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[ad_1] NEW DELHI: After PM Modi, defence minister Rajnath Singh is also set to skip Russia's Victory Day parade in Moscow next week, amid heightened tensions with Pakistan. India is keeping all military options open against its western neighbour, as rival armies continue to exchange small arms fire along LoC.Junior defence minister Sanjay Seth is likely to represent India at the 80th Victory Day celebrations in Moscow on May 9, an official said Saturday.Though Russia had invited Modi for the ceremony, it was earlier decided that Singh would attend the event. Russia has invited leaders of several friendly nations, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, to attend the Victory Day parade.Army Saturday said Pak Army had again "resorted to unprovoked small-arms firing" at its posts from across the LoC in areas like Kupwara, Uri and Akhnoor in J&K during the night. […]

[ad_1] NEW DELHI: Govt has told industry that current discussions for the proposed trade deal with the US are focusing on products or tariffs lines, and has sensitised it about the possible rules of origin that will determine if an item qualifies for duty concessions or not.During a meeting on Friday, businesses were also asked to be prepared for reciprocal tariffs in some form after the current pause ends in early July.Indian govt asks exporters to flag US trade hurdles At a meeting with industry on Friday, the commerce department sought a detailed list of non-tariff barriers faced by Indian exporters, which it can take up during negotiations with the United States.India's expectations from the negotiations were not shared with industry representatives, nor were their inputs sought on how to go about sector-specific talks. The meeting, however, marks the first […]

[ad_1] Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif (PTI Image) Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, during his meeting with Turkiye Ambassador Dr Irfan Neziroglu in Islamabad on Saturday, said that Pakistan's response was "responsible and measured to India's provocative actions" after the Pahalgam terror attack, which has claimed the lives of 26, including a Nepalese tourist, as reported by Radio Pakistan.The prime minister emphasised that "despite India's provocative actions following the Pahalgam incident, Pakistan's response was responsible and measured".Reiterating Pakistan's stance against terrorism, he stated that the nation has consistently opposed all forms of terrorist activities.The prime minister claimed that India has "failed to share any evidence and is falsely trying to link Pakistan to the Pahalgam attack".He further alleged that India has "yet to respond to Pakistan's offer to have a credible, transparent and neutral international investigation to ascertain the facts behind […]

[ad_1] NEW DELHI: The Army is going in for the procurement of another lot of man-portable air defence missile systems, which can intercept and destroy hostile fighter jets, aircraft, drones and helicopters at ranges up to 6-km, amid the ongoing tensions with Pakistan after the Pahalgam terror massacre.The defence ministry-Army on Friday issued the tender or RFP (request for proposal) for 48 launchers, 48 night-vision sights, 85 missiles and a missile test station of the very short-range air defence system-new generation (VSHORADS-NG). Vendors have been told to submit their bids by May 20."The fire-and-forget VSHORADS-NG, based on infra-red homing technology, are needed by Army to meet the evolving dynamic air threat. There are major shortages in such man-portable systems for terminal and point defence against all types of aerial threats," an officer said.The RFP said the all-weather air defence system, […]

[ad_1] NEW DELHI: In a move to boost New Delhi's surveillance power amid heightened military tension, the US state department has approved the sale of HawkEye 360 technology to India, which will help the country gain maritime domain awareness in the Indo-Pacific, aided by a growing constellation of satellites in Low Earth Orbit.The proposed sale, the state department statement said, "will improve India's capabilities to meet current and future threats by bolstering its maritime domain awareness, analytical abilities and strategic posture".A US Defence Security Cooperation Agency statement said New Delhi requested purchase of the SeaVision software, including its preferred software enhancements, training as a technical assistance field team, remote software, analytic support, documents, and other logistics and programme support elements. The estimated total cost is $131 million. "The principal contractor will be Hawkeye360, located in Herndon, Virginia," the statement said. […]

[ad_1] NEW DELHI: In a sudden move, govt has removed Krishnamurthy Subramanian, its nominee on the IMF board, six months before his tenure was to end.The decision comes days before a crucial meeting of the IMF board to decide on a fresh $1.3bn climate resilience loan to Pakistan. Govt has upped the ante at multilateral agencies, including World Bank & ADB, seeking to block the flow of financial support to Pakistan. Subramanian did not respond to a text message from TOI late Saturday evening.Finance secretary Ajay Seth frontrunner to replace Subramanian Govt sources said the decision to recall K Subramanian from the IMF board came after the former chief economic adviser in the finance ministry questioned IMF datasets, the latest episode in his skirmishes with the multilateral agency. Besides, there are allegations of impropriety by the Indian School of Business […]

[ad_1] IMPHAL: Life ground to a halt across Manipur's Imphal Valley and Kuki-majority hill districts Saturday as communities marked two years since ethnic violence between Meitei and Kuki-Zo groups erupted on May 3, 2023.Shops and markets were shuttered, schools and colleges closed, public transport halted, and govt offices saw near-total absenteeism. Pharmacies remained shut in Imphal.More than 260 people have been killed, over 1,500 wounded, and at least 70,000 displaced since the conflict began, with divisions deepening between the Meitei in the valley and Kuki-Zo tribes in the hills. Thousands continue to live as internally displaced persons (IDPs) in overcrowded camps and prefabricated shelters, grappling with trauma and economic hardship.A "Peoples' Convention" was held at Khuman Lampak stadium complex in Imphal by Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI). Kuki-Zo groups observed a solemn "Day of Separation" with memorials at the […]

[ad_1] Ravindra Jadeja argues with umpire (screengrabs) NEW DELHI: Chennai Super Kings' young star Dewald Brevis found himself at the centre of a major controversy during their IPL 2025 clash against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday. In a high-stakes chase, Brevis was dismissed for a golden duck on his very first ball after being adjudged LBW to Lungi Ngidi. While the delivery looked to be sliding down leg, Brevis hesitated to take a review and was eventually denied the chance — the 15-second DRS timer had expired.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!The South African batter, caught in a moment of doubt, discussed the decision with non-striker Ravindra Jadeja before finally signalling for DRS. But it was too late. Replays later confirmed that the ball would have missed the stumps comfortably, sparking […]

[ad_1] NEW DELHI: India is committed to taking “firm and decisive” action against the terrorists who perpetrated the Pahalgam attack and those who support them, said PM Narendra Modi amid repeated calls by the global community for restraint and de-escalation and as tensions soar with Pakistan. After a bilateral meeting with visiting Angola President João Manuel Lourenço, Modi said both leaders agreed that terrorism is the biggest threat to humanity.Modi delivered his media statement after the meeting in Hindi but switched over to English while talking about the April 22 attack and India’s resolve for decisive action against the perpetrators. The PM had done the same 2 days after the attack while speaking in Madhubani in Bihar where he, in his first response to the tourist massacre, pledged to identify, track and punish every terrorist and their backers.Modi’s remarks on […]

[ad_1] NEW DELHI: India has rejected Pakistan's proposal for a "neutral" probe into the mass killings at Pahalgam by dismissing it as a deception meant to distract attention from Islamabad's complicity in the slaughter of innocent tourists. "They are pursuing their familiar playbook of deception and duplicity. The term 'neutral' is nothing but a loaded euphemism for the blatant lie that those making the offer were not complicit in the carnage. They are trying to pull the wool over the world's eyes," an official told TOI.‘Move doesn’t reflect desire for justice, but is diversionary ploy’It does not reflect a desire for justice, but is a diversionary ploy. They are trying to deflect international attention, evade scrutiny and accountability and undermine India’s right to defend its sovereignty and security.”Another source said, “Neutrality in investigation implies a dispute over facts, but here […]