The first deliveries of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles to the Philippines will begin in 2023, co-director of the joint Russian-Indian venture BrahMos Aerospace Alexander Maksichev said, as per local media.
The USD 375-million deal for the supply of BrahMos missiles to the Philippines was reached in January and is the first export contract for BrahMos Aerospace, as per Russian news agency Sputnik.
“The first deliveries of the missiles will begin in 2023 . These will be missiles for coastal defense, a coastal missile system,” Maksichev said.
As per the agency, BrahMos Aerospace was established in 1998, specializes in producing cruise missiles and supporting equipment, such as launchers and missile guidance systems. The joint Indian-Russian enterprise was named after the rivers of Brahmaputra and Moscow.
Meanwhile, BrahMos Aerospace Deputy CEO Sanjeev Joshi received the World Disaster Management Congress for Disaster Risk Reduction during the COVID-19 pandemic from 2020 to 2021.
US Navy Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Mike Gilday. (Twitter)
United States Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Mike Gilday has said that India will be a crucial partner for America in the future, playing a key role in countering China.
This remark comes as the idea that the border clashes between India and China in the Himalayas pose a two-front problem for Beijing has been gaining traction among US strategists, the Japanese newspaper Nikkei Asia reported.
During an in-person seminar in Washington, America’s highest-ranking Navy officer on Thursday that he has spent more time on a trip to India than with any other country as he considers New Delhi to be a strategic partner for the US in the future.
Referring to his five-day visit to India last year, Admiral Gilday said, “The Indian Ocean battlespace is becoming increasingly more important for us. The fact that India and China currently have a bit of a skirmish along their border … it’s strategically important.”
“They now force China to not only look east, toward the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait, but they now have to be looking over their shoulder at India,” Admiral Gilday said during the event hosted by the Heritage Foundation.
Back in June, when the leaders of the Quad were meeting in Japan, former Pentagon official Elbridge Colby told Nikkei Asia that while India would not directly contribute in a local battle over Taiwan, it could draw China’s attention to the Himalayan border.
What the United States and Japan need India to do is to be as strong as possible in South Asia and effectively draw Chinese attention so that they have a major secondfront problem,” said Colby, the principal author of the 2018 National Defence Strategy under former President Donald Trump.
India, in the meantime, draws the same benefit from China’s difficulties in facing a strong US-Japan alliance around Taiwan, he said.
As many as five youths died due to drowning in the Yamuna river under a DND flyover during the immersion of the Lord Krishna idol on Sunday, the police said.
According to Delhi police, the deceased have been identified as Ankit (20), Lucky (16) Lalit (17) Beeru (19) and Ritu Raj alias Sanu (20).
Soon after the information was received a team of police reached the spot.
After immersion, the idol got stuck in the middle of the river. Then, six boys entered the river, out of which only one managed to come back and five boys drowned, the police said.
The bodies of all five boys have been recovered from the river and sent to Safdarjung Hospital for post-mortem. All were residents of Salarpur village, Greater Noida, the police added.
A girl who was allegedly set on fire by a person after she did not reciprocate his proposal in Jharkhand’s Dumka district succumbed to her burn injuries on Sunday. The police said the accused has been arrested.
Accused Shahrukh poured petrol on her and set her ablaze on August 23. She was set on fire in a case of unrequited love.
A student of class 12, Ankita Kumari had been first admitted to Phulo Jhano Medical College and Hospital in Dumka in critical condition. Later she was referred to Ranchi’s Rajendra Institute of Medical Science (RIMS) for better treatment.
Soon after the incident came to light, people were seen protesting in the streets of Dumka.
Speaking to ANI, Dumka Superintendent of police (SP) Ambar Lakda said, “The accused Shahrukh has been arrested. We will apply at fast track court for a fast trial. People are cooperating with us. We appeal to people to maintain peace. The situation is under control and Section 144 has been imposed.
Reacting to the matter, Jharkhand Health Minister Banna Gupta said stringent action will be taken against perpetrators ensuring a fast trial.
“The state government is serious regarding the murder of a girl in Dumka. Stringent action will be taken against perpetrators. We will ensure a fast trial. We have talked to DC in this regard,” Gupta said.
A suicide attempt by a 22-year woman was aborted due to presence of mind of a Central Railway motorman and Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel at Byculla station on Saturday evening.
As per information, the woman made two suicide attempts by standing in front of the train at Byculla.
The first attempt was made at 5.55pm on Kurla-bound slow tracks. However, passengers forced her to vacate the track after they heard incessant honking by the motorman of the on-coming train.
She was brought on platform no. 1 but immediately began to run towards track where CSMT-bound train operates.
She stood there for the on-coming train to run over her. However, the motorman began honking as well as applied emergency brakes after witnessing the scenes on the track.
When the woman showed no signs for clearing the tracks, assistant sub inspector Ravindra Sanap, who had rushed on the track to alert the motorman, pushed her away to safety. Fortunately, the train managed to stop a few inches ahead of her.
Mumbai’s iconic double-decker buses are set for a comeback in an electric avatar with a Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport Undertaking official stating that their numbers will match the highs of the 1990s by next year.
A 30-year-old woman was arrested on Saturday for allegedly strangling her paramour in Goregaon in Mumbai, a police official said.
The incident happened in the afternoon near Tapeshwar Temple in Goregaon East, the Aarey police station official said. “The accused woman and the man often fought. On Saturday afternoon, she strangled him with a stole and left the body in an autorickshaw. She then surrendered. Both are Powai residents,” he said.
While Sri Lanka awaits a response from China over Colombo’s request for debt restructuring amid the economic turmoil, Beijing has downplayed these critical requests and instead put ahead the agenda of human rights in the island nation.
This comes ahead of the next session of the United Nations Human Rights Council to be held in September.
