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Mahadev gambling kingpin Sourabh Chandrakar on ED scanner for lavish Rs 200 crore wedding in UAE

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Web Team
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mahadev gambling, sourabh chandrakar, chandrakar, mahadev, uae, rs 200, wedding, lavish wedding
Mahadev gambling kingpin Sourabh Chandrakar on ED scanner for lavish Rs 200 crore wedding in UAE 2

The Enforcement Directorate took notice of a lavish wedding that took place in February in the United Arab Emirates because all of the money—roughly Rs 200 crore—spent on the party was paid in cash. According to the ED, Sourabh Chandrakar, one of the promoters of an online betting platform, hired private jets to fly family members from Nagpur to the UAE for his wedding while also paying actors to perform. The wedding took place in Ras Al Khaimah.

On Friday, the agency released details of its investigation into the online money laundering case linked with the Mahadev Online Book Betting app. Wedding planners, dancers, decorators, etc. were hired from Mumbai and hawala channels were used to make payments in cash.

“Sudden and illegal riches are being openly flaunted by them,” the ED said in a statement. Mahadev Online Book Betting App is an umbrella syndicate arranging online platforms for enabling illegal betting websites to enroll new users, create user IDs, and launder money through a layered web of Benami bank accounts.

The ED said Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal, who hail from Bhilai in Chattisgarh, are the two main promoters of the Mahadev betting platform and ran their operations from Dubai. They had created an empire for themselves in that country. The agency had recently conducted searches at 39 locations across Raipur, Bhopal, Mumbai, and Kolkata and seized illegal assets worth Rs 417 crore. ED has also earnestly taken up investigations abroad.

A Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) special court at Raipur has also issued non-bailable warrants against the suspects. The ED which is investigating money laundering charges in connection with the Mahadev Online Book app, had last month conducted searches in Chhattisgarh and arrested four accused, including the chief liaisoner of the betting syndicate, which the probe agency alleged was organizing payment of bribes to senior government functionaries as ‘protection money.’

“Their Mahadev Online Book is run from a central head office in the UAE and operates by franchising ‘Panel/Branches’ to their known associates on a 70%-30% profit ratio. Large-scale hawala operations are done to siphon off the proceeds of betting to offshore accounts. Large expenditures in cash are also being made in India for advertising of betting websites and self-grandizement necessary to attract new users and franchise (panel) seekers,” the ED said. As per assets seized by the ED, Rs 112 crore was delivered via hawala channel to an event management company — R-1 Events Pvt Ltd of Yogesh Popat — and hotel bookings costing to the tune of Rs 42 crore were done by paying in cash in Arab Emirates Dirham.

Searches were conducted by the central agency at the premises of Yogesh Popat, Mithilesh, and other “linked organizers” and evidence relating to the receipt of Rs 112 crore hawala money is “crystallized”. Subsequently, searches were conducted on angadias named by Yogesh Popat. The searches resulted in the seizure of unaccounted cash worth Rs 2.37 crore. It was found that many celebrities have been endorsing these betting entities and performing at their functions in return for hefty fees layered through dubious transactions but ultimately paid from the proceeds of online betting.

ED also conducted searches on Rapid Travels of Dheeraj Ahuja and Vishal Ahuja in Bhopal. This entity was responsible for the entire ticketing operations of the Mahadev app promoters, family, business associates, and celebrities.

“The illicit cash earnings from the betting panels were cleverly deposited by the Ahuja brothers with the main ticket providers, and the wallet balance was used to book domestic and international tickets. Rapid Travels was involved in making travel arrangements for most events of the Mahadev group, including the annual star-studded events organized in the UAE in the month of September,” the ED said. The ED stated that it has successfully identified other major players involved in the money laundering operations of the Mahadev online booking app.

During the investigations, it was found that one Kolkata-based Vikash Chhaparia was handling all the hawala-related operations for the Mahadev app. ED conducted searches at his known premises and at those of his associate, Govind Kedia.

