Indian, Pakistani protesters face off in London
London: There was a face-off between Indian diaspora groups who gathered to protest Pakistan-backed terrorism in the wake of the Pahalgam terrorist attack and counter-protesters outside the Pakistan High Commission here, which saw scenes of a Pakistani diplomatic official making threatening gestures. In videos posted by Indian community groups from Friday evening’s protest on social media, the Pakistani official can be seen taunting them from the balcony of the mission building at Lowndes Square. He was holding a poster with a sketch of Captain Abhinandan Varthaman and the words “Chai is Fantastic” — a reference to the Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot’s captivity in February 2019.
Kailash Mansarovar Yatra to resume from June
New Delhi: India and China will, after a gap of five years, resume the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra from June. This move is seen as an attempt to normalise the ties between the two countries that nosedived following the standoff at the Line of Actual Control (LAC)in eastern Ladakh. Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Saturday said the Yatra is set to take place from June to August via two routes — Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand and Nathu La in Sikkim. The pilgrimage to Mount Kailash and Mansarovar Lake in China’s Tibet Autonomous Region holds religious significance to Hindus as well as Jains and Buddhists. “Kailash Manasarovar Yatra organised by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is set to take place during June to August 2025,” it said. The Yatra was suspended initially in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequently because of the military standoff between the two sides on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.
ISRO flags off second stage of GSLV launch vehicle
Bengaluru: ISRO on Saturday announced that the second stage of its GSLV launch vehicle was flagged off by Chairman V Narayanan recently from the ISRO Propulsion Complex (IPRC), Mahendragiri, to the launch complex at Sriharikota. The Directors of ISRO Propulsion Complex (IPRC) and Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) also participated in the flag off ceremony which was held on March 24, it said. “This liquid stage is earmarked for the upcoming mission of GSLV (GSLV-F16) that will launch the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite. The launch campaign activities for this mission have already commenced at Sriharikota in the first week of April 2025,” ISRO said, in a statement.