The Indian Navy’s INS Mormugao test-fired a BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, which security officials said, “successfully hit ‘bulls eye’.” BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited, an Indian-Russian joint venture, developed the missile.
India and the EU held the first Trade and Technology Council Ministerial meeting in Brussels. Indian Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal will meet with the bloc’s Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis and discuss supply chains and India-EU trade ties on Monday.
Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that India would not engage in talks with Pakistan until it stops supporting terrorism. Singh remarked that the government’s topmost priority was securing borders, the safety of people, and safeguarding the country’s unity, integrity, and sovereignty. He added that India’s military forces are capable and ready to give a befitting reply to anyone trying to cast an evil eye. The minister made the remarks during a Sunday address at an event in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar in Maharashtra.
The 4th edition of the India-Indonesia bilateral exercise, Samudra Shakti-23, began on 14 May with the arrival of INS Kavaratti at Batam, Indonesia. The exercise aims to improve interoperability, cooperation, and jointness between the two navies. The Indian Navy’s Dornier Patrol aircraft and Chetak helicopter, and Indonesian Navy’s KRI Sultan Iskandar Muda, CN 235 Maritime Patrol Aircraft, and AS565 Panther Helicopter are participating in the exercise.
Cyclone Mocha hit the coastlines of Bangladesh and Myanmar after intensifying into a category-five storm. At least five people have been killed in Myanmar, while no casualties have been reported in Bangladesh. However, the powerful cyclone has destroyed hundreds of makeshift shelters in Cox’s Bazaar refugee camp in Bangladesh. In addition, landslides and floods continue to hit the area.
EU ministers on Friday agreed to reduce the bloc’s economic dependence on China. The bloc will now “take time” to do “a lot of work” to “review all [its] economic relations with China,” foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said. Borrell added that the ministers agreed “on the basic lines of this re-calibration of our strategy on China.” “When a dependency is too big, it’s a risk,” he stated.
The leaders of the G7 nations intend to tighten sanctions on Russia this week at their summit in Japan, with restrictions aimed at energy and exports that boost Moscow’s war effort. During the 19-21 May meetings, the leaders will announce new measures to target sanctions evasions by third-party countries and undermine support for Russia’s military. Additionally, US officials anticipate that G7 members will agree to modify their sanctions policy, in which all exports are automatically prohibited unless they are included on a list of approved items.
The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) announced on Sunday that six Russian aircraft operating in international airspace near Alaska were intercepted by American fighter jets. In a written statement, NORAD said the Russian aircraft included TU-95 bombers, IL-78 tankers, and SU-35 fighter jets. The interception was classified as “routine” by NORAD, which clarified that it happens in the so-called Alaska Air Defence Identification Zone around six to seven times a year.
Israel, the US, and the UN thanked Egypt on Sunday for mediating a ceasefire with the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group, which has been engaged in fighting with the Israeli military for the past five days. Thanking Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi for brokering a deal, Israeli National Security Advisor Tzachi Hanegbi stressed that “quiet will be answered with quiet, and if Israel is attacked and threatened, it will do everything it needs to in order to protect itself.” After Israeli aircraft bombed Islamic Jihad targets in Gaza and killed several of the group’s senior commanders, terrorists launched over 1,000 rockets towards Israel. Between 20-30 Palestinians and 1 Israeli citizen died in the fighting.
On Saturday, search teams in Kenya’s Shakahola forest found an additional 22 bodies related to a doomsday cult incident. This adds to the 29 corpses, including 12 children, discovered the day before. The tragic event has claimed the lives of 201 individuals thus far, making it one of the country’s worst tragedies. A total of 26 individuals have been detained in connection with the deaths. The Good News International Church leader, Paul Mackenzie, was denied bail by a Kenyan court on Wednesday. Mackenzie is accused of instructing his followers to starve themselves and their children to ascend to heaven before the world’s end.