West Asia conflict: Both sides hint at resumption of hostilities as two-week ceasefire concludes today

US Vice-President JD Vance’s visit to Islamabad for peace talks with Iran to end the seven-week war has been put on hold after Tehran failed to respond to American negotiating positions, the New York Times reported on Tuesday.

Vance was scheduled to depart on Tuesday morning for Islamabad, where talks were set to resume on Wednesday, the day the fragile ceasefire between the US and Iran is set to expire. Without an Iranian response, the diplomatic process was in effect paused, though the trip had not been cancelled, a US official was quoted in the New York Times report.

As Tehran failed to respond, US President Donald Trump threatened to bomb Iran if it did not agree to a deal before the end of the two-week ceasefire, even as Pakistan urged the two sides to extend the truce and give diplomacy a chance. An Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman said “no final decision” had been taken on whether to attend the talks.

Even as diplomatic channels remained active, indications from Tehran pointed towards preparations for a possible resumption of hostilities. Reports suggested that Iran had undertaken military redeployments over the past two weeks and drawn up a fresh list of targets, anticipating that negotiations may collapse amid disputes over US demands and a reported naval blockade.

Trump said on Tuesday that Iran would send a delegation for talks in Islamabad, but made it clear that Washington was prepared to resume bombing if the deal was not reached before the end of the ceasefire deadline. “They have no choice but to send them…. I think we’re going to end up with a great deal,” Trump said in an interview, projecting confidence while simultaneously signalling readiness for military action.

Underscoring the narrowing diplomatic window, Trump indicated that he was reluctant to extend the ceasefire even if talks showed progress. “We don’t have that much time.… They have to negotiate,” he said, adding that the US was in a “very strong negotiating position” after weeks of military operations that he claimed had significantly degraded Iran’s capabilities. In a stark warning, Trump suggested potential strikes on critical infrastructure, including logistical networks used for missile movement, and asserted that the US military was “ready to go”.

Adding to the diplomatic flux, Pakistan said it was still awaiting confirmation from Iran on participation in the proposed peace talks, effectively placing the onus on Tehran as the ceasefire deadline loomed. Attaullah Tarar, Pakistan’s Minister for Information and Broadcasting, said Islamabad was in “constant touch” with Iranian authorities and was making “sincere efforts” to bring them to the negotiating table.

Talks focus on defence industry partnerships, intelligence sharing and cyber cooperation during CDS Chauhan’s UK visit.

ndia and the UK have discussed means to deepen defence cooperation to advance defence industrial and intelligence collaboration and cyber cooperation.

India’s Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan and his UK counterpart Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton have discussed these issues at a meeting in UK. The Air Chief Marshal posted on X: “Great to discuss defence and security cooperation with India’s Chief of Defence Staff General Chauhan today”.

The Office of the Indian CDS posted on X that “the visit will further deepen defence cooperation”.

General Anil Chauhan is on a three‑day visit (April 19-21) to the UK. The two military commanders have discussed deepening cooperation across training, operations and defence industry partnerships.

Senior UK civil and military leaders will also interact with General Chauhan during his visit. Representatives of the British defence industry will meet him to progress talks on greater defence co-production between the two countries. General Chauhan will also be given a tour of the Royal College of Defence Studies, where he will meet a multinational cohort of students.

This is the first official visit by an Indian CDS to the UK and marks the fifth senior UK-India military engagement this year, following the UK Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Harv Smyth’s visit to India in March.

Lindy Cameron, British High Commissioner to India, said: “We are stepping up cooperation to strengthen interoperability, spur innovation and support a free, open and secure Indo‑Pacific.

“India is a key defence partner for the UK. We will continue to build on this momentum in the months ahead,” Cameron said.

The UK and India had launched a 10‑year Defence Industrial Roadmap under the Vision 2035 agreement to support growth, strengthen security and contribute to international stability. The UK Ministry of Defence has set up a dedicated programme office, Defence Partnership‑India, to drive bilateral defence collaboration.

