On 17 January, INS Visakhapatnam swiftly responded to a distress call by Marshall Island-flagged MV Genco Picardy following a drone attack. INS Visakhapatnam received the call at 2311 hrs and intercepted the vessel with 22 crew members at 0030 hrs on 18 January. The Indian warship’s explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) experts entered the ship to examine the damaged area, and following a careful examination, they declared the area “safe for further transit.” Nine Indians were present on the ship, and no casualties have been reported following the incident.
On Thursday, the Union Cabinet approved an MoU between India and the European Commission on Working Arrangements on Semiconductors Ecosystems, its supply chain, and innovation. The MoU was signed on 21 November 2023 under the framework of the EU-India Trade and Technology Council (TTC) with the intention to promote collaboration between the EU and India to improve semiconductors for the development of industries and digital technology.
China and the Philippines have agreed to de-escalate tensions after constantly tense confrontations between their ships in the South China Sea for over a year. The two sides have agreed to deal with incidents through diplomacy and peace. They decided to continue improving communication and using friendly negotiations to manage their differences at sea, especially to manage the situation at the disputed Ren’Ai reef, also known as the Ayungin Shoal or the Second Thomas Shoal.
Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said that, on Thursday morning, US Central Command forces launched defensive strikes against two Houthi anti-ship missiles aimed at the southern Red Sea. During the press briefing, Singh reported other defensive strikes against 14 Houthi missiles carried out the night before at more than a dozen locations. “These missiles on launch rails presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and US Navy ships in the region and could have been fired at any time,” Singh remarked.
Princess Reema bint Bandar Al Saud, the Saudi ambassador to the US, declared at the World Economic Forum on Thursday that any future normalisation agreement with Israel would be conditional on a ceasefire in Gaza and the establishment of an “irrevocable” pathway to a Palestinian state. Princess Reema stated that Saudi Arabia has extended its support for peace with Israel, but it also shares responsibility for the Palestinians. “We recognise the need for Israel to feel safe, but it can’t be at the expense of the Palestinian people,” she added.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad met in Moscow on Thursday to discuss the situation in the Gaza Strip and called for an immediate ceasefire. “Special attention was paid to the ongoing escalation of the situation in the Middle East,” the Russian Foreign Ministry stated. Per the ministry, both diplomats emphasised that any provocative moves could lead to the fighting spreading to other countries in the region, including Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen, the ministry said.
An appeal court in Thailand’s northern city of Chiang Rai sentenced Mongkol Thirakot, a 30-year-old online clothing seller and former pro-democracy activist, to a record total of 50 years in prison over posts on his personal Facebook account, Thai Lawyers for Human Rights said. The court found Thirakot guilty of “the intention to defame, insult, [and] show hatred towards the King.”
Rajesh Kumar Singh, secretary at the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, told Reuters in an interview on Wednesday that India’s investment rules “could change once [its] relationship [with China] stabilises because [...] the border has stabilised.” “On the investment side also, if things go well, I’m sure we can resume normal business,” he added, speaking at the annual World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland. However, Singh did not mention a timeframe for the possible move.