Myanmar Thailand earthquake news latest updates: A powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake hit central Myanmar on Friday (March 28), with the epicentre located near the city of Mandalay, rocking neighbouring Thailand and other regions in South and Southeast Asia. Dozens are dead,&nbsp; multi-storey buildings and bridges collapsed, and people panicked in Bangkok in Thailand, Delhi-NCR in India and other cities and towns.&nbsp;
The quakes wrought widespread damage, particularly in Myanmar, where buildings fell onto their sides.&nbsp;Roads cracked open, and the well-known Ava bridge collapsed near the epicentre. Here is what we know so far:
<h2><iframe width="600" height="auto" style="width: 100%; aspect-ratio: 4/3;" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" class="external-video publive-iframes-block" src="https://cdn.thepublive.com/wion/static/kaltura_player/wion_video_player_iframe.html?thumbnail=wion/media/post_attachments/screenshot/2803_Breaking_230pm/00000002.jpg&amp;videourl=https://vodakm.zeenews.com/vod/WION/2803_Breaking_230pm.mp4/index.m3u8&amp;duration=402&amp;tags=wion, wion news, world news, world news latest, viral" title=" Emergency declared in Bangkok after earthquake; PM Modi says ready to offer all help" id="PL_iframe_block-m8sn1jso-p3d6f8iq-wggyatnd"></iframe></h2>
<h2>Earthquake details: When, where&nbsp;</h2>
Besides Myanmar and Thailand, the tremor and aftershocks were felt in parts of India, Bangladesh, Laos, Vietnam, and China.
Main details
Magnitude: 7.7&nbsp;
Time: The quake struck at midday (local time) in Myanmar
Depth - 10 km (6.2 miles), according to the US Geological Survey Epicentre - 16km (10 miles) northwest of the city of Sagaing, which is about 17.2 km (10.7 miles) from Mandalay, Myanmar's second-largest city, which has a population of about 1.5 million.
<h2>Myanmar Thailand earthquake: Extent of damage and destruction&nbsp;</h2>
&gt; &nbsp;Buildings, bridges and other property have been damaged in Myanmar and Thailand
&gt; In the Thai capital city of Bangkok, an underconstruction building collapsed, killing at least 43 people and trapping dozens of others. The collapse took place in the Chatuchak District of Bangkok. Images posted on Facebook showed construction workers fleeing.
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&gt; It's feared that there will be larger casualties in Bangkok, as its buildings are not usually made earthquake-proof &gt; A Bangkok rooftop pool collapsed into waterfall
&gt; &nbsp;Roads have buckled in Myanmar&rsquo;s capital, Naypyidaw <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/myanmar-thailand-earthquake-india-stands-ready-to-offer-all-possible-assistance-says-pm-modi-8900046">Myanmar, Thailand earthquake: 'India stands ready to offer all possible assistance', says PM Modi</a>
&gt; Images of heavily damaged buildings in Mandalay in Myanmar were shared on social media
&gt; The quake turned a major hospital in the Myanmar capital Naypyidaw into a "mass casualty area". The entrance of the emergency department collapsed. People at the 1,000-bed facility are being treated outside. Some writhed in pain, others lay still as relatives sought to comfort them.
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/nearly-300-indians-repatriated-from-myanmar-scam-centres-8841008">Nearly 300 Indians repatriated from Myanmar scam centres</a>
&gt; Huge cracks appeared in Naypyidaw roads&nbsp;
&gt;&nbsp; Residents in Chiang Mai, Thailand, experienced a power outage after the earthquake.
<h2>Thailand, Myanmar declare emergency</h2>
The Myanmar junta has declared a state of emergency in affected regions. In a rare move, the junta also sought help from foreign countries.
Thai authorities have declared a state of emergency in Bangkok, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said.
<h2>How the Asia quake was felt in India</h2>
&gt; Tremors were felt in India's North East, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh as well as Delhi NCR.
&gt; In the northeastern state of Meghalaya, a magnitude 4.0 earthquake was recorded by the National Centre for Seismology.
<h2>India on standby to assist in Myanmar quake relief: PM Modi</h2>
India was ready to offer "all possible assistance" to Myanmar and Thailand, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday. "Praying for the safety and wellbeing of everyone," Modi wrote on social media platform X. "India stands ready to offer all possible assistance. In this regard, asked our authorities to be on standby."
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/massive-72-magnitude-earthquake-strikes-myanmar-tremors-felt-in-delhi-ncr-8899458">Massive 7.2 magnitude earthquake strikes Myanmar, Thailand; tremors felt in Delhi-NCR</a>
India has a history of supporting other countries after earthquakes: &nbsp;Nepal in 2015, Indonesia in 2018, Afghanistan in 2022 and Turkey in 2023.
<h2>How common are earthquakes in Myanmar?</h2>
Earthquakes are relatively more common in Myanmar, compared to Thailand. Between 1930 and 1956, there were six strong quakes of 7.0 magnitude near the Sagaing Fault, which runs through the centre of the country, AFP news agency reported citing the USGS.
Neighbouring Thailand, however, is not earthquake-prone and historically only felt the aftershocks of Myanmar quakes.
(With inputs from agencies)

Trending | World - India News The collapse took place in the Chatuchak District of Bangkok. Images posted on Facebook showed construction workers fleeing.

Myanmar Thailand earthquake news latest updates: A powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake hit central Myanmar on Friday (March 28), with the epicentre located near the city of Mandalay, rocking neighbouring Thailand and other regions in South and Southeast Asia. Dozens are dead, multi-storey buildings and bridges collapsed, and people panicked in Bangkok in Thailand, Delhi-NCR in India and other cities and towns. The quakes wrought widespread damage, particularly in Myanmar, where buildings fell onto their sides. Roads cracked open, and the well-known Ava bridge collapsed near the epicentre. Here is what we know so far: Earthquake details: When, where Besides Myanmar and Thailand, the tremor and aftershocks were felt in parts of India, Bangladesh, Laos, Vietnam, and China. Main details Magnitude: 7.7 Time: The quake struck at midday (local time) in Myanmar Depth - 10 km (6.2 miles), according to the US Geological Survey Epicentre - 16km (10 miles) northwest of the city of Sagaing, which is about 17.2 km (10.7 miles) from Mandalay, Myanmar's second-largest city, which has a population of about 1.5 million. Myanmar Thailand earthquake: Extent of damage and destruction > Buildings, bridges and other property have been damaged in Myanmar and Thailand > In the Thai capital city of Bangkok, an underconstruction building collapsed, killing at least 43 people and trapping dozens of others. The collapse took place in the Chatuchak District of Bangkok. Images posted on Facebook showed construction workers fleeing. Scientists on high alert for massive eruption as Washington's largest active volcano gets rattled by earthquakes > It's feared that there will be larger casualties in Bangkok, as its buildings are not usually made earthquake-proof > A Bangkok rooftop pool collapsed into waterfall > Roads have buckled in Myanmar’s capital, Naypyidaw Myanmar, Thailand earthquake: 'India stands ready to offer all possible assistance', says PM Modi > Images of heavily damaged buildings in Mandalay in Myanmar were shared on social media > The quake turned a major hospital in the Myanmar capital Naypyidaw into a "mass casualty area". The entrance of the emergency department collapsed. People at the 1,000-bed facility are being treated outside. Some writhed in pain, others lay still as relatives sought to comfort them. Nearly 300 Indians repatriated from Myanmar scam centres > Huge cracks appeared in Naypyidaw roads > Residents in Chiang Mai, Thailand, experienced a power outage after the earthquake. Thailand, Myanmar declare emergency The Myanmar junta has declared a state of emergency in affected regions. In a rare move, the junta also sought help from foreign countries. Thai authorities have declared a state of emergency in Bangkok, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said. How the Asia quake was felt in India > Tremors were felt in India's North East, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh as well as Delhi NCR. > In the northeastern state of Meghalaya, a magnitude 4.0 earthquake was recorded by the National Centre for Seismology. India on standby to assist in Myanmar quake relief: PM Modi India was ready to offer "all possible assistance" to Myanmar and Thailand, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday. "Praying for the safety and wellbeing of everyone," Modi wrote on social media platform X. "India stands ready to offer all possible assistance. In this regard, asked our authorities to be on standby." Massive 7.2 magnitude earthquake strikes Myanmar, Thailand; tremors felt in Delhi-NCR India has a history of supporting other countries after earthquakes: Nepal in 2015, Indonesia in 2018, Afghanistan in 2022 and Turkey in 2023. How common are earthquakes in Myanmar? Earthquakes are relatively more common in Myanmar, compared to Thailand. Between 1930 and 1956, there were six strong quakes of 7.0 magnitude near the Sagaing Fault, which runs through the centre of the country, AFP news agency reported citing the USGS. Neighbouring Thailand, however, is not earthquake-prone and historically only felt the aftershocks of Myanmar quakes. (With inputs from agencies)

7.7 magnitude earthquake rocks Myanmar; Thailand, India feel aftershocks; dozens dead, buildings collapse, toll to rise: What we know

The Sudan Army declared that it had taken full control of the capital Khartoum, nearly two years after losing it to breakaway RSF paramilitary forces in an ongoing civil war.&nbsp;&ldquo;Our forces today have... forcibly cleansed the last pockets of the remnants of the Dagalo terrorist militia in Khartoum locality,&rdquo; army spokesman Nabil Abdullah said in a statement late Thursday (Mar 27).
'Dagalo terrorist militia' is how the regular army of Sudan describes the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the renegade paramilitary group led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.
<iframe width="600" height="auto" style="width: 100%; aspect-ratio: 4/3;" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" class="external-video publive-iframes-block" src="https://cdn.thepublive.com/wion/static/kaltura_player/wion_video_player_iframe.html?thumbnail=wion/media/post_attachments/screenshot/2703_ARMY_11AM/00000002.jpg&amp;videourl=https://vodakm.zeenews.com/vod/WION/2703_ARMY_11AM.mp4/index.m3u8&amp;duration=127&amp;tags=sudan, army, paramilitary" title="Sudan&rsquo;s army chief declares 'Khartoum is free' from inside Presidential palace " id="PL_iframe_block-m8sha931-aqqojue2-wh39q9g5"></iframe>
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RSF has been in a civil war with the regular army since April 2023.
The military statement on Thursday came after a week of pitched battles with RSF, which vowed not to surrender despite the setbacks in Khartoum.
Standing inside the newly reclaimed presidential palace, army chief Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan on Wednesday declared the capital &ldquo;free&rdquo; from the RSF.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/arrest-of-south-sudan-vp-brings-nation-closer-to-civil-war-un-warns-8898183">Arrest of South Sudan VP brings nation closer to civil war, UN warns</a>
<h2>What is the Sudan Civil War all about?</h2>
Sudan is Africa's third-largest country, plagued over the years by extreme poverty, political upheavals, protests, and now, a civil war. The main fight is between Sudan's Army Chief al-Burhan, who is strong mainly in the Khartoum region, and his former deputy and RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who controls the Darfur region.
After the Army-RSF war started in April 2023,&nbsp;the country was essentially broken into two.
The regular army controls the north and the east.
RSF is strong partially in the south and most of the western region of Darfur, which borders Chad.
On Wednesday, al-Burhan declared the capital "free" from the RSF from inside the presidential palace that his troops had recaptured after days of fighting.
This came after the Khartoum airport was cleared of RSF fighters.
The army defeated the RSF in its strongholds in Khartoum area, making its fighters escape into the greater Khartoum area via the Jebel Awliya bridge.&nbsp;The RSF fighters are likely to withdraw into their strongholds in Darfur.
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/our-forces-completely-destroyed-sudan-army-retakes-presidential-palace-from-rsf-8876433">&lsquo;Our forces completely destroyed enemy&rsquo;s fighters&rsquo;: Sudan army retakes presidential palace from RSF</a>
Meanwhile, the RSF insisted that its forces have not lost any battle but have only repositioned.
"Our forces will continue to defend the homeland&rsquo;s soil and secure a decisive victory. There will be no retreat or surrender. We will deliver crushing defeats to the enemy on all fronts," it said.
Just as they were being pounded in Khartoum and being ousted from the capital, RSF entered into a military pact with another rebel group, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North led by Abdelaziz al-Hilu, that controls South Kordofan state and parts of Blue Nile. Al-Hilu's rebels have earlier fought both the Sudan Army and the RSF.
<h2>825,000 Sudan children face violence and famine: UN</h2>
The war in the African nation has been relatively forgotten by the mainstream media as it is focused on Russia-Ukraine war and Hamas-Israel war.
The Sudan Civil War has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced at least 12 million people, according to the United Nations.
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/sudanese-army-launches-airstrikes-in-khartoum-against-paramilitary-positions-762331">Sudanese army launches airstrikes in Khartoum against paramilitary positions</a>
The UN children's agency has warned that nearly 825,000 children are trapped by violence and food shortage in North Darfur.&nbsp;UNICEF noted that the children remain cut off from food, clean water and humanitarian assistance.
UNICEF representative for Sudan, Sheldon Yett, said 825,000 children "are trapped in a growing catastrophe in and around Al Fasher," and face death either due to fighting or the collapse of services.
More than 70 children were killed this year so far in the crossfire, it said.
According to the&nbsp;International Rescue Committee, it has created the &ldquo;biggest humanitarian crisis ever recorded&rdquo; in the region. (With inputs from agencies)

World - Sudan Civil War is between Army Chief al-Burhan, who is strong mainly in the Khartoum region, and his former deputy and RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.

