Russia, Iran and Syria issue warning to US against launching new Syrian airstrikes

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, center, stands in the middle as Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem, left, and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif shake hands after a shared press conference following their talks focused on Syria in Moscow, Russia, Friday, April 14, 2017. (AP Photo)

Moscow (AP): Russia, Syria and Iran strongly warned the United States Friday against launching new strikes on Syria and called for an international probe into last week’s chemical attack there.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who hosted his Iranian and Syrian counterparts at a trilateral meeting in Moscow, denounced last week’s U.S. attack on Syria as a “flagrant violation” of international law and warned that any further such action would entail “grave consequences not only for regional but global security.”

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem said the meeting sent a “strong message” to Washington. Iran’s Mohammad Javad Zarif emphasized that the participants warned that any unilateral action by the U.S. is unacceptable.

The U.S. has blamed the Syrian government for launching a deadly chemical attack in Khan Sheikhoun that killed over 80 people on April 4, and responded by striking a Syrian air base. Russia has alleged that the victims were killed by toxic agents released from a rebel chemical arsenal and warned against putting the blame on Damascus until an independent inquiry has been conducted.

Moscow vetoed a Western draft U.N. resolution Wednesday, saying it failed to mention the need to inspect the area of the attack.

Lavrov on Friday accused the U.S. and its allies of what he described as attempts to stymie an international probe into the attack. He expressed strong skepticism about a preliminary investigation conducted by the U.N. chemical weapons watchdog, saying that its experts have failed to visit the site and it has remained unclear to Russia where the samples have been taken and how they have been analyzed.

In Russia’s view, the probe conducted by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons should be widened to include experts from many nations, he said.

“If our U.S. colleagues and some European nations believe that their version is right, they have no reason to fear the creation of such an independent group,” Lavrov added. “The investigation into this high-profile incident must be transparent and leave no doubt that someone is trying to hide something.”

Lavrov said the U.S. strike on the Syrian base has undermined peace efforts in Syria and reflected Washington’s focus on ousting Syrian President Bashar Assad’s government. “Such attempts won’t succeed,” Lavrov said.

The three ministers also discussed the beefing up of U.S. forces on Jordan’s border with Syria. Moallem said. He added that Russia, Iran and Syria have “common procedures against any aggression,” but wouldn’t offer any specifics.

Lavrov that Moscow has asked Washington about the purpose of the buildup and received assurances they were there to cut supply lines between the Islamic State group factions in Syria and Iraq.

“We will keep monitoring the issue, since the only possible reason for using military force on the territory of Syria is to fight terrorism,” Lavrov said.

Russia has staunchly backed Assad’s government throughout a civil war that has dragged into a seventh year. It has conducted an air campaign in Syria since September 2015, saving Assad from imminent collapse and helping reverse military fortunes.

China seeks Russia’s help to ‘cool’ North Korea situation

Pyongyang is already under several sets of UN sanctions over its atomic and ballistic missile programmes.(AP File Photo)

Beijing (AFP): China is seeking Russia’s help to cool surging tensions over Pyongyang’s nuclear ambitions, the country’s foreign minister has told his Moscow counterpart, after Beijing warned of possible conflict over North Korea.

Fears over the North’s rogue weapons programme have soared in recent days, with a US naval strike force deployed near the Korean peninsula, while President Donald Trump has warned the threat “will be taken care of” and Pyongyang has vowed a “merciless” response to any provocation.

China -- the North’s sole major ally and economic lifeline -- on Friday warned that war over North Korea could break out “at any moment”.

In a call with Sergei Lavrov later Friday, Wang Yi said the common goal of the two nations was to “bring all the parties back to the negotiating table”, according to a statement on China’s foreign ministry website.

“China is ready to coordinate closely with Russia to help cool down as quickly as possible the situation on the peninsula and encourage the parties concerned to resume dialogue,” Wang told Lavrov, referring to the stalled six-party talks on the North’s nuclear programme that includes Russia, China and the United States.

“Preventing war and chaos on the peninsula meets common interests,” he added.

Beijing has long opposed dramatic action against the North, fearing the regime’s collapse would send a flood of refugees across its borders and leave the US military on its doorstep.

Trump insists that China must exert more leverage on Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear ambitions or suffer the consequences.

Pyongyang is already under several sets of UN sanctions over its atomic and ballistic missile programmes.

‘IS denies suffering casualties from US bomb in Afghanistan’

Still image taken from a video released by the US Department of Defense on April 14, 2017 shows the moment after a MOAB struck the Achin district of the eastern province of Nangarhar, Afghanistan, bordering Pakistan.(Reuters)

Cairo (AFP): The Islamic State group denied on Friday it had suffered casualties from the US military’s largest non-nuclear bomb which hit its mountain hideouts in Afghanistan, in a statement on its propaganda agency Amaq.

