Sign In
By signing in or creating an account, you agree with Associated Broadcasting Company's Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
By signing in or creating an account, you agree with Associated Broadcasting Company's Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
New Delhi : As Saudi Arabia 's Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman visits Washington, US President Donald Trump has announced that it would sell F-35 fighter jets to Riyadh. "We will be selling F-35s. They have been a great ally,” Trump reportedly said. Trump’s clearance comes despite a New York Times report that US officials had warned that moving forward with the sale to Saudi Arabia could allow China to gain access to the advanced warplane’s technology. The US has only sold F-35s to its closest allies, including a few European nations. Saudi Arabia has been eyeing the fighter jets for a long time now as it faces security challenges in the region. In 2019, the US had removed Turkey from the F-35 programme after it purchased a Russian air defence system. At that time, Washington had raised concerns that Russia might gain access to the jet’s technology. Israel, the only regional operator of the F-35, has also voiced its concern over proposed sale of F-35 jets to Saudi...
New Delhi : The UN Security Council (UNSC) on Monday gave its nod to a US-backed resolution endorsing President Donald Trump’s plan to end the Gaza war and authorising an international stabilisation force for the Palestinian enclave. It marks a pivotal step, which offers international backing for US efforts to pave the way for the war-ravaged zone towards peace after two years of deadly conflict. Taking to social media, Trump said: “This will go down as one of the biggest approvals in the History of the United Nations, will lead to further Peace all over the World, and is a moment of true Historic proportion!” The UN vote endorses Trump’s 20-point ceasefire blueprint and builds on the momentum of the wobbly truce he helped secure with allies. It is a crucial move in the US effort to build Gaza’s post-war future after the conflict wrecked havoc on the territory, killing thousands and displacing as many. Challenges galore However, Trump 's plan is riddled with many...
New Delhi : A political storm is brewing in Kerala, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh after three Booth Level Officers (BLOs) in these states allegedly died by suicide. It is being alleged that they took their own lives due to enormous workload related to Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. There are also accusations that they were given unreasonable and stiff targets. In Tamil Nadu, complaints are flooding and the exercise has faced disruptions. The Kerala case In Kerala, BLO Aneesh George, aged 44, was found dead in his house on Sunday. He was the BLO for booth number 18 under Payyanur Assembly seat in Kannur district. Even though no suicide note was found, his family and close friends claimed that George, an office attendant at a school, was under pressure to finish his job within the stipulated time, (by December 4), according to a report in The Indian Express. On Monday, BLOs across Kerala called for a strike and refused to work in protest against George’s alleged...
New Delhi : Another major milestone is soon to be scripted by the Indian Navy, as it strides towards its indigenous warship-building journey. On November 24, the first vessel under the Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW SWC) project, ‘Mahe’, will be commissioned at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai. 'Mahe ' is built by Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL), Kochi. It showcases India’s vision of 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat '. The vessel is designed to hunt down enemy submarines in the sea with clinical precision. Why is 'Mahe ' so special? Named after the coastal town of Mahe on India’s western seaboard, the vessel embodies India’s rich maritime heritage and the resilient spirit of its coastline. ‘Mahe’ has been specially designed for operations in littoral zones — shallow waters where detecting and neutralising submarines is particularly challenging. But for Mahe, this is a cakewalk. It is compact and formidable. Its design and built It is the...
New Delhi : China 's show of maritime strength speaks volumes about its expanding territorial influence. Its assertiveness and activity continues to grow in the region. It entered a new phase in the South China Sea, with operation of two aircraft carriers -- Fujian and Shandong -- simultaneously. India is closely watching the maiden deployment of Fujian, China’s most advanced and powerful carrier yet, whose movements could reshape the balance of naval power in the Indo-Pacific. New satellite imagery shows Fujian outside its port for the first time today. This could be the first operational deployment of Fujian. At the same time, China’s second carrier, Shandong, has also been spotted active at sea. These once again underscore China’s growing military ambitions in the South China Sea. Why is this deployment significant? China’s dual-carrier deployment comes at a time when India is boosting its naval capabilities and advancing its strategy to emerge as a key pillar of...
