Indian Defence News

Tuesday, September 10, 2024

While the Ministry is silent on the process, it is learnt that the Cost Negotiation Committee (CNC) has wrapped up the final price for acquisition

New Delhi: After the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) cleared the Predator drone deal on July 30, the Defence Ministry is soon to approach the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) for the much awaited acquisition to be signed next month.

The Defence Ministry will now be approaching the Finance Ministry for expenditure approval.

While the Ministry is silent on the process, it is learnt that the Cost Negotiation Committee (CNC) has wrapped up the final price for acquisition worth around USD 3.1 billion from US based General Atomics. The Defence Ministry will now be approaching the Finance Ministry for expenditure approval before getting the final stamp from CCS. The acquisition must be signed before October 31 or else there will be price revision on part of the manufacturer.

The Modi government is purchasing 31 MQ 9B drones with air to surface missiles and laser guided bombs from General Atomics on a government to government basis. Out of the 31 drones, 16 will help the Indian Navy to ensure maritime security in the Indo-Pacific, eight will be with the Indian Army and the remaining eight will be with the Indian Air Force for tailored strike missions across the land borders.

It is understood that the manufacturer briefed Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his delegation on the capability and capacity of the drone during his visit to the US in August. The Predator drone has a proven record in the Middle-East and Afghanistan when it comes to precision bombing and taking out high value targets.

While India has been operating two units of Sea Guardian, unarmed version of Predator, from INS Rajali in Tamil Nadu for maritime domain awareness with the platforms on lease from General Atomics. Even though the lease of the two surveillance drones expired in January 2024, the Indian Navy has extended the lease for another four years. The Sea Guardian drone provides real time maritime domain awareness from Sunda Straits in Indonesia to Suez Canal in the west and South Indian Ocean.

With use of stand-off weapons like armed drones increasing as seen in Ukraine and Gaza conflicts, India needs to acquire this capability as non-asymmetric groups like Houthis and Hezbollah have also started using them for target international shipping and Israel respectively.

The acquisition of armed drones has become a priority for India as China and its supplicant state Pakistan are operating CH-4 weaponized unmanned aerial vehicles with Beijing selling these platforms to Rawalpindi.

(With Inputs From Agencies)

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New Delhi: India and the Philippines will carry out a comprehensive review of their defence and strategic partnership on Wednesday with a focus on ramping up military ties against the backdrop of mutual concern over China's aggressive posturing in the South China Sea.

The two sides will deliberate on various issues relating to bilateral defence ties and regional security situation at the fifth meeting of India-Philippines joint defence cooperation committee to be held in Manila, officials said.

The defence ties between the two countries have been on a significant upswing in the last few years.

In April, India delivered the first batch of BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles to the Philippines, in reflection of the growing military ties.

The supplies came over two years India signed a USD 375 million deal with the Southeast Asian nation to supply the weapon systems.

While Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane will lead the Indian delegation at the talks, the Filipino team will be headed by Senior Under Secretary in the Ministry of National Defence Irineo Cruz Espino.

The meeting is taking place amid increasing tensions between China and the Philippines following an incident of violent clash between their maritime security personnel in the South China Sea nearly two-and-half months ago.

"During the visit, the defence secretary will discuss ways to further consolidate defence cooperation between the two countries," an official readout said.

The situation in the South China Sea will figure in the talks, officials said.

There have been growing global concerns over China's sweeping claims of sovereignty over all of the South China Sea, a huge source of hydrocarbons.

Several countries in the region including Vietnam, the Philippines and Brunei, have counterclaims.

India and many other democratic countries have been pressing for peaceful settlement of the disputes and for adherence to international law, especially the UNCLOS .

"This visit of assumes significance as India and Philippines celebrate 75 years of diplomatic relations and 10 years of India's Act East Policy," the defence ministry said in the readout.

"Both the countries have a vigorous and multifaceted relationship which have expanded into several strategic areas, including defence and security," it said.

"They are committed to support each other towards achieving the goal of self-reliance in defence production," it said.

