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Nepali PM KP Sharma Oli defends signing Belt and Road Initiative agreement with China, claims there is no loan agreement

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Nepali Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli reiterated that no loan agreement has been made with northern neighbour China while signing the revised Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) pact.

Speaking to journalists after arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport on Thursday after completing his four-day visit to China, Oli reiterated that no loan agreements have been made with Beijing.

“This time we discussed about various projects under the BRI. We will hold separate discussions and consultations as well as agreements about those projects relating to its plan of implementation. What we are getting now (from China) is not a loan, I hope I will not need to clarify it and repeat it further,” he said.

PM Oli further said that the pact is not about a loan and there have been no talks about any loan agreement. “We have been reiterating that no loans are being taken from various fronts but also it hasn’t settled down,” the Prime Minister said.

He added that discussions on implementing nine projects under the Belt and Road Initiative would take place separately in the future.

“Every project under the BRI will be discussed separately between the two countries during implementation,” Oli said.

Notably, the agreement signed on Wednesday between the two countries formally got inked after the term “aid financing” was replaced with “grant financing.” While a grant refers to a subsidy, aid can encompass both grants and loans, offering more flexibility in the terms of assistance.

The shift in language came after China rejected Nepal’s proposal that the projects under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) should be funded by China and that Nepal would not take loans under the BRI.

But the Nepali Prime Minister has been defending the agreement signed on Wednesday (December 4) not to be a loan agreement between the two countries.

Before the formal signing, Nepal had sent the draft of the framework ahead of Oli’s departure for Beijing on Monday. In response, the Nepalese and Chinese officials held informal discussions on Tuesday to find a middle ground.

China subsequently removed the term “grant financing” from the draft framework proposed by Nepal, replacing it with the more general term “financing.” Amidst the ongoing discussions, the Nepali Congress’s stance against taking loans under the BRI led the Nepali government to prepare a list of projects intended solely for grant financing.

The MoUs could not be signed during a meeting between Prime Minister KP Oli and Chinese Premier Li Qiang.

However, Nepali Foreign Minister Arzu Rana later met with representatives from the Chinese Foreign Ministry. During these talks, the Chinese side proposed that some BRI projects be funded through loans, but no decision was made by Nepal.

According to an official from the Nepali delegation, there was further internal discussion on various options. One of the key points was whether to replace “grant” with “aid,” which was ultimately agreed upon.

It may be noted that the joint statement released by Nepal and China late on Tuesday indicated that “both sides have shown their willingness to sign the MoU on establishing the Trans-Himalayan Multi-Dimensional Connectivity Network (THMDCN) and the framework for Belt and Road Cooperation between the two governments at the earliest opportunity”.


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

Indore: Samir Qureshi arrested over charges of love jihad, found to have 4 Aadhaar Cards including in Hindu name, photos of Hindu girls in phone and ties to Pakistan

A major love jihad conspiracy has been exposed in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore. A Muslim man has been arrested by the authorities on the complaint of a Hindu organization. They took him to the police station along with the girl and interrogated them during which it was discovered that the two were Muslims. However, Hindu activists had submitted a written appeal to take action on the matter after which the further probe made shocking disclosures.

The man was found to be in possession of four Aadhaar Cards with different names including Samir Qureshi, Arif Qureshi and Samir Singh. He was also revealed to have contacts in Pakistan. His mobile had chats and calls from Pakistani numbers. He was getting instructions to engage in love jihad from Pakistan and other Muslim countries as well. Numerous images and videos of several Hindu girls engaging in intoxicated antics were stored on his phone.

The matter pertains to the Tejaji Nagar police station area where a Hindu outfit alerted the authorities to a love jihad incident occurring there. According to police station in-charge Devendra Markam, Hindu Jagran Manch lodged a complaint charging that a Muslim youth had entered Royal Villa Farm House accompanied by Hindu girls. He has been using different names to introduce himself. The Hindu group also raided the place after they learned about a party in the farmhouse, where they found the accused and seized his cell phone after which his long chats and regular conversations with two Pakistani numbers surfaced. The authorities reached the place after they were informed by the Hindu outfit.

The cops found four different ID cards on him during the search. When the Hindu outfit questioned him, The offender claimed that he adopted the fake name to gain access to hotel rooms with Hindu girls because he was refused when he used his real identity. He was apprehended based on the information and the girl was unveiled to be his co-religionist after questioning. He had also dropped her off in Gujarat recently, as per media reports which is also being investigated. He also deleted a lot of messages in relation to the Pakistani numbers and data from his phone.

