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Lok Sabha passes Bill to ban online games played with money
The Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed a Bill to ban the operating, facilitating and advertising of online games played with money, as the government looks to check rising instances of addiction, money laundering and financial fraud through such applications.
The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025, introduced this noon, was passed without a debate as opposition members raised slogans demanding a discussion on the special intensive revision of electoral rolls in Bihar by the Election Commission.
Once the legislation is passed by both Houses of Parliament, offering or facilitating online money gaming will be punishable by imprisonment of up to 3 years and/or a fine of up to Rs 1 crore.
The Bill also seeks to prohibit advertisements related to online money games as well as bars banks and financial institutions from facilitating or transferring funds for any of such games.
Online money game is one played by a user by depositing money in expectation of winning monetary and other enrichment.
The bill outlaws all online betting and gambling (satta and jua) activities -- from online fantasy sports to online gambling (like Poker, Rummy and other Card games) and online lotteries.
Advertising of money games can attract imprisonment up to two years and/or a fine up to Rs 50 lakh. Facilitating financial transactions related to money games can lead to imprisonment of up to three years and/or a fine of up to Rs 1 crore.
Repeat offences attract enhanced penalties, including 3-5 years' imprisonment and fines up to Rs 2 crore.
Importantly, offences under key sections are sought to be made cognisable and non-bailable.
India, China reach common understanding on management of border: Foreign ministry
India and China have reached a new understanding on the management and control of the frontier during Foreign Minister Wang Yi's visit to New Delhi, the Chinese foreign ministry said on Wednesday. Wang visited New Delhi on August 18 and 19 during which he held extensive talks with NSA Ajit Doval and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. Summing up the outcome of Wang's visit, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told a media briefing here that the two sides also agreed on resuming dialogue mechanisms in various fields, deepening mutually beneficial cooperation, upholding multilateralism, jointly dealing with global challenges and opposing unilateral bullying acts. “On the boundary question, the two sides reached new common understandings, agreeing to conduct normalised management and control, maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas, properly address areas of sensitivity, and initiate boundary negotiations in areas where conditions are met," she said.
India successfully test-fires 'Agni 5' ballistic missile
India on Wednesday successfully test-fired the 'Agni 5' intermediate range ballistic missile, in a demonstration of its strategic military capabilities. The defence ministry said the test-firing of the missile from the Integrated Test Range in Odisha's Chandipur validated all operational and technical parameters. "Intermediate range ballistic missile 'Agni 5' was successfully test-fired from the integrated test range, Chandipur in Odisha on August 20," it said in a brief statement. "The launch validated all operational and technical parameters. It was carried out under the aegis of the Strategic Forces Command," it said. In its last trial of Agni 5 from the same test range on March 11, 2024, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) had conducted a successful test using multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicle (MIRV) technology, defence sources said. India first successfully tested the Agni 5 missile on April 19, 2012 from the integrated test range in Chandipur, launching it to a designated point in the Indian Ocean. The missile traversed over 5,000 km, reaching a maximum altitude of 600 km.
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