SOURCE: ANI

US Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard, announced on Monday (local time) that she has embarked on a multi-nation trip to the Indo-Pacific region, during which she will visit Japan, Thailand and India.

Gabbard stated that her first stop was in Honolulu. She called “building strong relationships, understanding, and open lines of communication” vital to achieving US President Donald Trump’s objectives of peace, freedom, and prosperity.

SOURCE: PTI

Underscoring how drones are reshaping warfare economics, CDS Gen Anil Chauhan on Monday stressed the importance of establishing a “common vocabulary and grammar” on Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and drones by the Indian armed forces.

Think-tank Centre for Joint Warfare Studies (CENJOWS) hosted a high-level seminar on “UAS Warfare with Special Focus on Counter-UAS” in New Delhi. Gen Chauhan delivered the keynote address, emphasising the transformative impact of UAS in modern warfare. He also highlighted the need for developing a holistic counter-UAS system for the armed forces, the defence ministry said in a statement.

SOURCE: PTI

A controversy erupted in Nepal after photographs of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath were displayed at a pro-monarchist rally organised here to welcome former king Gyanendra Shah. 

As soon as Gyanendra, 77, landed at the Tribhuvan International Airport from Pokhara on board the Simrik Air helicopter on Sunday after visiting religious places in different parts of the country, hundreds of loyalists, including leaders and cadres of pro-monarchist Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), started chanting slogans in his favour. 

SOURCE: PTI

As he embarks on a two-day trip to Mauritius, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said the visit will open a “new and bright” chapter in the ties between the two nations.

Modi is visiting the island nation on March 11 and 12. “Mauritius is a close maritime neighbour, a key partner in the Indian Ocean, and a gateway to the African Continent. We are connected by history, geography and culture,” Modi said in his departure statement.

SOURCE: PTI

Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma on Monday said his government is not opposing the Centre’s decision to reimpose Protected Area Permit (PAP) in the state and regulate movement across the India-Myanmar border, amid security concerns.

He said Mizoram is being secretly used as a transit route by foreigners travelling to Myanmar, which has become a grave concern for the Centre.

SOURCE: PTI

‘Azad Kashmir’ and ‘Free Palestine’ graffiti were spotted at one place on the Jadavpur University campus triggering a row, while most of the classes and exams were held in the institute as per schedule on Monday.

The alleged entry of ‘plainclothes police personnel’ on the university campus, coinciding with that of a professor linked to the ruling Trinamool Congress, also did not go down well with a section of the students and teachers.

SOURCE: NI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi departed for Mauritius late Monday night on a two-day State visit. He will attend the National Day celebrations as the Chief Guest on March 12.

The Ministry of External Affairs stated that the visit is towards strengthening “India-Mauritus enduring ties.” “Strengthening India-Mauritus enduring ties! PM @narendramodi has embarked on a 2-day State visit to Port Louis, Mauritius. PM will participate as the Chief Guest at Mauritius’ National Day Celebrations & also meet Mauritian leadership & dignitaries,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated in a post on X.

SOURCE: REUTERS

Indonesia has not yet made a decision on buying missiles from BrahMos Aerospace in India, a spokesperson at the country’s defence ministry told Reuters on Monday.

Multiple missile systems are being considered by Indonesia, not just those from BrahMos, spokesperson Frega Wenas said after Indonesia’s defence minister met with his counterpart from Vietnam, although he declined to name the other companies.

SOURCE: PTI

ISRO announced on Friday that it is developing a LOX-methane engine and stages for the Next Generation Launch Vehicle (NGLV), which would feature a reusable booster stage and two expendable upper stages.

A LOX-methane engine is a rocket engine that uses liquid oxygen as an oxidizer and methane as fuel.
ISRO in a press release stated that multiple restarts will be essential for booster stage recovery as well as for restarting the upper stage to enhance mission flexibility in this configuration.

SOURCE: IANS

Mark Carney, a leading economist and former Governor of the Bank of Canada who has been chosen by Canada’s Liberal Party as Justin Trudeau’s replacement, had pledged to “rebuild” the strained ties with India during his recent election campaign.

The 59-year-old won the race to become the next Canadian Prime Minister by winning over 85 per cent of the vote of Liberal Party members. He will stay in power till the scheduled General Election in October, in all probability facing Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre in the ultimate battle.

SOURCE: IANS

 The scandal tarnished the image of two popular Prime Ministers (one posthumously), threw light on the unscrupulous world of the global arms trade and its nexus with politics, and forced banking haven Switzerland to change its impenetrable laws to help foreign governments unearth cases of large-scale corruption.And all for a weapon system which had a fair chance of winning the contest on its own, as we learn, and did go on to display its worth soon.

The Bofors artillery gun scandal, featuring politicians of all shades and agendas, over-enthusiastic arms manufacturers, shadowy but influential arms dealers, obdurate and obfuscating bureaucrats, conscientious prosecutors, dedicated and manipulative media persons, a Bollywood megastar, et al – could have well flowed from the pen of, say, Fredrick Forsyth or David Baldacci or rather, John Le Carre to spin one of their captivating tales.

SOURCE: PTI

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar concluded his UK visit after reaffirming the strong ties between India and the United Kingdom and injecting a fresh momentum into the comprehensive strategic partnership, a Ministry of External Affairs statement said on Monday.

Jaishankar concluded the visit with a tour of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium hosted by his counterpart Foreign Secretary David Lammy. “A good match in great company,” the external affairs minister said in a social media post on Sunday, the final day of his nearly week-long tour of the UK and Ireland.

SOURCE: IANS

The India-Japan joint military exercise ‘Dharma Guardian,’ held at the East Fuji Training Area in Japan, has successfully concluded, an Indian Army statement said on Monday. The exercise, which ran from February 24 to March 9, focused on counter-terrorism operations in urban environments, marking a major step in bilateral defense cooperation, the statement said.

According to the Ministry of Defence, ‘Dharma Guardian’ was conducted on a large scale with the participation of company-level troops from both nations. It served as an important milestone in strengthening defense ties between India and Japan.

SOURCE: IANS

Marking the 66th anniversary of the Tibetan National Uprising Day amid the presence of delegations from Slovakia and Estonia here, Prime Minister-in-exile Penpa Tsering on Monday said under the current Chinese leadership a deliberate and dangerous strategy to “eliminate the very identity of the Tibetan people as a unique human race is evident”.

Speaking from Dharamsala, headquarters of the Tibetan administration in exile, he said under the pretext of “strengthening the consciousness of Chinese national unity”, the Chinese government is implementing extensive sinicisation policies that is resulting in the gradual annihilation of Tibetan identity and deprivation of the fundamental human rights of the Tibetan people, he said in a statement.

SOURCE: PTI

Security forces arrested at least 12 militants in Manipur belonging to different proscribed outfits in the last two days, police said on Monday.

Three active cadres of the banned United People’s Party of Kangleipak (UPPK) were held from the Langol Type-II area in Imphal West, along with a member of the Kanglei Yaol Kanna Lup (KYKL) in Tengnoupal district along the India-Myanmar border on Saturday, they said.