School band competition to foster sense of pride, patriotism among children: Defence Secretary

India's Air Chief Marshal AP Singh stated that the country lacks fighter jets and needs about 40 combat aircraft annually. The private sector could aid in boosting fighter production capacity. There have been delays in the indigenous light combat aircraft (LCA) program, with plans to increase production to 24 LCAs per year. HAL aims to produce 30 aircraft yearly, and a private sector partner may help bridge the gap in production. Full Article

The Border Security Force (BSF) in Guwahati arrested 15 Bangladesh nationals in Tripura for illegally entering India, along with three Indian touts facilitating their entry without legal documents. The arrests were made in Kailashahar, Unakoti district, with the intruders hailing from various regions in Bangladesh. The BSF has intensified its efforts to combat narcotics smuggling, showcasing a strong commitment to border security. Full Article

President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a tense Oval Office meeting, accusing him of being disrespectful and pushing for US security commitments amid the Russia-Ukraine war. Trump rebuked Zelenskyy for not being thankful and warned of risking World War III. Despite the contentious discussion, Trump acknowledged the bravery of Ukrainian soldiers and highlighted an economic agreement while pushing for peace and improved US-Russia relations. Full Article

On Friday evening, messaging app WhatsApp experienced a major outage, leaving thousands of users unable to send or receive messages. Down Detector reported over 14,000 complaints around 9:17 pm, with users worldwide affected by the disruption. While the cause remains unclear, the outage impacted personal and professional communication, with London, Manchester, and Glasgow among the most affected areas. Full Article

India and the European Union (EU) are working on a security and defence partnership to address common threats like cross-border terrorism and attacks on critical infrastructure, amidst China's military activities in the Indo-Pacific region. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced plans for a Security and Defence Partnership with India, emphasizing the importance of security in the strategic partnership. The partnership aims to enhance collaboration on countering terrorism, maritime security threats, cyber-attacks, and protecting...

The DRDO and Indian Navy successfully tested the NASM-SR missile, with a human operator adjusting its course mid-flight using a two-way data link for live seeker images. Designed to replace foreign-origin missiles, the NASM-SR features advanced technology like an Imaging Infra-Red Seeker and Inertial Navigation System. Developed collaboratively by DRDO labs and supported by Indian industry, the missile marks a significant step towards indigenous naval weaponry. Full Article