Indian decision on F-16, F-18 could lead to 5th gen fighter jets: US official

Agencies
April 6, 2018

Washington, Apr 6: The trajectory of the India-US defence ties in the fighter jet segment depends on New Delhi's decision on the F-16 and F-18 warplanes being offered by the US, a top Defence Department official has said.

A positive decision by India could be a precursor to advanced fifth-generation fighter technology, Joe Felter, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence for South and Southeast Asia said, adding that the Trump administration would like a closer co-operation with India on fighter jets.

"So, starting down the path of fighter cooperation beginning with the (F-16) Block 70 or F-18, I think would be a great signal that the India (is) serious about the level of cooperation that we think would be in India's interest and could potentially, if we stay on this trajectory, lead to even closer cooperation, and even more advanced technology being offered," Felter told news agency in an exclusive interview.

"..I think it would be a natural progression to discuss at a later date sharing even more advanced fighter technology (maybe even fifth generation fighters)," he said.

The US is also considering New Delhi's interest in armed drones for its air force, the official said, noting that neither have they received any offer nor have they made any decision on this count.

"It would be natural for India to want them. We would have to consider this request but it hasn't been offered on our side yet. We are aware of their interest and we are considering that. But we haven't made any decisions," he said.

Last year, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the US, Trump had agreed to sell unarmed drones to India so as to enhance India's surveillance capabilities in the Indian Ocean.

Asked about the fifth generation F-35 fighter jets, the official said there was no move from either side as was being reported in the media. The F-18 deal, however, was very much on the table, the official said.

"Our F-18, is the twin-engine fighter that India may consider for future purchases. It serves the US very well and has a cutting-edge technology," Felter said, adding that India adopting the F-18 would be one potential example of India-US closer cooperation in naval aviation.

"There would be better interoperability if we're flying similar platforms. We appreciate India is going to review its options and make a choice at some point in the time of their choosing," he said.

Noting that the US has offered the Block 70 version of the F-16, he said it was a technologically very advanced fighter. "It's superior to the platform that Israel flies for example. It is referred to as having generation 4.5 level of technology given it shares some of the same components as the F35 Joint Strike Fighter," he said.

"..This is a very, very advanced a platform - it shares some of the very same components that our most advanced fifth generation fighter does for example," he said.

Furthermore, Felter said, choosing the Block 70 fighter would mean that its entire production line would move to India which was consistent with New Delhi's 'Make in India' priority.

"..The fact that it will be made in India would make it possible for India potentially supply other partners in the region with this advanced fighter platform," Felter said.

But, the official said, the US has not made any other offers right now. "We are not in a position to make any offers right now, but given the trajectory of the relationship, we think identifying opportunities for even closer cooperation on fighters to include some of our most advanced fighters maybe even fifth generation fighters is a natural discussion to have at some point down the road," Felter said.

"Adopting the Block 70 version of the F-16 would be a very positive step down that path (towards fifth generation)," he said.

Responding to a specific question on the sale of F-35 to India, he said the US has made no such offer as of now.

"I have read that in the press. We have not made any offer, nor has it been formally requested. I think it's aspirational," he said.

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Agencies
July 10,2020

Kanpur, Jul 10: Kanpur encounter main accused Vikas Dubey, who was injured in an encounter with the police, died on Friday, the police said.

"Gangster Vikas Dubey arrested for killing eight policemen is dead," confirmed the police.

According to SP Kanpur West Anil Kumar, gangster Vikas Dubey attempted to flee after the car overturned. Dubey attempted to flee by snatching pistol of the injured policemen. However, he was shot in the retaliatory firing.

"Vikas Dubey attempted to flee by snatching pistol of the injured policemen after the car overturned. Police tried to make him surrender, during which he fired at the policemen. He was injured in retaliatory firing by police. He was later rushed to the hospital," SP Kanpur West told reporters here.

Dubey, the main accused in the Kanpur encounter was arrested by the police in Ujjain on Thursday morning. He was on the run for the last six days and had come to Ujjain to offer prayers at Temple, where he was identified by a security guard at the shrine.

The gangster is the main accused in the encounter that took place in Bikru village in Chaubeypur area of Kanpur last week, in which a group of assailants allegedly opened fire on a police team, which had gone to arrest Dubey. Eight police personnel were killed in the encounter.

Dubey managed to escape after the killing.  The Uttar Pradesh police launched a hunt for him and raised the bounty on him to Rs 5 lakh.

Bahua Dubey and Prabhat Mishra, close aides of the main accused, were killed in separate encounters in Etawah and Kanpur respectively, on Thursday.

The main accused's other aide Shyamu Bajpai was arrested by the Chaubeypur police following an encounter. He carried a reward of Rs 25,000, the police informed on Wednesday. Earlier the same day, Uttar Pradesh's Special Task Force (STF) gunned down Vikas Dubey's close aide Amar Dubey in Hamirpur district.

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Kannadiga
 - 
Friday, 10 Jul 2020

No one fool other than ghobar society will believe on this news. Totally a goonda raj by yogiraaj.  He tried to offer 1crore to all killed policemen. But locals obligation now this is the  new drama. One way this is a lesson to his and his chaddi society's followers that party can take their own soldiers life for the self benefit.

