The Maldivian Foreign Ministry has thanked India for extending $50 million in budgetary support, calling it a “true gesture of goodwill.” The payment was made as a rollover of a treasury bill for an additional year through the State Bank of India.
The 7th edition of the India-France Joint Military Exercise “Shakti” started at the Joint Training Node in Umroi, Meghalaya, on Monday. The exercise, which will continue till 26 May, is a biennial training event conducted alternatively in the two countries.
According to the Press Trust of India, China has overtaken the US to become India’s largest trading partner. While the two-way commerce between India and China was $118.4 billion in the fiscal year 2023-24, for India and the US, the figure was $118.3 billion.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken made an unannounced visit to Ukraine on Tuesday. It was the first such high-level visit from Washington DC to Kyiv since Congress approved a $61 billion military aid package for the country last month. According to a US official who briefed reporters travelling with Blinken on condition of anonymity, the Secretary aims to convey a strong message of support to the Ukrainian people during this challenging period.
Last month, the US and Taiwan’s navies reportedly engaged in joint drills in the Western Pacific. However, according to four individuals familiar with the situation, these exercises were not officially acknowledged. One source mentioned the involvement of “multiple military assets,” and another characterised the drills as “unplanned sea encounters,” suggesting an implicit agreement where both parties treated the exercises as coincidental encounters, thus avoiding official acknowledgement.
On Monday, the Philippines announced increased surveillance of reefs, shoals, and islets within its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the South China Sea. This follows accusations against China regarding the construction of an artificial island in disputed waters. The Philippine Coast Guard’s deployment of a ship to Sabina Shoal in the Spratly archipelago, where alleged construction activity was observed, prompted this decision.