US approves sale of missiles, surveillance planes to South Korea
Washington, Sep 14 : US President Donald Trump's administration has approved the sale of 64 missiles and six surveillance planes for an estimated cost of $2.6 billion, the State Department has announced.
"The proposed sale will support US foreign policy and national security objectives by enhancing Korea's naval capabilities to provide national defence and significantly contribute to coalition operations," CNN quoted the Department as saying on Thursday.
If approved by Congress, the sale of the P-8A patrol aircraft will provide an upgrade over the older, US-made P-3 surveillance planes that South Korea has used for over 25 years.
The P-8A is the newest maritime, patrol and reconnaissance aircraft built by the US.
Purchasing the Patriot Advanced Capability missiles will allow South Korea "to improve its missile defence capability, defend its territorial integrity and deter threats to regional stability", the Department said.
It will also "increase the defensive capabilities of the (South Korean) Military to guard against hostile aggression and shield the allies who train and operate within South Korea's borders".
As part of the sale, South Korea would also receive tactical radio, navigation and early missile warning sensors for the aircraft.
Thursday's announcement comes as the US and allies are days away from launching a new effort to "name and shame" North Korea by publicly exposing violations of sanctions aimed at curbing its nuclear and missile programmes, defence officials told CNN.
The new effort will make more public US and allied military efforts to enforce UN sanctions against North Korea, particularly the monitoring of ships performing illicit transfers of refined petroleum to North Korean oil tankers in the East China Sea.
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
