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[🇧🇩] Bangladesh named The Economist's 2024 country of the year

In 2023 the prize was given to Greece for dragging itself out of a long financial crisis and re-electing a sensible centrist government​

Illustration: TBS

Illustration: TBS


Bangladesh has earned the title of The Economist's Country of the Year, surpassing Syria, Argentina, South Africa, and Poland for its remarkable progress.

Every year, The Economist chooses one country that has shown the most remarkable improvement over the past year and this year Bangladesh was given the honour.

Previous winners include Colombia (for ending a civil war), Ukraine (for resisting an unprovoked invasion) and Malawi (for democratising).

In 2023 the prize was given to Greece for dragging itself out of a long financial crisis and re-electing a sensible centrist government, read a report published by The Economist.

The Economist clarified in its report that the winner is not the richest, happiest or most virtuous place, but the one that has improved the most in the previous 12 months.

The report said Bangladesh has overthrown an autocrat. In August, student-led street protests forced out Sheikh Hasina, who had ruled the country of 175 million for 15 years. A daughter of an independence hero, she once presided over swift economic growth. But she became repressive, rigging elections, jailing opponents and ordering the security forces to shoot protesters. Huge sums of money were stolen on her watch.

"Bangladesh has a history of vengeful violence when power changes hands. The main opposition party, the BNP, is venal. Islamic extremism is a threat. Yet the transition has so far been encouraging," read the report.


The report further said a temporary technocratic government, led by Muhammad Yunus, a Nobel peace prize winner, is backed by students, the army, business and civil society and "has restored order and stabilised the economy".


"In 2025 it will need to repair ties with India and decide when to hold elections – first ensuring that the courts are neutral and the opposition has time to organise. None of this will be easy. But for toppling a despot and taking strides towards a more liberal government, Bangladesh is our country of the year," the report further stated.

The runner-up

According to The Economist report, Syria was the runner-up and a late entrant in the race.

The ousting of Bashar al-Assad on 8 December ended half a century of depraved dynastic dictatorship. In just the past 13 years civil war and state violence have killed perhaps 600,000 people.

The report highlighted that Assad's regime employed chemical weapons and mass torture against perceived opponents and turned to large-scale drug trafficking to fund its operations. His eventual downfall brought both joy to Syrians and humiliation to his autocratic allies – Russia, which provided air power for barrel bomb attacks, and Iran, which saw Syria as a key part of its "axis of resistance" alongside Hamas and Hizbullah.

"Assad was easily the worst tyrant deposed in 2024. But the quality of what replaces him matters, too. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the most powerful rebel group, which now controls Damascus and chunks of the rest of Syria, has been pragmatic so far," the report said.

"But until 2016 it was affiliated with al-Qaeda, and for some years it governed Idlib province competently, but repressively. If HTS gains too much power, it may impose an Islamist autocracy. If it has too little, Syria may fall apart," the report added.

The report is based on The Economist article posted on the verified Facebook page of Chief Adviser GOB (Government of Bangladesh).

[🇷🇺] Russian missile scientist ‘assassinated by Ukrainian special forces

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A Russian scientist known for developing cruise missiles has been found shot dead in a snowy wooded area near Moscow.

Ukraine’s intelligence service claimed that it had assassinated Mikhail Shatsky, the deputy director of a Moscow-based ballistics engineering unit.

“Anyone who is involved in the development of the Russian military-industrial complex and support of Russian aggression in Ukraine one way or another is a legitimate target,” a Ukrainian defence source told the Kyiv Independent.

[🇮🇳] 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War - NYT praises Indian Army

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Sydney Schanberg, who covered 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War for The New York Times, wrote this about the Indian Army: “I don’t like sitting around praising armies. I don’t like armies because armies mean wars. But this (Indian) army was something. They were great all the way. _There never was a black mark … I lived with the officers, and I walked and rode with the jawans. They were all great. But I never saw a man flinch because he was scared. There was a tremendous spirit in the Indian Army, and it did one good to experience it. _“I have seen our boys [US Army] in Vietnam—and this army was different. Their arms and equipment aren’t as good-but what they had were used with effect and boy! could they improvise. I saw heavy recoilless guns carried on shoulders, big guns pushed across marshes like ox-carts, by jawans, villagers, officers, everybody was in it together, and they were perfect gentlemen. I never saw them do a thing wrong, not even when they saw just how bestial the enemy had been.”

Cheers, Doc

World Who is Sriram Krishnan, an engineer from India chosen by Trump to advise the White House on AI?

Who is Sriram Krishnan, an engineer from India chosen by Trump to advise the White House on AI?

Who is Sriram Krishnan, an engineer from India chosen by Trump to advise the White House on AI?
Sriram Krishnan has been appointed as the Senior Policy Advisor for Artificial Intelligence at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. The announcement was made by incoming President Donald Trump, who highlighted that Krishnan will play a vital role in shaping AI policy across government sectors. He will also work closely with David O. Sacks, the newly appointed AI and cryptocurrency "czar."


Krishnan's educational journey began at SRM Valliammai Engineering College in Kattankulathur, Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu. He started his career at Microsoft, where he contributed significantly to the development of Windows Azure, working on its APIs and services. He also authored the book Programming Windows Azure for O’Reilly.
Over the years, Krishnan has held key roles in several major technology companies. He joined Facebook in 2013, where he was instrumental in scaling the company’s mobile app download ads business. Following his stint at Facebook, he moved to Snap, where he contributed to various product initiatives. He later worked at Twitter until 2019 and collaborated with Elon Musk on restructuring the platform (now X) after Musk’s acquisition in 2022. In 2021, Krishnan became a general partner at Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), focusing on emerging technologies, and in 2023, he led the firm’s first international office in London.
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Viksit Bharat Dream: Hard Work Or Smart Work?

