U.S. YouTuber remains in custody in India after visiting restricted island with a Diet Coke can
Mykhailo Viktorovych Polyakov will next appear before a local court in Port Blair -- the capital of India's Andaman and Nicobar Islands -- on April 29, police said.
Polyakov, from Scottsdale, Arizona, was arrested on March 31, two days after he set foot on the restricted territory of North Sentinel Island in a bid to meet people from the reclusive Sentinelese tribe.
He left a can of Diet Coke and a coconut as offering for the tribe this time after he failed to contact the Sentinelese. He shot a video of the island on his camera and collected some sand samples before returning to his boat.
'It may be claimed to be an adventure trip, but the fact is that there has been a violation of Indian laws. Outsiders meeting Sentinelese could endanger the tribe's survival,' said a senior police officer, requesting anonymity as he isn't authorized to speak about the case under investigation.
Polyakov is suspected of violating Indian laws that carry a possible sentence of up to five years in prison and a fine.
Visitors are banned from traveling within 3 miles (5 kilometers) of North Sentinel Island, whose population has been isolated from the rest of the world for thousands of years. The inhabitants use spears and bows and arrows to hunt the animals that roam the small, heavily forested island. Deeply suspicious of outsiders, they attack anyone who lands onto their beaches.
In 2018, an American missionary who landed illegally on the beach was killed by North Sentinelese Islanders who apparently shot him with arrows and then buried his body on the beach. In 2006, the Sentinelese killed two fishermen who had accidentally landed on the shore.
An official from the U.S. consulate visited Polyakov in jail earlier this week. 'We take our commitment to assist U.S. citizens abroad seriously and are monitoring the situation,' the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi said in a statement, while declining to divulge further details due to privacy considerations.
Police said Polyakov had conducted detailed research on sea conditions, tides and accessibility to the island before starting his journey. He stayed on the beach for about an hour, blowing a whistle to attract attention but got no response from the islanders.
On his return he was spotted by local fishermen, who informed the authorities and Polyakov was arrested in Port Blair, an archipelago nearly 750 miles east of India's mainland.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Exclusive: Pam Bondi says she doesn't want new jet after The Independent exposes FBI plan for new airplane to shuttle her around
The FBI is seeking a new private jet, which will be used not only by the bureau's elite Critical Incident Response Group, but also for 'executive transportation' by FBI Director Kash Patel and Attorney General Pam Bondi. However, following a report on Wednesday by The Independent about the intended acquisition, a spokesman for Bondi now claims the AG is against the purchase and wants nothing to do with it. 'The FBI has an independent procurement process for the director and their agents,' Department of Justice spokesman Gates McGavick told The Independent. 'Neither the attorney general nor other DOJ leadership knew about this and see no need for its use in Main Justice.' 'Main Justice' is the colloquial name for DOJ headquarters. A DOJ source said Bondi would like to see the FBI's request for proposals rescinded, and that he is happy with her present travel arrangements. At the same time, an FBI spokesman told The Independent that obtaining a new jet will actually be a money-saver for taxpayers. 'The plane in question is for critical functions such as hostage rescue team deployments, international operations, SWAT ops, and other national security related purposes – but the current lease structure is unnecessarily wasteful,' the spokesman said. 'As we've done with other assets, like moving the headquarters building, the FBI is evaluating available options to better serve the American people at a much lower and more efficient cost to the taxpayer.' The ultra-long-range business jet is meant to fly agents and other bureau personnel to far-flung global locations for counterterrorism response, 'high-risk operations,' and other 'sensitive missions,' according to procurement documents reviewed by The Independent. Alongside the government's request for proposals, a related statement of objectives says the aircraft 'will also support executive transportation requirements for the FBI Director and the U.S. Attorney General,' namely, Patel and Bondi. The feds want a plane that flies at speeds of Mach 0.83 or