[ NATIONAL ]

‘Pralay’ quasi ballistic missile developed to defeat interceptor missiles: Sources

‘Pralay’ which was successfully testfired on Wed is a quasi ballistic surface to surface missile developed in a way to able to defeat interceptor missiles, informed the sources.

India supports UNSC resolution to grant exemption from sanctions for humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan: TS Tirumurti

Concerned over the fact that half the population of Afghanistan is facing acute food insecurity, Ambassador of India to the UN TS Tirumurti on Wednesday (local time) said that India has supported the UNSC resolution to grant exemption from sanctions for humanitarian assistance to the troubled country.

Indian foreign secretary meets military junta chief, NLD members; emphasizes ‘Myanmar’s return to democracy’

During the meeting, India also raised ‘matters related to India’s security’ given the recent Churachandpur incident and called on Myanmar’s military leadership to put an end to any form of violence and maintain peace and stability in the border areas

Int’l syndicate of fake Indian currency notes busted, 2 arrested

An international syndicate involved in circulating Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN) was busted and 2 people involved in the racket were arrested by the Special Cell of Delhi Police, an official said here on Thursday.

Jammu and Kashmir: 5kg IED detected, destroyed in Srinagar

The police, in its release, informed that acting on intelligence reports, in a joint search operation of the Pulwama police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), “IED weighing approx 5 kgs was found assembled in a container.”

One dead, 2 injured in Ludhiana District Court explosion

2 people were killed and 4 others were injured in the explosion at Punjab’s Ludhiana District Court Complex on Thursday. Ludhiana Commissioner of Police informed that the explosion was heard near the Record Room on the second floor of the Ludhiana Court complex. The identity of a possible suspect, whose body was found at the explosion site, is being ascertained. 4 persons injured are in stable condition. Police searching the Court complex. A team of NSG is also coming here: Ludhiana CP. Further details are awaited.

India reports 7,495 new Covid-19 cases; the country’s Omicron tally stands at 269

India has reported 7,495 new cases of Covid-19 and 434 deaths in the last 24 hours, the Union health ministry bulletin on Thursday stated. India, as per the bulletin, has reported 269 cases of Omicron variant so far. The ministry also said 104 Omicron patients have so far recovered. India’s active caseload currently stands at 78,291. With Omicron cases growing rapidly in the country, PM Narendra Modi has called for a high-level meeting on Thu at 6 pm to review the Covid-19 situation. Covishield, as a booster, gives significant protection against Omicron. Plus with Covovax being also cleared by the WHO and European regulators, India has choices of boosters being manufactured in India by the Serum Institute of India.

UP polls: PM Modi launches multiple development initiatives in Varanasi, addresses a massive rally at his parliamentary constituency

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday visited his parliamentary constituency, Varanasi, and laid the foundation of 27 projects worth Rs 2095 crore. Before the inauguration, the PM reviewed the development projects along with Uttar Pradesh’s chief minister Yogi Adityanath.

CRPF women commandos in VIP security teams soon

CRPF women commandos trained in VIP security will soon be added to the security detail of Z-plus category protectees based in Delhi, including home minister Amit Shah, Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as well as former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The women commandos, like their male counterparts, will carry arms, ballistic protection, and other equipment.

[ NEIGHBORHOOD ]

EU ban on PIA flights may be lifted soon

The ban imposed by the European Union on Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight operations is expected to be lifted soon, as the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s (ICAO) validation committee has cleared a safety audit report after which the Significant Safety Concerns (SSC) will be gradually eased out. An ICAO audit team that had visited Pakistan to undertake a safety audit of the aviation authority completed the process on Dec 10; however, its final report will be released in a few weeks and shared publicly.

Pakistan’s Fifth-Gen Aircraft: Turkey Eyes Pact With Azerbaijan & Pakistan To Develop Next-Gen Stealth Fighters

Amid frayed ties with NATO and the US, Turkey which is looking to pursue an independent policy under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is exploring domestically developed fifth-generation fighter jets. As part of the move, Ankara is looking at cooperation with allies Azerbaijan and Pakistan.

Afghan Taliban stop the Pakistan army from the fencing international border

Taliban soldiers in Afghanistan disrupted the erecting of a security fence by the Pakistani military along the border between the two countries, Afghan officials said on Wed.

‘Growing caution’ sees Taiwan diversify investments away from mainland China

Taiwanese investment in mainland China dropped by 14.5% from a year earlier in the Jan-Nov period, while flows to Association of Southeast Asian Nations countries, Australia and New Zealand increased by 115.6%.

