Oil processing facilities form the foundation of the worldwide energy sector, converting crude petroleum into essential fuels such as petrol, diesel, aviation fuel and various petrochemical products.
The United States' historical strategic alignment with Pakistan, dating back to the Cold War, has consistently aimed to create a political and military parity with India, despite India's significantly larger size and resources. This long-standing relationship continues to influence regional dynamics, particularly in West Asia and the Indo-Pacific.
Russia's unprecedented rapprochement with North Korea has raised concerns about the re-emergence of a Russia-China-North Korea alliance which could increase the probability of conflict on the Korean Peninsula, explains Dr Rajaram Panda.
Lee Jae-myung's decisive victory in South Korea's snap presidential election marks a major political shift driven by public backlash against authoritarian, with significant implications for domestic reform and the future of the US-South Korea alliance, observes Dr Rajaram Panda.
The Quad grouping has called for bringing the perpetrators, organisers and financiers of the Pahalgam terror attack to justice without any delay and urged UN member nations to extend cooperation for it.
The move of the Vinson strike group is in response to recent North Korean provocations.
US strikes on Iran's three main nuclear facilities have once again raised concerns that Tehran might shut down the Strait of Hormuz - one of the world's most critical chokepoints, through which a fifth of global oil and gas supply flows.
Times have changed, situations have changed, but the basic nature of superpower geo-politics remains the same and so also India's diplomacy -- call it non-alignment, strategic autonomy or neutrality; it all depends on the time scale, notes Rup Narayan Das.
The People's Liberation Army Rocket (Missile) Force tested the new missile in the Bohai Sea.
The IOC said in a statement that the North and South have agreed to march under a single flag at the opening ceremony and would field a united team in the women's ice hockey.
South Korea proposed that athletes from the two Koreas march together at the Games' opening ceremony and other joint activities between the two nations during the Winter Olympics.
South Korea and the United States raised the military alert level for the peninsula after the Pyongyang warned on Wednesday that the truce ending the Korean War was dead and it was ready to attack.
After entering the Peace House for the inter-Korean summit, Kim wrote in the guest book 'a new history begins now'.
The United States and South Korea will deploy the advanced THAAD missile defence system on the volatile Korean peninsula as a "defensive measure" to counter the growing security threat from North Korea's weapons of mass destruction. The move has not gone down well with China which said that the move will harm the security of countries in the region.
The two leaders spoke over phone to discuss the escalating tension after Kim threatened the US this week to fire missiles at Guam, a US island territory, after the US sponsored a resolution imposing new economic sanctions on Pyongyang over its missile and nuclear weapons programmes.
Mattis' remarks came after Trump warned that 'appeasement' won't work with Pyongyang.
North Korea made its decision to pull out of Tokyo at a meeting of its Olympic committee and Sports Minister Kim Il Guk on March 25, the ministry said on its website.
This was Kim's first visit abroad as North Korea's leader and came ahead of his planned summit with Donald J Trump.
The letter comes as the two sides negotiate details of a second meeting between the two leaders. It was flown to Pyongyang and delivered by hand, the CNN reported, quoting a source familiar with the ongoing talks between Washington and Pyongyang on denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula.
North Korea on Tuesday warned that it had the capability to launch a preemptive nuclear strike against the United States, "if necessary", following joint US-South Korea military drills earlier this week.
Kim said that his meeting with Moon would serve as a "historic chance" for the Korean people, who want to see the strengthening of inter-Korean relations.
The visit, Kim's third since March, is taking place amid sharp escalation rhetoric between Beijing and Washington over tariffs almost spiralling into a trade war.
Amidst growing tension in the Korean peninsula and increasing threat from North Korea, United States Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel has spoken to his South Korean counterpart Kim Kwan Jin to review the security situation.
India on Sunday joined South Korea and the United States in voicing their concern over North Korea's plan to launch an 'application satellite', a move that is likely escalate tension in the peninsula.
North Korea will take part in the next two Olympic Games in Japan and China, International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach said on Saturday after meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang.
Both sides also agreed at a round of talks on their heavily fortified border to hold a series of basketball matches in the North Korean capital of Pyongyang on July 3-6, marking the anniversary of a July 4, 1972, inter-Korean agreement on unification, they said.
Earlier, United States Secretary of State Rex Tillerson urged the international community to increase pressure on North Korea, saying that failing to do so would bring 'catastrophic consequences'.
This comes after US President Donald Trump and North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un held a historic summit in Singapore.
The US Pacific Command said the missiles appeared to be short-range. The first and second missiles "failed in flight" and the third "appears to have blown up almost immediately".
His latest comments were less harsh than ones he made last month where he threatened "fire and fury" against the Pyongyang regime.
White House officials have been discussing sites as far-flung as Singapore and Mongolia for the planned meeting between Trump and Kim.
India on Wednesday reacted strongly to the rocket launch by North Korea, saying the 'unwarranted action' by that country has adversely impact peace and stability in the Korean peninsula.
North Korea has threatened to go to war against South Korea a day after the latter fired dozens of artillery rounds across the rivals' border in response to what it said were several rounds of Pyongyang's artillery launched at the South.
Trump's decision to call off the visit came just a day after Pompeo had announced that the newly appointed special representative for North Korea Steve Biegun and he will be travelling to North Korea next week to "make further diplomatic progress towards our objective."
The State Department welcomed Germany's decision to downsize its diplomatic mission in Pyongyang and require North Korea to reduce its presence in Berlin.
North Korea had stopped the nuclear reactor, located within the nuclear complex in Yongbyon, north of Pyongyang, late last year, with no signs of reprocessing activities there anymore.
The 15-member body strongly condemned North Korea's ballistic missile launches.
The forthcoming summit would review the implementation of the inter-Korean summit agreement signed between the two countries during the first meeting in Panmunjom.
The PM also welcomed South Korea's efforts to maintain peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula.
