A Saudi court has sentenced a doctoral student to 34 years in prison for spreading “rumors” and retweeting dissidents, according to court documents obtained Thursday, a decision that has drawn growing global condemnation. Activists and lawyers consider the sentence against Salma al-Shehab, a mother of two and a researcher at Leeds University in Britain, shocking even by Saudi standards of justice. So far unacknowledged by the kingdom, the ruling comes amid Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s crackdown on dissent even as his rule granted women the right to drive and other new freedoms in the ultraconservative Islamic nation. Al-Shehab was detained during a family vacation on Jan. 15, 2021, just days before she planned to return to the United Kingdom, according to the Freedom Initiative, a Washington-based human rights group. Al-Shehab told judges she had been held for over 285 days in solitary confinement before her case was even referred to court, the legal documents obtained by The Associated Press show. The Freedom Initiative describes al-Shehab as a member of Saudi Arabia’s Shiite Muslim minority, which has long complained of systematic discrimination in the Sunni-ruled kingdom. “Saudi Arabia has boasted to the world that they are improving women’s rights and creating legal reform, but there is no question with this abhorrent sentence that the situation is only getting worse,” said Bethany al-Haidari, the group’s Saudi case manager. Leading human rights watchdog Amnesty International on Thursday slammed al-Shehab’s trial as “grossly unfair” and her sentence as “cruel and unlawful.” Read: : Khashoggi killing: CIA did not blame Saudi crown prince, says Trump Since rising to power in 2017, Prince Mohammed has accelerated efforts to diversify the kingdom’s economy away from oil with massive tourism projects — most recently plans to create the world’s longest buildings that would stretch for more than 100 miles in the desert. But he has also faced criticism over his arrests of those who fail to fall in line, including dissidents and activists but also princes and businessmen. Judges accused al-Shehab of “disturbing public order” and “destabilizing the social fabric” — claims stemming solely from her social media activity, according to an official charge sheet. They alleged al-Shehab followed and retweeted dissident accounts on Twitter and “transmitted false rumors.” The specialized criminal court handed down the unusually harsh 34-year sentence under Saudi counterterrorism and cybercrime laws, to be followed by a 34-year travel ban. The decision came earlier this month as al-Shehab appealed her initial sentence of six years. “The (six-year) prison sentence imposed on the defendant was minor in view of her crimes,” a state prosecutor told the appeals court. “I’m calling to amend the sentence in light of her support for those who are trying to cause disorder and destabilize society, as shown by her following and retweeting (Twitter) accounts.” The Saudi government in Riyadh, as well as its embassies in Washington and London, did not respond to a request for comment. Leeds University confirmed that al-Shehab was in her final year of doctoral studies at the medical school. “We are deeply concerned to learn of this recent development in Salma’s case and we are seeking advice on whether there is anything we can do to support her,” the university said. Al-Shehab’s sentencing also drew the attention of Washington, where the State Department said Wednesday it was “studying the case.” “Exercising freedom of expression to advocate for the rights of women should not be criminalized, it should never be criminalized,” State Department spokesperson Ned Price said. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom expressed concern on Twitter Thursday that the kingdom targeted al-Shehab “for her peaceful activism in solidarity w/political prisoners,” as well as for her Shiite identity. Last month, U.S. President Joe Biden traveled to the oil-rich kingdom and held talks with Prince Mohammed in which he said he raised human rights concerns. Their meeting — and much-criticized fist-bump — marked a sharp turn-around from Biden’s earlier vow to make the kingdom a “pariah” over the 2018 killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. During her appeal, al-Shehab said the harsh judgement was tantamount to the “destruction of me, my family, my future, and the future of my children.” She has two young boys, aged 4 and 6. She told judges she had no idea that simply retweeting posts “out of curiosity and to observe others’ viewpoints,” from a personal account with no more than 2,000 followers, constituted terrorism.  