“Security source to Amaq agency denies any dead or wounded from yesterday’s American strike in Nangarhar using a GBU-43/B,” the group’s self-styled news agency said on social media accounts.

The GBU-43/B, a massive ordnance air blast bomb - dubbed the “Mother Of All Bombs” – was unleashed in combat for the first time on Thursday, hitting IS positions in eastern Nangarhar province.

The bombing is expected to further erode IS’s capabilities in Afghanistan and sends a warning to the much bigger Taliban group ahead of their annual spring offensive.

“As a result of the bombing, key Daesh (IS) hideouts were destroyed and 36 IS fighters were killed,” the Afghan defence ministry said, adding that the bombing was carried out in coordination with local military forces.

The huge bomb, delivered via an MC-130 transport plane, has a blast yield equivalent to 11 tons of TNT. It was originally designed as much to intimidate foes as to clear broad areas.

Thursday’s explosion reverberated for miles and engulfed the remote area in towering flames, destroying what officials called a network of underground IS tunnels and caves that had been mined against conventional ground attacks.

A video released by the American military showed a mushroom cloud rising over the rugged terrain.

Three held for assaulting CRPF men after video goes viral

An paramilitary soldier stands guard during curfew in Srinagar.(Waseem Andrabi/HT File Photo)

Srinager: Kashmir Police arrested three people late on Friday on charges of assaulting paramilitary personnel, a purported video of which went viral on social media.

Director general of police SP Vaid told HT that the main accused was still absconding but police had identified 11 people allegedly involved in the incident.

The three video clips of the Central Reserve Police Force personnel being roughed up and abused by mobs purportedly in Kashmir has triggered widespread anger.

In the first video a youngster whacks a paramilitary jawan in the head while in the other, a man kicks the helmet a security man is carrying in his hand and in the third video a group of youth is seen jeering, hurling invectives and getting physical with the men in uniform, who could be seen leaving the place quietly despite all the humiliation they suffered.

HT couldn’t vouch for the veracity of the videos, which seem to have been shot using mobile phones. But locals say the clips were from April 9 in Budgam when personnel were returning from duty after the Srinagar LS bypolls that left eight people dead and scores injured.

Source: Hindustan Times

Tamil Nadu: Tension in Ramanathapuram after police gun down Dalit man inside church

NIA and Kerala Police teams conducting a joint search at terror suspect Dawood Suleiman's house near Kaimsa Pallivasal in Madurai on Monday. (PTI Photo)

Chennai: Tension gripped Tamil Nadu’s Ramanathapuram after police gunned down a Dalit man, accused in several cases inside church premises on Thursday night.

Police claimed they acted in self-defense. But relatives of the deceased, identified as 46-year-old D Govindan, refuted the police claim.

Tension was palpable in the temple town on the birth anniversary of the Dalit icon BR Ambedkar on Friday.

Govindan, who was travelling in his car, jumped out of his vehicle on reaching Arumbur area of the town and ran into a nearby church after being chased by a police jeep.

According to police, the accused attacked them with a sickle when they accosted him inside the church. To protect themselves, one of the inspectors fired two rounds that hit Govindan in the chest.

He died on the spot.

Govindan, a charcoal businessman, is a leader of the Dalit community in the region.

“On Thursday, Govindan went to take delivery of an Ambassador car that he had purchased. In the evening, he spoke to his wife over phone to inform that he would come after buying some items to celebrate Tamil New year on Friday. That was the last time the family heard from him,” a relative told a private television channel.

Source: Hindustan Times

N. Korea starts celebrating birthday of country’s founder

North Korean military participate in the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea. REUTERS/KCNA

Pyongyang (AP): North Korean leader Kim Jong Un appeared in a massive parade in the capital city on Saturday celebrating the birthday of his late grandfather and North Korea founder Kim Il Sung.

North Korean state television showed Mr. Kim, wearing a black suit and white shirt, stepping out of a black limousine and saluting his honor guard before walking down a red carpet. He then walked up to a podium and clapped with senior government officials to address the thousands of soldiers and a massive crowd taking part in the parade at Kim Il Sung Square.

The parade may also feature some of the country’s most valuable military hardware, such as its prototype intercontinental ballistic missiles.

The festivities take place amid concerns that North Korea is possibly preparing its sixth nuclear test in a decade or a rocket launch of significance, such as its first flight test of an ICBM.

Mr. Kim, a 30-something leader who took power in late 2011, emphasizes nuclear weapons as the foundation of his national defense strategy. The country under his watch has been aggressively pursuing a goal of putting a nuclear warhead on an ICBM capable of reaching the continental United States.

In his annual New Year’s address, Mr. Kim said that North Korea’s preparations for an ICBM launch have “reached the final stage.” U.S. satellite imagery suggests the country could conduct another underground nuclear test at any time.

