By Jennifer Fitchett

The Indian Ocean has made its mark on the global news cycle this year. In March, tropical cyclone Idai made headlines as one of the most severe storms to have made landfall in Mozambique. Current estimates indicate that more than 1,000 people died. This makes it the most deadly tropical cyclone ever to have made landfall on the southern African subcontinent.

Until Idai, tropical cyclone Eline, which struck in 2000, was the most devastating tropical cyclone to make landfall in Mozambique.

After Idai, Eline was the strongest – though not the deadliest – cyclone to have hit the southern east African cost. This ranking as the strongest was soon after challenged by tropical cyclone Kenneth, a category 4 tropical cyclone that made landfall over the border of Mozambique and Tanzania six weeks after Idai.

Kenneth, in many regards, took the region by surprise. The storm was the northernmost tropical cyclone to make landfall on Mozambique, and the first to make landfall on Tanzania. It occurred very late in the season. Most cyclones in the region occur from January to March. It was also unusual for the Mozambique Channel to experience two severe tropical cyclones that made landfall within one season.

The third major cyclone to emerge out of the Indian Ocean came a few weeks after Kenneth, when cyclone Fani, a tropical cyclone on the border of Category 5 intensity wind speeds, hit the east coast of India. Category 5 tropical cyclones were only first recorded in the North Indian Ocean from 1989 so, again, this storm is unusually severe in the context of the longer historical records.

These high-intensity storms have been tied to the very warm sea surface temperatures in the Indian Ocean. Temperatures of 30°C are occurring more often and over longer periods of time. This is a result of gradual warming on a global scale, which has resulted in a net increase in ocean temperatures.

Warmer ocean temperatures allow stronger storms to form. These conditions are exacerbated by global forcing mechanisms including El Niño and the Indian Ocean Dipole, which concentrates warm ocean waters in smaller geographic areas.

High-intensity storms have been a frequent feature along the coast of the US throughout recorded history. Their increased frequency in the Indian Ocean should be raising alarm bells because countries like the US are much better equipped to help people prepare ahead of time, and to handle the fallout.

Measuring intensity 
 
Tropical cyclone intensity is classified according to the Saffir Simpson scale. Categories are measured on the basis of the sustained wind speed and the storm’s central pressure. Each category is accompanied by estimates of the likely severity of damage and possible storm surge height.

Tropical cyclones form and intensify due to a combination of seven primary climatological conditions. Among other things, these include warm sea surface temperatures, high humidity levels and atmospheric instability.

For a storm to intensify, these conditions have to be maximised while the storm remains over the ocean.

Tropical cyclones require a sea surface temperature of 26.5°C to form, while the highest intensity storms require much warmer sea surface temperatures of 28-29°C. This is important because it’s one of the reasons why southern Africa is experiencing more intense tropical cyclones.

The South Indian Ocean is warming rapidly. This means that regions that previously experienced the temperatures of 26.5°C that facilitated tropical cyclone formation are now experiencing temperatures as warm as 30-32°C.

Simultaneously, regions further from the equator which didn’t previously have sufficiently warm water for tropical cyclone formation, with sea surface temperatures of 24-26°C are more regularly experiencing the threshold temperature. This increases the range in which these storms occur, making storms like tropical cyclone Dineo, which made landfall in February 2017 in southern Mozambique, more common.

These very warm sea surface temperatures are not a factor of global scale warming alone. They’re further influenced by a range of global and local forcing mechanisms. These include El Niño Southern Oscillation, the Indian Ocean Dipole and the Southern Annular Mode. For this particular cyclone season, scientists are seeing the strongest impact from the [Madden-Julian Oscillation].

This is a band of moisture in the tropical regions which moves eastward over a 30 to 90 day period. The strong Madden-Julian Oscillation is also affecting tropical cyclones in Australia.

Comparing storms

Ranking storms on the basis of their Saffir Simpson classification is not always the most valuable measure. That’s because it can’t take the characteristics of the location of landfall into consideration.

This results in two key shortcomings. First, it doesn’t take the flooding potential into account. This is difficult to identify for a particular storm, because it’s not only a function of how much rain is experienced and over what period – or even the height of storm surge – but also the nature of the region of landfall.

Lower-lying, relatively flat areas are more prone to flooding than higher elevation regions or those with rugged topography. This is part of the reason that Idai caused such severe flooding. Some regions will have better suited storm water infrastructure. And when flooding does occur, some regions are better able to warn and evacuate people to prevent or minimise the loss of life.

Another factor which determines the devastation resulting from a tropical cyclone is the population density of the area of landfall. The higher the population density, the more people who are at threat of losing their life, their homes and livelihoods.

This also means more people who would need to be evacuated in a short period, and more people who need shelter until the storm’s immediate effects have subsided. This is why Idai and Eline resulted in far greater losses and fatalities than the stronger intensity Kenneth, and why the total damage from Fani is projected to be particularly devastating. We need to start measuring storm destructiveness in addition to climatological metrics.

 
(Jennifer Fitchett is Senior Lecturer in Physical Geography, University of the Witwatersrand) 
 
(This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-the-indian-ocean-is-spawning-strong-and-deadly-tropical-cyclones-116559">original article)</a>

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.) 
&nbsp;

By Jennifer Fitchett The Indian Ocean has made its mark on the global news cycle this year. In March, tropical cyclone Idai made headlines as one of the most severe storms to have made landfall in Mozambique.

By Jennifer Fitchett The Indian Ocean has made its mark on the global news cycle this year. In March, tropical cyclone Idai made headlines as one of the most severe storms to have made landfall in Mozambique. Current estimates indicate that more than 1,000 people died. This makes it the most deadly tropical cyclone ever to have made landfall on the southern African subcontinent. Until Idai, tropical cyclone Eline, which struck in 2000, was the most devastating tropical cyclone to make landfall in Mozambique. After Idai, Eline was the strongest – though not the deadliest – cyclone to have hit the southern east African cost. This ranking as the strongest was soon after challenged by tropical cyclone Kenneth, a category 4 tropical cyclone that made landfall over the border of Mozambique and Tanzania six weeks after Idai. Kenneth, in many regards, took the region by surprise. The storm was the northernmost tropical cyclone to make landfall on Mozambique, and the first to make landfall on Tanzania. It occurred very late in the season. Most cyclones in the region occur from January to March. It was also unusual for the Mozambique Channel to experience two severe tropical cyclones that made landfall within one season. The third major cyclone to emerge out of the Indian Ocean came a few weeks after Kenneth, when cyclone Fani, a tropical cyclone on the border of Category 5 intensity wind speeds, hit the east coast of India. Category 5 tropical cyclones were only first recorded in the North Indian Ocean from 1989 so, again, this storm is unusually severe in the context of the longer historical records. These high-intensity storms have been tied to the very warm sea surface temperatures in the Indian Ocean. Temperatures of 30°C are occurring more often and over longer periods of time. This is a result of gradual warming on a global scale, which has resulted in a net increase in ocean temperatures. Warmer ocean temperatures allow stronger storms to form. These conditions are exacerbated by global forcing mechanisms including El Niño and the Indian Ocean Dipole, which concentrates warm ocean waters in smaller geographic areas. High-intensity storms have been a frequent feature along the coast of the US throughout recorded history. Their increased frequency in the Indian Ocean should be raising alarm bells because countries like the US are much better equipped to help people prepare ahead of time, and to handle the fallout. Measuring intensity Tropical cyclone intensity is classified according to the Saffir Simpson scale. Categories are measured on the basis of the sustained wind speed and the storm’s central pressure. Each category is accompanied by estimates of the likely severity of damage and possible storm surge height. Tropical cyclones form and intensify due to a combination of seven primary climatological conditions. Among other things, these include warm sea surface temperatures, high humidity levels and atmospheric instability. For a storm to intensify, these conditions have to be maximised while the storm remains over the ocean. Tropical cyclones require a sea surface temperature of 26.5°C to form, while the highest intensity storms require much warmer sea surface temperatures of 28-29°C. This is important because it’s one of the reasons why southern Africa is experiencing more intense tropical cyclones. The South Indian Ocean is warming rapidly. This means that regions that previously experienced the temperatures of 26.5°C that facilitated tropical cyclone formation are now experiencing temperatures as warm as 30-32°C. Simultaneously, regions further from the equator which didn’t previously have sufficiently warm water for tropical cyclone formation, with sea surface temperatures of 24-26°C are more regularly experiencing the threshold temperature. This increases the range in which these storms occur, making storms like tropical cyclone Dineo, which made landfall in February 2017 in southern Mozambique, more common. These very warm sea surface temperatures are not a factor of global scale warming alone. They’re further influenced by a range of global and local forcing mechanisms. These include El Niño Southern Oscillation, the Indian Ocean Dipole and the Southern Annular Mode. For this particular cyclone season, scientists are seeing the strongest impact from the [Madden-Julian Oscillation]. This is a band of moisture in the tropical regions which moves eastward over a 30 to 90 day period. The strong Madden-Julian Oscillation is also affecting tropical cyclones in Australia. Comparing storms Ranking storms on the basis of their Saffir Simpson classification is not always the most valuable measure. That’s because it can’t take the characteristics of the location of landfall into consideration. This results in two key shortcomings. First, it doesn’t take the flooding potential into account. This is difficult to identify for a particular storm, because it’s not only a function of how much rain is experienced and over what period – or even the height of storm surge – but also the nature of the region of landfall. Lower-lying, relatively flat areas are more prone to flooding than higher elevation regions or those with rugged topography. This is part of the reason that Idai caused such severe flooding. Some regions will have better suited storm water infrastructure. And when flooding does occur, some regions are better able to warn and evacuate people to prevent or minimise the loss of life. Another factor which determines the devastation resulting from a tropical cyclone is the population density of the area of landfall. The higher the population density, the more people who are at threat of losing their life, their homes and livelihoods. This also means more people who would need to be evacuated in a short period, and more people who need shelter until the storm’s immediate effects have subsided. This is why Idai and Eline resulted in far greater losses and fatalities than the stronger intensity Kenneth, and why the total damage from Fani is projected to be particularly devastating. We need to start measuring storm destructiveness in addition to climatological metrics. (Jennifer Fitchett is Senior Lecturer in Physical Geography, University of the Witwatersrand) (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Why the Indian Ocean is spawning strong and deadly tropical cyclones

Half of a group of 120 Sri Lankan migrants who arrived on the French Indian Ocean island of Reunion two weeks were deported early on Monday, officials said.

The group of 60, including three women and three children, were flown back to Sri Lanka in a special flight, the island's prefecture said in a statement.

The group of 120 migrants arrived at Reunion on April 13, having made the 4,000-kilometre (2,485 miles) in a fishing boat. They each paid 2,000-5,000 euros ($2,230-$5,580) for the crossing.&nbsp;

The fishing boat's three Indonesian crew members have been charged with assisting illegal immigration. Remanded in custody, they are scheduled to appear in court on May 15.&nbsp;

Since March 2018, 273 Sri Lankans have arrived on Reunion Island, of whom 130 are still there.

They are waiting for OFPRA (the French Office for the Protection of Refugees and Stateless Persons) to rule on their asylum applications.&nbsp;

All the others have been sent back to Sri Lanka.&nbsp;

"There are clearly illegal immigration networks in operation," said Frederic Joram, secretary general of Reunion Island's prefecture.&nbsp;

Half of a group of 120 Sri Lankan migrants who arrived on the French Indian Ocean island of Reunion two weeks were deported early on Monday, officials said. The group of 60, including three women and three children, were flown back to Sri Lanka in a special flight, the island's prefecture said in a statement.

Half of a group of 120 Sri Lankan migrants who arrived on the French Indian Ocean island of Reunion two weeks were deported early on Monday, officials said. The group of 60, including three women and three children, were flown back to Sri Lanka in a special flight, the island's prefecture said in a statement. The group of 120 migrants arrived at Reunion on April 13, having made the 4,000-kilometre (2,485 miles) in a fishing boat. They each paid 2,000-5,000 euros ($2,230-$5,580) for the crossing. The fishing boat's three Indonesian crew members have been charged with assisting illegal immigration. Remanded in custody, they are scheduled to appear in court on May 15. Since March 2018, 273 Sri Lankans have arrived on Reunion Island, of whom 130 are still there. They are waiting for OFPRA (the French Office for the Protection of Refugees and Stateless Persons) to rule on their asylum applications. All the others have been sent back to Sri Lanka. "There are clearly illegal immigration networks in operation," said Frederic Joram, secretary general of Reunion Island's prefecture.

France deports 60 Sri Lankans from Indian Ocean island

<a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.wionews.com/india-news/seychelles-president-vp-grace-republic-day-event-at-indian-high-commission-193103&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=0ahUKEwif49vBq9HhAhVF7XMBHRcVA2MQFggFMAA&amp;client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;usg=AOvVaw0aB-f7tW7hE8e81dvuip93">Seychelles</a> President Danny Faure dived deep into the Indian Ocean Sunday to call for the protection of "the beating blue heart of our planet."

"This issue is bigger than all of us, and we cannot wait for the next generation to solve it. We are running out of excuses to not take action, and running out of time," a statement released by the president's office quoted him as saying.

Faure, who has made environmental protection a top priority, was taken down more than 120 metres (400 feet) in the submersible vehicle Ocean Zephyr which is being used for a mission dubbed "Nekton Deep Ocean Exploration" and which is rated for depths of more than 500 metres.

"I can see not only the incredible beauty of our ocean but the care that it urgently needs to stay this way. This is a historical moment for my country," the president said of the 115-island archipelago.

The Nekton mission is to spend seven weeks studying underwater life, mapping the sea bed and placing captors at depths of up to 2,000 metres in the nation's waters.

From next year, Seychelles plans to designate 30 per cent of its marine surface as a protected zone.

The nation is particularly vulnerable to the destruction of coral reefs that comprise many of its smallest atolls.&nbsp;

"The deep ocean is the beating heart of the planet, yet we have better maps of planet Mars than we do of the ocean floor. This needs to change," Faure noted.

Data collected by the Nekton mission, which is based in Oxford, England, is to be used during a summit of Indian Ocean nations in late 2021.

Seychelles President Danny Faure dived deep into the Indian Ocean Sunday to call for the protection of "the beating blue heart of our planet." "This issue is bigger than all of us, and we cannot wait for the next generation to solve it.

Seychelles President Danny Faure dived deep into the Indian Ocean Sunday to call for the protection of "the beating blue heart of our planet." "This issue is bigger than all of us, and we cannot wait for the next generation to solve it. We are running out of excuses to not take action, and running out of time," a statement released by the president's office quoted him as saying. Faure, who has made environmental protection a top priority, was taken down more than 120 metres (400 feet) in the submersible vehicle Ocean Zephyr which is being used for a mission dubbed "Nekton Deep Ocean Exploration" and which is rated for depths of more than 500 metres. "I can see not only the incredible beauty of our ocean but the care that it urgently needs to stay this way. This is a historical moment for my country," the president said of the 115-island archipelago. The Nekton mission is to spend seven weeks studying underwater life, mapping the sea bed and placing captors at depths of up to 2,000 metres in the nation's waters. From next year, Seychelles plans to designate 30 per cent of its marine surface as a protected zone. The nation is particularly vulnerable to the destruction of coral reefs that comprise many of its smallest atolls. "The deep ocean is the beating heart of the planet, yet we have better maps of planet Mars than we do of the ocean floor. This needs to change," Faure noted. Data collected by the Nekton mission, which is based in Oxford, England, is to be used during a summit of Indian Ocean nations in late 2021.

Seychelles chief calls from the deep for ocean protection

How India intends to counter China with US-built MH-60R attack choppers

Sri Lanka began construction Sunday of a nearly <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/sri-lanka-investment-board-says-oman-oil-keen-on-refinery-project-204708">$4 billion oil refinery it hopes will revive foreign interest</a> in its shipping facilities after Beijing's takeover of a nearby port spooked international investors.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said Hambantota, a district in Sri Lanka's south which lies on one of the world's busiest shipping lanes, would become a global investment hub with the addition of the oil refinery and storage complex.

The $3.85 billion projects are the single largest foreign investment in Sri Lanka's history. It is jointly funded by Oman and Singapore-registered Silver Park International, a company owned by an Indian business family.

The oil facility is near the port of Hambantota, which was controversially leased to a Chinese state-owned firm in 2017 for 99 years after Sri Lanka failed to service a loan from Beijing.

