SOURCE: PTI

Pakistan business leaders in an interactive session with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif urged him to initiate trade talks with India to promote business and commerce which would greatly benefit the economy of the cash-strapped country.

Posing tough questions during an hour-long meeting at the Sindh CM House in Pakistan’s commercial capital on Wednesday, Karachi’s business community appreciated the prime minister’s determination to tackle economic issues but advised him to focus on bringing about political stability to “turn around” the economy.

SOURCE: PTI

China today said it will talk only with the representatives of the Dalai Lama and not the officials of the Tibetan government in exile based in India but ruled out dialogue on the highest Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader’s long-pending demand for autonomy for his remote Himalayan homeland.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin was reacting to reports of the back-channel talks between the Tibetan government-in-exile and the Chinese government when he said China does not legitimise the Tibetan government-in-exile based in Dharamshala.

SOURCE: PTI

Top officials of India and South Korea on Friday discussed developments in the areas of disarmament and non-proliferation relating to nuclear, chemical and biological domains.

India-Republic of Korea Consultations on Disarmament and Non-Proliferation were held in Seoul, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement. “The two sides discussed developments in the field of disarmament and non-proliferation relating to nuclear, chemical and biological domains, as well as regional non-proliferation issues, outer space security-related matters, conventional weapons, including AI in the military domain and multilateral export control regimes,” it said.

SOURCE: PTI

India on Friday emphasised on the need to adopt a “zero-tolerance approach” towards terrorism in all its forms for prosperity and development of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member states, officials said.

Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane put forth New Delhi’s assertion in this regard as he participated in the SCO Defence Ministers’ meeting in Astana, Kazakhstan. “During the meeting, a protocol was signed by the defence ministers of all SCO member states. A Joint Communique was issued after the meeting, in which the SCO defence ministers agreed, amongst other initiatives, to developing the idea of ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future’, which is rooted in the ancient Indian philosophy of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’,” the defence ministers said in a statement.

SOURCE: ANI

The Indian Air Force (IAF) embarked on a transformative digital journey by integrating with the DigiLocker platform, a flagship initiative under the Digital India program, here on Friday. In a ceremonial event held at Air Headquarters, Vayu Bhawan, the IAF and Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to leverage DigiLocker’s secure and accessible document repository services.

This integration is expected to revolutionize the way critical service documents of IAF personnel, both serving and retired, are issued, accessed, and verified digitally. By harnessing the power of cutting-edge technology, the IAF reaffirms its commitment to data security, operational efficiency, and seamless access to information.

SOURCE: ANI

Indian Navy’s indigenous stealth frigate, INS Sahyadri participated in the Maritime Partnership Exercise with Royal Navy’s RFA Argus and RFA Lyme Bay, part of the UK Littoral Response Group South, the Indian Navy said.

The exercise, which took place on Thursday aimed to enhance interoperability and strengthen maritime cooperation between the two nations, Exercise Highlights include Tactical manoeuvres, Boarding operations, Surface engagement against simulated asymmetric threats, Cross-deck visits, and Cross-deck helicopter operations.

SOURCE: PTI

Two terrorists were killed and two army personnel got injured today as an encounter between terrorists and security forces continued for the second day in Jammu and Kashmir’s Baramulla district, officials said. The encounter began on Thursday at Check Mohalla Nowpora in the Sopore area of north Kashmir. After the night’s lull, a fresh exchange of firing took place on Friday morning, they said.

Two terrorists have been killed so far, according to the officials.

SOURCE: PTI

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday chargesheeted Thaha Naseer, another accused in the 2022 ISIS-inspired Coimbatore car bomb blast case, an official statement said.
Naseer and his associates had conspired to wage war against the government of India and also to kill Indians in order to destabilise the country and create communal disharmony, it said.

Naseer is the 14th accused to be chargesheeted in the case under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Explosive Substances Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

SOURCE: PTI

China’s military on Thursday reacted guardedly to the delivery of BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles by India to the Philippines, saying that security cooperation between the two countries should not harm the interest of any third party and harm regional stability.

India delivered the first batch of the BrahMos missiles over two years after it signed a USD 375 million deal with the Philippines to supply the weapon systems.

SOURCE: ANI

India on Thursday (local time) called for the revitalisation of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and reforms in global governance architecture.

Minister at the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations, Pratik Mathur, emphasised that India has always been of the view that the UN General Assembly can be revitalised only when its position as the primary deliberative and representative organ of the UN is respected.

SOURCE: PTI

Nearly two weeks after an Israel-linked container vessel was seized by Iran’s military, India on Thursday said there are certain “technicalities involved” in the return of the remaining 16 Indian crew members is concerned.

Ann Tessa Joseph, the sole woman cadet among the 17 Indian crew members of the vessel “MSC Aries” that was seized on April 13, was released on April 18 following “concerted efforts” by the Indian mission in Tehran and the Iranian government.

SOURCE: IndiGo

IndiGo, India’s most preferred airline, is further defining its long-term future by strengthening its fleet with the introduction of wide-body aircraft to its fleet. Since inception in 2006, IndiGo has been successfully building its position and is now defining its future further on the path of becoming a
global aviation player.

IndiGo agreed to place an order for 30 Firm A350-900 aircraft, which will enable IndiGo to spread its wings further and expand its network. From the various Indian metros, IndiGo will be able to connect to the world.

SOURCE: REUTERS

Russia’s state-owned reinsurer has given financial backing to three Russian insurance firms, allowing them to get Indian approval to provide marine insurance cover to tankers, two sources said, as Moscow seeks to facilitate trade with India amid Western sanctions.

A raft of sanctions by the U.S. and allies against Moscow over its Ukraine invasion, along with tighter scrutiny of Russian oil trade, has almost cut Russia off from the global network of service providers such as insurers and brokers.

SOURCE: PTI

The United States slapped on Thursday sanctions on over a dozen companies, individuals and vessels, including three from India, for facilitating illicit trade and UAV transfers on behalf of the Iranian military.

The US Department of Treasury said these companies, individuals and vessels have played a central role in facilitating and financing the clandestine sale of Iranian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to Russia’s war in Ukraine.

SOURCE: ANI

Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane is leading the Indian delegation to Kazakhstan’s Astana from April 25-26, 2024 for the Annual Meeting of the Defence Ministers of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Member States, the Ministry of Defence said in a release on Wednesday.

The meeting will review the regional security issues within the SCO, including the defence cooperation initiatives. Giridhar Aramane will deliver the India statement at the ministerial meeting, the Ministry said in its release. He will also hold meetings with Defence Ministers of the friendly countries of the SCO to discuss issues of bilateral defence cooperation, it added.