A case has been filed over the killing of a female physician at a hotel room in Dhaka. The case was filed at Kalabagan police station after  victim’s father Mohammad Shafiqul Islam lodged a complaint against her lover Rezaul Karim Reza, said Saiful islam, Officer-in-Charge of Kalabagan police station. “Rezaul was a banker but recently he was suspended. Efforts are on to arrest him as soon as possible,” said the OC. Also read: Woman doctor's body found with throat slit in Dhaka hotel  The body of Jannatul Nayeem Sritika ,28, who was undertaking gynecology training from Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) after completing her MBBS was recovered on Wednesday night. OC Saiful Islam, said. "There were marks of  knife wounds on her body." The manager of the hotel was detained and police suspected the doctor's boyfriend fled after killing her.  Also read: DMCH interns go on strike

A 55-year-old doctor was killed and three others were injured in a head-on collision between two bikes in Rajshahi’s on Tuesday. The deceased was identified as Dr Kofil Uddin, a resident of Gopalhati village of  Puthia upazila. He worked at a health centre in Durgapur upazila. However, the identities of the injured are yet to be known. Read: 3 injured in stampede at Ctg concert The accident occurred when the two bikes collided head-on near the Gopalhati petrol pump on the busy Dhaka-Rajshahi highway of the upazila on Tuesday afternoon, leaving four people injured, said Mofakarul Islam, officer-in-charge of Paba Highway Police Station. Dr Kofil was rushed to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival. Road accidents have become a regular affair in Bangladesh. At least 2,329 people, including 291 women and 381 children, were killed and 4,361 others injured in 2,159 road accidents across the country in the first half of the current year, says a new report by the Road Safety Foundation. The road accidents occurred on highways, and national, inter-district and regional roads between January 1 and June 30 across the country.  

A man stabbed a doctor and two nurses inside a Southern California hospital emergency ward on Friday and remained inside a room for hours before police arrested him, authorities said. The man walked into Encino Hospital Medical Center in the San Fernando Valley shortly before 4 p.m., Los Angeles police Officer Drake Madison said. The man had parked his car in the middle of a street and went to the emergency room, where he asked for treatment for anxiety before stabbing the doctor and nurses, authorities said. Fire officials said three victims were taken to a trauma center in critical condition. Police later said one was in critical condition and underwent surgery. All three were later listed in stable condition at Dignity Health Northridge Hospital Medical Center. The first floor of the Encino hospital and some nearby offices were evacuated, police said. “We've moved patients out of the danger zone," LAPD Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton said at a news conference. There was no evidence that the man knew the victims, Hamilton added. The man remained inside a room in the hospital for about four hours as SWAT team members tried to unsuccessfully to negotiate with him before he was finally arrested, police said. He was taken to another hospital for treatment of self-inflicted injuries to his arms, authorities said. READ: Two cops among 4 stabbed by drug peddlers in Lalmonirhat The man's name wasn't immediately released, but Hamilton said he had a lengthy criminal record, including two arrests last year for battery of a police officer and resisting arrest. Benjamin Roman, an ultrasound technician, told KNBC-TV that before the stabbing, he saw the man, who had a dog with him and who might have been high on drugs because he looked anxious and was drenched in sweat. After the hospital issued an “internal triage" code, Roman said he saw a doctor and a nurse who had been stabbed. “The doctor looked (like) she was in pain," he said. “There was a lot of blood and it looked like ... he might have got her abdomen." The attack comes only two days after a gunman killed four people and then himself at a hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The assailant got inside a building on the Saint Francis Hospital campus with little trouble, just hours after buying an AR-style rifle, authorities said. The man killed his surgeon and three other people at a medical office. He blamed the doctor for his continuing pain after a recent back operation.

Police recovered the throat-slit body of a village doctor from Kanojgari village Charghat upazila of Rajshahi on Friday night.The deceased was identified as Abdul Mannan, 60, a village doctor of Kanojgari village.Around 9 pm,  Mannan went to the banana orchard next to the house but did not return for a long time.As he did not not return for a long time, the victim's family members went to the orchard and found him dead and informed police.Some injury marks were found on his body.On information, police rushed to the spot and recovered the body, said Jahangir Alam, officer-in-charge (OC) of Charghat Model Police Station.The body has been sent to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital morgue for autopsy, the OC added.

