If Modi wants to leave a real legacy, breaking India's strategic triangulation would be the real gift, notes Shekhar Gupta.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was pulled back by a Russian official as he walked past the guard of honour accorded to him while the Indian national anthem was being played soon after his arrival in Moscow on Wednesday.
Tunes by Indian musicians, foot-tapping drumbeats and calming chimes reverberated the air as the imposing Rashtrapati Bhavan lit up at sunset marking the end of the 66th Republic Day celebrations with 'Beating Retreat' ceremony at Vijay Chowk in New Delhi on Thursday.
As the preparations are in full swing, here's what to expect at this year's Independence Day in different parts of the country.
As a mark of respect to the CRPF jawans who lost their lives in the Pulawama terrorist attack last month, Indian cricketers sported the Army cap and also donated their match fee for the welfare of the families of the martyrs.
There is no such annual parade in the United States, which is militarily the most powerful country of the world.
A lady in a white salwar suit leads the chants of people holding both Indian and US flags.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Monday successfully launched a second generation navigation satellite, using a GSLV rocket with a cryogenic upper stage to do the job.
The satellite will give India the capability to keep tabs on missile launches in its neighbourhood.
The king and his wife, Camilla, the queen consort, travelled from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey -- a distance of 2.2-km -- at a stately pace in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach bearing a gilded crown, which was commissioned for Queen Elizabeth II in 2012.
The nation celebrated the 71st Republic Day on Sunday with a grand military parade and exhibition of its history, cultural diversity and strategic weaponry at the Rajpath.
Speaking at the annual Republic Day military parade attended for the first time by troops from China and Saudi Arabia, Hussain said: "Pakistan is ready for dialogue with India and wants resolution of the Kashmir dispute, which is the unfinished agenda of the partition."
The ceremonial arch, inaugurated in July 1836, in a rather austere ceremony, stands proudly at the centre of Place Charles de Gaulle with 12 grand avenues radiating outward from the commemorative landmark.
'Nowhere amidst the efflorescence of 13 military bands, 16 marching contingents and 22 tableaux was there any hint that far from being a rich country of poor people, the closely guarded secret is that India is a poor country of extremely rich people,' notes Sunanda K Datta-Ray.
Russian forces have been attacking Ukrainian troops as part of an offensive to encircle Bakhmut in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region.
On Thursday, June 1, 2023, Jordan's 28-year-old Crown Prince Hussein married Rajwa al-Saif, a 29-year-old Saudi architect, at a glittering wedding ceremony attended by global royalty, including Britain's prince and princess of Wales.
Scenes from the fighting near the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol.
Prakash Desai, Nathan DeSai's father, said his son was depressed because his law practice was not going well.
After a 7-year hiatus, Pakistan Monday showcased its growing military might, including tactical nuclear missiles and fighter jets, at a joint tri-service parade to celebrate the National Day in a symbolic show of strength in the war against the Taliban.
President Droupadi Murmu will lead the nation in celebrating the Republic Day, and Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi will be the chief guest at the ceremonial event.
All equipment from the Army which were part of the Republic Day celebrations are made-in-India, Chief of Staff Delhi Area Maj Gen Bhavnish Kumar had earlier said.
New Zealand shooter kills two on eve of Women's Soccer World Cup
'It's amazing how many different kinds of patriotic songs we have in our country.'
United States First Lady Melania Trump has officially decked the halls of the White House. This year, the theme is "The Spirit of America." The 2019 decorative approach features glittery patriotism throughout 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
The Indian Armed Forces will express their gratitude to all "corona warriors" by conducting fly-pasts, showering petals on hospitals treating COVID-19 patients and illuminating naval vessels, Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat said on Friday.
The vintage artillery with 25-pounder guns that traditionally fires the thundering ceremonial 21-gun salute during the Republic Day celebrations will be replaced by 105 mm Indian field guns this year, as the government makes a further push for its Make in India initiative.
It was only a matter of hours before I would be declared persona non grata; all my work would turn to ashes, and I would be revealed as a typical untrustworthy Indian. I steeled myself for the axe to fall.
Neelam Kothari and her husband Samir Soni enjoyed a beautiful weekend in Kashmir, taking in the Gulmarg Winter festival, organised by the Indian Army to promote tourism in the valley.
Troops from 17 countries, including Pakistan and Russia, formed part of 1000 foreign soldiers who took part in China's first military parade aimed at highlighting the excesses committed by Japanese troops against Chinese in the WW II in which according Chinese historians over 20 million people were killed, eight million forced into labour and thousands of women held as sex slaves.
Overall, the record of the second term reveals a contradiction between the image and the reality. The image, especially on media and social media, is one of the man at the height of his power, and unstoppable. The reality on governance is someone who has found it difficult to get things implemented and unsure of what to do next, points out Aakar Patel.
Four veterans of the Indian National Army, an all-women contingent of the 183-year-old Assam Rifles marching down Rajpath and an Indian Air Force aircraft flying using a mix of traditional and biofuel.
Sebastian Vettel wore a special helmet to express solidarity with Ukraine
The criticism that the Reserve Bank of India was behind the curve in hiking interest rate to tame rising inflation is unfair, former RBI Governor D Subbarao said on Wednesday and asserted that it is difficult for any central bank to anticipate the future more accurately. Earlier this month, Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), the central bank's rate-setting panel, surprised the markets with a 40 basis points hike in repo rate in an off-cycle policy meeting. It was also the first rate hike after August 2018, amid spiralling inflation.
Kaleidoscopic lights replace incandescent glory this year.
Here are highlights of the 68th Republic Day parade.
The Republic Day parade, which will begin at around 1030 am, will be a unique mix of the country's military prowess and cultural diversity, depicting the country's growing indigenous capabilities, Nari Shakti and emergence of a 'New India'.
Obama and his wife Michelle began the annual event eight years ago to celebrate music that has helped shape the US.
India's first exclusive defence satellite GSAT-7 was successfully launched by European space consortium Arianespace's Ariane 5 rocket from Kourou spaceport in French Guiana on Friday, giving a major push to the country's maritime security.
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The nomination of cluster heads for defence, infrastructure and finance business is awaited.
General Qamar Javed Bajwa, an expert in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir affairs, on Tuesday took over as Pakistan's new army chief succeeding General Raheel Sharif and promised to improve the tense situation at the Line of Control soon.
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