Long Live India

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News Network
March 28,2020

Washington, Mar 28: The world is in the face of a devastating impact due to the coronavirus pandemic and has clearly entered a recession, the International Monetary Fund said on Friday, but projected a recovery next year.

"We have reassessed the prospects for growth for 2020 and 2021. It is now clear that we have entered a recession as bad or worse than in 2009. We do project recovery in 2021," IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva told reporters at a news conference.

Georgieva was addressing the press after a meeting of governing body of the IMF, the International Monetary and Financial Committee. Representing 189 members, the body met virtually to discuss the unprecedented challenge posed to the world by COVID-19.

The key to recovery in 2021, she said, is only if the international community succeeds in containing the virus everywhere and prevent liquidity problems from becoming a solvency issue.

"The US is in recession, as is the rest of the advanced economies of the world. And in a big chunk of developed and emerging markets in developing economies. How severe? We are working now on our projections for 2020, Georgieva said in response to a question.

The new projections are expected in the next few weeks.

Stressing that while containment is the main reason for the economy to stand still and get into a recession, she said containment is very necessary to come out of this period and step in to recovery. "Until the virus is not contained, it would be very difficult to go to the lives we love."

"A key concern about a long-lasting impact of the sudden stop of the world economy is the risk of a wave of bankruptcies and layoffs that not only can undermine the recovery. But can erode the fabric of our societies," the IMF chief said.

To avoid this from happening, many countries have taken far-reaching measures to address the health crisis and to cushion its impact on the economy, both on the monetary and on the fiscal side, she said.

The IMF chief said 81 emergency financing requests, including 50 from lower-income countries, have been received. She said current estimate for the overall financial needs of emerging markets is 2.5 trillion dollars.

"We believe this is on the lower end. We do know that their own reserves and domestic resources will not be sufficient," she added.

The G-20, a day earlier, reported fiscal measures totalling some 5 trillion dollars or over 6 per cent of the global GDP.

Responding to another question, Georgieva said the IMF is projecting recession for 2020.

"We do expect it to be quite deep and we are very much urging countries to step up containment measures aggressively so we can shorten the duration of this period of time when the economy is in standstill," she said.

"And also to apply well-targeted measures, primarily focusing on the health system to absorb that enormous stress that comes from coronavirus. And on people, businesses and the financial system, I am very pleased to say that when we went through countries' responses, that sense of targeted fiscal measures is there and are also very impressive to see the size of these measures," she added.

"Countries are doing all they can on the fiscal and on the monetary front. We have heard from our members' very impressive decisions taken over the last days," the IMF chief said.

"We also want to caution that as we are responding now, we want to make the recession as possibly short and not too deep. We also want to think about what is going to follow the recovery and make sure that we are putting forward measures that can be supportive in this regard," she said.

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News Network
May 26,2020

Warangal, May 26: A 26-year-old man from Bihar was arrested here for murdering nine people by throwing them into a well to cover the murder of a woman, police said on Monday.

Dr Ravinder, Commissioner of Police (CP), Warangal, said that the bodies were recovered on May 21 and May 22 from the well. Investigation has revealed that the accused, Sanjay Kumar Yadav, killed all of them to cover up the murder of Rafiqa, with whom he had a relationship.

He said that Yadav got acquainted with a person named Maqsood and his sister-in-law Rafiqa. "Slowly, he came close to Rafiqa and started living together with her three children. Yadav tried to misbehave with Rafiqa's 15-year-old daughter. Rafiqa did not like this and threatened to lodge a complaint against him," Ravinder said.

"Then, Yadav planned to kill Rafiqa in order to live with her daughter. Yadav promised Rafiqa to marry. They boarded a train to West Bengal from March 7. Yadav mixed sleeping tablets in the food packet and later strangulated her, and threw her body outside the train," he said.

According to police, Yadav later came back to Warangal but Maqsood's wife Nisha started questioning him about the whereabouts of Rafiqa.

"Nisha threatened to lodge a police complaint against him. With a premeditated motive, from May 16 to May 20, he visited Maqsood's family who stayed in a gunny bag factory," he said.

Yadav purchased sleeping pills from Warangal and mixed in the food on the birthday of Maqsood's elder son on May 20, police said.

"Maqsood and his five family members were living there. Yadav mixed sleeping pills in the food and later they consumed it. Maqsood's family friend Shakeel was also there. Then, he went to the first floor of the factory where two labourers were staying. He mixed sleeping pills in their food too. He suspected that they may get up and create a problem. To cover up the murder of Rafiqa, he killed nine people," Ravinder said.

At around 12:30 am, Yadav woke up and saw that everyone is asleep, according to police.

"Then, he used the gunny bags to drag all the nine people into the well. He threw the gunny bag one by one into the well," Ravinder said.

According to the police, six teams were deployed to investigate the case.

"Yadav has been arrested now and will be taken to police custody. We will collect all evidence and ensure that he gets maximum punishment for this offence," Ravinder said.

 

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abdullah
 - 
Thursday, 4 Jun 2020

Yadav will be released by court saying that he is mentally sick and he did not kill 10 people intentionally.  

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