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Odisha: Gau rakshak dies 12 days after attack by cow smugglers, internet services suspended to keep situation under control

OpIndia Staff
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Odisha: Gau rakshak dies 12 days after attack by cow smugglers, internet services suspended to keep situation under control

A gau rakshak has died in an attack by cow smugglers in Bhadrak, Odisha. A group of cow smugglers had attacked the gau rakshak a few days ago. He was seriously injured during the attack, and later died during treatment in the hospital. Following the development, Hindus in the area are very angry and demand strict action against the perpetrators.

According to media reports, on Wednesday (June 11), gau rakshak Santosh Parida died during treatment in a hospital. He was a resident of Tihadi in Bhadrak, Odisha. Gau rakshak Parida was admitted to the hospital since May 30 and was undergoing treatment after suffering injuries during the attack.

Parida was attacked by a gang of cow smugglers on May 30, 2025. Parida was seriously injured during the attack. It is suggested that this attack took place when the gau rakshak clashed with the cow smugglers.

The situation has become tense in Bhadrak after this death. Bhadrak police has registered an FIR in the case and arrested 12 people in this case. In view of the deteriorating situation, internet has been shut down in Bhadrak from June 12, 2025.

Additional police force has also been deployed in Bhadrak. The Mohan Charan Manjhi government of the state has also taken cognizance of the matter. The Manjhi government has announced a compensation of ₹10 lakh to the victim’s family. The government has assured strict action in the matter.

A report suggests that 2000+ cow smuggling cases have been registered in Odisha between 2019-24. A senior Odisha Police officer told OpIndia on the condition of anonymity that Bhadrak’s border is not very far from West Bengal, so cows are smuggled from here to Bangladesh via Bengal.

CNN News18 apologises after anchor Akanksha Swarup claimed that human sacrifice takes place at Kamakhya Mandir and Raja Raghuvanshi murder may be linked to it

OpIndia Staff
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CNN News18 apologises after anchor Akanksha Swarup claimed that human sacrifice takes place at Kamakhya Mandir and Raja Raghuvanshi murder may be linked to it

CNN News18 on Thursday issued an apology for one its anchor’s shocking remarks claiming human sacrifice at Kamakhya Mandir and linking the Raja Raghuvanshi murder case with the same. The channel called it a complete error of judgment, saying that had no intention whatsoever.

CNN News18 posted on X, “In one of the shows aired yesterday, in the context of Raja Raghuvanshi murder case, CNN News18 anchor referred erroneously to ‘human sacrifice’ at the holy Kamakhya Temple in Assam. This was a complete error of judgment. We had no intention whatsoever. We apologize profusely to anyone whose religious sentiments are hurt after these comments. Further, we have deleted any reference to such a clip from all our platforms. We deeply regret these comments and apologise profusely for the same.”

The controversial remarks were made by anchor Akanksha Swarup while talking to Raja Raghuvanshi’s sister Shrasti Raghuwanshi on air on Wednesday. While talking to her, Shrasti Raghuwanshi claimed that it can be a case of human sacrifice also, as the honeymoon couple had visited Kamakhya Mandir in Guwahati before going to Meghalaya, where Raja was killed by his wife Sonam with the help of three aides from Madhya Pradesh.

Akanksha Swarup said, “It has been said that it can be a case of human sacrifice. We have talked to Raja Raghuvanshi’s brother, who said that this can be called a human sacrifice because he was stabbed from behind and he was also had a garland on him. And Because they had visited Kamakhya, where human sacrifice takes places or sacrifices are made.”

The anchor then asked, “So do these things raise a suspicion that this can be a tantric murder?” Responding to this leading question, Raja’s sister said that she can’t say anything on this, but added that she knows that human sacrifice takes place at Kamakhya.

This is a completely false claim planted by CNN News18 anchor Akanksha Swarup, because no human sacrifice takes place at Kamakhya. Yes, animal sacrifice does takes place at the Shakti Peeth, where various animals and birds are sacrificed during Durga Puja.

Obviously, human sacrifice is a crime and is not allowed anywhere in India. Therefore, the anchor’s claim that this regularly takes place at Kamakhya has triggered an outrage in Assam.