The circumstances surrounding China's acquisition of the port generated concern in neighbouring India and beyond over Beijing's expanding presence in the Indian Ocean.

But the government pointed to this new line of cash pouring into the region as proof foreign investors were not deterred by that experience.

"The interest was shown by the Oman government, the interest shown by many other investors from other parts of the world shows that Hambantota will become a truly international investment zone," Wickremesinghe said Sunday.

Wickremesinghe also said he hoped to strike a deal within three months with Indian airport authorities to revive a $210 million airport in Hambantota dubbed the "world's emptiest" international terminal for its lack of flights.

The oil storage tanks are expected to be completed within two years while the refinery is due to be up and running by 2023.

Once fully operational the refinery -- the second in Sri Lanka -- is to export nine million tonnes of petroleum products annually.&nbsp;

The Indian Ocean island nation does not have oil of its own. It refines imported crude, but the existing refinery is unable to meet demand.

The Hambantota port was built by former president Mahinda Rajapakse, but like many of his ambitious infrastructure projects it ended up a white elephant.

Unable to service the loan, the Wickremesinghe government in 2017 leased the Chinese-built port to a Beijing company for $1.12 billion.

This stoked controversy, with Beijing rejecting suggestions it ensnared Sri Lanka in a "debt trap" to acquire the port.

Several major foreign-backed projects were put on hold last year amid a constitutional crisis after President Maithripala Sirisena's aborted bid to remove Wickremesinghe.

Sri Lanka began construction Sunday of a nearly $4 billion oil refinery it hopes will revive foreign interest in its shipping facilities after Beijing's takeover of a nearby port spooked international investors.

Sri Lanka began construction Sunday of a nearly $4 billion oil refinery it hopes will revive foreign interest in its shipping facilities after Beijing's takeover of a nearby port spooked international investors. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said Hambantota, a district in Sri Lanka's south which lies on one of the world's busiest shipping lanes, would become a global investment hub with the addition of the oil refinery and storage complex. The $3.85 billion projects are the single largest foreign investment in Sri Lanka's history. It is jointly funded by Oman and Singapore-registered Silver Park International, a company owned by an Indian business family. The oil facility is near the port of Hambantota, which was controversially leased to a Chinese state-owned firm in 2017 for 99 years after Sri Lanka failed to service a loan from Beijing. The circumstances surrounding China's acquisition of the port generated concern in neighbouring India and beyond over Beijing's expanding presence in the Indian Ocean. But the government pointed to this new line of cash pouring into the region as proof foreign investors were not deterred by that experience. "The interest was shown by the Oman government, the interest shown by many other investors from other parts of the world shows that Hambantota will become a truly international investment zone," Wickremesinghe said Sunday. Wickremesinghe also said he hoped to strike a deal within three months with Indian airport authorities to revive a $210 million airport in Hambantota dubbed the "world's emptiest" international terminal for its lack of flights. The oil storage tanks are expected to be completed within two years while the refinery is due to be up and running by 2023. Once fully operational the refinery -- the second in Sri Lanka -- is to export nine million tonnes of petroleum products annually. The Indian Ocean island nation does not have oil of its own. It refines imported crude, but the existing refinery is unable to meet demand. The Hambantota port was built by former president Mahinda Rajapakse, but like many of his ambitious infrastructure projects it ended up a white elephant. Unable to service the loan, the Wickremesinghe government in 2017 leased the Chinese-built port to a Beijing company for $1.12 billion. This stoked controversy, with Beijing rejecting suggestions it ensnared Sri Lanka in a "debt trap" to acquire the port. Several major foreign-backed projects were put on hold last year amid a constitutional crisis after President Maithripala Sirisena's aborted bid to remove Wickremesinghe.

Sri Lanka opens work on $3.85 billion refinery near strategic port

Rear Admiral Didier Malterre,&nbsp;Commander of the French Joint Forces deployed in the Indian Ocean, visited India last week and discussed ways to enhance bilateral defence engagement with top officials.

The French Joint Forces Commander, during his maiden official trip to New Delhi after assuming command, first visited the Information Management and Analysis Centre (IMAC) and the Information Fusion Centre (IFC).

His trip to the two centres came after Admiral Christophe Prazuck, Chief of the French Naval Staff, made a trip there two months ago, a french Embassy statement said.

Jointly run by the Indian Navy and the Coast Guards, IMAC focuses on the analysis of maritime information across the world.

It draws on numerous sources of information for building its database on the global maritime situation, particularly by relying on its agreements with partner countries.

At the end of 2018, India also established IFC to monitor the region. It plays a central role in coordinating information in the Indian Ocean.

During the visit from February 26-28, the Commander of the French Joint Forces deployed in the Indian Ocean held meetings with top officials of the Indian Navy such as Vice Admiral M S Pawar, Chief of Staff, Eastern Naval Command, and Vice-Admiral Ashok Kumar, Vice Chief of the Indian Navy, as well as at the Integrated Defence Staff level, represented by Lieutenant-General Amarjeet Singh Bedi.&nbsp;

Rear Admiral Didier Malterre, Commander of the French Joint Forces deployed in the Indian Ocean, visited India last week and discussed ways to enhance bilateral defence engagement with top officials.

Rear Admiral Didier Malterre, Commander of the French Joint Forces deployed in the Indian Ocean, visited India last week and discussed ways to enhance bilateral defence engagement with top officials. The French Joint Forces Commander, during his maiden official trip to New Delhi after assuming command, first visited the Information Management and Analysis Centre (IMAC) and the Information Fusion Centre (IFC). His trip to the two centres came after Admiral Christophe Prazuck, Chief of the French Naval Staff, made a trip there two months ago, a french Embassy statement said. Jointly run by the Indian Navy and the Coast Guards, IMAC focuses on the analysis of maritime information across the world. It draws on numerous sources of information for building its database on the global maritime situation, particularly by relying on its agreements with partner countries. At the end of 2018, India also established IFC to monitor the region. It plays a central role in coordinating information in the Indian Ocean. During the visit from February 26-28, the Commander of the French Joint Forces deployed in the Indian Ocean held meetings with top officials of the Indian Navy such as Vice Admiral M S Pawar, Chief of Staff, Eastern Naval Command, and Vice-Admiral Ashok Kumar, Vice Chief of the Indian Navy, as well as at the Integrated Defence Staff level, represented by Lieutenant-General Amarjeet Singh Bedi.

French Joint Forces Commander in Indian Ocean visits India, holds talks with top defence officials

Britain should give up control of the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean "as rapidly as possible", the UN's top court said Monday in a decades-old row with Mauritius over an archipelago that is home to a huge US airbase.

The International Court of Justice said in a legal opinion that Britain had illegally split the islands from Mauritius before independence in 1968, after which the entire population of islanders was evicted.

Mauritius and the exiled Chagossians reacted with delight to the opinion delivered by judges in The Hague, which is non-binding but will carry heavy symbolic and political weight.

Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth hailed a " historic moment for Mauritius and all its people".

"Our territorial integrity will now be made complete, and when that occurs, the Chagossians and their descendants will finally be able to return home," he said in a statement.

Britain, however, defended its hold on the islands, saying the Diego Garcia military base, which has been used to bomb Iraq and Afghanistan, protected people around the world.

"The United Kingdom's continued administration of the Chagos Archipelago constitutes a wrongful act," chief judge Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf said.

"The United Kingdom is under an obligation to bring an end to its administration of the Chagos Archipelago as rapidly as possible, thereby allowing Mauritius to complete the decolonisation of its territory."

The UN General Assembly in 2017 adopted a resolution presented by Mauritius and backed by African countries asking the ICJ to offer legal advice on the island chain's fate and the legality of the deportations.

'So happy'&nbsp;

Colonial power Britain split off the islands from Mauritius -- which lies around 1,200 miles (2,000 kilometres) away -- three years before Port Louis gained independence in 1968. It also paid Mauritius three million pounds.

Between 1968 and 1973 around 2,000 Chagos islanders were evicted, to Britain, Mauritius and Seychelles, to make way for a military base on Diego Garcia, the largest of the islands. The evictions were described in a British diplomatic cable at the time as the removal of "some few Tarzans and Man Fridays".

Diego Garcia is now under lease to the United States and played a key strategic role in the Cold War before being used as a staging ground for US bombing campaigns against Afghanistan and Iraq in the 2000s.

Olivier Bancoult, chairman of the Mauritius-based Chagos Refugees Group, told reporters outside court that he was "so happy".

"It is a big victory against an injustice done by the British government for many years. We people have been suffering for many years -- I am so lucky today," he said.

The ICJ opinion comes as a stunning blow to London in a case that goes to the heart of historic issues of decolonisation and current questions about Britain's place in the world as it prepares to leave the European Union.

Mauritius' lawyer Philippe Sands said there was "no wiggle room" in the judges' view and that Britain would resist pressure to comply.

"I suspect the United Kingdom will say to itself, what resistance can we put up to moving forward -- and particularly in the context of Brexit, as the United Kingdom finds itself a little bit isolated in the world," he told reporters outside court.

Britain's foreign ministry rejected the court's opinion.

"The defence facilities on British Indian Ocean Territory help to protect people here in Britain and around the world from terrorist threats, organised crime and piracy," the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said in a statement.

'Shameful' evictions&nbsp;

A US official said Washington saw the case as "purely a bilateral dispute" between Britain and Mauritius. But he questioned the authority of the court, saying that issues should be resolved through negotiations between governments.

"It is inappropriate to seek to use the court's advisory function to settle disputes between states," the State Department official said in Washington.

When judges heard the case in September, Mauritius argued that it was illegal for Britain to have broken up its territory while it was still the colonial power.

Britain, while apologising for the "shameful" way it evicted thousands of islanders, insisted Mauritius was wrong to have brought the case to the ICJ.

The Chagos Islanders have already taken their battle through the courts in Britain, where their supporters included the current Labour opposition leader, Jeremy Corbyn.

The legal opinion is only the 28th since the ICJ was set up in 1946 in the wake of World War II to provide a tribunal to resolve disputes between UN member states.

Previously such opinions include one on Israel's West Bank barrier in 2004, which judges said was illegal, and declaring legal Kosovo's declaration of independence in 2010.

Britain should give up control of the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean "as rapidly as possible", the UN's top court said Monday in a decades-old row with Mauritius over an archipelago that is home to a huge US airbase.

Britain should give up control of the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean "as rapidly as possible", the UN's top court said Monday in a decades-old row with Mauritius over an archipelago that is home to a huge US airbase. The International Court of Justice said in a legal opinion that Britain had illegally split the islands from Mauritius before independence in 1968, after which the entire population of islanders was evicted. Mauritius and the exiled Chagossians reacted with delight to the opinion delivered by judges in The Hague, which is non-binding but will carry heavy symbolic and political weight. Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth hailed a " historic moment for Mauritius and all its people". "Our territorial integrity will now be made complete, and when that occurs, the Chagossians and their descendants will finally be able to return home," he said in a statement. Britain, however, defended its hold on the islands, saying the Diego Garcia military base, which has been used to bomb Iraq and Afghanistan, protected people around the world. "The United Kingdom's continued administration of the Chagos Archipelago constitutes a wrongful act," chief judge Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf said. "The United Kingdom is under an obligation to bring an end to its administration of the Chagos Archipelago as rapidly as possible, thereby allowing Mauritius to complete the decolonisation of its territory." The UN General Assembly in 2017 adopted a resolution presented by Mauritius and backed by African countries asking the ICJ to offer legal advice on the island chain's fate and the legality of the deportations. 'So happy' Colonial power Britain split off the islands from Mauritius -- which lies around 1,200 miles (2,000 kilometres) away -- three years before Port Louis gained independence in 1968. It also paid Mauritius three million pounds. Between 1968 and 1973 around 2,000 Chagos islanders were evicted, to Britain, Mauritius and Seychelles, to make way for a military base on Diego Garcia, the largest of the islands. The evictions were described in a British diplomatic cable at the time as the removal of "some few Tarzans and Man Fridays". Diego Garcia is now under lease to the United States and played a key strategic role in the Cold War before being used as a staging ground for US bombing campaigns against Afghanistan and Iraq in the 2000s. Olivier Bancoult, chairman of the Mauritius-based Chagos Refugees Group, told reporters outside court that he was "so happy". "It is a big victory against an injustice done by the British government for many years. We people have been suffering for many years -- I am so lucky today," he said. The ICJ opinion comes as a stunning blow to London in a case that goes to the heart of historic issues of decolonisation and current questions about Britain's place in the world as it prepares to leave the European Union. Mauritius' lawyer Philippe Sands said there was "no wiggle room" in the judges' view and that Britain would resist pressure to comply. "I suspect the United Kingdom will say to itself, what resistance can we put up to moving forward -- and particularly in the context of Brexit, as the United Kingdom finds itself a little bit isolated in the world," he told reporters outside court. Britain's foreign ministry rejected the court's opinion. "The defence facilities on British Indian Ocean Territory help to protect people here in Britain and around the world from terrorist threats, organised crime and piracy," the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said in a statement. 'Shameful' evictions A US official said Washington saw the case as "purely a bilateral dispute" between Britain and Mauritius. But he questioned the authority of the court, saying that issues should be resolved through negotiations between governments. "It is inappropriate to seek to use the court's advisory function to settle disputes between states," the State Department official said in Washington. When judges heard the case in September, Mauritius argued that it was illegal for Britain to have broken up its territory while it was still the colonial power. Britain, while apologising for the "shameful" way it evicted thousands of islanders, insisted Mauritius was wrong to have brought the case to the ICJ. The Chagos Islanders have already taken their battle through the courts in Britain, where their supporters included the current Labour opposition leader, Jeremy Corbyn. The legal opinion is only the 28th since the ICJ was set up in 1946 in the wake of World War II to provide a tribunal to resolve disputes between UN member states. Previously such opinions include one on Israel's West Bank barrier in 2004, which judges said was illegal, and declaring legal Kosovo's declaration of independence in 2010.

Britain should give up Chagos Islands: UN court

Kenya has summoned its ambassador to Somalia back home after the Mogadishu government's decision to auction oil and gas exploration blocks at the centre of a maritime territorial dispute in the Indian Ocean, the foreign ministry said.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague is considering a claim on the two countries' maritime boundaries brought by Somalia in 2014 after negotiations over the 100,000 square km stretch of seafloor broke down.

Kenya said on Saturday it had summoned its ambassador, Lucas Tumbo, and asked his Somalia counterpart Mohammed Muhamud Nur to return to Mogadishu for consultation with his government.

"The summons is a consequence of a most regretful and egregious decision by the government of Somalia to auction off oil and gas blocks in Kenya's maritime territorial area," the foreign ministry said.

Somalia, which held the auction in London on February 7 according to Kenya, denied the accusation. "There was no auction of oil blocks," the government said in a statement.

Officials in Mogadishu had confidence they could secure the territorial integrity of the country through the legal process in The Hague, they said in the statement, adding they expected the court to rule justly.

Kenya said it had raised concerns with the Somali government a day before the auction after it noticed blocks in what it considers to be its maritime territory were included in the auction.

"This unparalleled affront and illegal grab at the resources of Kenya will not go unanswered and is tantamount to an act of aggression against the people of Kenya and their resources," it said in a statement, adding it was ready to defend its territorial integrity "at any cost".

The two states have been co-operating in the long fight against the al Qaeda-linked, al Shabaab militants in Somalia. Kenya said the row over maritime territory could jeopardise that.

Kenya has summoned its ambassador to Somalia back home after the Mogadishu government's decision to auction oil and gas exploration blocks at the centre of a maritime territorial dispute in the Indian Ocean, the foreign ministry said.

Kenya has summoned its ambassador to Somalia back home after the Mogadishu government's decision to auction oil and gas exploration blocks at the centre of a maritime territorial dispute in the Indian Ocean, the foreign ministry said. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague is considering a claim on the two countries' maritime boundaries brought by Somalia in 2014 after negotiations over the 100,000 square km stretch of seafloor broke down. Kenya said on Saturday it had summoned its ambassador, Lucas Tumbo, and asked his Somalia counterpart Mohammed Muhamud Nur to return to Mogadishu for consultation with his government. "The summons is a consequence of a most regretful and egregious decision by the government of Somalia to auction off oil and gas blocks in Kenya's maritime territorial area," the foreign ministry said. Somalia, which held the auction in London on February 7 according to Kenya, denied the accusation. "There was no auction of oil blocks," the government said in a statement. Officials in Mogadishu had confidence they could secure the territorial integrity of the country through the legal process in The Hague, they said in the statement, adding they expected the court to rule justly. Kenya said it had raised concerns with the Somali government a day before the auction after it noticed blocks in what it considers to be its maritime territory were included in the auction. "This unparalleled affront and illegal grab at the resources of Kenya will not go unanswered and is tantamount to an act of aggression against the people of Kenya and their resources," it said in a statement, adding it was ready to defend its territorial integrity "at any cost". The two states have been co-operating in the long fight against the al Qaeda-linked, al Shabaab militants in Somalia. Kenya said the row over maritime territory could jeopardise that.

