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NDTV
29-05-2025
- General
- NDTV
"Same Planet, Different World": INSV Tarini Crew Completes Global Voyage
Panaji: "The world of the sea is the same planet but a whole different world," said Lt Cdr Roopa A of the Indian Navy on Thursday as she and her partner Lt Cdr Dilna K returned to Goa after successfully circumnavigating the globe in a sailing boat. The duo, with back-up support from the Navy, covered more than 25,600 nautical miles in 238 days in INSV Tarini, their sailing boat. It was the first circumnavigation of the globe in a sailing vessel by Indian women in 'double-handed' mode, said a Navy spokesperson. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh welcomed the two intrepid women and their vessel upon the completion of the eight-month 'Navika Sagar Parikrama II (NSP II)' expedition at Mormugao Port Authority in Vasco. Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh Tripathi, who had flagged off the expedition on October 2 last year, was also present. The whole country was proud of the achievement of the two women officers, Singh said. "You have not just gone around Earth but you have also made a place in the heart of every Indian," he said, calling them "the country's brave daughters". "After meeting you both today, I feel as if a father is meeting his two daughters," the minister added. Women have played a pivotal role in the Indian Defence system since gaining entry, and women officers played an important role in aerial attacks on Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir during Operation Sindoor, he said. Admiral Tripathi said Navika Sagar Parikrama II was a historic milestone for the Navy. The defence minister's interaction with the crew during the expedition gave them moral support, he added. Speaking on the occasion, Lt Cdr Dilna K said, "Yes, we made it. "On October 2, we left Goa with lot of hope and we stand here alive and strong together," she said. They flew the national flag and the Indian Navy flag across the globe, she said, adding, "Wherever we landed, we were cheered. We proudly represented India in this journey of lifetime." The expedition was a promise she had made to her father, Dilna said, adding, "He is no more with me, but I felt his presence throughout the journey. My mother and my husband held me really strong. And you let me fly. I wish everyone get a husband like mine." Talking about her experiences, Lt Cdr Roopa A said she felt like she lived all her seven lives in these eight months. "The world of the sea is the same planet but whole different world," she said. Referring to her partner Dilna, Roopa said, "In this voyage I found a friend in you and a friend in myself whom I can trust lifelong." Her family has been her "spine" throughout her life as she made unconventional choices, she said, adding, "I dedicate this journey to you all (family) but this is not going to be my last. There was no end to the earth or challenges in this journey." Talking about some of the more difficult moments in the voyage, she recalled a night when they had a navigation panel "black-out". "It took us three hours, but felt like an eternity to get back the control," she added. They saw different moods of the ocean. "(At times) The waves were 20 feet high. We also had the days when sea was calm, we felt sea was heavenly. We lived in the cold which froze us. Even today when we were approaching the coast, the monsoon kept us on the toes," she said. The journey showed the world what Indian women are made of, Roopa said, adding that there was a point during the journey when they realised "this is an Indian dream which we were breathing and living." The expedition was flagged off on October 2, 2024 by Admiral Tripathi from the Boat pool of INS Mandovi in Goa. After 39 days of non-stop voyage across the Indian Ocean, INSV Tarini made her first land-fall at Fremantle, Australia, on November 9, the Navy spokesperson said. "In their second stop, having traversed 4,450 nautical miles after crossing the Great Australian Bight and the Tasman Sea, they arrived at Lyttelton, the port of Christchurch, New Zealand, on December 22, 2024," the spokesperson said. Subsequently, marking the "most demanding and dramatic leg" of the expedition, the crew arrived at Port Stanley on February 18, 2025. "One of the most significant achievement of this leg was that Tarini became the first sail ship to cross Point Nemo in South Pacific, often referred to as the Oceanic Pole of inaccessibility, on January 30," the spokesperson said. Having traversed 3,896 nautical miles and crossing the Prime Meridian and braving the 'Roaring Forties', the Tarini reached Cape Town, South Africa on March 31, 2025, and then started its homeward journey.
Malay Mail
16-05-2025
- Business
- Malay Mail
‘Funding terror': India urges IMF to halt Pakistan's US$1b loan
SRINAGAR, INDIA, May 16 — Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said today the International Monetary Fund (IMF) should reconsider a US$1 billion (RM4.3 billion) loan to Pakistan alleging it was 'funding terror', a move denounced by Islamabad as proof of New Delhi's desperation. India and Pakistan last week clashed in the worst military violence in decades, killing around 70 people before agreeing a ceasefire that began tomorrow. The confrontations were sparked by an attack on tourists by gunmen in Indian-administered Kashmir last month that New Delhi accused Islamabad of backing — a charge it denies. 'I believe a big portion of the US$1 billion coming from IMF will be used for funding terror infrastructure,' Singh told troops at an air force base in western India. 'I believe any economic assistance to Pakistan is nothing less than funding terror.' Despite India's objections, the IMF last week approved a loan programme review for Pakistan, unlocking a US$1 billion payment which the state bank said has already been received. A fresh US$1.4 billion loan was also approved under the IMF's climate resilience fund. India — which also represents Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh on the IMF board — abstained from the review vote with a statement from its finance ministry stating, 'concerns over the efficacy of IMF programmes in case of Pakistan given its poor track record'. 'India was the lone country which tried to stop it and it failed. It again reflects Indian frustration. Trying to criticise an institution like IMF speaks about this desperation,' Pakistan's foreign ministry spokesman Shafqat Ali Khan told reporters. Pakistan came to the brink of default in 2023, as a political crisis compounded an economic downturn and drove the nation's debt burden to terminal levels before being saved by a US$7 billion bailout from the IMF which sparked further crucial loans from friendly nations. Removed from watchlist Pakistan, which has long battled militancy within its borders, has faced scrutiny over its ability to combat illicit financing, including to militant organisations and in 2022 was put on an international money-laundering watchlist. However, the Financial Action Task Force removed Pakistan from it so-called grey-list in 2022 after 'significant progress' which included charges being filed against suspected militants accused of being involved in the 2008 attacks in India's Mumbai. Singh claimed it was 'clear that in Pakistan, terrorism and their government are hand in glove with each other. 