmond and Northallerton in Yorkshire, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said.
The emails were spotted by Sunak’s personal assistant and reported to the police.
"Liam Shaw took to his phone that night to send racist and threatening messages to a person in an extremely important public office,” said Matthew Dixon, senior crown prosecutor at CPS Mersey Cheshire.
“Racist abuse has no place, anywhere, in this day and age," he said.
Police traced the email, sent via a mobile phone, to Shaw’s email address and to a hostel where he was staying in Birkenhead.
He was arrested by police on September 3, 2024, and when the allegations were put to him, he claimed, “I don’t even remember sending an email. I was probably drunk.”
He was taken to a police station in Liverpool and interviewed, but remained silent throughout, according to the CPS.
Shaw was charged with two counts of sending by a public communication network an offensive, indecent, obscene, or menacing message.
Last month, when Shaw appeared before Liverpool Magistrates’ Court to face those charges, he pleaded guilty to both counts.
He was sentenced last Wednesday (13) at the same court to 14 weeks' imprisonment for both counts to run concurrently, with the sentence suspended for 12 months under strict stipulations.
Shaw must also complete 20 days of a rehabilitation activity and a six-month drug rehabilitation course.The CPS had also applied for a restraining order, which the court imposed for two years.
It states that Shaw must have no contact with Sunak or his constituency office for at least that period of time.
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First Hindu chaplin Bhanu Attri (C) on the parade ground with fellow passing out cadets (Photo: Royal Navy)
AN ASIAN officer has spoken of his “profound honour” after he was appointed as the first-ever Hindu chaplain in the Royal Navy.
Bhanu Attri, originally from Himachal Pradesh in north India, took over his new role last week and will offer spiritual support to fellow naval officers, based on the tenets of Hinduism.
“As a Hindu brought up in India, the chance to represent individuals from other diverse religions brings meaningful representation for the Hindu community and reflects the Navy’s commitment to diversity, inclusion, and spiritual care for all,” said the 39-year-old.
“To become the first-ever Hindu chaplain in the fleet is a profound honour.
“My family feels immense pride, a pride grounded in generations of faith, service, and resilience,” he added.
Attri went through six weeks of officer instruction, including four weeks at sea aboard the warship HMS Iron Duke, and three weeks focused on the role of a military chaplain.
He was among 148 new officers among the so-called “leaders of tomorrow”, including warfare specialists, engineers, overseas and all cadets who joined from civilian life who completed their “Initial Officer Training” last week.
After up to 29 weeks of demanding instruction at Britannia Royal Naval College (BRNC) in Dartmouth, they transformed from civilian to sailor and formally passed out at a BRNC ceremony in front of friends, family and senior naval officers.
“We live in a perilous world and as a service we must respond to the challenges to our nation’s security, also with confidence – and that means we need people like you that can offer leadership of the highest quality,” said Andrew Burns, vice-admiral and the Royal Navy’s senior operational commander who was the guest of honour at the ceremony.
“There is no greater commitment than to serve your country, and to lead others to do the same,” he said.
The training is designed to teach the basics of serving in the military, such as drill and uniform, through the fundamentals of leadership, seafaring, naval history and strategy.
Bhanu Attri addresses fellow cadets and staff in BRNC's chapel (Photo: Royal Navy)
In addition to extensive time in the classroom and on the parade ground, cadets head out on to Dartmoor to learn and develop leadership and teamwork skills, spend time at sea aboard an operational warship, and conduct training on specialist Vahana boats on the River Dart and in the English Channel.
“Commissioning into the Royal Navy is a moment none of us forget, and it has been a privilege to follow these officers through their training. What awaits is a life of duty and frontline service,” said Captain Andy Bray, Captain Britannia Royal Naval College.