Israeli researchers discover cell mechanism for rapid DNA repair
First identified after the Gulf War, the syndrome includes symptoms like PTSD, chronic fatigue, joint pain, and headaches….reports Asian Lite News
Exposure to chemical and biological agents has been identified as the cause of Gulf War syndrome in a landmark study, The Times reported. Scientists found that thousands of soldiers had faulty cell function due to contact with these hazardous agents.
First identified after the Gulf War, the syndrome includes symptoms like PTSD, chronic fatigue, joint pain, and headaches. Up to 33,000 British veterans may be affected. Many struggled to get medical help or compensation as the illness baffled doctors.
The UK’s Ministry of Defence has long denied the existence of the illness, citing a 2003 study. US scientists have linked the symptoms to sarin exposure after Iraqi chemical weapons caches were bombed. However, the new study in Plos One may help recognize the syndrome as a unique illness.
Researchers, including Etianne Martini Sasso of Griffith University, found that veterans had impaired ion channel function, affecting calcium transport crucial for muscle contraction, nerve function, and hormone regulation. Prof. Sonya Marshall-Gradisnik emphasized that the study provides clear evidence linking veterans’ health problems to their exposure to hazardous agents during service.
A former UK Conservative government policy imposed a six-year limit on civil cases, preventing 1991 war veterans from claiming compensation, though war pensions are still available. A Ministry of Defence spokesperson expressed gratitude to Gulf War veterans and noted ongoing research and financial support through war pensions and occupational pension schemes.
UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed addresses a hybrid press briefing at the UN headquarters in New York, Sept. 28, 2020. (Xinhua/Wang Ying/IANS)
The first step, she stressed, is to establish peace, underscoring that political and financial resources should be redirected from conflicts to development efforts…reports Asian Lite News
UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed has urged global leaders to redirect resources from warfare to peace and sustainable development initiatives.
Speaking on behalf of Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Mohammed on Monday called for immediate and decisive action to salvage the faltering Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Xinhua news agency reported.
“Conflicts in Gaza, Sudan, Ukraine, and beyond are causing a devastating loss of life and diverting political attention and scarce resources from the urgent work of ending poverty and averting climate catastrophe,” she said at the ministerial meeting of the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development.
She emphasized the need to slash military budgets and instead channel funds towards peace and development.
Highlighting the critical state of the SDGs, Mohammed noted that only 17 per cent of the targets are on track as the 2030 deadline approaches. “Future generations deserve more than 17 per cent of a sustainable future,” she emphasized, outlining a four-pronged strategy for urgent acceleration in a bid to meet the 2030 deadline for the goals.
The first step, she stressed, is to establish peace, underscoring that political and financial resources should be redirected from conflicts to development efforts.
She also emphasised the importance of advancing green and digital transition, urging nations to enhance their climate action plans by 2025, aligning them with the 1.5-degree Celsius limit in line with the Paris Agreement and investing in expanding digital connectivity.
Addressing the financial challenges impeding SDG progress, Mohammed pointed out the growing financing gap and destabilizing financial conditions in many developing countries.
She acknowledged the ongoing reform of multilateral development banks and the recycling of special drawing rights but called for more robust measures. “We must go further and faster to deliver an SDG Stimulus,” she urged, calling for increased lending capacity, expanded access to contingency financing, and comprehensive debt solutions.
Mohammed reiterated the SDGs’ promise to “leave no one behind.”
She emphasized the need to prioritize vulnerable populations, uphold the rights of persons with disabilities and combat gender inequality.
“Achieving this agenda means placing vulnerable people and groups at the forefront of national development plans, policies and budgets,” she said.
During its three-day ministerial segment, the HLPF will hold a general debate on the theme From the SDG Summit to the Summit of the Future.
Ministers and high-level representatives of participating states, as well as intergovernmental organisations, major groups and other stakeholders, will take action to realise the Political Declaration of the 2023 SDG Summit and accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the SDGs.
They will also contribute to the preparations for the Summit of the Future, to be held this September.
Held under the auspices of the UN Economic and Social Council, the forum will conclude on July 18 with the adoption of a ministerial declaration.
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro speaks during an election rally in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on July 24, 2022. (Xinhua/Wang Tiancong/IANS)
The case involves a set of diamond jewelry worth $3.2 million that was seized by customs inspectors in October 2021….reports Asian Lite News
Brazil’s former president Jair Bolsonaro is facing potential charges of money laundering and other crimes related to undeclared diamond jewelry gifted by Saudi Arabia, local media reported Thursday.