The Sudan Army declared that it had taken full control of the capital Khartoum, nearly two years after losing it to breakaway RSF paramilitary forces in an ongoing civil war. “Our forces today have... forcibly cleansed the last pockets of the remnants of the Dagalo terrorist militia in Khartoum locality,” army spokesman Nabil Abdullah said in a statement late Thursday (Mar 27). 'Dagalo terrorist militia' is how the regular army of Sudan describes the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the renegade paramilitary group led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo. RSF has been in a civil war with the regular army since April 2023. The military statement on Thursday came after a week of pitched battles with RSF, which vowed not to surrender despite the setbacks in Khartoum. Standing inside the newly reclaimed presidential palace, army chief Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan on Wednesday declared the capital “free” from the RSF. Arrest of South Sudan VP brings nation closer to civil war, UN warns What is the Sudan Civil War all about? Sudan is Africa's third-largest country, plagued over the years by extreme poverty, political upheavals, protests, and now, a civil war. The main fight is between Sudan's Army Chief al-Burhan, who is strong mainly in the Khartoum region, and his former deputy and RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who controls the Darfur region. After the Army-RSF war started in April 2023, the country was essentially broken into two. The regular army controls the north and the east. RSF is strong partially in the south and most of the western region of Darfur, which borders Chad. On Wednesday, al-Burhan declared the capital "free" from the RSF from inside the presidential palace that his troops had recaptured after days of fighting. This came after the Khartoum airport was cleared of RSF fighters. The army defeated the RSF in its strongholds in Khartoum area, making its fighters escape into the greater Khartoum area via the Jebel Awliya bridge. The RSF fighters are likely to withdraw into their strongholds in Darfur. ‘Our forces completely destroyed enemy’s fighters’: Sudan army retakes presidential palace from RSF Meanwhile, the RSF insisted that its forces have not lost any battle but have only repositioned. "Our forces will continue to defend the homeland’s soil and secure a decisive victory. There will be no retreat or surrender. We will deliver crushing defeats to the enemy on all fronts," it said. Just as they were being pounded in Khartoum and being ousted from the capital, RSF entered into a military pact with another rebel group, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North led by Abdelaziz al-Hilu, that controls South Kordofan state and parts of Blue Nile. Al-Hilu's rebels have earlier fought both the Sudan Army and the RSF. 825,000 Sudan children face violence and famine: UN The war in the African nation has been relatively forgotten by the mainstream media as it is focused on Russia-Ukraine war and Hamas-Israel war. The Sudan Civil War has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced at least 12 million people, according to the United Nations. Sudanese army launches airstrikes in Khartoum against paramilitary positions The UN children's agency has warned that nearly 825,000 children are trapped by violence and food shortage in North Darfur. UNICEF noted that the children remain cut off from food, clean water and humanitarian assistance. UNICEF representative for Sudan, Sheldon Yett, said 825,000 children "are trapped in a growing catastrophe in and around Al Fasher," and face death either due to fighting or the collapse of services. More than 70 children were killed this year so far in the crossfire, it said. According to the International Rescue Committee, it has created the “biggest humanitarian crisis ever recorded” in the region. (With inputs from agencies)

What's happening in Sudan? Army declares full control of capital, RSF rebels vow to fight as 825,000 kids face violence, famine

Elon Musk has said the federal government spent almost $1 billion on a short survey asking whether or not people liked the US National Parks. This is among a number of things his Department of Government Efficiency or DOGE is cracking down on.
&ldquo;We routinely encounter a waste of a billion dollars or more. Casually. This 10 question-survey could&rsquo;ve been done with Survey Monkey for $10,000. The government was being charged almost a billion dollars for that,&rdquo; Musk said during a Fox News interaction along with some DOGE staff on Thursday (Mar 27).
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Below are the ways in which DOGE says it's saving money by cutting government waste:
<h2>Crackdown on small business loans 'to babies and people not alive'</h2>
This month, the Small Business Administration (SBA) mandated that business loan applicants must provide date and proof of birth, after it emerged that some of the loans allegedly went to people aged above 120. In DOGE's view, these are cases of identity theft or social security fraud.
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In the new online loan application form on the SBA website, there is now an entry for date of birth that the applicants have to fill.
Any direct application with ages below 18 years or above 120 years will not be approved.
&ldquo;Basic sanity checks like these are initial steps towards minimizing fraud in government payment programs,&rdquo; DOGE said in a post on its X handle, which Musk reshared.
He said it will ensure the SBA does not provide loans to children or to people considered too old to be alive.
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/get-back-the-money-asap-trump-asks-doge-to-take-back-8000000-given-to-radical-left-politico-magazine-8897647">'Get back the money ASAP': Trump asks DOGE to take back $8,000,000 given to 'Radical Left' Politico magazine</a>
&ldquo;No more loans to babies or people too old to be alive (ie stolen Social Security numbers),&rdquo; he wrote, implying that some people were using stolen Social Security numbers for these loans.
This comes after DOGE found, from data examination of 2020-21, that SBA had granted 3,095 loans worth $333 million to those aged above 115, including one 157-year-old who got a $36,000 loan.
<h2>Savings by cutting grants</h2>
DOGE also said in a post on Thursday (Mar 27) that $577 million grants have been cancelled by various government agencies, giving savings of $237 mn. It called these "America Last' grants.
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-war-or-doge-cuts-inside-elon-musks-controversial-pentagon-visit-that-trump-hegseth-rushed-to-defend-8877941">China war or DOGE cuts? Inside Musk&rsquo;s controversial Pentagon visit that Trump, Hegseth rushed to defend</a>
&nbsp;The cancelled grants include:&nbsp; &gt; $10mn for "gender equity in the Mexican workplace" &gt; $12.2mn for "worker empowerment in South America" &gt; &nbsp;$6.25mn for "improving respect for Worker's rights in agricultural supply chains" in Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador &gt; $5mn for "elevating women's participation in the workplace" in West Africa &gt; $4.3mn for "assisting foreign migrant workers" in Malaysia &gt; $3mn to "enhance social security access and worker protections for internal migrant workers" in Bangladesh &gt; $3mn for "safe and inclusive work environments" in Lesotho
<h2>Credit card deactivations</h2>
DOGE is also targeting credit cards given to federal workers and contractors.
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-president-donald-trump-us-state-secretary-marco-rubio-usaid-programs-elon-musk-doge-8840639">&lsquo;Thank you to DOGE&rsquo;: Trump&rsquo;s State Secy Rubio slashes 83% of USAID programmes, Musk says &lsquo;tough but necessary&rsquo;</a>
A 'pilot programme' with 16 government agencies carried out an audit of unused or unwanted credit cards. After five weeks of this audit, nearly 298,000 credit cards were de-activated.
DOGE said that there were 4.6mn active cards or accounts at the start of this audit, so there is more work left.
(With inputs from agencies)
&nbsp;

World Business & Economy Trending | Elon Musk has said the federal government spent almost $1 billion on a short survey asking whether or not people liked the US National Parks.

Elon Musk has said the federal government spent almost $1 billion on a short survey asking whether or not people liked the US National Parks. This is among a number of things his Department of Government Efficiency or DOGE is cracking down on. “We routinely encounter a waste of a billion dollars or more. Casually. This 10 question-survey could’ve been done with Survey Monkey for $10,000. The government was being charged almost a billion dollars for that,” Musk said during a Fox News interaction along with some DOGE staff on Thursday (Mar 27). Below are the ways in which DOGE says it's saving money by cutting government waste: Crackdown on small business loans 'to babies and people not alive' This month, the Small Business Administration (SBA) mandated that business loan applicants must provide date and proof of birth, after it emerged that some of the loans allegedly went to people aged above 120. In DOGE's view, these are cases of identity theft or social security fraud. 'Pitch, hit, and catch': Musk shares video of astronaut playing UNBELIEVABLE baseball in zero gravity | WATCH In the new online loan application form on the SBA website, there is now an entry for date of birth that the applicants have to fill. Any direct application with ages below 18 years or above 120 years will not be approved. “Basic sanity checks like these are initial steps towards minimizing fraud in government payment programs,” DOGE said in a post on its X handle, which Musk reshared. He said it will ensure the SBA does not provide loans to children or to people considered too old to be alive. 'Get back the money ASAP': Trump asks DOGE to take back $8,000,000 given to 'Radical Left' Politico magazine “No more loans to babies or people too old to be alive (ie stolen Social Security numbers),” he wrote, implying that some people were using stolen Social Security numbers for these loans. This comes after DOGE found, from data examination of 2020-21, that SBA had granted 3,095 loans worth $333 million to those aged above 115, including one 157-year-old who got a $36,000 loan. Savings by cutting grants DOGE also said in a post on Thursday (Mar 27) that $577 million grants have been cancelled by various government agencies, giving savings of $237 mn. It called these "America Last' grants. China war or DOGE cuts? Inside Musk’s controversial Pentagon visit that Trump, Hegseth rushed to defend The cancelled grants include: > $10mn for "gender equity in the Mexican workplace" > $12.2mn for "worker empowerment in South America" > $6.25mn for "improving respect for Worker's rights in agricultural supply chains" in Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador > $5mn for "elevating women's participation in the workplace" in West Africa > $4.3mn for "assisting foreign migrant workers" in Malaysia > $3mn to "enhance social security access and worker protections for internal migrant workers" in Bangladesh > $3mn for "safe and inclusive work environments" in Lesotho Credit card deactivations DOGE is also targeting credit cards given to federal workers and contractors. ‘Thank you to DOGE’: Trump’s State Secy Rubio slashes 83% of USAID programmes, Musk says ‘tough but necessary’ A 'pilot programme' with 16 government agencies carried out an audit of unused or unwanted credit cards. After five weeks of this audit, nearly 298,000 credit cards were de-activated. DOGE said that there were 4.6mn active cards or accounts at the start of this audit, so there is more work left. (With inputs from agencies)

$1bn for parks survey; loans to babies and the dead; 298,000 unused credit cards: Musk's DOGE fights US govt waste

Trump tariffs impact for India : US reciprocal tariffs against countries being dubbed as 'Dirty 15' will kick off as threatened by President Donald Trump on April 2, which he described as 'Liberation Day' for the American economy. India is among the 'Dirty 15' countries, coming at ninth when it comes to trade surplus with the US. Amid frenzied efforts by New Delhi officials to get exemptions or negotiate a way out, one wonders what the options are for India.
The trade gap between the US and India is 45.7 billion US dollars in India's favour, as per US trade department figures. This places India ninth among the 'Dirty 15, which is led by China that has a whopping 295 billion dollar trade surplus with the US.
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<h2>US, India negotiating a way out of tariff war</h2>
Citing government officials, Indian media is reporting that India might get some reprieve, as opposed to China, Mexico, and Canada, on Trump's reciprocal tariffs.
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/canada-prime-minister-mark-carney-dubs-us-auto-tariffs-direct-attack-8894738">Canada PM Mark Carney calls Trump's new 25% tariffs on car imports to US 'direct attack'</a>
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer&rsquo;s deputy for South and Central Asia is in India from March 25 for a five-day visit. Brendan Lynch, the assistant trade representative, is reportedly discussing market access to US agricultural products, a sector closely guarded by India.
A more nuanced, sector-based approach is being explored. Also, the reciprocal tariffs for India might kick in in a phased manner, with lower tariffs on items that are in high demand and high volume.
<h2>What are the trade agreements India is negotiating with other countries?</h2>
Amid the threat of major headwinds for global economy due to the Trump reciprocal tariffs, India is cementing its trade ties with other nations.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said that India and Russia have set an ambitious target of increasing bilateral trade of $100 bn.
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/autonews/canada-halts-tesla-rebates-bans-company-from-future-programs-amid-tariff-dispute-8892657">Canada halts Tesla rebates, bans company from future programs amid tariff dispute</a>
India has been negotiating free trade agreements with a number of other countries and regions. Key among them are the long-standing FTA talks with the European Union. The talks, which had been stalled for more than a decade, were relaunched in 2021. The 10th round began on March 10 this year, at a time when the EU was facing the headwinds of the Trump effect.
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/autonews/eu-trade-chief-seeks-to-avert-us-tariffs-in-talks-with-trump-officials-8892583">EU Trade Chief seeks to avert US tariffs in talks with Trump officials</a>
The United Kingdom, since its exit from EU known as Brexit, has been keen to have a trade deal with India. India-UK FTA negotiations resumed in early 2025 after 14 rounds.
With New Zealand, India restarted FTA talks in March, targeting a 60-day conclusion.
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-names-india-china-as-top-actors-in-fentanyl-trafficking-supply-chain-8893650">US intel names India, China as 'state-actors' in fentanyl trafficking amid Trump's trade war</a>
Trade talks are ongoing with nations like Peru, in whose case the sixth round was held in February 2024.
India is also negotiating trade deals with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). With Oman, talks are progressing on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement or CEPA.
(With inputs from agencies)
&nbsp;
&nbsp;

India World Business & Economy US reciprocal tariffs against countries being dubbed as 'Dirty 15' will kick off as threatened by President Donald Trump on April 2, which he described as Liberation Day.

Trump tariffs impact for India : US reciprocal tariffs against countries being dubbed as 'Dirty 15' will kick off as threatened by President Donald Trump on April 2, which he described as 'Liberation Day' for the American economy. India is among the 'Dirty 15' countries, coming at ninth when it comes to trade surplus with the US. Amid frenzied efforts by New Delhi officials to get exemptions or negotiate a way out, one wonders what the options are for India. The trade gap between the US and India is 45.7 billion US dollars in India's favour, as per US trade department figures. This places India ninth among the 'Dirty 15, which is led by China that has a whopping 295 billion dollar trade surplus with the US. US, India negotiating a way out of tariff war Citing government officials, Indian media is reporting that India might get some reprieve, as opposed to China, Mexico, and Canada, on Trump's reciprocal tariffs. Canada PM Mark Carney calls Trump's new 25% tariffs on car imports to US 'direct attack' US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer’s deputy for South and Central Asia is in India from March 25 for a five-day visit. Brendan Lynch, the assistant trade representative, is reportedly discussing market access to US agricultural products, a sector closely guarded by India. A more nuanced, sector-based approach is being explored. Also, the reciprocal tariffs for India might kick in in a phased manner, with lower tariffs on items that are in high demand and high volume. What are the trade agreements India is negotiating with other countries? Amid the threat of major headwinds for global economy due to the Trump reciprocal tariffs, India is cementing its trade ties with other nations. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said that India and Russia have set an ambitious target of increasing bilateral trade of $100 bn. Canada halts Tesla rebates, bans company from future programs amid tariff dispute India has been negotiating free trade agreements with a number of other countries and regions. Key among them are the long-standing FTA talks with the European Union. The talks, which had been stalled for more than a decade, were relaunched in 2021. The 10th round began on March 10 this year, at a time when the EU was facing the headwinds of the Trump effect. EU Trade Chief seeks to avert US tariffs in talks with Trump officials The United Kingdom, since its exit from EU known as Brexit, has been keen to have a trade deal with India. India-UK FTA negotiations resumed in early 2025 after 14 rounds. With New Zealand, India restarted FTA talks in March, targeting a 60-day conclusion. US intel names India, China as 'state-actors' in fentanyl trafficking amid Trump's trade war Trade talks are ongoing with nations like Peru, in whose case the sixth round was held in February 2024. India is also negotiating trade deals with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). With Oman, talks are progressing on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement or CEPA. (With inputs from agencies)

Trump tariff war: India among 'dirty 15' countries to be hit. What other trade deals are options for New Delhi? See list

There are several abbreviations used by top US officials in the Signal group chat detailing the Yemen attack plan of March 15, which was inadvertently leaked to a journalist.&nbsp; Jeffrey Goldberg, The Atlantic magazine editor, published details and screenshots of the chats on Wednesday (Mar 26). Here is a lowdown on what the codes and abbreviations possibly mean, and the context of the messages. Dive in:
&nbsp;
<video width="300" height="150" controls="controls">
<source src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/leaked-signal-war-chat-group-chat-reveals-how-us-is-calculating-cost-of-war-with-houthis-8894519"></video>
&nbsp;
<h2>PC GROUP</h2>
First up, what does 'Houthi PC Small Group', the name of the Signal chat group, mean? It most likely refers to the principals committee, the top officials in the National Security Council or NSC.
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/yemen-houthi-attack-signal-chat-leak-who-were-19-members-tulsi-gabbard-hegseth-waltz-pc-small-group-8895526">'Houthi PC small group' : Who were the 19 members in the leaked Yemen attack plan 'secret' Signal chat? Details here</a>
<h2>TIGER TEAM</h2>
At the start of the messages, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz says he is setting up a 'tiger team'.
"My deputy Alex Wong is pulling together a tiger team at deputies/agency Chief of Staff level," he writes.&nbsp;
So what is a tiger team? A tiger team is a group of people assembled for a particular task, in this case, by the&nbsp; NSC. The phrase has its origins in the military and aviation industries. It denotes a team assembled to solve a challenging problem.
<h2>POC</h2>
Waltz writes: "Pls provide the best staff POC from your team for us to coordinate with over the next couple days". Here, POC refers to a Person/Point of Contact, a representative from each key department for communications on this particular mission. In the chat, various group members are seen nominating their department POCs.
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/trumps-top-advisers-private-data-found-online-amid-yemen-war-plan-leak-scandal-yemen-war-plans-group-chat-mike-waltz-tulsi-gabbard-pete-hegseth-jd-vance-8894961">Trump's top advisers' private data found online amid Yemen war plans group chat scandal</a>
<h2>HIGH SIDE INBOX</h2>
Michael Waltz says: "Team, you should have a statement of conclusions with taskings per the Presidents guidance this morning in your high side inboxes."
So, what is a 'high side inbox'? In national security-speak, 'high side' might refer to classified documents, details, or data which is seemingly highly protected or encrypted.
<h2>COS, DOD, COS, OVP, POTUS</h2>
In another message, Waltz uses a lot of abbreviations: "COS Joint Staff is sending this am a more specific sequence of events in the coming days and we will work w DOD to ensure COS, OVP and POTUS are briefed."
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-china-could-have-gotten-democrat-warns-of-possible-deaths-due-to-signal-chat-leak-8894449">&lsquo;Russia, China could have gotten...&rsquo;: Democrat warns of possible deaths due to Signal chat leak</a>
'COS Joint Staff' is most likely a reference to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the highest ranking military official of the US.
DOD is Department of Defence.
COS could also mean the Chief of Staff of President Donald Trump.
OVP is the office of Vice President JD Vance, and POTUS is the abbreviation for President of the United States.&nbsp;
<h2>OPSEC</h2>
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth writes at one point: "We can easily pause. And if we do, I will do all we can to enforce 100% OPSEC."
Here, he is talking about ensuring the secrecy of the operation. OPSEC or Operational Security is about protecting sensitive information. It is an intelligence-defence term, which in this present context refers to preventing enemies from getting to know about the US plans.
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/no-names-no-targets-no-locations-pete-hegseth-defends-himself-over-leak-of-shty-war-plans-8895469">'No names. No targets. No locations': Hegseth defends himself over leak of 'sh**ty war plans'</a>
<h2>CENTCOM</h2>
On the day of the Yemen attack, March 15, Pete Hegseth sent a team update in which he refers to CENTCOM.
He writes: "TIME NOW (1144et): Weather is FAVORABLE. Just CONFIRMED w/CENTCOM we are a GO for mission launch."
He is giving the time, weather, and confirmation with CENTCOM for the air attacks targeting the Houthi rebels in Yemen. CENTCOM means the United States Central Command. Also called &nbsp;USCENTCOM, it is one of the US military's unified combatant commands. Mainly active in the West Asian region, CENTCOM protects American security interests in a vast region ranging &nbsp;from the Horn of Africa to Central Asia.
<h2>F-18s, MQ-9s, Tomahawks</h2>
The subsequent messages show Hegseth discussing the fighter jets and weapons used for the Yemen attack. These are F-18s, MQ-9s and Tomahawks.&nbsp;
F/A-18F Super Hornets are Navy fighter jets that were launched from the aircraft carrier Harry S Truman in the Red Sea in the March 15 attack. MQ-9 Reapers are land-based drones launched from bases located in the Middle East.&nbsp; Tomahawks are long-range cruise missiles.

World trending: find out the meaning of abbreviations used by top US officials in the  Signal group chat detailing the Yemen attack plan of March 15, which was inadvertently leaked to a journalist.

There are several abbreviations used by top US officials in the Signal group chat detailing the Yemen attack plan of March 15, which was inadvertently leaked to a journalist. Jeffrey Goldberg, The Atlantic magazine editor, published details and screenshots of the chats on Wednesday (Mar 26). Here is a lowdown on what the codes and abbreviations possibly mean, and the context of the messages. Dive in: PC GROUP First up, what does 'Houthi PC Small Group', the name of the Signal chat group, mean? It most likely refers to the principals committee, the top officials in the National Security Council or NSC. 'Houthi PC small group' : Who were the 19 members in the leaked Yemen attack plan 'secret' Signal chat? Details here TIGER TEAM At the start of the messages, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz says he is setting up a 'tiger team'. "My deputy Alex Wong is pulling together a tiger team at deputies/agency Chief of Staff level," he writes. So what is a tiger team? A tiger team is a group of people assembled for a particular task, in this case, by the NSC. The phrase has its origins in the military and aviation industries. It denotes a team assembled to solve a challenging problem. POC Waltz writes: "Pls provide the best staff POC from your team for us to coordinate with over the next couple days". Here, POC refers to a Person/Point of Contact, a representative from each key department for communications on this particular mission. In the chat, various group members are seen nominating their department POCs. Trump's top advisers' private data found online amid Yemen war plans group chat scandal HIGH SIDE INBOX Michael Waltz says: "Team, you should have a statement of conclusions with taskings per the Presidents guidance this morning in your high side inboxes." So, what is a 'high side inbox'? In national security-speak, 'high side' might refer to classified documents, details, or data which is seemingly highly protected or encrypted. COS, DOD, COS, OVP, POTUS In another message, Waltz uses a lot of abbreviations: "COS Joint Staff is sending this am a more specific sequence of events in the coming days and we will work w DOD to ensure COS, OVP and POTUS are briefed." ‘Russia, China could have gotten...’: Democrat warns of possible deaths due to Signal chat leak 'COS Joint Staff' is most likely a reference to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the highest ranking military official of the US. DOD is Department of Defence. COS could also mean the Chief of Staff of President Donald Trump. OVP is the office of Vice President JD Vance, and POTUS is the abbreviation for President of the United States. OPSEC Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth writes at one point: "We can easily pause. And if we do, I will do all we can to enforce 100% OPSEC." Here, he is talking about ensuring the secrecy of the operation. OPSEC or Operational Security is about protecting sensitive information. It is an intelligence-defence term, which in this present context refers to preventing enemies from getting to know about the US plans. 'No names. No targets. No locations': Hegseth defends himself over leak of 'sh**ty war plans' CENTCOM On the day of the Yemen attack, March 15, Pete Hegseth sent a team update in which he refers to CENTCOM. He writes: "TIME NOW (1144et): Weather is FAVORABLE. Just CONFIRMED w/CENTCOM we are a GO for mission launch." He is giving the time, weather, and confirmation with CENTCOM for the air attacks targeting the Houthi rebels in Yemen. CENTCOM means the United States Central Command. Also called USCENTCOM, it is one of the US military's unified combatant commands. Mainly active in the West Asian region, CENTCOM protects American security interests in a vast region ranging from the Horn of Africa to Central Asia. F-18s, MQ-9s, Tomahawks The subsequent messages show Hegseth discussing the fighter jets and weapons used for the Yemen attack. These are F-18s, MQ-9s and Tomahawks. F/A-18F Super Hornets are Navy fighter jets that were launched from the aircraft carrier Harry S Truman in the Red Sea in the March 15 attack. MQ-9 Reapers are land-based drones launched from bases located in the Middle East. Tomahawks are long-range cruise missiles.

OPSEC, tiger team, High Side Inbox | Yemen attack Signal chat explained for a 15-year-old: All abbreviations decoded

The Atlantic magazine on Wednesday (Mar 26) published screenshots of a group chat on the encrypted app Signal, in which top US officials were discussing the March 15 attack on Houthi rebels in Yemen. The chats got leaked after Jefferey Goldberg, the editor of The Atlantic Magazine, was inadvertently added to the group.
There were 19 members in the group, including Goldberg, who exited on his own. The Atlantic Magazine editor initially wrote a story, only saying he was added to the group, without revealing any secrets shared. He did so to reveal how dangerous it could have been if US adversaries got access to the secret group chat. After attempts at obfuscation and misleading statements by US President Donald Trump and his aides, including those who were in the chat group, Goldberg published the full screenshots of the chats and the Signal group members.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
<iframe width="600" height="auto" style="width: 100%; aspect-ratio: 4/3;" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" class="external-video publive-iframes-block" src="https://cdn.thepublive.com/wion/static/kaltura_player/wion_video_player_iframe.html?thumbnail=wion/media/post_attachments/screenshot/2603_ARJUN_WAR_10PM/00000002.jpg&amp;videourl=https://vodakm.zeenews.com/vod/WION/2603_ARJUN_WAR_10PM.mp4/index.m3u8&amp;duration=515&amp;tags=US, War Chat, World News, WION" title="Leaked Signal war chat: Group chat reveals how US is calculating cost of war with Houthis" id="PL_iframe_block-m8r0ebcr-vapjhbjg-7pycqwvr"></iframe>
<h2>Houthi PC small group: Who were the 19 member in the leaked Signal chat group on Yemen attack?</h2>
The group was named Houthi PC small group.&nbsp;Some of the members were only identified partially, with first names or initials.&nbsp; So here is the most probable list, some of which are obvious, and some identified based on US media reports.
First up, the fully identifiable names:
<ol>
<li>JD Vance - US vice president&nbsp; 2. Michael Waltz - US National Security Advisor. He is the administrator of the group 3. Pete Hegseth - US defence secretary 4. Walker Berret&nbsp; - possibly a senior staffer on Waltz&rsquo;s national security team. 5. Dan Katz - Chief of Staff for Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent 6. Joe Kent - Chief of staff for Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. He has been nominated by President Donald Trump as chief of the counterterrorism department <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-china-could-have-gotten-democrat-warns-of-possible-deaths-due-to-signal-chat-leak-8894449">&lsquo;Russia, China could have gotten...&rsquo;: Democrat warns of possible deaths due to Signal chat leak</a></li>
</ol>
7. Mike Needham - Counselor and chief of staff to Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state 8. John Ratcliffe - CIA director 9. Steve Witcoff - US special envoy tasked with solving the Ukraine-Russia war 10. Alex Wong - Principal deputy national security adviser, who is an aide of Waltz&nbsp; 11. Susie Wiles - White House chief of staff &nbsp;
Identified partially, or with initials are:&nbsp; 12. TG - Tulsi Gabbard - Director of National Intelligence &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; 13 and 14: MAR - Secretary of State Marco Rubio (this abbreviation appears twice, meaning two numbers of the same individual were possibly added to the group)
14. Scott B - Probably Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent 15. SM - probably &nbsp;White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trumps-least-favourite-judge-boasberg-assigned-to-signal-chat-leak-lawsuit-8894220">Trump's least-favourite judge Boasberg assigned to signal chat leak lawsuit</a>
16. JG - Jeoffrey Goldberg, the editor of Atlantic Magazine, who was mistakenly added 17. Brian - Probably Brian McCormack, the chief of staff for the National Security Council 18. Jacob - Unclear 19. SM - Probably Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff&nbsp;
&nbsp;

World | Pete Hegseth, Mike Waltz, JD Vance, and Tulsi Gabbard were among top Trump administration officials on a secret Signal chat group that got leaked. Who else were there?

The Atlantic magazine on Wednesday (Mar 26) published screenshots of a group chat on the encrypted app Signal, in which top US officials were discussing the March 15 attack on Houthi rebels in Yemen. The chats got leaked after Jefferey Goldberg, the editor of The Atlantic Magazine, was inadvertently added to the group. There were 19 members in the group, including Goldberg, who exited on his own. The Atlantic Magazine editor initially wrote a story, only saying he was added to the group, without revealing any secrets shared. He did so to reveal how dangerous it could have been if US adversaries got access to the secret group chat. After attempts at obfuscation and misleading statements by US President Donald Trump and his aides, including those who were in the chat group, Goldberg published the full screenshots of the chats and the Signal group members. Houthi PC small group: Who were the 19 member in the leaked Signal chat group on Yemen attack? The group was named Houthi PC small group. Some of the members were only identified partially, with first names or initials. So here is the most probable list, some of which are obvious, and some identified based on US media reports. First up, the fully identifiable names: JD Vance - US vice president 2. Michael Waltz - US National Security Advisor. He is the administrator of the group 3. Pete Hegseth - US defence secretary 4. Walker Berret - possibly a senior staffer on Waltz’s national security team. 5. Dan Katz - Chief of Staff for Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent 6. Joe Kent - Chief of staff for Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. He has been nominated by President Donald Trump as chief of the counterterrorism department ‘Russia, China could have gotten...’: Democrat warns of possible deaths due to Signal chat leak 7. Mike Needham - Counselor and chief of staff to Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state 8. John Ratcliffe - CIA director 9. Steve Witcoff - US special envoy tasked with solving the Ukraine-Russia war 10. Alex Wong - Principal deputy national security adviser, who is an aide of Waltz 11. Susie Wiles - White House chief of staff Identified partially, or with initials are: 12. TG - Tulsi Gabbard - Director of National Intelligence 13 and 14: MAR - Secretary of State Marco Rubio (this abbreviation appears twice, meaning two numbers of the same individual were possibly added to the group) 14. Scott B - Probably Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent 15. SM - probably White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller Trump's least-favourite judge Boasberg assigned to signal chat leak lawsuit 16. JG - Jeoffrey Goldberg, the editor of Atlantic Magazine, who was mistakenly added 17. Brian - Probably Brian McCormack, the chief of staff for the National Security Council 18. Jacob - Unclear 19. SM - Probably Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff

'Houthi PC small group' : Who were the 19 members in the leaked Yemen attack plan 'secret' Signal chat? Details here

President Donald Trump is likely to cut tens of millions of dollars in funding to Planned Parenthood, a controversial family planning organisation that was a key focal point in the abortion debate in the US.
According to reports, including in The Wall Street Journal, Planned Parenthood is among groups whose grants could be frozen. Overall, $120 million in grant funding for family planning is expected to be put on hold as soon as this week, the WSJ reported. Out of this, some $20 million in funding in grants for Planned Parenthood could be cut.
The reports suggest that the funds will be frozen pending a government investigation into whether the money was being utilised for diversity hiring efforts, another pet peeve of Trump.
&nbsp;
<iframe width="600" height="auto" style="width: 100%; aspect-ratio: 4/3;" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" class="external-video publive-iframes-block" src="https://cdn.thepublive.com/wion/static/kaltura_player/wion_video_player_iframe.html?thumbnail=wion/media/post_attachments/files/2022/12/18/1812_WION_AS_SPAIN_12PM_ADD-1671354012-00000003.jpg&amp;videourl=https://vodakm.zeenews.com/vod/WION/1812_WION_AS_SPAIN_12PM_ADD.mp4/index.m3u8&amp;duration=145&amp;tags=Spain,Abortion,menstrual pains,World News" title="Spain passes sexual, reproductive health law; abortion now free in public health clinics" id="PL_iframe_block-m8prfx1a-ezfd3zpn-fi5urdb9"></iframe>
The government is checking whether Trump&rsquo;s order to end diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in federal contracts is being followed by the NGO, as well as other organisations.
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/abortion-bans-in-the-us-states-causes-increased-births-and-infant-mortality-study-8735802">Abortion bans in the US states cause increased births and infant mortality: Study</a>
This could hit Planned Parenthood's services such as pregnancy testing, access to birth control, infertility services and treatment of sexually transmitted infections, the report said, citing unnamed resources.&nbsp; Planned Parenthood clinics in some 12 US states would be hit by the $20mn hit, the Journal reported.&nbsp;During the pause of funding, the US Health and Human Services department will review whether the funds are being used or diverted for DEI initiatives.
<h2>What is Planned Parenthood, the controversial family planning group?</h2>
Planned Parenthood is an advocate of reproductive rights, and its services include abortion and birth control.
Over the years, Planned Parenthood has been getting millions of dollars of aid from US administration. This is what Trump intends to cut, as per the reports.
<h2>Attacks against Planned Parenthood</h2>
The US-based global non-profit organisation was thrust into the spotlight in the wake of the Supreme Court's scrapping of the Roe Vs Wade ruling that had secured women the right for abortion. &nbsp;In the 'pro-choice' vs 'pro-life' political debate that ensued, anti-abortion voices targeted Planned Parenthood, whose services include reproductive and sexual healthcare and sex education.
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-president-donald-trump-us-abortion-rights-what-is-mexico-city-rule-hyde-amendment-8651798">US anti-abortion crackdown: President Trump reinstates 'Mexico City Rule,' slashes abortion aid globally</a>
This included calls to defund Planned Parenthood.&nbsp;Planned Parenthood was targeted by Trump in his first term too, leading it to exit the Title X family planning programme. This happened after Trump's orders to prohibit abortion provider referrals.&nbsp;
Over the years, &nbsp;Planned Parenthood has been at the receiving end of pro-life protests. Its clinics were attacked, data hacked.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-sees-rise-in-diy-abortions-as-women-turn-to-desperate-measures-post-roe-v-wade-reversal-745985">US sees rise in 'DIY abortions' as women turn to desperate measures post-Roe: Study</a>
Planned Parenthood facilities and staff have been subjected to violence, arson, bombings and some people associated with it were reportedly killed. It was a target of several online smear campaigns. A video in 2015 insinuated that Planned Parenthood engaged in the illegal sale of fetal tissue from abortions.
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/texas-sues-new-york-doctor-for-mailing-abortion-pills-to-woman-in-dallas-783977">Texas sues New York doctor for mailing abortion pills to woman in Dallas</a>
In October 2021, the Los Angeles branch of Planned Parenthood was the victim of a ransomware attack. The hackers obtained the personal information of approximately 400,000 patients. Similarly, the Metropolitan Washington branch of Planned Parenthood was hacked in 2020, compromising the donor and patient information.
Several states have passed laws affecting the group, depending on whether they're Democratic or Republican.
(With inputs from agencies)

World Some $20 million in funding in grants for Planned Parenthood could be cut pending a government investigation into whether the money was being utilised for diversity hiring efforts, another pet peeve of Trump.

