SOURCE: Tribune News Service

A direct container shipping route has been established between Iran’s southeastern port of Chabahar and two Western Indian ports of Nhava Sheva and Kandla. The first container service from this route will enter Iran’s Shahid Beheshti port on February 16, Deputy Head of Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organisation (PMO) Jalil Eslami has said.

Regular container service with a traffic schedule of 10 to 15 days is performed by the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL). The PMO will offer the necessary tariff incentives and facilities on tolls and transportation costs to support the traders that use the lines, said a PMO statement.

SOURCE: Tribune News Service

The Sino-Indian rivalry over Central Asia has heated up with Beijing announcing a virtual summit with the five presidents of Central Asia on Tuesday. This is just two days before Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold the first-ever such interaction with the five presidents.

With China giving hot competition in Central Asia, India is attempting to ensure that its first-ever summit with presidents from the region does not become a one-off affair. India has proposed that such a summit be held every two years and is also willing to bankroll a secretariat based here to push the various cooperation proposals forward.

SOURCE: Daily Excelsior

Dr S. Somanath, who has taken over as the new Chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) called on Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; Minister of State (Independent Charge) Earth Sciences; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh, who is also the Minister Incharge Space, and discussed the status of “Gaganyaan” as well as other Space missions lined up for the near future.

While conveying his best wishes to the new ISRO Chief, Dr Jitendra Singh said that Dr. Somanath was taking over the prestigious assignment at a very eventful time and destiny had blessed him to lead ISRO through some of the most historic missions including India’s first Human Space Mission “Gaganyaan”.

SOURCE: PTI

The United Nations member states have failed themselves by continuing to procrastinate on concluding a comprehensive convention against international terrorism, India has said, voicing concern that the global body has neither agreed on a common definition of terrorism nor crafted a well-coordinated policy to tackle the global scourge and dismantle its enabling networks.

Speaking in the UNGA meeting to consider the Report of Secretary-General on the work of the Organisation, Second Secretary in India’s Permanent Mission to the UN Dinesh Setia on Monday said: “Our inability to seriously address terrorism, the most dangerous of scourges faced by states and societies since the World War II, casts doubt on the relevance of the organisation for the very people whom the Charter of the United Nations obliges us to protect”.

SOURCE: IANS

The security agencies have warned Delhi Police that on the occasion of Republic Day Khalistani terrorists can strike in the national capital. The police have released posters of eight Khalistani terrorists. The Delhi Police have also reportedly got a few calls in this connection and they are taking the input seriously. Recently a case of Unlawful Activities Prevention Act was lodged by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) against Jaswinder Singh Multani, a German-based Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) member.

Delhi Police have released posters of the Khalistani terrorists from different organisations, and have urged the people to inform them immediately if they come across anything suspicious. The posters have been pasted across the national capital.

SOURCE: Daily Excelsior

The year-old ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir is holding and the Indian Army would like it to continue for the benefit of the common people on both sides of the divide but was remaining vigilant as the “‘enemy is very very devious”, a top army commander said here on Tuesday.

General Officer Commanding (GoC) of the Army’s 15 Corps or the Chinar Corps, Lt Gen D P Pandey said while Pakistan is holding onto the “compulsions” for which it went for the reiteration of the ceasefire agreement in February last year, “we have to see” what its “aim and intent is in the times to come”. The top officer urged the youths in Kashmir to shun the path of violence and said the focus should be on dealing with elements in the country who are instigating them. He also cautioned against the people who are enjoying a good life abroad but are radicalising the youths in the country and spoiling their future.

SOURCE: FIRST POST

The Siachen glacier is called the highest battlefield on the earth, known for its insane levels of challenges posed by weather and combat where both India and Pakistan have deployed active troops. On the Indian side, spanning almost 38 years, more than 3,00,000 troops of the Indian Army have had Siachen tenures in these Super High Altitudes ranging from 18,000 ft to 21,000 ft above mean sea level. The glacier is approximately 70-km-long flanked by the Soltoro Ridge on the West and the Karakoram Range on the East and extends southwards into the Nubra Valley.

The passes on the Soltoro Ridge were occupied by the Indian Army in April 1984 as a preemptive to the Pakistan Army planning to capture Soltoro using the passes of Sia La and Bilafond La. Gradually, the entire Soltoro ridge was occupied by the Indian Army extending to the areas referred to as the Northern, Central and the Southern glaciers. The Pakistan Army had to contend with occupying certain areas and establishing military posts opposite but at lower reaches. More military posts came up on both sides causing bloody clashes and grab actions. The famous and gallant action by Major Virender Singh and Sub (later Hony Capt) Bana Singh in capturing the Quaid post where they were decorated with the Vir Chakra and Param Vir Chakra respectively is one of the many such clashes. The entire 121-km frontline held by both sides northwards of NJ 9842 on the Soltoro Ridge is called the Actual Ground Position Line (AGPL).