Aside from his professional roles, Krishnan is an investor and advisor in the Indian fintech company Cred. He also co-hosts a podcast, The Aarthi and Sriram Show, with his wife, Aarthi Ramamurthy. The podcast features notable tech leaders, including Elon Musk.
Krishnan has been an advocate for AI, proposing solutions for balancing the interests of AI companies and internet platforms in an opinion piece for The New York Times. He has emphasized the importance of technology-based collaborations over legal disputes.
In his new position in Washington, Krishnan will oversee AI policy coordination across US government agencies, working with Trump's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. His primary focus will be on balancing regulation and innovation to ensure the US remains a leader in AI.
Expressing his enthusiasm for the role, Krishnan stated, “I’m honoured to serve our country and ensure continued American leadership in AI.”

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General Volcanoes, Not Meteorite, Killed Dinosaurs, Scientist Argues

Volcanoes, Not Meteorite, Killed Dinosaurs, Scientist Argues

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New research argues that volcanic activity from the Deccan Traps in India, not a meteorite impact, killed the dinosaurs. (Image credit: Gerta Keller, NSF)

SAN FRANCISCO — Volcanic activity in modern-day India, not an asteroid, may have killed the dinosaurs, according to a new study.

Tens of thousands of years of lava flow from the Deccan Traps, a volcanic region near Mumbai in present-day India, may have spewed poisonous levels of sulfur and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and caused the mass extinction through the resulting global warming and ocean acidification, the research suggests.

The findings, presented Wednesday (Dec. 5) here at the annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union, are the latest volley in an ongoing debate over whether an asteroid or volcanism killed off the dinosaurs about 65 million years ago in the mass die-off known as the K-T extinction.

"Our new information calls for a reassessment of what really caused the K-T mass extinction," said Gerta Keller, a geologist at Princeton University who conducted the study.

For several years, Keller has argued that volcanic activity killed the dinosaurs.

But proponents of the Alvarez hypothesis argue that a giant meteorite impact at Chicxulub, Mexico, around 65 million years ago released toxic amounts of dust and gas into the atmosphere, blocking out the sun to cause widespread cooling, choking the dinosaurs and poisoning sea life. The meteorite may impact may also have set off volcanic activity, earthquakes and tsunamis.

The new research "really demonstrates that we have Deccan Traps just before the mass extinction, and that may contribute partially or totally to the mass extinction," said Eric Font, a geologist at the University of Lisbon in Portugal, who was not involved in the research.

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[🇵🇰] Imran Khan's Return - November 24th Rally Updates



Pakistan government doubles down on preventing Imran Khan’s Nov. 24 protest​


ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Friday vowed to implement the Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) order, refusing to allow former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party to stage the Nov. 24 protest in the federal capital demanding his release.

[🇧🇩] D-8 Organization and Bangladesh for Economic Cooperation

An opportunity to strengthen trade relations
Md Abu Saim 27 November, 2024, 00:00

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EGYPT will host this year’s D-8 Summit (Developing-8) Organisation for Economic Cooperation, bringing together leaders from member states, namely Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Turkey, targeting talks on boosting trade, investment, exports, and economic collaboration among each member. Meanwhile, Bangladesh is positioned to enhance its trade and business opportunities with other fellow member countries. Egypt has sent a formal invitation to chief adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus to attend the summit scheduled to be held on December 19, 2024.

As part of the country’s efforts to diversify its trade arrangements and reduce dependency on certain export materials, strengthening economic ties and collaboration within the bloc provides overwhelming opportunities for Bangladesh in the near future.

Strategic move to strengthen trade relations

THE D-8 countries have an overwhelming prospect, as the collective market of the bloc accounts for 1.1 billion people (1/7 of the world’s population) and 14 per cent of global trade (700 billion Dollars). Established in 1997 by the then Turkish prime minister Necmettin Erbakan, to achieve an economic and political unity among Muslim countries, D-8 aims at fostering economic cooperation among member states’ positions in the global economy, diversifying and creating new opportunities in trade relations, and ensuring their strong participation in decision-making mechanisms at the international level. With a market of over 1 billion people and a combined GDP of approximately $5 trillion, it is an attractive space for Bangladesh’s expanding export base. The traditional market of Bangladeshi exports is dominated by a high concentration of ready-made garments, mainly to the United States and European Union.

However, long since economic diversification has become a priority to Bangladesh, and despite aspirations, a lack of effective market research has barred progress in exploring so. Unlike regional trade agreements, D-8 operates within a global framework, providing Bangladesh with opportunities to explore new export destinations and expand its traditional strongholds. With the country’s growing potential in textiles, garments, agricultural products, pharmaceuticals, and leather exports, engagement with D-8 nations offers new channels for economic reshuffling and market diversification. This opportunity emerges at a time when both the country’s reconstruction is ardent and the global supply chains are being redirected to look forward to new trade alliances to reduce overreliance on specific countries.

The purpose and objectives of D-8 synchronise the economic goals of Bangladesh, offering a significant potential for elevating its economy on the world stage. Over the years, the organisation has focused on improving trade and investment, aiming at its goals of fostering economic cooperation and development among member states.

Targeted sectors for enhanced trade

AS PER D-8’s economic opportunity, Bangladesh should work with all the member states to unlock its potential from sectors like agro-processing to ICT. The country is going to be benefitted if its major agricultural commodities, including rice, jute, tea, shrimp, leather, mangoes, and other food products, find greater market opportunities through intra-D-8 trade. On top of that, the country’s thriving pharmaceutical industry can easily locate its market in countries like Nigeria, Pakistan, and Egypt, which are investing heavily in healthcare and medicine. Besides, the growing ICT sector can easily position itself to collaborate with markets of its counterparts. Moreover, Bangladesh has a lot to import from states like Turkey and Iran, particularly in the defence sector, with opportunities to share technologies for building greater resilience to the country’s national security.

