Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam landed in New Delhi on Tuesday night on a five-day state visit aimed at strengthening bilateral relations in a variety of areas. This is his first visit to India as President of Singapore, accompanied by a high-level team. Union Minister Jitin Prasada met him at the airport. The visit commemorates the 60th anniversary of India and Singapore's diplomatic ties. External Affairs Ministry spokeswoman Randhir Jaiswal emphasised the significance of the occasion, remarking on 'X,' "A special celebration of the 60th anniversary of #IndiaSingapore diplomat
Singapore's President Tharman Shanmugaratnam will visit India from January 14 to 18, 2025, accompanied by a high-level delegation. This is his first visit to India as president, and it coincides with the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, according to the MEA. On January 16, President Tharman will be welcomed ceremonially at Rashtrapati Bhawan and will meet with President Droupadi Murmu, who will organise a banquet in his honour. Meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, and other dignitaries are also planned. His
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is in the UAE for a three-day working visit, with a focus on strengthening economic and strategic partnerships. On Monday, Anwar met with heads of UAE sovereign wealth funds, including Masdar CEO Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority Managing Director Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Mubadala CEO Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak. Later, he travelled to Dubai to meet with UAE Vice President and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum at Za'abeel Palace. Discussions included renewable energy, food and energy security, ar
According to a senior Indian government official, India is close to finalizing a preliminary deal with Mongolia on geology and exploration. The agreement comes as India looks to diversify its supply of vital minerals. Mongolia, a landlocked country, has huge supplies of copper and coking coal, which are critical to India's expanding demands in power generation, building, electric vehicles, and steel manufacturing. "The Indian cabinet has approved the MoU, and both nations are expected to sign it soon," said the official. While the Indian federal mines ministry and Mongolia's Minis
During a delegation-level discussion with his Maldivian counterpart, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh reaffirmed India's steadfast commitment to improving its ties with the Maldives. The meeting aimed to strengthen cooperation and identify opportunities for collaborative growth between the two countries. Singh reflected on President Mohamed Muizzu's recent state visit to India, recognizing its importance in altering bilateral relations. "President Muizzu's visit in October 2024 gave a new direction for our partnership. "The Joint Vision Document, which was released during the visit, serves a
Malaysia and Singapore have announced plans to establish a special economic zone at the Johor-Singapore border, to increase investment opportunities and streamline people and goods movements. The zone, located in Malaysia's southern Johor state and connected to Singapore by a bustling causeway, will benefit from one of the world's busiest land border crossings, which is utilised by over 300,000 people every day. The zone, which spans 3,571 square kilometres—nearly five times the size of Singapore—provides Singaporean enterprises with much-needed expansion space, access to low-cost labo
Indonesia has officially joined the BRICS bloc of developing economies as a full member, the group's presiding country, Brazil, declared on Monday. This milestone comes after Indonesia's endorsement by BRICS leaders in August 2023, as announced by Brazil's Foreign Ministry, which holds the group's leadership in 2025. Despite getting previous approval, Indonesia chose to register its entry only after forming a newly elected government last year. "The Brazilian government welcomes Indonesia's entry into BRICS," the Brazilian government announced. "As Southeast Asia's largest economy and most
Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched the Bharatpol platform in New Delhi on Tuesday, signalling a transformative step in India's crime-fighting capabilities. Designed to improve international investigations, the site allows for seamless communication between Indian law enforcement authorities and Interpol, closing significant gaps in global crime-fighting efforts. Shah noted that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) was previously the only agency that communicated with Interpol. BHARATPOL enables all Indian law enforcement agencies and state police forces to communicate directly wit
The United States is finalizing steps to clear hurdles for a civil nuclear partnership with Indian firms, U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan announced on Monday. This move aims to reinvigorate a landmark deal between the two nations. Since the mid-2000s, Washington and New Delhi have been discussing the supply of U.S. nuclear reactors to India, which is in need of more energy. A key obstacle has been India's liability rules, which need to align with global norms. These norms require that any accident costs are borne by the operator, not the plant's manufacturer. The deal, init
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) announced that Russia, the 2024 BRICS chair, confirmed Thailand's new status. BRICS, comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, recently expanded to include nine new members: the United Arab Emirates, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Thailand. Additionally, 13 countries, including Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Indonesia from Southeast Asia, have joined as partner nations. The MFA stated that Thailand's partnership with BRICS builds on its cooperation with the group since 2017, when it joined the