'Modi's initial forays into foreign policy had the flavour of Aswamedha Yagas launched by ancient kings to conquer the world.' 'He overcame the hesitations of history and explored unconventional ways to win friends and influence people.' A fascinating excerpt from Ambassador T P Sreenivasan's new book, Modiplomacy -- Through a Shakespearean Prism.
The United States has started deploying the first elements of its advanced Terminal High Altitude Area Defense anti-missile system at the Osan Air Base in South Korea after North Korea conducted test of four ballistic missiles which broke international sanctions.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday returned home after concluding his successful visit to Japan, which promised to give $35 billion (Rs 2.1 lakh crore) to India over the next five years for developmental projects, as the two sides agreed to enhance their strategic cooperation to a new level.
Unlike the interactions with Trump's predecessor, the cerebral Barack Obama, the Modi-Trump bonhomie seems more like the backslapping variety, replete with fist bumps etc.
But contempt petitions against sitting prime ministers are nothing new in Pakistan.
After the three bilateral meetings, Modi would participate in the three separate sessions of the Nuclear Security Summit, which kicked off with a White House dinner on Thursday night.
It is said that the annual State of the Union address to both Houses of the US Congress by Trump is likely to be around the time India will celebrate its Republic Day.
India has reportedly declined a request from the United States seeking a no fly-zone over Rajpath during President Barack Obama's visit for the Republic Day.
The country's first bullet train will run at a maximum speed of 350 km per hour, covering the stretch in under three hours from the usual seven.
The International Olympic Committee expects to bear costs of up to $800 million for its part in the organisation of the postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympics, now due to be staged next year, IOC president Thomas Bach said on Thursday. In March, the International Olympic Committee and the Japanese government decided to delay the Games, which were due to start this July, for a year because of the coronavirus pandemic that has killed 300,000 people worldwide.
Japan could soon be the second country after the US with which India has a logistics support agreement. Besides the LSA, India and Japan may also sign a maritime domain awareness agreement which would enable the two navies to share information. For example, if a Japanese P-1 maritime patrol aircraft detects a Chinese submarine in the Indian Ocean, it would pass on the information to the Indian Navy, reveals Ajai Shukla.
A seismic tremor recorded in an area around North Korea's known nuclear site on Friday is suspected to be a nuclear test, says South Korea.
The agreement provides for creation of an enabling framework for closer cooperation and interoperability, besides allowing militaries of the two countries to use each other's bases and facilities for repair and replenishment of supplies, the official said.
The biggest storm -- Typhoon Hagibis -- to hit Japan in decades left deaths and destruction in its wake, as it battered the central and eastern parts of the country. The storm flooded rivers and caused secondary weather patterns like tornados that destroyed homes and public property in areas east of Tokyo. Hagibis hit the capital, where streets were largely deserted and people were bunkered down, moving past the city by midnight, but not before flooding some sections. Reports state that the storm killed as many as 33 people and injured 186 others.
Japan's Asahi Shimbun, an official partner of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, called for the Summer Games to be cancelled in an editorial
Some critics contend that Japan's rush to secure supplies is driven largely by a political desire to show the world it is fully committed to hosting the Games.
There are many reasons for Japan to turn a deaf ear to its anti-nuclear lobby and concentrate on its geo-strategic imperatives to sign the nuclear deal with India, says Debalina Ghoshal.
Veteran doctor and educationist from Karnataka Belle Monappa Hegde and archaeology legend B B Lal were also given the Padma Vibhushan awards.
'By lifting his visit to vibrant new functional and emotional planes, Modi saved it from looking like a mere obligatory give-and-take. This is no mean achievement. With his penchant for execution, he must fast track action on the proposals agreed upon, so that the fine print matches the hype,' says B S Raghavan.
It was meant to be the start of a triumphant march to the Tokyo 2020 Games: the torch relay would begin on Thursday in Fukushima, battered by the 2011 earthquake and nuclear disaster, as a poignant symbol of the "Recovery Olympics." But instead, it was like any other day for this prefecture in northeast Japan after the relay was scrapped following the Games' postponement due to the coronavirus pandemic.
There are now new questions that some athletes, whose bans prevented them from competing in the Tokyo Olympics, will have the opportunity to do so due to the change in dates.
Japan is not making any preparations to postpone the 2020 Olympics, the government's top spokesman said on Wednesday, stressing Tokyo's resolve to host the event as scheduled despite the global spread of coronavirus.
Shi explained that she and a group of researchers obtained samples of coronavirus on December 30 last year and performed high-throughput sequencing of the samples and the isolation of pathogens.
Images from the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics, at the National Stadium, on Friday.
Before Netanyahu, the PM has hosted Japanese premier Shinzo Abe and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Ahmedabad.
Markets are also watching a meeting in Moscow of G20 finance ministers for signs of an orchestrated approach to the end of US money-printing, which could help defuse volatility in global markets.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks in Japan of an "expansionist" mindset of some countries have riled the Chinese official media which said the Indian leader is more "intimate with Tokyo emotionally".
The quake struck near Kumamoto city on the island of Kyushu at a depth of 11 kilometres, the Japan Meteorological Agency said, adding that there was no tsunami risk.
The fashion police fell in love with the yellow Emilio Pucci gown the US First Lady wore for Modi's White House visit. But then the former Slovenian model rarely gets it wrong.
Speculation is rife that Trump may skip Sabarmati Ashram to make time for a visit to Agra, Vinay Umarji reports.
This is the third time that a Brazilian president was the chief guest at the Republic Day. The last time a Brazilian president was the chief guest was in 2004 when Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva attended the parade.
Pyongyang on Sunday claimed it has successfully tested a hydrogen bomb meant to be loaded onto an intercontinental ballistic missile. It was Pyongyang's sixth, and most powerful, nuclear test, which was set to raise tension in the region.
The Japanese government warned the people in northern Japan to prepare for a potential incoming missile from Pyongyang.
China should not feel cornered by a raft of geopolitical moves by the US and Japan against it by forging closer ties with India, Russia and others in the region and Beijing should focus on becoming a strong economic and military power, a state-run daily said on Thursday.
Normally a star-studded display teeming with celebrities, the Tokyo Olympics ceremony was low-key, with fewer than 1,000 people in attendance, strict social distancing rules and signs calling on spectators to "be quiet around the venue."
The White House said that Obama, who has been often accused by critics of making an "apology tour" to the Middle East and Europe during the first year of his presidency.
Tokyo Governor Yoichi Masuzoe, under fire for using tax money to pay for family vacations and artwork, faces growing demands to quit over a scandal that may affect national elections and embarrass Tokyo as host of the 2020 Summer Olympics.
If the US President is the master of awkward handshakes, the Indian Prime Minister has cornered the market on awkward hugs. Which one will it be when the two meet?
The US side is yet to respond to the invitation but initial indication has been positive, it is learnt.
The pitch comes close on the heels of China launching its multi-billion dollar OBOR initiative
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