(With Inputs From Agencies)

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Former Union Minister and senior Congress leader Sushilkumar Shinde has stirred a political debate among the parties after he openly admitted that he had a deep-rooted fear of traveling to Jammu and Kashmir during his tenure serving as the Home Minister in the Manmohan Singh led UPA-government era.

Speaking at the launch of his memoir 'Five Decades of Politics', Shinde said, "I used to contact Vijay Dhar when I was the Home Minister, before my trip to Srinagar. He suggested that I go to Lal Chowk to give a lecture, meet some people, and take a walk around Dal Lake instead of aimlessly meandering around. That counsel brought me a great deal of attention and showed the public that there was a Home Minister who goes there without any fear, lekin meri fat'ti this wo kisko bataoon? (but who do I tell that I was scared?) I told you this just to make you laugh, but an ex-Policeman can't speak like this..."

At the book's launch, Shinde made this revelation in front of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, which sparked a flurry of political discussion. Shinde's remarks have been pounced upon by the BJP, who intends to use them as justification for the UPA government, led by the Congress, failing to adequately address the Kashmir issue. Shinde was appointed as India's home minister by then prime minister Manmohan Singh in 2012.

Notably, after the Centre abrogated the special status of Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 on August 5, 2019, restoration of peace and developmental activities taking peace, compared to the past, stands out as its most significant achievement.

From 5,063 recorded incidences of stone-pelting between 2015 and 2019, to just 434 between 2019 and 2023, there has been a sharp decline in these incidents. In a similar vein, the number of terrorists killed has not decreased; 675 rebels have been neutralized in the last four years as opposed to 740 in the four before. Furthermore, from 2015 to 2019, 379 security personnel were martyred; however, in the subsequent period, the number fell to 146.

Shinde's memoir Five Decades in Politics, which is narrated to senior journalist Rasheed Kidwai, also speaks about how in-house detractors ensured that he did not continue as Maharashtra Chief Minister after the 2004 Assembly victory due to “forward caste considerations,” while lamenting that it was ironic that his caste would become a “hurdle”.

BJP Reacts To Shinde's Remark

Reacting to Shinde's remark on Jammu and Kashmir, Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said in an X post,"UPA era Home Minister Sushil Shinde admits he was scared of going to J&K “They told me to go Kashmir and do Photo-op at Dal lake for me and UPA's Public image as Home Minister of India. But I was scared." Today Rahul Gandhi was comfortably seen doing Bharat Jodo Yatra & snow fight in Kasmir! But NC & Congress want to take back J&K back to days of terror."

Agencies

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The 4th and the 5th ships in the series of 8 Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Crafts, vessels of the Navy, were concurrently launched at the Cochin Shipyard on September 9, 2024

Two anti-submarine warfare shallow watercrafts vessels (ASWCWC) of the Indian Navy were launched at Cochin Shipyard here on Monday. The vessels are the fourth and fifth ships in the series of eight such watercraft.

The vessels -- 78 metres long, 11.36 metres wide and with a draught of about 2.7 metres -- can sail at a maximum speed of 25 knots and have an endurance of 1,800 nautical miles. Once commissioned by the Indian Navy, the vessels will be called INS Malpe and INS Mulki. The ships, with a displacement about 900 tons, are designed to fit the indigenously developed sonar for underwater surveillance.

The ships were launched by Vijaya Srinivas, wife of Vice Admiral V. Srinivas, the Flag Officer Commanding in Chief of the Southern Naval Command.

After a ceremonial puja, the vessels were launched by Vijaya Srinivas, wife of Vice Admiral V. Srinivas, the Flag Officer Commanding in Chief of the Southern Naval Command.

The contract to design, construct and deliver the eight ships was signed between the Ministry of Defence and Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) in April 2019. The Mahe-class of ships will replace the in-service Abhay class ASW Corvettes of the Indian Navy and are designed to undertake anti-submarine operations in coastal waters, low intensity maritime operations and mine-laying operations, apart from search and rescue.

Each vessel has a total installed propulsion power of about 12 MW and is equipped with light-weight torpedoes, ASW rockets and mines, close-in weapon system (30mm gun) and 12.7mm stabilised remote-control guns.

In his address, Vice Admiral Srinivas said the construction of the vessels are in keeping with the need to be self-reliant and be prepared in view of the geo-political situation and security challenges. “They were indigenously designed and built, with almost all equipment being manufactured in India. Their launch signals a powerful message that the nation is ready to ensure maritime security of our areas of interest,” he said. “Being larger than their predecessors, both in dimension and tasks, these ships would give impetus to the tactical and operational capability of ASW operations in the shallow waters,” he added.

Madhu S Nair, chairman and managing director of CSL, said the shipyard is geared up to cater to the Navy’s requirements. “In addition, we signed the master ship repair agreement with the US Navy, while the CSL Strategic and Advanced Solutions (C-SAS) is working closely with DRDO and Indian Navy in niche areas. The intent is clear, to strive for perfection in ship building and repair,” he said.

Agencies

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Bhaderwah/Jammu: Counter-infiltration measures have been put in place along the borders to ensure that terrorists don’t infiltrate and disturb the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, a top BSF officer said on Tuesday.

Inspector General of Border Security Force (BSF), Jammu frontier, D K Boora was speaking to reporters in Bhaderwah area of Doda district which along with six other districts covering a total of 24 assembly segments in south Kashmir and Chenab valley region of Jammu is going to polls in the first phase on September 18.

“The borders are completely secure as the BSF in coordination with sister agencies, including police, have taken all necessary counter-infiltration measures. I want to assure everyone that no such activity (infiltration of terrorists from across the border) will be allowed during the election process,” the BSF officer said.

He said the BSF is capable of dealing with any situation and will play its role in ensuring the conduct of free and fair elections.

“The BSF is an able force and you will find our troops deployed more in difficult terrain as they are capable of dealing with any type of situation and do their job bravely. The BSF is deployed here (in Chenab valley) for safe conduct of the elections,” Boora said.

Referring to recent terror incidents in Doda and Kishtwar districts, the BSF officer said the commanders on the ground are aware of some incidents and are conducting their activities in a tactical way to sanitise the whole area, and “I am hopeful that no untoward incident will happen during elections”.

Earlier, the BSF IG reviewed election security at a meeting with 20 commanding officers of the force whose units are deployed across all the three districts, informing that traces of militancy were found in this area in the recent past.

“They (terrorists) are not in large numbers but since the area has vast forest cover, they are getting an opportunity to survive,” he said, asking his men to be alert and foil any nefarious design of the terrorists.

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Asteroid Apophis: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is 'closely monitoring' and will cooperate with the nations across the world in case a celestial body comes dangerously close to the Earth, Chairman S Somnath said while addressing the issue of a large asteroid, Apophis, which is expected to pass by Earth at a very close distance.

This comes as the Indian space agency gets a new domain called planetary defence, which is tasked with the job of protecting Earth from extra-terrestrial objects, a report stated.

The ISRO Chairman said that the agency's Network for Space Objects Tracking and Analysis (NETRA) is monitoring Apophis very closely, adding that the agency is very alert about its threat. The chairperson further said that a large asteroid strike is a real existential threat to humanity.

"A large asteroid strike is a real existential threat to humanity. ISRO is very alive to that threat and our Network for Space Objects Tracking and Analysis (NETRA) is monitoring Apophis very closely. After all, we have only one Earth to live on. India will co-operate with all nations to ward off this and other such future threats," Dr S Somanath, Chairman of ISRO said as quoted by the NDTV.

Asteroid Apophis, named after the Egyptian god of chaos, is rapidly moving towards the Earth and is expected to come in its closest proximity on April 13, 2029. With a diameter of about 340 to 350 meters, Apophis is even bigger than INS Vikramaditya - India's largest aircraft carrier. It is even bigger than Narendra Modi cricket stadium in Gujarat.

According to ISRO's estimates an asteroid with a diameter larger than 300 meters can cause "continental scale devastation", while if a celestial body with a diameter bigger than 10 kilometres in diameter hits Earth, it can cause "mass extinction".

Agencies

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Riyadh: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday emphasised the critical role of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and described it as a "cornerstone of the global energy supply." He also showcased India's economic growth, noting that the country has emerged as one of the world's fastest-growing markets.

Jaishankar further underscored India's importance in global demand, asserting that much of the world's future demands will come from India.