North Korea conducted two of such tests last year alone, which analysts say would have taken the country a step forward in gaining the knowledge to make nuclear weapons small enough to fit on long-range missiles. The North also last year launched a long-range rocket that put a satellite into orbit, which Washington, Seoul and others saw as a banned test of missile technology.

Amid the elevated tensions, the United States a few days ago dispatched what President Donald Trump called an “armada” of ships in a show of force, including an aircraft carrier, into waters off the Korean Peninsula.

The move, coupled with the U.S. retaliatory strikes against Syria over a chemical weapons attack on civilians, touched off fear in South Korea that the United States was preparing for military action on the North.

A U.S. military official, who requested anonymity to discuss planning, said the United States doesn’t intend to use military force against North Korea in response to either a nuclear test or a missile launch.

Pyongyang has expressed anger over the annual spring military exercises the U.S. holds with South Korea, which it considers an invasion rehearsal. It has warned of a nuclear attack on the United States in retaliation for any sign of aggression. That threat, however, has been made numerous times in the past.

BJP national executive meet begins in Bhubaneswar

BJP president Amit Shah being received at the party’s state office in Bhubaneswar.   | Photo Credit: Biswaranjan Rout

Bhubaneswar: The party will focus on expanding the party in politically important states like West Bengal and Odisha.

The two-day BJP national executive meeting began here on Saturday with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party chief Amit Shah expected to underline strategy for a big saffron push in states like Odisha where it has traditionally been weak.

A meeting of BJP office-bearers has started to finalise the agenda of the executive meeting, expected to begin after Mr. Modi reaches here later in the afternoon.

The executive meets against the backdrop of the party’s stunning win in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand besides maiden conquest in Manipur.

It will focus on expanding the party in politically important states like West Bengal and Odisha, which are key to Mr. Shah’s 2019 Lok Sabha poll strategy.

The choice of Odisha as the national executive venue highlights Mr. Shah’s focus on the state as he believes that the party can boost its prospects here due to anti-incumbency against BJD chief and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who has been in power since 2000, and declining fortunes of the Congress.

An impressive show by the BJP in recent local body polls in the state, and internal fights in the BJD have boosted its morale.

Mr. Modi will be accorded a warm welcome when he arrives in the city with the party planning receptions for him at several places on his way from airport to the Raj Bhawan, where he will stay tonight.

Mr. Shah was also presented with a garland of 74 lotus, a reference to the majority mark in the 147-seat Odisha assembly.

Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan called Odisha a “laboratory” for the pro-poor policies of the Modi government as he hit out at the state government a day before the executive begins.

Mr. Modi will also felicitate the members of 16 families associated with an 1817 rebellion in Odisha against the British rule.

Continuing with the BJP’s Dalit outreach, the party has named the venue of its executive meet after noted Odia poet and reformer Bhima Bhoi.

The Dalits constitute over 17 per cent of the state’s electorate and have never been traditional voters of the saffron party, which is now wooing them aggressively.

RBI Dy Manager apat General Manager a Promotion hin mu

PC: Lamneichong Chongloi

Imphal, Apr 15 (KA): Thulhut kimu dungjui jin Imphal Old Lambulane a cheng Nl. Lamneichong@Chongboi Chongloi D/o Pu Letkhongam Chongloi le Pi Lalchoi Chongloi chanu tah pen in tu naicha chun atohna RBI Dy Manager akon promotion ahin mu in General Manager ah ana kaisang tai.

Pi Lamneichong Chongloi hi tule tua Jaipur Rajasthan a posting lai ahi. Chule apa Pu Letkhongam Chongloi Jong hi tule tua N Biren Singh govt a hi general private Secretary ahi.

Pi Chongboi hi Kukite lah dia RBI General Manager kai masapen hidia ginchat ahitoh lhonin Khochungte Awgin in hachangpan iki pa piuvin chujongleh amalam ah hung lolhing toupeh Jing tahen tin Best wishes ibol uve.

Russia’s ‘Father Of All Bombs’, the most powerful non-nuclear weapon known

The Russian non-nuclear device dubbed the “Father Of All Bombs”. Picture source: YouTube  

It’s four times more powerful than the U.S.’s “Mother Of All Bombs”.

The U.S. on April 13, 2017 dropped its biggest non-nuclear device, the GBU-43 Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb (MOAB, hence the nickname the Mother Of All Bombs) on Islamic State targets in Afghanistan. First tested in 2003, the bomb unleashes destructive power equivalent to 11 tonnes of TNT. But, it’s not the most powerful bomb in the world. Russia has a Father Of All Bombs, a far more destructive device.

What is the Father Of All Bombs?

