SOURCE: PTI

The Border Security Force (BSF) has completed the deployment of two fresh battalions, comprising more than 2,000 personnel, in the Jammu region to better plug infiltration from across the Pakistan front and check the recent spurt of terrorist activities in the area.

Officials in the security establishment told PTI that the new troops of these units have been deployed “in depth areas” as the “second line of defence” just behind the BSF border deployment along the international border (IB) with Pakistan.

SOURCE: PTI

Tripura’s Transport Minister Sushanta Chowdhury alleged that a bus on the way to Kolkata from Agartala was attacked in Bangladesh.

The incident happened on Bishwa Road in Bangladesh’s Brahmanbaria district, he said. “A Sahyamoli Paribahan bus on the way from Tripura to Kolkata was attacked in Bangladesh’s Brahmanbaria Bishwa Road. The incident terrified Indian passengers on the bus. The bus was maintaining its lane when a truck intentionally hit it. At this point, an autorickshaw came in front of the bus, and the bus and the auto-rickshaw collided,” Chowdhury said in a post on Facebook on Saturday, sharing photos of the bus.

SOURCE: PTI

The Congress on Saturday took a swipe at the Centre over the Geological Survey of India reportedly asked to conduct a re-exploration of the lithium reserves discovered in Jammu and Kashmir, saying this is typical of the way the “headline-obsessed” Modi government functions.

Congress general secretary in-charge Communications Jairam Ramesh said it was a case of premature celebration. “Aap yeh chronology samajhiye: On February 13, 2023 the Modi government announced ‘in typically grand fashion’ the discovery of what it called one of the world’s largest known lithium reserves in J&K. In November 2023, first auctions were conducted. The minimum requirement of three bids was not met and the auction was cancelled,” Ramesh said in a post on X.

SOURCE: PIB

The Ministry of Defence signed a contract with M/s Cochin Shipyard Limited on 30th Nov 2024 for Short Refit and Dry Docking (SRDD) of INS Vikramaditya at an overall cost of Rs. 1207.5 Cr. INS Vikramaditya is an Indian Aircraft Carrier commissioned in the Indian Navy in November 2013. After completion of the Refit, INS Vikramaditya will join the active fleet of the Indian Navy with upgraded combat capability.

This project is an important step towards development of Cochin Shipyard Limited as Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul (MRO) Hub for supporting the industrial ecosystem of India. The project envisages the involvement of nearly 50 MSMEs and would lead to employment generation for more than 3500 personnel.

SOURCE: IANS

Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Ltd commenced steel-cutting of an Ocean Research Vessel (ORV) that the shipyard is building for the National Centre for Polar & Ocean Research (NCPOR) on Friday.

This important event which marks the start of any shipbuilding process, took place just over four months after the signing of the contract between GRSE and NCPOR, which is an organisation under the Ministry of Earth Sciences on July 16.

SOURCE: pti

Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh on Saturday said National Defence Academy (NDA) cadets must carry forward the vast experience of their training to service academies and bonds they made at the institute in planning and execution of operations.

The Air Chief Marshal was the reviewing officer of the 147th course of the NDA and addressed the Passing Out Parade at the tri-service training institute in Khadakwasla.

SOURCE: pti

History is “complicated” and the politics of the day often indulges in “cherry-picking facts” and to a considerable extent that has happened in Tipu Sultan’s case, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Saturday.

He claimed a “particular narrative” about the former ruler of Mysore has been advanced over the years. In his address at the launch of the book ‘Tipu Sultan: The Saga of Mysore Interregnum 1761-1799’ here, Jaishankar said there are some basic questions that “confront us all” today as to how much of “our past has been airbrushed”, how awkward issues have been “glossed over” and how “facts are tailored for regime convenience”.

SOURCE: PTI

President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday nominated close confidante Kash Patel for the powerful position of Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, making him the highest ranking Indian American in his incoming administration.