Federal police have accused Bolsonaro, who served as president from 2019-2022, of money laundering, embezzlement, and criminal association, according to Brazilian news outlet G1.
The case involves a set of diamond jewelry worth $3.2 million that was seized by customs inspectors in October 2021. The jewelry was found in a satchel belonging to Bolsonaro’s Mining and Energy ministry entourage after returning from a trip to the Middle East.
Bolsonaro has denied any wrongdoing. Alongside Bolsonaro, eleven others, including his attorney Fabio Wajngarten, face charges. Wajngarten responded on X (formerly Twitter), claiming he was accused “for the bizarre reason of having complied with the law.” Bolsonaro’s son, Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, called the accusations “open and brazen persecution” against his father.
Despite the federal police’s accusations, Brazil’s Attorney General Office has yet to formally charge Bolsonaro before the Federal Supreme Court. These new allegations add to Bolsonaro’s legal troubles, as he is also under investigation for his role in the January 2023 Brazil Congress attack and faces possible charges for falsifying Covid-19 vaccination documents to travel.
The summit began with an official ceremony where all relevant documents for the country’s membership were signed…reports Asian Lite News
The 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) kicked off on Thursday in Astana, with Belarus officially becoming a member of the association.
The summit began with an official ceremony where all relevant documents for the country’s membership were signed, reports Xinhua news agency.
“Dear heads of state, a decision on the full membership of the Republic of Belarus in the SCO has been made,” Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev announced, congratulating Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.
Lukashenko, in turn, noted that Minsk will strive to expand the SCO’s influence and broaden its circle of allies and supporters.
The SCO summit is currently being held in Astana, with attendance by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, India, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Belarus, Mongolia, Azerbaijan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey and Turkmenistan, and the SCO Secretary-General and the Executive Director of the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure.
India is the first country in the world to prepare a checklist of its entire fauna, covering 104,561 species…reports Asian Lite News
India has become the first country in the world to prepare a checklist of its entire fauna, covering 104,561 species, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said on Saturday.
He was speaking at the Animal Taxonomy Summit-2024 organised by the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI).
He also launched the Fauna of India Checklist Portal on the occasion of the 109th Foundation Day of the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) in Kolkata.
The minister said the silver lining is that India is a global champion in biodiversity conservation, adding that our tradition, ethos and values respect nature and promote biodiversity conservation.
“India has become the first country in the world to prepare a checklist of its entire fauna, covering 104,561 species, positioning itself as a global leader in biodiversity documentation,” Yadav said.
The Fauna of India Checklist Portal is the first comprehensive document on the faunal species reported from India, he noted.
“The faunal checklist will be an invaluable reference for taxonomists, researchers, academicians, conservation managers, and policymakers. It comprises 121 checklists of all known taxa covering 36 phyla. Endemic, threatened, and scheduled species have also been included in the list,” he added.
He said, moreover, PM’s Mission LIFE put forth before the world with the theme of sustainable consumption and conservation.
Stressing the concept of a recycling economy, Yadav said: “Whatever we take from nature, efforts should be made to return back the same in pristine, pure form.”
He also highlighted the government’s initiatives like the International Big Cat Alliance to preserve biodiversity and species and said that the relocation of cheetahs to India as a successful project is one such example.
Inaugurating the Animal Taxonomy Summit-2024 organised by ZSI, Yadav congratulated ZSI for completing 109 glorious years dedicated to the service of our faunal biodiversity.
The Animal Taxonomy Summit-2024 is the second summit being organised by ZSI.
During the summit, deliberations will be held under three broad themes, 1) Taxonomy, Systematics and Evolution, 2) Ecology and Animal Behaviour; 3) Biodiversity and Conservation. 350 delegates from four countries, including those from the Natural History Museum, London would participate in the summit.
The three-day summit will witness 21 plenary/ lead lectures of eminent speakers/ experts from India as well as abroad and 142 oral/poster presentations.
The summit will conclude on 3rd July 2024. The recommendations will be conveyed to the Government of India for biodiversity conservation.
The minister, delegates and participants also listened to Prime Minister’s Mann Ki Baat during the programme.
Yadav also released an iconic publication of ZSI, ‘Animal Discoveries- 2023’ comprising 641 new animal species and new records from India and ‘Plant Discoveries- 2023’ of Botanical Survey of India (BSI) comprising 339 new plant species and new records from the country published by scientists, faculties and researchers from India.
