Your helper

Thursday, August 13, 2026

Indian-origin man pleads guilty to accessing child sexual abuse material, faces 20 years in jail

Washington, Aug 14 (PTI): An Indian-origin man has pleaded guilty in a federal court in New Jersey to accessing child sexual exploitation material involving a prepubescent minor, the Department of Justice said in a statement.Abhishek Vijaykumar, a resident of Hasbrouck Heights in New Jersey, knowingly accessed the illicit material in March 2024, it said.Investigators found more than 200 images, including one depicting the sexual abuse of a three-year-old child by an adult male, while reviewing his electronic devices. Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division said the guilty plea entered Wednesday was another step forward in the continued fight against child sexual exploitation. “The FBI will continue its relentless quest to identify and stop those who abuse and exploit children,” said Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy of the FBI’s Newark Field Office. Roddy said the guilty plea was a bittersweet victory as it acknowledged the victimisation of the children depicted in the material possessed by Vijayakumar.Vijayakumar faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison when he is sentenced on January 6, 2027. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after considering the US Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The FBI's Newark Field Office is investigating the case, with assistance from the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Cyber Crimes Unit in New Jersey, the department said. PTI SKU RHL(This story is published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. No editing has been done in the headline or the body by ABP Live.)

source https://news.abplive.com/news/world/indian-origin-man-pleads-guilty-to-accessing-child-sexual-abuse-material-faces-20-years-in-jail-1861966

First India-Israel Hackathon draws huge response from young innovators

Jerusalem, Aug 14 (PTI): The first India-Israel Hackathon, organised on the theme “Restorative Healthcare,” has drawn a huge response from young innovators from both countries seeking to develop technology-driven solutions to challenges in healthcare and rehabilitation. Ambassador of India to Israel JP Singh felicitated the winners of the Hackathon this week. Among the winning solutions in Israel was a wheelchair-mounted limb mobilisation system that harnesses the natural rotation of a wheelchair’s front wheel to enable controlled leg movement without the use of electricity.The solution seeks to provide a simple and potentially accessible approach to assisted limb mobilisation and rehabilitation. The winning solutions in India included a system that uses real-time video processing and automated movement analysis to assess the limb movements of injured patients. By comparing their movements with those of healthy individuals, the system can objectively monitor rehabilitation progress, identify areas requiring improvement, and support more personalised and effective recovery. Ori Kadvil, a member of the Indian Jewish community in Israel, conceived the Hackathon as an initiative, while other community members actively participated in organising it, the Indian mission said."The initiative provided a platform for the community to strengthen people-to-people ties between India and Israel while harnessing the creativity and technical skills of young students for solutions with wider societal impact," the mission said in a statement. The theme of “Restorative Healthcare” was selected with a focus on developing practical and accessible solutions for rehabilitation and improved quality of life. Problem statements for the Hackathon were sourced from hospitals, start-ups and universities in both countries. Four problem statements were identified on the Israeli side, while 10 were taken up on the Indian side, with Thapar University serving as the nodal partner in India. The Hackathon brought 1300 students and individuals from both countries to address the 14 problem statements, the mission said. The initiative also facilitated the formation of mixed India-Israel teams. The Hackathon was conducted through a series of rounds. The first round focused on introducing the problem statements, familiarising participants with the healthcare ecosystems of India and Israel, and facilitating the formation of teams. In the subsequent round, the teams developed and refined their proposed solutions with guidance from mentors and experts. The final round culminated in an intensive innovation marathon, during which the teams presented their solutions for evaluation.The solutions developed during the Hackathon showed significant potential for piloting and further development, with participating teams exploring pathways towards commercialisation and wider deployment. The initiative demonstrated the potential of student-led innovation to translate real-world healthcare challenges into practical solutions with social impact. "The First India-Israel Hackathon, conceived as a platform for community engagement and innovation, evolved into a meaningful celebration of India-Israel friendship, youth-led innovation and technology for social good," the Indian embassy said. "The initiative demonstrated how collaboration between young people and communities across the two countries can generate solutions with the potential to contribute to the welfare of society and the global good. The Embassy of India looks forward to supporting and strengthening such initiatives and to the next edition of the India-Israel Hackathon," it said. HM RHL(This story is published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. No editing has been done in the headline or the body by ABP Live.)

source https://news.abplive.com/news/world/first-india-israel-hackathon-draws-huge-response-from-young-innovators-1861965

