Author: newshens

The discussion is likely to be held at a high-level defence ministry meeting scheduled in the next two to three days. The Indian defence ministry is going to take up internal discussion for a possible deal worth around ₹3.25 lakh crore for buying 114 Rafale fighter jets from France. The high-level meeting of the ministry will be held this week, the report added, citing sources. If approved, this would be India’s largest-ever defence deal and would take the number of Rafale jets in the Indian military to 176. The air force already has 36; while the navy placed orders for…

Zubeen Garg, 52, died in September last year, a day before he was set to perform at the North East India Festival. Singer Zubeen Garg was “severely intoxicated” and had drowned off Lazarus Island after declining a life jacket last September, a Singapore court was told on Wednesday. Zubeen Garg, 52, died in September last year, a day before he was set to perform at the North East India Festival. The Assamese singer initially wore a life jacket but removed it and later declined to put on a second one offered to him, the chief investigating officer told the Singapore…

The agreement was signed between Pakistan Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb and Zachary Witkoff, a co-founder of World Liberty Financial in Islamabad. Pakistan has signed an agreement with US-linked financial technology firm affiliated with World Liberty Financial, the main crypto business of the family of US President Donald Trump, to develop cross-border digital payment systems. The agreement between Pakistan’s Ministry of Finance and SC Financial Technologies was signed by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb and Zachary Witkoff, a co-founder of World Liberty Financial (WLF) in Islamabad. The deal is one of the first public tie-ups between a country and World Liberty, linked…

The Trump administration will halt visa processing for visitors from 75 nations starting January 21, affecting countries like Somalia, Russia, and Iran. The Trump administration is halting all visa processing for visitors from 75 nations beginning January 21, reported Fox News on Wednesday, citing a memo from the US State Department. Somalia, Russia, Iran, Afghanistan, Brazil, Nigeria, and Thailand are among the countries impacted by the new move. Consular officials have been instructed to deny visa applications until the screening and vetting processes are reevaluated. No specific timeline was mentioned. The decision effectively closes the door to new travel to…

The development comes after Iran said it had had warned neighbors hosting American troops that it would hit US bases if Washington strikes. The United States is withdrawing its troops from key bases in the Middle East as a precaution amid heightened regional tensions and threat from Iran, mutliple reports said on Wednesday. A US official said that several personnel from a key base in Qatar were advised to evacuate by Wednesday evening. The development comes after Iran, in the face of threats by the US, said earlier on Wednesday that it had had warned neighbors hosting American troops that…

The result means that the BJP, which has 50 members in the 101-member council, will have to depend on the support of an Independent councillor. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which clinched power for the first time in the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation in the local body elections last month, faced a setback on Tuesday after losing a crucial bye-election, missing an opportunity to secure a simple majority in the civic body. In the bye-election to the Vizhinjam ward of the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation, necessitated by the death of an Independent candidate before the polls, United Democratic Front (UDF) candidate K…

Kaundinya is a “stitched ship”, built by stitching wooden planks with coir rope, and was part of Indian Ocean trade around the first millennium CE. In late December, INSV Kaundinya left Porbandar, in Gujarat, on a 15-day journey to Muscat, in Oman, “symbolically retracing historical maritime routes” that once connected India with the wider Indian Ocean world. Named for a semi-legendary mariner, Kaundinya is a “stitched ship”, a term referring to vessels built by stitching wooden planks together using coir rope, that formed part of Indian Ocean traffic in and around the first millennium of the Common Era. The vessel’s…

According to the Australian education ministry, India is only second to China in terms of international students enrolled in educational institutions. Australia has tightened checks for student visa applications from India even as it moved the country into the “highest-risk” category, along with several others. The changes, that came into effect from January 8, has led to concerns in India, which is one of Australia’s largest source countries for international students. India has been moved from Assessment Level 2 (AL2) to Assessment Level 3 (AL3). The assessment level ranges from AL1 (lowest risk) to AL3 (highest risk). While India, despite…

This comes after Thackeray cousins alleged that Mumbai and Maharashtra’s assets were being handed over to the Gautam Adani-led conglomerate. Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray sought to target the Adani Group on Tuesday ahead of high-stakes civic body polls in Maharashtra, as he highlighted the group’s expansion in Maharashtra and other parts of the country. “Between 2014 and 2025, span of just eleven year the Adani Group, with the government’s blessings, has expanded across the country at an unprecedented pace, steadily building dominance across multiple sectors,” the MNS chief said in a post on social media platform X.…

While Trump didn’t elaborate on whether the US would directly intervene in Iran, he said he has cancelled all meetings with Iranian officials. US President Donald Trump on Tuesday told Iranian protestors to “Keep protesting” and said “help is on its way.” While Trump didn’t elaborate on whether the US would directly intervene in Iran, which is grappled with one of the worst protests, he said he has cancelled all meetings with Iranian officials. Trump also urged protestors to “take over institutions” in a clear message of backing protestors, who have been protesting against regime. “Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING —…