
India's Indo-Pacific Powerplay: Why Philippines is Crucial for New Delhi
As America pressures India, New Delhi is building new partnerships—starting with the Philippines. President Bongbong Marcos is in India for a five-day visit, and the outcome is big: the two countries have upgraded ties to a Strategic Partnership. From joint naval drills in the South China Sea to BrahMos missile deals, digital cloud cooperation, visa-free travel, and trade talks—this is more than a handshake. It's a geopolitical shift. With China's aggression rising and U.S. reliability in question, India and the Philippines are stepping up. Palki Sharma tells you more.
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Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
Earthquake of magnitude 4.8 strikes Carlsberg Ridge
An earthquake of magnitude 4.8 occurred in the Carlsberg Ridge on Sunday, the National Center for Seismology (NCS) said in a statement. Independence Day 2025 Modi signals new push for tech independence with local chips Before Trump, British used tariffs to kill Indian textile Bank of Azad Hind: When Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose gave India its own currency As per the NCS, the earthquake occurred at a shallow depth of 10km, making it susceptible to aftershocks. In a post on X, the NCS said, "EQ of M: 4.8, On: 17/08/2025 05:54:11 IST, Lat: 4.36 N, Long: 62.76 E, Depth: 10 Km, Location: Carlsberg Ridge." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like This Could Be the Best Time to Trade Gold in 5 Years IC Markets Learn More Undo Shallow earthquakes are generally more dangerous than deep earthquakes. This is because the seismic waves from shallow earthquakes have a shorter distance to travel to the surface, resulting in stronger ground shaking and potentially more damage to structures and greater casualties. The Carlsberg Ridge is the northern section of the Central Indian Ridge, a divergent tectonic plate boundary between the African plate and the Indo-Australian plate, traversing the western regions of the Indian Ocean. Live Events The ridge, of which the Carlsberg Ridge is a part, extends northward from a triple point junction near the island of Rodrigues (the Rodrigues Triple Point) to a junction with the Owen fracture zone. The ridge started its northwards propagation in the late Maastrichtian and reached the incipient Arabian Sea in the Eocene. Then it continued to accrete basalt but did not propagate for nearly 30 Ma. Then, in the early Miocene, it started to propagate westwards towards the Afar hot spot, opening the Gulf of Aden. The Carlsberg Ridge is seismically active, with a major earthquake being recorded by the United States Geological Survey at 7.6 on the moment magnitude scale on July 15, 2003. The July 15, 2003, M 7.6 earthquake on the Carlsberg Ridge occurred as a result of shallow transform faulting within a mid-ocean ridge system, located in the Arabian Sea between India and Northern Africa. The ridge marks the boundary between the India and Nubia (Africa) plates.

The Hindu
13 hours ago
- The Hindu
Historic T-55 tank ‘Shivashakti' now in Ranebennur
The historic T-55 war tank 'Shivashakti', which was used in the historic Indo-Pak war for Bangladesh liberation will now be on public display in Ranebennur of Haveri district. The historic tank will now be on display permanently before the Mini Vidhana Soudha in Ranebennur, thanks to the interest taken by Ranebennur MLA Prakash Koliwad. During the Independence Day celebration on Friday, Speaker of Karnataka Legislative Assembly U.T. Khader unveiled the tank. Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Prakash Koliwad said: 'The display of the war tank is a way of honouring the brave soldiers, who led the tank in the war field. It is also aimed at inspiring the youngsters and sensitising them about country's military power'. Speaker U.T. Khader termed the installation of the tank at Ranebennur as a matter of pride for the whole State. 'It inspires the younger generation to know more about the history our military and take pride in it'. He also called on everyone to understand the history and be patriotic and contribute towards nation building. History During the Indo-Pak war in 1965, the necessity of armored fighting vehicles was felt by the Indian Army. Therefore, the Indian government approached European countries for the supply of battle tanks. The T-55 tank was procured during the period 1966-77. It was the main battle tank at that period of time and as per the prevailing policy, it was to have a life of 15 years with one mid-life overhaul. This T55 tank was procured from Russia during the war between Indo-Pak for Bangla liberation in 1971, named Shivashakti and it helped army men to succeed in their mission and to achieve victory. Shivashakti belongs to assault regiment of Indian Army and has been procured from the Central Army Fighting Vehicle Depot at Kirkee in Pune (Maharashtra). The tank has been installed in Ranebennur utilising ₹15 lakh released from the MLA's local area development fund and ₹9.85 lakh from the municipal grants.


Time of India
16 hours ago
- Time of India
70-year-old statue of Hanuman stolen from Fiji temple, idol was cemented to the floor
The Hanuman idol was cemented on the floor. (Photo: Fijivillage) A 70-year-old statue of Lord Hanuman was stolen from Wailailai Kuti in Ba, prompting a police investigation into the theft. The 35 cm idol was cemented to the floor but vanished overnight. Fijivillage reported that police said the temple's 68-year-old assistant treasurer discovered the theft Wednesday morning and lodged a report. Shree Sanatan Dharm Pratinidhi Sabha President, Dhirendra Nand, described the theft as 'deeply hurtful' and confirmed the organisation will conduct its own internal investigation alongside police inquiries. He told the news outlet that CCTV cameras are installed in the temple and urged authorities to examine the footage. 'We have confidence in the law and order of this country and in the Police Force. We hope the truth will come before the public very soon,' Nand said and urged devotees to not be disheartened as the incident coincided with the conclusion of Shree Krishna Janmashtami celebrations. The incident comes as the Indo-Fijian community is under increased attack in the island country. Last month, 100-year-old idols at Samabula Shiv Temple were destroyed. 28-year-old man, Sameula Tawake was charged with one count of alleged sacrilege and one count of throwing an object. Fiji's former attorney general Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum voiced concern over the environment for the Indo-Fijian community in the country. He said the desecration was the act of an individual "possibly radicalised to execute religious hatred with purpose." "Inconsistent concern and commitment by the Prime Minister about hate speech and discrimination gives rise to and encourages radical ethno- nationalists who engage the political game of 'us' and 'them'," Sayed-Khaiyum wrote. "If not reined in and spoken against in the harshest of terms by our leaders and those in positions of authority, then such acts will only give more oxygen to others who are already vulnerable to hate and discrimination." The desecration of non-Christian places of worship started when "overt and blatant hate was espoused against Indo-Fijians in 1987, to justify the overthrow of the (Timoci) Bavadra government," he wrote. Sayed-Khaiyum said that the rise in attacks against Indo-Fijians is being "increasingly accepted as the norm under the current leadership."