The closing ceremony of the fifth edition of the India–Malaysia joint military exercise Harimau Shakti was held on Friday at the Mahajan Field Firing Range in Rajasthan. The two-week exercise focused on joint tactical training and sub-conventional operations under a United Nations mandate, with the objective of improving interoperability, operational coordination, and mutual trust between the two armies.
According to the Indian Army, the drills strengthened the ability of both forces to carry out counter-terrorism and sub-conventional operations in semi-urban and urban environments, reflecting their shared commitment to regional peace, stability, and defence cooperation. “Together we stand ready for tomorrow,” the Army stated. The fifth edition of the exercise began on December 5 and concluded on December 18.
During the training period, troops from both sides conducted Army Martial Arts Routine drills, helicopter slithering, and low-hover jumps from Mi-17 helicopters. Counter-IED familiarisation was also carried out through structured briefings and visits to specialised training facilities. The exercise included a joint display of weapons and equipment, showcasing next-generation systems used at the company and battalion levels. Yoga sessions and friendly sports activities were organised to encourage physical fitness and strengthen camaraderie.
As part of the programme, troops were introduced to counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism concepts, followed by lectures and demonstrations on patrolling techniques. Mixed teams carried out joint patrolling rehearsals in simulated operational scenarios to enhance coordination, decision-making, and mission planning. Ambush theory sessions, practical demonstrations, a Command Post Exercise, and slithering drills further improved small-team tactics, operational planning, and heliborne insertion skills in challenging terrain. The Indian Army said the exercise once again reinforced professional ties, mutual trust, and defence cooperation between India and Malaysia through realistic training and shared operational experience.
Disclaimer: This image is taken from Indian Army.
Japan reaffirmed its long-standing pledge not to possess nuclear weapons, following reports that a senior security official suggested the country should acquire them to deter potential threats. The unnamed official, reportedly from Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s office, argued that worsening security conditions justified nuclear weapons but acknowledged that pursuing them would be politically challenging, according to NHK and other media outlets. At a regular press briefing in Tokyo, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara confirmed that Japan’s nuclear policy remains unchanged but declined to comment on the official’s remarks or the individual’s future in government.
A Reuters investigation in August noted growing political and public support in Japan for reconsidering its three non-nuclear principles, driven partly by doubts over the reliability of US security guarantees under President Donald Trump and rising threats from nuclear-armed China, Russia, and North Korea. Japan hosts the largest overseas US military presence and has relied on its security alliance with Washington for decades.
Some lawmakers in Takaichi’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party have proposed allowing US nuclear weapons into Japan via submarines or other platforms to strengthen deterrence. Last month, Takaichi fueled debate by not clarifying whether her administration’s upcoming defense strategy would alter the three non-nuclear principles.
Stephen Nagy, a professor of politics at International Christian University in Tokyo, said that such “trial balloons” help gauge public and political consensus on potential security policy changes. He added that Beijing’s assertiveness and growing missile cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang are pressuring Japan to reconsider its security stance.
However, discussions about acquiring or hosting nuclear weapons remain highly sensitive in the only nation to have suffered atomic bombings, with the potential to strain relations with neighboring countries like China. Tensions between Tokyo and Beijing escalated last month after Takaichi stated that a Chinese attack on Taiwan threatening Japan could be considered a “survival-threatening situation,” potentially prompting a military response.
Disclaimer: This image is taken from Reuters.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on friday met with political party leaders and Members of Parliament in his chamber at Parliament House following the conclusion of the Winter Session of Parliament 2025. Amid opposition protests over the passage of the VB-G RAM G Bill, the Lok Sabha was adjourned sine die after the playing of “Vande Mataram,” with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who returned from a three-nation visit yesterday, in attendance.
In the Rajya Sabha, Chairman and Vice-President C.P. Radhakrishnan adjourned the Upper House shortly after it resumed at 11 am. Before the adjournment, several statements and reports were laid on the table. While adjourning the House sine die, Radhakrishnan criticized members’ conduct during the Minister’s reply the previous day, noting that protesting and tearing papers was “unbecoming of the House.” The opposition continued to voice strong objections to the VB-G RAM G Bill. On Friday, they held a joint protest outside Parliament, while Trinamool Congress members staged a demonstration at the entrance steps of the Lok Sabha.
Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, currently in Germany, also criticized the Bill, calling it “anti-state” and “anti-village” in nature. He stated that the Modi government had effectively dismantled two decades of MGNREGA in a single day. According to Gandhi, VB-G RAM G does not merely revamp MGNREGA but transforms the rights-based, demand-driven scheme into a rationed program controlled from Delhi.
Gandhi emphasized that MGNREGA had empowered rural workers, improved wages, reduced exploitation and distress migration, and strengthened rural livelihoods and infrastructure. He added that the VB-G RAM G Bill weakens this crucial support system. Highlighting MGNREGA’s impact during the COVID-19 pandemic, Gandhi noted that it prevented millions from falling into hunger and debt, particularly benefiting women, who have consistently contributed more than half of the workdays under the program.
Disclaimer: This image is taken from ANI.
A frantic search for the suspect in last weekend’s mass shooting at Brown University concluded Thursday when authorities discovered him dead inside a storage facility in New Hampshire. Officials later revealed that he was also suspected of killing a Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) professor. Claudio Neves Valente, 48, a former Brown student and Portuguese national, was found dead Thursday evening from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to Col. Oscar Perez, Providence police chief.
