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MEA fumes over Singapore PM’s comments on India: This is how Singaporeans were upset after Kejriwal’s ‘Singapore variant’ comment

OpIndia Staff
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MEA fumes over Singapore PM’s comments on India: This is how Singaporeans were upset after Kejriwal’s ‘Singapore variant’ comment

On Thursday (February 17), the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) reportedly summoned Singapore High commissioner Simon Wong after the country’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong claimed that Indian Parliamentarians have pending criminal cases against them.

Citing sources, news agency ANI reported that India has dubbed the remarks of Singaporean PM as ‘unacceptable’ and ‘uncalled for.’ A source confirmed, “The remarks by the Prime Minister of Singapore were uncalled for. We are taking up the matter with the Singaporean side.”

Contentious remarks made by Singaporean PM about India

On Tuesday (February 15), Lee Hsien Loong delivered a 44-minute long speech in the Singaporean Parliament, during a debate on a report by the Committee of Privileges that probed accusations of lying by members of the Opposition Workers’ Party. The career politician commented about ‘political decline’ in India, Israel and the United Kingdom.

He remarked, “Most countries are founded and start off on the basis of high ideals and noble values. But more often than not, beyond the founding leaders and the pioneer generation, over decades and generations, gradually things change.”

“Things start off with passionate intensity. The leaders, who fought for and won independence, are often exceptional individuals of great courage, immense culture, and outstanding ability. They came through the crucible of fire and emerged as leaders of men and nations. They are the David Ben-Gurions, the Jawaharlal Nehrus, and we have our own too,” he further added.

While pondering about how Singapore can be protected from facing a decline in political probity, Lee Hsien Loong had alleged, “Nehru’s India has become one where, according to media reports, almost half the MPs in the Lok Sabha have criminal charges pending against them, including charges of rape and murder.”

The comments by the incumbent Singaporean Prime Minister wherein he insinuated that ‘Nehru’s India’ got somehow overshadowed by criminal Parliamentarians at present had drawn the ire of the Indian government. As such, the MEA summoned the Singaporean High Commissioner and expressed its displeasure.

Singapore was ‘offended’ by the reference of country-specific Covid-19 variant

In May last year, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal took to Twitter to claim that a new variant of Covid-19 was found in Singapore, which could result in India’s third wave. While resorting to fear-mongering, Kejriwal alleged that the new variant was extremely dangerous for children.

 His ‘ignorant’ claim not only embarrassed India on a global platform but also invoked strong reactions from the Singapore government. Simon Wong, Singapore High Commissioner to India, said that Singapore and India are solid partners in the fight against COVID-19, and the pandemic knew no boundary or political colour.

“Singapore Government called in our High Commissioner today to convey strong objection to Delhi CM’s tweet on “Singapore variant”. High Commissioner clarified that Delhi CM had no competence to pronounce on Covid variants or civil aviation policy,” the MEA clarified.

Wong said that the false statements by Arvind Kejriwal would invite actions under Protection from Online Falsehoods & Manipulation Act (POFMA), an act intended to mitigate misinformation in the country. However, he added that they are satisfied with the government of India’s clarification, putting an end to the matter.

ED intensifies crackdown on fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim and aides, to take his brother into custody in a money laundering case

OpIndia Staff
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ED intensifies crackdown on fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim and aides, to take his brother into custody in a money laundering case

In a money laundering case, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) will take custody of Iqbal Kaskar, the brother of fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim, on February 18, Friday. Kaskar, who is now imprisoned in Thane in an extortion case, will be brought before the special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court today.

Kaskar was made an accused in the money laundering case registered by the ED against Pakistan-based fugitive Dawood Ibrahim after his name had emerged during the interrogation of Salim Qureshi, a close aide of Chhota Shakeel, the dreaded underworld gangster and a high-ranking leader of Dawood Ibrahim’s D-Company.

Dawood Ibrahim’s brother Iqbal Kaskar is already lodged in a jail in Thane after he was arrested on September 9, 2017, for forcibly extorting one flat and ₹90 lakh as protection money from builder Suresh Jain.