Other important publications ‘Fauna of India-109 barcodes’, ‘Catalogue of Hoverflies’, ‘Catalogue of Muscidae’ and ‘Flora of India Series’ were released by the union minister. The first-ever ‘Barcode Atlas of Indian Fishes’- a joint publication by the ICAR-NBFGR, Lucknow & ZSI, Kolkata and ‘ROAR – Celebrating 50 years of Project Tiger’ a book written by Shiladitya Chaudhury & Ketan Sengupta were also released on the occasion.
Director General of Forests and Special Secretary, MoEFCC, Jitendra Kumar launched the ‘International Society of Zoology (ISZ)’ which will enhance the ability of individuals and institutions to contribute to the global understanding and protection of biodiversity.
ZSI exchanged 10 MoUs with universities/colleges (viz. Vidyasagar University, Berhampur University, Madurai Kamraj University, Himalayan University, Ferguson College and Kongunadu Arts & Science College), and with national institutes (ICAR-NBFGR, ICAR-NBAIR, ICAR-CIFA, BITS, Pilani) for better coordination and benefits to masses.
ZSI Director Dhriti Banerjee delivered the welcome address at the event, which was also attended by officials, scientists and researchers from ZSI, BSI vice-chancellors, and of several universities and Indian and overseas institutions. The programme concluded with a cultural performance. (ANI)
Minister cautions against extensive use of natural resources
Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on Sunday emphasized the need to conserve flora and fauna, warning against the reckless exploitation of natural resources for development. Speaking at an event marking the 109th foundation day of the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), Yadav praised the ZSI’s pioneering work in taxonomy and the scientific evaluation of faunal species, which helps raise public awareness.
He highlighted the ministry’s efforts to conserve the rich biodiversity of sensitive zones like Bhitarkanika in Odisha, Flower Valley in Uttarakhand, Rajasthan’s desert landscape, and the Sundarbans mangrove belt in West Bengal, describing these areas as “Nature’s best gift.”
Yadav stressed the dire consequences of continued resource plundering, warning of a future devoid of animals, birds, and plants. He lamented the general disregard for environmental responsibilities, pointing out the pollution of air and water and the misuse of natural resources.
He noted the extinction of the Cheetah and the government’s success in reintroducing the species to India, thanks to the efforts of forest employees, rangers, villagers, and scientists. Yadav also reaffirmed India’s commitment to tiger conservation on its 50th anniversary.
As a signatory to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), India plays a crucial role, with the ZSI and the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) vital for knowledge sharing. Yadav praised the ‘Fauna of India Checklist Portal,’ launched by the ZSI, containing details of 1,04,561 species—the world’s first such comprehensive list. He lauded the ZSI for reporting 641 new species this year alone.
Identifying climate change as humanity’s biggest threat, Yadav commended the roles of the ZSI and BSI in combating global warming and environmental challenges. The ministry, with these organizations’ involvement, is working on a geospectrum model, mapping biological corridors, and analyzing landscape changes.
ZSI director Dhriti Banerjee revealed that 153 experts prepared the checklist in 2022-23, documenting species from amoebas to elephants across India’s diverse topographies. She also mentioned an upcoming Animal Taxonomy Summit, with 1,700 participants from several countries, scheduled from July 1-3. The ZSI, founded on July 1, 1916, continues to play a pivotal role in biodiversity research and conservation.
File photo shows refugees at a refugee camp in Afgoye, Somalia. (Photo by Hassan Bashi/Xinhua/IANS)
A total of more than 120 million people around the world are forcibly displaced, including 43.5 million refugees…reports Asian Lite News
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for global efforts to protect the 43.4 million refugees across the globe in a video message on World Refugee Day.
“From Sudan to Ukraine, from the Middle East to Myanmar to Congo and beyond, conflict, climate chaos and upheaval are forcing record numbers of people from their homes and fueling profound human suffering,” Guterres said on Thursday.
According to the latest figures, a total of more than 120 million people around the world are forcibly displaced, including 43.5 million refugees, Xinhua news agency reported.
World Refugee Day, celebrated annually on June 20, is about honouring their strength and courage, and stepping up efforts to protect and support refugees on every step of their journey, the UN Chief added.
Refugees need global solidarity and the ability to rebuild their lives in dignity, said Guterres, adding “When given the opportunity, refugees make significant contributions to their host communities, but they need access to equal opportunities and jobs, housing, and healthcare”.
Noting that young refugees need quality education to achieve their dreams, he said that host countries — mostly low- or middle-income countries — need the support and resources to fully include refugees in societies and economies.
