Pakistan says it's 'very close' to US trade deal, but Washington stays silent
Despite Dar's optimism, the US side struck a more cautious tone. A State Department readout of Dar's meeting with Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasised bilateral discussions on trade, critical minerals, and mining, but it made no mention of any imminent deal or specific timeline.Rubio also posted about the meeting on X, noting 'productive talks' with Dar on 'regional stability and economic partnership,' but similarly omitted any reference to a forthcoming agreement.Met with Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister @MIshaqDar50 today to discuss expanding bilateral trade and enhancing collaboration in the critical minerals sector. I also thanked him for Pakistan's partnership in countering terrorism and preserving regional pic.twitter.com/QZB9RZwIA8— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) July 25, 2025Dar, however, hinted that high-level political backing is already in place. He praised the role of US leaders, saying Pakistan appreciated 'the pivotal role' played by President Donald Trump and Secretary Rubio in helping de-escalate tensions with India.Trump has repeatedly taken credit for the India-Pakistan ceasefire he announced on social media on May 10 after Washington held talks with both sides. India disputes Trump's claims that the ceasefire resulted from his intervention and trade threats.- EndsTune InMust Watch
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India.com
29 minutes ago
- India.com
Trouble for Pakistan and China as India strikes big deal to make these highly advanced, deadly combat drones, they are..., their features...
(Image: Martin UAV) New Delhi: After Operation Sindoor, India is preparing to buy state-of-the-art combat drones. For this, the combat drone that India is considering purchasing and incorporating technology from is the V-Bat combat drone, which is manufactured by the American defence company Shield AI. This deal is being done under an emergency purchase of $ 4.5 billion, which has been launched in view of the needs after Operation Sindoor. Although India is far ahead in drone technology, but here the need is for combat drones, in which the Indian companies are currently short of money. The biggest thing is that if the deal is finalized, then these combat drones will soon be made in India itself, because talks are also going on about technology transfer from Shield AI. What is the deal the Ministry of Defence has made for combat drones? Mint has recently published a report, according to which the Ministry of Defence is in a deal for combat drones with Shield AI. India is looking to buy V-Bat combat drones from Shield AI for the Indian Air Force (IAF). These drones are for use in war and have shown very good performance so far. Once the deal is finalised, Shield AI will first give the V-Bat combat drone to the Indian Air Force, and then it will be produced in India in a joint venture. There is a plan to produce it in India in a joint venture between JSW Defence and Shield AI. JSW Defence is a company of JSW Group. What is the total amount involved in combat drones deal? According to the report, this initial deal with the Indian Air Force will be worth $ 35 million, which is the upper limit of emergency purchase. While the joint venture that JSW Defense and Shield AI will set up for technology transfer to manufacture it in India, that deal will be worth $ 90 million. Later, this deal with the Air Force can be expanded further. Why is India so keen to enhance its indigenous combat drones? If the deal between Shield AI and the Ministry of Defence is finalised, then these drones can come to the Indian Air Force in the first half of 2026. As far as the V-Bat combat drone is concerned, the production of this indigenous drone is expected by the end of 2027. If the American company is ready to set up a joint venture in India in this way in the field of defence, then it can be considered a major achievement in the field of defence manufacturing. Because, after Operation Sindoor, India is feeling a great need to be prepared for contactless war. What are the features of V-Bat Combat Drone? The speciality of Shield AI's V-Bat combat drone is that it can be used even without GPS. Not only this, it is capable of working even in jammed network systems. This can easily give an edge to those who use these drones in modern warfare. Ukraine has shocked the whole world by using this drone against Russia. These drones can hit targets with such accuracy that the drones being made in India are not as capable as these drones. In India, Idea Forge and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) are currently making indigenous drones.
