Gunman Opens Fire in Midtown Manhattan; Four Dead Including Bangladeshi-American NYPD Officer
A gunman opened fire inside a high-rise office building in Midtown Manhattan on Sunday evening, killing four people including a Bangladeshi-American police officer, city officials confirmed. New York City Mayor Eric Adams said during a press briefing that five people were shot during the incident, four of whom were pronounced dead. The victims included NYPD officer Didarul Islam, a three-year veteran of the force and an immigrant from Bangladesh. “Our officer did exactly what we asked of him. He made the ultimate sacrifice,” Adams said. The officer was married with two children, and his wife is currently expecting their third, according to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch. Police said the suspected shooter was also killed, although it remains unclear whether he was shot by police or died by suicide. CBS News, citing law enforcement sources, reported that the gunman died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The incident unfolded around 6:45 p.m. local time near the intersection of Lexington Avenue and East 51st Street, according to eyewitnesses and reporters at the scene. BBC correspondent Indrani Basu, who was nearby, reported hearing multiple gunshots. “I saw NYPD vehicles and FDNY trucks rushing to the location. It was chaotic,” she said. Authorities recovered an M4-style rifle, a revolver with a spent magazine, and a Nevada state driver’s license from the suspect’s vehicle, police said. Security camera footage from the area reportedly showed a man walking with a firearm while wearing sunglasses, whom authorities identified as the suspected shooter. Police have not released his identity, but confirmed he acted alone. The NYPD said the situation has been brought under control and there is no ongoing threat to the public. An investigation is underway into the motive and background of the shooter. The FBI and Homeland Security are assisting local law enforcement with the probe.
Israel Faces Global Criticism Over Gaza Famine, Trump Backs UN Concern
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government is facing mounting international criticism after the United Nations and former U.S. President Donald Trump voiced alarm over what they described as a deepening famine crisis in Gaza. On Sunday, the Israeli government announced a daily 10-hour pause in military operations in three areas of the Gaza Strip—Gaza City, Deir al-Balah, and Al-Muwasi—to facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid. However, the UN said the measures were “insufficient,” adding that limited road and airdrop access barely made a dent in addressing the humanitarian catastrophe. “The worst-case scenario of famine is currently playing out in the Gaza Strip,” the UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) said in a statement, citing “mounting evidence” of starvation, malnutrition, and disease, all contributing to a growing death toll from hunger. Israel has denied the existence of a famine. “No one in Gaza is starving,” Netanyahu said on Monday night. “There is no intention to withhold food from civilians. We have allowed humanitarian aid into Gaza even during the war—otherwise, no one would have survived.” But Trump’s response stood in stark contrast. In a rare rebuke, the former U.S. President said, “There is a famine-like situation in Gaza. Children are starving. The images coming out of Gaza are deeply disturbing.” Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry claims over 60,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel launched its offensive following the October 7 attacks by Hamas. Aid agencies have warned that recent Israeli efforts to scale up humanitarian deliveries remain far from adequate. Israel maintains that it has not imposed restrictions on aid. However, Gaza residents have reported going without food for days, and say armed gangs are looting incoming aid trucks and reselling goods on the black market, according to Gaza-based journalist Rushdi Abualouf. Israel does not allow international news organisations, unrestricted access to Gaza. In London, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to convene an emergency cabinet meeting as domestic and international pressure builds for the UK to immediately recognise Palestinian statehood.
BJP MP from Kanthi urges cyber cell of Delhi police to inquire over CM’s assault claim on Bengali-speaking woman
BJP MP Soumendu Adhikari has lodged a police complaint in Delhi against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, alleging the dissemination of fabricated and communally provocative content through social media. Adhikari urged the Delhi Police to register an FIR against Mamata Banerjee under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the IT Act, preserve and examine the original social media content, investigate the alleged conspiracy involving a political worker and a journalist, and initiate appropriate penal action. In his letter addressed to the station house officer of the Cyber Crime Branch of Delhi Police, Adhikari accused Banerjee of sharing false information with the intent to defame the city police and disturb public order. According to Adhikari’s letter, on 27 July, Mamata Banerjee posted a message on her social media account alleging that a Bengali-speaking woman and her child were brutally assaulted by Delhi Police officers during a verification drive. “The post further insinuated that the act was communal in nature and sought to project the Delhi Police as oppressors of linguistic minorities,” he said. The Kanthi MP claimed that such a post, coming from a constitutional functionary, was widely circulated online, sparking public outrage and causing reputational harm to the police force. BJP MP mentioned the clarification of Abhishek Dhania, Deputy Commissioner of Police, East Delhi, Monday that the woman, Sajnur Parveen, had fabricated her story. Initially, she alleged that four men in civil clothes abducted her and her children on 26 July and extorted Rs 25,000. However, scrutiny of CCTV footage and technical evidence revealed that she left her home voluntarily with her children, and no coercion was involved. Further interrogation revealed that Parveen confessed to fabricating the story under the influence of her uncle, a political worker in West Bengal’s Malda district, and a journalist. “The intention behind the video was to create a false narrative and circulate it in social media for political and defamatory purposes,” alleged Adhikari in his letter.
ONGC Secures Land for Oil Project in Ashoknagar Without Major Disputes
India’s state-run Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has secured land for crude oil extraction in Ashoknagar, West Bengal, without any significant land acquisition disputes, thanks to intervention by a core committee formed by the state government. The development marks a major breakthrough in a project that had earlier stalled for years due to land availability issues. ONGC had first discovered oil reserves around a decade ago in the Baigachi area of Ashoknagar in North 24 Parganas district. A second discovery was later made in Pumlia under the Bhurkunda Panchayat. Most recently, fresh reserves were found in Kakpul, located in Ashoknagar’s Daulatpur area. To address potential land disputes, the West Bengal government devised a special compensation package. Local MLA and North 24 Parganas Zilla Parishad Chairperson Narayan Goswami said, “Under the Chief Minister’s directive, we formed a core committee comprising the district magistrate, block development officer, and panchayat officials to directly engage with landowners. That helped us secure the land.” Earlier, ONGC had halted operations in Baigachi after completing preliminary drilling due to a lack of additional land. However, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had allocated 15 acres to ONGC at a token lease of just one rupee to support further exploration. Over the past five to six months, ONGC sought formal clearance from the state to begin full-fledged drilling in the area. It has since acquired land on lease from owners in the two earlier locations and has now added the Kakpul site to its exploration portfolio. Officials say similar efforts are underway at other prospective sites nearby. Goswami emphasized the state’s commitment to an industry-friendly environment, stating, “The Chief Minister has made it clear that land issues should not hinder industrial progress. In coordination with local municipalities and panchayats, we’ve ensured a smooth path for investors.” Plans are also being drawn up to provide employment opportunities to the families of land donors, especially for their children, as part of a broader compensation package. However, questions have emerged regarding delays in the project’s execution. Addressing the concerns, Goswami said, “Criticism is easy, but such large-scale projects involve complex technical processes. Once those are resolved, work will proceed as planned.”