It was found that with the help of Govind Kedia, Vikas Chaparia, through his entities, Perfect Plan Investments LLP, Exim General Trading FZCO, and Techpro IT Solutions LLC, was investing heavily in the Indian stock market through the Foreign Portfolio Investment (FPI) route. Accordingly, cash derivatives and other security holdings worth Rs 236.3 crore in the names of entities beneficially owned by Vikas Chhaparia have been frozen by the ED under PMLA 2002.

Further, assets worth Rs 160 crore in the demat holdings of Govind Kumar Kedia have also been frozen by the ED under PMLA 2002. Searches at the premises of Govind Kumar Kedia also resulted in the seizure of Indian currency worth Rs 18 lakhs, gold, and jewelry valued at Rs 13 crore.

“Will discuss upcoming elections in 5 states in CWC meeting today”: Mallikarjun Kharge

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ANI
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mallikarjun kharge, kharge, modi, narendra modi, congress, cong
"Will discuss upcoming elections in 5 states in CWC meeting today": Mallikarjun Kharge 4

Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge said on Saturday that the party’s top leaders will deliberate on evolving a strategy for upcoming assembly polls in five states in the Congress Working Committee that is scheduled today in Hyderabad. This is the first meeting of the reconstituted Congress Working Committee, the party’s top decision-making body under Mallikarjun Kharge’s presidency.

Talking to reporters, Kharge said that Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi, would be present at the meeting. “This is the first CWC meeting after I took charge as the party president. An extended working committee meeting will also take place tomorrow, where discussions related to the party will be conducted. Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, and all senior leaders will be present in the meeting to have discussions regarding the upcoming elections in 5 states and plan accordingly. Discussions on the alliance (INDIA) will be done in the next meeting with our partners in the alliance,” Kharge said.

Kharge left for Hyderabad this morning to chair the meeting there. On Friday, while briefing mediapersons in Rangareddy, Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal said that the CWC will hold meetings over the next two days to strategize against the BJP, which he termed their principal enemy in politics.

Venugopal said, “…we will hold the first CWC (Congress Working Committee meeting) in Hyderabad in which the preparations for the upcoming elections will be discussed. We have invited 90 people, out of whom 84 will attend.” He further said that an extended CWC meeting will also be held on September 17 and a public rally will be organized on the same day.

“We invited 159 people and 149 people will attend the extended CWC meeting on September 17. We will organize a ‘Vijayaberi public meeting ‘ on the same day. On September 18, our leaders, apart from MPs, will go to all Assembly constituencies,” he said. After the rally on the same evening, the Congress president will flag off the cavalcades of CWC members, PCC presidents, CLP leaders, and others to the 119 Assembly constituencies of Telangana.

NIA raids 30 places in Tamil Nadu, Telangana in ISIS radicalization and recruitment case

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ANI
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nia raids at pfi
NIA raids 30 places in Tamil Nadu, Telangana in ISIS radicalization and recruitment case 6

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) conducted raids at 30 locations in Tamil Nadu and Telangana on Saturday in an ISIS radicalization and recruitment case. NIA’s sleuths carried out these searches at 21 locations in Coimbatore, three in Chennai, and one location in Tenkasi– all in Tamil Nadu. Besides, the agency searched five places in Hyderabad in Telangana, sources in the agency told ANI.

These searches were conducted at the premises of persons connected to the case following fresh evidence about an ISIS module which could have links to the Coimbatore suspects. Earlier this month, the NIA had arrested an accused linked with the ISIS-inspired Car IED bomb blast of Coimbatore for his involvement in the 2022 terror attack. He was identified as Mohammed Azarudeen alias Azar. He was the 13th person to be arrested in the case.

The NIA took over and re-registered the case on October 27 in 2022. The Coimbatore car bomb blast had taken place on October 23 last year in front of an ancient Temple, Arulmigu Kottai Sangameshwarar Thirukovil, at Eswaran Kovil Street, Ukkadam, Coimbatore. The Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosives Device (VBIED) was being driven by the deceased accused Jamesha Mubeen.

