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.

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.

Karnataka Congress MLAs and MLCs staged a protest against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday, accusing the opposition party of disrupting Assembly proceedings while demanding the resignation of Minister for Planning and Statistics B. Nagendra over his alleged involvement in the tribal welfare scam.The Congress legislators gathered near the Mahatma Gandhi statue on the Vidhana Soudha premises and staged the protest.

They raised slogans against the BJP by holding placards, saying the party had no moral right to lecture them on morality, alleging that some of its leaders were involved in the theft of temple valuables. Minister B. Nagendra also participated in the protest.KPCC President and MLC B.K. Hariprasad stated, “There is a serious situation prevailing in the state. Drought relief work is being taken up in 18 districts, and people are not getting drinking water. The BJP is not allowing these issues to be discussed in the House. The CM has already met all-party MPs and urged them to seek the release of Rs 10,000 crore in drought relief funds.”

“The Opposition is scared of a discussion because it fears criticism of the Centre. They want to divert attention from everything. Let the discussion happen on Minister Nagendra; it will be over in one day. We will provide all the material to prove that he has no role. The BJP should not follow double standards. Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister Amit Shah face allegations. If we demand their resignations, will they resign?” Hariprasad questioned.

“If they have the courage, let them discuss all these issues. This is being done to prevent the questioning of the Central government over the release of drought relief funds to Karnataka. BJP leaders do not want this to happen. We will run the session until August 27. The people will decide whether the BJP is anti-people,” he said.Minister for Home, IT and BT Priyank Kharge said, “Who are the BJP leaders to demand his resignation? Has the BJP become the Supreme Court or the High Court by itself? Is it the Lokayukta? Let them seek the resignation of the Assam Chief Minister, who faces cases. Even the Bihar Chief Minister faces cases. There are also people in the Central government facing cases. They are also tainted.”

“The BJP should have some morality. Dr Chandru Lamani was caught by the Lokayukta. Why are you keeping him? There are MLAs in the BJP who have been trapped by the Lokayukta. Why don’t they talk about them? The CID does not have Nagendra’s name. The CBI has named him in its second chargesheet. It is very clear that this is motivated by the Centre. Let them discuss all these issues if they have the courage,” he challenged.Minister B. Nagendra alleged that the BJP could not tolerate Dalits becoming ministers. “The Congress party and CM D.K. Shivakumar have repeatedly called them for discussions. They have to listen to why I am not resigning. They are unnecessarily indulging in politics. They claim that it is a Rs 184 crore scam, but all the money has been recovered. The SIT subsequently gave me a clean chit.”

“They are outraged because a Dalit has become a minister. I am on bail in connection with the ED and CBI investigations. Haven’t there been Chief Ministers in other states who obtained bail and continued in office? Have I been convicted? I have faced allegations and have come out clean in court,” Nagendra said.