SOURCE: ANI

Bangladesh’s far right political party Bangladesh Islami Front has completely rejected a recent ‘India Out’ social media campaign in Bangladesh. The campaign has sharpened after Sheikh Hasina, who is seen to be close to India, won a record fourth term in the recently concluded national elections. S U M Abdus Samad, the Secretary General of the Bangladesh Islami Front on Tuesday hit out at the online campaign especially saying it was driven by hard-line elements who spread hate and misinformation.

The Islami front is a small independent party which had put up 37 candidates in the recently concluded polls. In an interview to ANI during his visit to New Delhi, Abdus Samad said cordial ties are crucial for both the neighbouring countries as he highlighted the increased connectivity in recent years. “There is misinformation there since the beginning that India brought a lot of stuff from Bangladesh in 1971 and also did brutal acts. This kind of misinformation is there.

SOURCE: ISRO

AstroSat’s full multi-wavelength capabilities have enabled an international team of scientists to unravel the mysteries surrounding the X-ray binary system MAXI J1820+070, hosting a black hole. The comprehensive study, titled “A Multi-Wavelength Spectral Study of MAXI J1820+070 in the Soft and Hard States,” accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal, presents unique insights into the behaviour of this transient black hole X-ray binary during its 2018 outburst. The team is led by researchers from IUCAA, Pune, and includes researchers from India, the United Kingdom, Abu Dhabi, and Poland.

MAXI J1820+070, positioned around 9800 light-years distant from Earth, is a transient black hole X-ray binary. It was first detected during its outburst in 2018 using the MAXI instrument aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Because of its proximity to Earth and its remarkable brightness upon discovery, emerging as the second brightest object in the X-ray sky, MAXI J1820+070 garnered significant attention within the astronomy community. This led to numerous observing campaigns across various electromagnetic bands.

SOURCE: ANI

India’s senior-most military official, Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan, is scheduled to meet with top military leaders from countries of strategic importance for India, including the US, France, Australia and the UK at the Raisina Dialogue, which is set to get underway in the national capital on Wednesday. The CDS is scheduled to meet the top military officials from important partner countries such as the US, France, Australia, New Zealand and the UK during the dialogue, defence officials said.

The CDS is also expected to deliver a talk on important military issues at the event along with discussions on important issues with the visiting military officials.

SOURCE: ANI

President of Boeing India and South Asia, Salil Gupte, hailed the ‘Make in India’ initiative and said that New Delhi is moving from being one of the largest importers to developing its own platforms. He said that Boeing is one of the Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) that has coordinated most with India in this direction. Gupte said that a lot of discussion at the Indus X event — which is being held on the sidelines of the Raisina Dialogue 2024 — is around co-development and co-production.

Speaking to ANI, Salil Gupte said, “Several products for defence, that are in the pipeline for co-development…Boeing has decided to specifically participate in those types of programmes, because in defence, under the ‘self-reliance’ theme, India is moving from being one of the largest importers of products to developing its own platforms here.” “Some of it will be done totally with Indian companies and some of it will do in partnership with Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM).

SOURCE: ANI

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and the visiting Chairman of the French Senate, Gerard Larcher on Tuesday held “a fruitful discussion on the India-France strategic partnership”.

The two leaders also engaged in talks over the convergence on a number of global issues. “Pleased to meet the visiting Parliamentary delegation headed by @gerard_larcher, President of the French Senate. A fruitful discussion on the India-France strategic partnership and the convergence on so many global issues,” EAM Jaishankar said in a post on X.

SOURCE: ANI

Indian Navy chief Admiral R Hari Kumar discussed ways to strengthen bilateral maritime cooperation including operational engagements with his New Zealand counterpart on Tuesday, stated the Ministry of Defence.

Chief of the Royal New Zealand Navy, Rear Admiral David Proctor is on an official visit to India from Feb 19-27. RAdm David Proctor interacted with Adm R Hari Kumar, the Chief of the Naval Staff, Indian Navy in New Delhi on Tuesday. He was welcomed with the customary Guard of Honour on the South Block Lawns in New Delhi, according to a Defence Ministry press release.

SOURCE: AFI

The Indian Army is taking a bold step towards the future with its ambitious Future Ready Combat Vehicle (FRCV) project. This initiative, recently granted “Approval in Principle” by the Ministry of Defence, aims to develop a next-generation battle system designed and built entirely within India. This article delves into the key aspects of the FRCV project, highlighting its potential impact and significance.

The FRCV envisions a combat vehicle capable of adapting to diverse terrains and threats. It will boast a 120mm+ main gun, secondary armaments, and advanced fire control systems, offering lethal firepower and precision targeting. Additionally, features like Active Protection Systems (APS) and modular armor ensure enhanced survivability.

SOURCE: AFI

Request for Information (RFI) issued by the Indian Army seeking a 155mm/52 calibre Towed Gun System (TGS) has sparked debate about the suitability of such artillery in modern warfare. While the move appears tailored for the Israeli ATHOS system, concerns remain regarding the vulnerability of towed guns in the face of evolving threats.