Bangladesh maintains the most trade volume with Indonesia in the D-8 bloc, surpassing $6 billion of trade every year, importing mostly palm oil, coal briquettes, refined petroleum, and cement, as well as exporting ready-made garments and agricultural goods. The recent trade developments with Pakistan could be a significant event to strengthen ties in the D-8 meeting, as introducing a direct shipping line between Pakistan and Bangladesh for the first time has reduced transit time. Turkey, with a lot of trade potential for Bangladesh, can be a major destination for Bangladeshi exports. Bangladesh can act as a gateway for Turkey’s Asia New Initiative in the ASEAN countries; in return, Turkey can act as a gateway for Bangladeshi exports to European countries. Malaysia is one of the largest sources of foreign direct investment in Bangladesh. The country is important as it is a key destination for Bangladeshi migrant workers and sources of remittances, as well as the two countries having trade agreements in place that encourage businesses further between them. While the trade volumes with Pakistan, Iran, Egypt, and Nigeria are typically lower, enhanced cooperation and collaboration within the bloc can be significant for economic growth and development.

Perhaps an important breakthrough for the platform would be materialising a currency swap deal. Amid the ongoing economic volatility, D-8 has been mulling the idea of a currency swap deal for the last few years between the member states to create a more viable trade framework. For Bangladesh, such an initiative is highly desirable, especially in the context of a depleting foreign exchange reserve.

Bangladesh’s leadership role in D-8

BANGLADESH’S current leadership role as the chair of the D-8 provides it with an opportunity to shape the organisation’s future direction. Since its chairmanship of the organisation, the country has brought attention to certain aspects, including trade facilitation, infrastructure development, and market access. Member states also commended Bangladesh during its Dhaka Declaration in 2021 for realising the theme of the summit to address mutual interests.

While in the upcoming summit, Bangladesh can continue advocating initiatives that not only benefit its economy but also mutual development of the member states that obtain the bloc’s objectives. By leveraging the organisation’s political economic strength, the member states may attain the goals of the organisation, including strong participation in decision-making mechanisms at the international level. Particularly, the crisis in Gaza has left the world dumbfounded, while the inability of the Muslim world to solve the issue is evident. Here in particular, Bangladesh has a lot to intervene with this global economic arrangement, as the country’s brilliant, freedom-loving population is a key factor for bringing change both in the global marketplace as well as in world politics.

Md Abu Saim is a development worker in the migration sector, working for WARBE Development Foundation.​

[🇨🇳] China’s Emergence as a Superpower

The Emeritus Chair in Strategy at CSIS is issuing a report written by Anthony H. Cordesman that compares the key trends in civil and military power in the United States, developed democracies, China, and Russia. The report is entitled China’s Emergence as a Super Power: A Graphic Comparison of the United States, Russia, China, and Other Major Powers. A downloadable copy is attached at the end of this announcement, and it is available on the CSIS website at https://csis-website-prod.s3.amazon...df?VersionId=PfyIjoITze29gpLxIY8kFOsuXzqLikV5.

The graphs, maps, and tables in this report only highlight a limited range of the complex changes involved, and reliable data are often lacking for the years after 2020. They still show, however, that the civil and military role of the world’s major powers is in a process of dramatic and unpredictable change.

The Key Impact of China’s Emergence as a Major Global Economic Power

China has emerged as an economic superpower that rivals the United States in many ways, although the total economic power of modern democracies—most of which are strategic partners of the United States—vastly exceeds the size of the Chinese economy, trade efforts, and efforts in technology and research and development. China also faces major internal challenges created by outside restrictions and economic sanctions, its handling of Covid-19, and state interference in its economic development.

Nevertheless, China is already competing with the economies of developed democratic states on a global level. Its “belt and road” efforts to establish economic ties to developing states and control critical minerals and resources. It may succeed in creating a rival economic bloc that can function and grow outside the “rules-based order” democracies created after World War II, and it is already competing in its relations with a number of developing states and other countries.

The trends presented in this report show that this competition may well become an ongoing confrontation between China and its allies, and developed democracies and their strategic partners, unless radical changes take place in Chinese policies and leadership. And—as is discussed shortly—is a growing level of civil confrontation that is being matched by military confrontation as well.

Russia’s Diminished Global Economic Role

The following graphics show that Russia is not an economic superpower now that it has lost control of most East European states and many of the Central European and Asian elements of the former Soviet Union. Russia has long lagged badly in total economic growth, trade, research and development, and all the other major areas of economic power. Russia’s size, geographic position, and large oil and gas reserves do, however, still make it a key global power.

Key Uncertainties in the Civil Impacts of Economic Power

It should be stressed, however, that current trends can only tell part of the story. Any analysis of economic and civil power will be shaped by many key trends that cannot be quantified. They include the longer-term impacts of the economic stresses between and within developed states, the impact of internal politics, the impact of demographic change and population pressure, and the impact of global warming. They also include the degree to which the developed democracies can succeed in cooperating and creating truly functional economic strategic partnerships. As yet, governments often rely far more on rhetoric about such cooperation than on taking tangible action, although there are positive indicators as well.

The graphics in this analysis also do not include the developing world. Here, the allocation of international economic power has generally favored developed states. As the UN, World Bank, IMF, and a host of NGO reports make clear, many states have failed to move towards effective development and face major challenges from failed or corrupt governance, repression and internal division, population pressure, limited water supplies, and climate change. For all the former rhetoric about globalism, this includes at least one-third of the world’s nations.

At the same time, there are cases like India, where the trends in global power could move in other directions. While they are not yet positive enough to include in this analysis, India has overtaken China as the world’s most populous state, has a GDP of some $9.3 trillion, and ranks high in terms of total military spending. Several major petroleum states in the Gulf are taking positive steps to develop beyond a reliance on energy exports, as are some states in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. For all the failings in the developing world, they are also important potential successes.

The Impact of Trends in Military Power

The graphs and tables that follow show that the United States remains the world’s largest military power, the one with the most combat experience and highest levels of total spending and investment in modernization, and the one with the strongest strategic partners.

