
Andhra Pradesh minister Lokesh unveils bold reforms in education, aims to surpass private institutions in 4 years
Parvathipuram: Education minister Nara
on Monday announced comprehensive reforms to elevate govt education standards beyond private institutions. He expressed optimism about achieving significant progress within four years.
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At the 'Shining Stars Awards 2025' on Monday, Lokesh honoured 95 10th-grade and 26 intermediate high achievers. He outlined a 100-day action strategy for improved outcomes, highlighting initiatives such as providing books and midday meals in govt junior colleges. He stressed his commitment to nurturing AP's young talents, encouraging future govt school graduates to return and inspire younger students.
Addressing the 10th-grade students, he emphasised that life presents the real challenge ahead.
He cited chief minister Chandrababu Naidu's exemplary discipline at 75 years, maintaining remarkable energy through extensive programmes like the three-day Mahanadu.
"For college-bound students, life takes a new turn. One wrong choice can be detrimental. Your conduct should honour your parents. The 'No to Drugs, Bro' campaign, initiated after witnessing a mother's distress in Chandragiri constituency during Yuvagalam Padayatra, demonstrates our govt's anti-drug stance.
Poor decisions affect both you and your family," Lokesh advised.
He encouraged students to maintain humility whilst achieving success. Sharing his personal experience, he said, "I chose Mangalagiri, where TDP never succeeded, for elections. Despite losing in 2019, I persevered for five years, achieving the third-highest majority statewide. I accepted the challenging education portfolio despite contrary advice."
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AP aims to achieve complete literacy within four years through 'Mission Akshara Andhra', addressing its current low literacy ranking. The minister acknowledged India's strong response to terrorism under Modi's leadership, referencing AP's loss of Army jawan Murali Nayak in Operation Sindoor.
Students ahare aspirations on dream wall
Students documented their ambitions on dedicated walls. G. Jithu aspires to become a software engineer, G.
Jagadish aims for IAS, and C.H. Priyanka wants to teach. Bodela Jyotsna plans to contribute to infrastructure development as an engineer, R. Prajna aims to serve as a doctor, Vavilapalli Gayatri targets AI engineering, and Komarapu Gunashree wishes to innovate in software engineering.
Gratitude & promises
Students expressed appreciation on the Gratitude Wall. K. Lokesh pledged to pursue doctorate studies and support his parents.
Praharshini thanked Minister Lokesh and the college staff. Komarapu Gunashree acknowledged Chandrababu and Lokesh's encouragement. The minister assured continued support for students' aspirations. Senior officials and dignitaries attended the event.
The event was attended by state ministers Kinjarapu Atchannaidu, Gummadi Sandhya Rani, whip Toyaka Jagadeeshwari, MLAs Bonela Vijayachandra and Nimmaka Jayakrishna, Education Secretary Kona Shashidhar, Intermediate Education Director Krithika Shukla, College Education Director Narayana Bharat Gupta, MLC Vepada Chiranjeevi, Collector Shyam Prasad, ITDA PO Ashutosh Srivastava, and others.