Mubeen and his associates were inspired by hardcore ISIS ideology to conspire and commit the act of terror after taking ‘bayath’ or allegiance to its self-proclaimed Caliph Abu-Al-Hasan Al-Hashimi Al-Qurashi. As per NIA investigations, the accused had intended to take revenge on the Kafirs (non-believers of Islam) through this terror attack. NIA has so far filed two chargesheets in the case before the NIA Court, Poonamallee, Chennai. Six accused were chargesheeted on April 20 this year and five on June 2 thos year. The 12th accused, Mohammed Idris, was arrested on August 2 this year.

FDA flings into action in Mumbai, raids popular restaurants, cloud kitchens; issues stop work notices

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Web Team
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mumbai darbar, bademiya, fda raid, Food and Drug Administration, eatery, restaurant, stop work notice, fda raid in mumbai
FDA flings into action in Mumbai, raids popular restaurants, cloud kitchens; issues stop work notices 8

Months after a dead mouse was served to a customer by the Bandra-based restaurant ‘Papa Pancho da Dhaba,’ the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has come into action and closed down 28 restaurants and cloud kitchens across Mumbai and Thane for failing to meet essential hygiene and safety standards. As the ongoing action is set to last another month, more restaurants are expected to come under scrutiny.

Following the recent crackdown on the popular eatery “Bademiya,” the FDA raided two other restaurants, Krishna Fastfood in Charkop and Paradise Home Kitchen in Bandra, and fined them for a variety of hygiene and safety violations, including unsanitary kitchens. Krishna Fastfood was fined Rs 15,000, while Paradise Home Kitchen was fined a whopping Rs 40,000.

A recent FDA inspection of three locations of the renowned restaurant “Bademiya,” including the one in Colaba in south Mumbai, revealed that none of the locations had a current food license, the official said.

Mumbai Darbar, a Mahim-based restaurant, was issued stop work notices for non-compliance with food regulations. The restaurant’s Mahim branch didn’t have a food license to operate.

An FDA release said the checks were carried out on Wednesday.

”During the check, officials found the establishment does not have a valid food license, which is required as per The Food Safety and Standards Act,” the release said.

According to the sources, the inspection at Bademiya outlets unveiled major violations, including the presence of cockroaches, rats, and maggots within the premises. Such severe violations prompted a directive to cease food business operations until valid food safety licenses are obtained and discrepancies are rectified.

The FDA has collected 10 samples of prepared food and raw materials used in the preparations and these have been sent for quality tests, it added.

”Further action will be taken based on the findings of the laboratory examination. As the eatery was operational without a proper food license and errors were found, the FDA has directed the establishment to shut operations till they get a valid food license and rectify the errors,” the FDA release informed.

The official further stated that several hotels were discovered to be lacking in cleanliness; either the condition of the kitchen was unhygienic or the trash bins were not covered. The official informed that the agency screens eateries on 80–90 critical parameters.

Banned PFI aiming to resurrect itself, launch new outfit through SDPI: Sources

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ANI
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SDPI, PFI, Social Worker, Kerala, Popular Front of India
Banned PFI aiming to resurrect itself, launch new outfit through SDPI: Sources 10

Members of the banned Popular Front of India (PFI) are preparing to launch a new outfit through its political front, the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), sources have told ANI. After the Central government banned the PFI in September, the leaders and activists of the outfit have been actively inducting new members to form a youth front in association with the SDPI, sources said, adding that the SDPI has also dropped broad hints about the formation of a new outfit comprising youths.

The banned outfit has also introduced some changes to its old recruiting methods, sources told ANI, adding that the induction process now involves picking up 4 to 5 potential recruits from each area where the outfit is known to operate and providing them with training and funds to make them full-time activists. Further, according to sources, once the outfit has recruited enough members in its strongholds, the SDPI will start holding rallies and programs highlighting contemporary national issues.

