Four Indians with voting right to elect next pope
KOCHI: Four Indian cardinals, including two Keralites, are part of the 120-strong College of Cardinals who will attend a secret conclave to choose the next pope.
The Indian cardinals eligible to vote in the conclave are Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão, 72, the Archbishop of Goa and Daman and Patriarch of the East Indies; Thiruvananthapuram-based Cardinal Baselios Cleemis, 64, the Major Archbishop-Catholicos of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church; Cardinal Anthony Poola, 63, Archbishop of Hyderabad and the first Dalit cardinal in history; and Changanassery native Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad, 51, who had been coordinating Pope Francis' foreign trips since 2021
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Hindustan Times
42 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Centre gives nod for weapons that outgun Pakistan's arsenal
Even as national security planners and military chiefs celebrated one month of Operation Sindoor on Saturday evening, HT learns that the defence ministry has given the green signal to the three services to replenish inventory with longer-range loitering ammunition, artillery shells, kamikaze drones and beyond-visual-range air-to-air missiles that out-range the Chinese missiles used by Pakistan during the four day high intensity skirmish. According to people familiar with the matter and on the basis of action taken reports and damage assessment undertaken by the three services, there is digital evidence to conclude that the Indian Air Force (IAF) fighters, surface-to-air missile batteries and S-400 air defence system downed four Pakistani Chinese-made fighter jets and two big aircraft (possibly one C-130 J and one SAAB 2000 airborne early warning system) during Operation Sindoor. There are also indications, the people added, that two F-16 fighter aircraft may have been partly damaged during the IAF's missile assault on 11 airbases, including those at Sargodha, Rafiqui, Jacobabad and Nur Khan (Chaklala, Rawalpindi). The reports indicate that India's Rafale fighters, S-400 missile systems and M777 howitzers acquitted themselves well during the four-day conflict with the Russian air defence system taking three enemy aircraft. They also show that India destroyed one Chinese LY-80 fire radar, two AN TPQ-43 US-made automatic tracking radar and one fire unit of Chinese HQ-9 radar at Chaklala during the retaliatory strike on May 10. Intelligence inputs now suggest that Pakistan has four HQ-9 (the Chinese equivalent of the Russian S-300 air defence radars) instead of two originally estimated by national security planners. The Pakistani military used the Chinese version of PL -15 air to air missile which has a range of 180 are also inputs that the Pakistanis, by mixing two fire units of 250-km range HQ 9 air defence system with two other 150-km range systems at Chaklala and Malir cantonment near Karachi, respectively, may have tried to catch the Indian Air Force by surprise. The Action Taken Reports also show that IAF fired 19 BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles on Pakistan air bases and almost an equal number of French SCALP subsonic cruise missiles. The Pakistanis, in turn, fired CM-400 AKG air-launched supersonic missiles at Indian air bases using Chinese JF-17 fighters but these failed to do any damage. The Turkish built YIHA loitering ammunition that Pakistanis fired in large numbers were either jammed by the Indian electronic warfare suite, missed their targets, or were taken down by India's robust air defence system. Even the FATAH-1 rockets fired by Pakistan were either off the mark or were intercepted by the Indian air defence systems. HT learns that there is now adequate evidence that India's first counter-terror strike on May 7 was a success as Markaz-e-Taiba (the LeT headquarters at Muridke) was hit by four to five Crystal Maze missiles, which show a small entry point but damage the facility within. The Jaish-e-Mohammed facility at Markaz-e-Subhan Allah was hit by 6 SCALP missiles launched from Rafale fighters and totally destroyed the terror factory through pin-pointed strike using bunker busting techniques. The US-made Excalibur ammunition used by M-777 howitzers of the Indian Army destroyed the tier 2 defences of the Pakistan Army across the LoC as did India's Polish-made loitering extended range ammunition. The Indian Air Force and Indian Navy used Israeli loitering ammunition to destroy terror camps in Occupied Kashmir on May 7. Between the launch of the operation in the early hours of May 7 and the ceasefire on the evening of May 10, Indian forces bombed nine terror camps in Pakistan and PoK and killed at least 100 terrorists, and the Indian Air Force struck targets at 13 Pakistani air bases and military installations. On Tuesday, it emerged that India's targeting of locations within Pakistan during the May 7-10 clash was more extensive than was previously known, with a Pakistani document acknowledging that Indian drones had struck locations ranging from Peshawar in the northwest to Hyderabad in the south. Pakistan's Operation Bunyan-ul-Marsoos, which was mounted in response to Operation Sindoor, 'folded in eight hours' on May 10 belying Islamabad's ambitious target of bringing India to its knees in 48 hours, chief of defence staff General Anil Chauhan said on Tuesday. The action taken reports as well as the immediate emphasis on replenishment suggest that the Indian forces are aware, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi has repeatedly said, that Operation Sindoor isn't over.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
