Latest news with #NDS
Japan Forward
20 hours ago
- Politics
- Japan Forward
Defense Strategy in Focus as China Escalates in East and South China Seas
On May 31, the defense ministers of Japan, the United States, Australia, and the Philippines met in Singapore. In a joint statement, they expressed "continued serious concern about China's destabilizing actions in the East China Sea (ECS) and the South China Sea (SCS) and any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion." The four nations also "committed to continue working together and with other like-minded partners to support peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific." Participants included Japan's Defense Minister Gen Nakatani, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles, and Philippine Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro. During the meeting, Nakatani noted China has become more active than ever in the East and South China Seas. This was the third meeting of the four defense ministers since May 2024. In the joint statement, they also agreed to develop their partnership in the four key areas of defense investments, information-sharing, cybersecurity and resilience, operational coordination and interoperability. Separately, Japan, the US, and Australia held a trilateral defense meeting. During the talks, the three nations agreed to conduct live-fire exercises and deepen cooperation related to Tomahawk cruise missiles, which Japan and Australia are procuring from the United States. In the bilateral Japan-US defense talks, the two sides agreed to strengthen cybersecurity cooperation. This move follows the passage of legislation in Japan enabling proactive cyber defense. They also confirmed plans to coordinate closely on the newly formulated American National Defense Strategy (NDS). When asked by reporters whether the US had requested Japan increase its defense spending, Nakatani declined to comment. Defense ministers from Japan, the US, Australia, and the Philippines attend the meeting. May 31, Singapore (©Sankei by Shusuke Takenouchi) That same day, Nakatani followed up these meetings with a speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue, an Asia security summit. "We will work to restore a rules-based international order in the Indo-Pacific," he promised. He also stressed that through cooperation on defense equipment and other measures, "Japan will remain ASEAN's and the region's best partner." The four-nation Japan-US-Australia-Philippines defense ministers' meeting additionally signaled the desire to continue multilateral cooperation. With China's defense budget now more than four times Japan's, maintaining deterrence will require more than just the US-Japan alliance. Stronger ties with Australia and the Philippines, which face similar threats, are also essential. In February 2025, the four countries conducted cooperative maritime exercises in the South China Sea. China continues to face off with the Philippines by building artificial islands and expanding CCP military bases in waters under Manila's administrative jurisdiction. Meanwhile, in the seas off Australia, the Chinese navy has conducted live-fire drills. Both Australia and the Philippines face territorial intrusions, as Japan does around the Senkaku Islands in Okinawa Prefecture. All three are contending with increasing Chinese military pressure. The framework of Japan-US-Australia-Philippines cooperation was launched under the previous Joe Biden administration. President Donald Trump has shown reluctance toward multilateral frameworks that limit US autonomy. Nevertheless, Japan, Australia, and the Philippines now appear to be aligning closely in hopes of drawing Trump's attention and securing continued US engagement. Japan is also advancing bilateral defense cooperation with both Australia and the Philippines. It has designated Australia as a "quasi-ally," second only to the US, and has plans to collaborate in developing counterstrike capabilities. Through direct assistance, Japan has provided the Philippines with air defense radar systems. Should the radar data eventually be shared with Japan's Self-Defense Forces, "movements of the Chinese military would be fully visible," according to a former defense minister. Notably absent from the latest talks was South Korea. In the event of a Taiwan contingency, Seoul's cooperation would be critical to deter provocations or escalation from North Korea. However, with South Korea in a transition period ahead of its presidential election, no minister-level official was dispatched to the security summit. Soldiers conducting live-fire drills in the Kinmen Island area, a Taiwanese outlying island (©Taiwan Ministry of National Defense/Kyodo). All five countries ー Japan, the US, Australia, the Philippines, and South Korea ー met for the first time in November 2024. A senior official at Japan's Ministry of Defense admitted, "We had hoped for all five nations to gather again." Defense cooperation between Japan and South Korea has effectively stalled since former President Yoon Suk-yeol declared a martial law emergency in December 2024. Nakatani is exploring an early visit to South Korea following the June 3 presidential election with a view to restarting engagement. (Read the related articles in Japanese.) Author: Shusuke Takenouchi, The Sankei Shimbun
The Hindu
22-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Incorrect to say India doesn't have a National Security Strategy: CDS
Abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories would not have been possible without the elements — 'Policy, Processes and Organisational Structures' — that constitute the National Security Strategy (NSS), Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan wrote in his book, while stating that India doesn't have a written NSS but says it is 'incorrect' to say that India doesn't have one. 'Strategic analysts and political pundits in India and abroad often have been found stating that India does not have a national security strategy. That is incorrect and a myopic understanding of the issue. What we don't have is a written document called the NSS, which is published periodically by some Western nations,' Gen. Chauhan wrote in the book he authored, Ready, Relevant and Resurgent: A Blueprint for the Transformation of India's Military, which was released on Thursday (May 22, 2025). 'Israel, the most threatened nation on earth, does not have a written policy document/ NSS,' he wrote, while stating that on the contrary, Pakistan issued a written National Security Policy in 2022 and soon ran into economic problems, political instability, rift between the armed forces and citizens and problems on its western borders. 