“Let us pledge to reaffirm the world’s collective responsibility in assisting and welcoming refugees, in upholding their human rights, including the right to seek asylum, in safeguarding the integrity of the refugee protection regime, and ultimately, in resolving conflicts so that those forced from their communities can return home,” the UN Chief concluded.
World Refugee Day, an international day designated by the United Nations to honour refugees around the globe, was set for the first time on June 20, 2001, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees.
Several leaders from the Global South participated for an Outreach Summit to discuss issues relating to Africa, the Mediterranean, the Indo-Pacific and Artificial Intelligence. This was a recognition of the growing importance of the Global South in the corridors of power of world politics and economy, writes Ashok Sajjanhar
The 50th G7 Summit was organised in Italy on June 13-15, 2024. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, the host of the Summit, invited several leaders from the Global South for an Outreach Summit on June 14 to discuss issues relating to Africa, the Mediterranean, the Indo-Pacific and Artificial Intelligence.
This was a recognition of the growing importance of the Global South in the corridors of power of world politics and economy.
India was the first to focus on this issue by organising two Voice of the Global South Summits in the context of its Presidency of the G20 in 2023.
Prime Minister Modi, fresh after his third successive win in the national elections, participated in the Outreach Summit.
This was his first foreign visit after being sworn in and became an occasion to underline the vitality of Indian democracy, establish contact with India’s principal partners from the developed and developing world, and share India’s perspectives on major global challenges and opportunities in the world.
PM Modi’s visit
In his address to the Outreach Session, PM Modi emphasised India’s four key principles for energy — availability, accessibility, affordability, and acceptability.
He asserted that India will place the ‘’priorities and concerns of the countries of the Global South on the world stage. We have given high priority to Africa in these efforts. We are proud that the G-20, under India’s chairmanship, made the African Union a permanent member.”
He committed that India will collaborate with all countries to ensure Artificial Intelligence is transparent, fair, secure, accessible, and responsible. He added that India was ‘’the first country to meet all its COP commitments ahead of time’’ and is working hard to reach “Net Zero” by 2070.
Bilateral meetings
During his visit, PM Modi engaged in structured, bilateral meetings with the Italian PM, the French President, the British PM and the Ukrainian President.
On the side-lines of the Summit, he also interacted with the US President, Pope Francis, the Japanese Prime Minister, and several others.
Discussions on expanding bilateral ties with different countries were held.
India’s growing influence
The fifth consecutive invitation to India is testimony to India’s growing clout in global affairs. India has emerged as a partner of choice for most important world powers.
Notwithstanding the pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine conflict, India has emerged as the 5th largest global economy and is likely to become the third largest by the end of this decade, if not earlier.
India is today the fastest growing major economy with annual GDP growth of 8.2% last year. In the increasingly uncertain and turbulent global political and economic scenario, India is a ray of hope for political and economic stability and dynamism.
India’s successful Presidency of the G20 confers on it a bigger role and voice to speak authoritatively on the way forward in resolving problems of the world.
The summit
Major issues of discussion in the G7 Summit related to the war in Ukraine and the Middle East; providing a loan of US$50 billion to Ukraine to be paid from interest on the Russian frozen assets; pushback against China for its increasing assertiveness in South China Sea, and on economic front due to its overcapacity; Africa, the Indo-Pacific, migration, Artificial Intelligence, climate change etc.
Pope Francis made a historic appearance at the Summit to talk about the benefits and drawbacks of artificial intelligence. He said that AI represented an “epochal transformation” for mankind, but stressed the need for close oversight of the ever-developing technology to preserve human life and dignity.
Will G7 become G8 with India’s inclusion?
The fifth consecutive invitation to India to G7 Summits and India’s rapidly growing economy has given rise to speculation that India could soon be invited to become the 8th member of the Grouping.
This is highly unlikely. Although India is 5th largest economy, soon to become the 3rd largest, its per capita income is very low at around US$2,000. The per capita GDP of G7 countries is around US$50-80,000. There is a huge mismatch between the two.
India has emerged as an important and effective voice of the Global South. This is its natural constituency. It will not be appropriate for it to jump ship and try to become a constituent of the G7.
By staying out of the G7 and yet participating in its annual sessions, India is able to project its own concerns and priorities, and of developing countries. It would not be able to fulfil this role if it were to become a full member of this developed country Club.