19 plots, 3 buildings, Villa, destination wedding: Read all about the astronomical wealth accumulated by Telangana engineer booked for corruption

OpIndia Staff
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19 plots, 3 buildings, Villa, destination wedding: Read all about the astronomical wealth accumulated by Telangana engineer booked for corruption

Telangana’s Anti-Corruption Bureau, on Tuesday (10th June) conducted raids on 13 locations linked to an executive engineer employed at the state irrigation and Command Area Department in connection with a corruption probe. Executive engineer Nune Sridhar was arrested on the allegations of amassing wealth exceeding his means.

As per reports, Sridhar led an envious lifestyle, which was not legally possible for a salaried government employee. He spent crores on his son’s destination wedding in Thailand. He has accumulated massive wealth and properties including a villa in Tellapur near Hyderabad, 3 independent buildings in Warangal, Karimnagar and Hyderabad, 19 prime residential plots in the three cities, 4 flats, 16 acres of agricultural land, and stakes in several hotels in Karimnagar. He also reportedly owns a 4,500 square foot flat in a luxury residential complex called ‘Sky High’ in Hyderabad’s Shaikpet, along with three other flats in Karimnagar. Apart from these, the ACB found two four wheelers, gold ornaments and bank deposits during the raid.

“A case of disproportionate assets to the known sources of income was registered against Nune Sridhar, executive engineer, irrigation & CAD department, division No.-8, SRSP Camp, Choppadandi, Karim Nagar for having acquired these assets by indulging in unlawful practices and dubious means during his service,” said a statement by the anti-corruption branch.

It is reported that the executive engineer was involved in the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project, a multi-stage lift irrigation project constructed during the previous Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government with an estimated cost of over ₹1 lakh crore. The project came under scrutiny for alleged financial and technical irregularities. The project hit headlines after some structural failures emerged, including the sinking of piers at the Medigadda barrage in 2023. Former Telangana chief minister and Bharat Rashtra Samithi chief K Chandrashekar Rao was also summoned by the PC Ghose Commission yesterday (11th June), which is investigating the alleged irregularities in the project.

As per NDTV, a report, submitted by the Director General, Vigilance and Enforcement (DG, V&E), Hyderabad, reccommended criminal proceedings in the Medigadda Barrage Case. The report found serious lapses in execution resulting in the sinking of Block No 7 of the barrage and a substantial financial loss to the state. The Vigilance Commission instructed that the cost incurred for the replacement of the damaged block be recovered from the contractor.

Solar Defence and Aerospace Limited conducts successful trial of Hybrid Vertical Take-off and Landing drone Rudrastra at Pokharan range

ANI
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Solar Defence and Aerospace Limited conducts successful trial of Hybrid Vertical Take-off and Landing drone Rudrastra at Pokharan range

Solar Defence and Aerospace Limited (SDAL) has successfully completed the trial of its Hybrid VTOL UAV Rudrastra at the Pokharan Firing Range on Wednesday.

The trial was conducted in accordance with the Indian Army’s performance parameters, including vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL), high endurance, precision targeting, and mission flexibility.

The UAV demonstrated robust operational capability, covering a mission radius of over 50 km with a stable real-time video link and successfully returning to the original launch point. The total range, including loitering at the target area, exceeded 170 km, with an estimated endurance of approximately 1.5 hours.

A significant highlight of the trial was the successful deployment of a precision-guided anti-personnel warhead. Dropped from medium altitude, the munition executed an airburst detonation at low height, achieving a lethal effect over a wide radius, meeting tactical effectiveness benchmarks.

This successful demonstration marks a major milestone in India’s pursuit of indigenized defence technologies and is a strong step toward Aatmanirbhar Bharat.

In a related development, SDAL had earlier tested a new low-cost counter-drone solution in hard-kill mode, named ‘Bhargavastra’. Designed to neutralise hostile drone swarms, the system employs micro-rockets to deliver rapid and effective responses. The trials were conducted at the Seaward Firing Range in Gopalpur on May 13 and 14 under the observation of senior Army Air Defence (AAD) officials.

Three rounds of tests were carried out, including two single-rocket firings and one salvo-mode trial where two rockets were fired within a two-second interval. All four rockets met launch parameters and validated the system’s ability to counter emerging aerial threats effectively.

Highlighting ‘Bhargavastra’s adaptability and cost-effectiveness, SDAL emphasised its indigenous design and the development of dedicated rocket and micro-missiles to neutralise hostile UAVs. Furthermore, the system is modular and can have an additional soft-kill layer to include Jamming and Spoofing to provide an integrated and comprehensive shield for all branches of the armed forces.

This is another feather in the cap for the “Make in India” mission and a progressive step in further strengthening our already robust Air Defence umbrella.

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

Are we heading towards an Israel-Iran war? Read why the threat of this war breaking out has increased drastically

Aditi
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Are we heading towards an Israel-Iran war? Read why the threat of this war breaking out has increased drastically

The world might witness a war in the Middle East as Israel prepares to launch an operation into Iran in coming days. As per reports, Israel informed the US officials about its plan to attack Iran following which the US State Department has advised US citizens and officials on Wednesday (11th June) to leave Iraq amid rising regional tensions. The US is anticipating that Iran could retaliate to Israel’s action by targeting the American sites in Iraq.

According to reports, the US planning to pull its non-essential staff from its embassies and bases lying within the strike range of Iran in the Middle Eastern region. The military bases of the US in the UAE, Bahrain and Kuwait have reportedly been put on red alert. The US government has also authorised the military family members in the region to voluntarily leave. Speaking at the Kennedy Centre on Wednesday, US President Donald Trump informed the media that the US citizens have been advised to leave the Middle East “because it could be a dangerous pleace, and we’ll se what happens”. Trump added that the US did not want Iran to develop a nuclear weapon.

Meanwhile, Iran’s Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh, on Wednesday, clearly expressed the possibility of Iranian attack on the US bases in the region saying that if a “conflict is imposed on us,” the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps “will target all U.S. bases in the host countries.”

The US-Iran nuclear deal

The US envoy in Middle East, Steve Witkoff is reportedly planning to meet with Iranian officials in the next few days for a sixth round of talks on Iran’s nuclear program. The two countries have held five rounds of discussion since April 2024 in order to reach an agreement that could replace the 2015 Iran nuclear accord which was junked by Trump during his first term in 2018. The Iran nuclear accord or the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was an agreement signed by Iran with the five permanent members of the US Security Council (United States, United Kingdom, France, China, Russia, and Germany) and the European Union, which put restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for lifting sanctions.

President Trump has low hopes regarding the discussions between the US and Iran. He expressed the lack of possibility of a nuclear deal being made between the two countries. “I don’t know. I did think so, and I’m getting more and more — less confident about it. They seem to be delaying, and I think that’s a shame, but I’m less confident now than I would have been a couple of months ago. Something happened to them, but I am much less confident of a deal being made,”Trump said. The US-Iran talks apparently hitting a dead-end coupled with Iran’s rejection of the US proposal for a nuclear deal and a demand for the recognition of its right to enrich uranium, have led to the current spike in tensions between Israel and Iran.

Why the US and Israel are opposed to Iran’s nuclear program

Both the US and Israel have been opposing Iran’s nuclear program considering its possible geopolitical repercussions and a potential threat for the Jewish state. Even though Iran was the second Muslim country, after Turkey, to recognise Israel as a sovereign state, but the country’s support for proxy forces in the region and its military and financial assistance to terrorist groups like Hamas and Hezbollah have led to Israel viewing it as a threat to its existence.

Developing a nuclear weapon would enhance Iran’s military capabilities as well as its influence in the Middle East, which is something that Israel is vehemently trying to prevent. Even though, Iran has been denying developing any nuclear weapon, Israel has been accusing the country of secretly attempting to develop a nuclear weapon.

With no current possibility of a nuclear deal between the US and Iran, Israel might now plan be planning to target Iran’s nuclear establisments in order to eliminate the chances of progress of its nuclear programme. However, since Iran’s nuclear facilities are underground, Israel would need the assistance of the US for locating and targeting them.

History of Iran-Israel conflict

In the light of the current situation between Iran and Israel, it is hard to believe that the two countries once used to be close allies. Israel-Iran relations took a downward turn following the 1979 revolution in Iran, which resulted in a regime change in the country. The revolution replaced Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, who had a pro-West inclination, with theocratic Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who declared Iran as an Islamic republic. The Khomeini regime has been openly opposed to Israel and the US. It does not recognise Israel’s existence and seeks its eradication. Iran’s second Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, described Israel a “cancerous tumour” that “will undoubtedly be uprooted and destroyed”.

As part of its broader strategy to challenge the influence of Israel and the US in the region, Iran has been supporting Palestinian terrorist groups under the banner of “axis of resistance”. In a 2009 sermon, Khomeini reportedly said that his regime woulf support any country or group that fights Israel.

