NEWS 12-12-2024. News For 13th-Dec (Friday) 1. India and Oman are strengthening their defence and maritime ties, highlighted by the 13th India-Oman Strategic Consultative Group meeting held on 3 December 2024 in New Delhi. 2. The Indian Army has inducted Nagastra-1, an indigenous loitering munition by Solar Industries, marking a milestone in India’s self-reliance in defence technology. 3. Adani Defence has delivered a second Drishti-10 Starliner surveillance drone to the Indian Navy in Porbandar, Gujarat, boosting it's maritime surveillance. 4. ISRO has successfully launched the European Space Agency’s PROBA-3 mission satellites from Sriharikota, marking a milestone in international space collaboration and solar research. 5. India and Kuwait have agreed to establish a Joint Commission for Cooperation (JCC) at the foreign minister level to review and monitor all aspects of bilateral relations. 6. India and the UK recently convened the second 2+2 Foreign and Defence Dialogue in New Delhi, aimed to enhance their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. 7. The India-Bhutan Agreement on Trade, Commerce, and Transit has established a free trade regime and will allow duty-free transit of Bhutanese exports to third countries. India is Bhutan’s top trade partner for imports and exports. 8. The Indian Navy commissioned INS Tushil, a multi-role stealth guided-missile frigate, on December 9 in Kaliningrad, Russia. The 3,900-ton frigate features Indian and Russian technologies for enhanced stealth and stability. 9. India’s Antariksha Abhyas 2024, held from November 11-13, marked the country’s first comprehensive military space defense exercise, organized by the Defence Space Agency (DSA). It aims to strengthen space infrastructure and space warfare capabilities. 10. The Indian Coast Guard held its second bilateral meeting with the Philippine Coast Guard in New Delhi, continuing the cooperation under their signed agreement. 11. Google DeepMind has launched ‘GenCast,’ an AI model that will deliver highly accurate weather forecasts, surpassing the ECMWF ENS, the leading weather forecast system. 12. External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar presented India’s strategy for West Asia at the Manama Dialogue in Bahrain, highlighting the region’s critical role in India’s economic and strategic interests. 13. The Harimau Shakti 2024 joint military exercise between India and Malaysia began on December 2 at Bentong Camp, Malaysia, and will run until December. The exercise aims to strengthen bilateral defence ties and improve army interoperability. 14. The Indian Army conducted drone warfare drills in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim, with the Buland Bharat exercise in Tawang and West Kameng focusing on surveillance and firepower. < < Back