On February 16, the special court in Mumbai had issued a production warrant against Kaskar in a money laundering case registered by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Moreover, the court directed the Taloja Central Jail authorities to produce Kaskar before it after ED’s counsel Hiten Venegavkar requested the court to do so.

ED raids properties linked with Dawood Ibrahim

A day prior to this, on February 15, the ED had conducted raids in South Mumbai in connection with a money laundering case against underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and his aides. Close to 9 places in Mumbai and 1 in Thane have been raided by the ED including the residences of Dawood Ibrahim’s late sister Haseena Parkar and brother Iqbal Kaskar.

Recently, The ED has registered a money laundering case against Pakistan-based fugitive Dawood Ibrahim based on an FIR registered by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). Among the premises raided by the ED, some are in the Nagpada area which was once the stronghold of Dawood. The ED is also reportedly investigating the Hawala angle, through which Dawood diverted his illegal money for spreading terrorism, promoting anti-national activities and creating a rift between religious groups in India.

A case under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) has already been registered against Dawood Ibrahim and his aides.

Burning cargo ship carrying thousands of Porsches, Audis and Bentleys goes adrift in Atlantic ocean

OpIndia Staff
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Burning cargo ship carrying thousands of Porsches, Audis and Bentleys goes adrift in Atlantic ocean

A ship carrying cars from Germany to the United States has caught fire in the Atlantic Ocean on Wednesday, forcing the crew members to abandon the vessel and leave it burning and adrift.

Felicity Ace, a 650-foot-long ship carrying thousands of vehicles, including 1,100 Porsches, was on fire and drifted off the coast of the Azores on Thursday.

According to the reports, a fire broke out on Wednesday morning in Felicity Ace. The ship had departed from Emden, Germany, on February 10 and was scheduled to arrive in Davisville, Rhode Islands, on Wednesday.

The Panama-flagged ship put out a distress signal on Wednesday morning. The signal reached the Portuguese Navy patrol boat as well as four merchant ships in the area. The ship was about 200 miles from Terceira Island in the Azores, the Portuguese island territory when Portuguese forces spotted the ship. They immediately rushed to the spot to rescue the crew.

The Portuguese Navy rescued the crew members in a “highly skilled and physically demanding” operation, including a helicopter that flew the crew members to the nearby Portuguese island of Faial. None of the crew members was hurt.

However, the Porsches, Volkswagens, and other luxury brand-new cars that were set to be delivered to North America have been left on board.

As per the automotive website – The Drive, the Volkswagen Group has estimated nearly 4,000 vehicles were on board, including 189 Bentleys. The Felicity Ace is regularly used as a charter vessel for VW Group. Last month, it had carried at least 21 Lamborghinis from Europe to America.

The Felicity Ace, built-in 2005, measures 656 feet long and 104 feet wide, with a carrying capacity of 17,738 tons.

China upset after India blocks Chinese apps and raids Huawei, says India damaging business interests of Chinese companies

OpIndia Staff
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China upset after India blocks Chinese apps and raids Huawei, says India damaging business interests of Chinese companies

On Thursday, China called for a “fair, transparent and non-discriminatory” trade pattern with India as it expressed serious concerns over India’s decision to ban 54 more Chinese apps over security concerns. China Commerce Ministry stated that India has severely damaged the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies in Indian markets.

According to the reports, India on February 15 had banned 54 more Chinese apps spurred by security concerns bringing the total tally of apps banned in the country since June 2020 to around 321. The Spokesperson of the Chinese Ministry of Commerce Gao Feng urged India to improve its business environment and treat China on equal bars with the other foreign investors.

“Foreign investors have created a large number of employment opportunities in India and made positive contributions to India’s economic development. Hope that India will improve its business environment and treat all foreign investors, including Chinese companies, in a fair, transparent and non-discriminatory manner”, he was quoted in a tweet by the Spokesperson of Chinese Embassy in India, Wang Xiaojian.

Feng specifically mentioned that India-China’s economic and trade cooperation still had strong resilience and great potential. “China and India are inseparable neighbours and important economic and trade partners to each other. In 2021, bilateral trade volume between China and India reached $125.7 billion, with a year-on-year increase of 43%”, he added hoping for the Indian side to take concrete measures to maintain sound development momentum of bilateral economic and trade cooperation for benefit of the two countries and the two peoples.