China warns of grave terror risks from Afghan chaos

ISIS, al-Qaeda, and Xinjiang-related militant outfits are regrouping and also targeting cyberspace, the Chinese minister tells counterterrorism seminar. Solidarity and cooperation are the most powerful anti-terror weapons, Wu Jianghao says as he seeks international support against ETIM. The resurgence of international militant groups emboldened by the chaos in post-war Afghanistan is posing serious threats to anti-terror work, China has warned. Terrorist groups are taking advantage of the drastically changed situation in Afghanistan this year to expand their presence and stir up trouble, China’s assistant foreign minister Wu Jianghao said.

Tiananmen statue dismantled by Hong Kong University; pressure from Xi’s China?

Hong Kong university dismantled & removed a Tiananmen statue from its campus site. The 26-ft high has sat on the HKU campus since 1997, the year the former British colony was handed back to China. It commemorated pro-democracy protesters killed during China’s Tiananmen Square crackdown in 1989. Known as the ‘Pillar of Shame’, the sculpture features 50 anguished faces and tortured bodies piled on one another. The Council of the University of Hong Kong (HKU) said in an early Thursday statement it decided to remove the statute during a Wed meeting, ‘based on external legal advice and risk assessment for the best interest of the University’.

‘Pralay’ quasi ballistic missile developed to defeat interceptor missiles: Sources

‘Pralay’ which was successfully testfired on Wed is a quasi ballistic surface to surface missile developed in a way to able to defeat interceptor missiles, informed the sources.

• (sources)- the advanced missile has been developed in a way to able to defeat interceptor missiles.
• It can change its path after covering certain range mid-air.

As reported yesterday, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully conducted the maiden flight test of indigenously developed surface-to-surface missile ‘Pralay’, from Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha.

The Ministry of Defence, in a press release, said, “The mission has met all its objectives. The new missile followed the desired quasi ballistic trajectory and reached the designated target with high degree accuracy, validating the control, guidance, and mission algorithms.”

Why Pralay quasi-ballistic missile, tested by DRDO today, will be a ‘game-changer’ for Army

A quasi-ballistic missile has a low trajectory, and while it is largely ballistic, it can maneuver in flight. The missile has a range of 150-500 km and has been developed according to specifications given by the eventual user, the Army.

• Capable of being launched from a mobile launcher, it has the latest navigation system and integrated avionics and will be part of the Artillery Corps of the Army.
• Pralay will be the longest-range surface-to-surface missile in the inventory of the Army, which sources said will give a fillip to their operational plans.
• The Army also has the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile in its arsenal, with a stated range of 290-plus km.

‘Change tactical battlefield dynamics’- Former, DRDO scientist, R.K. Gupta said “Pralay is a game-changer”.

Cruise missiles and ballistic missiles have their own distinct advantages-While cruise missiles have high agility, stealth, and even loitering capability, ballistic missiles have the advantage of speed, and countering them is a very difficult task even for modern air defense systems.

• ThePrint (sources)- the Pralay missile project was sanctioned in 2015 and is a derivative of the Prahaar missile program, which was first tested in 2011.
• That missile is yet to be inducted since a greater range was sought.

India supports UNSC resolution to grant exemption from sanctions for humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan: Tirumurti

Concerned over the fact that half the population of Afghanistan is facing acute food insecurity, Ambassador of India to the UN TS Tirumurti on Wed (local time) said that India has supported the UNSC resolution to grant exemption from sanctions for humanitarian assistance to the troubled country.

• He noted that the winter is already started thus the assistance be scaled up urgently and unhindered access be provided to the UN and other agencies.
• India has supported the call of the international community that access to humanitarian assistance for Afghanistan should be direct and without any hindrance.
• Humanitarian assistance should be based on the principles of neutrality, impartiality, and independence, and disbursement of the aid should be non-discriminatory.
• In particular, the assistance should reach the most vulnerable first – including women, children, and minorities.
• Tirumurti added that at the same time, this Council should equally exercise its oversight on the delivery of assistance as well as guard against any possible diversion of funds.

Over the last two decades, India has contributed significantly to the development of Afghanistan. We have just airlifted half a million doses of vaccines and 1.6 metric tonnes of life-saving medicines and will continue.

• We remain steadfast in our commitment towards humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan, Tirumurti said.
• While the situation in Afghanistan is in flux, the expectations of the international community vis-a-vis Afghanistan were set out clearly in UNSC Resolution 2593.
• The Resolution lays down the requirements in terms of the fight against terrorism, including from terrorists and terrorist groups designated under Resolution 1267.
• The expectations of the international community in terms of an inclusive and representative political setup, and the importance of upholding human rights to all.