The remarks by Jaishankar came while he was addressing the inaugural India-GCC Joint Ministerial Meeting for Strategic Dialogue.

He said, "The GCC is a cornerstone of the global energy supply. India is one of the world's largest and fastest-growing markets. Much of the future demand is going to come from us. Our deeper collaboration will help in stabilising markets, driving innovation and enhancing energy security."

He added, "Our partnership in the area of renewables, technology and innovation, health, space and education can also help realise our respective national goals. But our relationship goes beyond just transactions. It is built on a foundation of trust, mutual respect and a shared vision for the future."

Jaishankar emphasised the foundations of the India-GCC partnership, and said that the ties are "rooted in a rich tapestry of history, culture and shared values."

"Our meeting today is not just an occasion to reflect on our achievements but an opportunity to chart an ambitious and far-reaching course for the future The relationship between India and the GCC is rooted in a rich tapestry of history, culture and shared values. These bonds have grown stronger with time, evolving into a partnership that spans economics, energy, defence, technology, education, people-to-people ties and beyond... Let me offer the framework of the three Ps -- People, prosperity and progress. Our people-to-people ties are the bedrock of our relationship," he said.

Jaishankar underscored the importance of India-GCC interactions, emphasising that collaboration between the two sides is crucial for driving prosperity. "Our interactions are key to driving prosperity for the GCC and for India. Trade has not only expanded in volume but also in diversity, encompassing a wide range of goods and services that fuel our economy and create jobs," Jaishankar said.

He added, "It is important that we think not just for today. The task before us is to invest in each other's future and support each other's continued prosperity."

Jaishankar also expressed India's stand on the ongoing conflict in Gaza and asserted that the conflict is the "foremost concern" of India. Jaishankar also expressed India's stance on the escalating conflict in Gaza, calling it a "foremost concern."

He said, "The Gulf region occupies a central place in contemporary geopolitics. In a world polarised by conflict, we share a commitment to global peace, security and stability. The current situation in Gaza is now understandably our foremost concern. India's position in this regard is principle and consistent. While we condemn acts of terrorism and hostage-taking, we are deeply pained by the continuing death of innocent civilians... We support a ceasefire as soon as possible."

He added, "On the larger issue, we have stood for the resolution of the Palestinian issue through a two-state solution. We have also contributed to the building of Palestinian institutions and capacities... We have provided relief and increased our support to UNRWA ( United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees)."

Notably, Jaishankar on Sunday arrived in Saudi Arabia's capital, Riyadh, to attend the First India-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Foreign Ministers' Meeting.

Saudi Arabia's Deputy Minister for Protocol Affairs, Abdulmajeed Al Smari, welcomed Jaishankar in Riyadh. Jaishankar is on a two-day visit to Saudi Arabia from September 8-9.

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New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Tuesday announced that R Ravindra has been appointed as India's next ambassador to Iceland.

Ravindra, an Indian Foreign Service officer of the 1999 batch, is currently, serving as India's Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations.

In a press release, MEA stated, "Shri R. Ravindra (IFS:1999), presently Deputy Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations at New York, has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to Iceland."

"He is expected to take up the assignment shortly," it added.

Before joining as India's Deputy Permanent Representative at the UN in New York in September 2020, R Ravindra was Joint Secretary (Central and West Africa) in the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi, according to India's Permanent Mission to the United Nations statement.

Previously, he served at the Indian Embassy in Cairo from 2001-2003 and Libya's Tripoli from 2003-2007. He served as Regional Passport Officer in Bengaluru from 2007-2010, according to India's Permanent Mission to the United Nations statement.

He served at India's Permanent Mission of India to the UN in New York from 2010-2013 and at the Indian Embassy in Colombo from 2013-2016. He also served as India's Ambassador to Cote d'Ivoire, with concurrent accreditation to Liberia and Guinea from 2016-18.

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Seoul: Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma visited Seoul Technical High School in South Korea on Tuesday.

During his visit to the school, Rajasthan CM was seen interacting with the officials. It is the second day of his visit to South Korea.