The new outfit could be lined up for launch by the SDPI in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections next year. Earlier, activists and leaders of the PFI were recruited at religious centres and institutions affiliated with them, sources informed, adding that once the outfit and its recruitment pattern came under the scrutiny of central agencies, it adopted new ways to induct new members.

Over the last three months, leaders from both outfits—PFI and SDPI—held several private meetings in Trivandrum, and in the next few months, leaders from northern states are also expected to join these secret gatherings, sources told ANI. Setting sights on expanding the ambit of its operations, the PFI has also started recruiting cyber experts, the sources informed, adding that the inductees were trained to work for its cyber wing. The outfit is believed to be recruiting activists, who are tech-friendly and equipped to explore cyberspace to add members and expand its operations.

Sources added that several tech entrepreneurs have also invested in helping the outfit strengthen itself. PFI was banned across the country last year for an alleged anti-national agenda. The outfit was banned for five years under the UAP (A).

Kim Jong Un stops to see a fighter jet factory as Russia and North Korea are warned off arms deals

By
PTI
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north korea, kim jong un, russia, jet airways
Kim Jong Un stops to see a fighter jet factory as Russia and North Korea are warned off arms deals 12

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un stopped in a far eastern Russian city Friday to see a factory that builds the country’s most advanced fighter jets on his extended trip, which hints at his interest in sophisticated weaponry as the U.S. and others warned Moscow and Pyongyang against making banned weapons transfer deals.

Kim’s visits to Russian weapons and technology sites and meetings with President Vladimir Putin have raised speculation that he will supply ammunition to Russia for its war efforts in Ukraine in exchange for receiving advanced weapons or technology from Russia as the two nations deepen their ties while both are increasingly isolated and sanctioned in separate confrontations with the West. Russia’s state news agency RIA Novosti published a video showing Kim’s armored train pulling into a station in the city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur and Kim’s convoy sweeping out of the station shortly afterward. TASS news agency said Kim and local Russian officials were headed for a plant that produces Su-35 and Su-57 fighter jets.

Kim is to travel next to Vladivostok to view Russia’s Pacific fleet, a university, and other facilities, Putin told Russian media after his summit with Kim.

Experts say in return for helping Putin replenish war supplies, Kim would seek Russian help to modernize his air force and navy, which are inferior to those of rival South Korea, while Kim has devoted much of his own resources to his nuclear weapons program. The summit between Kim and Putin this week took place at the Vostochny Cosmodrome, Russia’s most important domestic launch center. North Korea has struggled to put into orbit an operational spy satellite to monitor U.S. and South Korean military movements.

Asked whether Russia will help North Korea obtain satellites, Putin said, “that’s why we have come here. (Kim) shows a keen interest in rocket technology. They’re trying to develop space, too,” according to Russian state media.

Putin, for his part, would want to receive ammunition, artillery shells, and even ballistic missiles from North Korea to replenish his exhausted arms inventory in the second year of Russia’s war in Ukraine, foreign experts say.

Since last year, the U.S. accused North Korea of providing ammunition, artillery shells, and rockets to Russia, likely much of which are copies of Soviet-era munitions. South Korean officials said North Korean weapons provided to Russia have already been used in Ukraine. On Thursday evening, the national security advisers of the U.S., South Korea, and Japan talked by phone and expressed “serious concerns” about prospective weapons deals between Russia and North Korea. They warned Russia and North Korea they would “pay a clear price” if they went ahead with such deals, according to South Korea’s presidential office.

The White House said the three national security advisers noted that any arms export from North Korea to Russia would directly violate multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions, including resolutions that Russia, a permanent member of the U.N. council, itself voted to adopt. They reiterated their cooperation toward the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula as well, according to a White House statement.

South Korean Unification Minister Kim Yung-ho warned Thursday that potential arms transfers between the North and Russia would invite stronger responses from South Korea, the U.S. and Japan, which have been stepping up their trilateral security cooperation to cope with regional threats.

