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Proposed procurement of predator drones from US under process: Navy chief

The case for the proposed procurement of a fleet of Predator drones from the US is under process, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral R Hari Kumar said on Saturday. The original proposal was to procure 30 MQ-9B Predator armed drones at a cost of over USD 3 billion to crank up India's surveillance apparatus along the frontier with China as well as in the Indian Ocean region. "The case for the procurement is under process. We are discussing whether the numbers have to be rationalised," the Navy Chief said while replying to a question at his annual press conference. The MQ-9B drone is a variant of the MQ-9 "Reaper" which was used to launch a modified version of the Hellfire missile that eliminated al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in the heart of Kabul last month. In 2020, the Indian Navy had taken on lease two MQ-9B Sea Guardian drones from General Atomics for a period of one year for surveillance in the Indian Ocean. The lease period has been extended subsequently. "We have gained good ..

Smaller rate hikes likely coming in Dec, says US Fed chairman Powell

Jerome Powell, Chairman of the US Federal Reserve, said the central bank could pull back on the pace of its aggressive rate hikes as soon as December.

US job openings fell in October to still-high level as Fed ramps up rates

US job openings dropped in October but remained high, a sign that businesses became slightly less needy for workers as the Federal Reserve ramps up interest rates in an effort to cool the economy. Employers posted 10.3 million job vacancies in October, down from 10.7 million in September, the Labour Department said on Wednesday. Even with the drop, openings were slightly lower in August, when they dipped below 10.3 million before rebounding the following month. The number of people quitting their jobs also slipped in October, to 4 million from 4.1 million. The Federal Reserve is closely monitoring the figures on job openings and quits for signals about the strength of the job market. The Fed is seeking to pull off a delicate task by slowing hiring and the broader economy to cool inflation, but not so much as to cause a recession. While more job openings are a benefit for those seeking work, Fed officials would like to see the number of openings fall. That's because fewer openings

Indo-US wargame shows Indian Army kite 'Arjun' trained to prey on drones

In a first, the Indian Army has trained kites to prey on enemy drones and they were shown in action during the ongoing joint training exercise Yuddh Abhyas of India and US in Uttarakhand's Auli.A kite named "Arjun" trained to prey on enemy drones was shown in action during the ongoing joint training exercise.During the exercise, the Indian Army created a situation, in which the Indian Army used a kite and a dog to identify the location of enemy drones and destroy them. In this, the dog alerts the Indian Army after hearing the sound of the drone. Whereas the kite works to identify the location of the enemy's drone and circumcise it in the air.Indian Army troops are using trained Kites to prey on enemy drones in a first-of-its-kind usage of these birds. Indian Army is using trained Kites along with dogs for military operations, Army officials said.Such a capability can help the security forces to tackle the menace of drones coming from across the border to Indian areas in Punjab and ...

Ukraine likely to get arms that can hit deep inside Russia: Report

US and allied military inventories are shrinking, and Ukraine faces an increasing need for more sophisticated weapons as the war drags on

upGrad-backed Harappa launches in US, to upskill 55,000 managers in 3 yrs

Harappa founders cite huge scope as 82% Americans are likely to quit their jobs because of a bad manager, while 44% managers feel they are unprepared for their jobs

Fifa World Cup Day 6: Ecuador, US impress in draws; Senegal, Iran in wins

Fifa World Cup Qatar Day 6 Highlights: Iran and Senegal won impressively against Wales and Qatar respectively while US and Ecuador forced draws from their fencied opponents England and the Netherlands

China trying to revive ties with the US via the Wall Street route: Report

Days before the meeting between Xi Jinping and Joe Biden at the G20 Summit in Indonesia, a Chinese delegation of policy advisors and business executives met with their US counterparts in New York

FIFA World Cup 2022: Late penalty helps Wales secure 1-1 draw with USA

Welsh side was left staring at a defeat in their first World Cup match in 64 years, but Bale converted the penalty into a goal with just a few minutes to go for full-time to secure a point in Group B

At least 5 dead, 18 hurt in shooting at gay nightclub in Colorado; 1 held

A suspect was in custody and was being treated for injuries after the attack at Club Q, Colorado Springs police Lieutenant Pamela Castro told a news conference

Are countries using visas as weapons to fight diplomatic battles?

While India does seem to be facing the rough end of visa diplomacy, barriers are going up globally

US, China, UAE drive India's first export contraction in nearly 2 yrs

The three nations that saw positive growth in exports were the Netherlands (21.6 per cent), Singapore (24.8 per cent), and Brazil (57.7 per cent)

US, other warships hold extensive joint naval drills amid China concerns

US, Japanese, Australian and Canadian warships are currently staging extensive joint drills in Japanese and international waters, the US Navy said on Wednesday. Without mentioning China directly, the 7th Fleet said the two-week biennial Keen Sword exercises include scenarios designed to challenge the critical capabilities required to support the defense of Japan and stability of the Indo-Pacific region. Growing Chinese assertiveness is seen by the US and its allies as the key military challenge in the region. The drills also come as heads of the Group of 20 leading economies were meeting in Indonesia, among other high-profile regional forums. The G-20 gathering allowed the first face-to-face meeting between US President Joe Biden and China's Xi Jinping since Biden took office, leading to hopes of a start of a reduction of tensions that have lately spiked over trade, technology and Taiwan. The drills include extensive anti-submarine warfare drills, and the guided-missile destroyer

Republicans just a seat away from control of House, says report

Democrats have already won control of the Senate, securing 50 seats with a runoff in Georgia next month

US transport dept fines Air India $1.4 mn for delaying refunds of $121 mn

Refunds were on account of flights cancelled during Covid-19 pandemic; AI among six airlines that collectively forked out $600 mn in refunds and $7.25 mn in penalties

What happened during the Cold War between the US and the Soviet Union

On the sidelines of the G20 Summit, Joe Biden met Xi Jinping and later said that there was no need for a new 'Cold War'

Taiwan 'first red line', should not be crossed, Xi Jinping tells Joe Biden

No imminent attempt by China to invade Taiwan: Biden

Over 200,000 students went to US for higher studies in 2021-22: Report

More than 2 lakh Indian students chose the United States as their higher education destination in the 2021-22 academic year, a 19 per cent increase over the previous year, according to a report released on Monday. Nearly 21 per cent of the over one million foreign students studying in the United States are Indian, according to the Open Doors report published by the Institute of International Education (IIE). For the second consecutive year, a record number of Indian students went to the United States to pursue higher education, it said. "Congratulations to India on leading the globe in the number of students choosing the United States," Gloria Berbena, minister counselor for public diplomacy at the US embassy here, said. "It's clear Indian students and their parents recognise the value of a US education, one that prepares them to leverage their newly gained know-how to tackle the world's challenges and readies them for future opportunities, whether that's in artificial intelligence

Defying history, Democrats keep Senate in win for US President Joe Biden

Democrats are now poised to hold 50 seats in the 100-member Senate, allowing them to control the agenda with the tie-breaking vote of Vice President Kamala Harris

'Wakanda Forever' notches up $330 million globally on opening weekend

Marvel's 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' lorded over the box office this weekend, earning $180 million in North America and providing a much-needed lift to beleaguered cinemas, reports 'Variety'.