Two jailed for smuggling seven Indian migrants into UK
LONDON, July 14: Two British Indian men have been sentenced to a total of over six years’ imprisonment for smuggling seven Indian migrants, including women and children, into the UK in the boots of two cars. Palvinder Singh Phull, 48, was handed a three and half years’ sentence for assisting unlawful immigration and co-accused Harjit Singh Dhaliwal, 45, was jailed for three years and two months on the same charge at Canterbury Crown Court in south-east England on Thursday. Both the Londoners had pleaded guilty to assisting unlawful immigration in a case dating back five years. “Today’s sentencing sends a clear message to those abusing our laws and borders: we will stop at nothing to bring to justice anyone attempting to smuggle people into the UK,” said Chris Foster, Deputy Director of Criminal and Financial Investigations at the UK Home Office. (PTI)
Wagner group simply does not exist: Putin
MOSCOW, July 14: Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the Wagner mercenary group which staged a short-lived rebellion against the country’s military leadership in June, “simply does not exist”. The President made the remarks to Russian newspaper Kommersant, describing for the first time what was discussed at a Kremlin meeting attended by 35 Wagner commanders, including the group’s boss Yevgeny Prigozhin. The meeting took place on June 29, just five days after Wagner fighters launched the short-lived mutiny on June 24. “On the one hand, at the meeting I gave an assessment of what they had done on the battlefield (in Ukraine), and on the other hand, of what they had done during the events of June 24. “Thirdly, I showed them possible options for their further service, including the use of their combat experience. That was it,” Putin was quoted. When asked if the group would be retained as a fighting unit, the President replied: “Well, Wagner PMC does not exist. We do not have a law for private military organisations. It simply does not exist. There is no such legal entity. (IANS)