Officially the Aviation Thermobaric Bomb of Increased Power, the ordnance is four times more powerful than the U.S. weapon. Unlike the MOAB, which uses conventional ordnance, the FOAB aka “Big Daddy” is Thermobaric — meant to burn its targets. It uses oxygen from the atmosphere, rather than carrying an oxidising agent in its explosives. It produces more energy than normal weapons but is harder to control. According to the Russian military the FOAB is equivalent to 44 tonnes of TNT compared to the U.S. device’s 11 tonnes.

How does it work?

Such devices generally detonate in two stages. First a small blast disperses a main load of explosive material into a cloud, which then either spontaneously ignites in air or is set off by a second charge. This explosion generates a pressure wave that reaches much further than that from a conventional explosive. The consumption of gases in the blast also generates a partial vacuum that can compound damage and injuries caused by the explosion itself. "The main destruction is inflicted by an ultrasonic shockwave and an incredibly high temperature. All that is alive merely evaporates," news agency Reuters reported in 2007 quoting Russian media reports.

When was it tested?

It was first tested on September 11, 2007. Russia’s military said the aviation vacuum bomb, also known as a fuel-air bomb, was the mightiest ever created.

What was the background to Russia’s announcement of the FOAB?

Russia’s announcement of the bomb came at a time of growing tension between Moscow and the West, and followed a tumultuous eight months in which Vladimir Putin denounced U.S. power, torn up a conventional arms agreement with NATO, and grabbed a large, if symbolic, chunk of the Arctic.

(With inputs from the Guardian and Reuters)

North Korea displays apparently new missiles as U.S. carrier group approaches

Military vehicles carry missiles with characters reading 'Pukkuksong' during a military parade marking the 105th birth anniversary of country's founding father, Kim Il Sung in Pyongyang, April 15, 2017. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj

PYONGYANG/SEOUL

North Korea displayed what appeared to be new long-range and submarine-based missiles on the 105th birth anniversary of its founding father, Kim Il Sung, on Saturday, as a nuclear-powered U.S. aircraft carrier group steamed towards the region.

Missiles appeared to be the main theme of the giant parade, with Kim's grandson, leader Kim Jong Un, taking time to greet the commander of the Strategic Forces, the branch of the military that oversees the missile arsenal.

A U.S. Navy attack on a Syrian airfield this month with Tomahawk missiles raised questions about U.S. President Donald Trump's plans for reclusive North Korea, which has conducted several missile and nuclear tests in defiance of U.N. sanctions, regularly threatening to destroy the United States.

Kim Jong Un, looking relaxed in a dark suit and laughing with aides, oversaw the festivities on the "Day of the Sun" at Pyongyang's main Kim Il Sung Square.

Goose-stepping soldiers and marching bands filled the square, next to the Taedonggang River that flows through Pyongyang, in the hazy spring sunshine, followed by tanks, multiple-launch rocket systems and other weapons.

Single-engine propeller-powered planes flew in a 105 formation overhead.

Unlike at some previous parades attended by Kim, there did not appear to be a senior Chinese official in attendance. China is North Korea's lone major ally but has spoken out against its missile and nuclear tests and has supported U.N. sanctions. China on Friday again called for talks to defuse the crisis.

Weapons analysts said they believed some of the missiles on display were new types of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM).

The North has said it has developed and would launch a missile that can strike the mainland United States but officials and experts believe it is some time away from mastering all the necessary technology.

Missiles are driven past the stand with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and other high ranking officials during a military parade marking the 105th birth anniversary of country's founding father Kim Il Sung, in Pyongyang April 15, 2017. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj

"EARLY DAYS"

North Korea showed two new kinds of ICBM enclosed in canister launchers mounted on the back of trucks, suggesting Pyongyang was working towards a "new concept" of ICBM, said Melissa Hanham, a senior research associate at the U.S.-based Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, California.

"However, North Korea has a habit of showing off new concepts in parades before they ever test or launch them," Hanham said.

"It is still early days for these missile designs."

The Pukkuksong submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBM) were also on parade. It was the first time North Korea had shown the missiles, which have a range of more than 1,000 km (600 miles), at a military parade.

Displaying more than one of the missiles indicates North Korea is progressing with its plan to base a missile on a submarine, which are hard to detect, said Joshua Pollack, editor of the Washington-based Nonproliferation Review.

"It suggests a commitment to this programme," said Pollack. "Multiple SLBMs seems like a declaration of intent to advance the programme."

North Korea, still technically at war with the South after their 1950-53 conflict ended in a truce but not a treaty, has on occasion conducted missile or nuclear tests to coincide with big political events and often threatens the United States, South Korea and Japan.

Choe Ryong Hae, a close aide to Kim Jong Un, addressed the packed square with a characteristically bellicose warning to the United States.

"If the United States wages reckless provocation against us, our revolutionary power will instantly counter with annihilating strike, and we will respond to full-out war with full-out war and to nuclear war with our style of nuclear strike warfare," he said.

