Category: Security

The Reconciliation Memorial, also known as the Confederate Statue, is being removed under the Biden administration from Virginia’s Arlington National Cemetery as part of the movement to remove Confederate statues and symbols from locations associated with the U.S. military.

According to The New York Post, the removal of the Reconciliation Memorial stems from the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020, which prompted lawmakers to push for the removal of Confederate statues and symbols from military facilities and institutions across the United States.

“As required by Congress and implemented by the Secretary of Defense, Arlington National Cemetery (ANC) is required to remove the Confederate Memorial located in Section 16 of ANC,” Arlington National Cemetery’s website states. “A process to prepare for the memorial’s careful removal and relocation has been completed. All bronze elements of the memorial will be relocated. The granite base and foundation will remain in place to avoid disturbing surrounding graves.”

A press release from Arlington National Cemetery noted that safety fencing for the removal of the Reconciliation Monument has been installed and that the removal of the statue is expected to be completed by Dec. 22.

Sharing photos of the Reconciliation Monument on X, formerly Twitter, End Wokeness wrote, “The Biden administration is removing the Reconciliation Monument in Arlington. The monument was built 109 years ago to honor post-Civil War reconciliation and national unity. History is being rewritten before our eyes.”

The Biden administration is removing the Reconciliation Monument in Arlington.

The monument was built 109 years ago to honor post-Civil War reconciliation and national unity.

History is being rewritten before our eyes. pic.twitter.com/GC7u7f8Ao4

— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) December 17, 2023

According to Fox News, Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-Va.) has expressed his disagreement with the decision to remove the memorial from Arlington National Cemetery.

Macaulay Porter, a Youngkin spokeswoman, provided a statement to Fox News, saying, “The governor formally asked Secretary Austin to ensure that the grave of Moses Ezekiel and the accompanying memorial atop his grave remain in its revered location at the Arlington National Cemetery.”

Porter added, “The governor is disappointed that the Biden administration still sought to remove the memorial but believes that the Newmarket battlefield state park in the Shenandoah Valley will provide a fitting backdrop to Ezekiel’s legacy as a legendary sculptor and Virginian even though he disagrees with the Biden administration’s decision to remove it.”

READ MORE: Army renames last base honoring Confederate general

In 2022, an independent commission recommended to Congress that the Reconciliation Memorial should be removed along with other symbols related to the Confederacy and the renaming of U.S. military bases, according to The Associated Press. The commission’s report to Congress resulted in a congressional mandate pertaining to the removal of every Confederate memorial by Jan. 1, 2024.

According to The Associated Press, the Reconciliation Memorial was dedicated in 1914. The statue displays a bronze woman with a crown of olive leaves on a 32-foot pedestal. The statue, intended to be a representation of the American South, displays the bronze woman with a plow stock, a pruning hook, and a laurel wreath. The monument also bears a biblical inscription, which says, “They have beat their swords into plough-shares and their spears into pruning hooks.”

The Associated Press reported that the controversy over the memorial stems from a depiction of a black woman portrayed as “Mammy,” who is seen holding a white officer’s child, as well as a slave following their owner into battle.

Over 40 House Republicans recently sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, urging the Pentagon to “immediately suspend” the removal of the monument from Arlington National Cemetery.

“Despite bipartisan support for this monument, the Naming Commission, established by the Fiscal Year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act, clearly overstepped its legislative authority when it recommended that the Department of the Army remove the Reconciliation Monument from Arlington National Cemetery,” Republicans wrote. “[T]he Reconciliation Monument does not honor nor commemorate the Confederacy; the memorial commemorates reconciliation and national unity.”

A man crashed his car into one of the SUVs in President Joe Biden’s motorcade Sunday night as the president was leaving his 2024 campaign office headquarters, which is located in Wilmington, Delaware.

Video of Sunday night’s incident shows the president walking to one of the vehicles in the motorcade as a reporter asks him, “Mr. President, why are you losing to Trump in the polls?”

After Biden responded that the polls showing Trump with a lead in the 2024 presidential election were “the wrong polls,” a loud crash was heard. Immediately following the crash, U.S. Secret Service agents quickly surrounded the president as he entered the vehicle and was quickly transported away from the scene.

