Chennai, Feb 19 (IANS) The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast light to moderate rainfall across parts of southern and coastal Tamil Nadu over the next few days, following the formation of a low-pressure area over the equatorial Indian Ocean and adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal. According to the weather department, the low-pressure system, which developed over the equatorial region of the Indian Ocean and the adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal, is expected to move in a west-northw…
Latest Indian Ocean News & Updates
Washington, Feb 18 (IANS) The United States and Mauritius will hold bilateral discussions next week in Port Louis focused on security cooperation and the future operation of the military base on Diego Garcia in the Chagos archipelago, the US State Department said.From February 23–25, the talks will be led by the Department of State’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs with participation from across the US interagency, according to a media note.“These discussions underscore the continued …
Washington, Feb 18 (IANS) China’s expanding military footprint, economic leverage, and technology dominance are sharpening India’s strategic anxieties, top American and Indian experts told a U.S. congressional commission on Tuesday, warning that New Delhi’s rivalry with Beijing remains structural despite a recent diplomatic thaw. Testifying before the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission, academics, think tank experts, and former officials stated that the October 2024 diseng…
Mumbai, Feb 17 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his statement following the bilateral meeting with President Emmanuel Macron in Mumbai on Tuesday, described the India-France relationship as a “force for global stability” in an increasingly uncertain world. He emphasised that the partnership has evolved beyond traditional diplomacy into a “Partnership of the People,” specifically highlighting the launch of the India-France Year of Innovation 2026.PM Modi emphasised that the partnership is …
Washington, Feb 15 (IANS) The Pentagon said on Sunday that US forces intercepted and boarded another Venezuela-linked oil tanker in the Indian Ocean overnight. The vessel, named Veronica III, was tracked by US authorities from the Caribbean Sea to the Indian Ocean before being stopped and inspected, the Pentagon said in a statement on social media platform X.”Overnight, US forces conducted a right-of-visit, maritime interdiction and boarding of the Veronica III without incident in the INDOPACOM …
Chennai, Feb 14 (IANS) A low-pressure area is likely to form over the Bay of Bengal on Saturday, according to a weather bulletin issued by the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC), Chennai. The development is attributed to an upper-air cyclonic circulation prevailing over the east-central Indian Ocean and adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal, which is expected to intensify into a low-pressure system.In its latest advisory, the weather department stated that atmospheric conditions are becoming favou…
Washington, Feb 12 (IANS) Underscoring the strategic importance of the US naval support facility at Diego Garcia, lawmakers and a senior State Department official have said that safeguarding Indian Ocean sea lanes is central to countering China’s growing influence in the Indo-Pacific. During a House subcommittee hearing on South and Central Asia, Congressman Bill Huizenga said: “The Indian Ocean is one of the busiest maritime corridors on the earth, carrying the lifeblood of global commerce …
Washington, Feb 12 (IANS) Lawmakers questioned whether the Quad is being given sufficient prominence in the US’ Indo-Pacific strategy, even as the State Department defended the grouping as a “very important platform” central to balancing China’s influence. During a House subcommittee hearing on South and Central Asia on Wednesday (local time), Democratic Ranking Member Sydney Kamlager-Dove said she was concerned that the Quad is “only mentioned twice in the 2025 national security strat…
New Delhi, Feb 9 (IANS) External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Monday met Seychelles President Dr Patrick Herminie, who is on a state visit to India aimed at strengthening bilateral relations and expanding cooperation across multiple sectors, including maritime security and economic development.EAM Jaishankar highlighted the significance of the visit on X, writing, “Delighted to call on President Dr Patrick Herminie of the Republic of Seychelles today in Delhi. As maritime neighbours, valu…
Washington, Feb 6 (IANS) US President Donald Trump said he will never allow the US military presence at Diego Garcia to be threatened, warning that he retains the right to “militarily secure and reinforce” the base if future arrangements break down or US forces are endangered.“I have had very productive discussions with (British) Prime Minister Keir Starmer about the Island of Diego Garcia,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. “It is the site of a major US Military Base, strategical…