Colombia Earthquake: Death Toll Rises To 265 As Rescuers Race Against Time To Find Survivors

Edited by: Rob Turner Rescuers worked through a third straight night with time ticking towards the 72-hour mark since a powerful earthquake hit Colombia. That's the period aid agencies consider most critical for finding survivors alive, though it can stretch longer if trapped people have access to food and water. "We're entering the final phase," Cali Mayor Alejandro Eder said, adding that survivors could still be found afterward but that the odds grow steadily worse. He said crews were still detecting signs of life beneath the rubble and urged speed: "Every minute is vital." <h2>The latest on the Colombia earthquake</h2> The death toll from the quake has climbed to 265, President Abelardo de la Espriella said Wednesday. De la Espriella said roughly 3,500 people have been injured and nearly 500 remain unaccounted for, though a crowdsourced tracking site used by families put the number of missing far higher, at more than 4,100. More than 25,800 families have been affected in total, he said. The magnitude 7.4 quake — the strongest to hit Colombia in decades — struck on Monday morning near San Jose del Palmar in the northwestern Choco region. It tore through cities across western Colombia, with Cali and Pereira among the hardest hit, along with Manizales and Quibdo. In Cali, volunteer rescuer Johana Sanchez described teams pausing every 30 minutes to listen for survivors. "So far, three people have been pulled out alive and three dead," she told AFP. Officials say 140 buildings collapsed entirely and thousands of homes were damaged or destroyed. <h2>Families grapple with human toll</h2> In Palmira, Santiago Lloreda told Reuters the quake killed his mother and his 13-month-old daughter, Salma, who was too young to have fingerprints on file and would need to be identified through DNA testing. He described his mother as the family's caretaker, saying she "gave everything up to look after the baby." A man who only gave the news agency his first name, Ricardo, traveled from Miami to recover his sister's body and said his niece was awaiting surgery for a fractured skull, jaw and leg, and a collapsed lung: "She's alive. We know she's going to get better." Thousands have been left homeless, with many sleeping outdoors in parks or emergency shelters set up in schools and sports arenas, either because their homes were destroyed or out of fear of aftershocks. Colombia's geological service has recorded 130 aftershocks since Monday's quake. <h2>International aid set to pour in</h2> Response efforts have been especially difficult in Choco, the quake's epicenter, a remote and impoverished region already strained by decades of conflict and displacement. Additionally, lost cell service has made it hard to assess damage in communities reachable only by river. "This earthquake compounds an already severe humanitarian situation, and there is a need for increased support for the humanitarian response," said Giovanni Rizzo, Colombia director for the Norwegian Refugee Council. And UN resident coordinator María Jose Torres said in a statement Tuesday that aid groups already working in the region on an earlier peace effort were able to pivot quickly to disaster relief. The United States has pledged more than $15 million and sent response teams. Mexico has sent military aircraft carrying nearly 20 tons of food along with security personnel, with more aid and rescue specialists on standby. El Salvador's president offered two planes carrying 100 tons of supplies, and a search-and-rescue team from Mexico said it arrived directly from Venezuela, which faced its own major earthquakes in June. <h2>Quake response provides test for new Colombian president</h2> De la Espriella, inaugurated just three days before the earthquake struck, declared an economic emergency and three days of national mourning, and pledged to establish a fund to rebuild hospitals, schools, homes and infrastructure. "This is undoubtedly a tragedy of immense proportions," he said. "Our efforts are focused on those who remain missing." He has not yet detailed what the economic emergency measures will involve. Notably, de la Espriella won office on a platform of reduced public spending and a tougher security approach. Analyst Tiziano Breda, of the conflict-monitoring group ACLED, told Reuters that de la Espriella had campaigned in part on cutting funding to the country's disaster-response agency — the same unit now leading the emergency effort. Experts have cautioned that more seismic activity is possible, if not imminent. "Let's remember that Colombia is full of active fault lines," Rodrigo Leon Loya, a seismologist at the University of the Andes, told AP. "The question isn't whether it can happen again. The question is rather when an earthquake of similar magnitude will occur at another of Colombia’s seismic sources," he warned. Disclaimer: This report first appeared on Deutsche Welle, and has been republished on ABP Live as part of a special arrangement. Apart from the headline, no changes have been made in the report by ABP Live.

source https://news.abplive.com/news/world/colombia-earthquake-rescuers-search-survivors-death-toll-affected-families-1861940

Wednesday, August 12, 2026

Trump’s Last-Minute Plane Switch In Turkey Was Triggered By Missile Threat: Report

