• China says US has 'no right' to interfere in South China Sea

    BEIJING: China said Tuesday the United States had "no right" to interfere in the South China Sea, after Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington stood by its commitments to defend the Philippines against armed attack in the disputed waterway."The United States is not a party to the South China Sea issue and has no right to interfere in maritime issues that are between China and the Philippines," foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian told a regular press conference in Beijing.Blinken is in...

  • TN parties race against time to finalise allies, seats

    CHENNAI: The Election Commission of India’s announcement that the state will go to the polls in first phase has put the political parties in Tamil Nadu, especially the AIADMK and the BJP, in a tight spot, as they are yet to finalise the alliances, seats and candidates.Though AIADMK, the principal opposition party, had earlier boasted of forming a “mega alliance” for the Lok Sabha election, it is yet to realise it, barring the inclusion of a few smaller parties like Puuthiya Tamilagam and...