India has confirmed that 12 Indian nationals have died while serving in the Russian military during the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Another 16 Indians, who were serving in the Russian armed forces, are listed as missing by Russia. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said a total of 126 Indians were serving with the Russian military and 96 of them have so far been discharged.
India will look to address several lingering selection puzzles when they take on South Africa in Ranchi on Sunday in the first ODI of the three-match series, where Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli return to the set-up for a short audition that could well shape their 2027 World Cup fate.
Opposition parties have agreed to the agenda of taking up a special discussion on the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor on Monday in Lok Sabha and the next day in Rajya Sabha, brightening up the prospect of normalcy returning to Parliament after the virtual washout of first-week proceedings.
The government stated that Operation Sindoor was launched in response to a 'barbaric' attack by 'Pakistan-sponsored terrorists,' focusing on dismantling terror infrastructure and neutralizing terrorists likely to be sent across to India.
Insipid India A go down to Bangladesh A in Super Over of Rising Asia Cup semifinals
Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed "Operation Sindoor" as a turning point in the global fight against terror, describing it as a symbol of India's growing strength and clarity of purpose. Addressing the nation through his monthly radio programme Mann Ki Baat, Modi said the operation reflects a changing and resolute India, and has inspired patriotism and self-reliance across the country.
India emerged from the war militarily bruised and strategically altered. The United States, under the guise of friendship, had succeeded in achieving what open alignment never could: The psychological and political repositioning of India within the Cold War order, points out Dr Kumar.
'Don't make it political, let cricket be a game.'
Pakistan have lodged a protest with the Asian Cricket Council over the Indian players' refusal to shake hands with them following their Asia Cup match.
People of Bihar wait with bated breath for Friday's counting of votes polled in the recent assembly elections, which will decide whether Janata Dal-United supremo Nitish Kumar, the state's longest-serving chief minister, will get a record fifth term or whether a change in government will be witnessed.
Top-order batters subjugate India A's Test bowlers as SA A register five-wicket win
The Director General of Air Operations said "whatever methods and whatever means we have chosen, it had the desired effects on the enemy targets",
Global nuclear watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has said there was no radiation leak or release from any nuclear facility in Pakistan during the country's recent military conflict with India.
With this decision, the government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sought to draw a red line against terror incidents and makes clear that it will follow a similar military response as it has after the Pahalgam incident if terrorists linked to Pakistan target India again.
The Indian Army is equipping its infantry battalions with drone platoons and raising elite commando units as part of a modernization drive to enhance combat capabilities along the northern and western frontiers. The Army is also procuring new carbines and upgrading its arsenal with advanced weaponry.
In the last 11 years, India and the world witnessed what he stood for, what he promised and did not deliver, and what he actually stood for and practised without fearing how history would judge him. Modi's tenure has been punctuated with headline-grabbing decisions, symbolic gestures, and stage-managed moments that continue to define his leadership and India's politics, points out Ramesh Menon.
Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan emphasized the need for constant high military preparedness, citing Operation Sindoor as an ongoing example. He also highlighted the importance of 'information warriors, technology warriors and scholar warriors' in future warfare.
Metal debris was found scattered in three villages of Amritsar district, with some locals claiming them to be parts of missiles. Police are investigating the objects, while the Indian government claims to have foiled Pakistan military's attempts to attack 15 places in northern and western India using missiles and drones. Tensions between India and Pakistan have escalated after India launched missile strikes on terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in response to the April 22 killing of 26 people by terrorists in Kashmir's Pahalgam.
The ATAGS has a range of 35-45 kilometres, depending on the ammunition used, and achieved a 47-km firing range during trials.
According to the DRDO chairman, the BrahMos missile, primarily launched from Sukhoi Mk 1, was used during the offensive phase.
The ministry of external affairs also seemed to reject Trump's forceful comments that Washington brokered the understanding between India and Pakistan on ending their four-day military conflict.
The Allahabad High Court overturned a trial court's decision, acquitting five individuals previously convicted in connection with the 2007 terrorist attack on a CRPF camp in Rampur, citing defects in the investigation.
People in several districts of Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir and Gujarat spent an anxious night as authorities enforced blackouts amid heightened tension between India and Pakistan.
Whether Trump will actually press ahead with the oil sanctions remains unclear, since keeping Russian oil out of the world market risks high oil prices which could boomerang on the US economy and be damaging politically for Trump, points out Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Addressing a special 'Youm-e-Tashakur' event at the Pakistan Monument in Islamabad, Shehbaz said that India and Pakistan fought three wars and got nothing.
Saudi Arabia's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel Aljubeir visited India on Thursday and held talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, focusing on de-escalating tensions between India and Pakistan. The visit comes as ties between India and Pakistan have further deteriorated following Indian military strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also arrived in New Delhi on a scheduled visit amidst the escalating tensions.
'It is important India to stay focussed on its primary national objectives: Combating terrorism; not losing sight of other security and strategic concerns (on the Sino-Indian front for instance); ensuring a strong economy and registering growth which includes improving the lot of common people; and finally making certain that the social fabric remains intact and harmony among people is not jeopardised, at least any further,' asserts Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay.
The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) has approved military projects worth approximately Rs 67,000 crore, including drones, radars, and missile systems, aimed at enhancing India's military capabilities.
The real heroes of Operation Sindoor were not the armed forces or political leadership, but the ordinary citizens of India who refused to fall into the trap of communal provocation, asserts Colonel Anil A Athale (retd).
'We heard about it just as we were walking in the doors of the Oval (Office). I guess people knew something was going to happen based on a little bit of the past'
Former Indian cricketer Atul Wassan urged the Pakistan team to showcase their anger and some competition on the field rather than being in controversies off the field,
'Where rostering systems are automated and duty time software interfaces directly with DGCA, the assertion that they suddenly discovered crew shortages is simply implausible.' 'If adequate crew planning hasn't materialised within 12 to 24 months from inception, how will 45 days -- from December 5 to February 12 -- suddenly resolve matters?'
A new documentary claims British spy call intercepts helped Canadian authorities link India to the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June 2023.
More than 300 flights have been cancelled and at least 25 airports, including Srinagar, have been temporarily shut for operations amid restrictions in the wake of the armed forces launching missile attacks on terror targets in Pakistan on Wednesday morning.
Indian Armed Forces brought down a number of these drones using kinetic and non-kinetic means.
'The government has to explain (to the army, air force and navy chiefs) whether they want a punitive strike, a deep punitive strike, or whether they want limited war or an all-out war, will it be a circumscribed war or will it be a shallow attack along the border.'
The Pakistan Army has vowed to respond to Indian air strikes that targeted locations in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Punjab. The strikes were carried out from within Indian airspace, according to the army spokesman, who said that Pakistan will respond at a time and place of its choosing. The army is currently assessing the damage caused by the strikes.
'Trump is likely being purposefully vague, hoping that this lack of clarity will pressure India, fearing the worst, to agree to scale back its imports of Russian oil.'
Pakistani drones were intercepted by Indian air defence in Jaisalmer. Explosions were heard and flashes seen in the sky.
The comments came a day after Indian Air Force Chief Arup Raha said the air force has moved a proposal for inducting women as fighter aircraft pilots.
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