Kenya summons its ambassador to Somalia as territorial row escalates

The Maldives government is seeking international help to find millions of dollars allegedly siphoned off by former president <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/maldives-police-seek-charges-against-ex-president-after-money-laundering-probe-195954">Abdulla Yameen</a> who faces embezzlement and money laundering charges, officials said Friday.

Maldivian diplomats said authorities in the Indian Ocean archipelago were in talks with foreign experts as part of a police investigation against the leader who lost power last September.

"Police have now completed their investigations. The Prosecutor General can now formally charge the former president," Aslam Shakir, spokesman for the Maldives embassy in Colombo, told AFP.

He said police investigations had found evidence linking Yameen and his justice minister Azima Shakoor to the theft of state funds and money laundering.

In December, courts in the tourist paradise froze some $6.5 million in accounts allegedly linked to Yameen who suffered a shock defeat to Mohamed Ibrahim Solih in elections in September.&nbsp;

Shakir said millions of dollars could be stashed abroad and talks were underway with foreign entities to repatriate any cash found. He did not name the countries involved.&nbsp;

"We are getting foreign financial forensic help. We are also getting the expertise of others in connection with several cases of disappearances of people during Yameen's regime," Shakir said.

An anti-establishment journalist Mohamed Rilwan vanished in August 2014 and is widely believed to have been abducted by figures linked to Yameen's government.

Yameen, who had been in power since 2013, jailing or forcing into exile many of his opponents, has also been accused of receiving close to $1.5 million in illicit payments during his failed bid for re-election.

The country's monetary authority lodged a police complaint over alleged donations made into a private account held by Yameen in the runup to the polls.

The former strongman president, who has been questioned but not detained, has denied the allegations.

Yameen remains politically active. But since his downfall, almost all key dissidents have returned to the country and been cleared of convictions against them.

The Maldives government is seeking international help to find millions of dollars allegedly siphoned off by former president Abdulla Yameen who faces embezzlement and money laundering charges, officials said Friday.

The Maldives government is seeking international help to find millions of dollars allegedly siphoned off by former president Abdulla Yameen who faces embezzlement and money laundering charges, officials said Friday. Maldivian diplomats said authorities in the Indian Ocean archipelago were in talks with foreign experts as part of a police investigation against the leader who lost power last September. "Police have now completed their investigations. The Prosecutor General can now formally charge the former president," Aslam Shakir, spokesman for the Maldives embassy in Colombo, told AFP. He said police investigations had found evidence linking Yameen and his justice minister Azima Shakoor to the theft of state funds and money laundering. In December, courts in the tourist paradise froze some $6.5 million in accounts allegedly linked to Yameen who suffered a shock defeat to Mohamed Ibrahim Solih in elections in September. Shakir said millions of dollars could be stashed abroad and talks were underway with foreign entities to repatriate any cash found. He did not name the countries involved. "We are getting foreign financial forensic help. We are also getting the expertise of others in connection with several cases of disappearances of people during Yameen's regime," Shakir said. An anti-establishment journalist Mohamed Rilwan vanished in August 2014 and is widely believed to have been abducted by figures linked to Yameen's government. Yameen, who had been in power since 2013, jailing or forcing into exile many of his opponents, has also been accused of receiving close to $1.5 million in illicit payments during his failed bid for re-election. The country's monetary authority lodged a police complaint over alleged donations made into a private account held by Yameen in the runup to the polls. The former strongman president, who has been questioned but not detained, has denied the allegations. Yameen remains politically active. But since his downfall, almost all key dissidents have returned to the country and been cleared of convictions against them.

Maldives seeks foreign aid to find cash linked to former President Abdulla yameen

India's navy will open a third air base in the far off<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/indian-navy-carries-out-first-mega-coastal-defence-exercise-192166"> Andaman and Nicobar islands to beef up</a> surveillance of Chinese ships and submarines entering the Indian Ocean through the nearby Malacca Straits, military officials and experts said.

New Delhi has grown concerned over the presence of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/chinese-presence-in-indian-ocean-region-has-increased-and-we-are-aware-of-it-indian-navy-181257">China's bigger navy in its neighbourhood </a>and the network of commercial ports it is building in an arc stretching from Sri Lanka to Pakistan that India fears could become naval outposts.

The Indian military has seized upon the Andamans that lie near the entrance to the Malacca Straits to counter the Chinese challenge, deploying ships and aircraft.

Indian navy chief admiral Sunil Lanba will commission the new base, called INS Kohassa, about 300 km (180 miles) north of the archipelago’s capital, Port Blair, the navy said in a statement.

The facility, the third in the islands, will have a 1,000-metre runway for helicopters and Dornier surveillance aircraft. But eventually, the plan is for the runway to be extended to 3,000 metres to support fighter aircraft and longer-range reconnaissance aircraft, navy spokesman Captain D.K. Sharma said.

About 1,20,000 ships pass through the Indian Ocean each year and nearly 70,000 of them pass through the Malacca Strait.

"The underlying thing is the expanding Chinese presence. If we have to really monitor Chinese presence, we need to be adequately equipped in the Andaman islands," said former navy commodore Anil Jai Singh.

"If you have air bases you can cover a larger area," he said, adding he expected the navy to permanently deploy more ships to the islands in the next phase of the buildup.

A Chinese submarine docked in Sri Lanka's Colombo port in 2014 that drew such alarm in New Delhi as the government raised the issue with the Sri Lankan authorities.

Both India and China have been locked in a contest for influence, with New Delhi trying to push back against Beijing's expansive diplomacy in the region.

This week, Indian defence officials are due to hold talks with the defence minister of the Maldives, Mariya Ahmed Didi, where New Delhi is seeking to repair ties after the ouster of its pro-China leader in a presidential election last year.

India's navy will open a third air base in the far off Andaman and Nicobar islands to beef up surveillance of Chinese ships and submarines entering the Indian Ocean through the nearby Malacca Straits, military officials and experts said.

India's navy will open a third air base in the far off Andaman and Nicobar islands to beef up surveillance of Chinese ships and submarines entering the Indian Ocean through the nearby Malacca Straits, military officials and experts said. New Delhi has grown concerned over the presence of China's bigger navy in its neighbourhood and the network of commercial ports it is building in an arc stretching from Sri Lanka to Pakistan that India fears could become naval outposts. The Indian military has seized upon the Andamans that lie near the entrance to the Malacca Straits to counter the Chinese challenge, deploying ships and aircraft. Indian navy chief admiral Sunil Lanba will commission the new base, called INS Kohassa, about 300 km (180 miles) north of the archipelago’s capital, Port Blair, the navy said in a statement. The facility, the third in the islands, will have a 1,000-metre runway for helicopters and Dornier surveillance aircraft. But eventually, the plan is for the runway to be extended to 3,000 metres to support fighter aircraft and longer-range reconnaissance aircraft, navy spokesman Captain D.K. Sharma said. About 1,20,000 ships pass through the Indian Ocean each year and nearly 70,000 of them pass through the Malacca Strait. "The underlying thing is the expanding Chinese presence. If we have to really monitor Chinese presence, we need to be adequately equipped in the Andaman islands," said former navy commodore Anil Jai Singh. "If you have air bases you can cover a larger area," he said, adding he expected the navy to permanently deploy more ships to the islands in the next phase of the buildup. A Chinese submarine docked in Sri Lanka's Colombo port in 2014 that drew such alarm in New Delhi as the government raised the issue with the Sri Lankan authorities. Both India and China have been locked in a contest for influence, with New Delhi trying to push back against Beijing's expansive diplomacy in the region. This week, Indian defence officials are due to hold talks with the defence minister of the Maldives, Mariya Ahmed Didi, where New Delhi is seeking to repair ties after the ouster of its pro-China leader in a presidential election last year.

Indian navy to open third air base in Andaman and Nicobar islands to keep eye on China

By Craig Jeffrey

In recent days, Australia’s foreign minister Marise Payne announced efforts to strengthen Australia’s involvement in the Indian Ocean region, and the importance of working with India in defence and other activities. Speaking at the Raisina Dialogue in Delhi – a geopolitical conference co-hosted by the Indian government – Payne said: "Our respective futures are intertwined and heavily dependent on how well we cooperate on the challenges and opportunities in the Indian Ocean in the decades ahead."

Among Payne’s announcements was a $25 million for a four-year infrastructure program in South Asia (The South Asia Regional Infrastructure Connectivity initiative, or SARIC), which will primarily focus on the transport and energy sectors.

She also pointed to increasing defence activities in the Indian Ocean, noting that in 2014, Australia and India had conducted 11 defence activities together, with the figure reaching 38 in 2018.

Payne’s speech highlights the emergent power of the Indian Ocean region in world affairs. The region comprises the ocean itself and the countries that border it. These include Australia, India, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Madagascar, Somalia, Tanzania, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen.

In terms of global political significance, the Atlantic Ocean can be viewed as the ocean of our grandparents and parents; the Pacific Ocean as the ocean of us and our children; and the Indian Ocean as the ocean of our children and grandchildren.

There is an obvious sense in which the region is the future. The average age of people in the region’s countries is under 30, compared to 38 in the US and 46 in Japan. The countries bordering the Indian Ocean are home to 2.5 billion people, which is one-third of the world’s population.

But there is also a strong economic and political logic to spotlighting the Indian Ocean as a key emerging region in world affairs and a strategic priority for Australia.

Some 80 per cent of the world’s maritime oil trade flows through three narrow passages of water, known as choke points, in the Indian Ocean. This includes the Strait of Hormuz – located between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman – which provides the only sea passage from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean.

The economies of many Indian Ocean countries are expanding rapidly as investors seek new opportunities. Bangladesh, India, Malaysia and Tanzania witnessed economic growth in excess of 5 per cent in 2017 – well above the global average of 3.2 per cent.

India is the fastest growing major economy in the world. With a population expected to become the world’s largest in the coming decades, it is also the one with the most potential.

Politically, the Indian Ocean is becoming a pivotal zone of strategic competition. China is investing hundreds of billions of dollars in infrastructure projects across the region as part of its One Belt One Road initiative.

For instance, China gave Kenya a $3.2 billion loan to construct a 470 kilometre railway (Kenya’s biggest infrastructure project in over 50 years) linking the capital Nairobi to the Indian Ocean port city of Mombasa.

Chinese state-backed firms are also investing in infrastructure and ports in Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and Bangladesh. Western powers, including Australia and the United States, have sought to counter-balance China’s growing influence across the region by launching their own infrastructure funds – such as the US$113 million US fund announced last August for the digital economy, energy, and infrastructure projects.

In security terms, piracy, unregulated migration, and the continued presence of extremist groups in Somalia, Bangladesh and parts of Indonesia pose significant threats to Indian ocean countries.

Countries in the region need to collaborate to build economic strength and address geopolitical risks, and there is a logical leadership role for India, being the largest player in the region.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi told the Shangri La Dialogue in June, 2008: "The Indo-Pacific is a natural region. It is also home to a vast array of global opportunities and challenges. I am increasingly convinced with each passing day that the destinies of those of us who live in the region are linked."

More than previous Indian Prime Ministers, Modi has travelled up and down the east coast of Africa to promote cooperation and strengthen trade and investment ties, and he has articulated strong visions of India-Africa cooperative interest.

Broader groups are also emerging. In 1997, nations bordering the Bay of Bengal established the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multisectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation &nbsp;(BIMSTEC), which works to promote trade links and is currently negotiating a free trade agreement. Australia, along with 21 other border states, is a member of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) which seeks to promote sustainable economic growth, trade liberalisation and security.

But, notwithstanding India’s energy and this organisational growth, Indian Ocean cooperation is weak relative to Atlantic and Pacific initiatives.

Australia’s 2017 Foreign Policy White Paper seeks to support IORA in areas such as maritime security and international law. Private organisations, such as the Minderoo Foundation, are doing impressive research – as part of the Flourishing Oceans iinitiative– on the migration of sea life in an effort to advance environmental sustainability and conservation.

But Australia could focus more on how to promote the Indian Ocean. In Australia’s foreign affairs circles, there used to be a sense Asia stopped at Malta. But it seems the current general understanding of the “Indo-Pacific” extends west only as far as India.

What this misses – apart from the historical relevance and contemporary economic and political significance of the Indian Ocean region generously defined – is the importance of the ocean itself.

Not just important for trade and ties

If the Ocean was a rainforest, and widely acknowledged as a repository of enormous biodiversity, imagine the uproar at its current contamination and the clamour around collaborating across all countries bordering the ocean to protect it.

The reefs, mangroves, and marine species that live in the Ocean are under imminent threat. According to some estimates, the Indian Ocean is warming three times faster than the Pacific Ocean.

Overfishing, coastal degradation, and pollution are also harming the ocean. This could have catastrophic implications for the tens of millions of fishermen dependent on the region’s marine resources and the enormous population who rely on the Indian Ocean for their protein.

Australia must continue to strengthen its ties in the region - such as with India and Indonesia - and also build new connections, particularly in Africa.

(Craig Jeffrey is Director and CEO of the Australia India Institute; Professor, University of Melbourne)

(This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-the-indian-ocean-region-might-soon-play-a-lead-role-in-world-affairs-109663">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

By Craig Jeffrey In recent days, Australia’s foreign minister Marise Payne announced efforts to strengthen Australia’s involvement in the Indian Ocean region, and the importance of working with India in defence and other activities.