It is also clear, however, that the United States already faces growing competition from China, particularly in the Pacific and in the Indian Ocean as well. In the case of Taiwan, competition has already turned to serious confrontation and the risk of war. Once again, China has vastly increased its capabilities since 1990, as well as its military links to other Asia power. Much depends on the United States’ ability to strengthen its strategic partnerships with Japan, South Korea, Australia, the Philippines, and other Asian states—as well as European states with major power projection capabilities like Great Britain and France.

The Uncertainties Driven by the War in Ukraine

At the same time, the United States and its strategic partners face a major challenge from Russia and one that current U.S. national strategy tends to seriously understate. As the graphics show, Russia may not have an economy that can fully support its present conventional forces, but it remains a major threat to the United States’ European strategic partners and NATO, and the Russian military threat must be given equal priority with that from China.

The trends shown in this analysis do not generally go beyond 2021 and cannot reflect the many longer-term changes in the military balance that are growing out of the war in Ukraine. It is clear, however, that the United States and its NATO allies are engaged in major proxy war, supporting Ukraine in its defense against Russia. They also are already rebuilding NATO’s overall level of extended deterrence against Russia, and doing so at a time when Vladimir Putin, Russia’s leader, has made it clear that he sees NATO as a major and continuing threat.

There is no current way to predict how the war in Ukraine will change the overall balance of military power and how and when it will end. It seems almost certain, however, that as long as Putin rules Russia, the United States and the rest of NATO will be engaged in a new Cold War, and one which will effectively match a similar Cold War between the United States and its strategic partners in Asia and China.

A Return to Nuclear Forces

As the final sections of this analysis also show, these two Cold Wars have a major nuclear dimension. The race to build up conventional military power is, in some ways, being outpaced by a new nuclear arms race. This race not only reflects the near collapse of nuclear arms control but a potential return to major tactical, theater, and dual-capable nuclear forces. It also is clear that Russia is now only a supe power to the extent it has inherited a massive legacy of nuclear weapons and technology from the former Soviet Union.

Full report attached.

@Jiangnan @Lulldapull @ThunderCat @Bagheera0084 @Sharma Ji @Vsdoc @Bilal9 @Vikings @Mb444 @SurvivoR @Saif @ghazi

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[🇮🇳] DRDO and IIT Delhi showcase breakthroughs in quantum communication technologies

DRDO and IIT Delhi showcase breakthroughs in quantum communication technologies​

Story by Statesman News Service
• 14h • 2 min read

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DRDO and IIT Delhi showcase breakthroughs in quantum communication technologies

DRDO and IIT Delhi showcase breakthroughs in quantum communication technologies© Provided by The Statesman
The DRDO Industry Academia–Centre of Excellence (DIA-CoE) at IIT Delhi showcased groundbreaking advancements in quantum communication technologies here on Tuesday. These technologies, developed through collaborative efforts, emphasise entanglement-based quantum key distribution (QKD) for secure communication systems.


A separate field test has demonstrated entanglement distribution and QKD over 8 km of optical fibre in the IIT Delhi campus. In another initiative of quantum research, Free-space Entanglement distribution was demonstrated using the BBM-92 protocol, a key QKD method, between two tables separated by 20 metres in the lab and 80m in the open space. This experiment demonstrated short-range quantum communication in a free-space setup.

In an innovative experiment, hybrid entanglement has been demonstrated in a free-space environment, achieving a Quantum Bit Error Rate (QBER) of around 6% in the laboratory over a distance of 10m in the lab. In addition, QKD systems supporting multiple independent channels driven by a single source are also being explored with promising results. These open the door for more flexible, multi-protocol quantum communication systems.


In achieving the above breakthrough, an all-fibre heralded photon source with a second-order correlation function (g² ~ 0.01) at rates reaching hundreds of kHz is developed. This innovation is vital for single-photon generation, a critical requirement for secure quantum communication. An all-fiber entangled photon source has also been developed with high visibility. The Bell test parameter for this source is more than 2.6, exhibiting strong quantum entanglement, which is essential for protocols like BBM-92.

For free-space quantum communication experiments, a free-space heralded single-photon source has been demonstrated with a heralding rate of over 4 million counts/sec. This development enables robust free-space quantum communication. Following India’s First Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) demonstration between the cities of Prayagraj and Vindhyachal, separated by 100 km, by DRDO labs and IIT (D) in February 2022, many new initiatives have been taken by DRDO and IIT (D).


In addition, indigenization of various components like quantum sources and detectors is initiated. These include single photon sources on LNOI, SNSPD and periodically poled non-linear crystals. These projects are launched at IIT Delhi in collaboration with DRDO labs like DYSL-QT and SSPL and funded by the Directorate of Futuristic Technology Management under its deep tech initiatives aimed at fostering cutting-edge innovations in defence technology.

Through its projects at the DIA-CoE, IITD and DRDO have created a strong national footprint in QKD with breakthroughs in fibre and free space areas. Quantum communication holds significant potential for enhancing security in strategic sectors, such as defence and finance, by providing robust and tamper-evident communication channels.

The DRDO Industry Academia–Centre of Excellence (DIA-CoE) is a collaborative initiative between DRDO and IIT Delhi, established at IIT Delhi. The CoE is developing various quantum communication technologies like the development of fibre and free-space (polarisation/hybrid photon-based) Quantum Key Distributions Technologies, Quantum Sources, Quantum Detectors, and Non-linear Crystals.

[🇮🇳] IIT Kanpur unveils Analaksya stealth tech to make objects invisible to radar

Date Occurred: Nov 27, 2024
Story by India Today Education Desk
• 1h • 2 min read

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IIT Kanpur has introduced a groundbreaking innovation in stealth technology with its AnÄlaká¹£hya Metamaterial Surface Cloaking System (MSCS). This cutting-edge system is designed to make objects almost invisible to radar, offering significant advancements in defence and national security.


Developed by a team of researchers and students from IIT Kanpur, the AnÄlaká¹£hya MSCS is a textile-based broadband metamaterial microwave absorber.

