SOURCE: ANI

Netherlands Defence Minister Ruben Brekelmans on Tuesday strongly condemned Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, stating that it is “unacceptable” and violates every aspect of international law. Highlighting that India, with its strong ties with Russia and good relations with Europe, could play a significant role in achieving a peaceful resolution

Speaking to ANI, he said, “Russian aggression is unacceptable. They are violating every aspect of international law… We need to come to a peace agreement, but through military strength in order to deter any future aggression by Russia, and India could play a role in this because of their strong ties with Russia and good relations with Europe,”

SOURCE: PTI

The 23rd edition of the bilateral naval exercise ‘Varuna’, a testament to the enduring maritime partnership between India and France, which will feature complex manoeuvres by platforms across sub-surface, surface and air domains, is set to be held from March 19-22.

By fostering the exchange of best practices and mutual understanding, the exercise reaffirms the ability of these two nations to “operate seamlessly” in even the most complex maritime scenarios, a senior official of the India Navy said.

SOURCE: PTI

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday said the central government is committed to bringing normalcy to Manipur and assured all support for the economic growth of the state.

Replying to a discussion on the passage of the Manipur Budget for the current fiscal and vote of account for the six months of 2025-26 in the Rajya Sabha, the minister also sought the support of the Opposition parties for peace in Manipur instead of engaging in the blame game.

SOURCE: AFI

A prominent figure within Pakistan’s Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT), Saifullah Khalid, widely regarded as the right-hand man of UN-designated terrorist Hafiz Saeed, has publicly expressed deep frustration with the Pakistani government’s strategic pivot in recent years. Speaking at a gathering reportedly held at Masjid Al-Qadsia in Kasur, Khalid blamed Pakistan’s decision to scale back LeT’s operations in Kashmir following the 2019 abrogation of Article 370 by India as the root cause of escalating violence in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. His remarks, made on March 16, 2025, highlight a growing rift between the terrorist outfit and the Pakistani establishment, exposing tensions over the country’s Kashmir policy and its broader security implications.

Khalid, a key operative in LeT—a group infamous for the 2008 Mumbai attacks and long considered a proxy for Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI)—asserted that the government’s decision to reduce the group’s role in Kashmir has backfired. “Because Pakistan decided to reduce Lashkar-e-Tayyiba’s role in Kashmir since 2019, hence you see bloodbath today in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” he declared. This statement ties the surge in terrorist attacks and unrest in Pakistan’s western provinces directly to the diminished focus on the Kashmir front, a cause that has historically been central to LeT’s jihadist agenda.

SOURCE: IANS

As Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed India’s space startup journey at the American podcaster Lex Fridman’s mega show, Indian Air Force (IAF) Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla — set to become the first Indian to reach the International Space Station (ISS) soon — told IANS on Tuesday that domestic startups in the space sector are growing at an unprecedented rate.Shukla, who hails from Lucknow and will become the first Indian astronaut to travel to the orbiting lab on a private mission, praised the exceptional talent in the country which is driving the space startup economy.

The 39-year-old astronaut — selected as the pilot for the US-based company Axiom Space’s Mission 4 (Ax-4) — a collaborative mission between NASA and ISRO — also asserted India’s position as a spacefaring nation and lauded the Indian Space Policy-2023, for augmenting space capabilities in the country.

SOURCE: PTI

The “longest-standing” illegal occupation of a territory after World War II has been experienced by India in Kashmir, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Tuesday as he highlighted the selective application of global rules on issues pertaining to sovereignty and territorial integrity.

In an interactive session at the Raisina Dialogue, Jaishankar batted for establishing a “strong and fair” United Nations as he raised concerns over historical injustices in dealing with certain issues. Citing Pakistan’s illegal occupation of Kashmir, the minister said the “attacker” and the “victim” were clubbed under the same bracket. “After World War II, the longest-standing illegal presence and occupation of a territory by another country pertains to India in Kashmir,” he said.

SOURCE: AFP

Bangladesh has rebuked Washington’s intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard, saying her comments on religious violence in the South Asian country were unfounded and risked fanning sectarian tensions. Gabbard arrived this week for a diplomatic trip to India, whose relations with Bangladesh have soured since a student-led uprising overthrew the latter nation’s government last year.