In the op-ed which was disseminated from the Chinese embassy in Colombo, the Chinese focus turned on something entirely different where its shared its views on the human rights situation in Sri Lanka.
This comes ahead of the 51st session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva.
In a detailed Op-Ed by Chinese Ambassador Qi Zhenhong, he failed to address the debt restructuring of loans it has provided to Sri Lanka since it makes up more than 40 pc of the total Government to Government (GtoG) debt the country owes.
The Chinese side sugarcoated its statements by diplomatic words such as “extending support to the Sri Lankan government to relieve it from the economic crisis” but nothing more substantial so far, a diplomat lamented, reported Sunday Times.
In a hard-hitting response to the remarks of Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Qi Zhenhong, the Indian High Commission in Colombo said on Saturday that his views were a violation of basic diplomatic etiquette and may be a personal trait or reflecting a larger national attitude.
The High Commission, which made a series of tweets, also referred to Qi’s remarks on the visit of a Chinese spy vessel to Hambantota port in Sri Lanka and said his imputing a geopolitical context to the visit of a purportedly scientific research vessel is a giveaway.
The High Commission also referred to reports of China’s debt-trap diplomacy and said “opaqueness and debt-driven agendas are now a major challenge, especially for smaller nations”.
It said Sri Lanka, which is facing an unprecedented economic crisis, needs support, not unwanted pressure or unnecessary controversies to serve another country’s agenda.
“We have noted the remarks of the Chinese Ambassador. His violation of basic diplomatic etiquette may be a personal trait or reflect a larger national attitude. His view of Sri Lanka’s northern neighbour may be coloured by how his own country behaves.
India, we assure him,is very different. His imputing a geopolitical context to the visit of a purportedly scientific research vessel is a giveaway,” the Indian High Commission said. “Opaqueness and debt-driven agendas are now a major challenge, especially for smaller nations. Recent developments are a caution. Sri Lanka needs support, not unwanted pressure or unnecessary controversies to serve another country’s agenda,” it added.
India had earlier rejected insinuations by China that it had exerted pressure on Colombo to defer the visit of a high-tech Chinese research vessel to Hambantota port and said Sri Lanka is a sovereign country and makes its own independent decisions.
“We reject the insinuations in the statement about India. Sri Lanka is a sovereign country and makes its own independent decisions,” Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi had said at a media briefing. Bagchi said India will make the best judgement about its security interests and it takes into account the prevailing situation in the region, especially in border areas.
The Maharashtra government’s City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) on Sunday said it had completed the casting of 500 slabs for tenements under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana in just 489 days.
The residential complex for which these slabs have been cast is coming up in Taloja node of Navi Mumbai, an official said.
We have been able to cast over one slab per day at this site using modern technology, he said.
Earlier, CIDCO had come in for praise for constructing a 12-storey building comprising 96 apartments in 96 days.
CIDCO managing director Sanjay Mukherjee said the town planning authority is committed to completing such public works in record time to fulfil people’s dreams of owning homes.
Five-wicket haul by all-rounder Cameron Green coupled with top knocks from David Warner and Steve Smith led Australia to a smooth five-wicket win over Zimbabwe in the first ODI of three-match series in Townswille on Sunday.
With this win, Australia has taken a 1-0 lead in the series. Zimbabwe were bundled out for 200 despite Wesley Madhevere scoring a brilliant 72 off 91 balls. Green took 5/33.
Australia chased down the total comfortably with David Warner (57) and Steve Smith (48*) scoring solid knocks. Ryan Burl though took 3/60 and bowled really well for the visitors.
Put to bat first by the hosts, Zimbabwe openers Innocent Kaia and Tadiwanashe Marumani gave a solid start to the batters. All-rounder Mitchell Marsh broke the 42-run stand between the duo by catching and bowling out the Kaia for 17.
Later, Madhevere and Marumani carried on the momentum provided by openers. The scoreboard kept moving for a while until Adam Zampa rattled Marumani’s stumps when he was at 45 off 61 balls. The 45-run stand between the duo was over.
Then Zampa and Green dismissed Tony Munyonga (7) and Sikander Raza (5) quickly, leaving the visitors at 122/4. A 63-run stand followed between captain Regis Chakabva and Madhevere.
Madhevere brought up his fourth T20I half-century. The duo kept going for runs. Zampa got his second wicket of the match by dismissing Madhevere for 72 off 91 balls. At this point, Zimbabwe was 185/5.
From then on, a collapse was triggered in the Zimbabwe batting lineup. Green went on to take four more wickets and pacer Mitchell Starc took the final wicket to bundle out Zimbabwe for 200 in 47.3 overs. Green was the best bowler for Australia (5/33). Zampa also took 3/57. Marsh and Starc took one wicket each. Chasing 201, Aaron Finch and David Warner put Aussies to a fine start.
Richard Ngarava broke the 43-run stand by dislodging Finch’s stumps when he was at 15. Then, Warner and Smith put the Australian innings back on track after this early hiccup. The duo were dealing with boundaries.
Warner brought up his 22nd half-century. Sikandar Raza broke the 65-run stand by dislodging Warner’s stumps when he was at 57. At this point, Australia was 108/2. Then all-rounder gave Australia a scare by sending back Alex Carey (10), Marcus Stoinis (19) and Mitchell Marsh (2) for cheap, reducing Australia to 153/5.
Finally, the duo of Glenn Maxwell and Smith put up an unbeaten 48-run stand in 24 balls to take Australia across the finishing line. Maxwell was extremely brutal with his bat, scoring an unbeaten 32 off 9 balls with three fours and three sixes. Ryan Burl (3/60) delivered the best bowling performance for Zimbabwe but could not prevent a loss. Green was the ‘Man of the Match’ for his brilliant spell of 5/33.