In the past week, Indian authorities had also raided the premises of Chinese telecom company Huawei. Earlier Chinese phone manufacturer Xiaomi had faced similar probes for tax evasions. In January this year, Xiaomi was served a notice for Rs 653 crores for tax evasions.

Recently banned 54 Chinese applications by India include game Free Fire Illuminate, Tencent Xriver, Nice Video baidu, Viva Video Editor and more. The Indian authorities opined that the apps collect critical permissions and data from the users and provide them to servers located in hostile countries, posing a security threat to India. Earlier in the year 2020, India had banned 59 Chinese apps including TikTok, UC Browser and more saying they were prejudicial to the sovereignty and integrity of India.

The ban on Chinese apps came after Chinese aggression in the LAC. India had retaliated with calculated strategic moves after China’s constant and relentless attempts to undermine India’s territorial boundaries. After the initial ban, India had banned 47 more Chinese apps that were variants of the 59 apps blocked earlier. Later, it also banned around 118 Chinese apps, this time including the popular game PUB-G, saying that it posed threat to India’s security.

It is important to note that China’s exports to India have today reached $97.52 billion against India’s $28.14 billion to China and the bilateral trade volume between the two countries have reached $125.7 billion. Though the actions by India coincide with the Chinese aggression at Ladakh borders, it has put a ban on only those apps which do not shield user data from the Chinese government appropriately by Chinese servers.

Tamil Nadu: Romanian national found campaigning for DMK ahead of local body polls, immigration department issues notice

OpIndia Staff
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Tamil Nadu: Romanian national found campaigning for DMK ahead of local body polls, immigration department issues notice

A Romanian national identified as Negoita Stefan Marius has landed in trouble after he was caught campaigning for Tamil Nadu’s DMK in the upcoming urban civic elections.

According to the reports, Stefan Marius had entered India on a Business Visa. He was seen carrying DMK banners and campaigning for the DMK in Coimbatore ahead of the local body polls. The video had gone viral on social media platforms.

In another video, Marius was seen riding a bike in Coimbatore without a mask or a helmet. He was seen adorning symbols of the ruling party and distributing pamphlets to voters near Singanallur and Ondipudur areas in Coimbatore city.

Gokul Kruba Shanker, the business partner of Marius, said that the Romanian national decided to campaign for DMK after being impressed with the Tamil Nadu government’s scheme to provide free bus passes for women.

“Mr. Negoita recently took a ride on a TNSTC town bus from his hotel to my textile unit. He noticed that women were not asked for a ticket. I later told him that the free ride for women was among one of the welfare measures for the people in Tamil Nadu. He was fascinated by the idea and wanted to be a part of the campaigning for the party that introduced it for people,” said Shanker, who owns a textile unit in Coimbatore, is a DMK functionary.

Shankar said that Marius, who is into manufacturing sweaters, had entered into a partnership with him recently.

Political campaigning lands Romanian national in trouble

As news of Stefan Marius’s political activity became the talk of the town, the Bureau of Immigration in Chennai issued a notice to the Romanian businessman directing him to appear before it on Friday.

The notice said that Marius had been involved in political activities which are not as per his intended purpose of visa and it amounts to visa violation. The Bureau of Immigration warned that failing to appear before it along with original documents and an explanation would render him liable for prosecution under Section 14 of the Foreigners Act, 1946.

Meanwhile, the Romanian embassy in Coimbatore has also issued a notice to Marius after he got involved in the election campaign for the DMK. The Romanian embassy has asked Marius to appear in person at the Chennai office of the immigration department.

Karnataka Minority Welfare Department issues order prohibiting hijab, saffron scarfs at govt-run minority institutions

OpIndia Staff
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Karnataka Minority Welfare Department issues order prohibiting hijab, saffron scarfs at govt-run minority institutions

As reported by news agency ANI, the Karnataka Minority Welfare Department issued an order on Thursday prohibiting students at government-run minority institutions from wearing hijab, scarfs, or saffron shawls.