By Craig Jeffrey In recent days, Australia’s foreign minister Marise Payne announced efforts to strengthen Australia’s involvement in the Indian Ocean region, and the importance of working with India in defence and other activities. Speaking at the Raisina Dialogue in Delhi – a geopolitical conference co-hosted by the Indian government – Payne said: "Our respective futures are intertwined and heavily dependent on how well we cooperate on the challenges and opportunities in the Indian Ocean in the decades ahead." Among Payne’s announcements was a $25 million for a four-year infrastructure program in South Asia (The South Asia Regional Infrastructure Connectivity initiative, or SARIC), which will primarily focus on the transport and energy sectors. She also pointed to increasing defence activities in the Indian Ocean, noting that in 2014, Australia and India had conducted 11 defence activities together, with the figure reaching 38 in 2018. Payne’s speech highlights the emergent power of the Indian Ocean region in world affairs. The region comprises the ocean itself and the countries that border it. These include Australia, India, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Madagascar, Somalia, Tanzania, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen. In terms of global political significance, the Atlantic Ocean can be viewed as the ocean of our grandparents and parents; the Pacific Ocean as the ocean of us and our children; and the Indian Ocean as the ocean of our children and grandchildren. There is an obvious sense in which the region is the future. The average age of people in the region’s countries is under 30, compared to 38 in the US and 46 in Japan. The countries bordering the Indian Ocean are home to 2.5 billion people, which is one-third of the world’s population. But there is also a strong economic and political logic to spotlighting the Indian Ocean as a key emerging region in world affairs and a strategic priority for Australia. Some 80 per cent of the world’s maritime oil trade flows through three narrow passages of water, known as choke points, in the Indian Ocean. This includes the Strait of Hormuz – located between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman – which provides the only sea passage from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean. The economies of many Indian Ocean countries are expanding rapidly as investors seek new opportunities. Bangladesh, India, Malaysia and Tanzania witnessed economic growth in excess of 5 per cent in 2017 – well above the global average of 3.2 per cent. India is the fastest growing major economy in the world. With a population expected to become the world’s largest in the coming decades, it is also the one with the most potential. Politically, the Indian Ocean is becoming a pivotal zone of strategic competition. China is investing hundreds of billions of dollars in infrastructure projects across the region as part of its One Belt One Road initiative. For instance, China gave Kenya a $3.2 billion loan to construct a 470 kilometre railway (Kenya’s biggest infrastructure project in over 50 years) linking the capital Nairobi to the Indian Ocean port city of Mombasa. Chinese state-backed firms are also investing in infrastructure and ports in Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and Bangladesh. Western powers, including Australia and the United States, have sought to counter-balance China’s growing influence across the region by launching their own infrastructure funds – such as the US$113 million US fund announced last August for the digital economy, energy, and infrastructure projects. In security terms, piracy, unregulated migration, and the continued presence of extremist groups in Somalia, Bangladesh and parts of Indonesia pose significant threats to Indian ocean countries. Countries in the region need to collaborate to build economic strength and address geopolitical risks, and there is a logical leadership role for India, being the largest player in the region. Prime Minister Narendra Modi told the Shangri La Dialogue in June, 2008: "The Indo-Pacific is a natural region. It is also home to a vast array of global opportunities and challenges. I am increasingly convinced with each passing day that the destinies of those of us who live in the region are linked." More than previous Indian Prime Ministers, Modi has travelled up and down the east coast of Africa to promote cooperation and strengthen trade and investment ties, and he has articulated strong visions of India-Africa cooperative interest. Broader groups are also emerging. In 1997, nations bordering the Bay of Bengal established the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multisectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), which works to promote trade links and is currently negotiating a free trade agreement. Australia, along with 21 other border states, is a member of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) which seeks to promote sustainable economic growth, trade liberalisation and security. But, notwithstanding India’s energy and this organisational growth, Indian Ocean cooperation is weak relative to Atlantic and Pacific initiatives. Australia’s 2017 Foreign Policy White Paper seeks to support IORA in areas such as maritime security and international law. Private organisations, such as the Minderoo Foundation, are doing impressive research – as part of the Flourishing Oceans iinitiative– on the migration of sea life in an effort to advance environmental sustainability and conservation. But Australia could focus more on how to promote the Indian Ocean. In Australia’s foreign affairs circles, there used to be a sense Asia stopped at Malta. But it seems the current general understanding of the “Indo-Pacific” extends west only as far as India. What this misses – apart from the historical relevance and contemporary economic and political significance of the Indian Ocean region generously defined – is the importance of the ocean itself. Not just important for trade and ties If the Ocean was a rainforest, and widely acknowledged as a repository of enormous biodiversity, imagine the uproar at its current contamination and the clamour around collaborating across all countries bordering the ocean to protect it. The reefs, mangroves, and marine species that live in the Ocean are under imminent threat. According to some estimates, the Indian Ocean is warming three times faster than the Pacific Ocean. Overfishing, coastal degradation, and pollution are also harming the ocean. This could have catastrophic implications for the tens of millions of fishermen dependent on the region’s marine resources and the enormous population who rely on the Indian Ocean for their protein. Australia must continue to strengthen its ties in the region - such as with India and Indonesia - and also build new connections, particularly in Africa. (Craig Jeffrey is Director and CEO of the Australia India Institute; Professor, University of Melbourne) (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Why the Indian Ocean region might soon play a lead role in world affairs

Chabahar is back in the news after a hiatus of about two years. The contexts of its importance are several but the first one in the current milieu is the fact that despite President Donald Trump’s avowed sanctions on everything related to Iran, India’s Chabahar-based relationship with Tehran has received a waiver. That puts on course the fructification of efforts which commenced many summers ago but got an impetus with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Tehran in May 2016, leading to the signing of the trilateral tripartite agreement between India, Iran and Afghanistan.

The US provided an “exception” from certain sanctions, to the Iranian port of Chabahar that India has developed and used for reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan. This exemption is in addition to temporary freedom from sanctions that the US announced for India and seven major importers of Iranian crude oil.

Why is Chabahar strategically important, for India, the US, Iran and Afghanistan? That will answer many questions. It starts with the fact that its geostrategic location, outside the Persian Gulf and yet on the Iranian coastline, puts it slightly out of harm’s way in the event of the Straits of Hormuz being forcibly closed; although, it is well appreciated that such a closure will no doubt presuppose an adverse effect on all of Iran’s port facilities.

To access Central Asia, often referred to as the heart of Asia, and Afghanistan, there are only two routes from the Indian Ocean. The first is from Pakistan’s Gwadar or Karachi ports and the second is from Chabahar which lies on the southeastern coast of Iran in the Sistan-Baluchistan province. Why the US agreed to waive sanctions for activities connected with the development of the port is simply because India is the nation providing alternatives for establishing communication arteries to Afghanistan, bypassing Pakistan.

For 17 years, the US has fought in Afghanistan and depended on a single artery for its logistics; through Karachi and Pakistan-Baluchistan into Afghan territory. Due to its animosity with Iran, the clearly viable alternative via Chabahar through Iranian territory, to West Afghanistan could not be exploited. The lack of development of Chabahar placed Afghanistan in a predicament because of its reliance on Karachi with all strings in the hands of none-too-friendly Pakistan.

India’s stakes in Afghanistan being high, the realization perhaps came late that Chabahar had serious transformational strategic potential to bypass Pakistan. Once India demonstrated its deep interest and the tripartite agreement with Iran and Afghanistan was signed in mid-2016, the movement of a consignment of wheat from Kandla port in Gujarat to Kabul via Chabahar went through smoothly; that experiment spurred further movement on Chabahar.

With portents of conflict termination in Afghanistan, the US too realised the important role India could play at this stage, such that all eggs were not in Pakistan’s basket. Otherwise all Pakistan needed to do in order to bring down the Afghan National Unity Government (NUG) was to establish a blockade from Karachi and the landlocked state of Afghanistan would have few options.

The tripartite agreement resolved that problem and increased India’s significance in Afghanistan. With India’s access via Chabahar, the viability of maintaining Afghanistan as a state under current dispensation, with minimal US presence, exponentially increases and there is considerable risk reduction. The joint Indian and US strategic interests in Afghanistan aim at the dilution of Pakistani influence and capability.

For the US the option of India in control is far more positive than leaving this to the stranglehold of China, Russia and Pakistan with the latter continuing to improve relations with Iran. For the Afghan NUG, this is as blissful a situation as it can expect with reduction of dependence on Pakistan and an avenue open to trade and assistance from India.

The Indian firm India Ports Global Limited has formally taken over operations at the Shahid Beheshti port in Chabahar. The routes for trade and transit corridors between the three countries have been finalised but this will remain work in progress as subsequent infrastructure caters for railway connectivity and eventual linkage to the INSTC.

While India has successfully completed a major geostrategic venture on one flank of the Persian Gulf, it needs to be mindful of the fact that its interests are divided on both sides of the Gulf. That is where the last few years of straddling diplomacy, which the Ministry of External Affairs has done with a fair degree of aplomb, will hopefully pay a dividend. India remains one of those unique countries which the Prime Minister of Israel and the President of Iran visited within two weeks of each other.

India has long and extremely important relationships with Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait which are as strategic as any of its relationships. The world of multilateralism is a sphere in which India is getting increasingly competent. That is why it needs to believe that Chabahar is the opening to the long-awaited strategic and civilisational relationship with Iran which need not be at the cost of the same which must be pursued with the Arab Gulf countries with equal vigour. 2018 was a good year for this, 2019 promises to be better.

(This article was originally published on DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-iran-a-port-of-call-for-india-2704295">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Chabahar is back in the news after a hiatus of about two years. The contexts of its importance are several but the first one in the current milieu is the fact that despite President Donald Trump’s avowed sanctions on everything related to Iran, India’s Chabahar-based relationship with Tehran has received a waiver.

Chabahar is back in the news after a hiatus of about two years. The contexts of its importance are several but the first one in the current milieu is the fact that despite President Donald Trump’s avowed sanctions on everything related to Iran, India’s Chabahar-based relationship with Tehran has received a waiver. That puts on course the fructification of efforts which commenced many summers ago but got an impetus with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Tehran in May 2016, leading to the signing of the trilateral tripartite agreement between India, Iran and Afghanistan. The US provided an “exception” from certain sanctions, to the Iranian port of Chabahar that India has developed and used for reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan. This exemption is in addition to temporary freedom from sanctions that the US announced for India and seven major importers of Iranian crude oil. Why is Chabahar strategically important, for India, the US, Iran and Afghanistan? That will answer many questions. It starts with the fact that its geostrategic location, outside the Persian Gulf and yet on the Iranian coastline, puts it slightly out of harm’s way in the event of the Straits of Hormuz being forcibly closed; although, it is well appreciated that such a closure will no doubt presuppose an adverse effect on all of Iran’s port facilities. To access Central Asia, often referred to as the heart of Asia, and Afghanistan, there are only two routes from the Indian Ocean. The first is from Pakistan’s Gwadar or Karachi ports and the second is from Chabahar which lies on the southeastern coast of Iran in the Sistan-Baluchistan province. Why the US agreed to waive sanctions for activities connected with the development of the port is simply because India is the nation providing alternatives for establishing communication arteries to Afghanistan, bypassing Pakistan. For 17 years, the US has fought in Afghanistan and depended on a single artery for its logistics; through Karachi and Pakistan-Baluchistan into Afghan territory. Due to its animosity with Iran, the clearly viable alternative via Chabahar through Iranian territory, to West Afghanistan could not be exploited. The lack of development of Chabahar placed Afghanistan in a predicament because of its reliance on Karachi with all strings in the hands of none-too-friendly Pakistan. India’s stakes in Afghanistan being high, the realization perhaps came late that Chabahar had serious transformational strategic potential to bypass Pakistan. Once India demonstrated its deep interest and the tripartite agreement with Iran and Afghanistan was signed in mid-2016, the movement of a consignment of wheat from Kandla port in Gujarat to Kabul via Chabahar went through smoothly; that experiment spurred further movement on Chabahar. With portents of conflict termination in Afghanistan, the US too realised the important role India could play at this stage, such that all eggs were not in Pakistan’s basket. Otherwise all Pakistan needed to do in order to bring down the Afghan National Unity Government (NUG) was to establish a blockade from Karachi and the landlocked state of Afghanistan would have few options. The tripartite agreement resolved that problem and increased India’s significance in Afghanistan. With India’s access via Chabahar, the viability of maintaining Afghanistan as a state under current dispensation, with minimal US presence, exponentially increases and there is considerable risk reduction. The joint Indian and US strategic interests in Afghanistan aim at the dilution of Pakistani influence and capability. For the US the option of India in control is far more positive than leaving this to the stranglehold of China, Russia and Pakistan with the latter continuing to improve relations with Iran. For the Afghan NUG, this is as blissful a situation as it can expect with reduction of dependence on Pakistan and an avenue open to trade and assistance from India. The Indian firm India Ports Global Limited has formally taken over operations at the Shahid Beheshti port in Chabahar. The routes for trade and transit corridors between the three countries have been finalised but this will remain work in progress as subsequent infrastructure caters for railway connectivity and eventual linkage to the INSTC. While India has successfully completed a major geostrategic venture on one flank of the Persian Gulf, it needs to be mindful of the fact that its interests are divided on both sides of the Gulf. That is where the last few years of straddling diplomacy, which the Ministry of External Affairs has done with a fair degree of aplomb, will hopefully pay a dividend. India remains one of those unique countries which the Prime Minister of Israel and the President of Iran visited within two weeks of each other. India has long and extremely important relationships with Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait which are as strategic as any of its relationships. The world of multilateralism is a sphere in which India is getting increasingly competent. That is why it needs to believe that Chabahar is the opening to the long-awaited strategic and civilisational relationship with Iran which need not be at the cost of the same which must be pursued with the Arab Gulf countries with equal vigour. 2018 was a good year for this, 2019 promises to be better. (This article was originally published on DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Iran: A port of call for India

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj Monday expressed grief over the loss of life in a volcano-triggered<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/factbox-indonesia-regularly-hit-by-quakes-and-tsunamis-185962"> tsunami in Indonesia</a> and said India stands by Indonesians in this hour of grief.&nbsp;

On Sunday, a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/indonesia-tsunami-death-toll-climbs-to-222-over-800-injured-185999">powerful tsunami hit Indonesia</a>, known for its thousands of islands stretching from the Andaman Sea to the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea, killing at least 281 people and injuring thousands.

"My deepest condolences to the families of victims who lost their lives in the Tsunami that struck the coast of Sunda Straits in Indonesia. Our prayers are with them as we stand by our Indonesian brothers in this hour of grief @Menlu_RI," Swaraj tweeted tagging the foreign ministry of Indonesia Menteri Luar Negeri.

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My deepest condolences to the families of victims who lost their lives in the Tsunami that struck the coast of Sunda Straits in Indonesia. Our prayers are with them as we stand by our Indonesian brothers in this hour of grief <a href="https://twitter.com/Menlu_RI?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Menlu_RI</a>
— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) <a href="https://twitter.com/SushmaSwaraj/status/1077042094877954048?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 24, 2018</a></blockquote>
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In October, when a deadly tsunami hit Indonesia India had pressed its Air Force and Navy for rescue and humanitarian work.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj Monday expressed grief over the loss of life in a volcano-triggered tsunami in Indonesia and said India stands by Indonesians in this hour of grief.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj Monday expressed grief over the loss of life in a volcano-triggered tsunami in Indonesia and said India stands by Indonesians in this hour of grief. On Sunday, a powerful tsunami hit Indonesia, known for its thousands of islands stretching from the Andaman Sea to the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea, killing at least 281 people and injuring thousands. "My deepest condolences to the families of victims who lost their lives in the Tsunami that struck the coast of Sunda Straits in Indonesia. Our prayers are with them as we stand by our Indonesian brothers in this hour of grief @Menlu_RI," Swaraj tweeted tagging the foreign ministry of Indonesia Menteri Luar Negeri. My deepest condolences to the families of victims who lost their lives in the Tsunami that struck the coast of Sunda Straits in Indonesia. Our prayers are with them as we stand by our Indonesian brothers in this hour of grief @Menlu_RI — Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) December 24, 2018 × In October, when a deadly tsunami hit Indonesia India had pressed its Air Force and Navy for rescue and humanitarian work.

India stands by tsunami-hit Indonesia: Sushma Swaraj

The <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/there-is-no-preferential-treatment-being-given-to-anil-ambanis-rnel-navy-chief-admiral-sunil-lanba-181254">Indian Navy</a> Monday said that the Chinese presence in the Indian Ocean Region has increased in recent years and they were 'cautiously observing' it.

Flag Officer Commanding, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry Naval Area, Rear Admiral Alok Bhatnagar N M stated this while addressing reporters to announce the celebrations for the Indian Navy Day observed on December 4 every year.

"The Chinese presence in the Indian Ocean Region has increased over the recent years. The good part is that we are aware of it. We know their movements in the region and we are observing it cautiously, he said. 
They (Chinese) have the right to be in any part of the world like we have," Bhatnagar said.

Asked if the Navy was equipped to face any threat from the Chinese in the IOR, he said the capabilities of the Indian Navy are mission-based and not targeted against any country.

"Over the years, the Indian Navy has developed its force based on a mission. Our capabilities are mission-based and not targeted against any country. Whenever we are given a mission, we will be able to accomplish it," he said.

On the expansion of the naval base in Chennai, Bhatnagar said the talks with the Tamil Nadu government were in an advanced stage and hoped for complete support from them.

"...We are in the advanced stage of consultation. We are confident of complete support of the state government for allowing us the much-required land for infrastructure augmentation," he said.

On talks with the Sri Lankan Navy and Coast Guard that are likely to be held in May 2019, Bhatnagar said that these are centred around smuggling of contraband goods, counterfeit currency and other illegal activities.

"Besides, we will put forth before Sri Lanka, the concerns of the Indian fishermen and tell the island nation not to harm them when they cross maritime limits accidentally," he said.

The Navy Day is observed every year to commemorate its victory in the Indo-Pak war in 1971.

The theme for this year is 'Indian Navy, Mission-deployed and Combat-ready.'

As part of the celebration, medical and blood donation camps, wreath-laying ceremony, visits to ships, coastal clean- up activities, among others, are conducted during the month.

The Indian Navy Monday said that the Chinese presence in the Indian Ocean Region has increased in recent years and they were 'cautiously observing' it. Flag Officer Commanding, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry Naval Area, Rear Admiral Alok Bhatnagar N M stated this while addressing reporters to announce the celebrations for the Indian Navy Day observed on December 4 every year.