"Today, on the second day of my stay in Seoul, the capital of South Korea, I visited Seoul Technical High School and observed the excellent educational system there. This school focuses especially on skill development, which is an important part of the modern education system. On this occasion, he had a cordial meeting with the school management and the students studying there and invited everyone to visit the brave land of Rajasthan with a lovely feeling of "Padhaaro Mhare Desh". Along with this, he discussed with the officials present about setting up similar advanced educational institutions in Rajasthan as well, taking inspiration from this school model," the CM posted on X.

"For the bright future of every student of Rajasthan, our government is also fully committed to providing quality, innovative, practical, employment-oriented, skill development-focused and inclusive education in the field of education. Giving special importance to skill development, our government is also organizing training programs in various fields, so that the youth can get better employment opportunities and they can contribute to nation building, " he further said.

During the day, he is scheduled to hold various meetings in South Korea. Rajasthan CM is on a visit to South Korea to invite investors for the 'Rising Rajasthan' Global Investment Summit 2024 to be held in Jaipur from December 9-11.

On Monday, a high-level delegation led by Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma participated in an investors' meet in Seoul and invited the business community and investors from the East Asian country to explore investment opportunities in Rajasthan.

This was the first international investors' meet of the state's upcoming 'Rising Rajasthan' Global Investment Summit 2024, which will be organised in December this year, according to Rajasthan Chief Minister's Office press release.

The Chief Minister, addressing the gathering, delineated his government's agenda of doubling the state's economy from the current US 180 billion dollars to US 350 billion dollars in the next 5 years and assured the investors that "the state is continually improving processes and policies to provide 'ease of doing business' in the state."

Exhorting the startups, innovators and members from South Korea's top business groups, to do business in Rajasthan, Chief Minister Sharma said, "The Government of Rajasthan is not looking at South Korea as a source of investment only, but also aspires to build a strong and long-term partnership across sectors with the business leaders of South Korea. As part of our investor-friendly initiatives, my government will soon launch a slew of new policies that will enhance the business-friendly climate in the state, including the new Industrial Policy, Export Promotion Policy, MSME Policy and One District, One Product (ODOP) Policy."

Besides the investors' meet, Rajasthan CM Sharma also held one-on-one meetings with senior officials of several big South Korean companies and associations from key sectors such as infrastructure, chemicals, startups and tourism, among others, accprding to press release.

This includes meeting the senior officials of POSCO International, SG Corporation (a South Korean asphalt concrete manufacturer), GS E&C (a South Korean firm working in renewable energy and battery storage space), Hanwha Solution (chemicals), and Jeonbuk Creative Economy Innovation Centre (JCCEI), which works as the incubator for startups.Besides that, several investors who were present during the investors meet also expressed interests in making investments in the state.

The Rajasthan government will host the 'Rising Rajasthan' Global Investment Summit 2024 in Jaipur on December 9-11. The three-day mega summit, which aims to attract and facilitate global investment, innovation, and partnerships in the state, is organised with the support of the Industry and Commerce Department, Bureau of Investment Promotion (BIP), and RIICO, with BIP serving as the nodal department for this summit.

During the summit, special plenary sessions will be organised on different focus sectors, including Agriculture, Renewable, Education and Skilling, Auto and EV, Infrastructure, Chemical and Petro-chemical, Tourism, Start-ups, Mining and ESDM/IT and ITeS and others.

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Seoul: A high-level delegation led by Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma participated in an investors' meet in South Korea's capital city, Seoul, on Monday and invited the business community and investors from the East Asian country to explore investment opportunities in Rajasthan.

This was the first international investors' meet of the state's upcoming 'Rising Rajasthan' Global Investment Summit 2024, which will be organised in December this year.

The Chief Minister, addressing the gathering, delineated his government's agenda of doubling the state's economy from the current US 180 billion dollars to US 350 billion dollars in the next 5 years and assured the investors that "the state is continually improving processes and policies to provide 'ease of doing business' in the state."

Exhorting the startups, innovators and members from South Korea's top business groups, to do business in Rajasthan, Chief Minister Sharma said, "The Government of Rajasthan is not looking at South Korea as a source of investment only, but also aspires to build a strong and long-term partnership across sectors with the business leaders of South Korea. As part of our investor-friendly initiatives, my government will soon launch a slew of new policies that will enhance the business-friendly climate in the state, including the new Industrial Policy, Export Promotion Policy, MSME Policy and One District, One Product (ODOP) Policy."