Its unique capability lies in its ability to absorb radar waves across a wide spectrum, rendering Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imaging ineffective.

This means better protection against radar-guided missiles and enhanced stealth capabilities for modern warfare.

The innovation reflects India's growing self-reliance in defence technology, with over 90% of its materials sourced domestically. After extensive testing from 2019 to 2024, the technology proved effective in various operational conditions.

It has been licensed to Meta Tattva Systems Pvt. Ltd. for manufacturing, marking a critical step towards its deployment by the Indian Armed Forces.


IIT Kanpur, stealth technology, AnÄlaká¹£hya MSCS, stealth technology, invisible to radar, radar invisibility, defence innovation, SAR imaging, metamaterial, Made in India, microwave absorber, defence technology, national security

IIT Kanpur, stealth technology, AnÄlaká¹£hya MSCS, stealth technology, invisible to radar, radar invisibility, defence innovation, SAR imaging, metamaterial, Made in India, microwave absorber, defence technology, national security
Stealth technology is a critical asset in today's technologically advanced battlefields, where radar surveillance systems dominate. By absorbing radar waves, AnÄlaká¹£hya MSCS reduces detectability and increases the survivability of equipment and personnel.

It strengthens India's operational capabilities and offers a significant strategic edge in maintaining national security.


The launch event was attended by prominent defense officials, including Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, Air Marshal Rajesh Kumar, and Lt. Gen. Cherish Mathson, who commended the IIT Kanpur team for their innovative efforts.

The system not only represents a leap in stealth technology but also highlights the collaboration between academia, industry, and the armed forces.

Source: MSN

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[🇪🇬] Egypt’s purchase of a Chinese fighter jet is a reminder Cold War tactics are back in the Middle East


The reported agreement for Egypt to buy the Chinese Chengdu J-10C 4.5 generation fighter jets is part of a broader shift from focusing on modernizing ground troops to bolstering the air force. The details of the deal have not yet been published. Nonetheless, it reveals Egypt has two motivations beyond backing its arsenal with another fighter jet.

Elusive Western technology​

The most important motivation for Egypt’s military diversification strategy (and the biggest source of frustration) is the perceived Western technology starvation.

A quick examination of the map around Egypt shows that the most significant perceived threats to its national security are located in remote places where Egypt doesn’t traditionally enjoy ground troops’ presence. These include Ethiopia, the Southern Red Sea, Libya and the vulnerability a potential Israel–Iran regional war would create. From the generals’ perspective in Cairo, this list is more than a catalyst to build a modern and capable long arm.

@Jiangnan @LegionnairE @ThunderCat @Lulldapull @TheNewb77 @PakistanProud @Sharma Ji @Vsdoc @Krishna with Flute @Bilal9 @Saif

General Science of genetics: Extreme variations in characteristics

How does genetics work? What causes below type extreme variations in characteristics?

In some families BOTH parents are normal, likeable and financially stable. But the variations seen in their children are as follows:

One son is a noble human, a potential winner who can succeed in life, gentle and very soft-natured. Other son is a notorious and loathsome criminal who, due to his criminal activities, gave his worried parents sleepless nights and at least a week-long fever.

Have genetic scientists discovered what causes such extreme variations in characteristics?

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[🇧🇩] ISKCON and its activities in Bangladesh

Ex-ISKCON leader arrested at HSIA

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Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari

Former ISKCON leader Chandan Kumar Dhar, alias Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, was arrested from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport area in Dhaka yesterday afternoon.

Rezaul Karim Mallick, additional commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police and chief of the Detective Branch, said a team of detectives arrested him in connection with a case filed in Chattogram.

Earlier on October 31, a case was filed with Kotwali Police Station in Chattogram, accusing Chinmoy, spokesperson of Sammilita Sanatani Jagaran Jote, and 18 others.

Firoz Khan, the then general secretary of Mohora ward BNP, filed the case on charges of disrespecting Bangladesh's national flag in Chattogram's New Market area during a rally of the Hindu community on October 25.

Firoz, however, was expelled from the party over "anti-party" activities a day after filing the case.

According to the case statement, the incident occurred on October 25, when some youths reportedly placed a saffron-coloured flag over the Bangladesh flag on the Shadhinata Sthombho (independence pillar) at the Zero Point near the New Market intersection during a rally organised by the Hindus under the banner of Sanatan Jagaran Mancha.

PROTESTS

Protesting the arrest of Chinmoy, former divisional organising secretary of the Chattogram ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness), hundreds of people from the Hindu community gathered at Cheragi Pahar intersection in the port city around 6:00pm yesterday. They brought out a procession and demanded his immediate release.

Kazi Tarek Aziz, additional deputy commissioner (public relations) of Chattogram Metropolitan Police, said police have been deployed there to prevent any untoward incident.

In the capital, hundreds of members of the Hindu community, including ISKCON supporters, came out on the streets and blocked the Shahbagh intersection in the evening to protest the arrest.

Witnesses said around 200 ISKCON supporters gathered there, disrupting traffic movement. Tensions escalated when another group, armed with sticks, confronted the demonstrators, resulting in clashes.

The ISKCON supporters were eventually beaten and forced to leave the area.

Contacted, AKM Shahabuddin Shaheen, officer-in-charge of Shahbagh Police Station, said, "An unidentified group initially blocked the Shahbagh intersection, but another group soon intervened and dispersed them."

Processions were brought out also in Rangpur, Dinajpur and Narayanganj to protest the arrest.

Meanwhile, the Hindu-Bouddha-Christian Oikya Parishad in a statement condemned the arrest.

Its presidents Ushaton Talukder, Prof Dr Nim Chandra Bhowmik, and Nirmal Rozario, and acting general secretary Manindra Kumar Nath demanded the release of the Sammilita Sanatani Jagaran Jote spokesperson Prabhu Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari in the interest of the nation.

