Rescue operations continue in Uttarkashi after flash floods, with dozens still missing. The Army and other agencies are working to rescue stranded people and restore connectivity.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu held talks focusing on trade, defence, and infrastructure cooperation, signaling a turnaround in relations after a period of strain.
Donald Trump is expected to sign a series of executive orders upon taking office, including those related to immigration, border security, energy and governance. These orders are intended to implement Trump's policy priorities, including restricting immigration, increasing energy production, and streamlining government operations. The executive orders will include declaring emergency on the southern border, preparing military deployment on the borders, classifying cartels as "foreign terrorist organisations", reinstating the "Remain in Mexico" policy, ending the "Catch and Release" policy, and declaring emergency related to energy. Trump is also expected to roll back some of the executive orders and actions of outgoing President Joe Biden, such as the Paris Climate agreement, lifting restrictions on fossil fuel production, and expanding domestic oil drilling.
The Delhi High Court has dismissed petitions from the Ministry of Defence challenging disability pension orders for armed forces personnel, emphasizing that such pensions are a right, not an act of generosity, and should not be denied based solely on the location of disability onset or claims of lifestyle diseases.
Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan asserted that the armed forces are free of nepotism and urged children to join to serve the nation. He also spoke about Operation Sindoor and the use of technology in warfare.
'But at least the stepping stone has started.'
According to the 'Military and Security Developments involving the People's Republic of China' report 2023: "Since early May 2020, sustained tensions along the India-China border have dominated the Western Theater Command's attention."
While the peacetime stranding of a foreign fighter jet is rare in India, the F-35 -- a military asset of a foreign country with which India has strategic relations -- was being guarded by the Central Industrial Security Force, the agency responsible for security at Indian airports.
Multiple rounds of talks have failed to yield any significant result in defusing border tensions. The last round of Corps Commander-level talks between both countries were held on November 6, 2020 in Chushul in Eastern Ladakh.
Amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan, authorities in Delhi are taking precautionary measures, including installing air raid sirens, conducting mock drills, and deploying civil defence personnel. Security has been beefed up at vital installations and areas with high footfall, while the government has barred its employees from going on leave.
The aircraft crashed into the Milestone School and College campus in Dhaka's Uttara area.
'With tears in his eyes, he told me in Gujarati, "What have they done to this country? It has so much potential." That feeling for the country -- it was striking.'
The army chief reviewed the joint operations carried out by the Indian Army, Indian Air Force and Border Security Force in response to Pakistani drone and military attacks that followed India's retaliatory strike on May 7 for the horrific Pahalgam terror attack.
A meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the SCO summit is being planned.
India needs to be technologically and militarily prepared to defend itself from both Pakistan and China, alerts Ramesh Menon.
Low-level lightweight radars; very short-range air defence systems (launchers and missiles); remotely piloted aerial vehicles; loitering munitions, including vertical take-off and landing systems; different kinds of drones; bullet-proof vests; ballistic helmets; quick-reaction fighting vehicles -- heavy and medium; and night sights for rifles (aiming devices that are visible in low light).
It marked a "milestone" in India's journey towards technological self-reliance in military operations, the ministry said on Operation Sindoor.
The central government has empowered the Army Chief to call out 'every officer and every enrolled person' of the Territorial Army (TA) to provide for essential guard or to be embodied to support or supplement the regular Army.
Dar's statement, echoed by another federal minister, came as the Indian and Pakistani militaries targeted each other's installations using missiles in the last more than 12 hours, further escalating the already tense conflict situation.
Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi Monday said there is still a 'degree' of standoff between the Indian and Chinese militaries along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh and both sides need to sit down and firm up a broader understanding on how to calm down the situation.
The Indian Air Force on Monday said all its military bases and systems continue to remain fully operational, and ready to undertake any further missions if the need arises.
India and China recently held a fresh round of high-level military talks to resolve the border row that witnessed both sides agreeing to maintain "peace and tranquillity" on the ground but there was no indication of any breakthrough.
During Operation Sindoor, Indian naval ships, submarines and aircraft were operationally ready and deployed, projecting strength and preparedness to deter any "potential actions from our western adversary" in the maritime domain, Navy chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi said on Friday.
'Given China's past behaviour and their territorial claims, should we be sceptical regarding China's willingness to adhere to these agreements fully? The answer is yes.' 'As Ronald Reagan famously said in the context of the SALT talks, 'Trust, but verify!' India should also do the same.' 'This has already begun with foot patrolling, drones, satellite imagery and so on. India's military deployment did mirror China's and will continue to do so in the future.'
In an interaction with naval warriors on board aircraft carrier INS Vikrant off Goa, Singh sent a stern warning to Islamabad saying India will not hesitate to use the methods to deal with terrorism that Pakistan cannot even think of.
'Diplomatic and economic responses are first announced and then implemented. A military response is announced only after it is done.'
Indian Armed Forces brought down a number of these drones using kinetic and non-kinetic means.
The foremost lesson for India today is to beef up its air defence to cater for multiple drone attacks. As seen in Operation Sindoor, we have come a long way, but there's room for getting better. We must develop a robust and almost impregnable air cover over ourselves, asserts IAF veteran Air Commodore Nitin Sathe (retd).
The Ukrainian Air Force on Thursday said that Russia launched a massive missile attack on the city of Dnipro, involving intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).
He also reviewed the joint actions undertaken in coordination with the Indian Air Force and the Border Security Force, they said.
Israeli tanks and troops mounted on armoured vehicles were deployed in the region, seeming to suggest that a ground assault on Hamas in their backyard, Gaza, could begin any time soon.
The Chinese military has conducted nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) drills using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), robotic dogs, and explosive ordnance disposal robots, official media reported. The drills, conducted by a brigade attached to the People's Liberation Army's 73rd Group Army, focused on exploring training methods that integrate technology and networked systems. Experts highlighted the increasing use of unmanned equipment in military operations, citing its ability to reduce human casualties and increase combat effectiveness. The drills also showcased the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and intelligentisation, which is becoming a growing trend in defense.
Brazil said on Tuesday it was deploying the military to patrol the emblematic tourist sites in Rio de Janeiro to guard against the "minimal" chance of an attack, though security at the Olympic stadium appeared slack three days before the Games.
'No respite from economic pain is worth the loss of dignity and self-respect,' asserts former foreign secretary Shyam Saran.
The increase in India's military spending was "mainly a result of growing personnel and operations costs" which made up almost 80 percent of the total military budget in 2023, the SIPRI report claimed.
'We have arranged for extensive security around the stadium and its periphery. Today, there was a review of it.'
The deployment of the UK's "most advanced naval capabilities" has been flagged by the UK ministry of defence as a "decisive step" in bolstering UK-India security ties.
A senior government official confirmed that after a meeting with other stakeholders, the decision has been taken and airlines and airport authorities have been informed about it.
The Indian Army in the intervening night of May 8 and May 9 successfully repelled and responded to multiple drone attacks by Pakistan along the western border and the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir.
Pakistan on Wednesday handed over Border Security Force (BSF) jawan Purnam Kumar Shaw, apprehended on April 23, to India via the Attari-Wagah border front in Punjab, the force said.