higher, with Mach 0.85 listed in the RFP as 'preferred.' It must have a minimum range of 7,000 nautical miles, be able to seat at least 12 passengers, three crew, and 1,000 lbs. of cargo, the RFP states. That means the feds need something along the lines of a Gulfstream G800, which seats 19 and can travel 7,000 nautical miles at Mach 0.90, or a Bombardier Global 8000, which seats 19 and can travel 8,000 nautical miles at Mach 0.94. No prices are included in the solicitation paperwork, but the G800 starts at about $72.5 million, while the base model Global 8000 lists for roughly $78 million. The FBI paid $2.4 million to lease a Gulfstream V for six months in 2016, after a procurement process marked by numerous deficiencies, according to an audit the following year by the DOJ's Office of the Inspector General. In May, Patel told legislators that the FBI was spending far beyond its means and was $1 billion in the red. The 45-year-old Las Vegas resident has been pilloried in recent months for his apparently robust use of the FBI's private jet fleet to make personal trips. Government officials are required to reimburse the cost of any flights – at commercial coach fares – that are not for official business. Patel has reportedly used government aircraft to visit Nashville, Tennessee, where his country-singer girlfriend lives, to go to hockey games in New York City, to go to Las Vegas and to attend at least one UFC fight in Miami, where he sat ringside with President Trump. In May, Senate Democrats requested that the U.S. Government Accountability Office look into Patel's travel on government planes, which he is required to do, while at the same time making them unavailable for FBI emergencies. 'Those aircraft have been procured or leased specifically to support operational needs,' former FBI counterterrorism official Christopher O'Leary told CBS News in April. 'The concern is that the routine use of them by the director and deputy director for personal travel could take a critical resource offline when they are sometimes needed at a moment's notice.' Craig Holman, a governmental ethics and campaign finance expert at Washington, D.C. watchdog nonprofit Public Citizen, says the expenditure shows the Trump team going against its relentless claims of 'cost-efficiency.' 'For an administration that wants to put on a veneer of cutting waste, fraud and abuse in government spending, it sure doesn't have any qualms when it comes to lavish spending on expensive new jets and other luxuries for itself,' Holman told The Independent. '... Meanwhile, the administration is slashing spending on health care, education and worker safety for the rest of us.' Since Trump retook the White House in January, the administration has decimated school lunch programs, thrown millions off of Medicaid and enacted tax cuts that will boost incomes for the wealthy while raising taxes on working Americans, experts say. Before he took over as head of the FBI, Patel slammed then-FBI Director Christopher Wray for using bureau aircraft for personal trips, telling his podcast audience that Wray's flights should be 'ground[ed]. (Wray said he reimbursed the government for all personal use.) Bondi and Patel clashed earlier this year over the so-called Epstein files, the FBI documents related to its investigation of the notorious sex offender whose ties to the rich and famous, including Donald Trump, are now well-known. 'Dear Director Patel, Before you came into office, I requested the full and complete files related to Jeffrey Epstein,' Bondi wrote in a February 27 letter. '... Late yesterday; I learned from a source that the FBI Field Office in New York was in possession of thousands of pages of documents related to the investigation and indictment of Epstein. Despite my repeated requests, the FBI never disclosed the existence of these files.' The files have still not been released, with Bondi recently announcing that Epstein's hotly anticipated 'client list,' which she once said was 'on her desk' and ready for public dissemination, did not in fact exist.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Electric scooter rider, 21, suffers freak death after falling off two-wheeler onto road as semi approached
