Author: News Desk
India and Vietnam held the fifteenth Defence Policy Dialogue in Hanoi on November 10, with India represented by Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh and Vietnam by Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien. The meeting focused on strengthening defence cooperation and produced two major agreements. Both sides reviewed regional and global developments and noted that the friendship and broad cooperation between them has grown steadily since the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership was announced in 2016. Defence ties already cover delegation exchanges, young officer programs, training, peacekeeping and defence industry work. Vietnam continues to follow an independent foreign policy shaped by self reliance, peace…
Indian Railways has updated its catering rules to let well known single brand food chains such as McDonalds, KFC, Pizza Hut, Baskin Robbins and Haldirams set up outlets at railway stations. A new category called Premium Brand Catering Outlet has been added to the 2017 catering policy. Until now, stations mostly had stalls offering basic refreshments like tea, milk and juice. The Railway Board is rolling out this new category so that major food chains can operate at stations the same way they do at airports. In a circular sent to all zones on November 13, the board said these…
Manika Vishwakarma chose to showcase her love for Indian craft by appearing in a saree as the Miss Universe Organisation introduced her on Instagram and highlighted an interesting detail about her. For the official post, she wore a rich peacock green saree made from a light chiffon fabric. The drape shimmered with gold zari applique work, a scalloped border, sequin detailing and delicate floral embroidery. She paired it with a matching peacock green blouse that had a wide bateau neckline with a deep cut that framed her decolletage. The blouse featured gold zari work, sequin accents, a backless style, dori…
Tamil Nadu has been actively supporting new and emerging sports and one game gaining attention both nationally and internationally is pickleball. Its growth has been further boosted by the launch of the Indian Pickleball League a franchise based competition inspired by leagues like the IPL. The first edition is scheduled from December 1 to 7 at the KD Jadhav Indoor Hall in New Delhi. The league’s launch event on Tuesday introduced the jerseys for the inaugural season. Five teams will compete initially with a sixth team to be announced later. The teams are Chennai Super Warriors, Bengaluru Blasters, Capital Warriors…
Russia has proposed establishing shipbuilding and ship-repair clusters in two of India’s major port cities, Mumbai and Chennai, with Russian participation. Nikolay Patrushev, aide to the Russian President and chairman of the Russian Maritime Board, made the suggestion during high-level consultations in New Delhi. The discussions, held ahead of a projected summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Vladimir Putin, focused on bolstering bilateral cooperation in the civilian maritime sector. Key areas of collaboration include port infrastructure, maritime logistics, and crew training. Russia is offering to share its expertise in designing specialized vessels, such as ice-class ships and auxiliary vessels.It has also proposed a joint database of…
Indian and French fighter jets are back in the same sky, flying side by side as this year’s edition of Exercise Garuda gets underway at the Mont-de-Marsan Airbase in southwest France. Su-30MKIs from the Indian Air Force and Rafales from the French Air and Space Force have begun coordinated missions, practicing everything from dogfights to defensive manoeuvres and precision strikes. Photos released by the IAF show the two aircraft weaving through formation drills with IL-78 tankers and C-17 transport aircraft supporting the missions in the background. This is the eighth time India and France have held the Garuda exercise, a…
Andhra Pradesh is gearing up to host India’s first giga-scale electric air taxi manufacturing cluster, with Sarla Aviation from Karnataka committing ₹1,300 crore to the project. The plan was formalised after Sarla Aviation and the Andhra Pradesh Airport Development Corporation Ltd (APADCL) signed an MoU during the CII Partnership Summit 2025 in Visakhapatnam. It comes soon after Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu announced that drone taxi production would begin within the next two years. At the heart of the initiative is the Sky Factory, an eVTOL manufacturing hub that Sarla says will rank among the largest of its kind anywhere.…
Toyota has lifted the cover on the 2026 Century, its most prestigious model and a long-standing symbol of Japanese luxury. While people often compare it to brands like Rolls-Royce or Bentley, the Century follows its own path. It doesn’t rely on flash or noise. It leans on craftsmanship, calmness, and a style that’s confident without being loud. Toyota has packed decades of engineering experience into a car built to make every moment inside it feel effortless. The design sets the tone right away. The new Century stands tall, with a wide grille and clean, sculpted lines that give it presence…
The Union government has turned down the Metro Rail proposals for Coimbatore and Madurai, saying neither city meets the 2-million population requirement set out in the 2017 Metro Rail Policy. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, in a letter dated November 14, 2025, pointed out that the 2011 census puts Coimbatore at 15.84 lakh and Madurai at about 15 lakh. Since the policy uses the 2011 figures as its baseline, both cities fall short of the threshold needed to plan a Metro. The Centre’s note also referenced Tamil Nadu’s own mobility studies. The State-approved comprehensive mobility plan suggests that…
Indonesia’s Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin is set to visit New Delhi in the last week of November for talks with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The meeting comes at a crucial moment, especially after Indonesia’s formal request to buy the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile system. Officials familiar with the preparations say this round of talks carries real weight. Both sides have held several military-level meetings in recent months, and Jakarta’s growing interest in BrahMos has pushed the engagement into higher gear. Rajnath Singh recently disclosed in Lucknow that Indonesia had officially sought to procure the system manufactured at the new BrahMos…