The Pakistan men’s hockey teams will be allowed to travel to India for next month’s Asia Cup and the Junior World Cup later this year, a Sports Ministry source confirmed on Thursday, stating that any attempt to block participation would contravene the Olympic Charter.

While bilateral sporting ties between India and Pakistan remain suspended, the government has made it clear that it will not stand in the way of Pakistan’s participation in multinational events held in India. The Asia Cup is scheduled to take place in Rajgir, Bihar, from 27 August to 7 September, while the Junior World Cup is slated for Chennai and Madurai from 28 November to 10 December.

“We are not against any team competing in India in a multi-national competition. If we try to stop Pakistan, it would be seen as a violation of the Olympic Charter. But bilateral is different, and there will be no relaxation on that front,” the ministry source said.

The Olympic Charter, which governs the Olympic movement, considers sport a medium for promoting peace and international cooperation. Denying participation to a country in a global or continental competition can attract serious scrutiny from international federations and may affect India’s chances of hosting future events.

When asked if the clearance extended to the upcoming Asia Cup in cricket this September, where India and Pakistan are drawn in the same group, the source said, “The BCCI is yet to reach out to the ministry on this. We will address this query when they approach us.”

India and Pakistan have not played a bilateral series in any sport for nearly two decades, and even multilateral encounters have come under pressure in the wake of strained political relations. Following the Pahalgam terror attack in April, where 26 Indian tourists lost their lives, tensions escalated further. India’s retaliatory Operation Sindoor, which targeted terror infrastructure across the border, prompted a brief military standoff that only de-escalated after Pakistan sought a ceasefire.

“International sports demands that we cannot back out from competing in multi-national competitions. Take for instance, Russia and Ukraine-they are at war, yet they turn up for events and compete. The same principle applies here,” the official added.

Hockey India (HI), which will host both tournaments, welcomed the decision.

“We welcome the government’s decision. Our stance from the beginning was that whatever the government decides, we will abide by that. There is no other argument in that,” said Bhola Nath Singh, HI secretary general.

HI had earlier reiterated that it would follow whatever directive the central government issued regarding Pakistan’s participation.

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s recent declaration that “surrender is not a word found in Pakistan’s dictionary” has triggered a storm of online backlash, with users across platforms reminding him of Pakistan’s surrender in the 1971 war.

The remark was made during a conference in Islamabad on Wednesday, where the former foreign minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to fighting terrorism. “Surrender is not a word found in Pakistan’s dictionary,” he stated, calling for global cooperation against terrorism and reiterating Pakistan’s long-standing stance on the Kashmir issue. He also said that the “weaponisation of water” must come to an end.

However, it was his choice of words that sparked an avalanche of reactions online. Social media users, particularly from India, quickly pointed to the events of December 16, 1971, when more than 93,000 Pakistani troops surrendered to the Indian Army in Dhaka during the Bangladesh Liberation War.

One user wrote, “Don’t worry, we already edited your dictionary in 1971. Maybe you lost that version.” Another added, “Perhaps he skipped the chapter where 93,000 Pakistani soldiers, in full uniform, surrendered—hands in the air—in front of the world. That was a failed state’s dictionary!”

Several users also invoked the legacy of Bilawal’s grandfather, former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, under whose leadership Pakistan endured the military and territorial defeat that led to the creation of Bangladesh.

The surrender of 1971 remains one of the most significant moments in South Asian military history. On that day, Lieutenant General A.A.K. Niazi of Pakistan’s Eastern Command signed the instrument of surrender in Dhaka before Indian Lt General Jagjit Singh Aurora, formally ending the 13-day India-Pakistan war and the liberation struggle of East Pakistan.

Bilawal’s statement, intended to project resilience, has instead rekindled memories of a painful chapter in Pakistan’s history, drawing sharp responses from both domestic critics and international observers.

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, has approved Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for 10 capital acquisition proposals worth over ₹1.05 lakh crore. The clearances, made under the ‘Buy (Indian–IDDM)’ category, represent a major push for indigenous defence manufacturing under the Make in India initiative.

