Hezbollah head says ‘fight without limitations’ in case of war with Israel

Beirut, June 20 2024-

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has pledged a fight “without limitations” if Israel starts a war with the militant group.

Speaking during a memorial ceremony for a Hezbollah commander killed last week by an Israeli strike, Nasrallah said on Wednesday that his group has prepared itself “for the most difficult ways,” warning that attacking the Israeli part of Galilee is “a choice that remains on the table if confrontation and tension increase”.

Israel has threatened over the past days to expand its war against the Shia militant group, Xinhua news agency reported.

On Tuesday, the Israeli military said that it has approved “operational plans” for an offensive against Hezbollah.

In response, the Hezbollah leader said they are “not afraid of these threats,” claiming that Hezbollah’s missiles and rockets can cause significant damage to the Israeli side.

Tensions along the Lebanon-Israel border escalated on October 8, 2023, following a barrage of rockets launched by the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah toward Israel in solidarity with Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7.

Israel then retaliated by firing heavy artillery toward southeastern Lebanon. (Agency)

Crypto exchange Binance to pay Rs 18.82 cr fine to restart India operations

New Delhi, June 20, 2024
Leading blockchain and cryptocurrency platform Binance will be required to pay Rs 18.82 crore fine to restart operations in India.

The Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) has imposed this penalty on the company for operating in the country in violation of domestic anti-money laundering regulations.

“After considering the written and oral submissions of Binance, the Director, FIU-IND, based on the material available on record, found that the charges against Binance were substantiated,” a notification by FIU said on Thursday.

“Furthermore, specific directions have also been issued to Binance to ensure diligent compliance with the obligations outlined in Chapter IV of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) of 2002, in conjunction with the PMLA Maintenance of Record Rules (PMLA Rules) of 2005 for the prevention of money laundering activities and combating the financing of terrorism (AMLCFT),” it added.

Binance registered with the FIU in May as it sought to resume operations in the country. This came after the financial watchdog issued a show-cause notice in December 2023, along with eight other offshore exchanges that were operating in violation of local rules.

The crypto exchange was barred from operating in India for not complying with local regulations, as part of the financial watchdog’s crackdown on offshore crypto exchanges operating in the country without registration.

Meanwhile, rival crypto exchange KuCoin got fully registered and became operational after paying a fine of Rs 34.5 lakh.(Agency)

Balasore clash: Curfew relaxed by four hours on Thursday

Bhubaneswar, June 20 2024-

A four-hour relaxation in curfew on Thursday has been allowed in Odisha’s Balasore town where a clash between two groups was witnessed a few days ago, following which a curfew was imposed.

An official said the decision was taken after the town gradually began limping towards normalcy.

The curfew was clamped in the Balasore municipality area following a clash in the city on Monday.

Speaking to the mediapersons after a high-level meeting on Wednesday, Balasore Collector Ashish Thakare said: “Curfew will be eased tomorrow from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. We will allow the opening of different commercial establishments so that people can do their daily needs without any difficulties.

“A proposal has been sent to the Home Department to ease the ban on the Internet for emergency services like banking operations. As a matter of precaution, the schools, anganwadi centers and colleges will remain closed for at least the next two days.”

Balasore District Superintendent of Police, Sagarika Nath, said that a heavy deployment of police personnel has been made to tackle any incidents of violence.

She said that Border Security Force personnel would be deployed for confidence-building exercises in the sensitive areas of Balasore town.

As many as 10 FIRs have been registered while 35 people were arrested in connection with the violence.

Several others have also been detained for violating curfew.

As per the sources, some residents after noticing blood flowing in a nearby drain, appealed to the administration to stop the alleged slaughtering of animals as several religious places are located in close vicinity.

The residents later blocked the Chandipur-Balasore main road as the local administration allegedly failed to address their concerns.

Upon being informed, police and other officials of district administration reached the spot and tried to placate a group of protesters.

Meanwhile, the situation soon flared up after the opposite group resorted to stone pelting. (Agency)

INDIA bloc leaders urge Manipur govt to restore peace, normalcy in state at the earliest

Imphal, June 19 2024-

The Congress-led INDIA bloc, comprising 10 parties, on Wednesday, urged the Manipur government to restore peace and normalcy in the state at the earliest.