They said the arrest has the potential to tarnish Bangladesh's global image on the issue of freedom of expression and human rights.​

[🇮🇳] News and Discussion: India's K-SERIES Missile Family: India Tests K-4 Missile from INS Arighaat; Check the Range?

India Tests K-4 Missile from INS Arighaat; Check the Range?​

Story by Vidhee Tripathi
• 19h • 2 min read

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India Tests K-4 Missile from INS Arighaat; Check the Range?

India Tests K-4 Missile from INS Arighaat; Check the Range?
India's nuclear-capable K-4 submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) was reportedly successfully tested from the newly commissioned nuclear-powered submarine INS Arighaat. The test was carried out in the Bay of Bengal on Wednesday morning off the coast of Visakhapatnam.

With a 3,500-kilometer striking range and solid fuel, the K-4 missile was fired from the 6,000-ton submarine.

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K4 Missile Launched from INS Arighaat

Although the test has not been officially confirmed, sources close to the situation told to media sources confirmed that the K-4 missile was fired during the drill.

As per the media sources, the missile test was carried out by INS Arighaat, which was put into service on August 29. This launch from a fully functional submarine marks a significant milestone for India's naval capabilities, as the K-4 missile had previously only been tested from underwater pontoons.

Public Warning Issued Before the Launch

According to insiders who spoke to the media, the test findings will be closely examined to ascertain whether the missile accomplished its intended requirements. India had previously announced a public area warning and notice to airmen (NOTAM) for an intermediate-range missile test in the Bay of Bengal between November 27 and 30. The missile launch followed that announcement. India conducted this missile test in order to strengthen its strategic defense posture.


Related video: India tests nuclear-capable ballistic missile from INS Arighaat: Sources (India Today)



Significance of INS Arighaat

India's second nuclear-powered submarine, INS Arighaat, greatly enhances the nation's nuclear deterrence. The submarine may carry nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles, or SSBNs as they are known in the navy. The more sophisticated K-4 missiles, which have a strike range of 3,500 km, can be carried by INS Arighaat in contrast to India's first SSBN, INS Arihant, which is equipped with K-15 missiles with a 750 km range.


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Arab Re-election of Trump and its impact on Middle East.

Trump II and the Middle East
As‘ad AbuKhalil 01 December, 2024, 00:00

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Donald Trump at a meeting on the Middle East Strategic Alliance in New York in September 2019. | White House/Shealah Craighead

IT IS too early to draw an outline of the Middle East policy of the incoming Trump administration. The cabinet and other senior positions are shaping up, while Democrats are doing their best to badger Arab-Americans for their vote against the Democratic Party.

We can draw on a variety of factors to understand the general direction of Donald Trump’s Mideast policies.

Will Jared Kushner play a role in the new administration? Trump viewed his son-in-law as an in-house Middle East expert not because of his academic credentials or his experience in the region, but purely because of his fanatical attachment to the Likud agenda.

Even if Kushner does not have a formal role in the White House he could, by virtue of his proximity to the president, override decisions by the State Department or other agencies if he deemed them unfavourable to Israeli interests.

But that probably wouldn’t be necessary as Trump is appointing people beholden to AIPAC’s agenda and who in some cases are even more extreme than AIPAC. Some of them are much closer to the West Bank criminal settler movement.

Kushner is likely to play a role because his Abraham Accords are considered by some Democrats (such as New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman) as a great achievement and an example of success by the Trump administration. In fact, political and military developments in the Middle East since October 7 all refute the premise of the Abraham Accords that basically dismissed the political salience of the Palestinian question.

The Kushner plan was predicated on the notion that the Palestinian cause will go away if we ignore it and if we secure peace treaties between Israel and Arab despots. The two most influential Middle East leaders (the despot of Saudi Arabia and the despot of the United Arab Emirates) are very close to Kushner and the two countries, along with Qatar, have contributed generously to his business ventures solely because of his proximity to his father-in-law.

Since Trump’s management of policy is eccentric at best (or informal and unprofessional) it is not unreasonable to consider the possibility of a political role for Massad Boulos, the father of Trump’s other son-in-law, Michael Boulos. Massad has been talking with the president-elect on Middle East policy matters and Trump appointed him as his point man for outreach with the Arab and Muslim American community during the election.

His efforts bore fruit as many Arab Americans in Michigan were persuaded by Boulos that Trump is serious about ending the on-going wars in the Middle East. There’s even a Middle East restaurant owner of Lebanese origin in Dearborn who swore that the president-elect pledged to end the Israeli war on Lebanon.

If Boulos were to play a role on Middle East policy it is likely that he will clash with Kushner over different visions of the Middle East and the U.S. role. Which in-law will Trump favour? In the 2024 election campaign, Boulos seemed to have had a bigger role than Kushner.

Arab hopes and second-term presidents

IN THE Middle East in particular there’s always been illusory hopes that in a second term an American president will be kinder to the Arabs because they are free of the AIPAC yoke.

Some Arabs still believe that the Mossad killed President John F. Kennedy (although there is no evidence of that whatsoever) in order to prevent him from restoring justice to the Palestinians.

Arabs also believed that Richard Nixon, the staunch Zionist who gave Israel all it wanted and more in the 1973 war, was planning to help Arabs in his second term and that Watergate was a Mossad conspiracy to foil his Middle East plans.

The same hopes were pinned on Ronald Reagan, whose second term was as bad as the first when it came to the Middle East.

Bill Clinton in his second term actually betrayed the Palestinians more than he did in his first, especially in the infamous Camp David meeting toward the end of his second term, when he lied to the Palestinian people, pledging that he would not fault the Palestinian Authority’s Yasser Arafat if the talks failed. He then rushed to blame Arafat when they did.

To be sure, Trump is not a regular politician and doesn’t operate according to the norms. But the same constraints are placed on him, if not more than usual.