New Delhi : The International Crimes Tribunal-Bangladesh (ICT-BD) convicted deposed former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday for her alleged involvement in the atrocities during the 2024 mass protests that toppled her government. Hasina has been sentenced to death. Ahead of her conviction and death penalty, ICT-BD prosecutor Gazi MH Tamim had underlined that the prosecution wants maximum punishment for Hasina and had urged the confiscation of her property for distributing it among families of those killed or injured during last year 's protests. Chief prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam had called for the death sentence, alleging that she masterminded the atrocities carried out during the 2024 mass protests. What happens next? Hasina may challenge the death penalty verdict in the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court within 30 days of sentencing, but she should surrender or be taken into custody during that period to file the appeal. The Appellate Division is...
New Delhi : When Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman visits US President on Tuesday, it would be his first visit to the White House since Saudi critic and journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed in 2018 allegedly by Saudi agents in Istanbul. The meeting shows that US-Saudi Arabia ties are rooted in strategic interests which have endured despite the row over Khashoggi’s killing. The Crown Prince had then denied ordering the operation but owned responsibility as the Kingdom’s de facto leader. President Donald Trump is reportedly planning to host bin Salman at the White House, with full state-visit protocol. It will start with a morning welcome ceremony. A formal dinner in the evening is also planned. “We’re more than meeting,” Trump was quoted as saying on Friday as he flew to Florida for the weekend. “We’re honouring Saudi Arabia, the Crown Prince.” The visit of the Crown Prince cannot be called as an official state visit as bin Salman is not Saudi...
New Delhi : It was another smoggy morning for Delhi as the city’s average AQI plummeted to 359 on Monday. After government directive, all schools in Delhi-NCR till class 5 have gone on a hybrid mode from November 11 under GRAP-III measures. However, the families of children and teachers are encountering a host of issues, including logistical problems as well as access to digital tools. Teachers contend that the abrupt shift has brought to the fore once again the deep digital divide they had struggled with during the Covid-19 pandemic. A number of teachers reportedly don 't have tablets or laptops to conduct online classes. There are also families who don 't have enough mobile phones. This is forcing them to miss classes. WiFi infrastructure is lacking In some cases, WiFi connectivity is lacking. Some schools don 't have a campus where WiFi is enabled. So, teachers don 't have any other option but to use their mobile data. Without a proper WiFi infrastructure,...
New Delhi : Bangladesh is on the boil with a slew of crude bomb blasts rocking Dhaka on Sunday. The climate is volatile ahead of the International Crimes Tribunal-Bangladesh (ICT-BD) verdict in a case against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina linked to alleged violence during last year’s street protests. Supporters of Hasina 's party Awami League have been staging demonstrations across the country as the verdict nears. The protesters are demanding the cases against Hasina to be dropped, while calling them a "sham". As anxiety grips the city, security has been beefed up and police have been ordered to shoot protesters on sight. Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner SM Sazzat Ali reportedly told the local media, "Anyone who sets buses on fire or throws crude bombs with intent to kill should be shot. The law clearly gives us this authority." Seventy-year-old Hasina is being tried in absentia on charges of crimes against humanity. There are allegations that she carried out...
New Delhi : The Bihar BJP posted a photo of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and JD(U) leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar together after the NDA was set to secure a landslide mandate to stay in power in the state. The photo was posted with a Bhojpuri caption: "Jodi Modi-Nitish Ji Ke Hit Ho Gayil, Bihar Ke Vikas Phir Repeat Ho Gayil" (Modi-Nitish partnership has become a hit, Bihar development is on repeat.” As of 4 pm, Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) and Modi’s BJP were leading on 83 and 95 seats respectively. The NDA was ahead in 207 of the 243 Assembly constituencies. This was one of several recent moves by the NDA, especially the BJP, that signalled Nitish still holds the top position. This gesture stems from the fact that Nitish Kumar was sworn in as chief minister in 2020 despite JD(U) winning only 43 seats. This was a setback largely attributed to Chirag Paswan’s sabotage. At the time, the BJP was the biggest constituent within the NDA in the Bihar Assembly. For Result...
No posts found.