A shoulder-fired missile threat targeting US President Donald Trump prompted the Secret Service to make a last-minute change to his travel arrangements during his visit to Turkey last month, according to a Reuters report. The threat emerged on the final day of Trump’s trip to Ankara for the NATO summit, at a time when tensions with Iran were intensifying. A source familiar with the matter told Reuters that the Secret Service considered the threat “credible and imminent” and had little time to put an alternative plan in place. “They were scrambling to head off what they thought was a credible, imminent threat,” the source said, while declining to disclose where the intelligence had originated. ALSO READ | <a href="https://news.abplive.com/news/world/iran-knew-trump-s-exact-ankara-location-during-nato-summit-nyt-report-1861780">Iran Knew Trump’s Exact Ankara Location During NATO Summit: Report</a> <h2>Trump Secretly Switched To Smaller Government Jet</h2> Officials decided it was in Trump’s best interest to keep the operation secret as tensions with Iran remained high, the source said. Iran borders Turkey, adding to concerns surrounding the president’s movements. On July 8, Trump and a small group of aides quietly transferred from Air Force One to a smaller C-32A government jet before departing Turkey. The transfer was carried out using a catering truck, while Air Force One left separately carrying senior officials, White House staff and journalists. A second source told Reuters there was no definite plan to launch an attack, but there appeared to be an intention to target Trump. That assessment allowed both aircraft to continue flying rather than grounding the presidential aircraft. <iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/48YAGeepsSc?si=9E7XEG9sXMqH3zlo" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> <h2>Trump Confirms Secret Service Ordered Plane Switch</h2> Trump confirmed on Tuesday that the Secret Service had instructed him to change aircraft. He said he believed the plane he ultimately flew on was actually at greater risk. “I think it was at greater risk because that would be the plane I think that they would be more likely to go for,” Trump said, without providing evidence for the assessment. The president did not provide further details about the nature of the threat or the intelligence behind the decision. ALSO READ | <a href="https://news.abplive.com/news/world/us-iran-war-news-live-iran-update-praise-be-to-allah-trump-claims-us-has-total-control-of-strait-of-hormuz-1861775">‘Praise Be To Allah!’: Trump Claims US Has ‘Total Control’ Of Strait Of Hormuz</a> <h2>Heat-Seeking Missile May Have Been Considered</h2> The reported threat may have involved a newer type of heat-seeking missile capable of locking on to an aircraft’s hot engines, Douglas Birkey, executive director of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, told Reuters. Such weapons can be more difficult to detect because they do not emit radio signals, Birkey said. He cited the Iranian SA-67 and Russian-made 9K333 Verba as examples of shoulder-fired systems that use heat-seeking technology.

source https://news.abplive.com/news/world/donald-trump-plane-switch-triggered-by-shoulder-fired-missile-threat-1861787

Iran Knew Trump’s Exact Ankara Location During NATO Summit: NYT Report

US intelligence agencies intercepted multiple inputs indicating that Iran possessed precise information regarding President Donald Trump's whereabouts in Ankara during the NATO summit last month, that prompted his secretive departure, according to a New York Times report. Two US officials familiar with the intelligence told NYT that security authorities detected a specific surface-to-air missile threat directed against whichever aircraft was carrying Trump. Additionally, an individual near the NATO summit was reportedly spotted with a shoulder-fired missile, while Iranian operatives were said to be aware of the exact floor of the hotel where Trump was staying. The threat assessment was deemed severe enough to prompt a complex security deception. Trump publicly boarded the older Air Force One before being secretly transported out of the airport inside a catering container and transferred to a military plane that flew him out of Turkey. Meanwhile, the original Air Force One departed carrying senior US officials, government staff, journalists, and military personnel, essentially functioning as a decoy. Passengers aboard were reportedly not briefed on the full severity of the threat. The New York Times reported that the operation may have redirected the risk from Trump onto those who remained aboard the main presidential aircraft. High-ranking officials present on the flight included Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and senior White House aides Stephen Miller and Steven Cheung. ALSO READ: <a href="https://news.abplive.com/news/world/us-iran-war-news-live-iran-update-praise-be-to-allah-trump-claims-us-has-total-control-of-strait-of-hormuz-1861775">‘Praise Be To Allah!’: Trump Claims US Has ‘Total Control’ Of Strait Of Hormuz</a> Passengers were directed to keep the aircraft's window shades drawn during the July 8 flight from Ankara to Britain. Trump subsequently rejoined Air Force One in secret before stepping out in front of cameras, maintaining the impression that he had been on board throughout the journey. <iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/54hpWyA64AE?si=BL22u9tmj6ugPStQ" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> The unprecedented security protocol has drawn criticism from certain former White House officials, who maintained that individuals on the decoy plane should have been protected or notified. Conversely, defenders of the decision argued that safeguarding the commander-in-chief justified extraordinary measures when facing a credible threat. The White House did not respond to queries concerning the operation. Trump later stated that he had acted on Secret Service directives and dismissed claims that passengers were placed in heightened danger, arguing that the aircraft he moved to could have been the primary target. ALSO READ: <a href="https://news.abplive.com/news/world/meta-smart-glasses-heated-criminal-complaint-digital-privacy-germany-1861764">Germany Approves Intelligence Reforms As Drone Threats And Security Risks Grow</a> (This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)