Besides the investors' meet, Chief Minister Sharma also held one-on-one meetings with senior officials of several big South Korean companies and associations from key sectors such as infrastructure, chemicals, startups and tourism, among others.

This includes meeting the senior officials of POSCO International, SG Corporation (a South Korean asphalt concrete manufacturer), GS E&C (a South Korean firm working in renewable energy and battery storage space), Hanwha Solution (chemicals), and Jeonbuk Creative Economy Innovation Centre (JCCEI), which works as the incubator for startups.

Besides that, several investors who were present during the investors meet also expressed interests in making investments in the state.

Officials of POSCO International and SG Corporation, who met the Chief Minister together, expressed interests in setting up an asphalt manufacturing unit in Rajasthan and offered to make "better roads" in the state with their products.

They also shared their expectations with the Rajasthan government delegation with respect to the subsidies, infrastructure services, raw material procurement and other requirements.

Meeting with officials of JCCEI pondered over avenues to exchange knowledge around entrepreneurship and helping startups grow their businesses.

A special investor meet was also organised to showcase the potential of Rajasthan's tourism sector, including showcasing the 9 UNESCO sites, forts and palaces in the state, forests and wildlife, fairs and festivals, weddings in Rajasthan and 'Palace on Wheels'.

This is to be noted that 'Palace on Wheels' is a heritage train that tours international tourists around the best destinations of Rajasthan and is the best way to see the state in 7 days.

Addressing the special tourism roadshow, Chief Minister Sharma said that both India and South Korea have a lot in common in terms of culture and festivals.

"I am here as a representative of Rajasthan, and I invite you all to invest in our land of heritage and culture. Today, Rajasthan is one of the fastest-growing economies in India, equipped with exceptional infrastructure, connectivity, and facilities. My government is ready to support you at every step of your investment journey. Together, we can build a bright future for Rajasthan and further strengthen the friendship between our two great countries," the Rajasthan CM said while inviting the South Korean tourism sector firms to invest in the state.

Addressing the gathering, Amit Kumar, India's Ambassador to South Korea, said, "Rajasthan is emerging as a promising investment and trade destination in India. The state is committed to fostering a conducive regulatory environment for business expansion. The upcoming 'Rising Rajasthan' Global Investment Summit 2024 will provide an ideal platform for exploring new business ventures in the state."

The high-level delegation that travelled along with the Chief Minister consisted of Prem Chand Bairwa, Deputy Chief Minister (II), Government of Rajasthan, Shikhar Agarwal, Additional Chief Secretary to CM, Government of Rajasthan, Ajitabh Sharma, Principal Secretary, Industries and Commerce, Government of Rajasthan and other top officials.

The event was organised with the help of the Indian Embassy in South Korea and the Indian Chamber of Commerce in Korea (ICCK).

The Government of Rajasthan, led by Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, will be hosting the 'Rising Rajasthan' Global Investment Summit 2024 on 9th, 10th, and 11th December 2024 in the capital, Jaipur.

The 3-day mega summit, which aims to attract and facilitate global investment, innovation, and partnerships in the state, is organised with the support of the Industry and Commerce Department, Bureau of Investment Promotion (BIP), and RIICO, with BIP serving as the nodal department for this summit.

During the summit, special plenary sessions will be organised on different focus sectors, including Agriculture, Renewable, Education and Skilling, Auto and EV, Infrastructure, Chemical and Petro-chemical, Tourism, Start-ups, Mining and ESDM/IT and ITeS and others.

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Male: Expressing sadness over the fire incident in a building in Male City, the Indian High Commission in the Maldives said that no loss of life or serious injuries were reported in the blaze and they were in touch with affected Indian nationals to provide support.

The Indian High Commission expressed gratitude to Maldivian authorities for their rescue and relief efforts.

Taking to X, the Indian High Commission in the Maldives stated, "HCI expresses sadness on the unfortunate incident of fire in a building in Male City on Sep 9. Noted no loss of life or serious injuries. We thank Maldivian authorities for their rescue & relief efforts. We are in touch with affected Indian nationals to provide requisite support."