President Donald Trump is likely to cut tens of millions of dollars in funding to Planned Parenthood, a controversial family planning organisation that was a key focal point in the abortion debate in the US. According to reports, including in The Wall Street Journal, Planned Parenthood is among groups whose grants could be frozen. Overall, $120 million in grant funding for family planning is expected to be put on hold as soon as this week, the WSJ reported. Out of this, some $20 million in funding in grants for Planned Parenthood could be cut. The reports suggest that the funds will be frozen pending a government investigation into whether the money was being utilised for diversity hiring efforts, another pet peeve of Trump. The government is checking whether Trump’s order to end diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in federal contracts is being followed by the NGO, as well as other organisations. Abortion bans in the US states cause increased births and infant mortality: Study This could hit Planned Parenthood's services such as pregnancy testing, access to birth control, infertility services and treatment of sexually transmitted infections, the report said, citing unnamed resources. Planned Parenthood clinics in some 12 US states would be hit by the $20mn hit, the Journal reported. During the pause of funding, the US Health and Human Services department will review whether the funds are being used or diverted for DEI initiatives. What is Planned Parenthood, the controversial family planning group? Planned Parenthood is an advocate of reproductive rights, and its services include abortion and birth control. Over the years, Planned Parenthood has been getting millions of dollars of aid from US administration. This is what Trump intends to cut, as per the reports. Attacks against Planned Parenthood The US-based global non-profit organisation was thrust into the spotlight in the wake of the Supreme Court's scrapping of the Roe Vs Wade ruling that had secured women the right for abortion. In the 'pro-choice' vs 'pro-life' political debate that ensued, anti-abortion voices targeted Planned Parenthood, whose services include reproductive and sexual healthcare and sex education. US anti-abortion crackdown: President Trump reinstates 'Mexico City Rule,' slashes abortion aid globally This included calls to defund Planned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood was targeted by Trump in his first term too, leading it to exit the Title X family planning programme. This happened after Trump's orders to prohibit abortion provider referrals. Over the years, Planned Parenthood has been at the receiving end of pro-life protests. Its clinics were attacked, data hacked. US sees rise in 'DIY abortions' as women turn to desperate measures post-Roe: Study Planned Parenthood facilities and staff have been subjected to violence, arson, bombings and some people associated with it were reportedly killed. It was a target of several online smear campaigns. A video in 2015 insinuated that Planned Parenthood engaged in the illegal sale of fetal tissue from abortions. Texas sues New York doctor for mailing abortion pills to woman in Dallas In October 2021, the Los Angeles branch of Planned Parenthood was the victim of a ransomware attack. The hackers obtained the personal information of approximately 400,000 patients. Similarly, the Metropolitan Washington branch of Planned Parenthood was hacked in 2020, compromising the donor and patient information. Several states have passed laws affecting the group, depending on whether they're Democratic or Republican. (With inputs from agencies)

War on abortions? Trump to cut millions in funding for family planning group Planned Parenthood, say reports

Signalgate: Trump Houthi attack plan leak updates - US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and some other officials have been sued over the leak of American military plans targeting Houthi rebels in Yeman, after a journalist was mistakenly added to an official Signal chat group that discussed the strike.
While US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz has taken responsibility for adding The Atlantic&rsquo;s editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg to the secret chat group, the fallout is far from over.&nbsp;Hegseth has vehemently denied any wrongdoing and insisted that no war plans or classified information was shared with the journalist.&nbsp;
Huffington Post reported that the lawsuit filed by the group American Oversight on Tuesday (Mar 25) targets Hegseth and other Trump administration officials.&nbsp;
<iframe width="600" height="auto" style="width: 100%; aspect-ratio: 4/3;" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" class="external-video publive-iframes-block" src="https://cdn.thepublive.com/wion/static/kaltura_player/wion_video_player_iframe.html?thumbnail=wion/media/post_attachments/screenshot/2503_SUMIT_YEMEN_9PM/00000002.jpg&amp;videourl=https://vodakm.zeenews.com/vod/WION/2503_SUMIT_YEMEN_9PM.mp4/index.m3u8&amp;duration=245&amp;tags=Houthis, Yemen, World News, WION" title="US | Yemen war plans leaked: Will Mike Waltz be sacked?" id="PL_iframe_block-m8pllh6e-2w16u5jq-kyuq5mmw"></iframe>
&nbsp;
It asked that a federal judge declare that Hegseth and other officials "violated their duty to uphold laws around the preservation of official communications."
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/nobody-was-texting-war-plans-hegseth-denies-texting-yemen-war-plans-calls-journalist-deceitful-8887113">'Nobody was texting war plans': Hegseth&nbsp;denies sharing Yemen war plans, calls journalist 'deceitful'</a>
The laws regarding this are enshrined in the Federal Records Act, which states that&nbsp;if agency heads refuse to recover or protect their communications, the national archivist should ask the attorney general to step in.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was also in the chat group, is the acting national archivist.
<h2>Signalgate: What really happened?</h2>
Michael Waltz, the US NSA, inadvertently added Goldberg to a Signal group chat with more than a dozen officials and aides. Besides Waltz and Hegseth, the group included Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, homeland security adviser Stephen Miller, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe.&nbsp;
During a grilling by the Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said the matter was &ldquo;still under review,&rdquo; without answering whether she was in the chat group or not.
The lawsuit said Rubio &ldquo;is aware of the violations&rdquo; and &ldquo;responsible for initiating an investigation through the Attorney General for the recovery of records or other redress,&rdquo; as per the HuffPost report.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/democrats-want-hegseth-waltz-to-resign-over-war-plan-leak-gabbard-claims-no-classified-material-in-signal-chat-8890127">Democrats want Hegseth, Waltz to resign over war plan leak; Gabbard claims 'no classified material' in Signal chat</a>
Goldberg, in an article on The Atlantic, revealed he got messages for more than two days, but only shared a portion of the chats.&nbsp;He wrote that these texts were procedural, policy talks, till March 15, the day Trump ordered attacks on Yemen targeting Houthis.
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/i-built-the-group-mike-waltz-takes-full-responsibility-for-making-text-group-that-leaked-classified-info-8890896">'I built the group': Mike Waltz takes 'full responsibility' for making text group that leaked classified information</a>
Hegseth shared war plans and discussed specific targets, weapons, and attack sequencing of the Centcom strikes.
Though he had received such information, Goldberg avoided sharing the strike plans in his article. But he added: &ldquo;The information contained in them, if they had been read by an adversary of the United States, could conceivably have been used to harm American military and intelligence personnel, particularly in the broader Middle East.&rdquo;
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On Monday, the National Security Council said the message thread &ldquo;appears to be authentic.&rdquo;
The HuffPost report quoted American Oversight executive director Chioma Chukwu, who found several aspects of the issue deeply troubling.
The chat had an automatic delete feature switched on.&nbsp;
But, that could be a potential violation of The Federal Records Act, which mandates agency heads to &ldquo;make and preserve records containing adequate and proper documentation of the organization, functions, policies, decisions, procedures, and essential transactions of the agency,&rdquo; as per the American Oversight lawsuit.
&ldquo;What the Trump administration did was simply dangerous, reckless and irresponsible and frankly, a direct threat to our national security because we know, as has been reported, that increasingly state-backed hackers are trying to find their ways into Signal chats,&rdquo; Chukwu was quoted as saying in the HuffPost report.
(With inputs from agencies)

World , trending |  US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz has taken responsibility for adding The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg to the secret chat group

Signalgate: Trump Houthi attack plan leak updates - US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and some other officials have been sued over the leak of American military plans targeting Houthi rebels in Yeman, after a journalist was mistakenly added to an official Signal chat group that discussed the strike. While US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz has taken responsibility for adding The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg to the secret chat group, the fallout is far from over. Hegseth has vehemently denied any wrongdoing and insisted that no war plans or classified information was shared with the journalist. Huffington Post reported that the lawsuit filed by the group American Oversight on Tuesday (Mar 25) targets Hegseth and other Trump administration officials. It asked that a federal judge declare that Hegseth and other officials "violated their duty to uphold laws around the preservation of official communications." 'Nobody was texting war plans': Hegseth denies sharing Yemen war plans, calls journalist 'deceitful' The laws regarding this are enshrined in the Federal Records Act, which states that if agency heads refuse to recover or protect their communications, the national archivist should ask the attorney general to step in. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was also in the chat group, is the acting national archivist. Signalgate: What really happened? Michael Waltz, the US NSA, inadvertently added Goldberg to a Signal group chat with more than a dozen officials and aides. Besides Waltz and Hegseth, the group included Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, homeland security adviser Stephen Miller, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe. During a grilling by the Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said the matter was “still under review,” without answering whether she was in the chat group or not. The lawsuit said Rubio “is aware of the violations” and “responsible for initiating an investigation through the Attorney General for the recovery of records or other redress,” as per the HuffPost report. Democrats want Hegseth, Waltz to resign over war plan leak; Gabbard claims 'no classified material' in Signal chat Goldberg, in an article on The Atlantic, revealed he got messages for more than two days, but only shared a portion of the chats. He wrote that these texts were procedural, policy talks, till March 15, the day Trump ordered attacks on Yemen targeting Houthis. 'I built the group': Mike Waltz takes 'full responsibility' for making text group that leaked classified information Hegseth shared war plans and discussed specific targets, weapons, and attack sequencing of the Centcom strikes. Though he had received such information, Goldberg avoided sharing the strike plans in his article. But he added: “The information contained in them, if they had been read by an adversary of the United States, could conceivably have been used to harm American military and intelligence personnel, particularly in the broader Middle East.” Who is Jeffrey Goldberg? The journalist accidentally sent classified Yemen war plan On Monday, the National Security Council said the message thread “appears to be authentic.” The HuffPost report quoted American Oversight executive director Chioma Chukwu, who found several aspects of the issue deeply troubling. The chat had an automatic delete feature switched on. But, that could be a potential violation of The Federal Records Act, which mandates agency heads to “make and preserve records containing adequate and proper documentation of the organization, functions, policies, decisions, procedures, and essential transactions of the agency,” as per the American Oversight lawsuit. “What the Trump administration did was simply dangerous, reckless and irresponsible and frankly, a direct threat to our national security because we know, as has been reported, that increasingly state-backed hackers are trying to find their ways into Signal chats,” Chukwu was quoted as saying in the HuffPost report. (With inputs from agencies)

Trump Yemen war plan leak scandal: US defence secy Pete Hegseth, others sued over leak of Signal chats to journalist

President Donald Trump on Tuesday (Mar 26) ordered the immediate declassification of material related to the FBI's Crossfire Hurricane Investigation on alleged Russian meddling into US elections, which he had repeatedly called the 'Russia hoax'. While much of this is already in the public domain thanks to several media leaks and a partial declassification in 2023, there may still be material that could potentially reveal some national security secrets.
In a memo addressed to the attorney general, director of national intelligence and director of Central Intelligence Agency, Trump wrote: "I have determined that all of the materials referenced in the Presidential Memorandum of January 19, 2021 (Declassification of Certain Materials Related to the FBI&rsquo;s Crossfire Hurricane Investigation), are no longer classified. I have further determined that the material proposed for redaction by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in a cover letter dated January 17, 2021, remains classified."
Ordering the declassification of the material, he made an excemption saying "the materials described above does not extend to materials that must be protected from disclosure pursuant to orders of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court and does not require the disclosure of certain personally identifiable information or any other materials that must be protected from disclosure under applicable law."
&nbsp;
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"Subject to the exceptions identified above, the Attorney General shall make declassified materials described in this memorandum available to the public immediately," said the order.&nbsp;&nbsp;
<h2>What was Crossfire Hurricane investigation?</h2>
The Russian election interference investigation codenamed 'Crossfire Hurricane' was conducted by the FBI from 31 July 2016 to 17 May 2017.
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-signs-executive-order-to-tighten-voter-registration-demands-stricter-proof-of-citizenship-8891011">Trump signs executive order to tighten voter registration, demands stricter proof of citizenship</a>
&nbsp;
This counterintelligence investigation pertained to allegations that Russian President Vladimir Putin and/ or his intelligence agencies tried to help Trump win his first term in 2016.
It looked into whether people linked to Trump presidential campaign were 'coordinating, wittingly or unwittingly, with the Russian government's efforts to interfere in the 2016 US presidential election.
During his first term, Trump fired the-then FBI director James Comey, partly over what he called the 'Russia hoax'. This spiralled into an obstruction of justice case, which was investigated by the former FBI director Robert Mueller. That probe did not bring out anything to directly implicate Trump.
&nbsp;
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Mueller concluded that the Russian meddling was "sweeping and systematic" but there was no proof that Trump campaign had "conspired or coordinated" with the Russian government.
The investigation was partially triggered by information from former Trump campaign member George Papadopoulos that the Russians had damaging material on Hillary Clinton, the Democratic rival of Trump for the 2016 presidential race. It was reported that the Russians were willing to release that information anonymously to help the Trump campaign.
<h2>What is the 'Trump pee' tape document, also known as Steele Dossier?</h2>
Christopher Steele is a former British spy who prepared documents that came to be called the 'Steele Dossier'. It contained allegations about how Russian intelligence and Trump campaign cooperated to defeat Hillary Clinton.
Among these documents is an explosive claim that Trump once stayed at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Moscow where he allegedly paid Russian sex workers to perform a show for him that involved urinating on a bed. As per the claims and reports at the time, this was the same bed in which former president Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama had slept in, in the past.
The Steele dossier claimed that the hotel was under the control of Russian intelligence agency FSB, which had wire- tapped it with microphones and installed hidden cameras.
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In broad strokes, the suggestion was that the Russians had an understanding of, and took advantage of, Trump's sexual tastes to obtain incriminating material on him.&nbsp;
The whole thing exploded into conspiracy theories, with many asking whether a 'Trump pee tape' existed somewhere.
In subsequent reported remarks, Steele has been ambivalent about it. At times, he said the pee tape probably exists but the Russians didn't need to release it.
He reportedly told his colleagues that 'It's 50&ndash;50' and that the information about it was 'anecdotal'.
Steele had shared some information with the Crossfire Hurricane investigators. The Investigation General report into the probe said that the Steele Dossier "became an important part of the Crossfire Hurricane investigation" but is silent on the pee tape claims.
<h2>Whatever happened to earlier investigations into 'Russia hoax'?</h2>
Trump, during his first term, asked FBI director James Comey to make his agency investigate the pee tape allegation. Trump "wanted to convince his wife that it wasn't true,"&nbsp; wrote Comey, who was subsequently fired by Trump, in his book A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership.&nbsp;Comey indicated that he believed the peeing incident may have happened.
The US Inspector General investigation report of 2019 expressed doubts about the dossier's reliability and sources: "Much of the material in the Steele election reports, including allegations about Donald Trump and members of the Trump campaign relied ...could not be corroborated," said the investigation report by Michael&nbsp; Horowitz.
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-issues-series-of-pardons-including-former-lawmakers-hunter-and-collins-351684">Trump issues series of pardons, including Russia probe figure George Papadopoulos</a>
"Certain allegations were inaccurate or inconsistent with information gathered by the Crossfire Hurricane team; and that the limited information that was corroborated related to time, location, and title information, much of which was publicly available," said the IG report, published on December 9, 2019.
<h2>Will Crossfire Hurricane documents contain material incriminating FBI?</h2>
In 2023, the FBI released some documents with redactions from the Crossfire Hurricane Investigation after a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit.
Still, some of the files that were not disclosed, or reportedly went missing, could contain intelligence from the US and NATO allies on Russians and Russian agents that were feeding information to the US, American media reports said.
If fully released, that might reveal information about FBI&rsquo;s problematic foreign intelligence surveillance warrants and interview notes with Christopher Steele.
&nbsp;

World Trending Trump Russia hoax | Crossfire Hurricane files might reveal information about FBI’s foreign intelligence surveillance operations and interview notes with 'Trump Peeing' dossier author Christopher Steele.

President Donald Trump on Tuesday (Mar 26) ordered the immediate declassification of material related to the FBI's Crossfire Hurricane Investigation on alleged Russian meddling into US elections, which he had repeatedly called the 'Russia hoax'. While much of this is already in the public domain thanks to several media leaks and a partial declassification in 2023, there may still be material that could potentially reveal some national security secrets. In a memo addressed to the attorney general, director of national intelligence and director of Central Intelligence Agency, Trump wrote: "I have determined that all of the materials referenced in the Presidential Memorandum of January 19, 2021 (Declassification of Certain Materials Related to the FBI’s Crossfire Hurricane Investigation), are no longer classified. I have further determined that the material proposed for redaction by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in a cover letter dated January 17, 2021, remains classified." Ordering the declassification of the material, he made an excemption saying "the materials described above does not extend to materials that must be protected from disclosure pursuant to orders of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court and does not require the disclosure of certain personally identifiable information or any other materials that must be protected from disclosure under applicable law." "Subject to the exceptions identified above, the Attorney General shall make declassified materials described in this memorandum available to the public immediately," said the order. What was Crossfire Hurricane investigation? The Russian election interference investigation codenamed 'Crossfire Hurricane' was conducted by the FBI from 31 July 2016 to 17 May 2017. Trump signs executive order to tighten voter registration, demands stricter proof of citizenship This counterintelligence investigation pertained to allegations that Russian President Vladimir Putin and/ or his intelligence agencies tried to help Trump win his first term in 2016. It looked into whether people linked to Trump presidential campaign were 'coordinating, wittingly or unwittingly, with the Russian government's efforts to interfere in the 2016 US presidential election. During his first term, Trump fired the-then FBI director James Comey, partly over what he called the 'Russia hoax'. This spiralled into an obstruction of justice case, which was investigated by the former FBI director Robert Mueller. That probe did not bring out anything to directly implicate Trump. Donald Trump attacks Robert Mueller ahead of testimony on Russia probe Mueller concluded that the Russian meddling was "sweeping and systematic" but there was no proof that Trump campaign had "conspired or coordinated" with the Russian government. The investigation was partially triggered by information from former Trump campaign member George Papadopoulos that the Russians had damaging material on Hillary Clinton, the Democratic rival of Trump for the 2016 presidential race. It was reported that the Russians were willing to release that information anonymously to help the Trump campaign. What is the 'Trump pee' tape document, also known as Steele Dossier? Christopher Steele is a former British spy who prepared documents that came to be called the 'Steele Dossier'. It contained allegations about how Russian intelligence and Trump campaign cooperated to defeat Hillary Clinton. Among these documents is an explosive claim that Trump once stayed at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Moscow where he allegedly paid Russian sex workers to perform a show for him that involved urinating on a bed. As per the claims and reports at the time, this was the same bed in which former president Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama had slept in, in the past. The Steele dossier claimed that the hotel was under the control of Russian intelligence agency FSB, which had wire- tapped it with microphones and installed hidden cameras. Ex-FBI chief James Comey violated policies with Donald Trump memos: Watchdog In broad strokes, the suggestion was that the Russians had an understanding of, and took advantage of, Trump's sexual tastes to obtain incriminating material on him. The whole thing exploded into conspiracy theories, with many asking whether a 'Trump pee tape' existed somewhere. In subsequent reported remarks, Steele has been ambivalent about it. At times, he said the pee tape probably exists but the Russians didn't need to release it. He reportedly told his colleagues that 'It's 50–50' and that the information about it was 'anecdotal'. Steele had shared some information with the Crossfire Hurricane investigators. The Investigation General report into the probe said that the Steele Dossier "became an important part of the Crossfire Hurricane investigation" but is silent on the pee tape claims. Whatever happened to earlier investigations into 'Russia hoax'? Trump, during his first term, asked FBI director James Comey to make his agency investigate the pee tape allegation. Trump "wanted to convince his wife that it wasn't true," wrote Comey, who was subsequently fired by Trump, in his book A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership. Comey indicated that he believed the peeing incident may have happened. The US Inspector General investigation report of 2019 expressed doubts about the dossier's reliability and sources: "Much of the material in the Steele election reports, including allegations about Donald Trump and members of the Trump campaign relied ...could not be corroborated," said the investigation report by Michael Horowitz. Trump issues series of pardons, including Russia probe figure George Papadopoulos "Certain allegations were inaccurate or inconsistent with information gathered by the Crossfire Hurricane team; and that the limited information that was corroborated related to time, location, and title information, much of which was publicly available," said the IG report, published on December 9, 2019. Will Crossfire Hurricane documents contain material incriminating FBI? In 2023, the FBI released some documents with redactions from the Crossfire Hurricane Investigation after a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit. Still, some of the files that were not disclosed, or reportedly went missing, could contain intelligence from the US and NATO allies on Russians and Russian agents that were feeding information to the US, American media reports said. If fully released, that might reveal information about FBI’s problematic foreign intelligence surveillance warrants and interview notes with Christopher Steele.

Trump 'pee tape' to 'Russia hoax': What is Crossfire Hurricane probe that US prez wants declassified? Total recall of a complex web

Mohanlal film L2E: Empuraan pre-release analysis: There is a massive buzz in Kerala and the rest of India about the upcoming release of&nbsp;L2E: Empuraan, the sequel to the blockbuster&nbsp;Lucifer starring Malayalam superstar Mohanlal. Lal, affectionately called by fans as 'Laletten' or elder brother Lal, has a lot going in his favour. The crew, led by fellow actor Prithviraj Sukumaran who directed both films, are leaving no stone unturned to make it a massive hit, having visited the Indian capital New Delhi to promote its Hindi version. Will Empuraan , which will be released in multiple languages, be one of the biggest hits of Indian cinema this year? What are the factors that will make it a hit or a flop? Here is a pre-release analysis.&nbsp;
<h2>Empuraan : What is the film about?</h2>
The word 'Empuraan' in Malayalam means an overlord, and in the context of this film, is a man who is above humans but below God. In Lucifer, it was shown that the hero Stephen Nedumpally, who came to Kerala to settle a few political and social issues, is infact an underworld figure. In the final sequence, his character was elevated further to reveal that he is involved in what appeared to be international organised crime, with links across Europe, the Middle East and further afield. His international name is Khureshi Ab'raam. Going by Empuraan trailer, the story appears to be about yet another crisis emerging in Kerala, and Stephen/ Ab'raam is being called to return one more time to save Kerala/India.
<h2>Empuraan trailer review</h2>
The trailer presents Mohanlal's character as being involved in 'security operations' in far-off places, deploying mercenaries and weapons on hire in different conflict zones from Africa to Middle East to Europe and everywhere in between. The trailer has hints of an international conflict which Ab'raam wants to end. It also has hints of some emerging crises in Kerala.&nbsp;By way of scale and ambitions of the film, it could be one of the most massive that Malayalam cinema has ever seen. There are multiple international actors, major explosions and fireworks.
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<h2>Empuraan: Factors going in favour of the film</h2>
Arguably the strongest point could be the writing of Murali Gopy, the actor-singer-writer who has managed to weave a complex tale with an ensemble cast and everchanging landscapes. His control of the narrative was what held together the first film.&nbsp;
Lucifer was the directorial debut of Prithviraj Sukumaran, one of the most loved and bankable stars of Malayalam cinema. Prithvi, the son of the late yesteryear star Sukumaran, showed complete control of his craft, unexpected for a debutant, in Lucifer. He also played the role of a mercenary loyal to Mohanlal's character, making only a few appearances in the first film, careful not to overshadow Stephen Nedumpally. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/mohanlals-empuraan-becomes-the-first-malayalam-movie-to-get-an-imax-release-8866228">Mohanlal's Empuraan becomes the first Malayalam movie to get an IMAX release</a> Then there is Mohanlal, a legend of Indian cinema who makes acting look like childsplay.
<h2>Empuraan: Could these factors go against the film?</h2>
Business factors, the current context of Malayalam cinema and its internal politics as well as hype vs reality could become crucial factors in the success of the film.&nbsp; Empuraan is coming out at a time of several turmoils in the Malayalam film industry, some of which had Mohanlal as a key focal point. Just months ago, he bravely faced off criricism on the handling of sexual abuse allegations and workplace problems faced by women in Kerala cinema, in the wake of the Hema committee report on the issue being made public. To his credit, when confronted by journalists while promoting his sports team, Mohanlal deftly handled the situation.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/prithviraj-sukumaran-hints-at-a-post-credit-scene-in-l2-empuraan-8877662">Prithviraj Sukumaran hints at a post-credit scene in L2: Empuraan</a>
 The next was a controversy over actors producing films.&nbsp;Suresh Kumar, one of the top producers in Kerala, led a revolt of sorts, asking for a theatre ban on films produced by actors, which in his telling, was rendering producers irrelevant. Interesting side note: Mohanlal, many of whose films had been produced by Suresh for decades, is a producer himself. His Ashirvad Cinemas, started with his former driver-aide&nbsp;Antony Perumbavoor, is a co-producer of Empuraan, along with Sree Gokulam Movies and Lyca Productions. In spite of their public camraderie, Suresh - Mohanlal's childhood classmate and collaborator - was in the opposite camp of the producer-actor tussle. There is also a view that the whole thing was to stymie the growth of Unni Mukundan, a rising star who also produced and starred in Marco, the ultraviolent Malayalam film that minted millions of rupees. At one point, it was reported that the boycott of actor-produced films could delay the release of Empuraan.&nbsp; <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/prithviraj-sukumaran-teases-lucifer-3-with-mohanlal-at-l2-empuraan-press-meet-8657864">Prithviraj Sukumaran teases Lucifer 3 with Mohanlal at L2: Empuraan press meet</a>
But Mohanlal and his team managed to negotiate through these crises, and the film will release on March 27 as planned.
The budget of the film is another issue, as it will require massive numbers to recover cost.&nbsp; Lyca Productions, one of the co-producers, faced financial issues because many of their recent productions mainly in Tamil language bombed at the box office. Lyca partially exited from Empuraan and Sree Gokulam Movies reportedly repaid some 75 crore rupees that Lyca had invested.
Then there is the fear of the 'Odiyan redux'. Odiyan was a 2018 film for which Mohanlal went through a literal physical and facial transformation to look younger sans his trademark beard and moustache. The hype around the film was only matched by how it bombed. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/l2-empuraan-becomes-the-first-malayalam-film-to-cross-30c-in-pre-release-sales-8880026">L2: Empuraan becomes the first Malayalam film to cross $3.4m in pre-release sales</a> That failure can be partially attributed to 'day-one response video' trends, a new immediate verdict popularised on social media mainly by YouTubers. While a TV channel was interviewing a member of the audience for his views on Odiyan, someone from behind yelled expletives to say don't watch the film. The video went viral.
This new social media milieu is the key issue that Kerala filmmakers, like their peers in rest of India, have to wrestle with. The new generation, except for hardcore fans of the stars, wait for initial theatre response and online reviews of influencers as well as the common public.
Some of the YouTube film reviewers are brutal, often telling it like it is, and affecting the prospects of the films. The issue became so hot that there were heated debates in Kerala news channels, pitting producers against online reviewers, who the former accused of destroying multi-million rupee films with just few minutes of cheaply produced review videos.&nbsp; There's an even worse kind of review - the film roast - where the films are widely mocked.
This makes marketing and promotion of the movies even more expensive and daunting. The makers now deploy troll armies to hype up the comment sections of social media videos, and in the case of Mohanlal, he has an offline battalion of fans associations too for the job.
The one single issue that could go against the film is, simply put, expectation vs reality, and the market dynamics of investments against returns in the form of satellite TV rights, OTT rights and overseas business. Theatrical release and box office collections alone cannot assure the success of films in India anymore. Lyca's exit from the film was reportedly due to OTT and satellite rights not being sold. &nbsp; This is a painful reality, particularly in the context of some recent flops of big-budget films of Mohanlal. Standing out among them are Barozz, and Kunhali Marakkar: Arabikadalite Simham.&nbsp; Barozz, Mohanlal's first directorial venture, was a 3D film made on a massive scale with international actors. But the children's film's CGI looked cheap and the storyline was thin and confusing, and the troll armies shared videos of children saying they slept through it. Marakkar, despite the national awards it had won, was something even its director and long-time Mohanal collaborator Priyadarshan himself wanted to forget.
<h2>Mohanlal the comeback king</h2>
Mohanlal was never away from the industry, going strong for more than four decades since his debut, with the occasional flop or two in recent years. So calling the 64-year-old a comeback king would not be fair. The veteran is known to deliver massive hits exactly when his career is seen taking a downturn. After a series of moderately successful films, there was Pulimurugan in 2015, which is known to be the fastest Malayalam film to cross ₹20 crore mark.&nbsp;The two Drishyam films would be another example. The crime thriller series, released in 2013 and 2021, did massive business and went on to be remade in multiple languages including Hindi, starring Ajay Devgn.
Lucifer, released in 2019, was yet another massive hit, having scored approximately ₹127 crores out of an estimated budget of ₹30 crore.&nbsp;But Empuraan is much more massive in ambition and scale. It was reportedly made at ₹180 crore&nbsp;and made around ₹60 crore in presales. If the amounts are true, this means at least 120 crores would need to be collected to break even, and anything above can only make it a hit.
<h2>So, will L2 Empuraan be a hit or a flop?</h2>
Well, we will know that in a week. But let me say this: There was a teenager back in the 1990s who was a hardcore fan of Mohanlal, to the extent that he would fight with 'rivals' in college who were fans of the other superstar, Mammooty. That fan is this writer. And knowing the calibre of this great actor, the fan secretly wishes for&nbsp;L2E: Empuraan to do well.
So, godspeed, 'Lalettaa'!
&nbsp;

