All hostages safely rescued at Texas synagogue, governor says
Colleyville (US), Jan 16 (AP): Hostages who had been held for hours inside a Texas synagogue were rescued Saturday night, according to Gov. Greg Abbott, nearly 12 hours after the standoff began.
Prayers answered. All hostages are out alive and safe, Abbott tweeted.
Abbott's tweet came not long after a loud bang and what sounded like gunfire was heard coming from the synagogue, where authorities said a man had held people captive as he demanded the release of a Pakistani neuroscientist who was convicted of trying to kill U.S. Army officers in Afghanistan.
Details of the rescue were not immediately released and it was unclear whether the hostage-taker was dead or alive.
At least four hostages were initially believed to be inside the synagogue, according to three law enforcement officials who were not authorised to discuss the ongoing investigation and who spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity.
The synagogue's rabbi was believed to be among the hostages, one of the officials said. One of the officials said the man claimed to be armed but authorities had not confirmed whether he was.
The Colleyville Police Department said one hostage was released uninjured shortly after 5 p.m. Saturday. The man was expected to be reunited with his family and did not require medical attention. A law enforcement official said the first hostage who was released was not the rabbi.
Authorities are still trying to discern a precise motive for the attack. The hostage-taker was heard demanding the release of Aafia Siddiqui, the Pakistani neuroscientist suspected of having ties to al-Qaida, the officials said. He also said he wanted to be able to speak with her, according to the officials. Siddiqui is in federal prison in Texas.
The officials said investigators have not positively identified the man and cautioned that the information was based on a preliminary investigation.
A rabbi in New York City received a call from the rabbi believed to be held hostage in the synagogue to demand Siddiqui's release, a law enforcement official said. The New York rabbi then called 911 .
Police were first called to the synagogue around 11 a.m. and people were evacuated from the surrounding neighborhood soon after that, FBI Dallas spokesperson Katie Chaumont said.
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Suvendu defeats Mamata in Bhabanipur by over 15,000 votes
Kolkata (PTI): BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari defeated West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in the prestigious Bhabanipur seat by a margin of 15,105 votes on Monday, the EC said.
While Adhikari bagged 73,917 votes, Banerjee secured 58,812 votes.
The result marks a virtual “action replay” of the 2021 Nandigram battle, where Adhikari had unseated Banerjee in a fiercely fought contest that redefined Bengal’s political narrative.