SOURCE: The Statesman

The recent attacks on oil storage facilities in the UAE and on a synagogue in the USA indicate that despite all precautions, employment of technology and weapon systems, terrorist attacks continue unabated.

Retaliation by the UAE and Saudi Arabia in Yemen in the first case, and by the US, Israel and other nations on terrorist groups, their leaders, and bases, only slows terrorist strikes but fails to stop them. Employing technology and the cyber space, terrorists have been able to motivate lone-wolf attackers as also enable production of homemade destructive devices, adding to concerns. While homegrown terrorism is an internal concern, curbing transnational terrorism backed by nationstates has yet to be seriously addressed. This is mainly because the UN has failed to define a terrorist.

SOURCE: TIMES NOW

A total of 939 Police personnel have been awarded Medals on the occasion of Republic Day 2022, the Press Information Bureau (PIB) said in a release on Tuesday. The full list of Gallantry Awards for Republic Day 2022 has been uploaded on the official website of PIB and can be accessed on www.pib.gov.in

Interestingly, of the 189 gallantry awards, 134 personnel are being awarded for action in Jammu & Kashmir. 47 of these personnel have been honoured for their action in Naxal-affected areas, while one person has been conferred the award for his gallant action in the northeast.

SOURCE: PTI

India has called on the international community to focus its attention on the threat of terrorism in Africa, in particular the Sahel region, saying it must be ensured that terrorist groups and affiliated entities are not allowed to operate unchallenged in Libya.

Geographically, the Sahel region stretches from Senegal on the Atlantic coast, through parts of Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, Chad and Sudan to Eritrea on the Red Sea coast. Speaking at the UNSC briefing/consultation on United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador T S Tirumurti on Monday said that the report of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has highlighted the presence of training camps of Islamic State (also known as ISIS or ISIL) in southern Libya.

SOURCE: ANI

A 19-year-old woman member of Cherla LGS group of the banned Maoist party on Tuesday surrendered before the Telangana Police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) accusing the rebel outfit of forcing her to marry with a senior Maoist leader and 2-3 Dalam members. Identified as Vetti Jogi alias Jyothi, who belongs to Bathinapally village in Cherla Mandal in Telangana, surrendered before Bhadradri Kothagudem district Police and 141 Battalion of CRPF. As per a statement of Telangana Police shared by CRPF, Vetti Jogi was “forcefully inducted into the banned CPI Maoist party in 2018 by the Maoist party at the age of 15 years”.

“Maoist party leaders are not allowing Adivasi Children to go to school. They are threatening these Adivasi minor girls and boys and forcing them to join the Maoist party. Hence, the Maoist party leaders are violating the rights of the minors (boys and girls) and Adivasis,” the statement mentions.

SOURCE: ANI

20 Indian fishermen were released by Pakistan and repatriated via the Wagah Border on Monday, a statement issued by Pakistan’s foreign ministry said today. “The Government of Pakistan has released 20 Indian prisoners (fishermen) who have been repatriated via Wagah Border to India on 24 January. These prisoners have been released on completion of their sentence,” the statement read.

Arunpal Singh, Protocol Officer at the Attari-Wagah border on Monday had said that the fishermen were kept in Karachi’s Landhi jail for four years.

SOURCE: FPK

Two civilians were injured on Tuesday afternoon in a grenade attack at Hari Singh High Street (HSHS) area of Srinagar. Official sources said that a grenade was lobbed towards the Jammu and Kashmir Police and CRPF party this afternoon, leaving two civilians wounded.

The duo has been shifted to hospital for treatment, the officials said, adding that the windowpanes of a shop, located near the site of the incident also got damaged. Meanwhile, the armed forces have cordoned off the area and searches are going on.

SOURCE: ET

The armed forces have received the first batch of 70,000 rifles from Russia as part of a larger contract to manufacture the AK 203 assault rifles in India. The initial batch has been delivered at a fast pace as requested by India, despite the Covid-19 pandemic.

Sources said that the first batch is likely to be used by the air force, while the rifles to be manufactured at the Amethi factory will be delivered to the army, which is the main customer with a requirement of over 600,000 AK 203s. The rifles are being manufactured with a complete technology transfer clause that will also enable their exports to friendly foreign nations in the near future. The manufacturing will be done by the Indo Russian Rifles Private Limited Joint Venture between Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Ltd (erstwhile OFB) and Russian Rosoboronexport.

SOURCE: PTI

The Indian Army has again signed a contract with ideaForge to procure an undisclosed number of a high-altitude variant of SWITCH1.0 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to strengthen its surveillance along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), military officials said.

The Army had in January 2021 signed the previous contract with the Mumbai-based company to supply an undisclosed number of SWITCH1.0 drones for approximately USD 20 million. In a statement on Monday, ideaForge said it has fulfilled the January 2021 contract by supplying the specified number of SWITCH1.0 drones to the Indian Army within the prescribed time limit.