On the other hand, his family claimed that their relatives live in Pakistan and they often talk to them on the phone. However, the police are looking into his ID cards, mobile phone and ties to Pakistan. According to reports, he was compelled into trapping girls in romantic relationships. Central investigation agencies could also join the inquiry. The investigation is underway. Meanwhile, Hindu Jagran Manch accused him of luring Hindu girls in love jihad.

Muhammad becomes the most popular name given to baby boys in the UK for 2023, Mohammed and Mohammad also in top 100

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The top 100 most popular names for baby boys in the UK were released recently, and it shows that the most popular first name is Muhammad. According to the data released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), Muhammad was the top name chosen by parents for boys in England and Wales in 2023, while its other spellings Mohammed and Mohammad also made it to the top 100.

Muhammad has been in the top 10 names for boys since 2016, but it topped the chart in 2023, overtaking the earlier top name Noah. Even if various versions of Muhammad were taken as separate names, variants such as Mohammed and Mohammad also appeared in the top 100 list for England and Wales.

The name Muhammad was given to 4,661 baby boys in total, while other variants like Mohammed appeared 1601 times and Mohammad appeared 835 times in the list separately. Therefore, the name appeared 7097 times in the list of top 100 names that were given to over 1.35 lakh babies in total.

Notably, while ONS lists them as separate names due to variance in spellings, they are transliterations of the same Arabic word in Roman characters, and therefore they are actually the same name. There are other variations of the word in use, like Mohamad, Mohamed, Mohammad, Mohammed, Muhamad, Muhamed, Muhammad, Muhammed, Muhammet and others. As such spellings are not in the top 100, the actual name including all variants will be much more.

For girls, Olivia remains the most popular choice, followed by Amelia and Isla. The list saw the inclusion of new names such as Lilah, Raya and Haze for girls and Jax, Enzo and Bodhi for boys. Sanskrit origin Bodhi was in 100th place with 532 boys given the name.

The rise of the name Muhammad to the top position, along with other names in the top 100 like Yusuf, reflects the massive demographic shifts taking place in the UK. This is the result of the increasing Muslim population in the country, fuelled by continuous immigration from Muslim nations, which has seen opposition from right-wing groups in recent times.

PM Modi sends a high-level delegation to Vatican to witness ordination of Kerala’s Monsignor George Jacob Koovakad as cardinal by the Pope

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi is sending a high-level Indian delegation to witness the ordination of Monsignor George Jacob Koovakad as a cardinal by the Pope at a function to be held in the Vatican City on Saturday (December 7), said former Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar.

Monsignor George Jacob Koovakad, from the Syro-Malabar Archdiocese of Changanacherry, Kerala, was elevated to the rank of Cardinal. He has been responsible for organizing Pope Francis’ international travels since 2020. He is among 21 new Cardinals announced by Pope Francis on October 6. The formal ceremony for the new Cardinals will be held on December 8.

The delegation will be headed by Union Minister of State for Fisheries George Kurian. The other members of the delegation are Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Congress MP Kodikunnil Suresh, Rajya Sabha MP Satam Singh Sandhu, BJP leaders Anil Antony, Anoop Antony and Tom Vadakkan.

“Honored to be part of Delegation to attend the ordainment of Kerala and Changanesserys very own, #FrGeorgeKoovakad as Cardinal, at the Vatican on 7th Dec. This delegation being sent by PM @narendramodi will convey the good wishes of PM, the christian community and All people of India at this most proud occassion for all Indians,” Rajeev Chandrasekhar said in a post on X.

Anil Antony said that PM Modi has always made it one of his most important missions to reach out to all global communities.

“A very high-level delegation led by Union Minister George Kurian, two senior members of parliaments, are going to the Vatican City tomorrow for a ceremony where the Holy Father Pope Francis has created 20 new cardinals. Of the 20 cardinals created, one of them is Archbishop George, who is originally from Kerala and currently holds the Apostolic. He is in charge of the apostolic journeys of the Pope, so a high-level delegation will be going for these ceremonies,” Anil Antony told ANI.

“Our prime minister in the last 10 years has always made it one of his most important missions to reach out to all global communities…There is a large Christian population in Goa, a large Christian population in the northeast, Kerala and all these places. Now you are seeing more and more people supporting the party and our prime minister’s vision of Viksit Bharat,” he added.

Rajeev Chandrasekhar told ANI that Father George Koovakad becoming a cardinal is n extremely proud moment for all the Indians, especially the Christian community.

