India and China Reach Deal to Resume Kailash Mansarovar Yatra and Direct Flights

INIndia|

In a significant diplomatic breakthrough, India and China have agreed to resume the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, halted since 2020 due to border tensions. The agreement was reached during meetings in Beijing on January 26-27, 2025, between Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, according to a press release from India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

The resumption of the pilgrimage is scheduled for the summer of 2025, contingent upon discussions between the relevant authorities to finalize modalities per existing agreements. Additionally, the two countries agreed in principle to restore direct air services, with technical discussions anticipated to establish a new operational framework.

Moreover, both nations have agreed to promote people-to-people exchanges, enhance cooperation on trans-border rivers, and resume the provision of hydrological data. The MEA highlighted the importance of 2025, marking 75 years of diplomatic relations, as a milestone to foster public diplomacy and rebuild mutual trust. This revival of dialogue follows previous agreements to maintain peace along the Line of Actual Control and reinstate patrol agreements that had been disrupted since the border clash in June 2020.

Weekly Newsletter

Loading...

More from India

Rajasthan NGO Busted for Human Trafficking Under Mass Marriage Scam

Authorities in Rajasthan have dismantled a human trafficking operation disguised as a non-governmental organization (NGO) that falsely claimed to facilitate mass marriages for women from impoverished backgrounds. The Gayatri Sarva Samaj Foundation, located in a farmhouse near Bassi, allegedly bought girls from agents trafficking children from Bihar, West Bengal, Odisha, and Uttar Pradesh, selling them to young men for prices ranging between ₹250,000 to ₹500,000 (approximately $3,000 to $6,000), as reported by Bassi police station in-charge Abhijit Patil. The scheme came to light when a 16-year-old girl from Uttar Pradesh escaped and contacted police, leading to a raid on the farmhouse. During the operation, officials arrested the NGO's director, Gayatri Vishwakarma, along with three accomplices, including Hanuman, Bhagwan Das, and Mahendra. Investigators revealed that Vishwakarma had been involved in approximately 1,500 such arranged marriages and had multiple prior cases against her. Authorities also found that she falsified identification documents to misrepresent the ages of minors, indicating a deep-rooted criminal enterprise.
INIndia

19-Year-Old Woman in Varanasi Claims She Was Kidnapped and Gang-Raped by 22 Individuals

A 19-year-old resident of Lalpur, Varanasi, reported being kidnapped and gang-raped by 22 men over a week-long ordeal. According to police, the young woman left her home on March 29 to visit a friend but did not return. Her family filed a missing persons report on April 4. The following day, she was reportedly drugged and released by her captors at Pandeypur intersection. She managed to reach a friend's house and later informed her father, who filed a formal complaint with the police. Investigators revealed that the alleged assaults took place at multiple locations, including a hookah bar and guest houses. Six suspects have been arrested, while a manhunt continues for the remaining individuals. Authorities are cautious in releasing information about the accused, some of whom may be minors. "The rape complaint was lodged only on April 6," stated Chandrakant Meena, a senior police officer, highlighting a delay in official reporting of the incident. Ongoing investigations aim to uncover further details surrounding this disturbing case.
INIndia

China-Linked Loan App Scams Estimated to Cause Over $3 Billion in Global Losses

A crackdown on China-linked loan app scams has revealed extensive operations impacting numerous countries, including India, Nigeria, and the Philippines. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) reported that two individuals were arrested in India for managing a Chinese loan app scam that involved over 500 illicit bank accounts, amassing around ₹719 crores (approximately $86 million). According to ED sources, these scams rely on data harvesting, extortion, and cryptocurrency money laundering, targeting individuals through deceptive practices such as blackmail. The global financial impact of these scams is estimated to exceed $3 billion since 2020. The China Communist Party's United Front Work Department and the Ministry of State Security have been implicated in facilitating these operations, which utilize shell companies and advanced cyber techniques to infiltrate foreign economies. The ED's investigation identified a network facilitating cryptocurrency transfers to overseas wallets, with an alarming trend of financial ruin and suicides reported among victims in India. The scope and complexity of these schemes underscore the urgent need for international collaboration to combat cybercrime.
INIndia
All India News ->