A soldier salutes atop an armoured vehicle as it drives past the stand with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during a military parade marking the 105th birth anniversary of country's founding father, Kim Il Sung, in Pyongyang April 15, 2017. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj

PENCE TO VISIT SOUTH

State news agency KCNA said the Trump administration's "serious military hysteria" had reached a "dangerous phase which can no longer be overlooked".

The United States has warned that a policy of "strategic patience" with North Korea is over. U.S. Vice President Mike Pence travels to South Korea on Sunday on a long-planned 10-day trip to Asia.

North Korean soldiers march and shout slogans during a military parade marking the 105th birth anniversary of country's founding father Kim Il Sung in Pyongyang, North Korea, April 15, 2017. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj

RELATED COVERAGE

North Korea displays submarine-based missiles for first time at military parade

China has also stepped up economic pressure on North Korea. It banned all imports of North Korean coal on Feb. 26 under U.N. sanctions, cutting off the North's most important export product.

China's national airline, Air China, weeks ago cancelled some flights to Pyongyang due to poor demand but it has not suspended all flights there, it said on Friday, denying a report by Chinese state broadcaster CCTV that all flights run by the airline between the two cities were to be suspended.

China's Global Times newspaper, which is published by the People's Daily, the Communist Party's official paper, said North Korea must have felt the shockwave from the 11-ton "mother of all bombs" dropped by U.S. forces on Islamic State-linked fighters in Afghanistan on Thursday.

"It would be nice if the bomb could frighten Pyongyang, but its actual impact may just be the opposite," it said in an editorial.

North Korea on Friday denounced the United States for bringing "huge nuclear strategic assets" to the region as the USS Carl Vinson strike group with a flag-ship nuclear-powered aircraft carrier steamed closer.

In Dandong, China's main border post with North Korea, hundreds of North Koreans gathered at a cultural centre carrying floral displays.

With the men wearing pins adorned with photos of Kim Il Sung, and the women in brightly coloured traditional dress, crowds lined up to bow to portraits of their state founder before touring an exhibition of photos and North Korean paintings.

KCNA was gushing in its praise of Kim Il Sung, recalling the time he met former U.S. president Jimmy Carter in 1994.

"Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter was so fascinated by his personality as to say that Kim Il Sung is greater than that George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln put together, eulogizing him as the great sun god of human destiny." it said.

Source: REUTERS

How Pak military kept PM Nawaz Sharif in dark about Kulbhushan Jadhav's trial

New Delhi, Apr 15: Pakistani military court has announced death sentence to Indian citizen Kulbhushan Jadhav for his alleged role in sabotage and espionage activities

On April 10, the news of Pakistani military court announcing the death sentence to Indian citizen Kulbhushan Jadhav for his alleged role in sabotage and espionage activities made headlines in the country, however, it was the same time when Pakistan government got to know about it. The decision to award death sentence to Jadhav by the army court was kept out of view of even Nawaz Sharif government.

As per a report published in Times of India, the Pakistani government discovered about the death sentence being awarded to Jadhav when Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s advisor on foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz read out the statement which had the information about it.

Meanwhile, strongly condemning the action taken by Pakistani military court, External Affairs Minister, Sushma Swaraj said that India will go to any extent in order to provide justice to Jadhav.

On Friday, Sartaj Aziz said,  “Kulbhushan Jhadav, who is responsible for espionage, sabotage and terrorism in Pakistan, has been tried according to the law of the land, in a fully transparent manner while preserving his rights, as per the Constitution of Pakistan.”

Aziz said that if Jadhav was innocent then why he was carrying two passports, one with a Hindu name and another one with a Muslim name.

On Jadhav getting a fair trial, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said, “I do not agree with what Pakistan has said. Kulbhushan Jadhav did not get a fair trial.”

As the issue is aggravating with each passing day, India has now cancelled the maritime talks with Pakistan which were scheduled for early next week.

Source: INUTH.COM

North Korea tells US to end military hysteria or face 'merciless' retaliation

PC: inuth.com

Pyongyang, April 15 (Reuters): North Korea warned the United States on Saturday to end its “military hysteria” or face retaliation as a US aircraft carrier group steamed towards the region and the reclusive state marked the “Day of the Sun”, the 105th birth anniversary of its founding father.

Concern has grown since the US Navy fired Tomahawk missiles at a Syrian airfield last week in response to a deadly gas attack. That raised questions about US President Donald Trump's plans for North Korea, which has conducted several missile and nuclear tests in defiance of UN and unilateral sanctions.

The North's warning came as leader Kim Jong Un, looking relaxing relaxed in a dark suit and laughing with aides, oversaw a military parade at Pyongyang's main Kim Il Sung square, named after his grandfather, on his birth anniversary.

Goose-stepping soldiers and marching bands filled the square, next to the Taedonggang River that flows through Pyongyang, in the hazy spring sunshine, followed by tanks, multiple launch rocket systems and other weapons.