India Today
29 minutes ago
- India Today
A government that acts: Anupam Kher on Operation Mahadev success
Anupam Kher congratulated the Indian Armed Forces on the success of Operation Mahadev in Srinagar, in which terrorists, including the mastermind behind the Pahalgam attack, were eliminated. In an interview with the veteran actor praised the Narendra Modi-led BJP government, calling it "a government which acts.""I congratulate the government for putting an end to those perpetrators who brutally killed 26 of our citizens. I think it's important to act, and it's a government which acts. It takes time... such things do not happen overnight, especially when intelligence is involved and something is always involved," Kher said in the who is currently launching his new book titled 'Different But No Less', also commended the Indian Armed Forces for their resolve and courage. "It needed to happen and it has happened. I am proud of our Armed Forces. If we don't have Armed Forces like this, if we can't avenge the killing of our innocent people - based on their religion, in front of their wives - what can be more brutal than that? It's good, and I am proud of them," Kher Mahadev: A tactical strike On Monday, the Indian Army, in coordination with the J&K Police and CRPF, launched Operation Mahadev, a high-level anti-terror operation in Srinagar. The mission followed Operation Sindoor, which included precision strikes on terror hideouts in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied the operation, Hashim Musa, a top commander of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and the prime conspirator behind the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, was neutralised by the the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah confirmed that all three terrorists eliminated in Monday's Operation Mahadev were Pakistani nationals. He also revealed that they were the same individuals responsible for the April 22 attack in Pahalgam, where 26 were asserted that the government had conclusive evidence linking the terrorists to Pakistan. He said two of the terrorists had Pakistani voter identity numbers, and even the chocolates recovered from them were manufactured in Pakistan.- EndsTrending Reel IN THIS STORY#Anupam Kher
Time of India
41 minutes ago
- Time of India
Delhi metro bores tunnel between Tughlakabad and railway colony
New Delhi: Delhi Metro Rail Corporation ( DMRC ) on Tuesday achieved a construction milestone with the completion of the underground tunnel between Tughlakabad and Tughlakabad Railway Colony on the Tughlakabad-Aerocity corridor which is part of the Phase IV expansion. The 23.622-km Tughlakabad to Aerocity corridor is the new Golden Line that will have 15 stations. A tunnel boring machine (TBM) broke through at Tughlakabad Railway Colony station after ploughing through a 0.792-km tunnel. The tunnel breakthrough was achieved using a mammoth 91-metre-long boring machine. Two parallel circular tunnels for up and down movement are being dug on this stretch as part of the Aerocity–Tughlakabad corridor. The civil contractor that implemented this project is M/s Afcons Infrastructure Ltd. You Can Also Check: Delhi AQI | Weather in Delhi | Bank Holidays in Delhi | Public Holidays in Delhi This tunnel was constructed at an average depth of approximately 18 metres. About 559 rings were installed in the tunnel, with an inner diameter of 5.8 metres. "The tunnel was built using the proven technology — Earth Pressure Balancing Method — with a concrete lining made of precast tunnel rings. These tunnel rings were cast at a fully mechanised casting yard set up in Mundka. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like American Investor Warren Buffett Recommends: 5 Books For Turning Your Life Around Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo The concrete segments were cured with a steam curing system to achieve early strength," said Anuj Dayal, principal executive director of corporate communications at DMRC. He added that all necessary precautions were taken during the tunnel construction below the existing built-up structures. Ground movement was monitored with highly sensitive instruments fixed to nearby structures, ensuring that there was no settlement anywhere, Dayal said. As part of the Phase IV work approved so far, 40.1km of underground lines are being constructed. The Aerocity-Tughlakabad corridor has underground sections totalling 19.3km. A tunnel boring machine is used to excavate tunnels with a circular cross-section through various soil and rock strata. These can be designed to bore through anything from hard rock to sand. The machines have revolutionised tunnelling work worldwide, enabling tunnels to be bored without disturbing buildings and other surface structures. The boring machines are particularly useful for underground tunnelling work in congested urban areas. DMRC has been using these for its tunnelling work since Phase 1. In Phase 3, when approximately 50km of underground sections were built, about 30 such machines were deployed.