'In this situation there is a possibility that their nuclear weapons could get their way into the hands of terrorists. This is a danger not just for Pakistan but the entire world,' he said. Singh yesterday called for Pakistan's nuclear arsenal to be put under the surveillance of the UN's atomic energy agency, with Islamabad firing back that the international community should investigate a nuclear 'black market' in India. Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy met with his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar in Islamabad today, where the two discussed the ceasefire, according to a statement from Pakistan's foreign ministry. It came as the government also held ceremonies across the country to celebrate the military. 'Pakistan's Armed Forces remain fully prepared and resolutely committed to defending every inch of our territory. Any aggression will be countered,' Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said while visiting troops yesterday. The disputed Muslim-majority region of Kashmir has been at the heart of several wars between the two neighbours, who administer separate portions of the divided territory. Militants stepped up operations on the Indian side of Kashmir from 2019, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist government revoked the region's limited autonomy and imposed direct rule from New Delhi. — AFP
India Today
12-05-2025
- Business
- India Today
BrahMos: India's supersonic edge in modern warfare
With Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurating a state-of-the-art production facility in Lucknow under the Defence Industrial Corridor, the arrival of the Next Generation BrahMos marks a major leap. Lighter, smarter, and boasting extended range, these missiles signal India's commitment to future-ready defence. #Brahmos #India #Defence #BrahmosMissile #News #IndianDefence #Missile
Mint
08-05-2025
- Business
- Mint
Operation Sindoor: Air India offers full refunds, rescheduling benefits to defence personnel
Amid the India-Pakistan tensions escalating to a peak, and the Indian armed forces successfully conducted missile strikes on nine terrorist camps on Wednesday, the Air India group announced that the airline will provide full refunds on cancellations and a one-time waiver on rescheduling for defence personnel holding defence fare tickets booked on Air India and Air India Express flights with travel dates up to 31 May. Air India group's announcement arrived following Indian Defence's Operation Sindoor, as the airline aims to support the duty commitments and appreciate the "selfless service and dedication" of India's military and defence personnel. "Air India group is grateful for the selfless service and dedication of our military and defence personnel. In the prevailing situation, for those personnel holding defence fares who are booked on Air India and Air India Express flights till 31 May 2025, we are offering full refunds on cancellation and a one-time waiver on rescheduling flights up to 30 June 2025 to support their duty commitments," Air India Group said in a post on X. Among others, Air India also announced the cancellation of flights to and from several airports in the country on Wednesday after a notification from aviation authorities was issued regarding the closure of some airports. The affected airports include Jammu, Srinagar, Leh, Jodhpur, Amritsar, Bhuj, Jamnagar, Chandigarh, and Rajkot, with cancellations valid until 5.29 am IST on 10 May, added PTI. Not only Air India, another private airliner, Indigo too cancelled its flight operations in 11 cities across north, northwestern and central India till 10 May. IndiGo in its travel advisory stated that Srinagar, Jammu, Amritsar, Leh, Chandigarh, Dharamshala, Bikaner, Jodhpur, Gwalior, Kishangarh, and Rajkot are the affected cities where flight operations have been cancelled till 5.29 am IST on 10 May. Over 10 airports across Northern and Western boarders in India have been closed for commercial operations following 'Operation Sindoor' by the Indian Armed Forces n retaliation of the Pahalgam attack.
Hans India
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Odisha CM Majhi hails Armed Forces for air strikes in Pakistan
Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Wednesday praised the Indian Defence forces following the successful airstrikes on specific targets of terrorists in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday. Majhi further added that the whole country stands united on the actions against the terrorists to avenge the ghastly killing of 26 tourists at Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir on April 22. "India stands united. Salute to our brave Armed Forces for the precision and resolve shown in #OperationSindoor. Every strike on terror is a message -- we will not tolerate threats to our sovereignty," wrote Majhi on Wednesday. "In our culture, 'sindoor' is not just a tradition but a symbol of sacrifice and resolve. The same sentiment is in the minds of our soldiers. India is no longer just defending -- but is resolutely moving to root out terrorism," added Majhi. Odisha Deputy Chief Minister K.V. Singh Deo also hailed the Indian Armed Forces for the air strikes, saying that India remains steadfast in its resolve to safeguard the country. "India stands firm in its commitment to sovereignty and security. I salute our brave Armed Forces for their precision and unwavering resolve in 'Operation Sindoor' -- a decisive strike against terror that sends a clear message: threats to our nation will never be tolerated. Their courage and sacrifice embody the spirit of a strong and united India. We remain steadfast in our mission to safeguard every inch of our motherland," said Singh Deo. In a military operation following the Pahalgam terror attack, India launched 'Operation Sindoor', striking nine high-value terror targets deep inside Pakistani territory. The operation targeted infrastructure linked to terror groups responsible for the April 22 Pahalgam attack, which killed 26 innocent civilians. Sources said Prime Minister Narendra Modi remained in constant communication with top military commanders and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval during the operation. According to official statements, the nine targets included camps and logistical bases associated with terror groups operating from within Pakistan and PoK. The Indian Army's spokesperson emphasised the precise nature of the strikes, stating, "Our actions have been focused and precise. We have only targeted terrorist camps from where attacks against India have been planned and executed."