#BREAKING: Clearer footage of the Presidential motorcade incident shows the moment when Joe Biden was walking out of his campaign headquarters and about 9 seconds into the footage, you can hear the crash as a car collides with his motorcade. The driver of the car is reportedly… pic.twitter.com/LZnPoBkTtM

— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) December 18, 2023

Reuters reported that the car involved in the incident was a silver sedan with Delaware license plates. Video shows the silver sedan with apparent damage to the bumper of the vehicle following the crash.

According to Fox News, the Wilmington Police Department shared an update Monday identifying the driver of the silver sedan as a 46-year-old man. Fox News reported that the driver was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and inattentive driving.

READ MORE: Biden admits he’s only running in 2024 because of Trump

USA Today shared a video of Sunday night’s incident on X, formerly Twitter, highlighting the reaction of Biden and the Secret Service agents after hearing the loud crash. Both Biden and the Secret Service agents seemed to be visibly stunned by the loud crash.

According to NBC News, Special Agent Steve Kopek, a spokesman for the Secret Service, confirmed the SUV that was hit by the car was one of the vehicles securing the route of Biden’s motorcade.

“There was no protective interest associated with this event and the President’s motorcade departed without incident,” Kopek added.

Fox News reported that both the president and first lady were transported back to their home without injury.

Philadelphia-born coffee purveyor La Colombe was acquired for $900 million on Friday by Chobani, a company known for its Greek yogurt.

“We have never been stronger or better positioned to chart our next chapter of growth,” said Hamdi Ulukaya , Chobani founder and chief executive officer in a statement.

Chobani’s products include yogurts, oat milk, and coffee creamers, which are produced in New York, Idaho, and Australia, according to the company website.

Ulukaya joined the coffee company as an investor and as the majority owner in 2015. At the time Ulukaya said he had become aware of La Colombe founders because he was looking for a coffee roaster for the Chobani cafés.

“I believe in the quality of the product and the brand vision of La Colombe,” he told The Inquirer in 2015, saying he shared the brand’s “mission to make better coffee available to more people.

The news of the acquisition comes as La Colombe got a $300 million investment from beverage producer and manufacturer Keurig Dr Pepper Inc. this summer as part of a new partnership. Part of the agreement includes launching a single-serve coffee capsule in 2024, and selling La Colombe coffee through the Keurig Dr Pepper Inc. distribution network. The sale of La Colombe to Chobani includes transferring the minority equity stake that Keurig Dr Pepper’s had in the company into Chobani equity.

Employees of La Colombe will also benefit from the acquisition.

Chobani announced in 2016 that it would give around 10% ownership stake of the company to 2,000 of its full time employees, according to the New York Times.

“There will be no difference between La Colombe and Chobani when it comes to employee wages and compensations and benefits,” said Ulukaya. “Every La Colombe people will have the same profits and share options as Chobani employees.”

Details about what that could look like could come in the next weeks or months, he said.

Last year the company backtracked its plans to go public, according to CNBC. Ulukaya said the company is “functioning really well” right now, and that he is happy with sales, growth and innovation.

In terms of expanding the Chobani business into other products or areas of growth, Ulukaya said he is a fan of a mindset of “focus and go deep.”

“I don’t see us jumping to other categories until we see that the job is done in coffees and creamers,” he said.

Ulukaya grew up in Turkey to a Kurdish dairy-farming family, according to Forbes. Chobani got its start in 2005, when Ulukaya bought a manufacturing plant in New York and began making yogurt.

Going forward, La Colombe will continue to operate as an independent brand. The company operates 32 cafés in Philadelphia, New York, Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles, Austin, and Washington, D.C.

As for what comes next for La Colombe, Ulukaya said,” It’s Philadelphia’s unique, beautiful brand. It’s about to take off to the country if not around the world and I couldn’t be prouder.”

___

© 2023 The Philadelphia Inquirer, LLC

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

House Republicans said they would start contempt of Congress proceedings against Hunter Biden after he did not appear Wednesday morning for a closed-door deposition, with the president’s son coming to Capitol Hill to instead challenge the lawmakers to hold a public hearing.

Instead of complying with a subpoena, Biden spoke to reporters outside the Senate side of the Capitol building and attacked Republicans for their attacks on his character. He walked away immediately after speaking and did not answer shouted questions from the press.

“Republicans do not want an open process where Americans can see their tactics, expose their baseless inquiry or hear what I have to say. What are they afraid of? I’m here. I’m ready,” the younger Biden said.

Over in a House office building, Republicans who insisted Hunter Biden show up spoke to reporters gathered near to where the deposition was scheduled to take place.

House Oversight and Accountability Committee Chairman James R. Comer, R-Ky., said they were clear that they wanted a closed-door deposition and then would be happy to have a public hearing.

And House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ky., implied that speeches and lawmaker filibusters could take a public hearing off course if it was held now.

“You’re going to get all kinds of things. What we want is the facts,” Jordan said.

Comer and Jordan issued a statement characterizing the non-appearance as obstruction by Hunter Biden.

“Hunter Biden today defied lawful subpoenas and we will now initiate contempt of Congress proceedings,” the lawmakers said. “We will not provide special treatment because his last name is Biden.”

House Republicans have for months sought to link Hunter Biden’s business dealings with his father as part of a wide-ranging probe into alleged influence peddling from the younger Biden while President Joe Biden was in private life as well as vice president.

The House was scheduled to vote Wednesday on launching a formal impeachment inquiry into President Biden through a resolution that references committee probes into Hunter Biden’s business dealings. Then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy announced the impeachment inquiry earlier this year.

Republicans argue that the younger Biden was asking for special treatment in avoiding a deposition, but an attorney for Hunter Biden has said that a public proceeding would prevent selective leaks, manipulated transcripts and one-sided press statements.

At the media appearance, the younger Biden slammed Republicans, saying they have impugned his character, invaded his privacy and attacked his family and friends.

“They have ridiculed my struggle with addiction, they’ve belittled my recovery and they have tried to dehumanize me — all to embarrass and damage my father, who has devoted his entire public life to service,” Hunter Biden said.

The subpoena showdown comes at a legally sensitive time for Hunter Biden: He’s been indicted on federal tax charges, and in a separate case charged with three gun-related offenses.

Prosecutors allege a Hunter Biden scheme to avoid paying more than $1 million in income taxes from 2016 through 2019.

Wednesday’s non-compliance from Hunter Biden ignited another round of partisan clashes over the legitimacy of the Republican allegations. Democrats argued there’s no evidence that connects Hunter Biden’s business dealings to any offense by the president.

“President Biden has done nothing wrong,” Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, the top Democrat on the Oversight Committee, said. “They have not laid a glove on President Biden, and they have no evidence of him committing any offense, much less an impeachable offense.”

___

© 2023 CQ-Roll Call, Inc

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

As the Republican National Committee embarks on a strategy to encourage mail-in-voting — a method strongly opposed in the past by former President Donald Trump — it also is backing an appeal in a federal lawsuit seeking to overturn an Illinois law that allows mail-in ballots cast on or before Election Day to be counted up to 14 days afterward.

The RNC, which is promoting a “bank the vote” program to get Republicans to pledge to vote by mail, joined with the National Republican Congressional Committee in filing a court brief in the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in support of the effort to nullify ballots received by Illinois election authorities after Election Day.

U.S. District Judge John Kness in July dismissed the lawsuit, which was brought by five-term U.S. Rep. Mike Bost of Murphysboro and two prospective 2024 GOP presidential electors. Kness ruled the three plaintiffs lacked standing to sue the State Board of Elections over the law, which allows mail-in ballots to be counted in the 14 days after Election Day as long as they were postmarked or certified on or before that day.

But Kness went even further, ruling that Illinois’ 2015 law complied with the U.S. Constitution as well as federal election law and does “not conflict with the federal mandate that Election Day be held on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November.”

“By counting only mail-in ballots postmarked on or before Election Day, the statute does not extend the day for casting votes in a federal election,” the judge ruled.

Bost, who is facing a March 19 Republican primary challenge from last year’s unsuccessful GOP candidate for governor, former state Sen. Darren Bailey of Xenia, appealed the ruling in August and briefs from both sides in the case were filed Friday. Bost’s candidacy is backed by the National Republican Congressional Committee.

The case could have far-reaching consequences. During the 2020 pandemic- year general election, when mail-in voting increased, as many as 266,417 votes were counted in the two-week period after Election Day, according to court documents.

Democrats have long been successful in organizing and executing a mail-in voting strategy in Illinois and other states. Trump, who has a huge lead in the race for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, has decried mail-in voting and encouraged in-person voting on Election Day.

“There is no way you can go through a mail-in vote without massive cheating,” Trump said in an August 2020 interview with Axios.

But the RNC, joined by many backers of the former president, is now promoting mail-in voting nationally to better compete against Democrats. As the RNC filed its court brief to end the counting of late arriving mail-in ballots Friday, the Illinois GOP held a “Bank Your Vote” gala fundraiser in Rosemont to encourage mail-in voting that featured U.S. Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana.

Briefs in support of upholding the Illinois law were filed by the Democratic Party of Illinois, the civil rights division of the U.S. Department of Justice and 18 states that have similar laws for counting ballots post-Election Day.

The state Democratic Party said the consequences of a successful appeal would be “widespread and severe.”

“Illinoisans’ ability to successfully use mail ballots to exercise their fundamental right to vote would largely depend on the ability of the Postal Service to timely deliver them — a troubling proposition in a time when significant delivery delays are common,” the Democratic brief said.

State Rep. Elizabeth “Lisa” Hernandez of Cicero, the state Democratic chair, questioned the incongruous message of Republicans pushing for mail-in voting at they same time they’re seeking to curtail its results.

“It is fundamentally un-American and antidemocratic for Republicans to continue their attempts to silence Illinoisans when the will of votes is not on their side,” Hernandez said in a statement.

Justice Watch, which joined unsuccessful efforts by Trump to stop vote counting in his 2020 loss to President Joe Biden, acknowledged in its appeal that Bost and the Republican activists “do not allege voter fraud, nor do they allege that ballots were mailed after Election Day, contrary to Illinois law.”

Instead, they allege ballots received after Election Day are illegal and are “as invalid as if they were received one year after Election Day.”

In his ruling, Kness, who was appointed to the federal bench by Trump in 2019, rejected Bost’s complaint that the law forced him to spend significant resources on his campaign for an additional two weeks after Election Day.

“It is mere conjecture that, if congressman Bost does not spend the time and resources to confer with his staff and watch the results roll in, his risk of losing the election will increase,” the judge wrote. “Under the letter of Illinois law, all votes must be cast by Election Day, so congressman Bost’s electoral fate is sealed at midnight on Election Day, regardless of the resources he expends after the fact.”

Bost’s challenge to the law was somewhat ironic since he touts his past service in the Marines and the law was designed in part to meet federal voting requirements for military members serving overseas. The U.S. Department of Justice had issued a “statement of interest” in support of the state of Illinois, in part citing protections for military members to have their votes counted.

In both his lawsuit and appeal, Bost contended the counting of “late, illegal ballots dilutes the value of” lawfully cast votes and infringes upon his right as a federal candidate to stand for office.

Bost has alleged that late votes could reduce his margin of victory and that this “will lead to the public perception that my constituents have concerns about my job performance” and would “influence numerous third parties, such as future voters, Congressional leadership, donors and potential political opponents.”

While facing a challenge from Bailey this year, Bost faced only token primary opposition in 2018 and no primary opposition in 2014 when he was first elected to Congress as well as in 2016, 2020 and 2022. Since entering Congress, he has easily won reelection with large margins in his Republican-rich downstate district.

___

© 2023 Chicago Tribune

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

The Sudanese army has acknowledged firing upon a humanitarian convoy of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) near Khartoum, resulting in two fatalities and injuring seven individuals, including three ICRC staff members.

The convoy, comprising three ICRC vehicles and three buses clearly marked with the organization’s emblem, was on its way to evacuate over a hundred vulnerable civilians from Khartoum to Wad Madani when it was targeted as it entered the evacuation zone.

In a stern statement, the ICRC expressed its profound shock and dismay at the deliberate attack on its humanitarian mission.

The organization underscored that the evacuation operation had been carefully coordinated with all parties involved in the conflict, who had provided both approval and the required security guarantees.

Pierre Dorbes, the head of the ICRC’s delegation in Sudan, condemned the assault, stating, “This attack is unacceptable, and we are grief-stricken. I am shocked by the total disrespect for the Red Cross emblem, which must be respected and protected in accordance with international humanitarian law.

In contrast, Sudanese army spokesperson Nabil Abdallah claimed that the ICRC convoy had deviated from the agreed-upon itinerary and was accompanied by a rebel vehicle armed with a 12.7mm machine gun crew, which approached their defensive positions.

The army had established an agreement with the ICRC to evacuate civilians (including foreign nationals) trapped in the Church of St. Mary in Khartoum’s Al-Shajara district.

The Al-Shajara military region in southern Khartoum, home to army bases, including the Armored Corps and munition factory, has been a battleground for fierce clashes between the two opposing forces for several months.

A statement released by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) insisted that their forces escorting the humanitarian convoy had withdrawn to their last position.

They added, “The Red Cross delegation proceeded independently in accordance with the coordination and itinerary agreed upon between the parties, and when Red Cross vehicles entered areas under the control of the armed forces, they were subjected to heavy fire from a force affiliated with the armed forces.”

This attack comes amidst the ongoing armed confrontations between government forces and the RSF in Sudan.

___

(c) 2023 the Sudan Tribune

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Firefighters worked overnight Monday to extinguish a blaze that erupted at a historic yacht club in Marina del Rey.

The Los Angeles County Fire Department said it received a call around 11:30 p.m. Monday for a structure fire at the California Yacht Club in the 4400 block of Admiralty Way, said Fred Fielding, a Fire Department spokesperson.

Crews arrived to find heavy smoke and fire engulfing the two-story building, fire officials said.

Video from news outlets showed large flames consuming the structure as smoke billowed overhead. Multiple firetrucks and firefighters were called in to help contain the blaze.

Two firefighters suffered moderate injuries and were transported to a local hospital for treatment, Fielding said. The extent of their injuries and their status was not immediately known.

The blaze was knocked down just before 1:30 a.m. Tuesday, said Jeremy Stafford, supervising fire dispatcher at the L.A. County Fire Department.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation, Stafford said.

The California Yacht Club was started in 1922 by yachtsman from the Los Angeles Athletic Club and other yacht clubs, according to the club’s website.

___

© 2023 Los Angeles Times

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

One Marine died and others were injured in a rollover crash that occurred during training at Camp Pendleton Tuesday evening, military officials said.

The victim, assigned to the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, was in an Amphibious Combat Vehicle with 14 other Marines when the collision happened about 6 p.m.

The vehicle was making a “ground movement” when it rolled over, but few other details were released.

The name of the Marine will not be released until family members can be notified. The other Marines in the vehicle were taken to hospitals for evaluation and treatment, although it’s unclear what injuries they suffered.

This is at least the second training-related death to occur at the sprawling North County base this year. Another Marine was killed in August during a live-fire training exercise.

The amphibious combat vehicle was developed as a replacement for the aging, Vietnam-era assault amphibious vehicle, commonly called an AAV.

In 2020, eight Marines and a sailor perished when a 35-year-old AAV sank off the coast of San Diego.

Tuesday’s incident remains under investigation.

___

© 2023 The San Diego Union-Tribune

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

More than 7.6 billion pieces of mail and packages have been handled by the U.S. Postal Service so far this holiday season, according to the agency.

That number only stands to grow as the clock ticks to get gifts delivered in time for Christmas. So when is the best time to ship?

The last day to mail domestic packages and letters is Saturday, Dec. 16, the Postal Service said. The agency released its shipping and mailing deadlines in October, months ahead of what’s been called the “busiest week” of the year for post offices across the country.

Here’s the complete list of shipping and mailing deadlines for 2023:

• Priority Mail Express Military Service — Dec. 15
• USPS Ground Advantage — Dec. 16
• First-Class Mail (includes greeting cards) — Dec. 16
• Priority Mail — Dec. 18
• Priority Mail Express — Dec. 20

Air/Army Post Office (APO), Fleet Post Office (FPO) and Diplomatic Post Office (DPO) are excluded from Priority Mail Express Military Service, the agency said. Mailings from ZIP code 093 are also excluded.

Residents in Alaska and Hawaii have until Dec. 16 to ship via USPS Ground and First-Class mail if they want their gifts to arrive by Christmas, according to the Postal Service’s website.

For Priority Mail, the deadline is Dec. 18 for Alaska and Dec. 16 for Hawaii, USPS said. Parcels sent via Priority Mail Express should be mailed by Dec. 20 for both states.

Shipping deadlines are slightly different for carriers UPS and FedEx:

• UPS Ground — shipping and delivery times vary
• UPS 3 Day Select — Dec. 19
• UPS 2nd Day Air — Dec. 20
• UPS Next-day Air — Dec. 21
• FedEx Ground — Dec. 15 to Dec. 21
• FedEx Home Delivery — Dec. 15 to Dec. 22

In any case, a general rule of thumb is to ship early if you can.

