Disabled Muslim man tied to pole, beaten to death after he eats prasad at temple

The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas says it seeks to extend a four-day truce with the Israeli regime after it expires on Monday.

"We are seeking to extend the four-day truce with Israel if serious efforts are made [by the regime] to increase the number of Palestinian detainees released from Israeli prisons," the group said in a brief statement carried by the Palestinian Information Center on Sunday.

The truce took effect on Friday after a night of intense Israeli bombardment, requiring the release of Israeli captives held in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners incarcerated in the regime's jails. It mandated the release of 50 Israeli captives in exchange for 150 Palestinian prisoners.

So far following the deal, the regime has released three 39-strong batches of Palestinian prisoners. In return, Hamas has freed nearly 40 Israeli captives and a number of foreign nationals.

Following the statement, a member of Hamas' Political Bureau, Khalil al-Hayya, confirmed the movement's seriousness about extending the truce into a "comprehensive prisoner exchange deal," the agency reported.

"We were concerned from day one about the return of detained women and children to their families," he said, adding, "We will strive with full diligence to secure the release of more civilian detainees."

He added that once the movement makes sure about the possibility of securing the freedom of more Palestinian detainees, it will inform concerned parties about extension of the truce.

"We want to stop the aggression against our people and [make sure about] the entry of aid into the Gaza Strip," the official said.

After the truce entered into force, Ziyad Nakhalah, the secretary general of the Gaza-based Islamic Jihad resistance movement, said the Israeli regime agreed to the truce because it failed to achieve its stated goals in the Gaza war and also due to its "losses on the battlefield."

"Had it not been for the losses on the battlefield, the Zionist regime would not have agreed to the ceasefire agreement and the exchange of prisoners," Nakhalah added in a televised address.

He said the resistance would "force the Zionist enemy to exchange all the prisoners on a wider scale."

"The rest of the enemy's prisoners, including officers and soldiers, will not be released without the release of the rest of our prisoners, and this issue is related to the end of the war and aggression," Nakhala asserted. 

New Delhi, Nov 23: An apparently inebriated 16-year-old stabbed another teen more than 55 times, slit his throat, dragged the body through the street and did a jig while he carried out the grisly crime in east Delhi’s Welcome colony earlier this week, police said on Thursday.

Some of the horrifying details of the killing in Janta Mazdoor Colony on Tuesday were captured on CCTV, the 2.23 minute footage also showing the accused threatening those around him.

The accused, who was taken into police custody on Wednesday morning and has confessed, did not know the 17-year-old who he had approached for money to buy biryani, officials said.

"We have already recovered the weapon used for murder. We are investigating from where he procured the knife," Deputy Commissioner of Police (northeast) Joy Tirkey said.

The crime took place around 11.15 pm on Tuesday. The victim was rushed to hospital but died on the way.

The CCTV footage shows the accused teen dragging a person through a narrow bylane and going on a stabbing spree.

"He did not stop there. He was seen dancing while doing the gruesome act. A person tried to open a door to see what was happening, but the accused threatened him by brandishing a knife," an official investigating the crime said.

It all started when the victim refused to buy biryani for the accused, apparently sending him into a wild rage. There was a verbal spat, which soon turned into a scuffle.

"The accused overpowered the victim who was 17 years old and a resident of Jafrabad. He first choked him till he was unconscious and took out a mini knife out of his pocket and stabbed him multiple times. He then dragged him to a bylane where he continued to stab him on his face, neck, back, beneath eyes more than 55 times,” the official said.

Detailing the crime, he added that the accused was seen shouting at people to stay away.

“The accused was under the influence of alcohol at the time of incident," said the investigator.

It did not end there.

"We were also taken aback... the accused after the entire act holds the lifeless body by the hair and drags him back to the same narrow area. He robbed Rs 350 from the victim and fled. We have already apprehended the accused, who had confessed and weapon of murder has been recovered," an investigator said.

"The CCTV footage helped us for the identification of the accused who was arrested immediately by police team," said the DCP Tirkey.

US authorities have thwarted a plot to kill a Sikh separatist in the United States and issued a warning to India over concerns the government in New Delhi was involved, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday, citing unnamed sources.

There was no immediate response from India's Foreign Ministry on the report.

The FT report says that the US protest was issued after Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Washington in June.

The FT report said that the target of the plot was Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, an American and Canadian citizen who is general counsel for Sikhs for Justice. 

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) registered a case against 'listed individual terrorist' Pannun of the SFJ over his latest viral video threatening the passengers flying in Air India and the airlines with a global blockade and closure of its operations from November 19. The anti-terror agency made the announcement on Monday.

The report comes two months after Canada said there were "credible" allegations linking Indian agents to the June murder of a Sikh separatist leader in a Vancouver suburb. India has rejected Canada's accusations.