The Indian High Commission in Maldives statement came after a fire erupted in the kitchen of a cafe located on Sosun Magu in Male.

Police have said that two foreigners on the street at the area, a man and a woman were taken to hospital after being affected by smoke, Maldives-based The Edition reported.

No people were injured in the incident. The cafe where the fire erupted was constructed entirely out of corrugated steel sheets.

The fire, which was brought under control, had started at the first floor of the three storey Gaamagu Cafe. The adjacent building was also affected in the blaze. Many houses in the vicinity were vacated on Monday, according to The Edition report.

A media Official from Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) said that they had received reports regarding fire at Dhoohimerige in Henveiru ward at 2:40 pm (local time) on Monday, The Edition reported.

The café in Dhoohimerige is run by expatriates in the ground floor of the building while the top two floors were used as a residence.

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New Delhi: Amid clamour for India playing a role of peacemaker or mediator in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Israel's Ambassador to India, Reuven Azar, has said that the significance of New Delhi's global role is increasing and it is also starting to manifest in the Middle East.

In an interview with ANI, Reuven Azar said it is for India to decide what role it wants to play.

"This would be up to India to decide, increasing importance of global role of India is obvious and it is starting to manifest also in the Middle East. We can see (this) not only in great relations between PM Modi and PM Netanyahu but also the initiative we saw last year of the growing bonds between the India and the UAE and the way they have been concluding agreements that would allow India to connect better to the Gulf (region), it will also serve as a hub to connect East and West," he said.

He was responding to query about whether Israel sees India playing any role to bring peace in Israel-Palestine conflict.

Palestine's envoy to India recently urged India to play a role of mediator in Israel-Palestine conflict.

India shares good relations with Israel and Palestine and has been following an independent foreign policy.

Last year, at the G20 summit held in New Delhi, US President Joe Biden announced the formation of the India-Middle-East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), a connectivity project aimed at increasing economic and physical connectivity between India, the Middle East, Europe, and the US.

The proposed corridor is facing major challenges due to conflicts and political instability in West Asia.

The Israeli envoy expressed optimism that once the conflict is over, economic cooperation will become prominent and the connectivity corridor will flourish.

"At the end of the day, countries that are partner in the Abraham Accords are working under more or less the same basis - which is we want to create stability and prosperity, we want to fight extremism, we need to see to work with the partners of the world, especially the US, to stabilise the region to be able to do trade safely. This is challenged by Houthis in Yemen and by other proxies of Iran," Reuven Azar said.

"We want to be in a situation where we can create an understanding how to defend this effort together so all the understanding we are having over the table...at the end of the day, create a set up that would allow us to flourish in future," he added.

Reuven Azar also lauded India's position on Hamas terror attack last October in Israel.

"We are grateful for the support India has given since October 7. India took clear stand condemning terrorist attack of October 7 and also defending the right of self-defence of Israel. We share the values of acting according to international law," Azar told ANI.

Israel's envoy also called for isolating at the international fora those states that support terrorism. He also spoke on cooperation with India on counter-terrorism

"We are cooperating in many ways, most of the ways we cooperate we are not announcing to terrorists, we have to be prudent about it, we have to be responsible about it but rest assured it is happening," he said.

"The question is whether beyond security and intelligence cooperation we can create diplomatic effort to isolate terrorists...question is how many countries you are going to convince to join us in this effort to isolate both terrorist and perpetrators, those countries that are sponsoring terrorism, they should be isolated," he added.

Reuven Azar presented his credentials to President Droupadi Murmu on September 6 along with envoys of four other countries.

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Washington: The United States will monitor joint military drills by China and Russia in the Sea of Japan and Sea of Okhotsk, but there is "no dramatic, imminent concern," a senior White House official said.

The White House national security spokesman John Kirby said at a press briefing on Monday local time that the United States will watch the naval and air exercises like any other drills.

He noted that China and Russia do not have a long history of working closely together militarily.

