SOURCE: PTI

A brief exchange of fire was reported along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district, official sources said on Saturday. The firing from across the border was reported on a forward Indian post in Krishna Ghati sector late Friday night, prompting retaliation by the army troops guarding the LoC, the sources said.

They said there was no casualty in the firing, which lasted for a brief period.

SOURCE: IANS

External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar will pay an official visit to Qatar on Sunday (June 30), the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on Saturday. During the one-day visit, EAM Jaishankar will meet the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani.

“India and Qatar share historic and friendly relations which are marked by regular exchange of high-level visits. Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Qatar on February 14-15, 2024, and held discussions with Qatar’s Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani,” said MEA.

SOURCE: PTI

A special court in Mumbai on Saturday allowed an application of gangster Abu Salem, serving life sentence in the the 1993 serial blasts case, for reduced jail term in lieu of the detention period during trial.

Extradited from Portugal in 2005, Salem was convicted and awarded life sentence in 2017 for his role in the Mumbai serial blasts case. He is currently lodged in Taloja jail in neighbouring Navi Mumbai. The jailed gangster had moved an application before the court seeking set-off for the period undergone in prison from the date of arrest-November 11, 2005 till the final judgement in the case on September 7, 2017.

SOURCE: IANS

 Indian Navy’s indigenous stealth frigate INS Shivalik, mission deployed to the South China Sea and the Pacific Ocean, is participating in the 29th edition of the biennial Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise, the world’s largest international maritime exercise, being held in Hawaii.

According to the US Navy, approximately 29 nations, 40 surface ships, three submarines, 14 national land forces, over 150 aircraft and more than 25,000 personnel will train and operate in and around the Hawaiian Islands during the exercise — being held under the theme of ‘Partners: Integrated and Prepared’ – which runs until August 1.

SOURCE: PTI

Chinese President Xi Jinping highlighted the relevance of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, which gained traction with the Non-Aligned Movement, to end the present-day conflicts and sought to expand influence in the Global South amid its tussle with the West.

Xi Jinping, 71, invoked the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, termed as ‘Panchsheel’ by India, at a conference in Beijing to mark its 70th anniversary and also sought to juxtapose them with his new concept of Global Security Initiative envisaging a shared future for mankind.

SOURCE: REUTERS

The Maldives, which has raised U.S. and Indian concerns by signing defense agreements with China, sees all the big powers in the Indo-Pacific as important partners and considers regional stability vital, its Washington ambassador said on Friday.

Speaking after a Washington visit by Maldives Foreign Minister Moosa Zameer this week, Abdul Ghafoor Mohamed told Reuters his country occupies a very strategic position and is aware of its responsibilities in maintaining a “free, peaceful and stable Indian Ocean.”

SOURCE: PTI

Five Army personnel, including a junior commissioned officer, drowned when their T-72 tank sank due to flash floods in the Shyok river near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Nyoma-Chushul area in Ladakh early Saturday, officials said.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh expressed grief over the unfortunate accident. The incident occurred near Mandir Morh, 148 km from here, during an exercise at around 1 am, the officials said.

SOURCE: PTI

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh expressed sadness on Saturday over the deaths of five Indian Army soldiers after a Tank met with an accident while getting across a river in Ladakh on Friday.

“Deeply saddened at the loss of lives of five of our brave Indian Army soldiers in an unfortunate accident while getting across a river in Ladakh in a tank. We will never forget the exemplary service of our gallant soldiers to the nation,” Rajnath Singh said in a post on X.

SOURCE: IANS

The Government of Madhya Pradesh gave out-of-turn promotion to 28 police personnel deployed in Maoist-hit regions in the state. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, who attended the annual award ceremony at the Police Ground in Balaghat on Sunday, honoured the cops with medals for their heroic efforts in fighting against Maoists.

Addressing the award ceremony, CM Yadav congratulated those who received the award and out-of-turn promotion. “For fighting bravely against Naxalites, soldiers and ex-soldiers have received promotion. Our forces are capable of fighting the enemies of the nation,” he added.

SOURCE: IANS

 Nine SPOs, who assisted the security forces eliminate two terrorists in the Hiranagar area of Jammu & Kashmir’s Kathua district have been regularised as constables in J&K Police. Two terrorists were killed on June 12 in Sukhal village of Hiranagar in Kathua district after they crossed the international border. One CRPF trooper also died while one civilian was injured in that encounter.

J&K DGP R. R. Swain rewarded these nine SPOs by regularising them as constables at a function in Kathua on Friday.

SOURCE: PTI

The Indian Navy on Friday bid adieu to UH-3H helicopter — a versatile platform that has played a crucial role in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations — after 17 years of glorious service, officials said.

The de-induction ceremony was held at INS Dega, Visakhapatnam. The event was presided by Vice Admiral Sameer Saxena, Chief of Staff, Eastern Naval Command. Veteran officers and sailors of the UH3H squadron graced the event with families reminiscing the yeoman service of the helicopter.

SOURCE: PTI

India on Friday said it opposes unilateral actions seeking to change the status quo by force in South China Sea amid concerns over China’s escalatory moves against the Philippines’ maritime operations in the region.

Tensions between China and the Philippines escalated following a violent clash between their maritime security personnel a few days ago in the South China Sea. “We have always emphasised on adherence to international law, respect for the rules-based order, and resolution of disputes in a peaceful manner,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.

SOURCE: PTI

India on Friday categorically rejected criticism against it in an annual US State Department report on international religious freedom, describing it as deeply biased and visibly driven by vote-bank considerations.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the report selectively picked incidents to advance a preconceived narrative against India. In his remarks at the release of the report, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said there has been a “concerning increase” in anti-conversion laws, hate speech and demolitions of homes and places of worship of members of minority faith communities in India.

SOURCE: ANI

 India has achieved an “outstanding outcome” in the 2023-24 Mutual Evaluation conducted by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

The Mutual Evaluation Report, adopted during the FATF plenary held in Singapore from June 26 to June 28, placed India in the ‘regular follow-up’ category, a distinction shared by only four other G20 countries. This marks a significant milestone in India’s efforts to combat money laundering (ML) and terrorist financing (TF), a Finance Ministry release said.

SOURCE: PTI

The preparations for the next India-Russia summit are underway, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Friday. “We have a very well established arrangement of bilateral summits with the Russian Federation. Twenty-one such meetings have happened so far,” external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.

“We are preparing to hold the next summit. We will share the dates with you as soon as we can,” he said. Mr Jaiswal’s comments at a media briefing came days after a Kremlin official in Moscow said active preparations are underway for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Russia.