According to defence sources, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has ordered Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) to deliver the indigenous Astra Beyond Visual Range (BVR) air-to-air missile. The first batch of the missile will be inducted into the IAF by the end of 2023. The Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification (CEMILAC) has already granted bulk production clearance to BDL to manufacture the Astra-MK1 missiles. Astra is a state-of-the-art BVR air-to-air missile with a range of over 100 km, designed and developed by the Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL), Research Centre Imarat (RCI), and other DRDO laboratories.
Maldivian pro-China leader Mohamed Muizzu won the presidential election after securing 54.06 per cent votes in the run-off elections, in which he defeated incumbent pro-India President Ibrahim Mohammad Solih. Following the win, Muizzu, who won with support for a robust anti-India campaign, announced he would start efforts to remove all foreign soldiers based in the Maldives on the first day in office. He stated that no foreign soldiers could be based in the Maldives against the wishes of the Maldivian people.
A group of US senators, including Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, is planning to visit China next week and address business-related issues. They also hope to meet with President Xi Jinping. The trip might also include stops in South Korea and Japan.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s approval ratings have suffered a “significant” drop in light of soaring consumer prices in the country. The Pulse Asia Survey, conducted from 10-14 September, found that only 65% of 1,200 respondents approved of the president’s performance, down 15 points from June. This marked the first decline in the leader’s approval scores.
On Monday, the UN Security Council (UNSC) approved the deployment of an international security force to aid Haiti’s national police in combating gang violence and restoring security across the Caribbean nation. Following months of turmoil and gradually worsening conditions for citizens, the Haitian government and civil society groups requested the mission.
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador slammed US military aid to Ukraine on Monday, calling it “irrational,” and urged Washington to allocate more money to help Latin American countries. Lopez Obrador has long urged the US to invest more in economic development in Central America and the Caribbean to alleviate migration pressures.