"We've been watching this defence relationship grow and deepen over the last couple of years to include the - the exercise of their militaries in both the air, at sea, and even on the ground," Kirby said

"We'll watch it like we watch all exercises, but look, these are two nations that don't have a long history of working well together, certainly not militarily. These are two nations that don't necessarily fully trust one another in the region or around the world," Kirby added in a press briefing.

"I see no reason for us to change our own military posture or deterrent posture as a result of this exercise. This is a long-planned exercise. It's a part of their -- their regimen. So, we'll watch it and -- and monitor, but - but there's no - you know, there's no dramatic, imminent concern about it, the US National Security Communications Advisor said.

China's Ministry of National Defence had on Monday announced that drills, codenamed Northern/Interaction-2024, aim to "deepen strategic cooperation between the two sides and strengthen their ability to respond to security threats," state media Xinhua news agency reported.

The ministry added that Chinese and Russian naval fleets will conduct their fifth joint maritime patrol in the Pacific Ocean. Furthermore, the Chinese navy will participate in Russia's "Ocean-2024" strategic exercise

China and Russia conducted a joint military exercise in the waters and airspace adjacent to Zhanjiang, located in south China's Guangdong Province in July this year. It included anti-missile exercises, sea strikes and air defence.

Xinhua had reported in July that the Chinese and Russian naval forces carried out on-map military simulation and tactical coordination exercises after the opening ceremony in Zhanjiang.

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Tel Aviv: Israeli jets struck a Hamas command and control centre embedded inside a Khan Yunis humanitarian zone overnight, the Israel Defence Forces said on Tuesday morning.

According to the military, the strike targeted "significant" Hamas members in the Mawasi humanitarian zone who "planned and carried out terrorist attacks" against both Israeli soldiers and civilians.

The army added that precise munitions, aerial surveillance and other measures were taken to mitigate the risk to civilians.

Israel has struck numerous Hamas control centres, rocket launchers, weapons caches, tunnel shafts, observation posts and other assets located inside designated humanitarian areas.

"The terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip continue to systematically abuse civilian and humanitarian infrastructure, including the designated Humanitarian Area, to carry out terrorist activity against the State of Israel and IDF troops," the army said in a statement.

Israel has struck numerous Hamas control centres, rocket launchers, weapons caches, tunnel shafts, observation posts and other assets located inside Gaza's humanitarian zones.

At least 1,200 people were killed, and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage in Hamas's attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7. Of the 97 remaining hostages, more than 30 have been declared dead. Hamas has also been holding captive two Israeli civilians since 2014 and 2015, and the bodies of two soldiers killed in 2014.

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KPK: A remote-controlled bomb exploded near a police van in South Waziristan's Wana Rustam Bazar on Monday, injuring 13 people, including six police personnel and seven civilians.

The attack occurred on Kir Kot Road, a location where police were providing security for an ongoing anti-polio campaign, according to a hospital official who spoke to Geo News.

Police officials confirmed that they reached the site of the explosion promptly after the blast was reported. Rescue teams were quick to arrive and transport the injured to the District Headquarters Hospital Wana. One of the critically injured victims was subsequently transferred to Dera Ismail Khan for advanced medical care.

Medical Superintendent Hamad Mahmood reported that the hospital received both civilians and police officers among the injured. The attack specifically targeted one of two police vehicles assigned to protect polio workers in the area.

The police have closed off the region from the public, and an investigation into the incident is underway to identify and apprehend those responsible, Geo News reported.

District Health Officer Inayat Rahman noted that the anti-polio campaign across the district commenced today, aiming to vaccinate approximately 70,000 children aged five and above. To ensure the safety of 297 polio teams involved in the campaign, 480 police personnel have been deployed throughout the district.

The attack underscores the ongoing risks faced by both security forces and polio workers in Pakistan's north-western regions, which are known for their volatility and security challenges.

This incident highlights the persistent dangers encountered by polio teams and security personnel in conflict-prone areas. Over the past decade, numerous attacks on polio workers have been reported, contributing to a climate of fear among those involved in vaccination efforts, reported Geo News.

Earlier this year, separate attacks in Tank and Dera Ismail Khan districts also resulted in injuries to police officers on polio duty, emphasising the continuing threats faced in these areas.

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