Talk of a deep state

TRUMP and his advisors talk of the Deep State in reference to the permanent national security state regardless of change in the White House. Former president Barack Obama and Trump both tried to withdraw US troops from Afghanistan and President Joe Biden finally achieved that goal with a lot of controversy and objections by the press, which is largely a guardian of the national security state.

Trump will also likely operate from grudges he’s held since his first term. How will Trump balance the debt he owes Miriam Adelson and his resentment against Benjamin Netanyahu who rushed to congratulate Joe Biden when Trump was still contesting the results of the 2020 election?

Trump has publicly criticised Netanyahu, and he seems resentful that not only Israelis, but also American Jews have not appreciated him enough for all he did for Israel in his first term. He spoke glowingly about Mahmoud Abbas and about his desire for peace — a jab at the Israeli government.

Trump’s aims for the region

HERE is what Trump likely wants to accomplish in the Middle East in his second term:

The profit motive will remain primary in his second term as it was in his first. He wants oil and gas puppets in the Middle East to spend lavishly on US arms and other goods. Those despotic puppets won’t disappoint and don’t demand an exorbitant political payment from the White House outside of military support and looking the other way on democracy and human rights. The Saudi government may, however, out of self-interest, demand increased security guarantees from the US in return for normalisation with Israel.

As Trump won praise for the Abraham Accords, he may invest in their perpetuation and expansion to new members, especially Saudi Arabia, but also others including Lebanon. Obviously Lebanon is the least likely candidate given the solid military opposition to peace with Israel within a large segment of the population.

Liberals and conservatives alike are still convinced even after a year of Israeli genocide, that peace with Arab despots is sufficient to provide stability for the region (which translates as stability for U.S. interests in the region). But Trump will face a hurdle in attempting to bring Saudi Arabia into the Abraham Accords; the Saudi public remains staunchly supportive of Palestinian political rights. And the horrific scenes spread throughout Middle East media of Israeli slaughter of Palestinians, Lebanese, Yemenis and Iraqis have only deepened Arab public detestation of Zionism and its crimes.

But Saudi Arabia is willing — for a price — to lower its political requirements for peace with Israel; and recently the Saudi foreign minister indicated that the government no longer demands the establishment of a Palestinian state as a precondition for peace with Israel but merely a declaration of a pathway to a Palestinian state, i.e. a verbal declaration of sorts to assuage the Saudi public.

he appointment of several staunch Zionists to the new administration could lead to an increase in political concessions from Trump to Israel, adding to those he served them during his first term. U.S. recognition of West Bank annexation appears plausible, though it’s debated within Israel because it would expose the state’s blatant apartheid. The regional and international backlash this would provoke could also disrupt expansion of the Abraham Accords.

It is less likely that Trump will initiate a war in the Middle East as his appetite for war appears far less than that of the Biden-Harris administration. This does not mean, however. that Trump will not support and arm any existing or new Israeli war against Arabs or Iran.

Trump may engage in negotiations with Iran to reach an agreement on its nuclear program. The meeting between Elon Musk and Iranian diplomats in New York (if it happened as Iran has denied it) likely had Trump’s approval. In contrast, Biden wasted four years without pursuing dialogue with Iran, despite the Democratic Party’s backing of the 2015 nuclear agreement. Trump appears less constrained by Washington’s political establishment than Biden, who has consistently aligned with the war-focused Washington agenda. This highlights Trump’s willingness to explore unorthodox diplomatic paths.

We don’t really know what to expect from Trump in his second term. Will he feel emboldened by his decisive victory to distance himself from the agenda of war and aggression of the Deep State or will he continue on the predictable path of hostility to Iran and unconditional support for Israeli aggression?

Trump will inherit dangerous regional conflicts from the Biden administration. Biden has taken the world closer to nuclear war than any previous time since the Cuban Missile Crisis. There will be political rewards for Trump if he were to achieve peace between Russia and Ukraine and to end Israel’s wars in the Middle East. But peace is still a dirty word in both the Democratic and Republican parties’ lexicon.

Consortiumnews.com, November 30. As‘ad AbuKhalil is a Lebanese-American professor of political science at California State University, Stanislaus.​

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[🇮🇳] Indian Railways News and Discussion.

Indian Railways’ first bullet train, with 250 kmph average speed & Kavach 5.0, is being made in India - check details​

Story by TOI Business Desk
• 22h • 2 min read

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Indian Railways’ first bullet train, with 250 kmph average speed & Kavach 5.0, is being made in India - check details

Indian Railways’ first bullet train, with 250 kmph average speed & Kavach 5.0, is being made in India - check details
Indian Railways picks speed on bullet train manufacturing! India is advancing towards domestic manufacturing of bullet trains and associated signalling systems for future standard gauge high-speed corridors, according to senior government officials. The implementation of significant infrastructure projects, including the bullet train initiative, is expected to accelerate in Maharashtra following recent election results.


The planned indigenous high-speed trains will be developed from the current Vande Bharat platform. The signalling systems for these corridors will facilitate the development of Kavach 5.0, representing the most sophisticated automatic train protection technology.

"Work on the bullet train corridor in Maharashtra picked up pace after the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government took charge. Entire land acquisition is complete and over 320-kilometres of the physical infrastructure work is ready," the official said.

Also Read | High-speed 280 kmph trains soon! Indian Railways to manufacture bullet trains - check top features

Regarding future high-speed corridors, the official told ET that insights from the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) project will be valuable. "India is now capable to single-handedly take up this project in more corridors. We should have our own trains in future corridors as well," he said.


Related video: Russia Eyes Major Deal With India; Set To Collaborate On Train Manufacturing | (Hindustan Times)


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"India wants to become fully capable of making bullet trains that can touch speeds of up to 280 kilometres per hour (kmph) and average at 250 kmph operational speed," a second official said.

Regarding India's indigenous bullet train development strategy, the second official explained, "There will be incremental improvement in Bogies (suspension systems). But power train and body will require significant development. They will take around three years to be ready."