entertainment bollywood Will Mohanlal starrer Empuraan, which will be released in multiple languages, be one of the biggest hits of Indian cinema this year?

Mohanlal film L2E: Empuraan pre-release analysis: There is a massive buzz in Kerala and the rest of India about the upcoming release of L2E: Empuraan, the sequel to the blockbuster Lucifer starring Malayalam superstar Mohanlal. Lal, affectionately called by fans as 'Laletten' or elder brother Lal, has a lot going in his favour. The crew, led by fellow actor Prithviraj Sukumaran who directed both films, are leaving no stone unturned to make it a massive hit, having visited the Indian capital New Delhi to promote its Hindi version. Will Empuraan , which will be released in multiple languages, be one of the biggest hits of Indian cinema this year? What are the factors that will make it a hit or a flop? Here is a pre-release analysis. Empuraan : What is the film about? The word 'Empuraan' in Malayalam means an overlord, and in the context of this film, is a man who is above humans but below God. In Lucifer, it was shown that the hero Stephen Nedumpally, who came to Kerala to settle a few political and social issues, is infact an underworld figure. In the final sequence, his character was elevated further to reveal that he is involved in what appeared to be international organised crime, with links across Europe, the Middle East and further afield. His international name is Khureshi Ab'raam. Going by Empuraan trailer, the story appears to be about yet another crisis emerging in Kerala, and Stephen/ Ab'raam is being called to return one more time to save Kerala/India. Empuraan trailer review The trailer presents Mohanlal's character as being involved in 'security operations' in far-off places, deploying mercenaries and weapons on hire in different conflict zones from Africa to Middle East to Europe and everywhere in between. The trailer has hints of an international conflict which Ab'raam wants to end. It also has hints of some emerging crises in Kerala. By way of scale and ambitions of the film, it could be one of the most massive that Malayalam cinema has ever seen. There are multiple international actors, major explosions and fireworks. Empuraan: Factors going in favour of the film Arguably the strongest point could be the writing of Murali Gopy, the actor-singer-writer who has managed to weave a complex tale with an ensemble cast and everchanging landscapes. His control of the narrative was what held together the first film. Lucifer was the directorial debut of Prithviraj Sukumaran, one of the most loved and bankable stars of Malayalam cinema. Prithvi, the son of the late yesteryear star Sukumaran, showed complete control of his craft, unexpected for a debutant, in Lucifer. He also played the role of a mercenary loyal to Mohanlal's character, making only a few appearances in the first film, careful not to overshadow Stephen Nedumpally. Mohanlal's Empuraan becomes the first Malayalam movie to get an IMAX release Then there is Mohanlal, a legend of Indian cinema who makes acting look like childsplay. Empuraan: Could these factors go against the film? Business factors, the current context of Malayalam cinema and its internal politics as well as hype vs reality could become crucial factors in the success of the film. Empuraan is coming out at a time of several turmoils in the Malayalam film industry, some of which had Mohanlal as a key focal point. Just months ago, he bravely faced off criricism on the handling of sexual abuse allegations and workplace problems faced by women in Kerala cinema, in the wake of the Hema committee report on the issue being made public. To his credit, when confronted by journalists while promoting his sports team, Mohanlal deftly handled the situation. Prithviraj Sukumaran hints at a post-credit scene in L2: Empuraan The next was a controversy over actors producing films. Suresh Kumar, one of the top producers in Kerala, led a revolt of sorts, asking for a theatre ban on films produced by actors, which in his telling, was rendering producers irrelevant. Interesting side note: Mohanlal, many of whose films had been produced by Suresh for decades, is a producer himself. His Ashirvad Cinemas, started with his former driver-aide Antony Perumbavoor, is a co-producer of Empuraan, along with Sree Gokulam Movies and Lyca Productions. In spite of their public camraderie, Suresh - Mohanlal's childhood classmate and collaborator - was in the opposite camp of the producer-actor tussle. There is also a view that the whole thing was to stymie the growth of Unni Mukundan, a rising star who also produced and starred in Marco, the ultraviolent Malayalam film that minted millions of rupees. At one point, it was reported that the boycott of actor-produced films could delay the release of Empuraan. Prithviraj Sukumaran teases Lucifer 3 with Mohanlal at L2: Empuraan press meet But Mohanlal and his team managed to negotiate through these crises, and the film will release on March 27 as planned. The budget of the film is another issue, as it will require massive numbers to recover cost. Lyca Productions, one of the co-producers, faced financial issues because many of their recent productions mainly in Tamil language bombed at the box office. Lyca partially exited from Empuraan and Sree Gokulam Movies reportedly repaid some 75 crore rupees that Lyca had invested. Then there is the fear of the 'Odiyan redux'. Odiyan was a 2018 film for which Mohanlal went through a literal physical and facial transformation to look younger sans his trademark beard and moustache. The hype around the film was only matched by how it bombed. L2: Empuraan becomes the first Malayalam film to cross $3.4m in pre-release sales That failure can be partially attributed to 'day-one response video' trends, a new immediate verdict popularised on social media mainly by YouTubers. While a TV channel was interviewing a member of the audience for his views on Odiyan, someone from behind yelled expletives to say don't watch the film. The video went viral. This new social media milieu is the key issue that Kerala filmmakers, like their peers in rest of India, have to wrestle with. The new generation, except for hardcore fans of the stars, wait for initial theatre response and online reviews of influencers as well as the common public. Some of the YouTube film reviewers are brutal, often telling it like it is, and affecting the prospects of the films. The issue became so hot that there were heated debates in Kerala news channels, pitting producers against online reviewers, who the former accused of destroying multi-million rupee films with just few minutes of cheaply produced review videos. There's an even worse kind of review - the film roast - where the films are widely mocked. This makes marketing and promotion of the movies even more expensive and daunting. The makers now deploy troll armies to hype up the comment sections of social media videos, and in the case of Mohanlal, he has an offline battalion of fans associations too for the job. The one single issue that could go against the film is, simply put, expectation vs reality, and the market dynamics of investments against returns in the form of satellite TV rights, OTT rights and overseas business. Theatrical release and box office collections alone cannot assure the success of films in India anymore. Lyca's exit from the film was reportedly due to OTT and satellite rights not being sold. This is a painful reality, particularly in the context of some recent flops of big-budget films of Mohanlal. Standing out among them are Barozz, and Kunhali Marakkar: Arabikadalite Simham. Barozz, Mohanlal's first directorial venture, was a 3D film made on a massive scale with international actors. But the children's film's CGI looked cheap and the storyline was thin and confusing, and the troll armies shared videos of children saying they slept through it. Marakkar, despite the national awards it had won, was something even its director and long-time Mohanal collaborator Priyadarshan himself wanted to forget. Mohanlal the comeback king Mohanlal was never away from the industry, going strong for more than four decades since his debut, with the occasional flop or two in recent years. So calling the 64-year-old a comeback king would not be fair. The veteran is known to deliver massive hits exactly when his career is seen taking a downturn. After a series of moderately successful films, there was Pulimurugan in 2015, which is known to be the fastest Malayalam film to cross ₹20 crore mark. The two Drishyam films would be another example. The crime thriller series, released in 2013 and 2021, did massive business and went on to be remade in multiple languages including Hindi, starring Ajay Devgn. Lucifer, released in 2019, was yet another massive hit, having scored approximately ₹127 crores out of an estimated budget of ₹30 crore. But Empuraan is much more massive in ambition and scale. It was reportedly made at ₹180 crore and made around ₹60 crore in presales. If the amounts are true, this means at least 120 crores would need to be collected to break even, and anything above can only make it a hit. So, will L2 Empuraan be a hit or a flop? Well, we will know that in a week. But let me say this: There was a teenager back in the 1990s who was a hardcore fan of Mohanlal, to the extent that he would fight with 'rivals' in college who were fans of the other superstar, Mammooty. That fan is this writer. And knowing the calibre of this great actor, the fan secretly wishes for L2E: Empuraan to do well. So, godspeed, 'Lalettaa'!

Empuraan: Mohanlal's big-budget film has many factors going for it, but can it be a massive hit?