Investigators believe Neves Valente fatally shot two students and injured nine others in a Brown University lecture hall last Saturday. Two days later, he allegedly killed MIT professor Nuno F. G. Loureiro at his home in Brookline, Massachusetts, roughly 80 kilometers from Providence. Perez stated that, as far as investigators know, Neves Valente acted alone. Brown University President Christina Paxson said Neves Valente had been enrolled as a graduate physics student from fall 2000 to spring 2001 but had no current affiliation with the university.
U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Leah B. Foley said Neves Valente and Loureiro had attended the same academic program in Portugal from 1995 to 2000. Loureiro graduated from the physics program at Instituto Superior Técnico in 2000. That same year, Neves Valente was dismissed from a position at the Lisbon university, according to an archived termination notice.
Neves Valente initially studied at Brown on a student visa and later obtained legal permanent residency in September 2017. His whereabouts between leaving Brown in 2001 and obtaining the visa in 2017 remain unclear, with his last known residence being Miami. Following the revelation of his identity, President Donald Trump suspended the green card lottery program that had enabled him to stay in the U.S.
Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha said many questions remain regarding motive, including why Neves Valente targeted Brown University, the students, and that particular classroom. Police credited a tip from someone who had multiple encounters with Neves Valente as critical in locating him. The tip identified a Nissan sedan with Florida plates, which enabled Providence police to use over 70 street cameras operated by Flock Safety to track the vehicle. Neves Valente later placed a Maine license plate over the rental car’s plates to conceal his identity.
Video footage showed Neves Valente entering an apartment building near Loureiro’s home before later arriving at a Salem, New Hampshire storage facility, where he was found dead with a satchel and two firearms. Loureiro had joined MIT in 2016 and last year became head of the Plasma Science and Fusion Center, focusing on explaining phenomena such as solar flares. The FBI stated it found no link between the two shootings. Despite Brown University having around 1,200 cameras, the attack occurred in an older part of the engineering building with few cameras. Investigators believe the shooter entered and exited via a door facing a residential street, explaining why campus cameras did not capture him.
Experts note that in targeted mass attacks, suspects often commit suicide, are killed, or are arrested. Previous incidents, such as the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing and the 2023 Lewiston, Maine shooting, illustrate that capturing suspects can take days. Similarly, other high-profile cases show varied timelines for suspect apprehension or self-inflicted deaths.
Disclaimer: This image is taken from The Guardian.
Hong Kong’s iconic Victoria Harbour will not host its usual New Year’s Eve fireworks this year. The Hong Kong Tourism Board announced on Wednesday (Dec 17) that countdown celebrations will instead take place at the pedestrian area on Chater Road in Central. The board said the event aims to “share positive energy, care, and blessings of peace with both locals and visitors, and to welcome a hopeful New Year together.” Further details and arrangements will be provided at a later date. Typically, Victoria Harbour serves as the backdrop for the city’s New Year fireworks. In 2024, there were four displays totaling 12 minutes, accompanied by live performances from Hong Kong and international artists. Although officials did not give a specific reason for canceling the fireworks this year, the announcement comes less than a month after the deadly fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po on Nov 26, which claimed 160 lives and left thousands of residents homeless.
Disclaimer: This image is taken from Reuters.
In Made in SG, Melanie Oliveiro interviews Singaporeans working in the artificial intelligence space to explore how they are shaping and mentoring the next generation of AI-driven content creators. Jayce Tham, co-founder of media agency CreativesAtWork and generative AI content studio Dear.AI, shares how professionals in Singapore can use generative AI to enhance storytelling, content marketing, and production processes. Filmmaker, influencer, and Dear.AI Creative Director Jaze Phua discusses how AI fuels creative expression, enabling content creators to blend humour, narrative, and pop culture to produce highly shareable, viral content.
Disclaimer: This Podcast is taken from CNA.
Thailand’s Pheu Thai Party has selected 46-year-old academic Yodchanan Wongsawat, a nephew of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, as its leading candidate for the premiership in the February election. The move brings the influential Shinawatra family back into focus as Thailand grapples with deadly border clashes with Cambodia and internal challenges within the party. Andrea Heng and Hairianto Diman discuss the implications of his candidacy for party cohesion, border security, and the country’s political trajectory with Kevin Hewison, Emeritus Professor at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
Disclaimer: This Podcast is taken from CNA.
As funerals begin for the 15 people killed in the Bondi terror attack, one of the alleged gunmen, Naveed Akram, has regained consciousness in hospital and is being guarded by police. Meanwhile, further details have emerged about Naveed and his father. Police said that Naveed, 24, and his 50-year-old father, Sajid, travelled to the Philippines last month, though the purpose of the trip is still unknown. The prime minister also stated at a press conference that there is evidence suggesting the suspected attackers may have been influenced by Islamic State ideology.
Disclaimer: This podcast is taken from The Guardian.
Karate standout Marissa Hafezan clinched Singapore's first gold in the sport at the SEA Games in 32 years. She defeated Vietnam's Nguyen Thi Dieu Ly 5-3 in the women's kumite under-55kg final to secure the historic victory. Andrea Heng and Hairianto Diman sit down with Marissa to learn more about her remarkable achievement. They also get an update on Team Singapore’s overall performance at the midpoint of the Games, featuring insights from Marissa Hafezan, SEA Games gold medallist and Singapore karate exponent, and Phil Goh, independent sports journalist.
Disclaimer: This podcast is taken from CNA.
