Islamabad HC clears way for registration of Hafiz Saeed's political party

An Indian resident who won the Dh20 million (approximately Rs 50 crore) jackpot in Abu Dhabi's Big Ticket draw has told of his joy at sharing his life-changing fortune with a friend.

Shanthanu Shettigar, a shop manager in Muscat, regularly buys tickets for the monthly grand prize draw with one of his closest friends – and the pair won on February 3.

Mr Shettigar, 33, who is from Udyavar in Udupi district of the southern state of Karnataka and has lived in the Omani capital for eight years, said he was left speechless after learning of his success.

“When I first moved to Muscat, many of my colleagues were purchasing Big Ticket, which encouraged me to give it a try,” he said.

“I started buying tickets on my own, and later began sharing tickets with a close friend. The ticket that brought me this win was one we purchased together.”

“Like most people, I receive a lot of spam calls, and I was fully absorbed in my work as well. I knew the live draw was taking place tonight, but I never imagined my name would be announced,” he said.

“When I realised it was real and that I had won, I was honestly speechless. It still hasn’t fully sunk in, but I’m extremely happy.”

Mr Shettigar is not sure how he will spend his share of the money, but encouraged others to take part.

“This win was completely unexpected, so I want to take some time to think things through before deciding what to do next,” he said.

“I would definitely encourage others to participate with Big Ticket, whether with family or friends – you never know when your moment might come.”

The Big Ticket was established in 1992 with an initial first prize of Dh1 million. It is one of the most popular monthly raffles in the UAE.

It has transformed the lives of many people across the Emirates and beyond.

Entry to the Big Ticket Millionaire is Dh500. Tickets can be bought online or at counters at Zayed International Airport and Al Ain Airport.

Ghaziabad: In a tragic incident, three sisters aged 12, 14 and 16 died after jumping from the ninth floor of their apartment in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad in the early hours of Wednesday. The girls allegedly took the extreme step after becoming deeply obsessed with an online Korean task-based game.

The incident occurred around 2.15 am at a high-rise apartment complex in Bharat City. Before jumping, the sisters — Pakhi (12), Prachi (14) and Vishika (16) — left behind a handwritten note that read, “Sorry, Papa.”

According to police, the girls went to the balcony, bolted the door from inside and jumped one after another. Their screams and the sound alerted their parents, neighbours and security guards. By the time the parents broke open the balcony door, all three had died.

“When we reached the spot, we confirmed that three minor girls, daughters of Chetan Kumar, had died after jumping from the building,” said Assistant Commissioner of Police Atul Kumar Singh.

Visuals from the scene on Wednesday morning showed the bodies lying on the ground, their mother wailing in grief, and stunned neighbours gathering at the complex.

Police said the sisters were heavily influenced by Korean culture and were addicted to an online “Korean love game”, though no specific game has been identified so far. Investigators are examining an eight-page suicide note written in a pocket diary, detailing the girls’ mobile and gaming activities.

“Read everything written in this diary because all of it is true. I’m really sorry. Sorry, Papa,” the note said, accompanied by a hand-drawn crying emoji.

Their father, Chetan Kumar, told police that the girls had even adopted Korean names and had gradually withdrawn from school and daily activities. “They used to say, ‘Korea is our life, Korea is our biggest love. We cannot give it up,’” he said, breaking down.

Police said the parents had recently restricted the girls’ mobile phone usage, which may have triggered distress. “The investigation has not revealed the name of any particular game, but it is evident that the girls were deeply influenced by Korean culture, as mentioned in the suicide note,” said senior police officer Nimish Patel.

The sisters reportedly did everything together, including eating and bathing. Their gaming addiction is believed to have begun during the COVID-19 pandemic, after which they became irregular at school and eventually stopped attending altogether.

Police also revealed that Chetan Kumar is married to two sisters and lives with both wives and their children, all daughters. Two of the deceased girls were daughters of one wife, while the third was their half-sister.

Further investigation is underway.

The US Department of Justice has released millions of new documents linked to the case of convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, before removing some pages that contained complaints mentioning President Donald Trump.

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said on Friday that approximately 3.5 million files were published to comply with the Epstein Transparency Act, following criticism that the administration had missed a December 19 deadline set by Congress.

The documents include FBI communications and complaints submitted as tips, some of which list comments mentioning Trump and others who had social or professional ties to Epstein.

Trump has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing in relation to his past association with Epstein.

Pages removed from DOJ website

After their publication, pages containing complaints that mentioned Trump were removed from the DOJ website and now return a “page not found” message. Copies of the documents, however, have circulated widely on social media. CNN anchor Jake Tapper was among those who publicly noted that the pages had been taken down.

One complaint, filed by a friend of a victim, says Trump forced a girl aged 13–14 to perform “oral sex” approximately 35 years ago in New Jersey. The document states that an investigator was sent to Washington to conduct an interview.

Another complaint says Trump regularly paid an individual to perform sexual acts and adds that he was present when her newborn child was murdered by a relative. The paperwork notes that there was “no contact made” with the complainant.

A separate complaint, which provided no contact information, said “calendar girls” parties at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago involved children and sexual abuse. The document also names several public figures as present at such events.

In another account, a complainant said they witnessed a “sex trafficking ring” at Trump National Golf Club in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, in the mid-1990s. The person noted “threats” from Trump’s head of security if she spoke publicly about what she had seen.

Other figures mentioned in the files

The latest release also includes a draft email Epstein wrote to himself in 2013, referring to Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates. In the message, Epstein said Gates asked him to delete emails and referenced “personal matters.”

The DOJ has not provided a detailed explanation for why certain pages were removed after publication. The department said the document release was ongoing.