Iran has been indulging in asymmetic warfare in the Middle East by supporting terrorist groups to target Israel. By hiding behind terrorist groups and not launching a direct military action against Israel, Iran is able to avoid accountability and discreettly push its agenda in the region.

The Israel-Iran conflict hightened after Israel launched an aggressive military action against the operatives and leaders of Palestinian terrorist groups including Hamas and Hezbollah in the aftermath of the brutal terrorist attack in Israel in October 2023. In the terrorist attack, around 1200 people, inlcuding foreign nationals were killed and around 200 people were taken hotage by the terrorists in Gaza. Israel launched major military operations in Gaza targeting terrorist bases. It also targeted the Iranian proxies in the region, which attracted retaliation by Iran. In April last year, Iran launched a barrage of 300 ballistica missiles on Israel. This was followed by another strike in October in the same year, when Iran launched 200 ballistic missiles on Israel.

Indian social security cover reaches 64%, a massive increase from 19% in 2015: ILO report

OpIndia Staff
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Indian social security cover reaches 64%, a massive increase from 19% in 2015: ILO report

International Labor Organization (ILO) has released its World Social Security Report which has shown how India has taken a giant leap in providing social security to its citizens. According to this report, India is providing social security to more than 94 crore people. 19% of the population was covered in 2015, which has now drastically increased to 64.3% in 2025.

Union Minister of Labour and Employment of India Mansukh Mandaviya said that this increase in India’s social security coverage is the fastest growth seen anywhere in the world. He further said that there are millions of people who are taking advantage of various food and health security schemes in the country. Minister Mandaviya added that this reflects the commitment of the government and the goal is to bring empowerment to every single person in the country.

Minister Mansukh Mandaviya also interacted with ILO Director-General Gilbert F. Houngbo at the 113th session of the International Labor Conference in Geneva. During this, he said that the Modi government has brought several welfare schemes for the poor in the last 11 years.

ILO is a United Nations agency dedicated to labor rights and social justice. It periodically evaluates social security coverage among its member countries. There are 9 categories across which data is collected and then analyzed.

These categories include unemployment allowance, family and child benefits, health protection, old age pension, employment injury benefit, maternity benefit, disability benefit, sickness benefit through income replacement and survivor benefit.

To get ILO recognition, the social security scheme of any country must be legally supported, actively implemented and presented with verified data for the last three years.

India’s social security system has expanded significantly through various welfare programs. Its goal is to provide financial security, health care and food assistance to millions of people.

These programs have played an important role in improving the lives of citizens and reducing poverty across the country. These include Ayushman Bharat, e-Shram Portal, Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, Atal Pension Yojana and other schemes.

The International Labour Organisation’s assessment of 48.8% is still incomplete in terms of India’s social security scenario. According to the report, this is the first phase of the data pooling exercise. It includes data of beneficiaries of central and women-centric schemes of 8 states. After the completion of the second phase, India’s total social security coverage can reach more than 100 crores.

The Ministry of Labour and Employment has launched the first phase of India’s social security data pooling exercise on 19th March 2025 to conduct a comprehensive assessment of social security coverage. The initiative aims to collect data of beneficiaries of India’s welfare schemes.

In the first phase, ten states including Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Gujarat have been selected to collect data at the central level.

India is also the first country in the world to update social security coverage data in 2025. The Union Minister says that this has strengthened digitisation and transparency in the system of welfare schemes for the people.

Honeymoon murder: Sonam Raghuvanshi and 4 other accused remanded to 8-day police custody by Meghalaya court, police say they have adequate evidence

ANI
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Honeymoon murder: Sonam Raghuvanshi and 4 other accused remanded to 8-day police custody by Meghalaya court, police say they have adequate evidence

The court has remanded all five key accused, including Sonam Raghuvanshi, to eight-day police custody in the Raja Raghuvanshi murder case, police said on Wednesday.

SIT chief and SP (City), East Khasi Hills, Herbert Pyniaid Kharkongor confirmed the same after all the accused were presented before the District Court.

The accused, Raja Rahuvanshi’s wife, Sonam Raghuvanshi, Raj Singh Kushwaha, Akash Rajput, Vishal Singh Chauhan and Anand, were then brought back to the Shillong Sadar Police Station.

This development comes as the police continue their probe into the murder of Raja Raghuvanshi, whose body was discovered in a gorge near Sohra, close to Cherrapunji in Meghalaya, on June 2.

Raja was on his honeymoon with his wife, Sonam Raghuvanshi, to the northeastern state in May, 2025. Both had been reported missing earlier during the trip.

Following the discovery of Raja’s body, Sonam was located near a roadside dhaba on the Varanasi-Ghazipur highway. She, along with four others, has been accused in connection with the alleged murder.

Earlier in the day, Sonam Raghuvanshi’s brother, Govind, made a shocking statement claiming he’s “100% sure” of his sister’s involvement in the murder of her husband.

During a press conference here, Govind demanded severe punishment for Sonam on the matter and stated that she should be hanged if found guilty. He further publicly distanced himself and his family from his sister, noting that he had apologised to Raja’s family as they lost their son and said that he would do anything to make amends for his sister’s actions.

“According to the evidence found so far, I am 100 per cent sure that she has committed this murder… All the accused in this case are related to Raj Kushwaha… I am no one to ask for forgiveness from the (Raja’s) family. But I have apologised but this family had lost their son… We have broken our ties with Sonam and now I have become a part of the family and I will do everything against Sonam as Raja was very close to me,” Govind stated.

“If Sonam is guilty, she should be hanged,” he added.

Govind also pointed to the close ties between Sonam and one of the accused, revealing details about Sonam’s relationship with Kushwaha.

“Raj Kushwaha always used to call Sonam ‘Didi’ and his family is saying the same thing… For the last three years, Sonam has been tying a rakhi to Raj Kushwaha,” Govind stated.

“Sonam does not considered herself guilty. There has been no contact between us… We have severed all ties with her… I will fight on behalf of Raja (Raghuvanshi),” he added.

Kiran Raghuvanshi, Sister-in-law of Raja Raghuvanshi revealed that Sonam had two phones and used them to constantly send messages.

“Sonam had two phones, she used to tell us that one of those was for her office purposes and the other for her personal usage…I didn’t see her regularly speaking over phone but she used to keep sending messages over the phone. She always had her phone with her…I demand that she be hanged at the earliest…We have lost a loved one, nothing can satisfy us. He (Govind – Sonam’s brother) did apologise to us and told us that if her sister is at fault, she should be hanged…But as far as I am concerned, we do not need anyone’s apology; she should be hanged,” she said.

The Superintendent of Police (SP) of Meghalaya’s East Khasi Hills, Vivek Syiem, also revealed that there is adequate evidence pointing to the involvement of Sonam Raghuvanshi in the murder, emphasising that a conclusive confirmation would only emerge after thorough interrogation of those who were involved.

“Investigation is going on; we have to confirm a lot of things. There is evidence against her (Sonam Raghuvanshi) of her involvement in the murder. But things will be clearer after the interrogation. We have to tie up a lot of loose ends… Our evidence has proven that she was very much involved, but after the interrogation, we can only confirm,” SP Syiem stated.

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

4 railway officers suspended for providing unsuitable train with broken coaches to transport BSF soldiers from Tripura to Kashmir, rack replaced after issue raised

ANI
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4 railway officers suspended for providing unsuitable train with broken coaches to transport BSF soldiers from Tripura to Kashmir, rack replaced after issue raised

Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has taken stern action in the incident involving the deployment of an unsuitable train with its coaches in poor condition for Border Security Force (BSF) personnel going on duty to Kashmir from Tripura to ensure their safety during the Amarnath Yatra.

In response to the lapse, four officials from the Alipurduar Division have been immediately suspended.

Addressing the issue in the cabinet meeting briefing, Vaishnaw said, “Action was taken on this yesterday itself. The train’s rake was changed. Four officers who were responsible for this have been suspended.”

The suspended official includes the Coaching Depot Officer of Alipurduar and three senior Section Engineers of Alipurduar Division.

BSF also clarified when asked about reports of 1,200 BSF personnel refusing to travel for the Amarnath Yatra, saying that they had brought to the attention of Indian Railways through an official letter the poor condition of a few coaches.

They added that a replacement train was arranged after they flagged the issue.

“A few coaches of the train initially allotted to our jawans were in poor condition. The issue was brought to the attention of Indian Railways through an official letter. Following this, a replacement train was arranged. The jawans will now continue their journey,” the BSF clarified.

A special train from Agartala is now being arranged exclusively for BSF personnel, with full attention to their convenience and honour.

The Ministry of Railways has also ordered a detailed inquiry into the entire incident. All efforts are being made to ensure that such lapses do not recur in the future.