An INDIA bloc delegation, led by former Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh, separately met Governor Anusuiya Uikey and Chief Minister N. Biren Singh and demanded an early amicable solution to the ethnic crisis.

A Raj Bhavan statement said that Ibobi Singh, while expressing disappointment and unhappiness with the protracted conflict, which has been going on since May 3 last year, said Jiribam district has become the new hotspot of violence and its residents have fled their homes and have been taking shelter in various relief camps.

“Expressing concerns over the incidents, Singh urged the Governor to ensure adequate state security forces in the Jiribam district. Other leaders of the delegation drew the attention of the Governor for ensuring free flow vehicular movement so that essential commodities including petroleum products are made available as usual,” an INDIA bloc statement said.

The INDIA bloc delegation also urged that the Centre and the state governments should take necessary actions to restore peace and normalcy in the state.

The Governor told the delegation that all efforts have been made to ensure peace and security in the state and to bring a lasting solution to the crisis. She said that she had apprised President Droupadi Murmu, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman of the situation in the state and requested them to take immediate steps to stop all forms of violence, to bridge the gap between the two communities, and bring about a long-lasting peace in the state, a Raj Bhavan statement said.

She also said that she had informed the Home Minister about the condition of the displaced people who have been taking shelter in various relief camps, and the Finance Minister about the economic condition in the state and requested financial assistance. The Governor assured the delegation that she would continue her efforts to restore peace and normalcy in the state, the Raj Bhavan statement said.

Communist Party of India leader M. Nara, who was also in the INDIA bloc delegation, said that they raised similar demands before the Chief Minister.

He told the media that the violence-hit people in Jiribam district were keen to return to their homes if the state government provided adequate security to them.

Meanwhile, with further improvement of the situation in Jiribam district, adjoining southern Assam, the district administration announced a relaxation of the curfew for four and a half hours from 9 a.m. on Thursday too, like Wednesday.

The indefinite curfew was imposed in mixed-population Jiribam district after the killing of 59-year-old farmer Soibam Saratkumar Singh on June 6, leading to around 900 tribals belonging to the Kuki and Hmar communities taking shelter at the homes of relatives and friends in two villages in the Cachar district of southern Assam, while around 1,000 people, mostly belonging to the Meitei community, are now sheltered in seven relief camps in Jiribam. (Agency)

Fan murder case: Police grill actor Darshan’s wife Vijayalakshmi for five hours

Bengaluru, June 19 2024-

The Karnataka police probing the fan murder case involving Kannada superstar Darshan questioned his wife Vijayalakshmi for nearly five hours at the Annapoorneshwari Nagar police station here on Wednesday.

Darshan, his ‘partner’ and co-star Pavithra Gowda, and 15 others have been arrested on charges of murdering Renukaswamy (33), a resident of Chitradurga.

The probe so far revealed that Renukaswamy was a big fan of Darshan and had sent derogatory messages to Pavithra Gowda on social media. The victim was allegedly kidnapped, brought to Bengaluru, kept in a shed, and brutally tortured to death.

Vijayalakshmi appeared before the police at 12 noon and was questioned till 5 p.m.

After the questioning, she left the police station without speaking to the media.

Meanwhile, the police have seized Darshan’s designer loafers from Vijayalakshmi’s residence, which he allegedly wore on the day of the murder. Sources said the police had gathered information that Darshan tried to hide the shoes.

Later, taking to Instagram, Vijayalakshmi said, “At the outset, I express my heartfelt condolences to the family of the deceased, Sri Renukaswamy.”

She also obtained an order from a sessions court restraining the media from printing, publishing, or telecasting news or any other information about her husband’s personal and family life in connection with the case.

In her post, she said, “The last few days have been full of anguish for Darshan, myself, my teenage son, and all of Darshan’s friends, family, and fans. With this order issued by the Honorable Court, I hope people will put to rest some falsified information and untruths that were being spread across various media and social media platforms.

“I urge everyone to kindly publish only what is officially put out by the enforcement authorities. I have full faith in Ma Chamundeshwari and in our legal system. Let Justice Prevail. Satyameva Jayate.”

Meanwhile, Kannada actor Pratham has lodged a complaint with the police against the fans of Darshan for the life threats he received on social media.

Pratham had criticised Darshan and said that if he were made a cop for a day, he would pick up a baton and shoo away Darshan’s fans standing outside the police station where he is being held.

