In any conflict with China, the unmanned BrahMos could be advantageously used in the opening stages for pinpoint strikes on heavily defended targets -- such as air bases, headquarters, key roads and railways or logistics dumps -- which are too dangerous for manned fighter aircraft to attack.
Due to active South West monsoon, coupled with low pressure area off coast of Machilipatnam, there has been widespread rainfall with heavy to very heavy falls since September 17 in the state.
Incessant rains, due to the depression in the Bay of Bengal, have wrecked havoc in Nellore, Chittoor and Kadapa districts with several tanks being breached.
A likely western disturbance over north India during the weekend might cause heavy to very heavy showers in a few places, including New Delhi.
It was likely to move in a west-north-westerly direction and weaken gradually, triggering heavy rains in interior parts of the state.
"Conditions are favourable for the onset of southwest monsoon over Kerala and its further advance into some more parts of south Arabian sea, remaining parts of Maldives - Comorin area, some parts of Tamil Nadu and some more parts of Bay of Bengal during the next 24 hours," said a statement by the Indian Meteorological Department.
We celebrate Dassera and regard it as an auspicious day as a day of victory of good over evil! So was 16 December! It is time we regard this day as auspicious as Dassera in future, observes Colonel Anil A Athale (retd).
The Met department had earlier forecast the onset of monsoon over Kerala on May 24, over a week ahead of its scheduled arrival on June 1.
These three states sought a combined financial assistance of Rs 11,186 crore
Sharp showers continued to lash many parts of Tamil Nadu, including capital Chennai, resulting in water-logging in many areas and forcing closure of schools in the city even as the weather office forecast more rains.
A Navy spokesman said the fire, which broke out near the engine of the warship, was brought under control by Coast Guard and Naval ships after battling for over an hour and half.
Indian Space agency Indian Space Research Organisation would launch the Geo-synchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle-Mark III (LVM3 X mission) on December 18 which would carry active solid boosters, liquid core stage and a passive cryo-stage.
India is pitted against China, South Korea and Thailand in the race to secure the huge gas found in offshore Myanmar.
The indigenously developed surface-to-surface missile, blasted off at 10.52 am from a fixed platform with the help of an auto launcher in the launch complex-4 of the ITR, located about 72 km from Balasore, defence sources said.
The test launch was conducted from INS Subhadra, about 40 nautical miles from Chandipur in the sea, at around 2.30 pm, sources said.
The missile was fired from INS Rajput, stationed in the Bay of Bengal off the coast of Orrisa.
'China's moves are of direct significance to India, which will closely monitor Chinese naval activity in the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean not least because of Chinese maps depicting claims over the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.'
In a grand ceremony with overtones of a United States presidential inauguration, heads of state and government, India Inc honchos, opposition leaders, Bharatiya Janata Party members and showbiz stars rubbed shoulders as they watched President Ram Nath Kovind administer the oath of office to India's 58 new ministers.
In his remarks in New Delhi at an all-party meeting held virtually, Modi said healthcare workers involved in treating COVID-19 patients, frontline workers, who include police personnel and municipal staff, and old people suffering from serious conditions would be inoculated on priority.
Seven persons were killed in the worst-affected Nellore district, bordering Tamil Nadu, and three others died in a house collapse in Chittoor district.\n\n
Meanwhile, the search and rescue team is seeking satellite imagery to find any clue of the plane that lost contact over the Bay of Bengal.
Altogether 51 gram panchayats in 14 blocks of eight districts had been affected by the recent heavy rains and floods caused under the influence of the cyclonic storm.\n\n
Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday urged party leaders in Kerala to shed their differences and fight the coming assembly polls unitedly
A cyclone alert has been sounded in Cudallore and neighbouring districts.
Reliance Industries Ltd, on Thursday announced that it has struck gas off the Orissa coast in Bay of Bengal.
Brushing aside opposition from the Dravida Munetra Kazhagam and other parties in Tamil Nadu, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday met Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa but did not give him any assurance on which way India will vote on a the United Nations Human Rights Council resolution for an independent international probe into rights abuses during the war with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.
All 40 trawlers which went missing in the Bay of Bengal following a storm were traced on Monday, but two of them capsized leaving seven fishermen missing, officials said.
Danger signal number five, hoisted at Gopalpur port, was replaced by signal number seven while signal number six had been hoisted at Puri and Paradip.
The USS John Paul Jones acted like a dog marking the lamp post, observes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
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