SOURCE: ANI

India has evacuated 75 nationals from Syria, where the rebel forces led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham wrested power, ousting Bashar al-Assad’s regime. All Indian nationals have safely crossed over to Lebanon and will return by available commercial flights to India, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Wednesday. “The evacuees included 44 ‘zaireen’ from Jammu and Kashmir who were stranded at Saida Zainab,” the MEA said in a statement.

“The evacuation, coordinated by the embassies of India in Damascus and Beirut, was put into effect following our assessment of the security situation and requests from Indian nationals in Syria. The Indian government accords the highest priority to the safety and security of Indian nationals abroad,” the ministry added.

SOURCE: PTI

Bangladeshi Minorities Alliance, comprising various Hindu groups from the US and Europe, has urged the United Nations to take immediate action to stop targeted persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh.

“The persecution of Hindus and Buddhists is not merely an issue of apathy in governance; it is a stain on the conscience of humanity and its lukewarm efforts,” said Richa Gautam of CaresGlobal, which is part of the Bangladeshi Minorities Alliance (BMA).

SOURCE: AFI

India paid $12 billion for 259 Su-30MKIs, while the procurement of just 110 Rafale fighters is estimated to cost nearly double. The Su-30MKI’s affordability and proven capabilities make it a strategic asset, but the failure to develop indigenous technologies using this platform has resulted in reliance on expensive imports for next-generation aircraft.

China’s approach to its Russian-origin Su-30MKK and Su-30MKM aircraft offers a stark contrast. Instead of relying solely on Russian support, China reverse-engineered these platforms to develop advanced fighters like the J-16 and J-15D.

SOURCE: ANI

Foreign Affairs expert Robinder Sachdev said that the key thing now is to observe how Bangladesh acts after Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri’s meeting with Bangladesh Chief Muhammad Yunus. In conversation with ANI, Sachdev said that after Misri’s meeting, if Bangladesh government doesn’t act right, it would mean they intentionally don’t want to keep good relations with India.

“Secretary Misri’s meeting I think was very important today. The key thing is now to look forward to how Bangladesh acts after this meeting. Proof of the pudding lies in the eating right. We have laid our concerns to the government or to the interim government of Bangladesh which is there. Secretary Misri has laid out the entire nine yards. Now we have to see if in the next one month or two months maximum there is any change in the ground situation in Bangladesh, particularly with regards to the issue of minorities and atrocities against Hindus.

SOURCE: PTI

The BJP on Monday termed the settlement of Rohingyas and Bangladeshis in the Jammu city a major “political conspiracy” and demanded a CBI probe to identify those involved in facilitating it.

Hitting out at the National Conference (NC) government over remarks on granting water and power connections to them in Jammu, the BJP alleged it was done to protect them as they belong to a particular community.

SOURCE: PTI

The current and evolving situation in Bangladesh is unlikely to trigger a fresh round of exodus of minority Hindus into India, Nobel laureate economist Abhijit Banerjee said.

Historically, the academic explained, migration is mainly driven by social networks and economic opportunities, rather than persecution, even in the context of the crisis faced by minorities in Bangladesh.

SOURCE: PTI

Israel-based unified communications company Tadiran Telecom plans to invest at least $10 million (about Rs 80 crore) annually to manufacture IP telephones in India, a top company official has said.

IP telephones support multiple communication functions, including conference calls through apps, and are generally used in business organisations. The company has partnered with DCM Shriram for manufacturing IP phones.

SOURCE: ANI

Security officials at Jolly Grant Airport in Dehradun arrested an American citizen after discovering a banned satellite phone during routine CISF (Central Industrial Security Force) security checks. The arrest took place on Monday as the individual was preparing to board a flight to Delhi. According to Dehradun SP City Pramod Kumar, a case has been registered against the American national, who was subsequently arrested and is scheduled to be presented in court today.

“The satellite phone was seized during CISF checking while boarding a flight to Delhi from Jolly Grant Airport yesterday. The American citizen is being questioned by the police and other related agencies.” Kumar told ANI.

SOURCE: PTI

In a relief to a woman Army officer, the Supreme Court on Monday granted her permanent commission saying she was wrongly excluded from the consideration when other similarly placed officers were given the benefit.

A bench of Justices B R Gavai and K V Viswanathan, while illustrating, observed that thoughts on conditions of service and job perquisites would be last in the minds of valiant Indian soldiers bravely guarding the frontiers at Siachen or in other difficult terrains.

SOURCE: PTI

 A suspected Pakistani intruder was shot dead along the International Border in Punjab’s Amritsar district, a BSF spokesperson said on Monday. The incident happened in the border area near Mahawa village Sunday night when BSF troops noticed some suspicious movement.

“During the night hours, alert BSF troops on duty observed suspicious movement of a Pakistani intruder, who surreptitiously crossed the international boundary and started approaching the border security fence taking advantage of the darkness,” said the spokesperson.

SOURCE: REUTERS

Russia handed over the a frigate to India under a contract, signed in 2018, during a ceremony on Monday, the RIA news agency said.

Moscow plans to hand over the second frigate to India under the contract next spring, RIA said, citing Russian Navy commander Alexander Moiseyev.

SOURCE: ANI

Ousted Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday accused the Chief Adviser to Bangladesh’s interim government, Muhammad Yunus, of being the “mastermind” behind the student protests that led to her ouster, while further alleging that the protest was “meticulously designed” to overthrow her government.

While addressing a virtual meeting of the United Kingdom Awami League, Hasina claimed that despite all the demands of the protesters being met, the unrest continued across the nation, suggesting that it was a planned conspiracy.

SOURCE: ISRO

On December 04, 2024, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and European Space Agency (ESA) signed a Technical Implementing Plan (TIP) document for Ground Tracking Support for Gaganyaan Missions. The TIP was signed by Dr Anilkumar A K, Director, ISTRAC, from ISRO and Mr Dietmar Pilz, Director of Technology, Engineering & Quality and Director of ESTEC, Netherlands, from ESA. The TIP was signed at Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC), in the august presence of Dr Somanath S, Chairman, ISRO and Mr Didier van der Hasselt, Ambassador from Belgium to India.

The TIP enables the ESA to provide ground station support for Gaganyaan Missions which will ensure continuity in data flow & communication with the Orbital Module for monitoring & orbital operations.

SOURCE: Air India Ltd

Air India, India’s leading global airline, today confirmed it has placed an order to purchase 100 more Airbus aircraft, comprising 10 widebody A350 and 90 narrowbody A320 Family aircraft, including A321neo. These 100 new aircraft are in addition to the firm orders of 470 aircraft that Air India had placed with Airbus and Boeing last year.

The latest order takes the total number of aircraft that Air India ordered with Airbus in 2023 from 250 aircraft, comprising 40 A350 and 210 A320 Family aircraft, to 350.

SOURCE: IANS

India on Monday urged all parties in Syria to prioritise the unity and integrity of the nation following the fall of the al-Assad regime.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) issued a statement stressing the need for a peaceful resolution amidst the escalating turmoil in the Middle Eastern country. “We are monitoring the situation in Syria in the light of ongoing developments. We underline the need for all parties to work towards preserving the unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Syria,” the MEA said.