The Railway Minister has made it clear that the dignity and comfort of security forces are of the utmost priority and that such negligence will not be tolerated at any level.

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

With indigenous 5th generation AMCA not expected before 2035, India actively considering Russia’s Sukhoi Su-57 fighter jets, no plan for American F-35: Report

OpIndia Staff
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With indigenous 5th generation AMCA not expected before 2035, India actively considering Russia’s Sukhoi Su-57 fighter jets, no plan for American F-35: Report

Even as the Defence Ministry has approved the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft Programme Execution Model to develop indigenous 5th generation aircraft with industry partnership, the govt is actively considering Russia’s proposal of supplying the Sukhoi Su-57 fifth generation aircraft and make the same in India.

As per a report by CNBC 18, govt is not considering the American offer to buy the F-35 jets, while there is high possibility of acquiring the Sukhoi Su-57E aircraft.

Notably, while DRDO has started developing the AMCA, the first jets are not expected before 2035. After completing the order of Tejas LCA Mark-1 aircraft, HAL will start making the Tejas LCA Mark-1 aircraft from around 2028-29, and the first generation of AMCA will take more than 10 years to reach the production stage.

A model of AMCA

This is because, any fighter jet takes around 10-15 years to develop, and the AMCA was approved just last year.

But, with Pakistan set to start receiving China’s J-35A 5th-Gen multirole stealth fighter this year itself, 10 years will be a too long wait for Indian Air Force for its own 5th generation stealth fighter jet.

China’s J-35A 5th-Generation stealth fighter jet

Therefore, the govt is considering acquiring foreign aircraft to meet the immediate requirement. For this, Sukhoi Su-57 has emerged as the frontrunner. Against American F-35, the Sukhoi is an obvious choice, as HAL is already making Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jets in India, and India has much better experience in defence deals with Russia.

Apart from manufacturing in India, Russia has also offered transfer of technology for Sukhoi Su-57. During the India Today Conclave 2025, Russian ambassador to India Denis Alipov talked about the offer, saying that Russia has already proposed a joint production facility. He also said that Russia was ready to customise the jet for Indian needs. Notably, Sukhoi Su-30MKI is a customised variant of Sukhoi Su-30 made as per Indian requirements.

Alipov said, “We’re offering our own fifth generation fighter. We have the best machine – Su-57. We just showed it, displayed it at Aero India last month in Bangalore and it performed, and you know stole the show. It is very competitive, we are offering not only to sell but to co-produce. We offer technology sharing, we offer… you know industry with creation of necessary industrial facilities for production of this. We are open to configuration changes. So this is a very lucrative deal deal that we offer to India.”

Sukhoi Su-57

Not only that, Russia has also offered full access to the source code of the Su-57, which can tilt Indian decision in its favour. On 4th June, Russian state-owned United Aircraft Corporation announced that the proposal to build the Su-57 in India includes an unprecedented full access to the aircraft’s source code. This means, India will be able to integrate its own weapons and avionics systems with the jet. Equipping the jet with India missiles like Astra, Rudram etc will be much easier.

Notably, when the Su-57 was in development, India had planned to participate in the program and acquire the jet in large numbers. In 2011, India planned to buy total of 214 single and twin-seater variants of the advanced Fifth-Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) developed jointly by India and Russia, called PAK FA program at that time.

But in 2018, India pulled out of the program, stating that the aircraft being developed does not meet its requirements for stealth, combat avionics, radars and sensors. The first aircraft entered service in 2020, and it has proved to be a very capable fighter jet, resulting in resumption of India’s interest on it.

F-35 offer and delayed deliveries by US

During PM Narendra Modi’s US visit, president Donald Trump offered F-35 fighter jets to India. However, it is unlikely that India will sign a mega defence deal with US at present. Several defence equipment ordered by India from US had been delayed, frustrating Indian defence establishment.

Su-57 and F-35 at Aero India 2025

Delivery of the GE F404 engine for Tejas Mark 1 was delayed by two years, while the deal for GE F414 engine for Tejas Mark 2 has not been finalised even two years after the MoU was signed during Biden administration. Similarly, delivery of Boeing’s AH-64E Apache helicopter was scheduled to begin in May 2024, but not a single helicopter has been delivered yet.

Another issue with the F-35 is India’s desire for local manufacturing and technology transfer. It is known that US strongly resists any transfer of crucial technologies in defence deals. And with president Donald Trump’s goal of boosting manufacturing in USA, the likelihood of the jet being made in India will also be very less. Notably, as per some reports, the F414 engine deal is not progressing over the same issues, Trump’s reluctance to allow tech transfer and manufacturing in India.

Who is Atif al-Awlaki, the Al-Qaeda terrorist who issued a ‘kill list’ including Trump, Vance and Musk, and said American Muslims should wage jihad

Shraddha Pandey
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Who is Atif al-Awlaki, the Al-Qaeda terrorist who issued a ‘kill list’ including Trump, Vance and Musk, and said American Muslims should wage jihad

Saad bin Atif al-Awlaki, the leader of the Yemen-based terrorist organisation Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), has released a 34-minute video inciting Muslims to wage jihad against America. In this video, Awlaki has openly appealed to Muslims living in America to wage jihad and kill prominent people like US President Donald Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance and Tesla company owner Elon Musk. The name of this video is “Inciting the Believers”. AQAP supporters are circulating it online as a propaganda weapon.

In the inflammatory video, jihadi Atif al-Awlaki (also spelt Atef al-Awlaki), said that the United States is supporting Israel in the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas and for this it is necessary to take revenge. He told the approximately 4.5 million Muslims living in America, “You don’t need to consult anyone, just take revenge! Take revenge! Kill those infidel Americans.” He called Trump, Vance, Foreign Minister Marco Rubio, Defence Minister Pete Hegseth and Elon Musk ‘scum of the earth’ and ‘the biggest criminals’. He talked about targeting these leaders, their families and people associated with the White House.

“Go after the scum of the earth and its greatest criminals. These are Trump and his vice president [JD Vance], his advisor and his supporters in terms of finance, administration, and technology,” Awlaki said.

Awlaki further lamented the situation in Gaza saying that there is no limit to atrocities being committed against Muslims there. He said, “It is necessary to take revenge for what is happening to our people in Gaza.” He also tried to incite violence against Jews and said, “There should be no safe place left for Jews, just like they left no place for Palestinians.” He referred to the bombing of hospitals in Gaza and appealed to Muslims to take revenge.

After inciting Muslims to launch attacks in America and crying hoarse over Israel’s prolonged retaliation against Hamas in the aftermath of October 7 massacre, Yemeni Islamic terrorist lauded the attack on Israeli embassy staff in May this year and last year’s assassination attempt against Donald Trump. Atif al-Awlaki not only justified these attacks but also asserted that more such attacks should be carried out.

Besides calling for attacking Israeli nationals in the US and the American President, al-Awlaki also spoke about harming the US economy. He asked hackers to target the economies of the US and Gulf countries. He also described companies like Microsoft and Elon Musk’s Tesla as ‘legitimate targets’. Referring to AQAP’s magazine ‘Inspire’, he advised people to learn bomb-making techniques so that they can carry out attacks.

Notably, this video comes at a time when AQAP is considered to have weakened in the last few years. Its strength has decreased due to US drone attacks and internal conflicts within the organisation. Despite this, according to the United Nations, AQAP still has 3,000 to 4,000 members. The US has declared AQAP a foreign terrorist organisation. This Islamic terror outfit was formed in 2009 after the merger of Al-Qaeda groups from Yemen and Saudi Arabia.

Experts opine that Saad Atif al-Awlaki is raking up the Gaza issue to challenge the growing popularity of Yemen’s Houthi rebels. The Houthi rebels are also carrying out attacks against Israel, and Saad feels that the popularity of the Houthis is diminishing AQAP’s importance. Experts believe that this video is an attempt by AQAP to regain its diminishing relevance.

Who is Saad Atif al-Awlaki

Saad bin Atif al-Awlaki is from the al-Awaliq tribe of the al-Shubah area of ​​Shabwa province in Yemen. He became the leader of AQAP in 2024, when the organisation’s former leader, Khalid al-Batarfi ,died. Earlier, Saad was part of AQAP’s Shura Council and was involved in planning attacks. He is a relative of Anwar al-Awlaki, a notorious terrorist who was killed in a US drone attack in 2011. The US has placed a bounty of $6 million on Saad because he had previously talked about attacking the US and its allies.

Born in Yemen, al-Awlaki has been spreading the jihadist ideology of Al-Qaeda for many years. In 2023, he was also seen in a video in which he asked the southern tribes of Yemen to fight against the United Arab Emirates and the Southern Council. His terror group commits crimes like bank robbery, arms smuggling and ransom to meet its expenses.

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