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Pakistan government has decided to promote Army Chief General Asim Munir to the rank of Field Marshal. File
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Pakistan govt promotes Army Chief Munir to field marshal rank
Pakistan government on Tuesday decided to promote Army Chief General Asim Munir to the rank of Field Marshal for his role in the recent conflict with India, making him the second top military officer in the country's history to be elevated to the position. The decision to promote Gen Munir was taken at a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, according to an official statement. Munir is the first army general since General Ayub Khan to be elevated to the highest military rank in Pakistan. General Khan was conferred the rank of Field Marshal in 1959. Gen Munir's promotion to the largely ceremonial rank came over a week-and-half after the Indian and Pakistani militaries reached an understanding on cessation of military actions after four days of intense hostilities.
Indian Armed Forces begin combat exercise in Assam forest
The Indian Armed Forces started a multi-dimensional combat exercise, which will continue till August, at Dulung reserve forest in Lakhimpur district of Assam. The Dulung Mukh range of the forest near the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border has been activated for bombing, rocket launching and shooting exercises of the Indian Army from May 20 to August 31, according to a senior official. The exercise will include testing of different explosive prowess and aerial firepower, he added. "This marks the first instance of full-spectrum rocket and aerial bombardment exercises at Dulung. The expansion in military activity in this area near China signifies a bolstered security posture in the strategically sensitive Northeastern frontier," the official said. The district administration and the Forest Department have prohibited people from entering the forest during this period.
UK imposes sanctions, pauses Israel trade talks over West Bank violence
The UK said it imposed sanctions that target what it classifies as the persistent cycle of serious violence undertaken by extremist Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank and paused ongoing Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations with Israel. Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the situation in the region as “utterly intolerable”, reiterating calls for a ceasefire and a massive scale-up in humanitarian assistance for those impacted in Gaza. It came as the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) summoned Israeli ambassador to the UK Tzipi Hotovely over the renewed ground offensive in the Gaza Strip, which Tel Aviv claims is aimed at dismantling the Hamas extremist group. “We're horrified by the escalation from Israel. We repeat our demand for a ceasefire as the only way to free the hostages,” said Starmer.
Mizoram declared India's first fully literate state
Chief Minister Lalduhoma on Tuesday declared Mizoram as the country's first fully literate state. Lalduhoma made the announcement in the presence of Union Minister of State for Education Jayant Chaudhary at a function in Mizoram University (MZU). "As we celebrate this achievement, we also renew our commitment to sustaining literacy through continuous education, digital access, and vocational skill training," the CM's Office quoted him as saying in a post on X. "Let us now aim higher: digital literacy, financial literacy, and entrepreneurial skill for all Mizos," he added. Chaudhary congratulated the state government and the people for the achievement.
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