The Karnataka High Court has in its interim order restrained all students, regardless of their religion or faith, from wearing saffron shawls, scarfs, hijab, religious flags, or the like within the classroom, states the circular issued by Major Manivannan P, secretary in the department of minority welfare, Hajj, and Wakf Department.

The directive issued by the Karnataka Minority Welfare Department says, “The aforementioned High Court judgment applies to minority welfare department residential schools, colleges, and Maulana Azad Model English Medium institutions. Wearing saffron shawls, scarves, hijab, or any other religious flags is prohibited at schools and colleges, as well as Maulana Azad Model English Medium schools, which are part of the minority welfare department.”

The Karnataka High Court issued an order on the 10th of this month prohibiting all students from going to educational institutions in any religious garbs. The order reads, “Pending consideration of all these petitions, we restrain all the students regardless of their religion or faith from wearing saffron shawls (Bhagwa), scarfs, hijab, religious flags, or the like within the classroom, until further orders.”

The order states that it is to be followed by such institutions where there is uniform dress code rules.

This directive comes a day after state Higher Education Minister CN Ashwathnarayan stated the High Court’s interim judgment didn’t apply to degree college students.

As the judicial proceedings continue, there have been multiple incidents of people defying the court’s ruling and insisting on wearing hijab/burqa to schools and colleges.

The hijab question, which arose at a pre-university school in Karnataka, has spread to several districts and even other states. The controversy erupted when some Muslim girl students of PU college in Udupi insisted on wearing hijab in classrooms. The college administration denied them entry to the classes, citing that they were not allowed to wear anything other than the institutions prescribed uniform in the classrooms.

Karnataka: Congress MLAs camp at Vidhan Soudha overnight to protest against ‘saffron flag remark’ of BJP Minister

OpIndia Staff
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Karnataka: Congress MLAs camp at Vidhan Soudha overnight to protest against ‘saffron flag remark’ of BJP Minister

On Thursday (February 17), MLAs of the Congress party camped in the Karnataka State Legislative Assembly (also called Vidhan Soudha) overnight to protest against the ‘saffron flag’ remark of BJP leader KS Eshwarappa.

The Congress leaders held a sleepover inside the Assembly while demanding the resignation of the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister. Former Chief Minister and Congress leader Siddaramaiah even vowed to continue protests until Eshwarappa is sacked.

In a tweet, Karnataka Congress claimed, “It is a matter of pride in our country and of protecting it’s honour and the dignity of the national flag. How can the party that built India stand back and watch as others insult it? The dharna will continue until a sedition case is filed against KS Eshwarappa.” It also shared pictures of Congress leaders sleeping, chatting within the premises of the Legislative Assembly.

The background of the controversy

On February 9 this year, Karnataka Minister KS Eshwarappa had claimed that the Hindu saffron flag might one day replace the Indian tricolour at the Red Fort in the future. He made the remarks after a group of Hindu students unfurled a saffron flag on an empty pole at an institute in Shimoga.

The Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister had said that the saffron flag may become the Indian national flag in 100 or 500 years’ time. He added that the Hindu flag was a part of the chariots of Hanumantha and Rama. Eshwarappa clarified that the tricolour was the national flag for now and anyone who disrespected it was a traitor.

His comments created an upheaval in the political spheres, with the Congress demanding his resignation over the ‘saffron flag remark.’ Eshwarappa was however backed by the Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on February 16, who pointed out that the Minister did not “legally commit any mistake.” 

“They are selectively quoting only a part of his statement and are misleading the people in the state and the assembly. Legally, Eshwarappa has not committed any mistake and no action can be taken against him,” Bommai had added.

He emphasised that the Minister said that it might happen and pointed out how Eshwarappa said that everyone should respect the Indian tricolour. As such, the Karnataka Chief Minister refused to take any action against Eshwarappa.

The Congress leaders entered the well of the Vidhan Soudha while holding the Indian tricolour and later staged a sleepover in the Legislative Assembly as a mark of protest.