The Indian Navy Monday said that the Chinese presence in the Indian Ocean Region has increased in recent years and they were 'cautiously observing' it. Flag Officer Commanding, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry Naval Area, Rear Admiral Alok Bhatnagar N M stated this while addressing reporters to announce the celebrations for the Indian Navy Day observed on December 4 every year. "The Chinese presence in the Indian Ocean Region has increased over the recent years. The good part is that we are aware of it. We know their movements in the region and we are observing it cautiously, he said. They (Chinese) have the right to be in any part of the world like we have," Bhatnagar said. Asked if the Navy was equipped to face any threat from the Chinese in the IOR, he said the capabilities of the Indian Navy are mission-based and not targeted against any country. "Over the years, the Indian Navy has developed its force based on a mission. Our capabilities are mission-based and not targeted against any country. Whenever we are given a mission, we will be able to accomplish it," he said. On the expansion of the naval base in Chennai, Bhatnagar said the talks with the Tamil Nadu government were in an advanced stage and hoped for complete support from them. "...We are in the advanced stage of consultation. We are confident of complete support of the state government for allowing us the much-required land for infrastructure augmentation," he said. On talks with the Sri Lankan Navy and Coast Guard that are likely to be held in May 2019, Bhatnagar said that these are centred around smuggling of contraband goods, counterfeit currency and other illegal activities. "Besides, we will put forth before Sri Lanka, the concerns of the Indian fishermen and tell the island nation not to harm them when they cross maritime limits accidentally," he said. The Navy Day is observed every year to commemorate its victory in the Indo-Pak war in 1971. The theme for this year is 'Indian Navy, Mission-deployed and Combat-ready.' As part of the celebration, medical and blood donation camps, wreath-laying ceremony, visits to ships, coastal clean- up activities, among others, are conducted during the month.

Chinese presence in Indian Ocean Region has increased and we are aware of it: Indian Navy

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Friday accused France of ignoring UN resolutions and illegitimately holding the Indian Ocean archipelago of Mayotte.

Situated between Madagascar and Mozambique, Mayotte is the only island in the Comoros archipelago which did not split from France after an independence referendum in 1974.

Even though Mayotte opted to remain with its colonial-era power, Comoros still claims control -- in which it is backed by several UN resolutions -- in a territorial dispute with France.

"Despite numerous resolutions adopted by the UN General Assembly on this issue, France continues to illegitimately hold Mayotte," Lavrov told a news conference in Moscow alongside Comoros Foreign Minister Souef Mohamed El Amine.

"Countries which organised the separation of Kosovo from Serbia, Mayotte from Comoros, and have tried several times to change regimes in countries where they considered it necessary, show blatant double standards," said Lavrov, alluding to Western countries.

Mayotte, comprising two islands, Petite-Terre and Grande-Terre, today has the administrative status of a French "department," roughly equivalent to a county.

This entitles it to support for infrastructure, medical care, and education just as in mainland France.

Its citizens, living in the farthest region of the European Union, have unfettered rights to travel, work and live in the EU.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Friday accused France of ignoring UN resolutions and illegitimately holding the Indian Ocean archipelago of Mayotte. Situated between Madagascar and Mozambique, Mayotte is the only island in the Comoros archipelago which did not split from France after an independence referendum in 1974.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Friday accused France of ignoring UN resolutions and illegitimately holding the Indian Ocean archipelago of Mayotte. Situated between Madagascar and Mozambique, Mayotte is the only island in the Comoros archipelago which did not split from France after an independence referendum in 1974. Even though Mayotte opted to remain with its colonial-era power, Comoros still claims control -- in which it is backed by several UN resolutions -- in a territorial dispute with France. "Despite numerous resolutions adopted by the UN General Assembly on this issue, France continues to illegitimately hold Mayotte," Lavrov told a news conference in Moscow alongside Comoros Foreign Minister Souef Mohamed El Amine. "Countries which organised the separation of Kosovo from Serbia, Mayotte from Comoros, and have tried several times to change regimes in countries where they considered it necessary, show blatant double standards," said Lavrov, alluding to Western countries. Mayotte, comprising two islands, Petite-Terre and Grande-Terre, today has the administrative status of a French "department," roughly equivalent to a county. This entitles it to support for infrastructure, medical care, and education just as in mainland France. Its citizens, living in the farthest region of the European Union, have unfettered rights to travel, work and live in the EU.

France 'illegitimately' holding Indian Ocean island: Russia

After more than four years of fruitless efforts to find the missing Malaysian airline MH370, Malaysian authorities will formally end the search of missing airline on Tuesday.

The&nbsp;Malaysian government will review the investigation after the search will be done.

Malaysia government has so far said that it has no plans to begin any new searches.

The second attempt of the search is being carried in May after Malaysia agreed in January to pay Ocean Infinity a US-based exploration firm to carry out the investigation if it finds the plane within 90 days.&nbsp;

They are still conducting the operation in the Indian Ocean where experts believe that flight might have crashed.

The Boeing MH370 went missing in 2014 while flying from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to Beijing, China. There were 239 passengers on board.

Initial search operations were happening&nbsp;in South China Sea but after the analysts revealed that the plane diverted to South the search shifted to the Indian Ocean. There is no report why the pilot shifted from its route.

However, there is speculations that someone delibertaely switched off the transponder of the plane and diverted it over the Indian Ocean.

The company is conducting unpaid search operation and it would have recieved $70 million if it had found the weackage and both black boxes in 90 days which ends today.

The company, however, has asked for an extension till May 29.

Many pieces of the aircraft debris have also been collected from Indian Ocean islands and along Africa's east coast, with at least three confirmed as being from the missing plane. 
&nbsp;

Malaysian government has so far said that it has no plans to begin any new searches

After more than four years of fruitless efforts to find the missing Malaysian airline MH370, Malaysian authorities will formally end the search of missing airline on Tuesday. The Malaysian government will review the investigation after the search will be done. Malaysia government has so far said that it has no plans to begin any new searches. The second attempt of the search is being carried in May after Malaysia agreed in January to pay Ocean Infinity a US-based exploration firm to carry out the investigation if it finds the plane within 90 days. They are still conducting the operation in the Indian Ocean where experts believe that flight might have crashed. The Boeing MH370 went missing in 2014 while flying from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to Beijing, China. There were 239 passengers on board. Initial search operations were happening in South China Sea but after the analysts revealed that the plane diverted to South the search shifted to the Indian Ocean. There is no report why the pilot shifted from its route. However, there is speculations that someone delibertaely switched off the transponder of the plane and diverted it over the Indian Ocean. The company is conducting unpaid search operation and it would have recieved $70 million if it had found the weackage and both black boxes in 90 days which ends today. The company, however, has asked for an extension till May 29. Many pieces of the aircraft debris have also been collected from Indian Ocean islands and along Africa's east coast, with at least three confirmed as being from the missing plane.

Malaysia ends search of missing airline MH370

Amid&nbsp;significant rise in presence of Chinese ships and submarines in the Indian Ocean region, India is looking to build strong ties with France and the US.&nbsp;

French President Emmanuel Macron, who is set&nbsp;to visit India this weekeend, plans to hold talks with PM Modi on&nbsp;maritime security.

India and France have bonded over Indian Ocean issue,&nbsp;&#39;Reunion&#39; is a French Island in the Indian Ocean houses one of France&#39;s largest naval bases.&nbsp;

The two countries have realised that the way forward is closer bilateral cooperation, rather than &quot;rushing&quot; into a multilateral format, significant at a time when pluri-laterals or mini-laterals find favour.

France is now in talks with India for giving Indian warships access to facilities in the island and hopes to clinch the agreement during Macron&#39;s visit. This could bore strategic significance for France and now possibly India. &nbsp;

If the deal works in India&#39;s favour, Indian naval presence could extend to the French bases in Abu Dhabi in UAE and Djibouti in the horn of Africa which is home to United States permanent military base as well as bases belonging to France, Italy, Japan and China.&nbsp;

China opened a base in Djibouti in August last year.&nbsp;

India counts France as its trusted strategic partner.&nbsp;Moreover, &quot;Reunion&quot;&nbsp;has another Indian connection - it is home to people of Indian origin who were brought to the island as indentured labour from India in the 19th century.&nbsp;

India-China rivalry in Indian ocean region has increasingly given headaches to Indian officials. While China maintains its ships patrol international waters to provide safe passage to its merchant ships, many countries regard an increasing deployment of military vessels as part of China&#39;s &quot;expansionist policies&quot;. India, in particular, is cautious due to reports that China plans to deploy a &quot;nuclear submarine&quot;&nbsp;at Pakistan&#39;s Gwadar port - close to Indian waters.&nbsp;

China has presence in Myanmar, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan.&nbsp;

Indian is raising its profile by having strategic pacts in the region:

<ul>
	<li>India has signed a logistics pact with US giving access to Indian ships in US bases.</li>
	<li>India is also developing Chabahar port in Iran to &quot;counter&quot;&nbsp;Chinese presence in Pak&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Oman agreed to provide Indian navy with its facility in Duqm.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>India also has agreements with Mauritius and Seychelles.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>In the east, India is helping Myanmar develop the &quot;Sittwe&quot;&nbsp;port.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>India and Vietnam have stepped up their relation and Singapore has allowed the use of its naval base for &quot;docking&quot;, referring as well as &quot;re-arming&quot;.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

France remains the largest resident power in the Indian Ocean with the largest amount of real estate, including about 11 million sq km of exclusive economic zone particularly in the Mozambique channel with over 10 islands as part of French overseas territories. For France&#39;s military bases in Djibouti, Abu Dhabi and Reunion Islands, India regards it as an attractive strategic partner.

India and France are also hoping to get an agreement between NPCIL (Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited) and EDF (of France) on six nuclear reactors that could lead to greater indigenisation of components and services for the reactors.

French President Emmanuel Macron, who is going to visit India this week, plans to hold talks with PM Modi over maritime security

Amid significant rise in presence of Chinese ships and submarines in the Indian Ocean region, India is looking to build strong ties with France and the US. French President Emmanuel Macron, who is set to visit India this weekeend, plans to hold talks with PM Modi on maritime security. India and France have bonded over Indian Ocean issue, 'Reunion' is a French Island in the Indian Ocean houses one of France's largest naval bases. The two countries have realised that the way forward is closer bilateral cooperation, rather than "rushing" into a multilateral format, significant at a time when pluri-laterals or mini-laterals find favour. France is now in talks with India for giving Indian warships access to facilities in the island and hopes to clinch the agreement during Macron's visit. This could bore strategic significance for France and now possibly India. If the deal works in India's favour, Indian naval presence could extend to the French bases in Abu Dhabi in UAE and Djibouti in the horn of Africa which is home to United States permanent military base as well as bases belonging to France, Italy, Japan and China. China opened a base in Djibouti in August last year. India counts France as its trusted strategic partner. Moreover, "Reunion" has another Indian connection - it is home to people of Indian origin who were brought to the island as indentured labour from India in the 19th century. India-China rivalry in Indian ocean region has increasingly given headaches to Indian officials. While China maintains its ships patrol international waters to provide safe passage to its merchant ships, many countries regard an increasing deployment of military vessels as part of China's "expansionist policies". India, in particular, is cautious due to reports that China plans to deploy a "nuclear submarine" at Pakistan's Gwadar port - close to Indian waters. China has presence in Myanmar, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. Indian is raising its profile by having strategic pacts in the region: India has signed a logistics pact with US giving access to Indian ships in US bases. India is also developing Chabahar port in Iran to "counter" Chinese presence in Pak Oman agreed to provide Indian navy with its facility in Duqm. India also has agreements with Mauritius and Seychelles. In the east, India is helping Myanmar develop the "Sittwe" port. India and Vietnam have stepped up their relation and Singapore has allowed the use of its naval base for "docking", referring as well as "re-arming". France remains the largest resident power in the Indian Ocean with the largest amount of real estate, including about 11 million sq km of exclusive economic zone particularly in the Mozambique channel with over 10 islands as part of French overseas territories. For France's military bases in Djibouti, Abu Dhabi and Reunion Islands, India regards it as an attractive strategic partner. India and France are also hoping to get an agreement between NPCIL (Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited) and EDF (of France) on six nuclear reactors that could lead to greater indigenisation of components and services for the reactors.

Video: Ahead of Macron's visit, India turns to France to counter China in Indian Ocean

Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba on Monday admitted that there has been a significant rise in presence of Chinese ships and submarines in the Indian Ocean region.

However, Lanba in an exclusive interview to WION, assured that India&#39;s maritime security is absolutely secure and Navy is keeping a close watch on Chinese activities in the Indian Ocean

&quot;Indian Ocean is the only ocean named after a country. We have a great maritime heritage. Chinese ships are in the Indian Ocean since 2008 and they have a lot of ships and submarines deployed here,&quot; Lanba said.

We are aware of what is happening and last year, we started a new deployment pattern which is mission-based deployment. We monitor all movements and the Indian Navy is fully capable of ensuring its maritime security,&quot; he further assured.

The vigilant Indian Navy became cautious after reports that China plans to deploy a nuclear submarine at Pakistan&#39;s Gwadar port, which is close to Indian waters.&nbsp;

When asked to comment on the Act East Policy Cooperation, Admiral Lanba said the step is in the right direction.&nbsp;

&quot;We have been co-operating with our eastern neighbours since the Act East policy was initiated in 2014. We, along with Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam conduct co-ordinated patrol on our maritime borders,&quot; he said. &quot;We are also helping them train their personnel.&quot;

Admiral Lanba also acknowledged that co-operation with major powers like the United States and Japan is crucial for India.

&nbsp;&quot;Malabar Exercise began in 1993 and it was a joint naval exercise between the US and India. From 1993 till now, the scope and size of the exercise has gone up. Japan has become a permanent member. We learn from each other.&quot; &nbsp;

&quot;No other country should have a problem with such exercises as they aren&#39;t targetted at any country. China, in the past, has hinted at its reservations to the Malabar Exercise,&quot; he added.&nbsp;

The Navy chief further stressed that they are like-minded democratic countries and prefer to uphold international good order and rule-based system in the world. 
&nbsp;

Admiral Lanba said that navy is keeping a close watch on Chinese activities

Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba on Monday admitted that there has been a significant rise in presence of Chinese ships and submarines in the Indian Ocean region. However, Lanba in an exclusive interview to WION, assured that India's maritime security is absolutely secure and Navy is keeping a close watch on Chinese activities in the Indian Ocean "Indian Ocean is the only ocean named after a country. We have a great maritime heritage. Chinese ships are in the Indian Ocean since 2008 and they have a lot of ships and submarines deployed here," Lanba said. We are aware of what is happening and last year, we started a new deployment pattern which is mission-based deployment. We monitor all movements and the Indian Navy is fully capable of ensuring its maritime security," he further assured. The vigilant Indian Navy became cautious after reports that China plans to deploy a nuclear submarine at Pakistan's Gwadar port, which is close to Indian waters. When asked to comment on the Act East Policy Cooperation, Admiral Lanba said the step is in the right direction. "We have been co-operating with our eastern neighbours since the Act East policy was initiated in 2014. We, along with Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam conduct co-ordinated patrol on our maritime borders," he said. "We are also helping them train their personnel." Admiral Lanba also acknowledged that co-operation with major powers like the United States and Japan is crucial for India. "Malabar Exercise began in 1993 and it was a joint naval exercise between the US and India. From 1993 till now, the scope and size of the exercise has gone up. Japan has become a permanent member. We learn from each other." "No other country should have a problem with such exercises as they aren't targetted at any country. China, in the past, has hinted at its reservations to the Malabar Exercise," he added. The Navy chief further stressed that they are like-minded democratic countries and prefer to uphold international good order and rule-based system in the world.

Indian Navy is fully capable of ensuring its maritime security: Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba

India had always been a good friend of Maldives. The culture, demography, festivals and social aspects, in many ways, are similar to India. The country shares an affinity with India which is rarely matched in any other instance. Thus, in November 1988, when the elected government of President Moumoon Abdul Gayoom was under threat from the PLOTE mercenaries of&nbsp; Sri Lanka, India helped in the restoration of democracy in the Maldives.&nbsp; These PLOTE mercenaries were, reportedly, hired by Ibrahim Nasir, one of the former presidents of Maldives and funded by Abdullah Luthufi, a rich Maldivian businessman who had business ventures in Sri Lanka and the aim was to take over the country forcefully.