Some analysts question how much Russia would be willing to share its closely guarded high-tech weapons technologies with North Korea in return for its conventional arms. But others say Russia would do so because of its urgent need to refill its drained reserves.

Putin told reporters that Russia and North Korea have “lots of interesting projects” in spheres like transportation and agriculture and that Moscow is providing its neighbor with humanitarian aid. But he avoided talking about military cooperation, saying only that Russia is abiding by the sanctions prohibiting procuring weapons from North Korea. North Korea’s state media said Thursday that Kim invited Putin to visit North Korea at a “convenient time.” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov later said that Putin had accepted the invitation and that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is expected to visit North Korea in October.

During Wednesday’s summit, Kim vowed “full and unconditional support” for Putin in what he described as a “just fight against hegemonic forces to defend its sovereign rights, security, and interests,” in an apparent reference to the war in Ukraine.

Information on Kim’s trip to Russia comes largely from the two nations’ official media outlets. North Korean state media did not provide updates Friday on Kim’s activities. They typically report on Kim’s activities the day after they occur, apparently to align with North Korea’s propaganda needs to glorify Kim.

Permanency in one relationship is always at stake

By
Vaidehi Taman
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divorce, marriage, relation, relationship, marital issues, women, men, husband and wife, seperation
Image Courtesy: Shutterstock

A married woman filed for divorce and had been staying separate from her husband for quite some time. The divorce was not settled and in the meantime, she fell in love with another man. However, after starting to reside separately from her husband, the woman had a physical relationship with another man and gave birth to a baby boy on July 10, 2020, before her divorce was finalized. However, at the time of her delivery, it was her husband who took her to a private hospital in CBD Belapur in Navi Mumbai and while recording their details, he gave his own name as the father of the woman’s child.

The hospital record resulted in the issuance of a birth certificate for the child, with the name of her husband as his biological father. After receipt of the birth certificate, the woman in December 2021 approached the NMMC and sought corrections in the birth certificate of her son and had her husband’s name replaced by the name of the child’s biological father.

The woman moved the judicial magistrate court in CBD Belapur after the civic body informed her that there was no legal provision for changing or correcting a birth certificate. She moved to the high court after the magistrate court rejected her plea on April 23 this year. She also filed an affidavit from the biological father of the child, supporting her.

Before the high court, her counsel, Dr. Uday Warunjikar, pointed out the Supreme Court ruling of 2015 holding that whenever a single parent or an unwed mother applies for a birth certificate, the only requirement should be that he or she furnish an affidavit to that effect and the corrected birth certificate must then be issued.

The division bench of justice Gautam Patel and justice Kamal Khata said the civic body could not deny issuing a corrected birth certificate, as the apex court judgment was binding on all and directed it to replace the name of the woman’s ex-husband by the name of the biological father of her son.

The court has asked the civic body to replace the name of the woman’s ex-husband with that of the woman’s lover. The woman had approached the court after the civic body refused to make the change. In her petition, the woman stated that she had married a man in March 2017 and happily lived with him until June 2018, when cracks appeared in their relationship and soon the spouses started residing separately. They eventually decided to go for divorce by mutual consent and got a divorce decree on February 8, 2021.

There are many couples living independently these days after separation because divorce is a long process. There are many marriages that are broken because the couple has a fallback option or loses interest in the spouse. Our society is not as rigid as it was; now people are less judgmental and more liberal. Breaking marriages and starting another relationship is very common in India. This change has its merits and side effects, too.

Women are financially independent and they are going out of their way to choose their lifestyle. They are no longer stuck with the norms. In the above case, the woman had all the liberties to conceive and deliver a child out of wedlock and the husband was also kind enough to escort his wife to the hospital and help her deliver the baby. Not only that, but he did not object to the name change of the child. In most divorce cases, once a couple makes up their mind to separate, they get into another relationship. It is no longer a time-consuming process.

On the other hand, many suffer withdrawal symptoms, go into depression, and suffer losses. The divorce brings uncertainty to their lives. Married people are on average happier than single people and much happier than divorced people. When you choose a life partner, you’re choosing a lot of things, including your parenting partner and someone who will deeply influence your children, your habits, your lifestyle, and your travel companion.

