‘Freedom at last’ for Reagan shooter
John Hinckley, who tried to assassinate US president Ronald Reagan in 1981, was freed from court oversight on Wednesday, six years after he was released from a psychiatric hospital. Earlier this month, a Washington court ruled that after decades of treatment and psychiatric reviews, Hinckley no longer presented a threat, and conditions set on his life after release would be lifted on June 15. “After 41 years 2 months and 15 days, FREEDOM AT LAST!!!” he tweeted in celebration on Thursday. Hinckley, now 67, shot Reagan and three others with a revolver outside a Washington hotel on March 30, 1981. Hinckley said he wanted to impress actress Jodie Foster, with whom he became obsessed after watching her in the film “Taxi Driver.” All four people he shot survived, although Reagan press secretary James Brady was left partially paralysed. At his trial in 1982, Hinckley was declared not guilty on grounds of insanity.
Three terrorists were killed in two encounters with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kulgam and Anantnag districts on Thursday, police said. One of the terrorists killed in Kulgam was responsible for the May 31 killing of school teacher Rajini Bala, they said. The Kulgam encounter was started at Mishipora area on Tuesday after the terrorists fired on a joint party of police and army, a police spokesperson said. “Search was on for the past two days to nab them,” he said. On Thursday, the contact was re-established. “In the encounter, two Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists were killed,” he said. One of the slain terrorists was identified as Zubair Sofi, involved in the killing of the teacher. The Anantnag operation, launched by police, army and the CRPF at Hangalgund area, led to one terrorist being killed, police said.
In the aftermath of the Nupur Sharma and Naveen Kumar Jindal controversy, the Indian TV news media has been targeted by the Left and Right. The former argues that news TV is guilty of giving a platform to hate-mongers. The latter, especially the Hindutva Right, insists that news TV is guilty of selective indignation. Where once field reportage was the primary diet of news TV, the TV studio with larger- than-life anchors is now the dominant arena for noise rather than news, writes senior journalist and author Rajdeep Sardesai. But why bash newsroom editors alone? Those who accuse news channels of manufacturing hate conveniently forget that the likes of Sharma and Jindal aren’t fringe elements, as the Government of India rather disingenuously describes them. They represent the political mainstream. Where once liberals directed the media narrative, now hardliners are ensconced in leadership roles in most newsrooms.
Bilawal Bhutto-zardari on Thursday made a strong pitch for re-engaging with India, saying cutting ties with New Delhi would not serve the country’s interests as Islamabad was already “internationally isolated and disengaged.” Addressing an event in Islamabad, Bilawal said: “We have our issues with India. Pakistan and India have a long history of war, conflict. Today, where we have serious disputes, the events of August 2019 cannot be taken lightly.” The ties between India and Pakistan nose-dived after New Delhi abrogated Article 370 of the Constitution to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir on August 5, 2019. On the Kashmir issue, Bilawal said it has formed a “cornerstone of any conversation that I’ve had since becoming the foreign minister.” her Mla-husband Ravi Rana missed their court date on Thursday because they have isolated themselves. On Thursday, Rana’s lawyer sought an adjournment before the magistrate court, claiming that the couple came in contact with one Covid positive person, so they have isolated themselves. The court has asked them to appear on the next hearing date on June 28. It was Rana’s first court date after the Khar police filed a charge sheet against the couple on June 8. They have been chargesheeted under sections 353 for obstructing duty of a police officer with section 34 common intention under the Indian Penal Code. According to Mohan Mane, senior police inspector of Khar police station said that the couple was charged with assault on a public servant. The officers said that the 85-page charge sheet contains statements of 23 witnesses.