&nbsp;

Being a close ally, India immediately intervened and dispatched its 1600 strong team of 50 (independent) Parachute Brigade, and the democracy was restored in the island nation. Operation Cactus is considered a rare operation where Indian Air Force landed its heavy aircrafts on an unknown island airstrip in the pitch-dark night.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Today, after the passage of nearly 30 years, history is about to repeat itself when the half-brother of Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom is involved in the current political turmoil of Maldives. The Supreme Court has declared the decision to put Gayoom&#39;s opposition leaders into the jails on frivolous charges as illegal and ordered the restoration of democracy. India may be required to repeat its actions of 1988 to restore democracy once again.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Abdulla Yameen was elected as the president under disputed circumstances in 2013 and this election was annulled by the Supreme Court in view of a large number of ineligible voters being registered in the second round of voting. Mr Yameen lost badly in the first round but won in the second round under circumstances which were found illegal by the Supreme Court.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Soon after he took over, he stripped 12 Members of Parliament, belonging to the opposition party from their position to gain a majority. These members were reinstated by the Supreme Court three days ago and, hence, Yameen&#39;s government has now become the minority. Not only this, the Supreme Court had also ordered the release of nine political prisoners from the party of the ex-president Mohammad Nasheed who were put behind the bars under the fake charges of terrorism.

&nbsp;

In addition, the Supreme Court also ordered the removal of the Attorney General Mohammad Anil who was responsible for doing all wrong things as a &quot;yes man&quot; of Abdulla Yameen. The story is not yet finished, there is a lot more to worry.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

On Sunday, The Chief of Maldivian Defence Forces, Major General Ahmad Shiyam had given a statement that he will not obey the orders of Supreme Court but of the Attorney General Mohammad Anil only. Soon, after the opposition, as well as Supreme Court, urged the Parliament to remove the island nation&rsquo;s attorney general and its chief prosecutor, soldiers in riot gear surrounded the Parliament building in Male. Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, the parliamentary leader of the opposition, accused both of breaking the law by failing to act on the Supreme Court verdict.

&nbsp;

Attorney General, as well as the president, both declared Supreme Court verdict as illegal and they instructed all the agencies not to obey any order of the Supreme Court. The 12 MPs who were reinstated by the Supreme Court have been arrested after they landed in Male. Parliament is suspended till indefinite orders and two major opposition leaders have also been put behind bars.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

This is a serious situation and a direct threat to democracy in the island nation. Despite live appeals from India, the US and the European Union, Abdulla Yameen has refused to obey the Supreme Court orders. He is accused of serious corruption and human rights abuse since he took over the government and had been using all means to suppress the voices of the country, including press and other media channels. In 2015, Mr Modi had to call off his planned visit to the Maldives in view of Mohammad Yameen cracking down on his opposition and acting against democracy.

&nbsp;

Due to these activities, Abdulla Yameen has gone on the wrong side of his half-brother Maumoon Abdul Gayoom who ruled the country for over 30 years successfully and considered a fatherly figure in the island-nation.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

India must watch this situation carefully, while the previous president Mohammad Nasheed was considered a close ally of India, Abdulla Yameen is not only accused of serious frauds and irregularities but had started developing proximity with China after he joined the Maritime Silk Route Project. China is taking advantage of this and developing series of ports and other infrastructure in the Maldives which is not at all in the interest of India. When it comes to the domination of the Indian Ocean, China&rsquo;s presence can seriously harm the interests of India. Chinese are already present in Hambantota in Sri Lanka, Djibouti in Horn of Africa and Gwadar in Pakistan.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Their presence in the Maldives will almost cover the entire Indian Ocean region.

&nbsp;

My take on the situation is simple. As an old ally and the largest democracy in the world, it is the utmost duty of India to ensure that democratic governments survive in its neighbourhood and, hence, we must intervene to resolve this crisis.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

India&rsquo;s timely and strong actions can reduce Chinese from establishing further footprints in the Indian Ocean and will be helpful in the future. Not only this, it will secure our trade routes and help establish India as maritime prowess.

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;&nbsp;

India’s timely and strong actions can reduce Chinese from establishing further footprints in the Indian Ocean and will be helpful in the future.

India had always been a good friend of Maldives. The culture, demography, festivals and social aspects, in many ways, are similar to India. The country shares an affinity with India which is rarely matched in any other instance. Thus, in November 1988, when the elected government of President Moumoon Abdul Gayoom was under threat from the PLOTE mercenaries of Sri Lanka, India helped in the restoration of democracy in the Maldives. These PLOTE mercenaries were, reportedly, hired by Ibrahim Nasir, one of the former presidents of Maldives and funded by Abdullah Luthufi, a rich Maldivian businessman who had business ventures in Sri Lanka and the aim was to take over the country forcefully. Being a close ally, India immediately intervened and dispatched its 1600 strong team of 50 (independent) Parachute Brigade, and the democracy was restored in the island nation. Operation Cactus is considered a rare operation where Indian Air Force landed its heavy aircrafts on an unknown island airstrip in the pitch-dark night. Today, after the passage of nearly 30 years, history is about to repeat itself when the half-brother of Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom is involved in the current political turmoil of Maldives. The Supreme Court has declared the decision to put Gayoom's opposition leaders into the jails on frivolous charges as illegal and ordered the restoration of democracy. India may be required to repeat its actions of 1988 to restore democracy once again. Abdulla Yameen was elected as the president under disputed circumstances in 2013 and this election was annulled by the Supreme Court in view of a large number of ineligible voters being registered in the second round of voting. Mr Yameen lost badly in the first round but won in the second round under circumstances which were found illegal by the Supreme Court. Soon after he took over, he stripped 12 Members of Parliament, belonging to the opposition party from their position to gain a majority. These members were reinstated by the Supreme Court three days ago and, hence, Yameen's government has now become the minority. Not only this, the Supreme Court had also ordered the release of nine political prisoners from the party of the ex-president Mohammad Nasheed who were put behind the bars under the fake charges of terrorism. In addition, the Supreme Court also ordered the removal of the Attorney General Mohammad Anil who was responsible for doing all wrong things as a "yes man" of Abdulla Yameen. The story is not yet finished, there is a lot more to worry. On Sunday, The Chief of Maldivian Defence Forces, Major General Ahmad Shiyam had given a statement that he will not obey the orders of Supreme Court but of the Attorney General Mohammad Anil only. Soon, after the opposition, as well as Supreme Court, urged the Parliament to remove the island nation’s attorney general and its chief prosecutor, soldiers in riot gear surrounded the Parliament building in Male. Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, the parliamentary leader of the opposition, accused both of breaking the law by failing to act on the Supreme Court verdict. Attorney General, as well as the president, both declared Supreme Court verdict as illegal and they instructed all the agencies not to obey any order of the Supreme Court. The 12 MPs who were reinstated by the Supreme Court have been arrested after they landed in Male. Parliament is suspended till indefinite orders and two major opposition leaders have also been put behind bars. This is a serious situation and a direct threat to democracy in the island nation. Despite live appeals from India, the US and the European Union, Abdulla Yameen has refused to obey the Supreme Court orders. He is accused of serious corruption and human rights abuse since he took over the government and had been using all means to suppress the voices of the country, including press and other media channels. In 2015, Mr Modi had to call off his planned visit to the Maldives in view of Mohammad Yameen cracking down on his opposition and acting against democracy. Due to these activities, Abdulla Yameen has gone on the wrong side of his half-brother Maumoon Abdul Gayoom who ruled the country for over 30 years successfully and considered a fatherly figure in the island-nation. India must watch this situation carefully, while the previous president Mohammad Nasheed was considered a close ally of India, Abdulla Yameen is not only accused of serious frauds and irregularities but had started developing proximity with China after he joined the Maritime Silk Route Project. China is taking advantage of this and developing series of ports and other infrastructure in the Maldives which is not at all in the interest of India. When it comes to the domination of the Indian Ocean, China’s presence can seriously harm the interests of India. Chinese are already present in Hambantota in Sri Lanka, Djibouti in Horn of Africa and Gwadar in Pakistan. Their presence in the Maldives will almost cover the entire Indian Ocean region. My take on the situation is simple. As an old ally and the largest democracy in the world, it is the utmost duty of India to ensure that democratic governments survive in its neighbourhood and, hence, we must intervene to resolve this crisis. India’s timely and strong actions can reduce Chinese from establishing further footprints in the Indian Ocean and will be helpful in the future. Not only this, it will secure our trade routes and help establish India as maritime prowess. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Why India needs to help Maldives to counter threats to democracy

Malaysia signed a deal on Wednesday to pay a US seabed exploration firm up to $70 million if it finds the missing Malaysia Airlines aircraft MH370 within 90 days of embarking on a new search in the Southern Indian ocean.

The disappearance of the aircraft en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing in March 2014 with 239 people aboard ranks among the world&#39;s greatest aviation mysteries.

Australia, China and Malaysia ended a fruitless A$200-million ($157 million) search of a 120,000 sq km area in January last year, despite investigators urging the search be extended to a 25,000-square-km area further to the north.

Malaysian transport minister Liow Tiong Lai said a Houston-based private firm, Ocean Infinity, would search for MH370 in that 25,000-sq-km priority area on a &quot;no-cure, no-fee&quot; basis, meaning it will only get paid if it finds the plane.

&quot;As we speak, the vessel, Seabed Constructor, is on her way to the search area, taking advantage of favourable weather conditions in the South Indian ocean,&quot; Liow told a news conference. 
The search will begin on January 17, said Ocean Infinity Chief Executive Oliver Plunkett, who attended the signing event.

Ocean Infinity will be paid $20 million if the plane is found within 5,000 sq km, $30 million if it is found within 10,000 square km and $50 million if it is found within an area of 25,000 square km. Beyond that area, Ocean Infinity will receive $70 million, Liow said.

Its priority is to locate the wreckage or the flight and cockpit recorders, and present credible evidence to confirm their location within 90 days, Liow added.

&quot;They cannot take forever or drag it on for another six months or a year.&quot;

&#39;Unique solution&#39;

Ocean Infinity&#39;s vessel carries eight autonomous underwater vehicles that will scour the seabed with scanning equipment for information to be sent back for analysis.

It has 65 crew, including two government representatives drawn from the Malaysian navy.

The ship could complete the search within three or four weeks, and cover up to 60,000 square km in 90 days, or four times faster than earlier efforts, Plunkett told Reuters.

&quot;It was a unique problem that required a unique solution ... We looked at it and said, &#39;Let&#39;s do something different than what other people would do,&#39; and that&#39;s the essence of our business.&quot;

Ocean Infinity&#39;s core business is in the oil and gas industry, as well as subsea exploration services for tasks such as underwater cabling and seabed mapping, he said.

The company&#39;s shareholders would bear the upfront costs of the search, Plunkett added.

Debris from MH370 could provide clues to events on board before the crash. There have been competing theories that the aircraft suffered mechanical failure or was intentionally flown off course.

Investigators believe someone may have deliberately switched off the plane&#39;s transponder before diverting it thousands of miles out over the Indian Ocean.

At least three pieces of debris collected from sites on Indian Ocean islands and along Africa&#39;s east coast have been confirmed as being from the missing plane.

Ocean Infinity will be paid $20 mn if the plane is found within 5,000 sq km, $30 mn if it is found within 10,000 sq km and $50 mn if it is found within an area of 25,000 sq km. Beyond that area, firm will receive $70 mn

Malaysia signed a deal on Wednesday to pay a US seabed exploration firm up to $70 million if it finds the missing Malaysia Airlines aircraft MH370 within 90 days of embarking on a new search in the Southern Indian ocean. The disappearance of the aircraft en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing in March 2014 with 239 people aboard ranks among the world's greatest aviation mysteries. Australia, China and Malaysia ended a fruitless A$200-million ($157 million) search of a 120,000 sq km area in January last year, despite investigators urging the search be extended to a 25,000-square-km area further to the north. Malaysian transport minister Liow Tiong Lai said a Houston-based private firm, Ocean Infinity, would search for MH370 in that 25,000-sq-km priority area on a "no-cure, no-fee" basis, meaning it will only get paid if it finds the plane. "As we speak, the vessel, Seabed Constructor, is on her way to the search area, taking advantage of favourable weather conditions in the South Indian ocean," Liow told a news conference. The search will begin on January 17, said Ocean Infinity Chief Executive Oliver Plunkett, who attended the signing event. Ocean Infinity will be paid $20 million if the plane is found within 5,000 sq km, $30 million if it is found within 10,000 square km and $50 million if it is found within an area of 25,000 square km. Beyond that area, Ocean Infinity will receive $70 million, Liow said. Its priority is to locate the wreckage or the flight and cockpit recorders, and present credible evidence to confirm their location within 90 days, Liow added. "They cannot take forever or drag it on for another six months or a year." 'Unique solution' Ocean Infinity's vessel carries eight autonomous underwater vehicles that will scour the seabed with scanning equipment for information to be sent back for analysis. It has 65 crew, including two government representatives drawn from the Malaysian navy. The ship could complete the search within three or four weeks, and cover up to 60,000 square km in 90 days, or four times faster than earlier efforts, Plunkett told Reuters. "It was a unique problem that required a unique solution ... We looked at it and said, 'Let's do something different than what other people would do,' and that's the essence of our business." Ocean Infinity's core business is in the oil and gas industry, as well as subsea exploration services for tasks such as underwater cabling and seabed mapping, he said. The company's shareholders would bear the upfront costs of the search, Plunkett added. Debris from MH370 could provide clues to events on board before the crash. There have been competing theories that the aircraft suffered mechanical failure or was intentionally flown off course. Investigators believe someone may have deliberately switched off the plane's transponder before diverting it thousands of miles out over the Indian Ocean. At least three pieces of debris collected from sites on Indian Ocean islands and along Africa's east coast have been confirmed as being from the missing plane.

MH370: Malaysia to give $70 million to US firm if plane found in 90 days

Pakistan has pressed the panic button, after an Indian, who purports to have an &quot;extrasensory perception,&quot; predicted a cataclysmic Tsunami by the end of this year.

Kerala based physics professor Babu Kalayil had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in September, predicting a major Tsunami later this year, reported the Express Tribune.

According to the report, Kalayil, in his letter, warned of a devastating earthquake that could shake the Indian Ocean &quot;Indian Ocean in December and trigger a massive Tsunami, which would affect seven Asian countries, including Pakistan and India.

While India paid no heed to the letter, Pakistani officials have taken this seriously as they have started preparations to deal with a possible disaster.

Pakistan&#39;s top intelligence agency has reportedly warned the Earthquake Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Authority (ERRA), the body responsible for disaster management, to take precautionary measures.

Another letter that has been doing the rounds on the social media is the one in which the ERRA acting deputy chairman allegedly directed that standard operating procedures (SOPs) on the matter may be prepared.

The ERRA letter read, &quot;An Information Report has been received from DG, Inter-Services Intelligence [ISI] that there is, reportedly, the likelihood of large-scale earthquake, as being expected, in the Indian Ocean, the Indian Ocean in near future which may vigorously shake the Asian continental areas, including Pakistan. There is, therefore, a need to sensitise concern departments to be on the vigil and take care of any natural disaster.&quot;

&quot;The SOPs will be put up to ERRA&#39;s acting deputy chairman by Monday, November 6, 2017,&quot; the letter further reads.

There have been no reports yet that have given any scientific basis for this prediction.

India was hit by a major Tsunami on December 26, 2004.

Pakistan has pressed the panic button, after an Indian, who purports to have an "extrasensory perception," predicted a cataclysmic Tsunami by the end of this year.

Pakistan has pressed the panic button, after an Indian, who purports to have an "extrasensory perception," predicted a cataclysmic Tsunami by the end of this year. Kerala based physics professor Babu Kalayil had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in September, predicting a major Tsunami later this year, reported the Express Tribune. According to the report, Kalayil, in his letter, warned of a devastating earthquake that could shake the Indian Ocean "Indian Ocean in December and trigger a massive Tsunami, which would affect seven Asian countries, including Pakistan and India. While India paid no heed to the letter, Pakistani officials have taken this seriously as they have started preparations to deal with a possible disaster. Pakistan's top intelligence agency has reportedly warned the Earthquake Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Authority (ERRA), the body responsible for disaster management, to take precautionary measures. Another letter that has been doing the rounds on the social media is the one in which the ERRA acting deputy chairman allegedly directed that standard operating procedures (SOPs) on the matter may be prepared. The ERRA letter read, "An Information Report has been received from DG, Inter-Services Intelligence [ISI] that there is, reportedly, the likelihood of large-scale earthquake, as being expected, in the Indian Ocean, the Indian Ocean in near future which may vigorously shake the Asian continental areas, including Pakistan. There is, therefore, a need to sensitise concern departments to be on the vigil and take care of any natural disaster." "The SOPs will be put up to ERRA's acting deputy chairman by Monday, November 6, 2017," the letter further reads. There have been no reports yet that have given any scientific basis for this prediction. India was hit by a major Tsunami on December 26, 2004.