New Delhi has repeatedly accused Bangladesh of failing to adequately protect its minority Hindu citizens — charges denied by the caretaker administration now in charge. But Gabbard appeared to give credence to the claims when she was asked about violence in Bangladesh during a Monday interview with Indian broadcaster NDTV.

SOURCE: ANI

China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning appreciated Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s positive remarks on China-India relations during a podcast interview and also noted that being partners in mutual success and achieving “Dragon-Elephant Dance” cooperation is the only correct choice for the two countries, Chinese state media reported on Monday.

Global Times reported that while adressing a media query on PM Modi’s recent remarks on the Lex Fridman podcast, Mao Ning stated that China is willing to work with India to fully implement the consensus reached by their leaders, take the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties as an opportunity to advance exchanges and cooperation across various fields and levels and promote the healthy and stable development of China-India relations.

SOURCE: ANI

Former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said on Tuesday that there is “no future for any separatism” and stressed that the people who might be unhappy with the status quo should work within the system instead of engaging in divisive and politically violent activities against India.

On Khalistani extremism and anti-India activities in Australia, Abbott said, “Well, plainly there is no future for any separatism. I think that people who might be unhappy with the status quo should work within the system to make it better rather than engaging in divisive and at times potentially violent activities against the modern democratic pluralist India.”

SOURCE: PTI

The Tihar jail authorities on Tuesday informed a Delhi court that Christian Michel James, an alleged middleman in the AgustaWestland case, was not entitled for any remission as he was not convicted yet. The jail superintendent also informed special judge Sanjeev Aggarwal that no punishment was recorded during the custody of James, saying his conduct during the incarceration was “satisfactory”.

The judge also sought a report in response to James’ plea seeking six months of remission.

SOURCE: UNI

Jammu and Kashmir Police’s Counter Intelligence Kashmir (CIK) on Tuesday arrested a Srinagar resident for posting and sharing content on social media which allegedly glorified terrorism and incited anti-national sentiments among young people. Police said acting on credible intelligence and during the course of social media surveillance, a team of CIK successfully identified and apprehended an individual operating a social media handle on Facebook, ‘Shaddy Kashmir Dryfruits’, which was being used to disseminate extremist content with an intention to disturb peace.

” Upon receiving input about the online activity, a swift investigation was launched leading to the identification of the suspect as Showkat Ahmad Dar, a resident of Doodh Mohalla, Shalimar, Srinagar, ” Police’s CIK said in a statement. The investigators found that Dar was actively engaged in posting and sharing content aimed at glorifying terrorism and terrorist commanders and inciting anti-national sentiments among young minds, it added.

SOURCE: UNI

Security forces in Kashmir have recovered and neutralized a third Improvised Explosive Device (IED) since Sunday, with the latest discovery made in Shopian district on Tuesday. According to officials, the explosive device was detected during a routine patrol in the Habdipora area of Shopian.

” Following the detection, a bomb disposal squad was immediately deployed, which safely detonated the IED in a controlled explosion, preventing any damage or casualties, ” a security officer said. This marks the third such recovery in Kashmir in the past three days.

SOURCE: ANI

Poland’s Deputy Foreign Minister and Secretary of State, Wladyslaw Teofil Bartoszewski, on Monday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi played a role in persuading Russian President Vladimir Putin not to use nuclear weapons against Ukraine.

Speaking to ANI, Bartoszewski stated that Putin had “threatened” to use tactical nuclear weapons on Ukrainian territory, but calls from India and China influenced his decision to reconsider.

SOURCE: PTI

India and New Zealand on Monday inked an ambitious pact to institutionalise defence ties and vowed to boost cooperation in the Indo-Pacific even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged concerns to his Kiwi counterpart Christopher Luxon over certain pro-Khalistani elements indulging in anti-India activities in the island nation.

Following talks between PM Modi and Luxon, the two sides signed six agreements to ramp up cooperation in several areas including education, sports, agriculture and climate change, and decided to prepare a roadmap for cooperation in the defence industry sector.

SOURCE: PTI

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres wants India and Pakistan to work together on their concerns over international terrorism, according to his Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq. “It’s important for all of the countries, including India and Pakistan, to work together to deal with any of the concerns that they face regarding international terrorism”, he said on Monday.

Haq was responding to a question from a Palestinian journalist who had turned Pakistan’s Permanent Representative Munir Akram’s oblique mention of a “principal adversary” into a reference to India.