SOURCE: TASS

Russia’s direct foreign investment in India has reached $1.26 in the aerospace, defense, chemical, oil and gas industry and other strategic sectors, Secretary at the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade of the Indian Ministry of Commerce and Industry Rajesh Kumar Singh said.

“According to our data, direct foreign investment from Russia total around $1.26 bln in such sectors as aerospace and defense industry, chemical industry, oil and gas industry and railways,” he told a forum.

SOURCE: PTI

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday said talks between India and China are going smoothly and in a good environment, and India will never bow down. Singh, who is in Ahmedabad to campaign for BJP candidates contesting the Lok Sabha elections, said India has become a powerful country from a military standpoint and wants to maintain good relations with its neighbours.

“India is no longer a weak India. India has also become a powerful country from a military point of view. We want to maintain good relations with our neighbouring countries,” the minister said when asked about Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s accusation against the Narendra Modi government over Chinese aggression.

SOURCE: ANI

Mir Junaid, a political leader from Srinagar, delivered a powerful message of global unity during his address at the BRICS Forum held in Grozny, Russia. Junaid’s statement unequivocally rejected all forms of cross-border terrorism, violence, external aggression, and discord, advocating instead for a larger vision of peace and prosperity.

The BRICS meeting saw the attendance of numerous global leaders, diplomats, government officials, and cultural influencers. As the president of the Jammu Kashmir Workers Party, Junaid emphasized the strength of diversity and syncretic cultures in overcoming adversity. In his address, Junaid remarked, “I am the son of India, a precious gem in its diverse mosaic.

SOURCE: PIB

Indian Coast Guard (ICG) in collaboration with the Anti-terrorism Squad (ATS) and Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), seized 86 kg of narcotics valued @ Rs 600 cr and apprehended 14 crew members from the Pakistani vessel in a meticulously planned anti-narcotics operation at sea on April 28, 2024.

The ICG ship Rajratan, equipped with ATS and NCB officials, positively identified the suspect boat despite attempts to evade detection. The swift response of the Rajratan, supported by a fleet of ships and aircraft on concurrent missions, left no room for escape for the drug-laden vessel.

SOURCE: PIB

Chief of Defence Staff, General Anil Chauhan concluded a comprehensive visit to France, which has reaffirmed the continued long-standing strategic partnership between India and France, and further reinforcing the bilateral Defence Cooperation between the two nations.

The interactions of CDS with Mr Patrick Pailloux, Director of Civil & Military Cabinet of the Minister of the French Armed Forces, and Lt Gen Vincent Giraud, Chief of Military Cabinet of the Minister of the Armed Forces at the apex level and also with his counterpart, General Thierry Burkhard (CEMA) have enabled exchange of views on areas of common interests and mutual security concerns.

SOURCE: PTI

The Indian Navy swiftly assisted a Panama-flagged crude oil tanker with 30 crew members including 22 Indians after the vessel came under missile attack from Houthi militants. Indian Navy’s destroyer INS Kochi responded following the attack on the vessel, MV Andromeda Star, on April 26, officials said, adding all the crew members are safe.

The US Central Command said Iranian-backed Houthi militants launched three anti-ship ballistic missiles from Yemen into the Red Sea in the vicinity of merchant vessel Maisha and MV Andromeda Star.

SOURCE: PTI

A Village Defence Guard (VDG) member was killed in a gunfight with terrorists in a remote village in Jammu and Kashmir’s Udhampur district early Sunday, officials said. A massive search operation is underway to flush out the terrorists, who are believed to have recently infiltrated from Pakistan, they said.

The exchange of fire was reported from Panara village of Basantgarh when a patrolling party of police and VDGs confronted the suspected terrorists around 7:45 am, the officials said.

SOURCE: ANI

In a joint operation, troops of Border Security Forces (BSF) and Punjab police recovered a drone adjacent to village Rajoke in Punjab’s Tarn Taran District, officials said on Sunday.