An Indian's tsunami prediction makes Pakistan press the panic button

The US $1.4 billion Chinese port city in the heart of the Sri Lankan capital would be complete by mid-2019, Megapolis Development Minister Champika Ranawaka said today.

The &#39;Colombo Port City&#39; will be built on the sea reclamation of 269 acres, 62 acres of which will belong to the government of Sri Lanka while the Chinese would hold on lease 116 hectares, the rest will be common public facility areas, Ranawaka said.

&quot;This will be a new financial and commercial center in the Indian Ocean&quot;, Ranawaka said on the project based on a deal between the Chinese and former Sri Lankan regime of President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

&quot;Reclamation of 50 percent of the land is now complete.The work will finish in 2019&quot; he said.

There will be a new company managing the city in addition to the Colombo Municipal Council, Ranawaka said.

Rajapaksa&#39;s successor Maithripala Sirisena&#39;s government suspended the project citing irregularities but under pressure from the Chinese, the go-ahead for the project was given in 2016.

&quot;We have given a new direction to the project. The previous plan was only to have motor races and casinos there,&quot; Ranawaka said, adding that by contrast, it will be a financial city.

Invested and developed by the China Communications Construction Company Limited (CCCC), Colombo Port City is the largest project between China and Sri Lanka under the China- proposed Belt and Road Initiative, especially the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.

China had claimed that the construction of the port city will also create job opportunities for the locals, with a total of 83,000 jobs expected in the 20 years from implementation to completion of the project.

The Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, known as Belt and Road Initiative, were proposed in 2013 with the aim of building a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along the ancient trade routes.

Cash-rich China has invested millions of dollars in Sri Lanka&#39;s infrastructure since the end of a brutal civil war with the LTTE in 2009.

India has expressed concern on the Chinese port city in Colombo as it will be seen as an important hub on China&#39;s &#39;Belt and Road&#39; concept.

The 'Colombo Port City' will be built on the sea reclamation of 269 acres 62 acres of which will belong to the government of Sri Lanka while the Chinese would hold on lease 116 hectares, the rest will be common public facility areas, Ranawaka said.

The US $1.4 billion Chinese port city in the heart of the Sri Lankan capital would be complete by mid-2019, Megapolis Development Minister Champika Ranawaka said today. The 'Colombo Port City' will be built on the sea reclamation of 269 acres, 62 acres of which will belong to the government of Sri Lanka while the Chinese would hold on lease 116 hectares, the rest will be common public facility areas, Ranawaka said. "This will be a new financial and commercial center in the Indian Ocean", Ranawaka said on the project based on a deal between the Chinese and former Sri Lankan regime of President Mahinda Rajapaksa. "Reclamation of 50 percent of the land is now complete.The work will finish in 2019" he said. There will be a new company managing the city in addition to the Colombo Municipal Council, Ranawaka said. Rajapaksa's successor Maithripala Sirisena's government suspended the project citing irregularities but under pressure from the Chinese, the go-ahead for the project was given in 2016. "We have given a new direction to the project. The previous plan was only to have motor races and casinos there," Ranawaka said, adding that by contrast, it will be a financial city. Invested and developed by the China Communications Construction Company Limited (CCCC), Colombo Port City is the largest project between China and Sri Lanka under the China- proposed Belt and Road Initiative, especially the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. China had claimed that the construction of the port city will also create job opportunities for the locals, with a total of 83,000 jobs expected in the 20 years from implementation to completion of the project. The Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, known as Belt and Road Initiative, were proposed in 2013 with the aim of building a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along the ancient trade routes. Cash-rich China has invested millions of dollars in Sri Lanka's infrastructure since the end of a brutal civil war with the LTTE in 2009. India has expressed concern on the Chinese port city in Colombo as it will be seen as an important hub on China's 'Belt and Road' concept.

Sri Lanka to complete Chinese port city project by mid-2019

Commissioned into the Indian Navy by <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/indian-navy-joins-rescue-operations-in-sri-lanka-bangladesh-16265">defense</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/indian-navy-joins-rescue-operations-in-sri-lanka-bangladesh-16265"> minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Visakhapatnam</a> today, INS Kiltan - an Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) stealth corvette - is India&rsquo;s first major warship to have a superstructure of carbon fibre composite material which provides improved stealth features, lower top weight and maintenance costs.

More importantly,<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/indian-navy-and-army-prepared-for-cyclone-vardah-10045"> about 81 </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/indian-navy-and-army-prepared-for-cyclone-vardah-10045">per cent</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/indian-navy-and-army-prepared-for-cyclone-vardah-10045"> of the ship is indigenous</a> and is well-equipped to fight in nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) warfare conditions.

With the changing power dynamics in the Indian Ocean Region, INS Kiltan is expected to augment Indian Navy&rsquo;s mobility, reach and flexibility.

The commissioning of Kiltan will add a new dimension to the ASW capability of the Indian Navy and the Eastern Fleet in particular.

The multifarious missions that can be undertaken by the ship truly reflect the enhanced multi-dimensional capability of the Indian Navy. &nbsp;The ship is manned by a team comprising 13 officers and 178 sailors with Commander Naushad Ali Khan at the helm as her first Commanding Officer.&nbsp;

Deriving its name from one of the islands in Aminidivi group of the strategically located Lakshadweep and Minicoy group of islands, INS Kiltan hosts a predominantly indigenous cutting-edge weapons and sensors suite which includes heavyweight torpedoes, ASW rockets, 76 mm caliber Medium Range gun &amp; two multi-barrel 30 mm guns as Close-in-Weapon System (CIWS) with dedicated fire control systems, missile decoy rockets (Chaff), advanced ESM (Electronic Support Measure) system, most advanced bow-mounted sonar and air surveillance radar Revathi.

The ship in the future would also be installed with short-range SAM system and carry an integral ASW Helicopter.

It is also the first major warship to have undertaken Sea Trials of all major weapons and sensors as a pilot project prior delivery by shipyard to Indian Navy and is ready to be operationally deployed on the day of joining the Indian Navy.

&ldquo;The ship&rsquo;s weapons and sensors suite is predominantly indigenous and showcases the nation&rsquo;s growing capability in this niche area,&rdquo; the Indian Navy said in a statement.

INS Kiltan has been Indigenously designed by the Indian Navy&#39;s in-house organization, Directorate of Naval Design and built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders &amp; Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata and is the latest indigenous warship after Shivalik class, Kolkata class and sister Ships INS Kamorta and INS Kadmatt to have joined the Indian Navy&rsquo;s arsenal where in a plethora of weapons and sensors have been integrated to provide a &lsquo;Common Operational Picture (COP)&rsquo;.

The ship also boasts of the proud legacy of the erstwhile Petya Class ship of same name &lsquo;Kiltan (P79)&rsquo; built in USSR, which had actively participated as Task Force Commander in &lsquo;Operation Trident&rsquo; during 1971 Indo-Pak war and had served the nation with distinction throughout her illustrious service life from October 30,1969 to June 30, 1987.

About 81 per cent of the ship is indigenous and is well-equipped to fight in nuclear, biological and chemical warfare conditions

Commissioned into the Indian Navy by defense minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Visakhapatnam today, INS Kiltan - an Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) stealth corvette - is India’s first major warship to have a superstructure of carbon fibre composite material which provides improved stealth features, lower top weight and maintenance costs. More importantly, about 81 per cent of the ship is indigenous and is well-equipped to fight in nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) warfare conditions. With the changing power dynamics in the Indian Ocean Region, INS Kiltan is expected to augment Indian Navy’s mobility, reach and flexibility. The commissioning of Kiltan will add a new dimension to the ASW capability of the Indian Navy and the Eastern Fleet in particular. The multifarious missions that can be undertaken by the ship truly reflect the enhanced multi-dimensional capability of the Indian Navy. The ship is manned by a team comprising 13 officers and 178 sailors with Commander Naushad Ali Khan at the helm as her first Commanding Officer. Deriving its name from one of the islands in Aminidivi group of the strategically located Lakshadweep and Minicoy group of islands, INS Kiltan hosts a predominantly indigenous cutting-edge weapons and sensors suite which includes heavyweight torpedoes, ASW rockets, 76 mm caliber Medium Range gun & two multi-barrel 30 mm guns as Close-in-Weapon System (CIWS) with dedicated fire control systems, missile decoy rockets (Chaff), advanced ESM (Electronic Support Measure) system, most advanced bow-mounted sonar and air surveillance radar Revathi. The ship in the future would also be installed with short-range SAM system and carry an integral ASW Helicopter. It is also the first major warship to have undertaken Sea Trials of all major weapons and sensors as a pilot project prior delivery by shipyard to Indian Navy and is ready to be operationally deployed on the day of joining the Indian Navy. “The ship’s weapons and sensors suite is predominantly indigenous and showcases the nation’s growing capability in this niche area,” the Indian Navy said in a statement. INS Kiltan has been Indigenously designed by the Indian Navy's in-house organization, Directorate of Naval Design and built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata and is the latest indigenous warship after Shivalik class, Kolkata class and sister Ships INS Kamorta and INS Kadmatt to have joined the Indian Navy’s arsenal where in a plethora of weapons and sensors have been integrated to provide a ‘Common Operational Picture (COP)’. The ship also boasts of the proud legacy of the erstwhile Petya Class ship of same name ‘Kiltan (P79)’ built in USSR, which had actively participated as Task Force Commander in ‘Operation Trident’ during 1971 Indo-Pak war and had served the nation with distinction throughout her illustrious service life from October 30,1969 to June 30, 1987.

Navy commissions INS Kiltan as India's stealth capability in the Indian Ocean gets major boost

The painstaking search for missing flight MH370 has uncovered a previously unknown undersea world of volcanoes, deep valleys and soaring ridges, according to detailed maps released by Australia.

Although no trace of the Malaysia Airlines plane was found during the search in the southern Indian Ocean -- the most expensive ever of its kind -- large volumes of data showing a detailed picture of the sea floor had to be collected to guide the probe.

Scientists are hopeful the new maps will give their community greater insight into oceans.

&quot;It is estimated that only 10 to 15 percent of the world&#39;s oceans have been surveyed with the kind of technology used in the search for MH370,&quot; Geoscience Australia&#39;s environmental geoscience chief Stuart Minchin said late Wednesday.

&quot;(That makes) this remote part of the Indian Ocean among the most thoroughly mapped regions of the deep ocean on the planet.&nbsp;

&quot;So this data is unique both because of the remote location of the search area, and because of the sheer scale of the area surveyed.&quot;

Minchin said the maps would also be useful for future scientific research, such as oceanographic and habitat modelling.

Australia, Malaysia and China suspended the deep sea hunt in January, almost three years after the Boeing 777 disappeared with 239 people on board.

The hunt -- based on satellite analysis of the jet&#39;s likely trajectory after it diverted from its flight path -- covered a 120,000 square-kilometre (46,000 square mile) designated zone, an area slightly smaller than England.

Two shipwrecks were discovered during the search but no trace of the plane, deepening one the most enduring mysteries of the aviation age.

However, the data revealed ridges six kilometres (3.73 miles) wide and 15 kilometres long that rise 1,500 metres above the sea floor, as well as fault valleys 1,200 metres deep and five kilometres wide.

A second set of data will be released in mid-2018.

While the search for the missing plane has been called off, Canberra has said it could be restarted if new evidence about the specific location&nbsp;of the aircraft emerges.

&quot;We remain hopeful that new information will come to light and that at some point in the future the aircraft will be located,&quot; Australia&#39;s Transport Minister Darren Chester said.

Australia&#39;s&nbsp;national science body CSIRO released a report in April confirming that MH370 was &quot;most likely&quot; north of the former search zone.

Three fragments from the plane have been recovered washed up on western Indian Ocean shores, including a two-metre wing part known as a flaperon found on La Reunion island.

Speculation on the cause of the plane&#39;s disappearance has focused primarily on possible hijacking, rogue pilot action or mechanical failure, but nothing has yet been proved.&nbsp;

The data revealed ridges six kilometres (3.73 miles) wide and 15 kilometres long that rise 1,500 metres above the sea floor, as well as fault valleys 1,200 metres deep and five kilometres wide

The painstaking search for missing flight MH370 has uncovered a previously unknown undersea world of volcanoes, deep valleys and soaring ridges, according to detailed maps released by Australia. Although no trace of the Malaysia Airlines plane was found during the search in the southern Indian Ocean -- the most expensive ever of its kind -- large volumes of data showing a detailed picture of the sea floor had to be collected to guide the probe. Scientists are hopeful the new maps will give their community greater insight into oceans. "It is estimated that only 10 to 15 percent of the world's oceans have been surveyed with the kind of technology used in the search for MH370," Geoscience Australia's environmental geoscience chief Stuart Minchin said late Wednesday. "(That makes) this remote part of the Indian Ocean among the most thoroughly mapped regions of the deep ocean on the planet. "So this data is unique both because of the remote location of the search area, and because of the sheer scale of the area surveyed." Minchin said the maps would also be useful for future scientific research, such as oceanographic and habitat modelling. Australia, Malaysia and China suspended the deep sea hunt in January, almost three years after the Boeing 777 disappeared with 239 people on board. The hunt -- based on satellite analysis of the jet's likely trajectory after it diverted from its flight path -- covered a 120,000 square-kilometre (46,000 square mile) designated zone, an area slightly smaller than England. Two shipwrecks were discovered during the search but no trace of the plane, deepening one the most enduring mysteries of the aviation age. However, the data revealed ridges six kilometres (3.73 miles) wide and 15 kilometres long that rise 1,500 metres above the sea floor, as well as fault valleys 1,200 metres deep and five kilometres wide. A second set of data will be released in mid-2018. While the search for the missing plane has been called off, Canberra has said it could be restarted if new evidence about the specific location of the aircraft emerges. "We remain hopeful that new information will come to light and that at some point in the future the aircraft will be located," Australia's Transport Minister Darren Chester said. Australia's national science body CSIRO released a report in April confirming that MH370 was "most likely" north of the former search zone. Three fragments from the plane have been recovered washed up on western Indian Ocean shores, including a two-metre wing part known as a flaperon found on La Reunion island. Speculation on the cause of the plane's disappearance has focused primarily on possible hijacking, rogue pilot action or mechanical failure, but nothing has yet been proved.

MH370 search reveals hidden undersea world

Pakistan&#39;s top diplomat Sartaj Aziz has said India&#39;s evolving &quot;expansionist&quot; maritime security strategy and unmarked border of Sir Creek pose a &quot;threat&quot; to the security of the Indian Ocean.

&quot;The un-demarcated borders in Sir Creek have the potential to cast a shadow on maritime security. India&#39;s evolving expansionist maritime security strategy is a cause for concern for peace in Indian Ocean,&quot; said Aziz, the PM&#39;s adviser on foreign affairs.

He made the remarks at a conference on &quot;Strategic outlook in Indian Ocean Region 2030 and Beyond Evolving Challenges and Strategies&quot; organised by the Pakistan Navy as part of a multi-nation five-day naval exercise in the Arabian Sea. &quot;Nuclearisation of the Indian Ocean has also led to further instability in the region,&quot; he added.

He said that with 95 per cent&nbsp;of Pakistan&#39;s trade taking place through sea, Pakistan was heavily dependent on a tension-free Indian Ocean.

Aziz said Pakistan is the&nbsp;third largest Indian Ocean littoral country and as a matter of policy it continues to pursue the goal&nbsp;of realising the region&#39;s economic potential.

&quot;We are aware of our national interests and every effort would be made to strengthen our capacity to ensure that we remain ready to meet the emerging maritime security challenges. For us, to remain oblivious of the developments taking place in the Indian Ocean Region is not an option. These developments have a direct impact on our security and prosperity,&quot; he said.

Aziz said that the Indian Ocean Region contains several conflict zones and the region&#39;s maritime security challenges have grown and are affected by key variables such as militarisation, the involvement of major and extra-regional powers, and non-traditional security threats.