Single-engine propeller-powered planes flew in a 105 formation overhead.

North Korea, still technically at war with the South after their 1950-53 conflict ended in a truce but not a treaty, has on occasion conducted missile or nuclear tests to coincide with big political events and often threatens the United States, South Korea and Japan.

”All the brigandish provocative moves of the US in the political, economic and military fields pursuant to its hostile policy toward the DPRK will thoroughly be foiled through the toughest counteraction of the army and people of the DPRK,” the KCNA state news agency said, citing a spokesman for the General Staff of the Korean People's Army.

DPRK stands for the official name of North Korea, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

”Our toughest counteraction against the US and its vassal forces will be taken in such a merciless manner as not to allow the aggressors to survive.”

KCNA said the Trump administration's “serious military hysteria” had reached a “dangerous phase, which can no longer be overlooked”.

The United States has warned that a policy of “strategic patience” with North Korea is over. US Vice-President Mike Pence travels to South Korea on Sunday on a long-planned 10-day trip to Asia.

State TV showed North Korea's Pukkuksong submarine-launched ballistic missiles on parade with tanks and other heavy machinery in front of Kim Jong Un. It was the first time North Korea had shown the missiles, which have a range of over 1000 km, at a military parade.

Displaying more than one of the missiles indicates North Korea is progressing with its plan to base a missile on a submarine, which are hard to detect, said Joshua Pollack, editor of the Washington-based Nonproliferation Review.

”It suggests a commitment to this programme,” said Pollack. ”Multiple SLBMs seems like a declaration of intent to advance the programme”.

Choe Ryong Hae, a close aide to Kim, addressed the packed square and iterated the warning to the United States.

”If the United States wages reckless provocation against us, our revolutionary power will instantly counter with annihilating strike, and we will respond to full-out war with full-out war and to nuclear war with our style of nuclear strike warfare,” he said.

China, North Korea's sole major ally and neighbour which nevertheless opposes its weapons programme, on Friday again called for talks to defuse the crisis.

North Korea on Friday denounced the United States for bringing “huge nuclear strategic assets” to the region as the USS Carl Vinson strike group with a flagship nuclear-powered aircraft carrier steamed closer.

Pak says 3 RAW agents held in PoK

[Representational Images]

Islamabad, April 15: Police in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir have claimed that they have arrested three agents of RAW, India’s external spy agency, according to a media report on Saturday.

The suspects were produced with their faces masked before the media during a briefing in Rawalkot, the Dawn newspaper reported.

The three were residents of Taroti village in Abbaspur in PoK, according to the report.

Sajid Imran, deputy superintendent of police (DSP) in Poonch, said the main suspect Khalil had visited Kashmir in November 2014, where he came in contact with Research & Analysis Wing officials.

Imran said the three suspects were involved in a bomb blast outside a police station in Abbaspur in September. They allegedly planted the planted an improvised explosive device (IED).

The DSP claimed Khalil was offered Rs 500,000 for the task.

The police were alerted to their involvement in the blast after an individual said he spotted the trio in Abbaspur on the night of September 26 with a shopping bag in their possession, the report said.

The suspects have been booked under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) and Explosives Act, Imran said.

Source: PTI

ATHISA A KIMU

Jimmy Jangkholam Haokip

_________________________
15/04/2017 | KA 24x7 Online Portal News

Pu Jimmy Jangkholam Haokip tujing kah a room kot akihon tahlou chuleh akou kou vang uva ahou louphat in Vengsung mipi hon akot akhet hong uleh athisa in alup na ah anaum in ahi.

Amahi Dampi kom bungsang a cheng Imphal Haokip venga inn bahara a achanga cheng ahi akiti e.

Pathen in adalhah insung mite lhamon tahen

Source: Moreh Alert

Kagin maw sa sa - 'Number of IS fighters killed by US bomb crosses 90'

Mega killer: The GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb the U.S. forces dropped on an IS target in Afghanistan. AP   | Photo Credit: AP

Kabul: The massive bomb was dropped after fighting intensified over the past week and US-backed ground forces struggled to advance on the area.

An Afghan official says the number of militants killed in an attack by the largest non-nuclear weapon ever used in combat by the U.S. military has risen to 94.

Ataullah Khogyani, spokesman for the provincial governor in Nangarhar, said Saturday the number of Islamic State group dead was up from the 36 reported a day earlier.

A Ministry of Defense official had said Friday that the number of dead could rise as officials assessed the bomb site in Achin district.

The U.S. attack on a tunnel complex in remote eastern Nangarhar province near the Pakistan border killed at least four IS group leaders, Khogyani said. He said a clearance operation was continuing.

There had been heavy fighting in the area in recent weeks between Afghan forces and IS militants.

