Islamabad, April 26 (IANS) For Islamabad, it would be wiser to “redirect its diplomatic initiatives toward internal stabilisation rather than focusing on mediating distant conflicts”, an opinion piece in the local media said.The neighbouring country has attempted to mediate between the US and Iran amid the West Asia conflict.In the middle of the war in the Middle East, Pakistan and China had announced a Five-Point Initiative for restoring peace and stability in the Gulf and the wider Middle East…
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Riyadh, April 26 (IANS) India’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Suhel Khan on Sunday visited Makkah and oversaw the arrangements for Indian Haj pilgrims. Khan also received the first batch of Indian pilgrims arriving in Makkah from Madinah by train.Consul General of India in Jeddah Fahad Suri, and Consul Haj Sadaf Choudhary were also present during the visit, according to a statement by the Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia on X.”This year, a large number of Indian pilgrims will be using the Haramain Hi…
New Delhi, April 26 (IANS) Pakistan’s fragile economic footing has come into sharp focus amid shifting geopolitical and financial dynamics, even as Islamabad projects itself as a voice for peace on the global stage, a report has said.During heightened tensions linked to the US-Israel conflict with Iran, Pakistan drew international attention for its diplomatic outreach. However, behind this image of stability, a sudden financial strain exposed the country’s dependence on external support, acc…
New Delhi, April 26 (IANS) Iran’s airspace is partially open for cargo and chartered flights, but Indian nationals are advised to avoid travelling to the country, and those already there are urged to leave via the land border, with the embassy’s support, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Sunday.So far, the Indian embassy in Tehran has facilitated the movement of 2,445 Indian nationals out of Iran through land border routes, the statement said.Israel’s airspace is open, and limited fligh…
Tehran, April 26 (IANS) Iran’s main military command, Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, vowed to react if the United States continues its “blockade, banditry and piracy” in the West Asia region.It made the announcement in a statement carried by Iranian media while pointing to the US naval blockade imposed on the Strait of Hormuz, which prevents vessels traveling to and from Iranian ports from transiting the waterway, and actions against Iran-bound ships over the past few days, Xinhua news a…
New Delhi, April 25 (IANS) The government on Saturday said that around 12.65 lakh passengers have travelled from the Gulf and West Asia region to India since February 28.The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said it is closely tracking developments in the region, with a strong focus on the safety, security and welfare of the Indian community.Indian missions and posts across the Gulf and West Asia are operating round-the-clock helplines and are actively assisting citizens while remaining in cons…
Tokyo, April 24 (IANS) Amid growing uncertainty over the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, the Japanese government has announced that it will begin releasing additional oil reserves worth around 20 days from May 1, local media reported on Friday. Tensions continue in and around Strait of Hormuz, the narrow maritime corridor linking the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea, through which about one-fifth of global oil trade passes, ever since the conflict erupted in West Asia.The Japanese government’s…
Washington, April 24 (IANS) US President Donald Trump announced a three-week extension of the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, describing it as a “historic” step and signalling possible direct talks between the two sides in Washington.The development followed an Oval Office meeting attended by senior officials from both countries, including Lebanese Ambassador to the United States Nada Hamadeh Moawad and Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter.“They’ve agreed to an additional three weeks …
New Delhi, April 22 (IANS) In its attempt at being relevant while seeking economic support, Pakistan looks intent on playing a complicated game of diplomatic checkers where its apparent “peace mediation” efforts appear to contradict its own stand. The diplomatic push is a pivot for Pakistan, which has spent more time as a combatant over the past year in its own conflicts than as a peace broker, pointed out a report in The New York Times. Islamabad has a chequered history in Afghan involvemen…
New Delhi, April 21 (IANS) Bangladesh has failed to get any breakthrough at the IMF-World Bank Spring meeting, held earlier this month, on the stalled IMF programme, and no assurance that the expected $3.2 billion in budget support from the World Bank, the ADB, the AIIB, and Japan can be mobilised within the government’s timeline, a local media report said.At a time when tensions in the Strait of Hormuz are already unsettling global energy and freight markets, this ambiguity could not have come …