India is to return to the elite group of countries with a nuclear-powered submarine on Wednesday when it inducts a new vessel leased from Russia. Indian Defence Minister A.K. Antony is to formally commission the INS Chakra II at its base in Visakhapatnam, a navy shipyard on the country's south east coast in the state of Andhra Pradesh. The 8,140-tonne submarine, capable of firing a range of torpedoes as well as nuclear-tipped Granat cruise …

About 130 North Korean officials visited the tense frontier with South Korea last week as Pyongyang intensified its threats against Seoul, a report said Wednesday. The North's Defence Minister Kim Yong-Chun and military chief Ri Yong-Ho toured the border truce village of Panmunjom on March 4, Yonhap news agency quoted an unidentified South Korean military official as saying. The official also said mid-level officials had since travelled to the …

Eleven people were killed in a blast that hit Belarusian capital Minsk’s Oktyabrskaya metro station Monday, said President Alexander Lukashenko while describing the blast as “a serious challenge” to the nation.Some 40 people were hospitalised after the explosion, which occurred at 5.55 p.m. local time (14.55 GMT). According to the police, the explosion happened as a train was standing at the station. The blast occurred near the residence of Belarus …

External power reached all six reactors Tuesday at a damaged nuclear power plant in northeastern Japan, 11 days after an earthquake and tsunami rocked the region, raising hopes that meltdowns could be averted, a news report said. External power began to be hooked up to the plant in Fukushima prefecture Sunday and the final two reactors, number 3 and 4, at the plant were connected Tuesday, the Kyodo News agency reported. The plant’s operator, Tokyo …

The New Zealand government Wednesday declared a state of emergency a day after massive earthquake hit the country’s second largest city killing at least 75 people and leaving 300 missing in perhaps the worst disaster in the country’s history. According to Civil Defence Minister John Carter, the declaration of a National Emergency reflects the likelihood that Tuesday’s quake may prove to be New Zealand’s worst natural disaster, the New Zealand Herald …

India Tuesday sought structured global cooperation to defeat the “serious challenge” of piracy and terrorism that has reached “transnational proportions”. Addressing the first Association of Southeast Asian Nations plus eight (Asean+8) defence ministers meeting in this Vietnam capital, Indian Defence Minister A.K. Antony said his country was committed to fighting piracy. “India is committed to working together with other countries in the efforts …

Defence Minister A.K. Antony Thursday embarked on a two-day visit to South Korea to boost military ties with the East Asian nation amid a hushed row with China over visa denial to an Indian army officer and the presence of its forces in Pakistan-administered Kashmir. This is the first visit of an Indian defence minister to South Korea and is at the invitation of his counterpart, Kim Tae-young. Antony is accompanied by Defence Secretary Pradeep …