Most marriages break down because of compatibility issues. In other words, people end up picking from whatever pool of options they have, no matter how poorly matched they might be to those candidates. The obvious conclusion to draw here is that outside of serious socialites, everyone looking for a life partner should be doing a lot of online dating, speed dating, and other systems created to broaden the candidate pool in an intelligent way. So, making choices becomes easy and when choices are available, the permanence of a relationship is always at stake.

News anchor Sudhir Chaudhary booked for promoting enmity between religious groups

By
Web Team
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aaj tak, anchor, journalist, sudhir chaudhary, bengaluru police, fake news, karnataka government, aaj tak
News anchor Sudhir Chaudhary booked for promoting enmity between religious groups 15

The Bengaluru police have charged popular news anchor Sudhir Choudhary and news channel Aaj Tak with spreading “fake news” about a Karnataka government scheme for members of religious minority communities.

After the show was aired on the channel on September 11, the Karnataka government threatened legal action against the anchor for purposely spreading fabrications about government schemes. The schemes offered subsidies for members of the minority community to buy commercial vehicles. 

A newspaper advertisement about the scheme also sparked controversy, with BJP MPs alleging that it highlighted ‘minority appeasement’ under Congress rule. The Karnataka police have filed a FIR against anchor Sudhir Chaudhary for “conspiring to disrupt communal harmony” during a show on the Aaj Tak news channel in which he discussed the state government’s commercial vehicle subsidy scheme.

On its part, the government maintained that the scheme has been in existence for several years under different development corporations meant for the welfare of various communities. Similar schemes existed for other groups too, the government said, adding that the subsidy scheme for minorities existed even under Bharatiya Janata Party rule.

In the show, Chaudhary allegedly claimed subsidies were being provided only for minorities in Karnataka and not for Hindus, the FIR said. “The show claimed that the scheme meted injustice to poor Hindus in the state” and “conspired to disturb communal harmony in the state,” according to the FIR.

The Sheshadripuram police in Bengaluru booked Chaudhary under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for promoting enmity between groups, based on a complaint filed by a Karnataka Minorities Development Corporation official.

South Korea expresses ”concern and regret” over military cooperation talks between Kim and Putin

By
PTI
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kim and putin, military, south korea, russia, north korea
South Korea expresses ''concern and regret'' over military cooperation talks between Kim and Putin 17

South Korea on Thursday expressed “deep concern and regret” over a meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin that was apparently focused on expanding military cooperation as the two isolated, nuclear-armed leaders align over their escalating confrontations with the United States.

Washington has warned that the summit on Wednesday between Kim and Putin could lead to a deal to supply ammunition for Moscow’s war in Ukraine.

There’s widespread concern in Seoul that the North in return would receive advanced weapons technologies from Russia, including those related to military spy satellites, which would increase the threat posed by Kim’s military nuclear program.

“We express our deep concern and regret that despite repeated warnings from the international community, North Korea and Russia discussed military cooperation issues, including satellite development, during their summit,” said Lim Soo-suk, South Korea’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson.

“Any science and technology cooperation that contributes to nuclear weapons and missile development, including satellite systems that involve ballistic missile technologies, runs against UN Security Council resolutions,” he said in a briefing.

Lim also pointed out that Kim’s delegation in Russia included several individuals sanctioned by the Security Council over involvement in illicit North Korean weapons development activities, including Korean People’s Army Marshal Ri Pyong Chol and Jo Chun Yong, a ruling party official who handles munitions policies.

Lim said Moscow should realise there will be “very negative impacts” on its relations with Seoul if proceeds with military cooperation with Pyongyang.

Seoul’s Unification Minister Kim Yung-ho, who handles affairs with North Korea, warned that potential arms transfers between Pyongyang and Moscow would only invite stronger responses from South Korea, the US and Japan, which have been stepping up their trilateral security cooperation to cope with regional threats.