BSF Frontier Punjab, in a post on X, said, “On 28th April 2024, based on information by BSF intelligence set up about the presence of a drone in the border area of Tarn Taran district, a joint search operation by BSF troops with Punjab Police was conducted in the suspected area.”

SOURCE: AFP

Iran said Saturday it would release the crew members of a Portuguese-flagged ship that its forces seized this month in the Gulf. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps took over the MSC Aries with 25 crew members on board near the Strait of Hormuz on April 13.

Tehran later said the ship belonged to its arch-foe Israel and was being investigated for alleged violations of international maritime law.  “The humanitarian issue of the release of the ship’s crew is of great concern to us,” Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said in a phone call with his Portuguese counterpart Paulo Rangel.

SOURCE: ANI

In a major boost for firepower of its fighter aircraft fleet, the Indian Air Force has inducted the Rampage long-range supersonic air-to-ground missiles which can hit targets at around 250 Km. The missile known as the High-Speed Low Drag-Mark 2 missile in the Indian Air Force was reportedly used in a big way by the Israeli Air Force during its recent attacks on Iranian targets.

The Indian Air Force has inducted the Rampage in its Russian-origin aircraft fleet including the Su-30 MKI and MiG-29 fighters along with the Jaguar fighter jets, defence sources told ANI. The Indian Navy has also inducted the missile in its fleet for the MiG-29K naval fighter jets, they said.

SOURCE: ANI

The Indian Army has recently given its ‘no objection’ if a soldier accused of spying is dealt with under the Official Secrets Act (OSA). This case pertains to the transmission of secret information relating to the Indian Army to Pakistan by accused persons with the connivance of a soldier through the Pakistan High Commission.

A Special judge at Tis Hazari Court noted that a ‘no objection certificate’ has been placed on record by the concerned officer of the Indian Army. “Army Captain has placed on record the “no objection certificate” issued by Major General GOC, Headquarter, Armed Forces Special Operation Division that they have no objection if this court deals Naik / Clerk (SD) Paramjit Kumar under Indian Official Secret Act, 1923,” the court noted in the order of April 24.

SOURCE: UNI

Senior officials of India and Iran discussed plans for closer defence cooperation between the two nations, in view of the delicate situation in West Asia and the Indian subcontinent. This was discussed by Iranian Defence Minister Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Ashtiani during a meeting with Indian Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane in Kazakhstan, a news report said.

Iran and India, located in strategic regions, have great capacities to establish peace and security in West Asia and the Indian subcontinent, the Iranian Defence Minister said during the meeting, held on the sidelines of a conference of defence ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states in Kazakhstan.

SOURCE: PTI

An IAF helicopter was pressed into service to extinguish the raging forest fires in Uttarakhand’s Nainital district on Saturday, a day after the flames reached the High Court Colony in the Pines area. The blaze came dangerously close to the houses in the colony and an Army cantonment around five kilometres away from the Pines, prompting the response by authorities.

The Indian Air Force said a Mi-17 V5 helicopter was deployed to assist in the firefighting operations. “With a forest fire building up in vicinity of an Air Force Station near Nainital, #IAF activated its aerial fire fighting capability, employing a Mi-17 V5 helicopter for undertaking Bambi Bucket Ops,” it posted on ‘X’.

SOURCE: AFI

A Bangladeshi farmer was shot dead by Indian Border Security Force (BSF) personnel along the Patgram border area on Friday, according to Bangladeshi officials.

The deceased, identified as 30-year-old Abul Kalam Dakhu, hailed from the Srirampur union of Patgram upazila. Reports indicate he was shot near the border and succumbed to his injuries while being rushed to the Patgram Upazila Health Complex.

SOURCE: ANI

The Border Security Force (BSF) along with the Punjab Police recovered a drone in the border area of Tarn Taran district, officials said on Friday.

According to an official BSF release, “Based on information on April 25, 2024, BSF intelligence set up about the presence of a drone in the border area of Tarn Taran district, a joint search operation by BSF troops with Punjab Police was conducted in the suspected area.”