Russia Downs Nearly 50 Ukrainian Drones; Kyiv Claims Two Russian Aircraft Bombed
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First Post
14 minutes ago
- First Post
Rs 62,000 crore deal for 97 Tejas LCA Mk1A fighter jets gets govt's green light
The new fleet is expected to help phase out India's ageing MiG-21 jets, which the government has decided to retire in the coming weeks India has approved the acquisition of 97 Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mark 1A fighter jets for the air force. The clearance was given at a high-level meeting on Tuesday (August 19), paving the way for state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to expand production of the indigenous aircraft, ANI cited defence sources as saying. It marks the second major order for the fighter, following an earlier deal for 83 aircraft worth around Rs 48,000 crore. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Replacing ageing MiGs The new fleet is expected to help phase out India's ageing MiG-21 jets, which the government has decided to retire in the coming weeks. The defence ministry and air force command have fully backed the programme, which officials say will not only strengthen the IAF but also boost India's defence manufacturing ecosystem, creating business for hundreds of small and medium enterprises. HAL, long seen as the backbone of India's aerospace industry, has been central to Modi's efforts to revive indigenous fighter production. The prime minister himself flew a sortie in the trainer variant of the Tejas last year, the first time an Indian leader had flown in a combat aircraft. Indigenous content and future plans The LCA Mark 1A is equipped with upgraded avionics and radar compared with the first 40 Tejas aircraft supplied to the air force. Officials said the new batch will have more than 65% indigenous content. The latest order underscores India's ambitions for self-reliance in defence, with HAL expected to secure further contracts for more than 200 LCA Mark 2 jets and a similar number of the fifth-generation Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft. Former air chief marshal VR Chaudhari had first signalled the expansion of the Tejas programme in 2022 during a visit to Spain, calling the planned order a 'mega boost' to indigenous fighter manufacturing. The government has framed the Tejas programme as a symbol of its Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) initiative, and as a marker of India's push to emerge as an aerospace power. With inputs from agencies
Indian Express
14 minutes ago
- Indian Express
White House reportedly considering Budapest as location for trilateral talks with Zelenskyy and Putin
Hungarian capital Budapest could host US President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for the proposed trilateral talks to end the ongoing war. Politico, citing a Trump administration official and a person close to the administration, reported that the US Secret Service is preparing for the summit in Budapest. The report added that while the Secret Service often scouts multiple locations and the ultimate venue could change, Budapest is emerging as a first choice for the White House. The choice of Budapest as the venue for the talks may, however, not be a welcome news for Zelenskyy as Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán, is a long-time Putin ally. On Monday, during his meeting with Trump in the White House, Zelenskyy had expressed his willingness to engage in trilateral talks involving himself, Putin and the US President to end the war that has been ongoing since February 2022. Some European leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, had suggested Switzerland as a possible host nation for a meeting between the three presidents. 'It will be [hosted by] a neutral country, maybe Switzerland — I'm pushing for Geneva — or another country,' Macron told French news channel LCI, on Monday. Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis, who welcomed the suggestion, said that his country was willing to host the three leaders. 'We are ready for such a meeting, and we also thank you for the trust placed in us. We have always signalled our willingness, but it naturally depends on the will of the major powers,' he told Swiss state broadcaster SRF. Putin has an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in 2023 for alleged unlawful deportation and transfer of children from former Ukrainian territories. On this, Cassis said under certain circumstances, Putin would be allowed to set foot in Switzerland without facing arrest. Though Trump and Zelenskyy have spoken about the trilateral meeting, there is no confirmation from the Kremlin if Putin has agreed to the same. On Tuesday, Trump warned that Putin would face a 'rough situation' if he did not cooperate in the peace process 'I hope President Putin is going to be good and if he's not, that's going to be a rough situation,' Trump said.
Time of India
21 minutes ago
- Time of India
They told me I am viral in Russia: Who is Mark Warren, an Alaska man who gets a personal gift from Putin?
Mark Warren, an Alaska man, received a personal gift from Russian President Vladimir Putin after Putin came to Alaska to meet President Donald Trump. It is a new Ural motorbike but Warren never met Putin. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The gift follows a chain of events as preparations for the high-stakes summit were underway. Russian media were in Alaska before the summit, and they found Warren, a retired fire inspector, with his Soviet-era bike doing his errands. They first stopped Warren seeing the bike and they admired it. Warren told them that it was becoming difficult to find spare parts for his bike and the manufacturing plant is located in Ukraine. 'So for you, if they resolve this conflict here in Alaska, I mean Putin and Trump, it will be good?' the reporter asked Warren in the report. 'Yes, it will be good,' Warren replied. Days later, Warren said he received a phone call from one of the reporters that he was viral in Russia and even caught Putin's eye. Russian officials promised him a new bike of $22,000 and Warren thought it was a scam. But within 24 hours after the Trump-Putin meeting, officials from the Russian embassy reached out to Warren to arrange for him to meet to hand over the new motorbike. The gift handover was broadcast on Russian state media. Warren said he likes his old motorbike but the new one is much better. 'I'm speechless, it's amazing. Thank you very much," he said. The gift of the motorbike was described by Russian media as a goodwill to Americans, though Warren said he did not think he was being used as a propaganda tool. "They're getting nothing from me," he said, adding that he's receiving backlash for accepting the gift from Putin but he's nonchalant. 'I took it. I could have not taken it, and probably pi**ed off just as many people as doing that. I don't care.' The new motorbike was manufactured on August 12, indicating that it was procured very recently after he went viral in Russia.