'They had the written document but lacked the organisational structures, processes and policies to secure the nation,' Gen. Chauhan remarked. An apex level Defence Planning Committee (DPC) chaired by the National Security Adviser (NSA) was set up in 2018 which was to formulate the NSS and a National Defence Strategy (NDS) but there has been no update on the progress. In the past, former Army Chief Gen. Manoj M. Naravane had said it was essential to have an NSS, NDS and a higher defence organisation in place and only then we can think of integrated theatre commands. COVID-19 challenges Gen. Chauhan said no nation could secure itself without a strategy in place. The important constituents of a strategy would be Policy, Processes and Organisational Structures. 'I believe that India has all these functioning efficiently. India encountered the challenges of COVID-19 from zero preparation level to a nation acting in unison to propagating 'Vaccine Maitri'. Today, surgical strikes, multi-alignment, and Atmanirbharta are part of a strategy to secure the nation, the country's second CDS elaborated in the book, an excerpt of which was published on the news portal stratnewsglobal. It is possible because all organisational structures, processes and policies are in place, he said. 'The resounding success of G20 in the same manner promotes national interests, contributing to national security.' Dwelling into the country's organisational structures responsible for national security, the book details that the National Security Council (NSC) is at the apex headed by the Prime Minister with the NSA as a Secretary. It oversees both internal and external security about conventional and non-conventional threats, military affairs, space, cyber and technology, Gen. Chauhan noted. Further, the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) functions under the aegis of the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) and is responsible for national security planning and coordination in the political, economic, energy and strategic arenas. It has three tiers. The processes are steered through various committees such as the Strategic Policy Group and DPC, both of which function under the chairmanship of the NSA. Other enabling committees include the Defence Acquisition Council, which is headed by the Defence Minister, and the Chiefs of Staff Committee to coordinate on the policy front for all tri-services military matters.
Business Recorder
19-05-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
Tariffs, geopolitical tensions: IMF warns Pakistan of rising external risks
ISLAMABAD: International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned that external risks are increasing, notably from the economic and financial impact of the April 2 US tariff announcements and subsequent market reaction, broader geopolitical tensions and elevated global economic policy uncertainty, with potential spillovers to (already tight) global financial conditions and commodity prices. The Fund in its latest report also stated that domestic political economy pressures to unwind and delay reforms remain present and may intensify, which would quickly eviscerate Pakistan's hard-won economic stability. Uncertainties around the impact of recent tariff announcements on Pakistan's economic and financial conditions are significant, with risks skewed to the downside. Trade tensions to affect Pakistan more in region: IMF More broadly, geopolitically driven increases incommodity prices, tightening in global financial conditions, weakening of remittances, or higher trade barriers in other trading partners could adversely affect external stability. The other main immediate risk relates to policy slippages given pressures to ease policies and provide tax and other concessions and subsidies to connected interests. The report further noted that an intensification of political or social tensions could also weigh on policy and reform implementation. Finally, climate-related risks are substantial, driven by both Pakistan's high exposure to natural disasters and large adaptation and mitigation needs. Amid an increasingly uncertain external environment, geopolitical frictions could adversely impact external stability via higher commodity prices, a tightening in global financial conditions, or greater protectionism in key trading partners. Considering Pakistan's high exposure to natural disasters, weather-related events could further elevate fiscal and external pressures. In view of this, it is critical that policy and structural reforms are implemented consistently, and delays or slippages are avoided as they could jeopardize the nascent economic recovery and the path to debt and external sustainability, and could adversely impact the external financing outlook, including from bilateral partners, it added. IMF further stated that part of Pakistan's challenge is a lack of policy consistency and continuity. Policies, budgets, and programs related to climate risk have thus far been subject to changing political currents. As a result, although climate-change issues have featured in Pakistan's overall development policies since the 2012 National Development Strategy (NDS), specific actions or implementation steps have been lacking. The first National Climate Change Policy (NCCP 2012) provided guidelines for developing national adaptation and mitigation plans across sectors, but in practice, it had little impact on sectoral programs. Three years later, in its first Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC 2015), Pakistan made a handful of very limited commitments to mitigation and adaptation but has not moved significantly beyond that point. One reason is that government ownership of climate change policy and responsibilities for action has been fragmented. For the past several years, this responsibility has shifted between different institutions and levels, with blurred lines of responsibility and weak forms of accountability. Additionally, challenges exist in transferring environmental, water, agriculture and climate-change policies and programs from the national level down to the provincial level, and across sectors. With the advent of devolution in Pakistan, the provinces became responsible for sectoral policies and implementation within their respective jurisdictions. As a result, although the Ministry of Climate Change has the overall mandate for climate change policy, each province has its own Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) responsible for environmental policy and programs within that province. This includes climate-change mitigation and adaptation measures. Two provinces have also set up climate-change centres under their EPAs. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
19-05-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