A doctor has been arrested for allegedly raping a patient at his clinic in Kalua Bazar village of Ghaibandha's Gobindaganj upazila. The arrestee has been identified as Shaharul Islam, a resident of the village. Read: Police rape case: Court orders to file FIR against PIB SP According to local residents, the woman suffering from an ailment visited Dr Shaharul's clinic on Thursday evening. As no one else was there at the clinic then, the doctor forced himself on the woman. Locals detained the doctor and informed police after the woman came out of the clinic and raised an alarm. On information, a team from the local police station arrested Shaharul. Tajul Islam, Officer-in-Charge (investigation) of Gobindaganj Police Station, said a rape case has been filed against the doctor. Bangladesh's rape epidemic Sexual assaults on women continue unabated in Bangladesh, despite the government introducing death penalty for rapes last year. Read: Chamber judge stays bail to accused in ULAB student rape, murder A police headquarters report, released recently, said that 26,695 rape cases were filed across the country in the past five years. Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) data shows that 1,018 children were raped last year alone, but only 683 police cases had been filed. Also, 116 survivors were six years old or below. Overall, 1,627 rape cases were reported last year and 53 of the women were killed by the perpetrators while 14 took their own lives, as per the data. However, ASK's data is just the tip of the iceberg, according to aid agencies, who report that most women are too afraid to report rape. In October 2020, the country was rocked by protests after a woman was allegedly attacked and raped in Noakhali. Read:Teenage school girl gang raped in Panchagarh: Prime accused held In November last year, Bangladesh introduced capital punishment for rape, following days of protests against sexual violence against women in several cities across the country. But human rights organisations say the move will not solve the country's rape crisis, as the survivors of the heinous crime are often stigmatised in the society.

Police on Monday recovered the body of a female physician from a flat in the city’s  Kalabagan with an officer suspecting it may be a case of murder. The victim was identified as Dr Sabira Rahman, wife of a private bank official Shamsuddin Azad. Primarily, it seems that it is an incident of murder, OC Kalabagan police station Paritosh Chandra said. The husband also claimed that his wife was killed.  Dr Sabira worked in the radiology department of Green Life Hospital in Dhanmondi. Quoting neighbours, police said Dr Sabira shared the flat with another woman named Kaniz Subarna .Her husband Azad lives at Shantinagar. Officer-in-charge of Kalabagan Police Station Paritosh Chandra told UNB that being informed, a team of the police went to the flat at around10:30 am and recovered the body from inside her room. Kaniz Subrina, who completed LLB from World University, told Police that she went out on morning walk along Dhanmondi lake at around 6:10 am. On return to the flat she smelt smoke was coming out from Dr Sabira’s room. As her room was locked from inside, she informed the matter to gatekeeper of the building, said the OC Kalabagan adding that they finally entered the room breaking the lock of the door. The body of the deceased bored four injury marks at her backside, with a big one  on her neck. A CID crime team collected evidence from the spot. The detective Branch of the DMP detained four people, including Kaniz Subrina, one of her friends and the gatekeeper, for interrogation, he said. The body was sent to Dhaka Medical College Hospital morgue for post mortem. Azad went to the Kalabagan flat after learning about the tragedy. He claimed that his wife was murdered. “My wife has been killed. There is no doubt here,” he added.

Five people, including policemen, bank officials and a physician, were diagnosed with coronavirus in Bogura in the last 24 hours until Wednesday.   Deputy Civil Surgeon Dr Mostafizur Rahman said two sub-inspectors of Bogura police, two bank officials of Kahalu upazila and a doctor of Bogura Mohammad Ali Hospital were found infected with coronavirus.   Shafique Amin Kajol, Resident Medical Officer of Bogura Mohammad Ali Hospital, said 17 staffers, who are suspected to have come in contact with the physician, were sent to home quarantine.   Samples of 188 people have been sent for lab testing at Bogura Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College Hospital. Of the 96 test results that came out Wednesday, five were found positive, said sources at Civil Surgeon office.   So far, 57 confirmed coronavirus cases have been reported from the district. Of them, nine have recovered.   According to the Police Headquarters sources, 1,926 police members were infected with coronavirus until Wednesday.    The health authorities confirmed 1,162 new cases and 19 deaths – highest for a single day – on Wednesday. So far, the country has recorded 17,822 coronavirus cases and 269 deaths.

Dhaka, July 27 (UNB) - Eight teens were hospitalized in July with seriously damaged lungs in Wisconsin, the state Department of Health Services reported Thursday, reports CNN.