NYC sucker punch suspect re-arrested for parole violation after walking free following attack

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The suspect allegedly caught on video brutally sucker-punching a New York City pedestrian last week was arrested Friday for a parole violation, a day after he was taken into police custody and walked free after his charges were reportedly downgraded.

Bui Van Phu, a 55-year-old homeless man, was directed by the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision to report to his parole officer Friday morning, authorities said. He was arrested and is expected to appear before a judge within 24 hours. 

On Thursday, he was released without bail during a court appearance after his initial attempted murder charge was downgraded. 

"The Bronx District Attorney’s Office will continue to investigate the alleged attack on Jesus Cortes by defendant Bui Van Phu. The office is obtaining additional evidence, reviewing video, speaking to witnesses, analyzing medical records, and providing crime victim services,' a statement from the office of Bronx County District Attorney Darcel Clark said. "The defendant is currently charged with third-degree Assault and second-degree Harassment, which are not bail eligible under our current laws."

NYC SUCKER PUNCH SUSPECT ARRESTED IN BRUTAL CAUGHT-ON-VIDEO KNOCKOUT IS A CONVICTED SEX OFFENDER: REPORT

NYPD released video of an Aug. 12 unprovoked assault that unfolded at approximately 10:45 p.m. in front of 163 E 188 St in the Bronx. The allegedly attacker, Bui Van Phu, 55, was arrested Friday for a parole violation, authorities said.  (NYPD)

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the arrest at an unrelated news conference. She called the attack "horrific on all fronts" and said her office has been in contact with Clark to discuss what charges would be filed. 

She said she directed corrections officials to determine whether Phu had committed a parole violation during the attack. 

Phu allegedly approached Cortes just before 11 p.m. Aug. 12 and assaulted him as he was standing with a group after leaving a restaurant. 

From behind, he allegedly delivers a hard blow to Cortes’ head, lying him out on the concrete. Police said the two had no interaction beforehand and that there’s no indication the alleged attacker and victim knew each other.

Cortes sustained a skull fracture, broken cheek and brain bleeding. He remains hospitalized. 

NYC sucker punch assault suspect is a convicted sex offender.  (NYPD)

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Phu was previously convicted of first-degree sex abuse in the Bronx in 1995 and was sentenced to six years to life in prison. He was paroled in 2019 and is now registered as a Level 3 sex offender — the most serious designation — for sexually abusing a 17-year-old girl in 1994, according to state records. 

Fox News' Danielle Wallace and Stephanie Pagones contributed to this report. 

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Dozens of economists urge US to free Afghanistan's frozen assets

Some 71 economists, including Nobel prize winners, ask Washington to return $7 billion to Kabul, saying over half of the poor country's population faces acute food insecurity and three million children are at risk of malnutrition.

"Seventy percent of Afghan households are unable to meet their basic needs," economists tell US. (AP)

Several dozen prominent US and international economists have urged the United States to release Afghanistan's $7 billion reserves that Washington froze after the Taliban took over control of the South Asian country a year ago.

"We are deeply concerned by the compounding economic and humanitarian catastrophes unfolding in Afghanistan, and, in particular, by the role of US policy in driving them," seventy-one economists and development experts said on Wednesday in a letter to US President Joe Biden and US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.

"Without access to its foreign reserves, the central bank of Afghanistan cannot carry out its normal, essential functions," they wrote.

"Without a functioning central bank, the economy of Afghanistan has, predictably, collapsed."

The signatories included Nobel economics prize winners Joseph Stiglitz and Yanis Varoufakis, who served as Greece's minister of finance when the country was negotiating with creditors after the 2008 economic collapse.

READ MORE: US, Taliban discuss foreign reserves, aid for earthquake-hit Afghanistan

'It belongs to Afghan people'

In the letter, they argued the United States could not justify holding onto the reserves, which it froze in American banks as the prior Washington-backed government in Kabul collapsed allowing the Taliban to take control in August 2021.

The economists said the plunge in economic activity and the sharp cuts to foreign aid by previous supporters of the country after the US military withdrawal have sent the Afghan economy into a tailspin.

"Seventy percent of Afghan households are unable to meet their basic needs," they wrote. 

"Some 22.8 million people –– over half the population –– face acute food insecurity, and three million children are at risk of malnutrition."

This is worsened by the refusal of the US to return the funds, as well as $2 billion blocked by Britain, Germany, and the United Arab Emirates, they said.

"These reserves were critical to the functioning of the Afghan economy, in particular, to manage the money supply, to stabilise the currency and to pay for the imports –– chiefly food and oil –– on which Afghanistan relies," they wrote.

The economists said a recent US offer to give the Taliban access to half the money by setting up a trust with international oversight was not enough.

"By all rights, the full $7 billion belong to the Afghan people," they said.

"Returning anything less than the full amount undermines the recovery of a devastated economy."

READ MORE: US urged to return Afghan foreign funds as quake survivors wait for aid

Source: AFP

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US dollar's free fall against rupee continues

KARACHI: The US dollar continued its declining trend in the interbank and open market on Thursday after the greenback saw a historic decline of over Rs9 on Wednesday, ARY NEWS reported.

According to forex dealers, the US dollar slipped by Rs4.02 at the start of the day to trade at Rs224.78 as the banks sold it at Rs226.28.

In the open market, the greenback traded between Rs223 and Rs224.

The rupee on Wednesday made a massive comeback against the US dollar in the interbank and open market, a day after the IMF said that the country has fulfilled its last condition of raising the levy on fuel prices.

According to forex dealers, the US dollar lost Rs9.58 today in the interbank against the rupee and traded at Rs228.80 while the banks are selling the greenback at Rs229.

In the open market, the US dollar traded at Rs225.50 after witnessing a reduction in value by Rs13.

Interbank closing #ExchangeRate for todayhttps://t.co/KyRSLkDLEy pic.twitter.com/5NrcLUqkT2

— SBP (@StateBank_Pak) August 3, 2022

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Tuesday confirmed that Pakistan has achieved all the set targets for the revival of the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) programme.

Exclusively talking to ARY News, International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) resident representative in Islamabad, Esther Perez Ruiz said Pakistan has achieved all the financial targets set by the fund and the last action was accomplished on July 31 by extending the levy on petrol.

Read More: US dollar declines to Rs237 in interbank market

Ruiz said the 7th and 8th reviews have been completed and the IMF Executive Board will meet in the third week of August.

Esther Perez hoped that Pakistan will take steps to narrow the funding gap till the board’s meeting.

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