The current, existing arrangement in which India has emerged as a quasi-permanent invitee to the G7 Summits is a win-win situation for both India and G7 countries as well as developing countries whose interests and concerns India espouses.
The existing format ensures that while India is not a de-jure constituent of the G7, its regular presence at the Summits makes it a de-facto participant in all the significant G7 Summit level deliberations.
India’s presence at the G7 Summits provides an opportunity to India and the G7 countries to expand their partnerships in the area of trade, investment, security, technology etc.
The setting
The G7 was launched in the early 1970s to focus on the major economic issues of the day including the oil crisis, the collapse of the Bretton Woods system, and the ongoing global recession.
When it was constituted, the G7 accounted for 70% of the Global GDP. Today that figure has shrunk to 45% which, though lower, continues to be quite significant.
Notwithstanding this decline, the G7 countries continue to be major political, military, and technological powers and exercise significant influence in important global institutions.
This was the fifth time in a row that PM Modi was invited to the G7 gathering. India shares a considerable comfort level in political, economic, and social terms with the G7 countries. India also enjoys warm and cordial relations with all the G7 member states, barring Canada with whom there has been a spat in recent months.
Conclusion
Despite the fact that the economic heft of G7 states has diminished somewhat over the last 50 years, they continue to be important and influential in fields of economics, investment, technology, security, political, military power etc. It is hence imperative for India to maintain vibrant contacts with them, at bilateral and also at multilateral level.
India has emerged in recent years as a bridge between the Global South and Developed North, and also as a link between USA and Europe in the West and Russia in the East. India as a rapidly growing economy, with increasing sway in global affairs, through its participation in G7 Summits, fulfils an important role in promoting peace, security, and economic development in the world.
(The writer is a Distinguished Fellow at Ananta Aspen Centre; he was the ambassador of India to Kazakhstan Sweden and Latvia; views expressed here are his own.) – India News Network
Dr Abbas, who reportedly suffers from several health issues, was arrested without her family being informed of the reasons for her detention…reports Asian Lite News
Mary Lawlor, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, has urged Chinese authorities to disclose information regarding the status and location of Dr Gulshan Abbas, an Uyghur doctor reportedly serving a 20-year prison sentence since 2019 on charges related to terrorism.
Lawlor stated, “Nearly six years after her detention, Dr Abbas’ family members still do not have information on where she is being imprisoned, the evidence used to convict her, or most worryingly of all, her health condition.”
She emphasised the importance of China complying with its international human rights obligations by providing Dr Abbas’s family with necessary information.
Dr Abbas, who reportedly suffers from several health issues, was arrested without her family being informed of the reasons for her detention, details of the charges against her, her trial, or her current place of imprisonment.
Lawlor referred to statements made by a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson in 2020, which alleged that Dr Abbas had been sentenced for “crimes of participating in a terrorist organisation, aiding terrorist activities and assembling crowds to disrupt social order.”
According to Lawlor, Dr Abbas, who was not involved in political or human rights activism, was detained shortly after her sister, Uyghur human rights defender Rushan Abbas, criticised China’s treatment of the Uyghur population during a public event in Washington.
Lawlor expressed her dismay over Dr Abbas’s continued imprisonment, suggesting it was in retaliation for her sister’s advocacy work.
She cited former High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet’s 2022 report, which highlighted a pattern of “intimidations, threats, and reprisals” against relatives of Uyghurs in exile who spoke out about human rights abuses in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR).
The call from the UN Special Rapporteur underscores ongoing international concerns about human rights violations against the Uyghur population in China. (ANI)
This was his first appearance before a US court after he was extradited on Friday from the Czech Republic….reports Arul Louis
Nikhil Gupta, who has been accused of being involved in a ‘murder-for-hire’ plot against a Khalistani separatist, has told a federal court here that he is not guilty.
Appearing before Magistrate Judge James Cott on Monday, he made the “not guilty” plea through his lawyer Jeffrey Chabrowe.
This was his first appearance before a US court after he was extradited on Friday from the Czech Republic.
Outside the courtroom, Chabrowe told reporters that the case is a “complicated matter for India and the US” and there should be “no rush to judgment”.
“We will pursue his defence rigorously,” he said.
He added that information will come out that will call into question the prosecution version.
Assistant Federal Prosecutor Ashley Nichols told the court that Gupta is charged in the murder-for-hire plot.
Cott ordered to keep him in custody till the next court date on June 28, when a conference on the case is scheduled.
Chabrowe did not ask for bail while reserving the right to ask for it later.