I am proud to announce that Kashyap ‘Kash’ Patel will serve as the next Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Kash is a brilliant lawyer, investigator, and ‘America First’ fighter who has spent his career exposing corruption, defending Justice, and protecting the American People, Trump announced on Truth Social, a social media platform he owns.

SOURCE: PTI

Vice Admiral Antonio Natale of the Italian Navy met Vice Admiral Sanjay J Singh, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Western Naval Command here, and discussed issues pertaining to enhancing interoperability and cooperation in the maritime domain, the Navy said on Saturday.

The meeting between Natale and Singh took place on Friday.

SOURCE: PTI

Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Saturday asked the elected government in Jammu and Kashmir to take measures to stop the “injustice” of dismissing employees over alleged terror links and reinstate all those who have been terminated so far.

His remark came a day after two government employees were dismissed from service by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha for alleged terror links. “Two more government employees terminated by the stroke of a pen without any legal recourse! Families rendered destitute before the onset of harsh winters. Punishment and fear is the hallmark of an authoritarian mindset that has been ruling us here,” Farooq said in a post on X.

SOURCE: PTI

Police on Saturday said it conducted raids at multiple locations in the city as part of investigations against suspects allegedly involved in spreading malicious and seditious propaganda aimed at provoking people into unlawful and violent activities.

A spokesperson said the searches were carried out in the Batamaloo and HMT areas of Srinagar city in a case under section 13 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act registered at the Shergari police station. The investigation is underway against some individuals, who at the behest of adversaries and in criminal conspiracy with others, were found prima facia involved in “orchestrating a campaign of manufacturing fabricated and malicious narrative by way of disseminating twisted and false information to provoke people for unlawful and violent activities”, the official said.

SOURCE: PTI

Private sector and startups have a key role to play as India looks to boost its space activities to grab more share of the global market, ISRO Chairman S Somanath said on Friday. He was speaking on ‘ISRO’s vision and the rise of India’s space Tech companies’ at the country’s flagship startup festival Huddle Global 2024, organised by Kerala Startup Mission here.

“Despite being an acknowledged space power, India’s share of global business is just two per cent at USD 386 billion. India plans to raise it to USD 500 billion by 2030 and hit USD 1.5 trillion by 2047,” Somanath said in his address on the second day of the startup festival at Kovalam. Pointing out the scope of business activities for the private sector, he said India has just 15 operational space satellites, which is a relatively small number.

SOURCE: UNI

Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko has visited Pakistan. Lukashenko arrived in Islamabad on Monday on a three-day visit to Pakistan. He met Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif. During this, both the leaders agreed to strengthen cooperation in many areas including economic. Breaking protocol, Pak PM Shahbaz Sharif welcomed Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko in Islamabad and also made him a special friend. He also wanted Lukashenko to make an anti-India statement on the Kashmir issue, but he refused to do so, shocking Sharif.

Pakistani journalist Arzoo Kazmi has reported that the Kashmir issue was raised by Shahbaz Sharif in front of Alexander Lukashenko. On this, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko said that he will not make any statement on Kashmir. He said that he has come only to talk about business and in this regard, he will focus his talks on how Belarus can improve relations with Pakistan. He will not make any statement on Kashmir or any other political issue.

SOURCE: PTI

Bangladesh on Friday claimed India followed “double standards” on protection of minority communities and accused the neighbouring country’s media of conducting an “industrial scale misinformation campaign” against Dhaka.

Amid a row over the arrest of Hindu leader Chinmoy Krishna Das on sedition charges, Bangladesh interim government’s Law Affairs Adviser Asif Nazrul in a Facebook post said India’s unwarranted concern for Bangladesh continues.

SOURCE: PTI

A man was arrested in West Bengal’s Darjeeling district with confidential DRDO documents and a large quantity of radioactive materials, police said on Friday.

The accused was identified as Francis Ekka, husband of Amrita Ekka, a TMC leader of Naxalbari Panchayat Samiti. The arrest was made on November 26 in Belgachi village, Naxalbari block, during a joint raid by the Army and West Bengal Police, a police officer told PTI.