Major General Atanu K. Pattanaik (Retd) highlights that the RFI’s weight limit of 15 tonnes favors the ATHOS, weighing less than its indigenous counterpart, the ATAGS. This raises concerns of potential bias towards the Israeli system.

SOURCE: AFI

MILAN 2024, the biennial multinational naval exercise hosted by India, has made a splash with its focus on underwater search and rescue capabilities. A key highlight has been the Indian Navy’s impressive demonstration of its Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle (DSRV), showcasing India’s commitment to regional maritime safety and collaboration.

The DSRV, capable of operating at depths of up to 650 meters, represents a marvel of Indian engineering. This advanced system can be deployed to rescue personnel from disabled submarines, a critical capability in ensuring the safety of lives at sea.

SOURCE: ANI

The External Affairs Minister on Tuesday reaffirmed defence and trade cooperation with Russia and said that many Western countries used to supply arms to Pakistan and not India, adding that the trend has changed in the past decade. “In terms of inventory, yes, because many Western countries have long preferred to supply Pakistan and not India. But that has changed in the past ten or fifteen years with the USA, for example, and our new purchases have diversified with the USA, Russia, France and Israel as the main suppliers,” he said.

In an interview with a leading German economic daily, Handelsblatt during his visit to the Munich Security Conference in Germany, EAM Jaishankar highlighted the infrastructural imbalance of supply chains in the world and said that the world’s economic model is unstable and unfair. “The world has created an economic model that is unstable and unfair. In the name of globalization, we have seen over-concentration in the world. Production has been shifted to a limited number of countries. The economies of many countries have been hollowed out,” EAM Jaishankar said.

SOURCE: ANI

Amid the strengthening relations with Russia, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that India doesn’t expect Europe to have a New Delhi-centric view of China and Europe should also understand that India won’t move with the European view of Russia.

“My point is: just as I do not expect Europe to have a view of China that is identical to mine, Europe should understand that I cannot have a view of Russia that is identical to the European one. Let us accept that there are natural differences in relationships,” he said.

SOURCE: ANI

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar reaffirmed India’s stance on buying Russian oil despite sanctions on Moscow amid military conflict with Ukraine. He said that India and Russia have always shared “stable and friendly ties” and Moscow has never hurt the interests of New Delhi. In an interview with the German economic daily, Handelsblatt during his visit to Germany for the Munich Security Conference, Jaishankar stated that Europe should understand that India cannot have a view of Russia that is identical to the European one.

On being asked about India purchasing Russian oil, Jaishankar said, “Everyone conducts a relationship based on their past experiences. If I look at the history of India post-independence, Russia has never hurt our interests.” “The relations of powers like Europe, the US, China or Japan with Russia, they have all seen ups and downs. We have had a stable and always very friendly relationship with Russia. And our relationship with Russia today is based on this experience. For others, things were different, and conflicts may have shaped the relationship.

SOURCE: BLOOMBERG

Shipments of diesel from India into Europe are at the lowest since 2022 so far this month as Houthi attacks on merchant shipping continue to disrupt international trade, driving more cargoes to Asia. Flows to the European Union and UK plunged as higher freight costs stoked by the ongoing turmoil in the Red Sea, as well as unplanned refinery maintenance in Asia, made trade economics better for sending cargoes east rather than west.

Arrivals of fuel from India into Europe averaged just 18,000 barrels a day in the first two weeks of February, a plunge of more than 90% compared with January’s average, according to data from Vortexa Ltd., compiled by Bloomberg. The drop partly stemmed from the higher costs of shipping to the west last month, according to James Noel-Beswick, an analyst at Sparta Commodities.

SOURCE: ANI

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar reaffirmed India’s stance on buying Russian oil despite sanctions on Moscow amid military conflict with Ukraine. He said that India and Russia have always shared “stable and friendly ties” and Moscow has never hurt the interests of New Delhi.

In an interview with the German economic daily, Handelsblatt during his visit to Germany for the Munich Security Conference, Mr Jaishankar stated that Europe should understand that India cannot have a view of Russia that is identical to the European one.

SOURCE: PTI

China is reportedly pressing ahead with the construction of border villages in the disputed territory with Bhutan, despite the ongoing border talks between the two countries. At least three villages have been built in the mountainous region separating the two countries, with some doubling in size, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported on Sunday. The rapid expansion began as a poverty alleviation scheme but serves a dual national security role, the report quoted the ruling Chinese Communist Party officials as saying.

According to the report, in a remote village in the Himalayas, inside a border zone that has long been disputed by China and Bhutan, 18 new Chinese residents were waiting to enter their newly built homes. Each carried a freshly framed portrait of Chinese President Xi Jinping – large enough to leave only their heads and lower legs exposed – while behind them a bright red banner welcomed them in Chinese and Tibetan script.