Jharkhand: Hanuman Temple vandalised in Hazaribagh, one Shafi Ahmed arrested

OpIndia Staff
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Jharkhand: Hanuman Temple vandalised in Hazaribagh, one Shafi Ahmed arrested

The Jharkhand police have arrested a person named Shafi Ahmed for vandalising the idol of Lord Hanuman at a temple in Hazaribagh, Jharkhand.

According to the reports, 20-year-old youth identified as Shafi Ahmed had allegedly vandalised an idol of Lord Hanuman at a temple on February 12 in Hazaribagh, after communal tensions had gripped the area following the recent murder of a teenager Rupesh Pandey. Pandey was murdered by a mob of Muslims on February 6, 2022. 

Superintendent of Police Manoj Ratan Chothe said that the accused had confessed before police that he committed the crime. The accused has been sent to judicial custody, he added.

Local police have informed that the statue vandalisation had further flared up communal tension in the area and section 144 has been imposed following the incident.

The police officer had said the incident of statue vandalisation had led to severe protests on GT Road on National Highway-2.

Rupesh Pandey murder case:

A tense situation was created in Jharkhand’s Hazaribagh after a Muslim mob killed a 17-year-old boy Rupesh Pandey on February 6 in a clash during the immersion procession of the idol of goddess Saraswati.

The 17-year old son of Sikandar Pandey was part of the religious procession, which faced unexpected opposition from the mass of Muslims while passing from an area called Lakhna Dulmaha Imambada of the Nai Taand village in Hazaribagh. The mob engaged in the ruckus with the Hindu devotees. In this, Rupesh Pandey was badly beaten. He was declared dead when taken to the hospital.

A case was registered in the Barhi police station against 27 attackers. Besides, 100 other unknowns have been booked in this case. Mohammad Aslam, Mohammad Anis, Mohammad Kaif, Mohammad Gufran, Mohammad Chand, Mohammad Osama, Mohammad Ehtam, and Mohammad Nahid have been named as the main accused in the case.

Jharkhand govt registers case against Hindu activists for carrying out peaceful protest

After the mob lynching incident of Hazaribagh, Jharkhand, the Hemant Soren-led government had stoked another controversy by taking action against Hindu groups protesting against the murder and demanding justice.

The Jharkhand Police had registered an FIR against the protesters who had organised a candle march in Chatra condemning the murder. Thousands of people, including the members of Bharatiya Janata Party, BJYM, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, Vishwas Hindu Parishad, had protested against the brutal killing of Pandey.

Several youths in Chatra had taken out a candle march on February 10 and demanded the government action against the culprits. The youths involved in the rally had said that the state government was giving protection to the accused of mob lynching and warned that if strict action was not taken against the culprits, the protests would be more aggressive.

In response, the Jharkhand government had booked a case against the peaceful protestors for demanding justice.

Khalistani organisation Sikhs For Justice’s letter announcing support to AAP goes viral, SFJ chief Pannu says it is fake

OpIndia Staff
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Khalistani organisation Sikhs For Justice’s letter announcing support to AAP goes viral, SFJ chief Pannu says it is fake

On February 17, when only two days are left for the assembly elections polling in Punjab, a letter claiming to be from Khalistani terrorist organization Sikhs For Justice is making rounds on social media platforms in which the organization has extended its support for Bhagwant Mann, Chief Ministerial face for the Aam Aadmi Party.

Source: Twitter

In the letter, Gurpatwant Singh Pannu, founder and designated terrorist who signed the letter, urged people to vote for AAP in the assembly elections so that they can once again “hope to fulfil their target (to form Khalistan).” He also claimed SFJ had supported AAP in previous assembly elections.

The letter, published in Punjabi, reads, “We, the members of Sikhs for Justice, announce full support for Bhagwant Singh Mann of the Aam Aadmi Party for the Punjab Assembly elections. These elections are crucial for Punjab and our group because if Aam Aadmi Party forms government in Punjab, the hope of achieving our target [to form Khalistan] will rise again.”

It added, “Our group has supported Aam Aadmi Party in the 2017 assembly elections, and we are supporting the party in these elections as well. We are urging every one of you that in these elections, give your support to Aam Aadmi Party so that once again we become strong and attain a strong position.”