The number of Islamic State fighters killed by a massive US bomb in eastern Afghanistan has nearly tripled to at least 90, Afghan officials said on Saturday.

The GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb -- dubbed the "Mother Of All Bombs" -- was unleashed in combat for the first time, hitting IS positions in eastern Nangarhar province on Thursday.

The bomb smashed their mountain hideouts, a tunnel-and-cave complex that had been mined against conventional ground attacks, engulfing the remote area in towering flames.

"At least 92 Daesh (IS) fighters were killed in the bombing," Achin district governor Esmail Shinwari told AFP on Saturday. Nangarhar provincial spokesman Attaullah Khogyani gave a toll of 90.

Afghan officials had earlier said the bombing had killed 36 IS fighters.

Mr. Shinwari insisted there were "no military and civilian casualties at all".

Security experts say IS had built their redoubts close to civilian homes, but the government said thousands of local families had already fled the area in recent months of fighting.

The massive bomb was dropped after fighting intensified over the past week and US-backed ground forces struggled to advance on the area. An American special forces soldier was killed last Saturday in Nangarhar while conducting anti-IS operations.

President Ashraf Ghani threw his support behind the bombardment.

But some officials close to him condemned the use of Afghanistan as what they called a testing ground for the weapon, and against a militant group that controls only a tiny sliver of territory and is not considered a huge threat.

IS, notorious for its reign of terror in Syria and Iraq, has made inroads into Afghanistan in recent years, attracting disaffected members of the Pakistani and Afghan Taliban as well as Uzbek Islamists.

But the group has been steadily losing ground in the face of heavy pressure both from US air strikes and a ground offensive led by Afghan forces.

Source: Agencies

Low pressure area to form in Bay in next 24 hours, cyclone likely

Chennai, Apr 14: The cyclonic circulation over Southeast Bay of Bengal and adjoining Andaman Sea continues to get more organised. According to Skymet Weather, with this pace, the system is likely to intensify into a low pressure area during the next 24 hours over the same area.

Mahesh Palawat, Chief Meteorologist, Skymet Weather said, As the sea surface temperatures are warmer, situation is conducive for further strengthening. Therefore, it is most likely to develop into a well-marked low pressure area in another 24-48 hours.

In wake of this, the cyclonic circulation is likely to give fairly widespread rain and thundershowers over Andaman and Nicobar Islands during the next 2-3 days. Isolated spells of heavy to very heavy falls are also likely over few places.

Though the system is too far to have any impact weather over Indian mainland but Coastal Tamil Nadu may see partly cloudy sky. However, chances of rains are very remote but isolated thundery activity cannot be ruled out. As weather models are suggesting, the system would initially track north-northwestwards. There is high probability of formation of a depression by April 17. Thereafter, as it will continue to venture in deep sea, there is a possibility of this tropical system to intensify into a cyclone.

However, we should wait and watch its further development. Sometimes due to high vertical wind shear and cooler sea surface temperatures, the intensification process of the storm can be hampered. But it is too early to predict these probabilities.

Courtesy: skymetweather.com

Airtel, Vodafone and Idea fight Reliance Jio with data rich offers

15 Apr 2017 | Livechennai.com

Chennai: While Reliance Jio is continuing its free services to customers under Jio Dhan Dhana Dhan offer, the three telecom majors Airtel, Vodafone and Idea have introduced new slashed rate offers to retain their customer base. These offers give personalized options to customers based on their individual usage.

All these data-heavy offers intend retaining their customer base and prevent them from opting for Jio Prime services. These launches come at a time when Jio’s Prime membership sign up deadline nears. The deadline for Rs 99 subscription for Jio prime is 15th April.

Rs 244 pack from Airtel 
The Rs 244 offer provides 1GB data every day with validity of 70 days to all 4G smartphone and 4G SIM Cards. This has no restriction with data consumption timing except the daily FUP of 1GB. The Airtel mobile app and website claim that users get unlimited STD calling and local calling, however the daily free Airtel to Airtel call limit is 300 minutes, and a total of 1200 minutes of free calls per week to the other networks. For usage beyond the free calling limit, the charge will be Rs 0.10 per minute.

Rs 399 pack from Airtel 
The Rs 399 pack from Airtel provides 1GB data every day for all the 4G smartphones and 4G SIM cards. To all other networks, users can make free phone calls, however it is limited to 3000 minutes for a total of 70 days period. Once the free limit is exhausted, the calls will be charged at Rs 0.10 per minute. There is also free Airtel to Airtel calls for 300 minutes per day and 1200 minutes per week.

Rs 345 pack from Airtel 
There is one more offer for Rs 345. This offers 1 to 2 GB data limit per day. Coming on to the data consumption limit, there is no restriction with the timing at all. The users are restricted to use 500MB between 12 am and 6 am and the remaining 500 MB during the remaining hours. The Rs 345 pack comes with 28 days validity and has the free calling offers the same as Rs 399 pack.