Going forward, even as we cater to the immediate humanitarian needs of the people of Afghanistan, our approach to Afghanistan will be guided by the commitments expected from resolution 2593, and our long-standing friendship with the people of Afghanistan, he added.

US to provide additional one million COVID-19 vaccine doses to Afghanistan: Blinken

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wed (local time) said that the US will work with the international community to scale up the level of assistance provided to Afghanistan, adding to provide 1 mn additional COVID-19 vaccine doses to the strife-torn country through COVAX.

Indian foreign secretary meets military junta chief, NLD members; emphasizes ‘Myanmar’s return to democracy’

Indian foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, who is on a 2-day visit to Myanmar, held meetings with the military junta chief, Min Aung Hlaing, and members of Aung San Suu Kyi’s political party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), on Thursday and conveyed India’s interest in seeing “Myanmar’s return to democracy at the earliest.”

The ministry of external affairs’ statement added that India expressed its support to the 5-point consensus of the ASEAN on Myanmar and “hoped that progress would be made pragmatically and constructively”.

India also raised “matters related to India’s security” given the recent Churachandpur incident and called on Myanmar’s military leadership to put an end to any form of violence and maintain peace and stability in the border areas.

“Both sides reiterated their commitment to ensuring that their respective territories would not be allowed to be used for any activities inimical to the other,” the statement said.

• Last month, as reported insurgents had attacked a convoy of Assam rifles killing 7 personals in northeastern Manipur state, which borders Myanmar.
• The People’s Liberation Army and the Manipur Naga People’s Front claimed responsibility for the incident.

Notably, the release pointed out that “any developments” in Myanmar “have a direct impact on India’s border regions. Peace and stability in Myanmar remain of utmost importance to India, specifically to its North Eastern Region.”

Recently, Myanmar had handed over 5 insurgents to India, the 2^nd time in two years that such a development has taken place.

The projects like Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport Project and the Trilateral Highway were also discussed with Delhi retreating its “commitment for expeditious implementation of ongoing connectivity initiatives”.

India has been developing projects like the Rakhine State Development Program and Border Area Development Program for Rohingya refugees, which the MEA statement has categorically called “people of Myanmar”.

• As part of the development program, India has handed over pre-fabricated houses to displaced returnees.
• During the visit, Shringla also handed over 1 million doses of “Made in India” vaccines to the Myanmar Red Cross Society and a grant of 10,000 tons of rice and wheat.
• Notably, Myanmar was the first country to get Indian-made vaccines when New Delhi started its vaccine export program in January this year.
• The first consignment of vaccines was sent to the country on January 22 this year. So far, India has sent 4.7 million doses of vaccines to the ASEAN country.

Int’l syndicate of fake Indian currency notes busted, 2 arrested

An international syndicate involved in circulating Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN) was busted and 2 people involved in the racket were arrested by the Special Cell of Delhi Police, an official said here on Thu.

• The arrested key suppliers were identified as Feroj Sheikh And Muffazul Sheikh, both natives of West Bengal.
• According to police, the arrested persons have already supplied FICN with a face value of more than Rs 2 crore in the national capital during the last two years.

Furnishing details about their arrest, police said in the last week of Oct, the Special Cell received input regarding the circulation of FICN in India from Bangladesh through the Indo-Bangla border in District Malda (West Bengal).

• Soon after, the police mounted surveillance on the movements of the members of this syndicate and requisite intelligence was collected.
• It was found that two key suppliers of FICN are actively involved in the supply of the same in Delhi, West Bengal, Bihar, and other parts of India.
• As both the accused arrived at the specified location, the cops cornered and apprehended them.
• During interrogation, accused Feroj Sheikh disclosed that he had procured consignment of recovered FICN from one Salaam of Murshidabad in West Bengal.
• They had come to deliver the FICNs to one of their contacts in Delhi as they have been actively indulging in the circulation of FICN in the country for about the last 5 years.

The two also disclosed that they used to procure FICNs of Rs 1 lakh of Rs 30,000 and further supplied or sold the same at the rate of Rs 40,000-45,000 per lakh to their contacts in Delhi and other parts of the country.

• Feroz Sheikh has also disclosed that Salaam, the supplier, used to receive the consignment of FICN from Bangladesh at the Indo-Bangla border in Distt Murshidabad.
• The police have registered a case under appropriate sections of the law and further probe is still on.