According to the indictment — the chargesheet — Gupta, who also uses the name “Nick”, is accused of participating in a plot to assassinate the leader of a “US-based organisation that advocates for the secession of Punjab state” and the establishment of a “Sikh sovereign state called Khalistan”.
The group’s leader, who is not named in the court documents, is Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a lawyer with US and Canadian citizenships, who lives in New York and runs a campaign for Khalistan.
Designated as a terrorist by the Indian government, Pannun leads the organisation called Sikhs for Justice which is conducting what it calls a “referendum” on Khalistan among Sikhs.
Gupta, a slightly-built 52-year-old, entered the courtroom dressed in black pants and a sweater and sat beside his lawyer at the defence table.
He and his lawyer talked before the proceedings began, at one point both of them laughed during their conversation.
When the hearing was over, the marshals escorting him made him take off the sweater and give it to his lawyer because he was not allowed to have it.
He was left with the T-shirt he wore underneath.
Before entering the courtroom, his handcuffs had been removed.
Chabrowe told the magistrate the conditions are bad at the Metropolitan Detention Centre where Gupta is being held and that he has not eaten because vegetarian food was not available.
He said that it was a matter of religion for Gupta.
Cott told the lawyer and prosecutors to take it up with the prison officials and report to him if it was not resolved in 24 hours.
Chabrowe also told the magistrate that arrangements should be made to allow Gupta to pray.
During the proceedings when the lawyers and the defendants had to identify themselves, Cott greeted him, as is customary, when it was his turn, “Good afternoon, Mr Gupta”.
The magistrate, seated on a podium with the US Seal and Flag behind him, read him his rights to a fair trial such as his right to remain silent if interrogated and the right to a lawyer.
He also said that since he was a foreign citizen, the US government may have to inform consular officials.
Nichols said that although it was not mandatory in this case, the government would do so.
Cott reminded the prosecution of the rules for a fair trial that requires them to provide the defence with all information that is “favourable to the accused” as soon as it becomes available to enable the defence to make its case.
Should the government fail to follow this, the case can be dismissed and disciplinary action can be taken against the lawyers, he said.
He later put this in a written order.
Jagjit Singh, an associate of Pannun in his law practice, was in the courtroom observing the proceedings.
After the proceedings ended, he recorded videos outside the court about the case.
Outlining the case against Gupta, the chargesheet said that he was recruited to “orchestrate the assassination”.
Gupta, in turn, the document said, contacted a person he believed was a “criminal associate, but was, in fact, a confidential source working with US law enforcement”.
That person introduced him to a “purported hitman” who was an undercover US law enforcement officer who was offered $100,000 to carry out the assassination, the document said.
Gupta arranged for an advance of $15,000 to be delivered by an associate to the presumed “hitman”, who was also given details about Pannun and also told him that a Canada-based Khalistan leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was killed in British Columbia had been a “target”, according to the document.
The prosecution said that Gupta had himself described his “involvement in narcotics and weapons trafficking”.
Gupta was arrested in the Czech Republic last June at the request of the US.
His extradition was held up by his appeal to the Czech Constitutional Court earlier this year against his extradition, which was rejected last month clearing the way for him to be sent to the US.
PM Modi also thanked the people and government of Italy “for their warm hospitality”.
After attending the G7 meeting and holding multiple bilaterals during his day-long visit to Italy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday returned to Delhi. The PM said that he had a productive day after interacting with world leaders.
He posted on X, “Had a very productive day at the G7 Summit in Apulia. Interacted with world leaders and discussed various subjects.
“Together, we aim to create impactful solutions that benefit the global community and create a better world for future generations.”
PM Modi also thanked the people and government of Italy “for their warm hospitality”.
The Prime Minister also said, “An important G7 Summit, where I presented India’s perspective at the world stage.
Here are highlights,” and posted a video link to the important event. He held back-to-back bilaterals with French President Emmanuel Macron, British PM Rishi Sunak, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Japanese PM Fumio Kishida.
He then attended the G7 Outreach Session on AI and Energy, Africa and the Mediterranean which was followed by interactions with several world leaders.
After the conclusion of the G7 Summit’s Outreach Session, PM Modi met with several world leaders, including US President Joe Biden.
He also interacted with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Jordan King Abdullah, and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Pope Francis on Friday on the sidelines of the G7 summit and invited him to visit India.
The visit to Italy was Prime Minister Modi’s first overseas trip after assuming office for the third consecutive term, and also his fifth consecutive participation in the G7 Summit.