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Time of India
18 minutes ago
- Time of India
Russia skirts Western sanctions to ramp up its military footprint in Africa
Even as it pounds Ukraine, Russia is expanding its military footprint in Africa , delivering sophisticated weaponry to sub-Saharan conflict zones where a Kremlin-controlled armed force is on the rise. Skirting sanctions imposed by Western nations, Moscow is using cargo ships to send tanks, armored vehicles, artillery and other high-value equipment to West Africa, The Associated Press has found. Relying on satellite imagery and radio signals, AP tracked a convoy of Russian-flagged cargo ships as they made a nearly one-month journey from the Baltic Sea. The ships carried howitzers, radio jamming equipment and other military hardware, according to military officials in Europe who closely monitored them. The deliveries could strengthen Russia's fledgling Africa Corps as Moscow competes with the United States, Europe and China for greater influence across the continent. The two-year-old Africa Corps, which has links to a covert branch of Russia's army, is ascendant at a time when U.S. and European troops have been withdrawing from the region, forced out by sub-Saharan nations turning to Russia for security. Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have been battling fighters linked with al-Qaida and the Islamic State group for more than a decade. At first, mercenary groups with an arms-length relationship to the Kremlin entered the fray in Africa. But increasingly, Russia is deploying its military might, and intelligence services, more directly. Live Events "We intend to expand our cooperation with African countries in all spheres, with an emphasis on economic cooperation and investments," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. "This cooperation includes sensitive areas linked to defense and security." From the ports, Russian weapons are trucked to Mali Russia's 8,800-ton Baltic Leader and 5,800-ton Patria are among hundreds of ships that Western nations have sanctioned to choke off resources for Russia's war in Ukraine. The ships docked and unloaded in Conakry, Guinea, in late May, AP satellite images showed. Other ships made deliveries to the same port in January. They delivered tanks, armored vehicles and other hardware that was then trucked overland to neighboring Mali, according to European military officials and a Malian blogger's video of the long convoy. The military officials spoke to AP about Russian operations on condition of anonymity. The AP verified the blogger's video, geolocating it to the RN5 highway leading into Bamako, the Malian capital. After the latest delivery in Conakry, trucks carrying Russian-made armored vehicles, howitzers and other equipment were again spotted on the overland route to Mali. Malian broadcaster ORTM confirmed that the West African nation's army took delivery of new military equipment. AP analysis of its video and images filmed by the Malian blogger in the same spot as the January delivery identified a broad array of Russian-made hardware, including 152 mm artillery guns and other smaller canons. AP also identified a wheeled, BTR-80 armored troop carrier with radio-jamming equipment, as well as Spartak armored vehicles and other armored carriers, some mounted with guns. The shipment also included at least two semi-inflatable small boats, one with a Russian flag painted on its hull, as well as tanker trucks, some marked "inflammable" in Russian on their sides. The military officials who spoke to AP said they believe Russia has earmarked the most potent equipment - notably the artillery and jamming equipment - for its Africa Corps, not Malian armed forces. Africa Corps appears to have been given air power, too, with satellites spotting at least one Su-24 fighter-bomber at a Bamako air base in recent months. Moscow's notorious secret unit For years, French forces supported counterinsurgency operations in Mali and neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger. But France pulled out its troops after coups in Mali in 2020 and 2021, in Burkina Faso in 2022 and Niger in 2023. Russian mercenaries stepped into the vacuum. Wagner Group , the most notable, deployed to Sudan in 2017 and expanded to other African countries, often in exchange for mining concessions. It earned a reputation for brutality, accused by Western countries and U.N. experts of human rights abuses, including in Central African Republic, Libya and Mali. Of 33 African countries in which Russian military contractors were active, the majority were Wagner-controlled, according to U.S. government-sponsored research by RAND. But after Wagner forces mutinied in Russia in 2023 and their leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, was killed two months later in a suspicious plane crash, Moscow tightened its grip. Russian military operations in Africa were restructured, with the Kremlin taking greater control through Africa Corps. It is overseen by the commander of Unit 29155, one of the most notorious branches of Russia's shadowy GRU military intelligence service, according to the European Union. Unit 29155 has been accused of covertly attacking Western interests for years, including through sabotage and assassination attempts. The EU in December targeted Unit 29155 Maj. Gen. Andrey Averyanov with sanctions, alleging that he is in charge of Africa Corps operations. "In many African countries, Russian forces provide security to military juntas that have overthrown legitimate democratic governments, gravely worsening the stability, security and democracy of the countries," the EU sanctions ruling said. These operations are financed by exploiting the continent's natural resources, the ruling added. The Russian Ministry of Defense didn't immediately respond to questions about Averyanov's role in Africa Corps. Africa Corps recruitment Researchers and military officials say the flow of weapons from Russia appears to be speeding Africa Corps' ascendancy over Wagner, helping it win over mercenaries that have remained loyal to the group. Africa Corps is also is recruiting in Russia, offering payments of up to 2.1 million rubles ($26,500), and even plots of land, for signing a contract with the Ministry of Defense, plus more on deployment. Within days of the latest equipment delivery, Wagner announced its withdrawal from Mali, declaring "mission accomplished" in a Telegram post. Africa Corps said in a separate post that it would remain. The changeover from Wagner to Africa Corps in Mali could be a forerunner for other similar transitions elsewhere on the continent, said Julia Stanyard, a researcher of Russian mercenary activity in Africa. "Bringing in this sort of brand-new sophisticated weaponry, and new armored vehicles and that sort of thing, is quite a bit of a shift," said Stanyard, of the Switzerland-based Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime. Armed groups in Mali have inflicted heavy losses on Malian troops and Russian mercenaries. The al-Qaida linked group JNIM killed dozens of soldiers in an attack this month on a military base. Insurgents also killed dozens of Wagner mercenaries in northern Mali last July. Some of the latest hardware could have been shipped over specifically in response to such attacks, military officials said. They said the jamming equipment, for example, could help defend against booby traps detonated using phone signals. Russian escort's red flags The latest convoy attracted attention because a Russian Navy warship, the Boykiy, escorted the ships after they set off in April from Russia's Kaliningrad region on the Baltic. Last October, in what's considered a hostile act, the Boykiy's radar systems locked onto a French Navy maritime surveillance plane on patrol against suspected Russian efforts to sabotage underwater cables, according to military officials. The convoy included a third sanctioned Russian cargo ship, the Siyanie Severa. It continued onward as Baltic Leader and Patria unloaded in Conakry, docking in Bata, Equatorial Guinea. Satellite imagery from May 29 shows trucks lined up on the dock as the ship unloaded. The AP could not verify whether the cargo included weapons or the ultimate destination for the shipment, though Wagner has maintained a strong presence in the nearby Central African Republic.


Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Trump authorises additional 2,000 National Guard members to Los Angeles, US officials say
AP image Another 2,000 National Guard troops along with 700 Marines are headed to Los Angeles on orders Monday from President Donald Trump, escalating a military presence local officials and Gov Gavin Newsom don't want and the police chief says creates logistical challenges for safely handling protests. An initial 2,000 guard troops ordered by Trump started arriving Sunday, which saw the most violence during three days of protests driven by anger over Trump's stepped-up enforcement of immigration laws that critics say are breaking apart migrant families. Monday's demonstrations were was far less raucous, with thousands peacefully attending a rally at City Hall and hundreds protesting outside a federal complex that includes a detention centre where some immigrants are being held following workplace raids across the city. Trump has described Los Angeles in dire terms that Mayor Karen Bass and Newsom say are nowhere close to the truth. They say he is putting public safety at risk by adding military personnel even though police say they don't need the help. Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell said in a statement he was confident in the police department's ability to handle large-scale demonstrations and that the Marines' arrival without coordinating with the police department presented a "significant logistical and operational challenge" for them. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Buy Brass Idols - Handmade Brass Statues for Home & Gifting Luxeartisanship Buy Now Undo Newsom called the deployments reckless and "disrespectful to our troops" in a post on the social platform X. "This isn't about public safety," Newsom said. "It's about stroking a dangerous President's ego." The protests began Friday in downtown Los Angeles after federal immigration authorities arrested more than 40 people across the city. The smell of smoke hung in the air downtown Monday, one day after crowds blocked a major freeway and set self-driving cars on fire as police responded with tear gas, rubber bullets and flash-bang grenades. US officials said the Marine troops were deployed to protect federal property and personnel, including federal immigration agents. Trump's Monday order put the national guard members on active duty. One U.S. official warned that the order was just signed and it could take a day or two to get troops moving. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss troop movements. Despite their presence, there has been limited engagement so far between the Guard and protesters while local law enforcement implements crowd control. California pushes back against presence of federal troops California Attorney General Rob Bonta filed a lawsuit over the use of national guard troops following the first deployment, telling reporters in his announcement Monday that Trump had "trampled" the state's sovereignty. "We don't take lightly to the president abusing his authority and unlawfully mobilising California national guard troops," Bonta said. He sought a court order declaring Trump's use of the Guard unlawful and asking for a restraining order to halt the deployment. Trump said Monday that the city would have been "completely obliterated" if he had not deployed the Guard. Bass criticised the deployment of National Guard troops and Marines as a "deliberate attempt" by the Trump administration to "create disorder and chaos in our city." She made a plea to the federal government: "Stop the raids." Early protests remained peaceful On Monday, thousands flooded the streets around City Hall for a union rally ahead of a hearing for arrested labor leader David Huerta, who was freed a few hours later on a $50,000 bond. Huerta's arrest on Friday while protesting immigration raids has become a rallying cry for people angry over the administration's crackdown. He is the president of the Service Employees International Union California, which represents thousands of the state's janitors, security officers and other workers. Early protests had a calm and even joyful atmosphere at times, with people dancing to live music and buoyed by Huerta's release. Protesters linked hands outside the downtown federal detention centre where Huerta was being held in front of a line of police officers. Religious leaders joined the protesters, working with organisers at times to de-escalate moments of tension. There was a heavy law enforcement presence in the few square blocks including the federal detention facility, while most in the immense city of some 4 million people went about their normal business on peaceful streets. Chanting against a line of