A 21-year-old has been killed in a freak electric scooter accident after suffering a 'tragic mishap' on the motorized two-wheeler. Sean Keaton Nolan died last Friday in Spokane, Washington state, after falling off the scooter and into the path of a moving semi-truck, police have said. He was one of two passengers on the scooter as they rode along the sidewalk near the university district at around 2.20am. Nolan, who police describe as being the 'rear passenger', lost his balance and fell into the roadway where he was hit by a truck that had been driving by. The front passenger fell onto the sidewalk. The semi driver stopped and tried to help the two men, police say. First responders also 'attempted life saving measures', but Nolan was pronounced dead at the scene. Police say the driver was 'cooperative with law enforcement' and that 'no signs of impairment were found'. Nolan's loved ones are now facing a 'tremendous loss' in the wake of the tragedy and have paid tribute to the 'amazing' young man who they say 'knew how to make anyone laugh'. The young man's mother Annie Deasy shared a photo of her son in a heartbreaking post announcing his passing. 'Sean Keaton Nolan 4.24.2004-7.19.2025,' she captioned the photo. His friends and family rushed to the comments to issue their condolences, telling Deasy how 'he will be missed, as well as loved'. 'I'm sorry for your loss. I've known your son since middle school. He was an amazing person and knew how to make anyone laugh,' one person wrote. 'My heart aches for you and your family. I'm so sorry about your loss. Sean was an amazing young man,' another commented. Nolan's seventh grade math and science teacher added: 'He was an awesome kid. I was so sad to hear this news. I'm sending condolences to your family.' Others hailed Nolan's 'adventurous spirit', 'high energy' and 'electric smile' that those who knew him say 'lit up a room'. His tragic death comes amid a global push to ban electric scooters in busy city areas. Officials in Texas will meet today to discuss a proposal by police that would create a 'scooter-free zone' in downtown Houston, Axios reports. The proposal came after the city recorded 23 scooter-involved crashes last year. Houston has seen a rise in electric scooter crashes year-on-year after recording 20 in 2023, 10 in 2022 and three in 2021. Three riders were killed in the crashes with the city alleging that at least one person has died on an electric scooter this year. Houston Mayor John Whitmire, an advocate for the measure, has argued that 'scooter users disregard traffic laws, putting themselves and others at risk'. Opponents of the proposal allege it restricts locals' 'freedom to choose how they move' and is bad for business. If the measure passes, Houston would be the first major American city with an active e-scooter ban in place. Madrid, Toronto, Paris and Melbourne, Australia have already passed similar measures.
Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
Huge ITV crime thriller axed after just one series despite rave reviews and 4million viewers
HIT crime thriller Joan has been canned – because star Sophie Turner is too busy. ITV's brilliant drama team has spent months trying to find a window in the Game of Thrones star's schedule to film a second series — but have had to admit defeat. 6 Sophie Turner's hit crime series Joan has been axed after ITV failed to find a window in the star's work schedule Credit: ITV A spokesman told me: 'ITV and Snowed-In Productions would love to produce another series of Joan. 'However, as a consequence of cast availability, and following co-production discussions, a second series isn't possible.' The glossy series told the true story of glamorous Joan Hannington, a jewel thief who stole more than £3million of gems in London in the 1980s and earned herself the nickname The Godmother in the city's criminal underworld. ITV's six-part series about her life was shown in autumn last year and attracted more than four million viewers per episode. READ MORE TV NEWS DOG'S AGONY I saw real side of Dog the Bounty Hunter - why grandson's death will haunt him It ended on several cliffhangers, with Joan vowing revenge on her two-timing criminal ally Albie and promising to build herself a new business empire after spending four years in jail for armed robbery. At the time the series was shown, director Richard Laxton said: 'There is definitely potential for the story to go on.' Sophie, who has two daughters from her marriage to American singer Joe Jonas and is now dating aristocrat Peregrine Pearson, is tied up on several projects. She will play video game adventurer Lara Croft in a Tomb Raider TV series as well as appearing in sci-fi movie Cloud One and horror flick The Dreadful, in which she will co-star with Game of Thrones co-star Kit Harington. Madonna and Gwyneth Paltrow both made attempts to bring Joan's story to the big screen in the 2000s but failed — so at least ITV managed to get off the starting blocks. I was UK's most notorious jewel thief dubbed 'The Godmother' - I made MILLIONS thanks to my incredible gift Isle's Cot a lot 6 Fearne Cotton has set up her Ibiza: Unplugged experience on the island 6 Fearne says she has curated 'the perfect way to unplug and spend a chilled day in Ibiza' Credit: Not known, clear with picture desk Stretch your minds back to 2007, and you may recall Fearne Cotton making her first trip to Ibiza to host The X Factor's spin-off show where she shacked up with Dannii Minogue for Judges' Houses. Four years later she met ex-husband Jesse Wood on the white isle during a girls' trip with celeb pals, including TV host Amanda Byram – and now she has a wellness retreat there. Fearne, who has set up her Ibiza: Unplugged experience with travel booking platform GetYourGuide, said: 'I first visited Ibiza 20 years ago and fell in love with the island's energy and people. 'I've discovered the best secret spots for sunrise hikes, chilly dips and soulful yoga sessions. I've curated the perfect way to unplug and spend a chilled day in Ibiza, guided by true experts.' Sounds like the opposite of a stressful day shooting The X Factor. Suranne is a sure thing 6 Suranne Jones stars as the new Prime Minister in a gripping first trailer for edge-of-your-seat thriller Hostage Credit: Netflix A thrilling new trailer has dropped for Suranne Jones' crime drama Hostage and it's edge-of-your-seat stuff. The former Corrie star plays the British PM who is fighting political pressure from the French president (Julie Delpy) when her husband Alex is abducted and held hostage. Shocking scenes show Alex (Ashley Thomas) at gunpoint as he is forced to make an appeal video. The drama plays out against the backdrop of tense discussion over policing the English Channel. In one scene an aide pleads with Suranne's character Abigail: 'You have to resign.' And she barks: 'We don't give in to terrorists.' The five-parter lands on August 21. I hear more about the hottest TV shows and latest binge-watches each week on our free online show, Showbiz Fix. On the latest episode we delve into Netflix saga Amy Bradley Is Missing, chat about Love Island, and remember Ozzy Osbourne. It's at: Matt pal on drug taking 6 An ITV documentary will reveal shocking new details and murder trial twist in Matthew Perry's tragic death Credit: Getty Shocking new information on the death of Friends star Matthew Perry will feature in an ITV documentary. The one-off film includes the devastating details of the murder trial that followed his demise in October 2023. Dr Salvador Plasencia has now been charged with giving the actor ketamine. As part of the documentary, which first streamed on Peacock in the US but has since been updated, Matt's on-screen mother from Friends Morgan Fairchild speaks candidly about his drug addiction. ITV boss Sasha Breslau said: 'The film tells the story of Matthew's untimely passing with updated developments not seen before.' Matthew Perry: A Hollywood Tragedy will air on ITV1 at 9pm on August 18. The beat goes on for Kay If you thought Love Island's raunchy heart-rate challenge was tense, may I remind you of Vernon Kay's gameshow 1,000 Heartbeats? Contestants were kitted out with a heart monitor and had to stay calm while answering questions to win money. But if their heart beat more than a thousand times during gameplay, they immediately lost and left empty handed. Now I can reveal the unusual ITV show, which ran for two series from 2015, could be returning to screens as Hungry Bear Media wants to trademark the name ahead of a possible reboot. The production company, which is run by Holly Willoughby's husband Dan Baldwin, is behind some of telly's biggest hits including the BBC One reboot of Gladiators and Michael McIntyre's The Wheel. If anyone can revive Vernon's show, it's Hungry Bear. Jodie Whittaker, Nicole da Silva and Yael Stone star in drama One Night for ITV. The six-parter follows the fallout after one of a close-knit trio of friends writes a bestselling novel about a traumatic event, one night 20 years ago. The mystery drama lands on ITVX next month. Freddie's secrets unveiled 6 A Channel 5 documentary is set to tell the story of Freddie Mercury's secret daughter using the Queen legend's private journals Credit: Redferns The incredible story of Freddie Mercury's secret daughter will be told in a Channel 5 documentary. The 90-minute special uses the Queen legend's private journals following an investigation and book by journalist Lesley-Ann Jones. According to her work, Freddie sustained a close relationship with the woman, referred to as 'B', for 14 years before his death in 1991. Lesley-Ann said: 'I thought I knew virtually all there was to know about Freddie. I was wrong. 'Working with his only child to tell his true story in his and his daughter's own words has been the greatest privilege of my professional life.' The documentary will air later this year.