source https://news.abplive.com/news/world/iran-knew-trump-s-exact-ankara-location-during-nato-summit-nyt-report-1861780

Tuesday, August 11, 2026

New York woman pleads guilty to smuggling Indians into US through Canada border

New York, Aug 12 (PTI): A New York woman has pleaded guilty to her role in an international smuggling conspiracy that illegally brought people, primarily from India, into the United States across its northern border.Stacey Taylor, 43, of Plattsburgh, New York, was involved in a failed human smuggling operation in January 2025 involving people from India who were illegally brought into the United States.According to court documents, US Border Patrol agents stopped Taylor’s vehicle near Churubusco, New York, in the early morning hours of January 20, 2025, and discovered four men inside her vehicle.Agents then determined that the four men -- three from India and one from Canada -- had just illegally crossed the US-Canadian border without inspection in freezing weather.When law enforcement later examined Taylor’s cellphone, they found that she had received coordinates showing the individuals’ location and instructions to pick them up. The four men had illegally entered the United States on foot through a wooded area before getting into Taylor’s waiting vehicle. She then drove them away from the border and further into the US.After law enforcement stopped her vehicle, Taylor admitted that she picked up the four men and expected to receive payment for doing so.A further review of Taylor’s phone revealed text messages indicating that she had been involved in multiple other human smuggling events in the days before the incident.Following her January 2025 arrest, she was stopped in a suspected smuggling venture in August 2025 and again implicated in alien smuggling in September 2025.Taylor pleaded guilty to conspiracy to engage in alien smuggling and four counts of alien smuggling for profit. She is scheduled to be sentenced in December and faces a statutory minimum penalty of five years in prison. PTI YAS RHL(This story is published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. No editing has been done in the headline or the body by ABP Live.)

source https://news.abplive.com/news/world/new-york-woman-pleads-guilty-to-smuggling-indians-into-us-through-canada-border-1861595

Imran Khan’s party leader criticises killing of gunman in Pak's Rawalpindi

Peshawar, Aug 11 (PTI): A senior Khyber Pakhtunkhwa leader from jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's party on Tuesday criticised the killing of a gunman who allegedly opened fire at a check post near the army's General Headquarters in Pakistan's Rawalpindi. Earlier in the day, a gunman opened fire at security officers, prompting them to retaliate. The police claimed the attacker was affiliated with Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party. "The attacker, Muhammad Hussain, was immediately killed in retaliatory fire," said a statement by Rawalpindi police. Shafiullah Jan, who is also the information minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a province governed by Khan’s party, said the deceased, Muhammad Hussain, was reportedly suffering from mental health issues, adding that the incident is highly condemnable. The Rawalpindi police said that evidence skimmed from the mobile phone of the dead man showed that he was associated with a political party. The "links have emerged from his mobile phone and other belongings," they said. Citing security sources, state-run PTV News said the assailant was a resident of Khyber district and an "active PTI member". A PTI flag, bullets and weapons were also recovered from him, it added. Meanwhile, the party's Islamabad regional president, Amir Mughal, said the party believed in peaceful and unarmed political struggle and rejected any attempt to associate it with acts of violence. The party has been trying to mobilise masses to protest against the incarceration of its founder Imran Khan, who has been in jail since August 5, 2023. PTI AYZ SKS SKS SKS(This story is published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. No editing has been done in the headline or the body by ABP Live.)

source https://news.abplive.com/news/world/imran-khan-s-party-leader-criticises-killing-of-gunman-in-pak-s-rawalpindi-1861594