Jammu and Kashmir: 5kg IED detected, destroyed in Srinagar

A major tragedy was averted after a joint team of the Jammu and Kashmir police, CRPF and the army detected and defused a 5kg IED (Improvised Explosive Device) in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Thu. The police acted on a specific input about the IED planted on the Neva Srinagar road and started an operation.

• The IED was defused by the bomb disposal squad on the spot.
• A case has been registered in connection with the incident and an investigation has been initiated. The police also added that a few suspects have been picked up for questioning.
• A case has been registered and police have started the investigation.

[ NEIGHBORHOOD ]

Pakistan’s 5^th-Gen Aircraft: Turkey Eyes Pact With Azerbaijan & Pakistan To Develop Next-Gen Stealth Fighters

Following its ouster from the US’ F-35 Joint Strike Program over its acquisition of the Russian S-400 air defense system, Turkey has been pushing its ambitious indigenous 5^th-generation fighter jet, known as the TF-X National Combat Fighter.

The TF-X has been planned to be a single-seat, twin-engine all-weather multi-role fighter developed by the Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) along with BAE Systems which is providing some technical assistance for the development of the fighter jet.

• TAI and BAE Systems signed a £100 million strategic agreement in Jan 2017 for collaborating on the stealth fighter project.
• As part of this contract, BAE Systems will provide engineering consultancy services and project-related support.

The Undersecretariat for Defence Industries (SSM) of the Ministry of Turkish National Defence and TAI inked a deal in August 2016 for the design and development of a home-grown fighter jet.

• In May 2020, Turkish company HAVELSAN and TAI decided to collaborate for the software development and integrated training for the TF-X National Combat Aircraft.
• The stealthy fuselage of this jet is going to be composed of superior carbon composites.
• The aircraft’s aerodynamic design is going to further enhance its high-speed capabilities.
• The aircraft is largely intended for meeting the needs of air-to-air combat.
• However, owing to its sleek design and distinctive features, the TF-X can also perform air-to-surface missions.
• The aircraft is expected to provide a high level of situational awareness, sensor fusion techniques, low observability, and advanced weapon systems.
• We received positive signals in this regard, we said that we are completely open to partnership,” Demir said.

Eyeing Partnership With Pakistan-Turkey has been pushing to get Pakistan on board for jointly developing missiles and warplanes, with the hope that a partnership with Pakistan will provide Ankara access to Chinese military technology. Ankara officials conducted several talks with their Pakistani counterparts, with the last “high-level” discussion happening in Jan this year, for co-manufacturing of military hardware with Pakistan, Bloomberg reported.

Afghan Taliban stop the Pakistan army from the fencing international border

Taliban soldiers in Afghanistan disrupted the erecting of a security fence by the Pakistani military along the border between the two countries, Afghan officials said on Wed.

Pakistan has fenced most of the 2,600 km border despite protestations from Kabul, which has always contested the British-era boundary demarcation that splits families and tribes on either side.

The Afghan defense ministry said Taliban forces stopped the Pakistani military from erecting an “illegal” border fence along with the eastern province of Nangarhar on Sun.

He played down the incident, saying everything was now normal. The Pakistan army did not respond to a request for comment.

A video circulated on social media showed Taliban soldiers had seized spools of barbed wire and one senior official warning Pakistani soldiers stationed in security posts in the distance not to try to fence the border again.

• Taliban spokesman Bilal Karimi said they were investigating the incident.
• Taliban and Pakistani forces came face-to-face over the border incident, two Taliban officials told Reuters on the condition of anonymity, and the situation was tense.
• Following the incident, there was cross-border mortar fire from Pakistani territory further north along the frontier into Afghanistan’s Kunar province on Wed.
• It was unclear if the incidents are linked. The officials said Afghan military helicopters could be seen patrolling the area.
• The fencing was the main reason behind the souring of relations between the previous U.S.-backed Afghan govt and Islamabad.
• The current standoff indicates the matter remains a contentious matter for the Taliban, despite its close ties to Islamabad.
• Foreign govts have long alleged that Pakistan supported the insurgent movement as it fought the U.S.-backed govt and Western troops – a charge Islamabad denies.
• The lawless mountainous border was historically fluid before Pakistan began erecting a metal fence four years ago, of which it has completed 90%.

The border incident happened the day foreign delegates from around the world gathered in Islamabad for a summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation to discuss the unfolding humanitarian disaster in Afghanistan.