“I have been receiving threatening calls for the past three days. I have urged the police not to arrest the fans, but to warn them,” he said. (Agency)

Deepika flaunts her baby bump in black bodycon dress at ‘Kalki 2898 AD’ event

Mumbai, June 19 2024-

Bollywood star Deepika Padukone, who is expecting her first child with her husband Ranveer Singh, flaunted her baby bump at a media event for her upcoming film ‘Kalki 2898 AD’ on Wednesday.

The actress, who wore a black bodycon dress, attended the event with legendary actors Amitabh Bachchan and Kamal Haasan, along with Telugu stars Prabhas and Rana Daggubati.

The actress also shared an anecdote from the sets of ‘Kalki 2898 AD’, saying the highlight of the day during the filming was what was going to come from Prabhas’ home for lunch. The food from his place came in like a catering service. And anyone who knows Prabhas knows that he feeds from the heart, she said.

Big B recollected his first thought after director Nag Ashwin narrated the script of ‘Kalki 2898 AD’ to him.

The actor said he told himself, “What the hell is Nag Ashwin drinking?”

Big B also said he was enamoured by Nag Ashwin’s grand vision and his conviction to bring this film to life.

Kamal Haasan, who plays a negative character in the film, explained why he likes playing characters with shades of grey.

“Villains get to do all the good things in the film which really excite me as an actor,” he said.

Produced by Vyjayanthi Movies, ‘Kalki 2898 AD’ is set to hit the screens on June 27. (Agency)

Signed ‘Aranamanai 4’ without script or narration: Raashii Khanna

June 19, 2024 (Yes Punjab News)

Raashii Khanna is riding high on the success of ‘Aranmanai 4’, but did you know the versatile powerhouse actress signed the film without even a narration or a script.

During the promotion of the film, Khanna said that she dived in with immense faith on director Sundar C, who she called “the master of the horror-comedy” genre. She had also described the film’s set to be “the easiest set”.

The young pan-India star’s film ended the dry spell at Tamil box office and registered itself as 2024’s first hit. The film established Raashii as the Golden Girl of Tamil industry as with Aranmanai 4, she scored her third consecutive hit.

Previously, her films ‘Thiruchitrambalam’ and ‘Sardar’ scored moolahs at the box office, becoming one of the top hits of 2022. Talking about the film’s success, Raashii had previously said, “It shows that we can carry our films on our shoulders and deliver.”

The versatile powerhouse is now looking forward to the release of her Hindi films ‘The Sabarmati Report’ and ‘Talaakhon Mein Ek’. She also has Telugu film ‘Telusu Kada’ in the pipeline.

Have submitted all relevant documents to ED: Actress Rituparna Sengupta after 5-hour interrogation

Kolkata, June 19 2024-

Actress Rituparna Sengupta finally left the Enforcement Directorate (ED) office at Salt Lake here at around 6.30 p.m. after over five hours of questioning in connection with the multi-crore ration distribution scam in West Bengal and said that she had fully cooperated with the investigators.

“The ED officials had sought some documents from me. I have handed over those documents to them. They have cooperated with me just as I cooperated with them. The investigating officials are happy with my cooperation. I cannot make any further comment on the matter right at this moment,” she said before leaving the Central Government Office (CGO) complex where the ED office is located.

However, she refused to give any specific answer on the exact matters she was questioned on or what were the documents that she had handed over to the central agency officials.

She arrived at the ED office at 1 p.m. to join the probe and before that, her personal accountant reached there with files containing the paper documents.

The accountant claimed that since he handles the financial and accounting matters of the actress, he had also come to explain the matters to the investigating officials.

Sources said that the name of Sengupta surfaced while the central agency officials were examining the documents related to an accused corporate in the ration distribution case.

On May 30, the ED issued the first notice to Sengupta asking her to be present for interrogation on June 5. However, at that time the actress skipped the appearance on grounds that she was abroad then.

Subsequently, on June 6, she was served another notice by the ED, asking her to be present at the central agency office on Wednesday. This time, she appeared.

This is not the first time that Sengupta has been summoned by the ED. In 2019, she was summoned by the ED in connection with the multi-crore Rose Valley chit-fund scam.

She was summoned then for her involvement in some of the entertainment projects, including films, promoted by the Rose Valley Group. It was alleged that the films were produced using the money laundered by the Rose Valley Group through its various marketing schemes promising the investors lucrative returns. (Agency)

Aparshakti Khurana’s Sparkling Revelation: Meet Diamond his neew best friend

June 19, 2024 (Yes Punjab News)

Aparshakti Khurana is one such personality in the film industry who does not shy away from exploring fashion. The actor-singer has done it again and has proven that his fashion sense is not only limited to suits and jackets! Recently, Aparshakti took to his social media handle to give his fans a sneak peek of his out-of-the-box fashion statement.

Though the actor looked dapper in all the outfits he donned, what grabbed the attention is how he accessorised himself with diamond rings, an eye-catchy bracelet and a swoon-worthy neckpiece.

Captions says, “Why should diamonds be only a girls best friend”

The actor’s video left his fans blown away, and they swarmed to his comment section to heap praise on him! One user wrote, “Awesome blossom @aparshakti_khurana sir ”, while another user commented, “Oh my..”. While many of them praised the actor for his amazing style statement, several others dropped hearts for him.

After wreaking havoc in the fashion world, Aparshakti Khurana is all geared up to set the screens on fire with his theatrical releases. His upcoming film ‘Berlin’ is creating waves at several film festivals and is looking forward to a theatrical release soon.

Beyond this, Khurana is bucking up to leave his fans floored by reprising his role as ‘Bittu’ in ‘Stree 2’, which is slated to release in theatres on August 15. Apart from this, the actor also has a documentary called ‘Finding Ram’ in the pipeline.

No patch-up with BJP, NDA govt will fall, INDIA bloc will bag power, says Thackeray

Mumbai, June 19 2024-

Shiv Sena-UBT President and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday said that the new NDA 3.0 will not last long and it will collapse soon owing to its own contradictions, while ruling out any possibility of a patch-up with the Bharatiya Janata Party.

“The NDA government will fall… We want it to fall, and mid-term Lok Sabha elections must be conducted. The INDIA bloc will win and come to power,” roared Thackeray at the party’s 58th Foundation Day.

Targeting the BJP, he said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is propped up by Nitish Kumar, of the Janata Dal-United, and Chandrababu Naidu, of the Telugu Desam Party, and all the three had indulged in calling each other names in the past.

“They (Nitish Kumar and Naidu) have made big promises to the Muslims and other sections in their respective states of Bihar and Andhra Pradesh. Is it all acceptable to the BJP and Modi… will they make their stand clear on it?” he demanded.

Countering the BJP’s charge that his SS-UBT had abandoned Hindutva and was getting only Muslim votes, Thackeray shot back, saying that “all patriotic people in the country had voted decisively for the INDIA-Maha Vikas Aghadi and SS-UBT, including Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Dalits, Buddhists, and other communities who love the country and to save democracy and constitution”.

“You question our Hindutva just because we allied with the Congress… But first look at yourself, how many of your allies speak of Hindutva? Are Nitish Kumar and Naidu Hindutvavadi by any yardstick?” he questioned.

“After the elections, you spread rumours that I am going to return to the NDA. I ask you all: Do you want to go back to those traitors who broke our party, took away the name and the symbol?” Thackeray asked, eliciting a thunderous no from the gathering.

Without taking names, he took a potshot at his estranged cousin and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena President Raj Thackeray for offering “unconditional” support to the NDA, “just because they didn’t want Uddhav Thackeray”.

Attacking Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, he dared him to fight the Assembly elections without using the late Balasaheb Thackeray’s name and photos, the Shiv Sena name and symbol, and contest on a different symbol, use his father’s pictures, and “then tell us your strike rate”.

Hitting back at Shinde for labelling the Opposition as “urban Naxals”, Thackeray said that those who break parties, misuse central investigating agencies, and scare the Opposition are the “urban Naxals”.

“The battle has begun, there’s no stopping till the final victory is achieved. We are waiting for the Supreme Court verdict on the disqualification issue… So far, it’s just ‘tarikh pe tarikh’ (date upon date) of hearings. I request the SC to tell us how long it will take to deliver its order. This is not a personal battle but a sincere effort to save the country’s democracy and the constitution,” he said.

On the Maharashtra Assembly elections slated for October, Thackeray said that he was confident that the MVA would be voted to power. (Agency)

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