Washington, Jan 15 (IANS) A US funding bill for the fiscal year 2026 proposes to withhold a portion of American assistance to Pakistan, according to the text of legislation introduced in the House of Representatives. The bill says that of the funds made available for Pakistan, $33 million “shall be withheld from obligation” until the Secretary of State reports to Congress that Dr Shakil Afridi “has been released from prison and cleared of all charges relating to the assistance provided to …
Latest Central Asia News & Updates
Moscow, Jan 14 (IANS) India and Russia could leverage their decades-long bonds of goodwill, trust and friendship to guide global transition in areas of shared interest in the current turbulent international system, a report said on Wednesday. It stressed that following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to India in December 2025 and amid a global order in a free-fall, both nations – as vectors of stability – may have little choice but to operationalise the ‘Russia-India plus’ formulation…
New Delhi, Jan 13 (IANS) While US President Donald Trump’s recent warning that any country trading with Iran could face an additional 25 per cent tariff has direct implications for India, any choppy waters ahead may affect future operations at the Chabahar port as well. India is among Iran’s top business partners, as are China, Turkey, the UAE, Pakistan, and Armenia. The proposed addition will compound earlier US duties, which included a 25 per cent reciprocal trade tariff plus an equal amou…
Rajkot, Jan 12 (IANS) The Reverse Buyers-Sellers Meet at Hall No. 1 of the Vibrant Gujarat Regional Exhibition (VGRE) has emerged as one of the event’s biggest attractions, drawing strong international interest and significant business traction. The meet brought together 53 international buyers from 23 countries and more than 1,800 manufacturers and sellers from across Gujarat, creating a powerful platform for direct global trade.According to Suvidh Shah, Additional Director General of the Fed…
New Delhi, Jan 10 (IANS) The situation in Iran has turned chaotic, and protests have spread across over 100 cities in the country. India is keeping a close watch on the situation as regime instability is rising in Iran. This poses a risk to India’s strategic investment in Iran’s Chabahar Port.Officials in New Delhi say that these protests are concerning when it comes to the safety and continuity of operations at the critical port, in which India has an investment of nearly $500 million. An o…
Kabul, Jan 7 (IANS) Pakistan continues to face massive losses from the prolonged shutdown of border crossings with Afghanistan as trade between two nations remains halted, the local media in Kabul reported quoting an official of Afghanistan’s chamber of commerce. Khan Jan Alokozay, a board member of the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment (ACCI), said Afghanistan previously used to conduct trade worth USD 200 million with Pakistan in a month, majority of them being imports from Islama…
Kabul, Jan 5 (IANS) Business leaders of Afghanistan and Pakistan held discussions on reopening the Torkham border crossing, aiming to ease trade disruptions between two nations, local media reported on Monday. The Taliban-run Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment said that they and Pakistani counterparts agreed to establish a joint delegation to hold talks on reopening the Torkham border crossing, Afghanistan’s Khaama Press reported.In a statement, the chamber said Pakistan’s Chamber of…
Islamabad, Jan 5 (IANS) People held a protest in the Landi Kotal area of Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to demand an immediate reopening of the Torkham border, local media reported on Monday. Traders, transporters, tribal elders, daily wagers, activists of political parties and civil society were part of the protest held on Sunday under the banner of All Borders Coordinators Council.Representatives from various organisations and groups, who were directly impacted by the border shutdown with Afgha…
Quetta, Jan 2 (IANS) Leading Baloch human rights defender, Mir Yar Baloch, on Friday, wrote to Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar drawing attention to Pakistan’s support for Hamas and its alliance with Iran’s revolutionary axis. He alleged that this alignment contributes to cycles of violence that extend far beyond the immediate theatre of conflict, undermining regional stability from the Middle East to South Asia and beyond. The human rights activist asserted that Israel’s security challenge…
Berlin, Dec 20 (IANS) A majority of Germans support the federal government’s plans to curb asylum immigration, according to an opinion poll published on Saturday. A survey conducted by YouGov for the German news agency DPA found that 53 per cent of respondents fully support Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt’s goal of reducing the number of asylum seekers entering the country, while a further 23 per cent said they would rather support the policy.Only 15 per cent said they oppose the approach, …