SOURCE: PTI

The US is not sending any election observers to India but is eager to continue to deepen and strengthen its cooperation with partners in India, the State Department has said.

“I’m not aware of the United States sending any observers. We generally don’t, in the case of advanced democracies like in the case of India,” Vedant Patel, Deputy Spokesperson of the State Department told reporters at his daily news conference on Thursday.

SOURCE: IANS

Inspector General of Police, Kashmir Zone, V.K. Birdi on Thursday chaired a meeting to review the security arrangements put in place for the smooth and successful conduct of upcoming elections in Jammu and Kashmir, a statement said.

The meeting delved into strategies aimed at safeguarding the safety and security of the general public while maintaining the integrity of the electoral process.

SOURCE: ANI

External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar on Thursday lauded the efforts of the Indian Embassy in Iran for the safe return of one of the 17 Indians onboard the vessel seized by Iran and said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s guarantee always delivers both at home and abroad.

“Great work, @India_in_Iran. Glad that Ms. Ann Tessa Joseph has reached home. #ModiKiGuarantee always delivers, at home or abroad,” EAM Jaishankar posted on X.

SOURCE: PTI

At least 80 Maoists have been killed and more than 125 arrested while 150 have surrendered in this year so far in Chhattisgarh, where 29 ultras were gunned down two days ago in a fierce encounter with security forces, officials said today.

Left-Wing Extremism-related violence has declined in the country by 52 per cent and the number of deaths by 69 per cent from 6,035 to 1,868 in 2014-23 compared to 2004-14, according to Union home ministry data.

SOURCE: IANS

The 16 remaining Indian crew members on board a cargo ship seized by Iran have not been detained and are allowed to leave the country easily, Iran’s Ambassador to India, Iraj Elahi, said on Thursday.

“The 16 Indian crew members on board the cargo ship have not been detained and are free to leave the country easily,” Elahi told NDTV over the phone on Thursday. The Iranian Ambassador’s comment came a few hours after deck cadet Ann Tessa Joseph, one of the 17 Indian crew members on board vessel MSC Aries, landed safely at the Cochin International Airport.

SOURCE: ANI

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar expressed pleasure at welcoming Special Representative Roza Otunbayeva, head of United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), here on Thursday morning.

In an official post on X, Jaishankar said they discussed the present situation in Afghanistan and exchanged viewpoints. “Glad to receive Special Representative Roza Otunbayeva, Head of UNAMA this morning. Exchanged views on the current situation in Afghanistan,” stated Jaishankar in his post on X.

SOURCE: ANI

The government has appointed Vice Admiral Dinesh Tripathi as the next Chief of the Indian Navy. Mr Tripathi is presently the Vice Chief of Navy Staff after having done multiple important assignments in his around 40-year-long vast career and he will assume his new office on April 30.

Prior to taking over as Vice Chief of the Naval Staff, VAdm Dinesh K Tripathi served as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command. An alumnus of Sainik School Rewa and National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, he was commissioned into the Indian Navy on July 1, 1985. A Communication and Electronic Warfare specialist, he served on frontline warships of the Navy as Signal Communication Officer and Electronic Warfare Officer, and later as the Executive Officer and Principal Warfare Officer of Guided Missile Destroyer INS Mumbai. He commanded the Indian naval ships Vinash, Kirch and Trishul.

SOURCE: IANS

The Karnataka Police on Friday arrested four Bangladeshi nationals, who had entered into the country and stayed illegally in the outskirts of Bengaluru city, the police said. According to the police, the accused were staying in Bengaluru for a long time and forged documents to show that they were Indian citizens.

The accused had managed to obtain a passport by producing fake documents. While acting on a tip-off, the police conducted raids and arrested all the four Bangladeshi nationals. The police have seized an Aadhaar card, caste certificate, ration card, Ayushman card, labour card and voter identity card from the accused persons.