“It is an extremely proud moment for all the Indians, especially the Christian community. Father George Koovakad who is from Kerala, is becoming a cardinal…He is the first father who is becoming a cardinal directly and the Pope is ordaining him on the 7th evening,” Chandrasekhar said.

“PM Modi on behalf of himself and all Indians is sending a delegation headed by Union Minister George Kurian of which I am a part. We will be going to represent the pride and happiness of the people of India,” he added.


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

Gujarat: Kutch Police arrests a gang of 12 people looting businessmen by posing as ED officials

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In a shocking incident, Kutch East police arrested a gang of 12 people including a woman from Gujarat’s Ahmedabad, Gandhidham, and Bhuj who defrauded a gold dealer by impersonating Enforcement Directorate (ED) personnel and robbed his shop. On Thursday (5th December), the Gujarat Police said that the fake ED officials seized jewellery worth Rs 17 lakh from a shop.

Kutch Police came into action after the businessman filed a complaint. The police said that the gang included individuals from Ahmedabad, Gandhidham, and Bhuj, and was targeting key businessmen. 

Upon robbing businessmen in Ahmedabad and Bhuj, the gang decided to defraud retailers in Gandhidham. The gang went to a jewellery store, dressed as ED officials, and conducted ‘raids’ at the businessman’s house and shop on 2nd December 2024. The businessman became suspicious after the ‘raid’ and filed a complaint with the A Division Kutch police. Police responded promptly and arrested two gang members. Initial investigations indicated the involvement of more people, and they eventually arrested eight more people in Ahmedabad and Bhuj.

The incident is similar to the incidents of the 2013 film “Special 26” in which a gang of people led by Ajay (portrayed by Akshay Kumar) were seen cheating businessmen by posing as fake income tax officers.

Speaking about the incident, Sagar Baghmar, SP East Kutch said, “The police have arrested a gang posing to be ED officials from Gandhidham…A total of 12 accused have been arrested…The process for the remand of the accused is underway. Further investigation into the case is being done…”

Notably, the police have recovered stolen gold and vehicles worth a total of Rs 45.82 lakh from the accused. The fake ED gang was detected on the basis of technical surveillance, private informers and CCTV footage.

Devendra Fadnavis takes oath as new CM of Maharashtra with deputy CMs Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar

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Shiv Sena Chief Eknath Shinde and Nationalist Congress Party Chief Ajit Pawar took oath as Deputy Chief Ministers of Maharashtra on Thursday.

Governor CP Radhakrishnan administered the oath to Shinde and Pawar at a ceremony held at Mumbai’s Azad Maidan.

Bharatiya Janata Party leader Devendra Fadnavis has been sworn in as the Chief Minister of the new Mahayuti government.

Notably, Fadnavis served as Maharashtra CM from 2014-19 and as Deputy CM under the recent Mahayuti government.

The ceremony was held in the presence of prominent leaders like Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, and Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami along with others were also present at the event.

Prominent celebrities such as cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and Bollywood stars Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Ranveer Singh, and Madhuri Dixit were among those in attendance.

Ending the long-drawn suspense over who would get the top job, Fadnavis, Shinde, and Pawar met Governor CP Radhakrishnan to stake their claim to form the Mahayuti government on Wednesday.

At the legislature party meeting held in Vidhan Bhawan, former Gujarat CM and BJP’s central observer Vijay Rupani announced that Fadnavis has been unanimously elected the BJP legislature party leader.

The decision came after days of speculation and political manoeuvring as Eknath Shinde wanted to become the chief minister of Maharashtra. However, the BJP, refused to budge and later, Shinde said he would back PM Modi’s pick.

The Maharashtra Assembly Election 2024 witnessed a decisive victory for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Mahayuti alliance, securing a landslide win with 235 seats. The results marked a significant milestone for the BJP, which emerged as the single-largest party with 132 seats.

The Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party also made notable gains, with 57 and 41 seats, respectively.

While, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) suffered a major setback with Congress winning just 16 seats. Its alliance partner, Shiv Sena (UBT), won 20 seats, while the NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) secured only 10 seats.


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

AAP shares doctored video showing actor Pankaj Tripathi campaigning against BJP ahead of Delhi elections, deletes after slammed by netizens

Ahead of the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections in February 2025, the Aam Aadmi Party launched a controversial campaign against BJP releasing a doctored video featuring a renowned actor Pankaj Tripathi on 5th December. The party doctored an advertisement video warning against fraud UPI transactions to portray that Tripathi was campaigning against the BJP by claiming that those who would vote for the BJP would fall into the category of fools.

The doctored video was posted by the official handle of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on 5th December. However, the video was deleted after being severely criticized by the netizens on social media. Though the post has been deleted, its archive can be found here.