According to the Ministry of Defence, the approved proposals include Armoured Recovery Vehicles, Electronic Warfare Systems, Integrated Common Inventory Management Systems for the Tri-Services, and advanced Surface-to-Air Missiles. These acquisitions are aimed at enhancing the Indian Armed Forces’ mobility, air defence capabilities, and logistical coordination.

For the Indian Navy, the DAC has greenlit the procurement of Moored Mines, Mine Counter Measure Vessels, Super Rapid Gun Mounts, and Submersible Autonomous Vessels. These systems are expected to significantly boost maritime safety and help counter underwater threats to both naval and commercial shipping.

The ministry emphasized that all proposals were cleared under the Buy (Indian–IDDM) category, ensuring maximum involvement of Indian vendors. This move is intended to deepen self-reliance in defence manufacturing, in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Atmanirbhar Bharat vision.

Officials noted that the cleared projects would not only meet strategic needs but also promote job creation and technology development in the domestic defence sector.

A violent confrontation erupted along the India-Bangladesh border when a group of Bangladeshi smugglers attacked a Border Security Force (BSF) patrol near the Halderpara outpost in West Bengal’s Nadia district. One smuggler was shot dead in retaliatory fire, while a BSF personnel sustained injuries during the incident.

The clash occurred around 12:10 pm on July 2, after BSF troops, acting on precise intelligence inputs, laid an ambush to intercept a gold smuggling attempt near the riverine border. Four to five smugglers were observed crossing over from the Bangladesh side into Indian territory. Despite multiple warnings, the intruders advanced aggressively.

According to the BSF, a warning shot was initially fired into the air. However, the smugglers encircled a jawan and attacked him with sharp-edged weapons. In response, another BSF trooper opened fire to protect his colleague, hitting one smuggler in the abdomen. The injured individual collapsed while the others fled back across the border.

The wounded smuggler was taken to Krishnaganj Hospital, where he was declared dead. The injured BSF personnel is currently undergoing treatment at the same facility. Four sharp-edged weapons and a cutter were recovered from the site, suggesting a premeditated attack.

A first information report has been registered at the local police station, and the deceased smuggler’s body has been handed over to police authorities. The incident highlights the persistent threats faced by security forces while guarding the porous and often volatile stretches of the Indo-Bangladesh border.

The United Kingdom is preparing a rare airlift of its F-35B stealth fighter jet from Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram International Airport after the aircraft developed technical issues following an emergency landing on June 15. Nineteen days after it was grounded, the fifth-generation jet may be transported out aboard a Royal Air Force C-17 Globemaster, a heavy-lift transport aircraft, as field repair attempts have not yielded success.

The F-35B, a short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) variant of the Lockheed Martin-built fighter, had diverted from the Royal Navy’s aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales due to adverse weather. The emergency landing was necessitated by fuel constraints and inclement conditions following a routine Indo-UK naval exercise in the region.

While the pilot was safely extracted by a Royal Navy AW101 Merlin helicopter the following day and returned to the carrier, the fighter jet has remained under guard on the tarmac. A subsequent “engineering issue” rendered the aircraft unfit for flight, prompting the UK Ministry of Defence to dispatch a team of specialist engineers to assess and repair the damage.

Despite the efforts, including the use of advanced diagnostic tools, authorities have yet to determine when or whether the aircraft will be airworthy. In the meantime, coordination between Indian Air Force officials and airport authorities is underway to potentially move the aircraft to an MRO hangar before the planned airlift.

The British High Commission confirmed the jet’s diversion was conducted as a precautionary safety measure and that the aircraft remains under strict monitoring. Local airport operations have been minimally affected due to the proactive measures taken by Indian authorities.

Globally, the F-35 programme represents the most expensive and technologically advanced weapons development initiative in military aviation history. With over 800,000 flight hours logged by multiple operators across theatres, including the US, UK, and Israel, the aircraft has become a critical asset in modern air combat. The potential airlift from India highlights the logistical challenges involved in operating such cutting-edge systems far from home bases.