Well Done Bengal Sappers!winning 7 GOLD 🥇 and 1 BRONZE 🥉medals

Incidents of ill treatment with Serving / Retired Army: In Last 2 yrs : In BJP rule

BJP ruled Sates have defeatd other states hands down : Paying respect to Army personnels

Nashik police set fire to truck burnt Indian Army CSD canteen goods,

Army’s women boxers shine at international meet in Mongolia  

When courage climbed the cliffs: Heroic triumph at Point 5140 that turned the tide in Kargil

How to save senior citizens from cyber scams

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The Kayaking & Canoeing Node of BEG & Centre, Roorkee shines at the 36th Senior National Kayaking & Canoeing Championship in Bhopal.With an incredible haul of 7 GOLD 🥇 and 1 BRONZE 🥉medals, these water warriors have proven their mettle once again. The “Sarvatra” spirit shines bright on the water. 🇮🇳

The Kayaking & Canoeing Node of BEG & Centre, Roorkee shines at the 36th Senior National Kayaking & Canoeing Championship in Bhopal.With an incredible haul of 7 GOLD 🥇 and 1 BRONZE 🥉medals, these water warriors have proven their mettle once again.The “Sarvatra” spirit shines bright on the water. 🇮🇳

Who is bothered?

BJP ruled Sates have defeatd other states hands down : Paying respect to Army personnels

Received from

Colonel Mukul

Colonel Mukul@Warrior_Mukul

A Soldier with more than three decades of Active Combat and Judicial Service to the Nation who CANNOT tolerate Injustice. Re-Attired now.

Nashik police set fire to truck burnt of Indian Army CSD canteen goods, incident occurred for not giving bribe of 5000/-, driver alleges all driver organizations and army chairman need to take this incident seriously Jitu

Naib Subedar Preeti Pawar and Havildar Arundhati Chaudhary won gold in the 54-Kg and 70-Kg weight categories, respectively, while Naib Subedar Jaismine Lamboria won the silver in the 57-Kg weight category

They are relatively new to don the olive green, but have made their mark.

Recently inducted women boxers from the Indian Army have punched their way to top positions in the Asian Elite Boxing Championship – 2026, clinching two gold medals and a silver medal.

They were among the four Indian women gold medallists at the meet. The lone Indian male gold medallist was also from the Army.

The meet was held at Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia from March 28 to April 10, in which 230 boxers from 25 nations participated.

Overall, the 20-member Indian squad, which fielded both male and female boxers, including civilians, secured second place.

The Army’s women medallists were all from the Corps of Military Police (CMP) Center and School, Bengaluru. The CMP is the only arm in the Army to have inducted women personnel in the ranks and file, when recruitment began in 2022 under the Agnipath scheme.

Naib Subedar Preeti Pawar and Havildar Arundhati Chaudhary won gold in the 54-Kg and 70-Kg weight categories, respectively, while Naib Subedar Jaismine Lamboria won the silver in the 57-Kg weight category.

In fact, Naib Subedar Jaismine had made history at the World Boxing Championship -2025 by becoming the first female boxer in the Army to win a gold medal. She was awarded the Sena Medal in January 2026 for her performance. She hails from a family of boxers and joined the Army in 2022.

Naib Subedar Preeti, who hails from Bhiwani in Haryana and joined the Army last year, was the first woman athlete to be directly inducted as a Junior Commissioned Officer in the Indian Army and is a World Boxing Cup gold medallist.

Hailing from Kota in Rajasthan, Havildar Arundhati had joined the Army in 2022 and is an international-level boxer, having become the Junior World Champion in 2021 and winning a gold medal in the AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships.

In addition, the Army also has among its ranks other international women boxers such as Nupur Sheoran, a two-time gold medallist at the 2025 World Boxing Cup, and Sakshi Dhanda, who clinched a gold medal at the 8th Elite Women’s National Boxing Championship in 2025.

With the Army opening its ranks to women personnel and their strength expected to increase significantly in the coming years, greater attention is being given to women in sports, recruiting meritorious female athletes and establishing the Army Sports Girls Company in Pune for this purpose.

Several disciplines such as shooting, archery, wrestling, rowing, fencing, and weightlifting have been identified for them. They are trained at the Army Sports Institute (ASI), Pune, a premier training establishment under the Army’s Mission Olympics programme, which is run in collaboration with the Sports Authority of India.

The ASI was established in July 2001 as a multi-disciplinary institute to identify and nurture the vast talent of sportspersons within the Armed Forces Army and recruit potential sportspersons from across the country.

The valour lives on through Jimmy in ‘Shershaah’— a cinematic salute to real courage.

The calm of Kargil and Dras was shattered in April 1999 when Pakistan violated the 1972 Shimla Agreement, infiltrating troops across the Line of Control and occupying strategic heights from Mushkoh Valley to Chorbat La. The intrusion, threatened the vital National Highway 1A (NH- A), India’s lifeline to Leh and Ladakh, with Point 5140 emerging as the most critical objective.