Israel Hamas war David Roet comments: There is a video going viral on social media, claiming to show David Roet, an Israeli diplomat, suggesting that there should be a 'death sentence' for Palestinian teens involved in the Gaza war. While much of the audio is not entirely audible, it appears he was speaking in the context of teenagers using guns and grenades to fight against Israel in the ongoing Gaza war against the Hamas militant group.
The video was reportedly recorded secretly by an activist, during a closed-door meeting of Roet had with a local Jewish community in Innsbruck, Austria. Roet is the Israeli ambassador to Austria.
<h2>What exactly did David Roet say?</h2>
If the audio and transcripts doing the rounds of social media are to be believed, Roet said at the March 20 meeting that "there should be a death sentence" for teens "holding a gun" or a "grenade" in Gaza against Israeli forces.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hamas-releases-video-of-two-israeli-hostages-held-in-gaza-8886874">Hamas releases video of two Israeli hostages held in Gaza</a>
The video emerged two days after Israel pounded Gaza in a break from the fragile truce on March 18, killing at least 500 people including children and women according to Palestinian accounts.&nbsp; "If you are still believing that Israel is targeting babies intentionally, which is not correct, there should be a death sentence...to be killed off, in war if you are holding a gun...even if you are a 16-year-old under the UN [United Nations], whatever it is called Charter...a 17-year old who is holding a grenade," Roet can be heard saying.&nbsp;
"Will Europe be crazy enough to invest money again in Gaza? So we will have to destroy it the next time," he added. 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/israel-gaza-hamas-war-latest-plan-to-reconquer-and-occupy-gaza-for-long-term-disclosed-find-details-here-8887650">'Reconquer Gaza for final defeat of Hamas': What Israel plans to do as truce falters, as per reports | Details inside</a>
He was probably warning that the European Union's reconstruction efforts and funds for Gaza would be wasted if Hamas continued to exist and Israel continued its military operations in the Palestinian enclave.
Watch the purported video below, shared on X by the handle @ronnie_barkan
Disclaimer: WION cannot take responsibility for visuals shared on social media
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
"I will play golf in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gaza?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Gaza</a> whether you like it or not" - Former Consul Wiehl-Volgger during visit of Israeli Amb. Roet "I felt sickened by the calm in Mr. Roet's voice," says the activist who took the video. "No one intervened when Roet suggested the death penalty for children." <a href="https://t.co/ELEps9q6x6">pic.twitter.com/ELEps9q6x6</a>
&mdash; 🍉 ronnie barkan (@ronnie_barkan) <a href="https://twitter.com/ronnie_barkan/status/1903358038192333260?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 22, 2025</a></blockquote>

<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Meanwhile, former Consul Wiehl-Volgger, who was also present at the meeting, said he would 'play golf in Gaza, whether you like it or not" 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/oscar-winning-palestinian-director-hamdan-ballal-attacked-by-israeli-settlers-detained-by-military-8887688">Oscar-winning Palestinian director Hamdan Ballal attacked by Israeli settlers, detained by military</a>
This was probably a reference to US President Donald Trump's reconstruction ideas for the Palestinian strip, which he had shared recently through an AI-generated video.
<iframe width="600" height="auto" style="width: 100%; aspect-ratio: 4/3;" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" class="external-video publive-iframes-block" src="https://cdn.thepublive.com/wion/static/kaltura_player/wion_video_player_iframe.html?thumbnail=wion/media/post_attachments/screenshot/2702_WION_TRUMP_GAZA_AI_ORG_GK_WEB/00000002.jpg&amp;videourl=https://vodakm.zeenews.com/vod/WION/2702_WION_TRUMP_GAZA_AI_ORG_GK_WEB.mp4/index.m3u8&amp;duration=112&amp;tags=trump, gaza, ai" title="Donald Trump's AI-generated Video Shows Gaza As Luxury Resort, Sparks Row" id="PL_iframe_block-m8o75vlm-kd2c8cy3-7l17d8o7"></iframe>
Ronnie Barken, who is among the first to share the video on social media, quoted the activist who recorded it secretly as saying: "I felt sickened by the calm in Mr Roet's voice. No one intervened when Roet suggested the death penalty for children."
Disclaimer: WION takes the utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments in the Israel-Palestine conflict after the Hamas attacks. However, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos, and videos.
(With inputs from agencies)

world trending | Israel Hamas war | David Roet said at the March 20 meeting that "there should be a death sentence" for teens "holding a gun" or a "grenade" in Gaza against Israeli forces

Israel Hamas war David Roet comments: There is a video going viral on social media, claiming to show David Roet, an Israeli diplomat, suggesting that there should be a 'death sentence' for Palestinian teens involved in the Gaza war. While much of the audio is not entirely audible, it appears he was speaking in the context of teenagers using guns and grenades to fight against Israel in the ongoing Gaza war against the Hamas militant group. The video was reportedly recorded secretly by an activist, during a closed-door meeting of Roet had with a local Jewish community in Innsbruck, Austria. Roet is the Israeli ambassador to Austria. What exactly did David Roet say? If the audio and transcripts doing the rounds of social media are to be believed, Roet said at the March 20 meeting that "there should be a death sentence" for teens "holding a gun" or a "grenade" in Gaza against Israeli forces. Hamas releases video of two Israeli hostages held in Gaza The video emerged two days after Israel pounded Gaza in a break from the fragile truce on March 18, killing at least 500 people including children and women according to Palestinian accounts. "If you are still believing that Israel is targeting babies intentionally, which is not correct, there should be a death sentence...to be killed off, in war if you are holding a gun...even if you are a 16-year-old under the UN [United Nations], whatever it is called Charter...a 17-year old who is holding a grenade," Roet can be heard saying. "Will Europe be crazy enough to invest money again in Gaza? So we will have to destroy it the next time," he added. 'Reconquer Gaza for final defeat of Hamas': What Israel plans to do as truce falters, as per reports | Details inside He was probably warning that the European Union's reconstruction efforts and funds for Gaza would be wasted if Hamas continued to exist and Israel continued its military operations in the Palestinian enclave. Watch the purported video below, shared on X by the handle @ronnie_barkan Disclaimer: WION cannot take responsibility for visuals shared on social media "I will play golf in #Gaza whether you like it or not" - Former Consul Wiehl-Volgger during visit of Israeli Amb. Roet "I felt sickened by the calm in Mr. Roet's voice," says the activist who took the video. "No one intervened when Roet suggested the death penalty for children." pic.twitter.com/ELEps9q6x6 — 🍉 ronnie barkan (@ronnie_barkan) March 22, 2025 Meanwhile, former Consul Wiehl-Volgger, who was also present at the meeting, said he would 'play golf in Gaza, whether you like it or not" Oscar-winning Palestinian director Hamdan Ballal attacked by Israeli settlers, detained by military This was probably a reference to US President Donald Trump's reconstruction ideas for the Palestinian strip, which he had shared recently through an AI-generated video. Ronnie Barken, who is among the first to share the video on social media, quoted the activist who recorded it secretly as saying: "I felt sickened by the calm in Mr Roet's voice. No one intervened when Roet suggested the death penalty for children." Disclaimer: WION takes the utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments in the Israel-Palestine conflict after the Hamas attacks. However, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos, and videos. (With inputs from agencies)

'There should be a death sentence' to Palestinian teens involved in Gaza war: Did Israeli envoy David Roet say this? Find out

Did China make a scientific breakthrough that might lead to a hypersonic jet that can cross the Mach 6 barrier? Chinese scientists have tested a 'hypersonic afterburner', whose thrust has been doubled at Mach 6, which is six times the speed of sound, or 5,800 km per hour (3,600 miles per hour).&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/chinese-air-force-harass-filipino-troops-over-disputed-reef-manila-says-749008">Chinese Air Force harass Filipino troops over disputed reef, says Manila</a>
This is a secondary combustion mechanism, developed by Beihang University researchers in Beijing. In simple terms, secondary combustion gives more thrust to an engine that is already launched through primary combustion. The new mechanism, claim the scientists, can nearly double the thrust of a scramjet engine.
This was made possible "by injecting magnesium powder into the exhaust gases from conventional jet fuel combustion," said a report in South China Morning Post, citing the research.
The simulation test was held at 30km altitude.
<h2>How will the new afterburner of hypersonic jet work?</h2>
An afterburner is an additional combustion chamber in jet engine. It sends off more fuel to the exhaust stream to&nbsp; increase its thrust. This is used in military aircraft, particularly supersonic flights.
The afterburner developed by the Chinese researchers uses magnesium, an element with 'violent reactivity'.&nbsp;
The first fuel of the Chinese jet is kerosene. The researchers demonstrated how the residual water vapour and carbon dioxide from the burned kerosene oxidises and ignites magnesium particles, thereby giving the plane further thrust.
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-hypersonic-weapons-test-suffers-setback-due-to-rocket-failure-422943">US hypersonic weapons test suffers setback due to rocket failure</a>
At Mach 6, kerosene burns to near exhaustion, leaving scorching gases of 1,800 kelvin (1,527 degrees Celsius) rich in water and carbon dioxide. The magnesium particles then react explosively with the waste gases already inside the engine, releasing energy that was once thrown away, SCMP report said citing the research.
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russian-hypersonic-nukes-capable-of-wiping-out-us-cities-on-alert-putin-420839">Russian hypersonic nukes capable of wiping out US cities 'on alert': Putin</a>
"In ground tests...injecting magnesium at 13 per cent of the exhaust mass boosted thrust by 86.6 per cent, with combustion efficiency reaching 65.1 per cent," it noted.
The engine&rsquo;s specific thrust, or force per airflow, went up from 613 Newton-seconds per kg to 1,126 Newton-seconds per kg.<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russian-hypersonic-nukes-capable-of-wiping-out-us-cities-on-alert-putin-420839"></a> <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russian-hypersonic-missiles-armed-warship-admiral-gorshkov-to-participate-in-drills-with-china-and-safrica-555043">Russian hypersonic missiles-armed warship 'Admiral Gorshkov' to participate in drills with China and S.Africa</a>
The new design could reduce launch weights and extend ranges for missiles and hypersonic aircraft, but the researchers admitted that more testing is required to scale up this technology for real use.
<h2>The race for hypersonic weapons</h2>
Various military powers are in a race for improving the speed and lethality of their hypersonic weapons. As the name implies, hypersonic weapons are designed to&nbsp;fly at five times the speed of sound (which is Mach 5). Several countries are in the process of developing missiles, jets and glide vehicles that can breach Mach 5.
The US, for instance, is likely to unveil its first hypersonic weapon in September.
China, said the SCMP report, has been trying to achieve hypersonic engine speeds of Mach 10 and beyond.
(With inputs from agencies)

World SCIENCE & TECH China hypersonic jet | The residual water vapour and carbon dioxide from the burned kerosene oxidises and ignites magnesium particles, giving the plane further thrust.

Did China make a scientific breakthrough that might lead to a hypersonic jet that can cross the Mach 6 barrier? Chinese scientists have tested a 'hypersonic afterburner', whose thrust has been doubled at Mach 6, which is six times the speed of sound, or 5,800 km per hour (3,600 miles per hour). Chinese Air Force harass Filipino troops over disputed reef, says Manila This is a secondary combustion mechanism, developed by Beihang University researchers in Beijing. In simple terms, secondary combustion gives more thrust to an engine that is already launched through primary combustion. The new mechanism, claim the scientists, can nearly double the thrust of a scramjet engine. This was made possible "by injecting magnesium powder into the exhaust gases from conventional jet fuel combustion," said a report in South China Morning Post, citing the research. The simulation test was held at 30km altitude. How will the new afterburner of hypersonic jet work? An afterburner is an additional combustion chamber in jet engine. It sends off more fuel to the exhaust stream to increase its thrust. This is used in military aircraft, particularly supersonic flights. The afterburner developed by the Chinese researchers uses magnesium, an element with 'violent reactivity'. The first fuel of the Chinese jet is kerosene. The researchers demonstrated how the residual water vapour and carbon dioxide from the burned kerosene oxidises and ignites magnesium particles, thereby giving the plane further thrust. US hypersonic weapons test suffers setback due to rocket failure At Mach 6, kerosene burns to near exhaustion, leaving scorching gases of 1,800 kelvin (1,527 degrees Celsius) rich in water and carbon dioxide. The magnesium particles then react explosively with the waste gases already inside the engine, releasing energy that was once thrown away, SCMP report said citing the research. Russian hypersonic nukes capable of wiping out US cities 'on alert': Putin "In ground tests...injecting magnesium at 13 per cent of the exhaust mass boosted thrust by 86.6 per cent, with combustion efficiency reaching 65.1 per cent," it noted. The engine’s specific thrust, or force per airflow, went up from 613 Newton-seconds per kg to 1,126 Newton-seconds per kg. Russian hypersonic missiles-armed warship 'Admiral Gorshkov' to participate in drills with China and S.Africa The new design could reduce launch weights and extend ranges for missiles and hypersonic aircraft, but the researchers admitted that more testing is required to scale up this technology for real use. The race for hypersonic weapons Various military powers are in a race for improving the speed and lethality of their hypersonic weapons. As the name implies, hypersonic weapons are designed to fly at five times the speed of sound (which is Mach 5). Several countries are in the process of developing missiles, jets and glide vehicles that can breach Mach 5. The US, for instance, is likely to unveil its first hypersonic weapon in September. China, said the SCMP report, has been trying to achieve hypersonic engine speeds of Mach 10 and beyond. (With inputs from agencies)

5,800 km per hour Chinese hypersonic fighter jet coming? Test of afterburner could be a breakthrough, claim researchers

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