Addressing questions about the future of Shinkansen suppliers, the second official clarified, "We do not want to stop Japanese collaboration. Negotiation is ongoing regarding the supply deal for these modern trains that will run on the MAHSR corridor."

Also Read | Linking Leh with Pangong! New Rs 6,000 crore twin tube tunnel project in works; details here

The Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) manifesto included plans to initiate feasibility studies for Bullet Train Corridors across North, South and East India.


The MAHSR corridor's civil works are 50% complete. The Railway Board has commissioned Integral Coach Factory (ICF) to produce bullet trains capable of 280 kmph speeds. BEML has been engaged by the railway production unit to manufacture these trains for Rs 866.87 crore.

BEML has set the price at Rs 27.86 crore per coach. The contract value includes design expenses, development costs, non-recurring charges, and expenditure for jigs, fixtures, tooling and testing facilities.


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Vande Bharat sleeper train update: Rs 54000 crore contract! India inks deals with this country for 1920 sleeper coaches; production to begin...

India.com
India.com·15h
Vande Bharat sleeper train update: Rs 54000 crore contract! India inks deals with this country for 1920 sleeper coaches; production to begin...

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Military Ballistic vs Cruise missiles: Major differences and which is more dangerous? Understanding their threat levels and capability

Ballistic vs Cruise missiles: Major differences and which is more dangerous? Understanding their threat levels and capabilities​

Story by support@india.com (India.com News Desk)
• 2h • 3 min read

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Ballistic vs Cruise missiles: Major differences and which is more dangerous? Understanding their threat levels and capabilities

Ballistic vs Cruise missiles: Major differences and which is more dangerous? Understanding their threat levels and capabilities© Analiza Pathak
Russia's Oreshonik missile strike on Ukraine has shocked the entire world. The Oreshonik is a medium-range ballistic missile, and this marks the first time Russia has used this missile in a combat zone. Even a week after the attack, the missile continues to be a hot topic of discussion. Many experts have begun comparing the Russian Oreshonik missile with the ballistic and cruise missiles present in Western arsenals. This raises the question: what are the differences between ballistic and cruise missiles, and how do they differ from each other?

About ballistic missile​

A Ballistic Missile (BM) is a type of missile that uses projectile motion to deliver a warhead to its target. These missiles ascend tens of kilometers into the atmosphere before descending toward their target, utilizing the force of gravity. Short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) typically remain within Earth's atmosphere, while most long-range missiles travel outside the atmosphere. The most advanced type of ballistic missile is the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM), capable of traveling across continents and, in some cases, completing an orbital flight.

Ballistic missiles generally have three main flight phases:

  • Boost Phase: The missile's rocket motors fire, propelling it upward.
  • Midcourse Phase: Begins when the rocket motor stops firing, and the missile's payload starts traveling toward its target in a free-fall trajectory.
  • Terminal Phase: The payload makes its final descent toward the target.
Some advanced ballistic missiles feature an additional Post-Boost Phase, during which onboard Multiple Independent Reentry Vehicles (MIRVs) alter their trajectories to evade enemy air defenses and enhance strike effectiveness.


Related video: Military experts decode why K-4 ballistic missile is important for India (India Today)


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About cruise missiles​

Cruise Missiles are jet-engine-powered weapons that remain within the atmosphere throughout their flight. They typically fly at extremely low altitudes, often just a few meters above the surface. This low-altitude flight helps evade enemy radar detection, making them stealthy and effective. Cruise missiles are designed for precision strikes against land and sea-based targets. If equipped with a nuclear warhead, they can target large areas or entire carrier strike groups, as seen with Russia's P-800 Oniks. Conventional cruise missiles, on the other hand, are calibrated for precision attacks on smaller targets like buildings or bunkers.

Cruise missiles can alter their paths to reach targets, using advanced navigation systems such as:

  • GPS
  • Inertial guidance
  • Terrain mapping
  • Other guidance technologies.Some advanced models even allow manual guidance by human operators during the terminal phase.

Advantages and disadvantages of Cruise Missiles​

Advantages:

  • Cost-Effective: They are much cheaper than ballistic missiles, often costing only 15% of a typical tactical ballistic missile.
  • Stealth: Their low-altitude flight makes them harder to detect.
  • Accuracy: Cruise missiles are highly precise, capable of striking designated targets with minimal collateral damage.
Disadvantages:

Limited Payload: Unless equipped with nuclear warheads, their destructive capacity is generally lower.
  • Range Limitations: Cruise missiles typically carry smaller payloads, with the largest being 1,362 kg (e.g., the U.S. AGM-86 ALCM), while most average around 500 kg.
Cruise missiles remain a versatile and strategic weapon in modern military arsenals, balancing precision, stealth, and cost.

Why are ballistic missiles dangerous?​

Ballistic missiles are considered highly dangerous due to their unique characteristics and capabilities, despite generally being less accurate than cruise missiles. While cruise missiles can strike targets with meter-level precision, ballistic missiles may miss targets by tens or even hundreds of meters. However, they compensate for this with several advantages:



  • Massive Payload Capacity: Ballistic missiles can carry significantly larger payloads compared to cruise missiles. For instance, Russia's RS-28 Sarmat boasts a payload capacity of 10,000 kilograms, enabling it to deliver devastating destruction.
  • Incredible Speed: Ballistic missiles follow an arcing trajectory, allowing them to accelerate to hypersonic speeds, making them extremely difficult to intercept. In contrast, cruise missiles generally operate at subsonic or supersonic speeds, which are easier to track and counter.
  • Kinetic Energy Impact: The high speeds at which ballistic missiles descend amplify the kinetic energy of their payload, resulting in greater destruction upon impact, even without explosive warheads.
  • Range and Versatility: Ballistic missiles can travel vast distances, with some, like Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs), capable of reaching targets across continents.
These features make ballistic missiles a formidable weapon, especially in the context of strategic and large-scale military operations. Their combination of speed, range, and destructive capacity makes them a critical concern in global security discussions.

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