AAP supporters thanked SFJ

Several posts emerged on social media platforms where AAP supporters thanked SFJ for the support.

Source: Facebook

Pannu releases video, says letter is fake

After the alleged SFJ letter went viral on social media, SFJ’s Gurpatwant Singh Pannu has released a video claiming that the letter is fake and the SFJ has not announced support for any politicial party. In the video, Pannu is seen saying, “The letter being circulated in the name of SFJ is fake. It is circulated by Bhagwant Mann and AAP. SFJ does not believe in the Indian Constitution or any political party. SFJ’s only goal is separating Punjab from India and for that, we will do referendum voting soon. Stay away from liar AAP. I am warning Mann and Kejriwal, anyone who comes from Delhi, be it Indira, Modi or Kejriwal, they will be opposed. I urge everyone to raise the Khalistan flag from every booth on election day.”

Kumar Vishwas claimed Delhi CM Kejriwal once expressed desire to become Khalistan’s first PM

In a statement on February 16, former-AAP leader Kumar Vishwas had alleged that AAP chief and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal had once told him that he would either become CM of Punjab or first PM of free Khalistan. Vishwas had said on multiple occasions that AAP was supporting fringe separatist elements and Khalistan supporters in Punjab.

Other AAP members, including Gul Panag and former AAP member Yogendra Yadav, had hinted AAP was taking support from Khalistani groups and fringe elements in Punjab. In previous assembly elections, a prominent member of the banned Khalistani organization had campaigned for AAP in Punjab. After Vishwas’s statement AAP threatened media houses against publishing his remarks. In a reply, Vishwas said, “These are the Chintus (pawns) of that person (Kejriwal) speaking, who have entered the party after we made the governments out of our own blood and sweat. They’ve come to lick the ‘cream’ now. Tell those chintus to send their Aaka (mastermind) to speak.”

Plastic surgery addicted social media influencer Mary Magdalene reveals her latest ‘Barbie look’

OpIndia Staff
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Plastic surgery addicted social media influencer Mary Magdalene reveals her latest ‘Barbie look’

Instagram influencer and plastic surgery addict Mary Magdalene has unveiled her latest Barbie look.

Posting an image that reveals her ravishing new looks, the 25-year-old social media star said that her “new face” looked like a “forest fairy elf”.

Following the successful operation, the model posted a photo of herself with her face swollen and bandaged on Instagram.

Over the years, Mary has undergone several surgeries, spending more than $A140,000 on extremely risky treatments to look more charming. Apparently, the influencer from Toronto, Canada, had her first cosmetic procedure at the age of 21. Her surgeries have included a brow lift, fat transfers, multiple nose and boob jobs, veneers, liposuction, butt injections and three Brazilian butt lifts.

Just recently, she had got implanted a 5,000 cc breast expander to enlarge her breasts.

She recently posted a picture of herself recovering from her latest procedure.

Image Source: Sun

‘My top lip is still not f***ing moving at all from the surgery!” Mary had said in a short clip posted over the weekend. Despite that, a happy Mary had put out a post on Instagram saying, “it looks perfect”.

“It’s a very fake-looking Barbie nose which is exactly what I asked for, and so many surgeons said it was not possible for me to have this type of nose because of my three prior nose jobs,” she posted according to The Sun.

In the last few years, Mary has been operated on for a brow lift, fat transfers, multiple noses, in addition to boob jobs, veneers, liposuction and three Brazilian bum lifts.

Before and After: Mary Magdalene/ Image Source: Dailymail

According to Mary, she is not yet done with her surgeries. She disclosed she would undergo more surgery to enhance her looks. She reportedly flew to Russia for the latest surgeries as she could not get the extreme operations done in the United States.

“Next week, I have my eyebrow transplant, jaw and lips booked, then my face will be complete,” Mary said in one of her posts.

Last year, in what could be an unfortunate incident, the world could have lost Mary after she almost died during a procedure on her vagina.

“The most unusual operation I had was very recently, on my vagina,” Mary explained, adding, “I custom designed it, so I have the fattest in the world. I almost died during [the] procedure. “I had to get two blood transfusions.”

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