Troops under 121 (Independent) Infantry Brigade launched swift operations, and by June, 13 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles was fully prepared. On the night of June 20, 1999, a daring assault was launched, and by dawn, the enemy was driven off in intense combat.

Among the heroes was Captain Sanjeev Singh Jamwal, whose fearless leadership and valour in close combat earned him the Vir Chakra, symbolising unmatched courage and resolve.

The battle account on his bravery reads: “During “Operation Vijay”, Captain Sanjeev Singh Jamwal, was attached to 13 JAK RIF battalion. On 20 June, 1999, the battalion was tasked to re-capture Pt 5140 in Dras sub-sector. The feature had seven heavily fortified sangars (improvised bunkers) and each had to be tackled one by one to evict all intruders. Captain Sanjeev approached the objective from the west along with his column and reached within assaulting distance of the enemy defences maintaining total surprise. And then, he with his buddy in the lead, on the cry “Durge Mata Ji Jai” led the assault on the first sangar. This took the enemy by total surprise, forced a hand-to-hand fight and resulted in panic amongst the enemy. After successfully clearing the first sangar, Captain Sanjeev led the assault on second sangar and caused further attrition on the enemy. He personally killed three intruders and was instrumental in the successful capture of Pt 5140 Top. The valour lives on through Jimmy in “Shershaah” — a cinematic salute to real courage.

Col Sanjeev Singh Jamwal: A living legend from Himachal’s soil

Colonel Sanjeev Singh Jamwal, Vir Chakra, a decorated officer of the Indian Army, was born in Shimla, on August 2, 1974, to late Kehar Singh Jamwal and Malka Devi. The youngest among three siblings, Sanjeev traces his roots to Pathiar village in Nagrota Bagwan, Kangra district. His character “Jimmy”, portrayed in the movie “Shershaah”, brought to light his role as the senior subaltern of the late Captain Vikram Batra, a Param Vir Chakra (Posthumous) recipient in the same battle.

An alumnus of Sainik School, Sujanpur Tira, Sanjeev was commissioned into the Army Service Corps on June 7, 1997. As a young Captain with the Indian Military Training team in Bhutan, he earned the chance of a lifetime by being attached to 13 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles during the Kargil War, where he proved his exceptional grit.

Married to Vandna Jamwal since 2000, he is a proud father of two sons, Vansaj — a data analyst, and Sanyam, pursuing his BTech in computers.

Now serving as Colonel (Supplies) at the Northern Command, Sanjeev continues to embody courage, commitment and the indomitable Himachali spirit.

Haryana is the first state to have dual-OTP authentication for fund transfer by senior citizens. Its results may shape national policy

CONSIDER a person who dedicates decades to working and serving the nation and family, saving every rupee carefully, retiring with pride, owning a modest home, only to have his hard-earned lifelong savings wiped out by a single phone call. This is a lived reality across India for thousands of senior citizens who are targeted by cyber criminals, exploiting technology for financial theft.

Recognising these threats, the Supreme Court has summoned the Reserve Bank of India and major banks, labelling the crime as “absolute robbery.” The Prime Minister also highlighted the issue in one of his episodes of Mann Ki Baat.

The financial and human toll of the crime is staggering. The scale of the issue is significant. Digital arrest fraud, where scammers pose as law enforcement officers on video calls to extort money, has spread nationwide. No law or recognised authority allows individuals to be “arrested” via a video call. In 2024, as many as 1,23,000 digital arrest fraud cases were officially reported, resulting in financial losses of Rs 1,935 crore — almost triple the losses suffered in 2022. Across all types of digital fraud, more than Rs 54,000 crore was reported lost from April 2021 to November 2025.

As DGP of the Haryana Police, I reviewed the issue with all stakeholders. We concluded that halting immediate fund transfers was essential.

These scams are highly organised, led by international criminal networks. Victims receive calls from people impersonating authorities from the TRAI, CBI, ED, FedEx, Customs or the police. The caller usually claims that the victim’s Aadhaar card has been misused, that a suspicious parcel bears their name, or that a linked bank account has received illegal funds. An arrest warrant, they warn, has been issued — but the matter can be “resolved quietly” if the victim cooperates and, if secrecy is maintained.

The word ‘confidential’ is weaponised with surgical intent. Isolating the victim from the family is the very cornerstone of the scheme. A frightened older adult, alone and too ashamed to reach out to his or her children, can be held captive in front of a screen for days. In one Gurugram case, a victim was kept on a video call for 10 consecutive days and Rs 79 lakh was transferred across 40 mule accounts — money that vanished within minutes through a “dark room” overseas mafia operated remotely out of Taiwan.

