SOURCE: ANI

Former Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed has voiced significant concerns regarding the ramifications of India’s boycott call on the Maldives, particularly in the context of tourism. Nasheed, currently in India, conveyed apologies on behalf of the Maldivian people and emphasised their wish for Indian tourists to continue visiting the country. Nasheed highlighted the impact of the boycott on the Maldives, stating, “It has impacted the Maldives a lot, and I am actually here in India. I’m very worried about this.

I want to say the people of the Maldives are sorry, we are sorry that this has happened. We want Indian people to come on their holidays to the Maldives, and there will not be any change in our hospitality.” He further praised the quick action taken by the current President in removing those responsible for the boycott. “I think these matters must be ironed out, and we must revert back to change course and go back to our usual relationship,” he told ANI.

SOURCE: ANI

The Indian technical mission in Kabul has been facilitating and coordinating the ongoing humanitarian assistance endeavours since June 2022, according to the Ministry of External Affairs. In a weekly media briefing on Friday, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, while responding to the ANI question on the recent meetings between Indian officials and Taliban representatives in Afghanistan, said, “As you’re aware, India opened its technical mission in Kabul in June 2022, and since then, the mission has been facilitating and coordinating our ongoing humanitarian assistance endeavours.”

He said that India has historical and civilizational ties with the Afghan people, and these long-standing linkages will continue to guide the country’s approach towards Afghanistan.

SOURCE: ANI

The Border Security Force (BSF) on early Friday neutralized a Pakistani intruder trying to sneak into Indian territory in Rajasthan’s SriGanganagar. The BSF troops deployed at the border detected the intruder trying to sneak into Indian territory in the Sundarpura area ahead of the border fencing at about 12.30 am. The BSF troops fired upon the intruder as he kept on moving despite being challenged.

“Alert troops of the BSF SriGanganagar detected a Pakistani intruder attempting to sneak into Indian territory in the Sundarpura area ahead of the border fencing today at about 12.30 am. The Individual was promptly challenged but he continued to move towards the border fence in an attempt to cross over to India. In order to prevent any misadventure, BSF troops fired upon the intruder.

SOURCE: ANI

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday reiterated strengthening India-Japan bilateral relations and asserted that the relationship can play a stabilizing role in the Indo-Pacific and beyond. The statement came after EAM Jaishankar and his Japanese counterpart, Yoko Kamikawa, co-chaired the 16th India-Japan Foreign Ministers Strategic Dialogue in Tokyo.

In the meeting, both leaders discussed ambitious areas of expansion, including emerging technologies. “A great meeting with Japanese FM @Kamikawa_Yoko, as we co-chaired the 16th India-Japan FMs Strategic Dialogue in Tokyo today. Pleased to note the steady progress of our bilateral partnership in different domains. Discussed new and ambitious areas of of expansion, including emerging technologies. “A great meeting with Japanese FM @Kamikawa_Yoko, as we co-chaired the 16th India-Japan FMs Strategic Dialogue in Tokyo today.

SOURCE: PTI

The mortal remains of Patnibin Maxwell, the Indian youth killed in a missile attack in Israel, were brought to Kerala in an Air India flight from Delhi on Friday evening. Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan and Israeli Consul General to India, Tammy Ben-Haim, were present at Thiruvananthapuram Airport to receive Maxwell’s body.

Maxwell’s brothers and relatives accompanied the mortal remains that were taken to his hometown in Kollam by road from the state capital. The funeral, according to relatives, will be held on Saturday at Kollam by 4 pm.

SOURCE: AFI

A Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) with the Indian Army, Naib Subedar Konsam Kheda Singh, was rescued by security forces on Friday evening in Manipur’s Thoubal district. The officer, who was on leave, had been abducted from his residence earlier that day.

Singh, a resident of Charangpat Mamang Leikai, was reportedly taken by a group of armed men at around 9 am.

SOURCE: AFI

India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) achieved a significant milestone with the successful maiden surface run of its High Endurance Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (HEAUV) at Cochin Shipyard’s International Ship Repair Facility (ISRF) Jetty in Kochi.

This marks a crucial step forward in developing indigenous underwater exploration and defense capabilities.

SOURCE: AFI

In a testament to India’s growing aerial prowess, the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) C-295 MW aircraft successfully completed its maiden landing at Agatti Airport recently. This accomplishment, achieved during a training mission, signifies a vital step forward in strengthening our nation’s air connectivity, particularly to remote regions.

The C-295 MW, a versatile transport aircraft, took off from a hinterland location before landing at Agatti Airport. This successful maneuver underscores the IAF’s ability to operate effectively in diverse terrains, including remote islands.

SOURCE: AFI

The Indian Air Force (IAF) recently unveiled a significant advancement in its maintenance operations during the annual Senior Maintenance Staff Officers (SMSO) Conference. e-MMS Lite, a mobile version of their flagship Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution – e-MMS – marks a major leap towards digitized maintenance management across the IAF.

This innovative mobility software empowers IAF personnel to record maintenance activities directly from remote locations. No longer confined to desktops, e-MMS Lite grants critical flexibility and real-time data capture, regardless of physical location. This translates to improved efficiency, faster response times, and a more streamlined maintenance workflow.

SOURCE: AFI

Dhruva Space, an Indian space engineering company, and the Swedish Space Corporation (SSC) have strengthened their long-standing partnership. This collaboration focuses on expanding satellite ground station networks, aiming to propel the growth of both Sweden’s and India’s burgeoning new space industries.

The partnership will see Dhruva Space utilize SSC’s established network of ground stations for their upcoming LEAP-1 mission. LEAP-1 is a hosted payload satellite mission scheduled for launch later this year.

SOURCE: BLOOMBERG

India has freed up thousands of soldiers to strengthen its disputed border with China, adding a potential irritant to its already sour relations with Beijing. A 10,000-strong unit of soldiers previously assigned to the country’s western border has now been set aside to guard a stretch of its frontier with China, said senior Indian officials who didn’t want to be named because discussions are private.

In addition, an existing contingent of 9,000 soldiers, already designated to the disputed Chinese border, will be brought under the newly created fighting command. The combined force will guard a 532 km (330.57 miles) stretch of border that separates China’s Tibet region with India’s northern states of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.

SOURCE: AIRBUS

 Airbus has signed a contract with the Indian Institute of Management in Mumbai (IIM Mumbai) to provide aviation education to professionals and empower them with industry-ready skills through Airbus Beyond programmes.

The contract was signed between Prof. Manoj K Tiwari, Director, IIM Mumbai and Rémi Maillard, President and Managing Director, Airbus India and South Asia. Under this contract, IIM Mumbai will offer short term aviation courses to aspiring and working professionals who will be able to harness the power of Airbus Beyond programmes in the areas of aviation logistics, supply chain management, operations excellence, cargo handling, strategic procurement, business analytics and digitization.

SOURCE: ANI

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has defended India’s stance on Russia amidst ongoing Ukraine conflict, stating that people tend to “cherry-pick principles” when it suits them and ignore them when it doesn’t.

Mr Jaishankar, who is currently on a visit to Japan while responding to a question at the Nikkei Forum on India-Japan Special Strategic Partnership, said that Indian territory has been occupied by another country but the world has maintained silence over the matter.