The trigger that led Japan and the Philippines to ink the deal was because of the deteriorating security situation in the South China Sea. China's coast guard increased the frequency and intensity of incursions into Philippine waters, provoking the Philippines to take countermeasures to deter China, explains Dr Rajaram Panda.
The project, the agreement for which was signed way back in 2009, had been gaining strategic relevance over the years as India-China ties took a hit.
The guided-missile destroyer USS Dewey conducted a patrol within 20 kilometres of Mischeef Reef, part of the Spratly Islands.
Tokyo -- the songs Japan, Love In Tokyo and Sayonara from the 1966 Hindi film automatically pop up in the mind -- is buzzing and crowded like any other metropolis, discovers Deepa Gahlot. The modern apartment blocks are built cheek by jowl, so close together that one can open the window and borrow sugar from the neighbour in the next building. One of the fears of the Indian traveller is the unavailability of vegetarian food. Every city and town in Japan has an array of Indian restaurants that serve every variety of cuisine, right from Gujarati to Punjabi to Andhra and Kerala meals.
North Korea warns the US that it will soon 'suffer the greatest pain it ever experienced in its history'. Rajaram Panda looks at the latest twist in the North Korean crisis.
'Modi is trying avenues to convince people why they should vote for the BJP.'
'Just think about it. She's a prosecutor, he's a convicted felon. I love that juxtaposition.' 'She's a woman, and she's black and South Asian. He's a white guy who grew up with enormous [wealth].' 'She grew up in a very average, lower middle class/middle class kind of setting with a single mother.'
Where were the stars travelling this week? Lets take a look!
The Bharatiya Janata Party dubbed the arrest as scripted and claimed he was in the safe custody of West Bengal Police.
TMC's Rajya Sabha MP Sagarika Ghose submitted a letter to the Election Commission on Thursday.
At least 24 people were arrested by the security forces for defying the ban on celebrations, officials said.
Ten sensitive installations in six states and one Union territory have been declared out of bounds for the general public, with the Centre saying any information with respect to certain activities carried out at these premises may be useful to India's enemies.
India on Tuesday commissioned its permanent research base at the North Pole, which will enable scientists to carry out studies on a range of subjects including climate change, in one of the cleanest environments on earth.The research station -- Himadri -- was inaugurated by Earth Sciences Minister Kapil Sibal at Ny-Alesund, on the west coast of Spitsbergen, the largest island in the Svalbard archipelago of Norway.
The first event, a 7.8-magnitude quake, struck just after midnight Monday near the coastal community of Kaikoura, some 93 kilometers (55 miles) northeast of the city of Christchurch, the US Geological Survey reported.
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.
As his personal wealth started booming, Mallya went on a buying spree.
A parliamentary committee has recommended that the medium of instruction in technical and non-technical higher education institutes such as IITs in Hindi-speaking states should be Hindi and in other parts of India their respective local language. It said the use of English should be made optional.
The weather system moved west-northwestward and concentrated into a depression on Saturday at 8.30am, close to west of Andaman Islands, the bulletin said.
India considers the full implementation of the 13th Amendment in Sri Lanka "critical" for achieving reconciliation with the minority Tamil community, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Friday, underlining that New Delhi has always supported both the political and economic stability in the island nation.
Coming out in support of police action in the 'moral policing' episode at Madh Island in Mumbai, residents of the area on Thursday threatened to 'gherao' the residence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis if senior police officers who led the raids were transferred.
Modi, while addressing a rally in Barasat, said whatever happened with women in Sandeshkhali "is a matter of shame".
In the wake of continued heated rhetoric from North Korea, the United States is deploying a ballistic missile defence system in Pacific Island of Guam.
The southern districts of West Bengal, including Kolkata, woke up to light rain and an overcast sky on Monday as cyclone 'Sitrang' moved towards north Bay of Bengal, raising the likelihood of a downpour during the day and threatening to dampen Diwali festivities.
The heaviest rainfall began to ease across hard-hit portions of Manhattan and Brooklyn late Friday morning, but another round is expected in the afternoon and could reinvigorate dangerous flooding.
'The primary set took over three months to build with 14,000-15,000 workers employed at a time.'
'We ensured that Mallikajaan's Shahi Mahal lived up to its name.' 'One zardosi panel cost around Rs 4 lakh; the one with the kalpavriksh was around Rs 5 lakh.'
Properties located between Santa Cruz and Andheri in north west Mumbai are currently available at Rs 50,000 to Rs 100,000 per square feet, while in Dubai luxurious, fully furnished, properties are available at Rs 34,000 to Rs 60,000 per square feet of carpet area in the best locations.
On January 23, the N D Modi government named 21 uninhabited islands in the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar after recipients of Param Vir Chakra, the country's highest wartime gallantry award.
Two nuclear scientists, who have conducted a preliminary investigation of the seized North Koran ship MV Mu San, have said the vessel does not contain any trace of chemical, biological, radioactive or nuclear material.The North Korean vessel dropped the anchor at Hut Bay on August 6 without the permission of Indian authorities. It was detained by the Indian Coast Guard after an over six-hour chase.
Until the late 19th century, the Pink and White Terraces along Lake Rotomahana on the North Island, attracted tourists from around the world, interested in seeing beautiful natural formations created by a large geothermal system.
The Indian swimmer was attempt the New Zealand swim between March 25 and 29.
Days after North Korea attacked the Yeonpyeong islands resulting in the loss of South Korean lives, Foreign Ministers of the three countries met in Washington and alleged that the "provocative and belligerent" behaviour of Pyongyang threatens peace and stability in Asia.
Taipei on Friday termed China's military exercises around the island nation 'highly provocative' after some Chinese aircraft and warships crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait.
Images from the Euro 2024 qualifying matches on Friday.
Multiple US and N Korean teams are holding simultaneous meetings ahead of the Singapore Summit.
North Korea considers Assad's Syria an ally, so it views Donald Trump's decision to strike Syria as a message to Pyongyang as well.
It said the weather system was expected to intensify into a deep depression by 5.30 am on Wednesday and turn into Cyclone Mocha in the next 12 hours, packing wind speeds of 80-90 kmph and gusting to 100 kmph.
The local train traffic on the Central and Western Railway routes was mostly normal though the trains were running a few minutes late, railway officials said.
The Southwest Monsoon is set to arrive early with the Andaman and Nicobar Islands expected to receive first seasonal showers on May 15, the weather office said on Thursday.
'You need to have enough funds to maintain the primacy of public transport and it should not suffer because of lack of funds.'
After critically examining the ship 'M V Mu San' at Kakinada port, a team of scientists from Kalapakkam nuclear centre concluded that they found no 'CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radioactive and Nuclear) traces' from the ship, which was detained by the Coast Guard off the Andaman waters in the first week of last month, official sources said in New Delhi.
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