Vodafone Rs 352 offer
Coming on to Vodafone offers, there is Rs 352 pack under which users get 1GB data per day with validity of 56 days. This is equivalent to 28 days cycles. Together with this, there is Vodafone Super Offer pack that offers free local and STD voice calling completely for free. These offers are however unavailable on Vodafone website or MyVodafone app. To avail the offer, approach any Vodafone outlet.

Rs 297 pack from Idea
The Rs 297 pack from Idea offers 1GB data with a validity of 70 days for all 4G SIM cards and 4G Smartphones. Users enjoy free 300 minutes of calls in a day and 1200 minutes in a week within Idea network beyond which 30 paisa will be charged per minute of call.

Rs 447 pack from Idea
There is also another pack for Rs 447 where users get 1GB data per day and also free voice calling to any other network with a validity of 70 days. Here, the free calls to other networks is just 3000 minutes beyond which 30 paise per minute is quoted. Calls made within the network are the same as Rs 297 pack.

Manipur Minister Resigns from Month-Old BJP Government

PC: NortheastToday

Manipur Health and Family Welfare Minister Langpoklakpam Jayentakumar Singh has resigned citing ‘interference’ to his authority, a month after being sworn in as the minister.

According to a copy of the resignation letter, which was made available to the press yesterday night, Jayentakumar Singh, an NPP leader, resigned on Friday.

Chief Minister Nongthombam Biren Singh, however, told PTI that he neither received the health minister’s resignation letter nor had any information about it. Nongthombam Biren Singh was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Manipur on March 15 along with eight other ministers, including Jayentakumar.

In the resignation letter to the Chief Minister, Jayentakumar said that he had been working with “certain visions”. However, he said, “I may not be able to get (the) visions materialised as expected since there have been so many interferences to my authority…. I am, therefore, taking the step to tender my resignation.”

Jayentakumar did not mention about the kind of interferences which he had faced. He was also not available for any comment. He was elected from the Keishamthong constituency in Imphal West district.

-PTI

AHMEHNABAD AH MIZO SI OM

April 14,2017 (Friday): sunma lam in Ahmedabad-a nasem a om, Mary Lalzawnchhuahi, Kanan veng mi in tangtawn gam hon na zotsan hi.

.

Aman ta leng neita a, a sungkuan te leh ata te etkolna dia septheih teng sem a naktak a pang a nasem mi ahi hi. Aman dam ngellou pipi in na sem sek a atate leh a a sungkuan te a dia nak tak a apan lai in lamet louh pi in tuni sunma ihmu phawn zohlouh in om a bang ziak a si hi hiam chih theih ahi kei a aluang pen postmortem bawl in om lel hi.

- Source: Chanchinthar / HUIHKHI

Kuki reputed Musician Pu David Kakaap Kipgen ji nei tading

15 Apr 2017 | KA 24x7 Online Portal News

PC: David Kakaap & Ngaikhotin

Music Master Pu David Kakaap in leiset adia alungset pen2 nungah melhoitah Ng. Ngaikhotin@Tinnu to Christian Insung nom khat sem khom pidinga ahung lhung ding nisim 21 leh Jangngouphai Village, Burma a Pathen houdan thenga kicheng hon tading ahi tin thulhut akimui. Pathen in amalam honnah phatthei bohjing lhon tahen.

Why Are You Weeping?

Daily Devotional for Saturday, April 15th, 2017

PC: jacobabshire.com

- By Kimboi Kigpen | KA Gospel Columnist 

Then they said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him." (John 20:13)

Mary Magdalene could vividly remember the day Jesus delivered her from her demonic bondage. She became His devoted follower that day (Luke 8:2). She watched Him heal the sick and teach people about God’s love. Her life was transformed as she experienced the joy of being with Jesus. Then her world seemed to fall apart! Her Lord was arrested and brutally murdered. The crowds that had shouted “Hosanna!” at the beginning of the week cried “Crucify him!” by week’s end. A final blow came when she went to anoint Jesus’ body at the tomb. She saw that His tomb was empty. Someone had apparently stolen His body. As she sobbed in despair, angels asked the poignant question, “Why are you weeping?” She was standing before an empty tomb! Jesus had risen, just as He had promised! Knowing that Jesus was alive put everything back into perspective, and Mary joyfully raced to share the good news with others. The Christian life is not always easy. There are joyful moments of walking with Jesus, but there are also times when nothing makes sense and when your world seems to be crumbling. The world will mock your Lord, and you may grow discouraged. At those times, you need to peer into the empty tomb. It is the abandoned tomb that gives you hope, for it symbolizes the life that is yours from your risen Lord. The empty tomb promises that nothing, not even death itself, can defeat the purposes of your Lord. Are you weeping beside an empty tomb? 

(Experiencing God Day By a Day)