Investigations have also traced these networks to Cambodia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Vietnam, and China. Covert operations by the Haryana Police’s cyber wing have uncovered startling findings: last year, 4,500 people from Haryana alone travelled to Thailand under suspicious circumstances, with evidence pointing to forged passports, donkey routes and organised scam centres where young Indians are trafficked and coerced into cyber slavery.

Haryana is not merely a passive victim. Several regions within the state have become active nodes in a nationwide cybercrime network. Areas such as Nuh, Bhiwani, Palwal, Hatangaon, Manota and Hasanpur have emerged as significant centres of cybercrime. Gurugram, due to its extensive financial infrastructure, serves as both a primary target for high-value fraud and a base for organised criminal operations.

A 24-year-old woman from Gujarat was recently apprehended at the Delhi airport for operating from Cambodia for a Chinese-run syndicate, which maintains a direct connection to the digital arrest racket. To counter this, the Haryana Police have mounted a multi-faceted response: nine recruiters channelling youth into Southeast Asian scams have been arrested, 35 FIRs filed in deportation-linked cases, many SIMs blocked and devices tracked, and mule accounts dismantled. Active operations against overseas networks continue.

The damage from these crimes underscores the need for stronger solutions. In the first quarter of 2026 alone, digital arrest scams in Haryana resulted in losses of Rs 10.78 crore — with HDFC Bank customers losing Rs 3.63 crore, Bank of Baroda customers Rs 2.13 crore and SBI customers losing Rs 1.71 crore. Records show that most victims are senior citizens. Their trust in authority — not naivety — makes them vulnerable. Having grown up respecting institutions, they view the uniform as a symbols of safety. Their accumulated savings and isolation when contacted make them prime targets for fraudsters.

A review of hundreds of cases shows that isolation is the common thread behind these scams’ success. If any trusted contact intervenes, the scam usually fails — criminals are thwarted when secrecy or fear is broken.

This understanding has led to India’s first dual-OTP authentication for senior citizens. It is an effort by the Haryana Police in collaboration with HDFC Bank. Similar collaborations with more banks are likely to follow. It’s a simple, transformative solution that immediately stalls large money transfers.

For transfers of Rs 1 lakh or more by senior citizens, a second OTP is sent to both the account holder and a trusted family member. Funds are transferred only after both codes are entered, preventing fraudsters from bypassing family alerts: “Your father/mother is attempting to transfer Rs 3 lakh. Currently, seniors aged 60 and above can enrol voluntarily. Making it mandatory for those aged 75 and above is under consideration. Haryana is the first state with this model, and its results may shape national policy.

Dual-OTP authentication is a part of a broader, multi-layered strategy. Each police official keeps a list of at least 60 senior citizens in his/her respective beat and directly educates them about current scam techniques. Bank staff — often the last line of defence — are being trained to spot and report large withdrawals by elder customers.

The national cybercrime helpline, 1930, is available for reporting incidents and authorities state that prompt action has led to significant recoveries. Looking ahead, AI-powered alerts for unusual transactions may offer greater protection, but human vigilance remains crucial.

Family members must stay connected regularly with their elderly parents, beyond festivals and birthdays. Be aware of their banking activities, protect their passwords and remind them that no government agency ever arrests or demands money over video calls. Vigilance by police officials and bankers can protect senior citizens from major losses. Fraudsters thrive on secrecy. Families and law enforcement are now forming a united defence. Only collective action can help prevent cybercrime.

Pakistan moved ahead Monday with preparations for a new round of talks between the United States and Iran days before a tenuous ceasefire is set to expire, even as renewed conflict around the Strait of Hormuz raised questions about whether the meeting would take place.

Over the weekend, the US attacked and seized an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel that it said had tried to evade its blockade of Iranian ports. Iran’s joint military command vowed to respond, and its Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi told his Pakistani counterpart that American threats to Iranian ships and ports were “clear signs” of Washington’s disingenuousness ahead of the planned talks, Iran state media reported.

With tensions flaring and the ceasefire due to expire midweek, Pakistan has intensified diplomatic contacts with both Washington and Tehran over the past 24 hours with the goal of resuming the talks on Tuesday as planned, according to two Pakistani officials involved in the preparations. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the press.

US President Donald Trump has said American negotiators would head to the Pakistani capital on Monday, but it was not immediately clear whether those plans would now change. Iran has not officially commented on possible talks, but Iranian state media, citing anonymous sources, issued brief reports suggesting that they would not happen.