Jakarta, April 18 (IANS) The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has called on the Philippines to adopt a more targeted fiscal response to its ongoing energy crisis, warning that limited budget buffers constrain the government’s ability to provide broad economic support, especially to the vulnerable sectors, local media reported on Saturday. According to local media reports on Saturday, Krishna Srinivasan, director of the IMF’s Asia and Pacific Department, said at a press conference recently that …
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Washington, April 17 (IANS) China’s rapid military expansion and technological advances dominated a US Congressional hearing, with top intelligence officials warning that Beijing is accelerating capabilities across all domains to challenge American power. Lawmakers were told that China remains the foremost strategic concern, with its military modernisation unfolding at an “alarming pace”.Lieutenant General James Adams III, Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), said the C…
New Delhi, April 16 (IANS) US experts have red flagged the commercial underwater data centres that China has started setting up as an environmental hazard, due to the release of intense heat in the surrounding sea which is likely to adversely impact neighbouring countries such as Vietnam and the Philippines.China has deployed its first commercial underwater data center, developed by Hailanxin, off the southeastern coast of Hainan Island, in shallow coastal waters of the South China Sea. The faci…
Tokyo/New Delhi, April 15 (IANS) External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Wednesday underlined India’s strong commitment to safe and unimpeded transit passage of maritime shipping while assuring that India will continue to work with like-minded partners to develop supply chain resilience. Delivering remarks at the AZEC-Plus meeting convened by Japan to discuss supply chain disruptions in the energy markets, EAM Jaishankar reiterated New Delhi’s stance that attacks on merchant shipping a…
New Delhi, April 11 (IANS) As India seeks to position Southeast Asia as a key market for the BrahMos missile, the supersonic cruise weapon – jointly developed by India and Russia – has generated significant interest in the region amid growing Chinese assertiveness in the South China Sea. Its speed, precision strike capability, and multi-platform deployment – from land and sea to air and submarine – make it a formidable weapon for enhancing regional defence capabilities.According to a rep…
Manila, April 8 (IANS) Secretary (East) at the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Periasamy Kumaran, held a meeting with the Philippines Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Maria Theresa P. Lazaro in Manila on Thursday, discussing progress of strategic partnership between two nations and India’s active support for ASEAN. In a post on X, Lazaro stated, “A pleasure meeting Mr. Periasamy Kumaran, Secretary (East) of the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, who is in Manila for the 28th ASEAN-India Senio…
Seoul, April 8 (IANS) Former Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Wednesday called for South Korea and Japan to work together, such as at the UN level, to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, citing deepening supply disruptions from the war against Iran that are affecting the global economy.Ishiba made the remarks during a forum in Seoul, stressing that Iran’s effective blockade of the vital waterway, responsible for about 20 per cent of global energy supplies, is not limited to just a few cou…
Beijing/Manila, April 4 (IANS) The provisional understanding between the Philippines and China over the contested Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea underscores how Manila has countered Chinese coercion through quiet resolve backed by political leadership, alliance support, calculated military moves, and public willingness to bear the cost of managed escalation. “Chinese coercion was defeated by persistence that denied it success. The Philippines did not secure Second Thomas Shoal beca…
New Delhi, April 3 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on the solemn occasion of Good Friday, stated that the day serves as a reminder of the immense sacrifice made by Jesus Christ. He also expressed hope that the occasion would strengthen the values of harmony, compassion, and forgiveness in society. Taking to the social media platform X, the Prime Minister wrote, “Good Friday reminds us of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice. May this day further deepen the values of harmony, compassion and forgiven…
Jakarta, April 2 (IANS) A powerful 7.4-magnitude offshore earthquake struck eastern Indonesia early Thursday, the United States Geological Survey said, prompting a warning from a US monitoring agency about the possibility of “hazardous tsunami waves” within a 1,000-kilometre radius of the epicentre.According to the USGS, the earthquake’s epicentre was located at 1.20 degrees north latitude and 126.35 degrees east longitude. The quake occurred at a depth of around 30 kilometres, as reported…