SOURCE: IANS

A close associate of Lashkar-e-Toiba’s (LeT) Hafiz Saeed, Mufti Qaiser Farooq, has been killed by the unidentified gunmen in Karachi, Pakistan. Hafiz Saeed is considered to be the mastermind behind the 26/11 attacks in India. Earlier this month, another cleric Maulana Ziaur Rahman, with ties to Lashkar-e-Taiba was also killed after he was fatally shot by two motorcycle-riding assailants during his routine evening walk in Karachi.

Sources said that Pakistani agencies are making significant efforts to portray both Zia ur Rehman and Mufti Qaiser as religious clerics with no connections to Hafiz Saeed and his LeT.

SOURCE: PTI

India’s fast-growing civil aviation market has the scope to have 130-150 more wide-body planes as airlines expand their operations and there is also the potential for more such aircraft to be deployed in dense domestic routes, GE Aerospace South Asia CEO Vikram Rai said.

GE Aerospace, a leading aircraft engine maker, sees a ”great potential” in India, which is also the world’s third largest aviation market and domestic airlines have nearly 1,500 aircraft on order. While emphasising that ”India is a focus market and a priority market for GE Aerospace”, Rai said that in his view, domestic airlines would consider having more wide-body planes in their fleet and also deploy them in dense domestic routes.

SOURCE: AFI

In an effort to address India’s concerns regarding port calls by Chinese vessels, the Sri Lankan government is preparing to unveil a new set of standard operating procedures (SOPs) for visits by foreign ships and aircraft, including military assets. The SOPs are expected to be officially announced in Colombo in the near future, according to sources familiar with the matter in both Sri Lanka and India, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The need for these SOPs arises from a diplomatic dispute between New Delhi and Colombo last year, triggered by the docking of the Yuan Wang 5, a vessel utilized by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) for satellite and ballistic missile tracking, at the Chinese-controlled Hambantota port. Another PLA Navy vessel, the Hai Yang 24 Hao, known for its surveillance capabilities, visited Colombo port in August 2023.

SOURCE: AFI

In a significant political development, opposition candidate Mohamed Muizzu emerged victorious in the Maldives’ presidential election held on Saturday. Muizzu’s win, garnering 54% of the vote, was shaped by two major campaign themes that resonated with voters.

One of the central pillars of Muizzu’s campaign was the assertion that the incumbent President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih had not fulfilled his commitments to usher in a clean and transparent government. Muizzu’s message struck a chord with voters who had anticipated a more accountable administration.

SOURCE: PTI

India needs stronger armed forces with modern equipment to become a developed nation by 2047, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Sunday while underlining the need for effective utilisation of financial resources by the three services.

Mr Singh made the remarks after launching several digital initiatives of the Defence Accounts Department (DAD) during its 276th annual day celebrations at Delhi Cantonment.

SOURCE: PTI

The Afghanistan Embassy in India announced Saturday night that it is ceasing its operations from October 1, citing a lack of support from the host government, failure to meet expectations in serving Afghanistan’s interests, and a reduction in personnel and resources.

In a statement, the Afghanistan Embassy in New Delhi said it regrets to announce the decision to cease its operations, effective October 1, 2023.

SOURCE: ANI

Prabhjot Kaur, General Secretary, Glasgow Gurdwara, has condemned the incident, where Indian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Vikram Doraiswami was stopped from attending a planned interaction at the religious site and termed it “disorderly behaviour.” Kaur said that Police Scotland arrived at the site and took cognizance of the matter after the incident occurred at the Glasgow Gurdwara.

She stressed that Gurdwara is open to people from all communities and they welcome everyone openly according to the principles of their faith. Speaking to ANI, Prabhjot Kaur said, “An incident occurred on September 29, 2023, at Glasgow Gurdwara where the Indian High Commissioner was on a personal visit facilitated by a member of the Scottish Parliament.

SOURCE: ANI

Massive protests against exorbitant electricity bills have shaken Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) as outraged citizens hit streets across the area. In response to a call by local leaders, residents from every corner of PoK have taken to the streets, decrying the unjust burden of high power costs. Protesters said they would bring the entire region to a halt if their demands were not met immediately.

A protester could be heard saying “As you all know, since last night, a curfew-like situation has been created by the administration in certain areas and in the city. It’s the 30th of September today, and the people are enraged due to the arrests of local leaders. Everyone, including political figures, has participated in the protest against the administration.”

SOURCE: ANI

Indian Naval Ships Ranvijay (guided-missile Destroyer), Kavaratti (ASW Corvette), submarine Sindhukesari and a long range Maritime Patrol Aircraft P8I participated in the 30th edition of Singapore India Maritime Bilateral Exercise (SIMBEX) in Singapore, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement. First held in 1994, the three-decade-old annual exercise kicked off with an opening ceremony on September 21, which was attended by personnel from both the navies. The ceremony saw unveiling of the SIMBEX 30th Edition Logo.

The Harbour Phase witnessed a wide range of professional interactions, Subject Matter Expert Exchanges, conduct of combined aviation and firefighting/damage control exercises, and the signing of a Joint Standard Operating Procedure (JSOP) on Submarine Rescue between India and Singapore in presence of the High Commissioner of India to Singapore and the Singapore Navy Fleet Commander, the Ministry stated.

SOURCE: PTI

An aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) with six persons on board made an “emergency” landing at a village in Madhya Pradesh capital Bhopal on October 1 due to a technical snag, a police official said. The pilot and the five crew members are safe, Berasia police station inspector Narendra Kulaste, who was at the spot, told PTI over phone. The incident took place at around 8.45 a.m., he said.

The aircraft, of IAF’s III HU unit, made the “emergency” landing in a sugarcane field near a lake in Dungariya village, nearly 60 km from the Bhopal district headquarters, he said.

SOURCE: ANI

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a supplementary chargesheet against four top leaders of the banned CPI(Maoist) involved in the murder of a civilian in Bihar five years ago, according to NIA release.

Naresh Singh Bhokta was kidnapped and murdered by members and cadres of the banned outfit in November 2018. The aim was to spread fear and terror while propagating the CPI (Maoist) anti-India ideology, it said.

SOURCE: IANS

The J&K government on Sunday placed Additional Superintendent of Police (Addl SP) Budgam and arrested Deputy SP under suspension with immediate effect.

An order issued by financial commissioner (Home), R.K. Goyal said on Sunday that Addl SP Budgam, Gowhar Ahmad Khan is placed under suspension with immediate effect and ordered to remain attached with zonal police headquarters Kashmir till the inquiry ordered against him is completed.

SOURCE: IANS

The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) has been extended in four Assam districts for six months, with effect from Sunday, police said. At a programme to mark Assam Police Day, DGP G P Singh said that Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, Sivasagar, and Charaideo districts would continue to be listed as “disturbed areas”.

These four districts in upper Assam have historically served as ULFA strongholds.The “disturbed areas” notification is valid for six months, after which the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) may decide to prolong it.