___

© 2023 The Charlotte Observer.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has said the government has received information suggesting that more than 200 Nepali nationals may be currently serving in the Russian army.

Talking to reporters at his party, CPN (Maoist Centre), headquarters at Parisdanda in Kathmandu on Monday, Dahal said the government is investigating the case of Nepali citizens serving in the Russian army.

Only last week, the government revealed that at least six Nepali nationals have died while fighting Ukrainian forces.

“We are working to ascertain the number of Nepali citizens serving in the Russian army,” said the prime minister, adding, “we have information that Nepalis are also serving in the Ukrainian army.”

It has been almost 22 months since Russia launched an invasion of neighbouring Ukraine following years of conflict between the two countries.

The Nepal government doesn’t permit its citizens to serve in foreign armies except in India and the United Kingdom. But that hasn’t stopped Nepali youths from independently joining the militaries of several other countries.

Those killed while serving in the Russian army were Sandip Thapaliya from Gorkha, Rupak Karki from Kapilvastu, Dewan Rai from Kaski, Pitam Karki from Syangja, Raj Kumar Rokka from Dolakha and Gangaraj Moktan from Ilam. The government is struggling to repatriate the bodies of those killed in the war between Russia and Ukraine.

We have information that those who reached Russia on visit or student visas have joined the Russian army, said Dahal, adding, “We are actively looking into the matter.”

“We have official information that some Nepalis [fighting for Russia] have been taken hostage by the Ukrainian army, and there is also information that some Nepali nationals are serving in the Ukrainian army. Those who reached Russia on visit and student visas are now enlisted in the Russian army and six of them have been killed. Now we have learnt that over 200 Nepalis are serving in the Russian army, and this is a new and challenging situation for us,” said the prime minister.

Reports from various districts suggest that some Nepali nationals serving in the Russian army have gone missing, and three Nepali nationals in it have been captured by the Ukrainians. However, the government does not have comprehensive data on how many Nepali citizens are serving in Russian and Ukrainian forces since the start of the war on February 24, 2022.

Nepali ambassador to Russia Milan Raj Tuladhar had recently told the Post that some manpower agencies and individuals are running rackets to traffic Nepalis to Russia by promising attractive financial benefits if they enlisted with the Russian army. With the help of human traffickers, many Nepalis have reached Russia on student and tourist visas and joined the army.

In May, Russia paved the way for recruiting foreign nationals in its army following a decree by President Vladimir Putin.

Some people, who were duped by the manpower agency and individuals, reported to the Nepali Embassy in Moscow that middlemen were active in bringing people into Russia and illegally recruiting them into its army. Based on the information provided by the Nepali Embassy in Russia and people who were returned from the country, the Nepal Police on December 5 arrested members of a gang involved in sending Nepali youth to fight for the Russian army.

The police team arrested 12 individuals after an operation conducted over several days at various locations of Kathmandu. These individuals were sending Nepali youths to Russia via India.

The spokesman of District Police Range Kathmandu, Superintendent of Police Kumod Dhungel, confirmed the arrest of individuals involved in activities ranging from recruiting youths into the Russian army to arranging documents and visit visas.

The ambassador added that Nepali nationals were being lured with promises of big money and were mostly smuggled into Russia, with each individual paying up to Rs1 million to ‘agents’.

“We have been sending back at least one Nepali national a day. They were all brought to Russia to serve in the army,” he told the Post earlier. “If the individual does not possess a Nepali passport, we issue a travel document and send him back to Nepal.”

On August 1, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement urging Nepali citizens not to join foreign armies in war-torn countries.

“The attention of the ministry has been drawn to the news in social networking sites that Nepali citizens have joined foreign armies,” said the statement. “The policy of the Nepal government does not allow Nepali citizens to join foreign armies except for the fact that Nepali citizens are being recruited in the national armies of some friendly countries as per the traditional agreement reached between Nepal and those countries.”

Nepali youths are fighting each other from two opposing sides, said Dahal, adding, “The government is probing the matter and taking measures to repatriate those serving in the Russian and Ukrainian armies.”

Similarly, the prime minister said that efforts are on to bring back Bipin Joshi who went missing on October 7 following the Hamas’ attack on Israel.

“We have mobilized all mechanisms to free Joshi from captivity and bring him [home],” said the prime minister.

___

(c) 2023 the Asia News Network

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.