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In response to the recent Balasore rail accident, Western Railway (WR) has taken decisive steps to enhance safety measures and prevent similar incidents in the future. The Principal Chief Operations Manager of WR, Chittaranjan Swain, has issued a letter to all concerned officials, outlining specific instructions to be followed after any maintenance or reconnection of signals.

The letter, which was obtained by FPJ emphasises the need for utmost caution during such operations. It states that the first up and down trains after reconnection must come to a complete stop before the home signal. Afterward, these trains are allowed to proceed but at a restricted speed of 30 kmph. Furthermore, the letter states that no through signal should be given for the first train after reconnection or any type of maintenance.

India is likely to sell its highly-accomplished BrahMos missiles to Vietnam, signaling a deepening defence cooperation between the two countries. Sources told Zee Business that Vietnam is expected to place an order between three to five units of BrahMos missiles. And with each battery, consisting of multiple missiles, projected to be priced at approximately $125 million, the potential deal could range between $375 million and $625 million - depending on the number of units Vietnam intends to acquire.

This comes close on the heels of India's successful sale of three units of BrahMos missiles to the Philippines last year for $375 million. The missiles, known for their versatility, precision, and supersonic speed, have gained a reputation as one of the most advanced anti-ship and land-attack missiles in the world.

The number of MBBS seats in the country is all set to cross the 1-lakh mark with the Centre approving 50 new medical colleges (30 government and 20 private) this year besides adding nearly 2,000 seats in existing colleges.

The newly approved medical colleges are spread across states, with 13 colleges for Telangana, followed by five each in Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan. Four new medical colleges have been approved for Maharashtra and three each for Assam, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Two colleges each have been approved for West Bengal, Odisha, and Jammu & Kashmir and one each for UP, Madhya Pradesh and Nagaland, according to data shared by the health ministry sources.

Differences between the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) and the BJP have begun to emerge. The rift, which initially started with a BJP office bearer being booked for molestation charges earlier this week, escalated after the local BJP demanded the transfer of the police officer and later decided to boycott the Shiv Sena in a meeting on Thursday.

In response to the decision, CM Eknath Shinde's son and Lok Sabha MP from Kalyan, Dr. Shrikant Shinde, offered to resign on Friday.

Eyeing the Indian Navy's Rs 43,000 crore contract to procure six stealth submarines, German defence major Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) and state-run Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) signed a framework agreement on Wednesday to bid for one of the biggest "Make in India" projects.

The memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed in Mumbai in the presence of German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius.

The MoU was signed a day after Pistorius held wide-ranging talks with Defence Minister Rajnatjh Singh, following which he said TKMS is well-placed to execute the mega project.