India a must at G7 table: Mark Carney on inviting PM Modi
NEW DELHI: Canadian PM Mark Carney defended the last-minute invitation to his counterpart Narendra Modi for the , saying it made sense for Canada and other members to invite the "5th largest economy" and the most populous country in the world that's central to a number of supply chains. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now While Modi's travel programme is not finalised yet, he's expected to reach Alberta in time for the G7 outreach session on June 17. Other G7 members keen on seeing Modi's participation, hints Carney The G7 summit begins on June 15. Asked repeatedly about why Canada would have Modi over when the probe into the killing of Khalistan separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar is still on, Canadian PM Mark Carney said there had been progress on law enforcement dialogue which "recognises issues of accountability". Carney's predecessor Justin Trudeau had wrecked the India-Canada relationship by alleging the Indian govt's role in the murder without, as India continues to maintain, sharing any evidence. "Bilaterally, we have now agreed-importantly-to continued law enforcement dialogue. So, there's been some progress on that, which recognises issues of accountability. I extended the invitation to Prime Minister Modi in that context, and he has accepted,'' said Carney, responding to questions from the media about the issue and the invitation to Modi. "We are a country of the rule of law. The rule of law is proceeding as it should in Canada, and I am not going to disrupt that process,'' he added. Carney hinted that other G7 members were keen on seeing participation by the Indian leader. "First, we are in the role - Canada is in the role - of the G7 chair, and in those discussions, as agreed with our G7 colleagues, we're addressing important issues like energy security, the digital future, and critical minerals, among others. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Partnerships in building infrastructure in the emerging and developing world are also part of the agenda,'' he said. "In my capacity as G7 chair, and in consultation with others - some of whom also make these determinations - it makes sense to include India, the fifth-largest economy in the world, effectively the most populous country, and central to a number of those supply chains,'' he added.
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Delhi govt to set up transgender welfare board
The Delhi government on Saturday announced the establishment of a 'Transgender Welfare and Empowerment Board' in a first-of-its-kind initiative to ensure the dignity, rights, and opportunities for the transgender community in the Capital. Chief minister Rekha Gupta described the move as a reflection of inclusive governance in Delhi and asserted that the government is taking practical steps to uplift marginalised communities, the Delhi chief minister's office said in a statement. 'This is not merely a legal procedure, but a symbol of our unwavering commitment to ensure dignity, rights, and opportunities to the transgender community. This is a practical and powerful step towards building an empowered and 'Viksit Delhi'. Our government is committed to ensuring equal rights for all. The board will work on policy making, recommending welfare schemes, coordinating with various departments, and resolving grievances of the transgender community. It will also ensure timely issuance of identity certificates and ID cards. Now, transgender individuals will be able to self-declare their gender identity and obtain identity documents from the district magistrate,' the chief minister said. According to Delhi government officials, the board will be entrusted with key responsibilities, including policy formulation, recommendation of welfare schemes, coordination among departments, and grievance redressal for transgender persons. It will also play a vital role in ensuring the timely issuance of identity certificates and ID cards, enabling transgender individuals to self-declare their gender identity and obtain official documentation from their respective District Magistrates without bureaucratic hurdles. The government will roll out several supportive measures targeted specifically at the transgender community such as construction of third-gender toilets in government buildings, dedicated hospital wards and gender-specific healthcare services in government-run hospitals, ensuring that medical care is inclusive and sensitive, a transparent and online process for the issuance of transgender identity cards to reduce delays and promote accessibility, sensitisation and awareness campaigns across schools, colleges, and workplaces to address stigma and promote social acceptance; and employment training programmes, temporary shelters, and social security schemes tailored to the needs of the transgender population. The move has been hailed by activists and civil society organisations. 'This is a revolutionary step,' said a spokesperson from a Delhi-based LGBTQ+ rights organisation. 'It sets a precedent for other states to follow and shows that Delhi is serious about equality, not just in words but in action,' the spokesperson said.