national guard troops with Homeland Security officers behind them surrounding the federal buildings ramped up in the afternoon as people yelled, "Free them all!" and "National guard go away." As the crowd thinned in the evening, police began pushing protesters away from the area, firing crowd-control munitions as people chanted, "Peaceful protest." Other protests took shape Monday afternoon across LA County. Outside a Los Angeles clothing warehouse, relatives of detained workers demanded at a news conference that their loved ones be released. The family of Jacob Vasquez, 35, who was detained Friday at the warehouse, where he worked, said they had yet to receive any information about him. "Jacob is a family man and the sole breadwinner of his household," Vasquez's brother, Gabriel, told the crowd. He asked that his last name not be used, fearing being targeted by authorities. Several dozen people were arrested in protests throughout the weekend. Authorities say one was detained Sunday for throwing a Molotov cocktail at police and another for ramming a motorcycle into a line of officers. McDonnell said police officers were "overwhelmed" by the remaining protesters, who included regular agitators who show up at demonstrations to cause trouble. He said the protests followed a similar pattern for episodes of civil unrest, with things usually ramping up in the second and third days. Guard deployment is a nearly unprecedented escalation The deployment appeared to be the first time in decades that a state's national guard was activated without a request from its governor, a significant escalation against those who have sought to hinder the administration's mass deportation efforts. The last time the national guard was activated without a governor's permission was in 1965, when President Lyndon B. Johnson sent troops to protect a civil rights march in Alabama, according to the Brennan Center for Justice. In a directive Saturday, Trump invoked a legal provision allowing him to deploy federal service members when there is "a rebellion or danger of a rebellion against the authority of the government of the United States."
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First Post
2 hours ago
- First Post
India plans ₹30,000 crore push to strengthen Army's air defence with QR-SAMs
India is set to consider a ₹30,000 crore plan to buy three regiments of indigenous QR-SAM systems for the Army, following Pakistan's failed drone and missile attacks during Operation Sindoor. The mobile missile system, developed by DRDO, is designed to shoot down enemy aircraft, drones, and helicopters within 30 km. read more Amid the backdrop of a series of failed Pakistani drone and missile attacks following India's Operation Sindoor, the Ministry of Defence is set to review a ₹30,000 crore proposal to procure three regiments of the indigenous Quick Reaction Surface-to-Air Missile (QR-SAM) system for the Army, The Times of India reported. Later this month, the Defence Acquisition Council, chaired by Rajnath Singh, is expected to consider granting the initial go-ahead (Acceptance of Necessity) for the purchase. The mobile QR-SAM system is designed to intercept enemy aircraft, helicopters and drones within a range of 25–30 km. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The move comes in the wake of India's air defence network successfully intercepting Turkish-origin drones and Chinese missiles used by Pakistan during Operation Sindoor, which took place from 7 to 10 May. Developed by DRDO and tested over the past few years, the QR-SAM has proven effective under both day and night operational conditions. Bharat Electronics and Bharat Dynamics will jointly manufacture the system. 'The QR-SAM systems can operate while on the move, with search and track capability, and fire during short halts,' a source told TOI. 'They are tailor-made to move alongside tanks and infantry combat vehicles to provide them with air defence in the tactical battlefield.' The Army Air Defence (AAD), which performed strongly during Operation Sindoor, requires 11 regiments of the QR-SAM system. This is in addition to the ongoing induction of the indigenous Akash missile system, which currently has a 25 km interception range. The addition of QR-SAMs will bolster the existing multi-layered air defence network of both the Army and the Indian Air Force. This includes the long-range Russian S-400 'Triumf' missiles (range: 380 km), Barak-8 medium-range missiles developed in collaboration with Israel (range: 70 km), Russian Igla-S shoulder-fired missiles (range: 6 km), upgraded L-70 anti-aircraft guns (range: 3.5 km), and Indian-made drone detection and interdiction systems (range: 1–2 km). STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD