India and Brazil have signed a memorandum of understanding to deepen cooperation in telecommunications and information and communications technologies (ICTs) on the sidelines of the BRICS ICT Track Meeting, the Department of Telecommunications said on Friday.

The agreement will advance digital innovation, strengthen digital infrastructure and foster cooperation in emerging technologies, the Department of Telecommunications said in an X post.

The MoU was signed on the sidelines of the 12th BRICS Communications Ministers Meeting in Pune by Union Minister of Communications, Jyotiraditya M. Scindia and H.E. Mr. Frederico de Siqueira Filho, Minister of Communications, Brazil.

With the caption, “Strengthening India-Brazil cooperation in the digital and telecom space”, Scindia said in an X post that the MoU would deepen bilateral collaboration on “universal connectivity, cybersecurity, digital public infrastructure, emerging technologies, capacity building and exchange of best practices”.

He called the agreement a strong step forward in bolstering India-Brazil collaboration for a secure and inclusive digital future.

The event drew government officials, industry leaders, academia, startups and research institutions from across BRICS member countries. The Forum, institutionalised at the 7th BRICS Communications Ministers’ Meeting hosted by India in 2021, is the multi-stakeholder platform of the BRICS ICT Track.

The first thematic panel discussion at the event focused on cybersecurity and Trustworthy ICTs, including Child Online Protection, and addressed the security and trust dimension of digital transformation.

BRICS Ministers have consistently emphasised the need for a balanced and holistic approach in these areas to advance digital development alongside safeguards for privacy, public interest and the protection of vulnerable users.

The second thematic discussion focused on Sustainable and Resilient Digital and ICT Ecosystems, addressed universal, meaningful and affordable connectivity, energy-efficient and climate-resilient infrastructure, and the role of emerging approaches including satellite and non-terrestrial systems.

Jammu and Kashmir’s senior religious leader and chief cleric, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, delivered the Friday sermon at the Jama Masjid in Srinagar, saying that the historic pulpit has always stood for the rights of the people.

Mirwaiz Farooq said that after nearly two weeks of restrictions, during which he was ‘prevented’ from delivering the Friday sermon at Jama Masjid and also ‘denied’ the opportunity to address the gathering of Khwaja Digar at Naqshband Sahib, he was once again among the people.

He said that every opportunity to be there he “counted as a blessing from Allah”, as restrictions and attempts to “silence the pulpit, unfortunately, seemed to be part of the state policy” right now. He said it was a time to bear with patience and continue the good work, however possible.

Addressing those who placed these restrictions, Mirwaiz said that the pulpit has for generations played an important role in educating individuals and shaping society on religious and moral lines. “It has helped in creating awakening and awareness among people not only regarding their rights but also their duties,” he added.

He said that whenever the need arose, it became their forceful voice, articulated their concerns and advocated their aspirations. It has promoted peaceful coexistence among communities and strongly voiced minority rights, he said.

Mirwaiz said that the activities have always been in accordance with Islamic teachings — peaceful, principled and dignified; dialogue over confrontation and issue-based over personal. “Inshallah, it will continue to do so whenever given the chance. It is the legacy of my forefathers and the shared inheritance of the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.

He also heads the Awami Action Committee (AAC), which has been declared an unlawful organisation by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

The AAC was banned for five years by the MHA under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) on March 11, 2025.

The government cited the group’s involvement in anti-national activities, secessionist propaganda and supporting terrorism.

The Dwarka District Police have arrested a 26-year-old Nigerian national, who was a proclaimed offender in an earlier narcotics case, and recovered 8.43 grams of amphetamine from his possession, officials said on Friday.The arrest was made by the Anti-Narcotics Cell of the Dwarka District Police during ‘Operation VISTA 1.0’, a special drive launched to verify overstaying foreigners and check suspicious persons staying in hotels.

According to the officials, the Delhi Police Commissioner recently launched the operation to verify foreigners who have overstayed in the country. Following directions from Dwarka Deputy Commissioner of Police Kushal Pal Singh and under the supervision of ACP Operations Cell Subhash Malik, the Anti-Narcotics Cell was tasked with tracing overstaying foreigners and checking suspicious individuals staying in hotels across the district.On August 11, a team of the Anti-Narcotics Cell, headed by Inspector Satish Kumar Yadav and comprising Sub Inspectors Prem Narayan, Naveen and Naveen Kumar, Head Constable Vikas, and Constables Rahul and Vinod, was deployed as part of the operation.

Based on technical surveillance and human intelligence, the police apprehended a foreign national from a hotel in Mohan Garden.The accused was identified as Kingsley Eze, son of Eze, a resident of Anambra State, Nigeria.During his personal search, police recovered 8.43 grams of amphetamine, classified as an intermediate quantity under the relevant provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

Following the recovery, an FIR No. 205/2026 was registered under Sections 8 and 22 of the NDPS Act at Mohan Garden Police Station in Dwarka.During interrogation, the accused told the police that he had arrived in India in 2019 on a business visa.Police said that further verification revealed that Kingsley Eze had been declared a proclaimed offender by a court in connection with FIR No. 940/2022, registered under Section 22 of the NDPS Act and Section 14A of the Foreigners Act at Nihal Vihar Police Station.He was declared a proclaimed offender through a court order dated May 30, 2026, police said.

According to the police, the accused had earlier been involved in a case related to the alleged supply of heroin and had been absconding while staying at a hotel in the Mohan Garden area. His arrest came during the ongoing VISTA 1.0 operation.The police said the recovery of amphetamine from the accused marked another step in the Dwarka District Police’s campaign against narcotics, being carried out under the slogan, “Nasha par Lagam, Desh ko Salam”.Further investigation is underway to identify and trace the supplier of the seized narcotic substance and determine the wider network, if any, connected to the accused.