Tariffs, geopolitical tensions: Fund warns of rising external risks
ISLAMABAD: International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned that external risks are increasing, notably from the economic and financial impact of the April 2 US tariff announcements and subsequent market reaction, broader geopolitical tensions and elevated global economic policy uncertainty, with potential spillovers to (already tight) global financial conditions and commodity prices. The Fund in its latest report also stated that domestic political economy pressures to unwind and delay reforms remain present and may intensify, which would quickly eviscerate Pakistan's hard-won economic stability. Uncertainties around the impact of recent tariff announcements on Pakistan's economic and financial conditions are significant, with risks skewed to the downside. Trade tensions to affect Pakistan more in region: IMF More broadly, geopolitically driven increases incommodity prices, tightening in global financial conditions, weakening of remittances, or higher trade barriers in other trading partners could adversely affect external stability. The other main immediate risk relates to policy slippages given pressures to ease policies and provide tax and other concessions and subsidies to connected interests. The report further noted that an intensification of political or social tensions could also weigh on policy and reform implementation. Finally, climate-related risks are substantial, driven by both Pakistan's high exposure to natural disasters and large adaptation and mitigation needs. Amid an increasingly uncertain external environment, geopolitical frictions could adversely impact external stability via higher commodity prices, a tightening in global financial conditions, or greater protectionism in key trading partners. Considering Pakistan's high exposure to natural disasters, weather-related events could further elevate fiscal and external pressures. In view of this, it is critical that policy and structural reforms are implemented consistently, and delays or slippages are avoided as they could jeopardize the nascent economic recovery and the path to debt and external sustainability, and could adversely impact the external financing outlook, including from bilateral partners, it added. IMF further stated that part of Pakistan's challenge is a lack of policy consistency and continuity. Policies, budgets, and programs related to climate risk have thus far been subject to changing political currents. As a result, although climate-change issues have featured in Pakistan's overall development policies since the 2012 National Development Strategy (NDS), specific actions or implementation steps have been lacking. The first National Climate Change Policy (NCCP 2012) provided guidelines for developing national adaptation and mitigation plans across sectors, but in practice, it had little impact on sectoral programs. Three years later, in its first Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC 2015), Pakistan made a handful of very limited commitments to mitigation and adaptation but has not moved significantly beyond that point. One reason is that government ownership of climate change policy and responsibilities for action has been fragmented. For the past several years, this responsibility has shifted between different institutions and levels, with blurred lines of responsibility and weak forms of accountability. Additionally, challenges exist in transferring environmental, water, agriculture and climate-change policies and programs from the national level down to the provincial level, and across sectors. With the advent of devolution in Pakistan, the provinces became responsible for sectoral policies and implementation within their respective jurisdictions. As a result, although the Ministry of Climate Change has the overall mandate for climate change policy, each province has its own Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) responsible for environmental policy and programs within that province. This includes climate-change mitigation and adaptation measures. Two provinces have also set up climate-change centres under their EPAs. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Time of India
12-05-2025
- Time of India
Roads Turn Into Wedding Venues, Trigger Gridlocks
1 2 3 4 Nagpur: As private lawn and hall rentals soar across Nagpur, more residents are turning to block public roads to host weddings, receptions, and birthday parties by erecting mandaps and pandals on carriageways. This cost-cutting trend emerged as the single largest cause of road-blocking violations in the city, accounting for nearly 40% of the total 1.11 lakh cases recorded between December 11, 2017, and April 30, misuse of public roads for personal celebrations not only disrupts traffic but also raises civic concerns. Among the 1,11,529 road-blocking violations registered by Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) 's nuisance detection squad (NDS) during the said period, around 44,612 cases involved erecting unauthorised mandaps. The civic body imposes a Rs1,000 fine per offence and collected a staggering Rs13.07 crore in total — of which Rs4.46 crore is estimated to stem from mandap-related violations especially in densely populated areas, increasingly opt for public spaces to bypass expensive private venues. Civic officials admit that temporary structures often appear overnight, blocking traffic and footpaths for hours or days, especially during the wedding and festive data shows Dharampeth led with 15,157 cases, followed by Gandhibagh (14,470), Mangalwari (12,925), and Ashi Nagar (12,653). Tony areas under like Laxmi Nagar and Hanuman Nagar zones also reported over 11,000 cases each, indicating that the trend cuts across social alarming for authorities is the repeated nature of these violations. For many, the Rs1,000 penalty is seen as a cheaper alternative to venue rental. "Residents treat it as a fee rather than a deterrent," admitted a senior official. The NMC is now considering stricter measures, including steeper fines and legal action against habitual note of the surge, Municipal Commissioner Abhijeet Chaudhari directed the NDS to step up enforcement and raise awareness, particularly ahead of the summer wedding For Blocking Road. So What?Zones---Cases---Fines collectedLaxmi Nagar---11286---11333250Dharampeth---15157---20395950Hanuman Nagar---12980---12444600Dhantoli---8832---11672500Nehru Nagar---8652---11229175Gandhibagh---14470---16431700Satranjipura---6393---8390100Lakadganj---8175---9972450Ashi Nagar---12653---15422800Mangalwari ---12925---13448400(The cases include blocking of roads for erecting pandals, welcome arches, installing stages etc)