&quot;On the other hand, the militarisation of the Indian Ocean region, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, increased missile capabilities and power projection by foreign militaries are a threat to peace in the Indian Ocean Region. And this trend is likely to intensify in the coming years,&quot; he said.

&quot;And to add to this complex scenario, today, the Indian Ocean faces many non-traditional security challenges and threats including piracy, illegal fishing, human trafficking, drug smuggling, trafficking of weapons, maritime pollution and climate change,&quot; he added.

Aziz said Pakistan has a strategic stake in peaceful navigation and security of Indian Ocean region.

&quot;Our interests emanate from our coastline that is over 1000 kilometres long, an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of around 300,000 square kilometres, the Karachi port and the newly built deep sea port of Gwadar,&quot; he said.

He said that due to presence of several powers in the Indian Ocean, the changing power balance and relentless pursuit of national interest prompted analysts to suggest that many global struggles will play out here in the 21st century.

(This report first appeared in DNA)

Sartaj Aziz said with 95% of Pakistan's trade taking place via the sea, it was heavily dependent on a tension-free Indian Ocean

Pakistan's top diplomat Sartaj Aziz has said India's evolving "expansionist" maritime security strategy and unmarked border of Sir Creek pose a "threat" to the security of the Indian Ocean. "The un-demarcated borders in Sir Creek have the potential to cast a shadow on maritime security. India's evolving expansionist maritime security strategy is a cause for concern for peace in Indian Ocean," said Aziz, the PM's adviser on foreign affairs. He made the remarks at a conference on "Strategic outlook in Indian Ocean Region 2030 and Beyond Evolving Challenges and Strategies" organised by the Pakistan Navy as part of a multi-nation five-day naval exercise in the Arabian Sea. "Nuclearisation of the Indian Ocean has also led to further instability in the region," he added. He said that with 95 per cent of Pakistan's trade taking place through sea, Pakistan was heavily dependent on a tension-free Indian Ocean. Aziz said Pakistan is the third largest Indian Ocean littoral country and as a matter of policy it continues to pursue the goal of realising the region's economic potential. "We are aware of our national interests and every effort would be made to strengthen our capacity to ensure that we remain ready to meet the emerging maritime security challenges. For us, to remain oblivious of the developments taking place in the Indian Ocean Region is not an option. These developments have a direct impact on our security and prosperity," he said. Aziz said that the Indian Ocean Region contains several conflict zones and the region's maritime security challenges have grown and are affected by key variables such as militarisation, the involvement of major and extra-regional powers, and non-traditional security threats. "On the other hand, the militarisation of the Indian Ocean region, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, increased missile capabilities and power projection by foreign militaries are a threat to peace in the Indian Ocean Region. And this trend is likely to intensify in the coming years," he said. "And to add to this complex scenario, today, the Indian Ocean faces many non-traditional security challenges and threats including piracy, illegal fishing, human trafficking, drug smuggling, trafficking of weapons, maritime pollution and climate change," he added. Aziz said Pakistan has a strategic stake in peaceful navigation and security of Indian Ocean region. "Our interests emanate from our coastline that is over 1000 kilometres long, an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of around 300,000 square kilometres, the Karachi port and the newly built deep sea port of Gwadar," he said. He said that due to presence of several powers in the Indian Ocean, the changing power balance and relentless pursuit of national interest prompted analysts to suggest that many global struggles will play out here in the 21st century. (This report first appeared in DNA)

India's expansionist maritime strategy a 'concern': Pak's Aziz

India has signed a billion-dollar deal with Boeing to buy four maritime surveillance planes, defence and aviation sources said Wednesday, as it looks to counter China in the Indian Ocean. 
 
The deal for four P-8I aircraft follows India&#39;s earlier purchase of eight of the planes from the American aerospace giant in 2009. 
 
&quot;The deal has been signed. The delivery dates are being worked out,&quot; a defence ministry source told AFP, adding that the deal was worth more than a billion dollars. 
 
India has already deployed its original eight long-range P-8I aircraft to track submarine movements in the Indian Ocean. 
 
The navy is looking to beef up its fleet to strengthen its capabilities against submarines and surface ships. 
 
&quot;India has a vast maritime border and these planes are meant for long-range surveillance,&quot; a Boeing official told AFP, adding that a clause in the earlier agreement provided for New Delhi to purchase four more planes. 
 
&quot;The navy will likely deploy them in the Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal to counter Chinese influence in the seas,&quot; the official said. 
 
India, the world&#39;s number one defence importer, is in the midst of a multi-billion dollar upgrade of its Soviet-era military hardware. 
 
The country has signed several big-ticket defence deals since Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s Bharatiya Janata Party stormed to power in 2014. 
 
Other deals have been mired in bureaucratic wrangles, however, notably the agreement to buy 36 Rafale fighter jets from France&#39;s Dassault Aviation which has been pending since 2012. 
 
Modi&#39;s government has raised the limit on foreign investment in the defence sector and encouraged tie-ups between foreign and local companies. 
 
Modi has also called for the manufacturing of defence equipment locally and cut down reliance on expensive imports. 
 
(AFP) 
&nbsp;

The P-8I Poseidons will help India bolster its navy as New Delhi tries to check China's presence in the Indian Ocean

India has signed a billion-dollar deal with Boeing to buy four maritime surveillance planes, defence and aviation sources said Wednesday, as it looks to counter China in the Indian Ocean. The deal for four P-8I aircraft follows India's earlier purchase of eight of the planes from the American aerospace giant in 2009. "The deal has been signed. The delivery dates are being worked out," a defence ministry source told AFP, adding that the deal was worth more than a billion dollars. India has already deployed its original eight long-range P-8I aircraft to track submarine movements in the Indian Ocean. The navy is looking to beef up its fleet to strengthen its capabilities against submarines and surface ships. "India has a vast maritime border and these planes are meant for long-range surveillance," a Boeing official told AFP, adding that a clause in the earlier agreement provided for New Delhi to purchase four more planes. "The navy will likely deploy them in the Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal to counter Chinese influence in the seas," the official said. India, the world's number one defence importer, is in the midst of a multi-billion dollar upgrade of its Soviet-era military hardware. The country has signed several big-ticket defence deals since Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party stormed to power in 2014. Other deals have been mired in bureaucratic wrangles, however, notably the agreement to buy 36 Rafale fighter jets from France's Dassault Aviation which has been pending since 2012. Modi's government has raised the limit on foreign investment in the defence sector and encouraged tie-ups between foreign and local companies. Modi has also called for the manufacturing of defence equipment locally and cut down reliance on expensive imports. (AFP)

India orders 4 more maritime spy planes from Boeing worth $1 billion

Scientists from India, the United States and Japan have struck upon a large natural gas deposit in the Bay of Bengal, the first potentially producible discovery of its kind in the Indian Ocean. 
 
A research expedition carried out jointly by the three countries discovered the natural gas hydrate - an ice-like form of the fuel - off India&#39;s east coast, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said in a statement Monday.&nbsp; 
 
Energy-hungry India is heavily dependent on imports to meet its oil and gas needs and is hungry to secure more of its own supplies. 
 
&quot;The results from this expedition mark a critical step forward to understanding the energy resource potential of gas hydrates,&quot; said USGS Senior Scientist Tim Collett.&nbsp; 
 
The discovery in the sand reservoirs of the Krishna-Godavari Basin contains &quot;what we believe to be several of the largest and most concentrated gas hydrate accumulations yet found in the world,&quot; Collett said.&nbsp; 
 
The amount of natural gas locked in hydrate form worldwide is believed to be far greater than the volume of all known conventional gas resources, USGS said.&nbsp; 
 
Yet producing the fuel from hydrates is extremely technically challenging. 
 
&quot;Advances like the Bay of Bengal discovery will help unlock the global energy resource potential of gas hydrates as well help define the technology needed to safely produce them,&quot; said Walter Guidroz, USGS Energy Resources Program coordinator. 
 
The next steps will involve testing to determine if production of the deposits is practically and economically viable. 
 
The expedition involved experts from India`s Oil and Natural Gas Corporation and USGS as well as Japanese drilling and marine-earth specialists. 
 
(AFP) 
&nbsp;

The tri-nation research expedition could have hit upon the first potentially producible discovery of its kind in the Indian Ocean

Scientists from India, the United States and Japan have struck upon a large natural gas deposit in the Bay of Bengal, the first potentially producible discovery of its kind in the Indian Ocean. A research expedition carried out jointly by the three countries discovered the natural gas hydrate - an ice-like form of the fuel - off India's east coast, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said in a statement Monday. Energy-hungry India is heavily dependent on imports to meet its oil and gas needs and is hungry to secure more of its own supplies. "The results from this expedition mark a critical step forward to understanding the energy resource potential of gas hydrates," said USGS Senior Scientist Tim Collett. The discovery in the sand reservoirs of the Krishna-Godavari Basin contains "what we believe to be several of the largest and most concentrated gas hydrate accumulations yet found in the world," Collett said. The amount of natural gas locked in hydrate form worldwide is believed to be far greater than the volume of all known conventional gas resources, USGS said. Yet producing the fuel from hydrates is extremely technically challenging. "Advances like the Bay of Bengal discovery will help unlock the global energy resource potential of gas hydrates as well help define the technology needed to safely produce them," said Walter Guidroz, USGS Energy Resources Program coordinator. The next steps will involve testing to determine if production of the deposits is practically and economically viable. The expedition involved experts from India`s Oil and Natural Gas Corporation and USGS as well as Japanese drilling and marine-earth specialists. (AFP)

India, US discover natural gas deposit in the Bay of Bengal

Adverse weather has caused a delay of up to eight weeks in the Indian Ocean search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, search officials said on Wednesday, pushing the hunt well beyond an expected conclusion date of mid-2016. 
 
The jet carrying 239 passengers and crew disappeared enroute from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, 2014 in one of aviation&#39;s great mysteries. A wing part, known as a flaperon, washed up on the French island of Reunion in July 2015. 
 
Crash investigators have otherwise confirmed no other trace of the plane. An undersea search of the southern Indian Ocean, history&#39;s costliest such effort, has turned up nothing. 
 
&quot;Poor weather conditions have severely impacted search operations,&quot; the Joint Agency Coordination Centre in charge of the search said in a statement. 
 
&quot;Progress has slowed, with only a minimal area searched&quot; since the start of the southern hemisphere winter, it added. 
 
The search has covered 110,000 sq km (42,000 sq miles) of ocean floor, leaving just 10,000 sq km (3,800 sq miles) unchecked, said the agency, which represents the Australian, Malaysian and Chinese authorities spearheading the effort. 
 
The poor weather will permit some use of deep tow equipment, but an autonomous underwater vehicle that surveys the most difficult stretches can only be launched in the calmer conditions of spring and summer, the agency added. 
 
If the weather remains hostile or equipment fails, the search &quot;may continue well beyond the winter months,&quot; it said. 
 
The agency had originally expected to wrap up its search of about 120,000 sq km (46,000 sq miles) of ocean floor in mid-2016. 
 
(Reuters)

In one of aviation's great mysteries, the jet carrying 239 passengers and crew disappeared on March 8, 2014

Adverse weather has caused a delay of up to eight weeks in the Indian Ocean search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, search officials said on Wednesday, pushing the hunt well beyond an expected conclusion date of mid-2016. The jet carrying 239 passengers and crew disappeared enroute from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, 2014 in one of aviation's great mysteries. A wing part, known as a flaperon, washed up on the French island of Reunion in July 2015. Crash investigators have otherwise confirmed no other trace of the plane. An undersea search of the southern Indian Ocean, history's costliest such effort, has turned up nothing. "Poor weather conditions have severely impacted search operations," the Joint Agency Coordination Centre in charge of the search said in a statement. "Progress has slowed, with only a minimal area searched" since the start of the southern hemisphere winter, it added. The search has covered 110,000 sq km (42,000 sq miles) of ocean floor, leaving just 10,000 sq km (3,800 sq miles) unchecked, said the agency, which represents the Australian, Malaysian and Chinese authorities spearheading the effort. The poor weather will permit some use of deep tow equipment, but an autonomous underwater vehicle that surveys the most difficult stretches can only be launched in the calmer conditions of spring and summer, the agency added. If the weather remains hostile or equipment fails, the search "may continue well beyond the winter months," it said. The agency had originally expected to wrap up its search of about 120,000 sq km (46,000 sq miles) of ocean floor in mid-2016. (Reuters)

Indian Ocean search for missing Malaysia MH370 aircraft slows due to bad weather

Speaker of the US House of Representatives,&nbsp;Paul Ryan, has said that the Indian government is going to be America&#39;s &quot;great ally&quot;, and there is a need to nurture this relationship.
In a major foreign policy speech in which he was highly critical of President Barack Obama&#39;s policies, the US-India relationship was the only aspect of it which was appreciated by Ryan.
&quot;I think you need, in particular, specifically under Modi&#39;s leadership, and he and I have discussed this at great length yesterday, (US-India) have a great potential for the future. Particularly with the seas, in the Pacific and in the Indian Ocean, making sure that we help police the global commons and international order. Namely China building, you know, runways on islands in contested areas,&quot; Ryan said.

He said this in the speech at the Council on Foreign Relations on Thursday, a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a joint meeting of the US Congress at his invitation.
Modi was the first foreign leader to be invited to address a joint sitting of the Congress under Ryan&#39;s speakership.&nbsp;On Wednesday, Modi and Ryan had a one-on-one interaction before the Prime Minister&#39;s address. Ryan also hosted a lunch for the visiting leader.

A day later, Ryan was all in praise for Modi.&nbsp;&quot;I think the Indian (government), the new Indian government, is going to be a great ally of ours and we have better security cooperation with them. That&#39;s one thing that we need to nurture and grow,&quot; Ryan told the audience at the Council on Foreign Relations, a top American think tank.

&quot;And those of us who are fans of Modi, you know, he&#39;s a conservative who wants, who embraces, free enterprise. He&#39;s bringing needed reform to the country,&quot; Ryan said, according to the remarks released by his office.

&quot;That&#39;s the kind of an alliance that we need to forge and build upon. That stands in stark contrast, I would argue, to the Obama foreign policy of the last eight years where we have neglected our allies and we have basically rewarded our enemies, our adversaries,&quot; said the Speaker of the US House of Representatives.

Except for his comments on India, Ryan slammed Obama&#39;s foreign policy.&nbsp;&quot;We know that this new Obama foreign policy concept, leading from behind, can now be declared an unambiguous failure. It is making us unprepared. It is reducing our military capability and strength,&quot; he alleged.

Though Ryan, Speaker of the US House of Representatives, criticised most of Obama's policies, he appreciated the US-India relationship

Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Paul Ryan, has said that the Indian government is going to be America's "great ally", and there is a need to nurture this relationship. In a major foreign policy speech in which he was highly critical of President Barack Obama's policies, the US-India relationship was the only aspect of it which was appreciated by Ryan. "I think you need, in particular, specifically under Modi's leadership, and he and I have discussed this at great length yesterday, (US-India) have a great potential for the future. Particularly with the seas, in the Pacific and in the Indian Ocean, making sure that we help police the global commons and international order. Namely China building, you know, runways on islands in contested areas," Ryan said. He said this in the speech at the Council on Foreign Relations on Thursday, a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a joint meeting of the US Congress at his invitation. Modi was the first foreign leader to be invited to address a joint sitting of the Congress under Ryan's speakership. On Wednesday, Modi and Ryan had a one-on-one interaction before the Prime Minister's address. Ryan also hosted a lunch for the visiting leader. A day later, Ryan was all in praise for Modi. "I think the Indian (government), the new Indian government, is going to be a great ally of ours and we have better security cooperation with them. That's one thing that we need to nurture and grow," Ryan told the audience at the Council on Foreign Relations, a top American think tank. "And those of us who are fans of Modi, you know, he's a conservative who wants, who embraces, free enterprise. He's bringing needed reform to the country," Ryan said, according to the remarks released by his office. "That's the kind of an alliance that we need to forge and build upon. That stands in stark contrast, I would argue, to the Obama foreign policy of the last eight years where we have neglected our allies and we have basically rewarded our enemies, our adversaries," said the Speaker of the US House of Representatives. Except for his comments on India, Ryan slammed Obama's foreign policy. "We know that this new Obama foreign policy concept, leading from behind, can now be declared an unambiguous failure. It is making us unprepared. It is reducing our military capability and strength," he alleged.

Paul Ryan believes Indian government is going to be America's 'great ally'

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