The Indian Hotels Company Ltd, operator of the Taj brands of hotels, on Monday formed a joint venture with Yunnan Tourism Co Ltd to develop and manage two hotels in China's Yunnan province.

Lonely Planet magazine asked its followers on Twitter and Facebook to vote for the one travel destination that changed their lives the most.

Unmindful of China's displeasure over India's involvement with nations in its backyard, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday announced a proposal to link South East Asian nations through a highway, presumably over the sea.

Stating this Union Tourism minister, Subodh Kant Sahai said on Friday his ministry has appointed a national level consultant to identify four tourism circuits in each state, excluding the North Eastern states and 2 in each union territory for integrated development of tourism circuits during the 12th Plan period.

The British risk analysis firm Maplecroft recently released a 2011 scientific report ranking the top 10 countries at extreme risk for impacts from climate change.

Warning that Pakistan, a nuclear power, was not like Afghanistan or Iraq, the country's powerful army chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani said United States would have to think "10 times" before launching an unilateral action in the restive North Waziristan.

The upcoming round of talks, slated for October 11-12, is expected to be a stormy one.

India is keen to forge partnerships with ASEAN countries for the exchange of technology to enhance farm productivity and address the impact of climate change on agriculture.

Nileema Mishra, who works with the poorest villagers in Maharashtra, and United States-trained Indian engineer Harish Hande, who revolutionised the use of solar lights, are among five people who have been honoured with this year's prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award. "The two had helped to harness technologies to empower their countrymen and created waves of progressive change across Asia," award foundation president Carmencita T Abella announced.

Malaysia advanced to the second round of the 2014 World Cup Asian qualifying on Sunday after surviving a nerve-wracking finale to edge past Taiwan on away goals with a 4-4 aggregate score.

The global agricultural production growth is expected to be low at 1.7 per cent annually during 2011-20 as compared to 2.6 per cent in the previous decade, due to lower growth in oilseeds and cereals, an agri survey said.

Meeting is on June 24-25 on stalled pact, agreement likely by year-end.

Economist who predicted global crash says India needs to both spend and tighten and it won't be easy.

Planning on taking a trip soon or just making a list of places to visit in the near future? You might want to consider these.

Trade between China and ASEAN nations is expected to touch $ 300 billion this year, registering a 37.5 per cent increase on the back of a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the two sides, said the executive secretary general of China-ASEAN Business Council.

Import of most products from the country will be allowed at zero duty.

In fact, India stands to gain in sectors such as textiles, handicrafts, chemicals and pharmaceutical from its trade with the Asean economies.

The India-Asean free trade agreement (FTA) in merchandise goods has failed to realise its full potential, even as the deal was implemented in January 2010 to facilitate greater trade in the region. As a result, reduction of duties on several products might get delayed.

Pass holders would be allowed to work without any employment restrictions for five to 10 years.

We bring you the findings of a Targetmap.com survey, which reveals how men are endowed across the world!

Sixteen countries in the Asia Pacific were studied by the Political and Economic Risk Consultancy Ltd.

After more than a year since the free trade agreement (FTA) between India and the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) became operational, it is now approaching consolidation.

Unseeded Rohan Gajjar of India caused the first upset in the CCI-ITF US$15,000 men's Futures tennis tournament when he stunned fifth seed Gerald Melzer of Austria in the first round at the Cricket Club of India in Mumbai on Tuesday.

The agreement that provides for both India and ASEAN reducing tariff on agreed goods has come into force with all but Cambodia and Philippines.

Under the services sector, India had been demanding greater opening, so that more professionals like doctors, nurses, chefs, accountants get greater job opportunities.

We bring you some of the best photos from around the world in the last 48 hours.

The scheme is allowed for a maximum validity of 30 days with single entry facility by the immigration officers in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata airports on payment of a fee of $60 or equivalent amount in Indian rupees per passenger, including children.

The VoA scheme was introduced on January 1, 2010 for citizens of five countries -- Finland, Japan, Luxembourg, New Zealand and Singapore.

According to a senior commerce department official, talks between India and the Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean) - the 10-country trading bloc - have hit a roadblock, with some of the advanced developing countries demanding greater flexibilities from India.

The Indian and Chinese premiers have an unprecedented historical opportunity to create such a mechanism for sharing international rivers. It will not only help the two countries but it has the potential to create a remarkable example for the rest of the world, says Himashu Thakkar.

Anirban Lahiri inched closer to retaining his Asian Tour card for next season by finishing a creditable tied fourth with a three-under 69 in the final round of the Johnnie Walker Cambodian Open golf tournament in Siem Reap, Cambodia on Sunday.

A top Singaporean diplomat described India as "stupid", saying the country was "half in, half out" of the ASEAN grouping, according to leaked US cables.

The pandemonium in Parliament over corruption issue continued for the 11th day on Friday disrupting functioning, but members gave a break to their agitation to pay homage to the martyrs of Mumbai terror attacks on its second anniversary.

At least 349 people were killed and hundreds injured in a stampede in Cambodia that broke out while thousands were celebrating a water festival on an island in a river in Phnom Penh late on Monday night.

Dharmender Dalal cut a sorry figure as he lost his bronze medal play-off match in the men's 120kg Greco-Roman wrestling competitions to round off another disappointing day for Indian grapplers in the Asian Games in Guangzhou on Tuesday.

Indian grappler Dharmender Dalal lost his quarter-final bout and will compete in the repechage round to keep India's bronze medal hopes alive in men's 120kg category Greco-Roman event of the Asian Games.

Media agencies reported that Calmette Hospital, the capital's main medical facility, was filled to capacity with bodies as well as patients, some of whom had to be treated in hallways. Many of the injured appeared to be badly hurt, raising the prospect that the death toll could rise as local hospitals became overwhelmed.

Colonel Anil A Athale (retired) examines the geopolitics of the regions and explains ways in which India and step into the power vacuum that exists there.

Taking India's Look East policy a step further, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday announced visa-on-arrival facility for citizens of Cambodia, Vietnam, Philippines and Laos; and emphasised the need to speed up the finalisation of a free trade agreement in services and investment between India and South East Asian nations.

Colonel Anil A Athale outlines the contours of the coming Sino-Indian conflict in East Asia. The first of a two-part series.