White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Wednesday that North Korea would face consequences if it supplies arms to Russia.

“No nation on the planet, nobody, should be helping Mr. Putin kill innocent Ukrainians,” Kirby said. If the countries decide to move forward with an arms deal, the US will take measure of the arrangement and ”deal with it appropriately,” he said.

He said that any deal that would improve North Korea’s military capabilities “certainly would be of significant concern to us.” North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency said on Thursday that Kim invited Putin during their meeting to visit North Korea at a “convenient time” and that Putin accepted with “pleasure and reaffirmed his will to invariably carry forward” the history of friendship between the nations.

Putin told Russian state TV after the summit that Kim will visit two more cities in Russia’s Far East on his own, flying to Komsomolsk-on-Amur, where he will visit an aircraft plant, and then go to Vladivostok to view Russia’s Pacific Fleet, a university and other facilities.

During their meeting on Wednesday at Russia’s spaceport in the Far East, Kim vowed “full and unconditional support” for Putin in what he described as a “just fight against hegemonic forces to defend its sovereign rights, security and interests,” in an apparent reference to the war in Ukraine.

The decision to meet at the Vostochny Cosmodrome suggested that Kim is seeking Russian help in developing military reconnaissance satellites.

He has previously said that is crucial to enhancing the threat of his nuclear-capable missiles, and North Korea has repeatedly failed to put its first military spy satellite into orbit.

The aircraft plant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur would be another location that possibly hints at what Kim seeks to gain from Russia in exchange for help fuelling Putin’s war on Ukraine.

Some analysts question whether Russia, which has always closely guarded its sensitive weapons technologies, would be willing to share them with North Korea in exchange for what may end up being limited supplies of munitions moved slowly through their small land link.

They say military cooperation between the countries could be more about conventional capabilities, such as Russia possibly helping North Korea improve its badly aged air force that remains reliant on fighter jets sent by the Soviet Union in the 1980s.

Putin told reporters that Russia and North Korea have “lots of interesting projects” in spheres like transportation and agriculture and that Moscow is providing its neighbour with humanitarian aid.

But he avoided talking about military cooperation, saying only that Russia is abiding by the sanctions prohibiting procuring weapons from Pyongyang.

Wednesday’s meeting came hours after North Korea fired two ballistic missiles toward the sea, extending a highly provocative run in testing since 2022, as Kim used the distraction caused by war in Ukraine to accelerate his weapons development.

INDIA alliance wants to destroy Sanatan Dharma, alleges PM Modi in MP

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ANI
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INDIA alliance, Modi, Sanatan Dharma, MP, Madhya Pradesh, PM Modi
INDIA alliance wants to destroy Sanatan Dharma, alleges PM Modi in MP 19

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday termed the opposition INDIA alliance as ”ghamandia” (arrogant) and alleged that it wants to destroy Sanatan Dharma. He was speaking after laying the foundation stone of a Rs 49,000 crore-worth petrochemical complex at Bina refinery in Sagar district of Madhya Pradesh, along with 10 industrial projects in the state.

”The ‘ghamandia’ (INDIA) alliance (leaders) met in Mumbai recently. They neither have any policies or issues nor a leader. They have a hidden agenda of attacking Sanatan Dharma, which they want to destroy,” he said.

His statement comes in the wake of remarks made by DMK leader and Tamil Nadu minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, who said Sanatan Dharma is against social justice and that it should be eradicated. A Raja, another DMK leader, likened Sanatan Dharma to diseases such as leprosy.

In his speech, PM Modi credited the 140 crore people of India for the success of the G-20 Summit, and said it has raised the pride of the people and country. Targeting the Congress, the PM said those who ruled Madhya Pradesh for a long time did nothing else other than corruption and crime.

He announced that the government will provide 75 lakh new gas connections in the country.

”Rs 50,000 crore of projects are being set up in Madhya Pradesh, which will give impetus to the state’s development,” he said.

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