In the doctored video, Tripathi appears as a peanut merchant and says, “I sell peanuts, not my brain. Take a look at the message the BJP sent. It reads, ‘Vote for us, we shall bring progress.’ Do you think I know nothing? I’ll vote for them here, and the government money will gone. I’m a peanut seller, not a fool. Remember: if the BJP tempts you, say, ‘I am not a fool.'”

The doctored advertisement by the AAP also alleged the national ruling party of corruption. The caption of AAP’s post read, “Tell BJP men—I am not a fool…” The video was notably shared by several AAP official handles and followers. It still appears on the social media pages of AAP Rajasthan and AAP Selampur even after slammed by netizens for making ill use of AI against an actor.

In the video shared by AAP, it is clear that on the phone held by Pankaj Tripathi, an image saying ‘Vote for BJP’ on a saffron background and with BJP logo was superimposed on the original video, where the phone showed a UPI screen.

Netizens slammed the AAP for making negative use of Artificial Intelligence. “Extremely dangerous use of AI to impersonate an actor and use the clip for an election campaign. AAP’s official Twitter handle runs the dubbed ad. Here’s the AAP version. Followed by the original UPI ad. The clip has now been deleted,” journalist Sanket Upadhyay said sharing the doctored and the original video.

One of the users meanwhile called the party Congress and said that it could do anything to get votes. While another user said that the real nature of the AAP had been exposed.

It is crucial to note that in the year 2023, the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) announced a tie-up with actor Pankaj Tripathi, designating him as its “UPI Safety Ambassador”. The Indian fast payment system Unified Payments Interface, or UPI, then launched an ad campaign called “Main Moorkh Nahi Hoon” in September of this year, starring Tripathi as a peanut seller who got a bogus lottery notification. It was created to raise awareness about scams using digital payment services.

An NPCI press release dated November 6th further stated that the public sector business had initiated a UPI Safety Awareness Campaign. The said campaign plans to feature Tripathi in a series of six ad videos illustrating common scam strategies. So far, three such videos have been released featuring Tripathi as a peanut seller, a betel seller, and a business executive. Three more video advertisements are awaited.

However, it is evident that AAP has used doctored a video to campaign against BJP ahead of the Delhi Assembly Elections.

Telangana: Locals raise Rs 3.75 crore to restore 1000-year-old Shiva temple after govt officials repeatedly deny their requests

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Over 1,000 residents of Warangal’s Atmakur hamlet, have come together to repair an 11th-century temple that had been abandoned for many years, reported The Times of India. Last month, the resurrected “Panchakuta Shivalayam” was officially opened. Locals believe after visiting the temple, couples who want children are granted their wish. V Buchi Reddy, chairman of Panchakuta Shivalayam informed, “Over 100 people come to pray here every day. Yet, it had been in a deplorable state. So, we decided to refurbish it.” He added that this is the only Panchakuta Shiva temple in Telangana.

The locals handled everything themselves, from funding almost Rs 3.75 crore to hiring heritage specialists from Tamil Nadu to carry out the task. Additionally, 200 residents of the nearby villages of Gudepadh, Thirumalagiri and Peddapuram provided financial assistance. Furthermore, “well-wishers” from the local Muslim and Christian groups also contributed and the temple also received a substantial donation of Rs 30 lakh from a villager who is now residing in Hyderabad.

P Raju, ex-sarpanch of Atmakur expressed, “Every home in Atmakur paid between Rs 2,000 and Rs 15 lakh.” He explained that after the state’s archaeology and endowments departments ignored their pleas, they decided to take matters into their own hands. Buchi Reddy voiced, “We raised the issue with them on many occasions. But they cited fund crunch for not restoring the structure. Since we were adamant, they eventually granted us permission to independently restore it after seeking all necessary permissions.”

It took more than 18 months for a group of 20 expert artisans to finish the restoration. Rethinavelu K, an architect from Madurai, was in charge of the project. “Craftsmen from Karaikudi, Sivaganga district, who previously worked on the Yadadri temple, studied the temple’s architectural layout. They meticulously reconstructed five pillars and the roof using identical stones, employing tools such as chisels and blades,” he revealed.

The actions of the people were also praised by state officials. Senior official from the Telangana archaeology department stated, “Seven years ago, when locals sought assistance for temple restoration, we had to decline due to lack of funds. Subsequently, the villagers took initiative by raising funds from their community and neighbouring villages. I was quite pleased to observe that they had successfully restored the temple to its authentic state.”

Children found living in toilets in Chhattisgarh’s residential school for tribals, minister angry over ‘allowing camera’

The images from the Eklavya Adarsh Residential School of Chotedongar of the Orchha block in the Narayanpur District in the Bastar division have caused a stir in the state. The Jahan Hostel’s bathroom has been transformed into rooms for students. Living in claustrophobic conditions, tribal children have to cover the toilet seats with mats and create beds there in an effort to make them livable.

Meanwhile, Forest And Climate Change Minister of Chhattisgarh Kedar Kashyap instead of addressing the grievous issue chose to threaten the people who made the video and raised the issue. He declared, “Who gave them the authority to snap the photographs? No one is allowed to enter these areas without the administration’s permission. Female students live there. There are female students residing there. Whoever they are, action will be taken against them for bringing out the issue in this manner and all the perpetrators will be penalised.”

On the other hand, a new scandal has been sparked by the CCTV that the hostel principal allegedly put up close to the girls’ shower area. The Chhattisgarh administration has been under fire after the instances came to light. An FIR (First Information Report) and action have been demanded against the principal for such a deplorable act. A team under the leadership of the Assistant Commissioner Tribal Development Branch has been formed and sent to Chhotedongar to investigate the matter after which a report will be submitted to the Collector by the Assistant Commissioner.

ADM Virendra Bahadur Panchbhai stated that information has been received about both incidents. He added that the Assistant Commissioner has been sent to Chhotedongar for investigation under the direction of Collector Bipin Manjhi. Afterward, action will be taken based on the inquiry report. According to the children at Eklavya Adarsh Residential School, there is disorder in the institution. The toilets have been in terrible shape for the past two months and their doors are also broken.

Teachers and students find it difficult to stay on campus because of the stink. Furthermore, the students do not have blankets. Prabhavi Mishra, the superintendent of the school, asserted to have informed the department’s senior authorities about the issues. However, the latter are not paying any attention to it. A senior has been promising for the past six years that a building will be constructed, but it is not ready yet.

There are numerous water-related issues as well. Sometimes, one has to attend school without showering which results in being late. Many people sleep in the bathroom. Schools of two organizations are operating in the building due to which girls and boys of two institutions study together. Everyone is having issues since there are more pupils than the property can accommodate.

There are not many rooms in the hostel, according to Sunita, a teacher at the residential school. Children are hence forced to used the tiolets and they have created a space for themselves by covering the toilet seat with mats and sheets. They have also put bed and table there. Girls are the ones who suffer the most from due to the inadequate space. Additionally, toilet doors are broken and girls have to go outside to relieve themselves.

The teacher reported that the hostel warden had brought the issue of the school’s room scarcity to the attention of higher officials. Hostel Warden Kishan also verified the same. However, nothing has been done as of yet. The leader of all tribal societies, Phool Singh, added 180 pupils to the school, which now has 50 seats. As a result, the bed are housed in the toilets due to sever lack of space.

Kerala BJP Vice President criticises Assam govt for banning beef in public places, claims beef comes from buffaloes and bulls, not cows

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BJP Kerala Vice President, Major Ravi, today took a jibe at the Assam Chief Minister for the beef ban in Assam. The BJP leader said that we should not be giving wrong messages and create communal tensions.

The BJP Kerala vice President said that everyone should first understand the difference between beef and cow. He said,”First of all you need to understand what is beef and what is cow, if you suddenly ban beef, this will give a wrong message to so many people…beef is not cow…”

He also added that the Chief Minister of Assam should not have done this as everyone has the “freedom to eat”.

Major Ravi said, “CM should not have said that…if somebody wants to eat, they should…there should be freedom to eat what you want…cow we worship…I haven’t seen any place where cows are being slaughtered.”

He again impressed upon that everyone should have the freedom to eat anything and the governments should not create communal issue.

“Beef is buffaloes and bulls…first of all, understand the difference and then impose ban…we shouldn’t give wrong message to people and create communal issues,” he said.

Meanwhile, LOP in the Kerala Assembly and Congress leader VD Sathessan dubbed the move an agenda of the Sangh parivar to divide people.

“The ‘Sangh Parivar’ governments across the nation are trying to create problems among the people…The elections in Assam are coming…So, this is an agenda of the ‘Sangh Parivar’ and they want to make a split among the people,” he said.

The Assam Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday announced ban on serving and consumption of beef in any restaurant, hotel and public places across the state.

The CM while announcing the band said that the Assam Cattle Preservation Act, passed in 2021, has been quite successful in ensuring the slaughter of cattle, and “now we have decided to stop the consumption of beef in public places.”


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