Page 14 - Middle East

Middle-east on edge after Israel's bombing of Lebanon to thwart attack

Israel's assault on Sunday morning was based, Israeli officials said, on intelligence that Hezbollah was about to fire thousands of missiles at northern Israel and drones at key intelligence center

Pak seeks $4 bn loan from West Asian banks to meet financial obligations

Cash-strapped Pakistan is in talks with banks in the Middle East to borrow approximately USD 4 billion to meet its external financial commitments for the current fiscal year, as part of the USD 7 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) currently pending for IMF's approval. Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb and his team had a virtual meeting with Dr Adnan Chilwan, Group CEO of Dubai Islamic Bank, on Thursday, the Dawn newspaper reported on Friday. On Wednesday, a similar interaction was held with Mashreq Bank President and Group CEO Ahmed Abdelaal. Both meetings had been arranged to discuss the economic outlook and explore investment opportunities in Pakistan. For the current fiscal year, Pakistan has pitched about USD 20 billion in foreign borrowing in the budget, besides another USD 3 billion rollover from the UAE that was reported separately for the balance of payments. With this much borrowing, Pakistan's reserves are estimated to grow to about USD 19-20 billion by the end of the

Airlines fly over Afghanistan as Middle East becomes greater risk

The carriers mostly stopped transiting Afghanistan, which lies on major routes between Asia and Europe

International airlines suspend flights amid rising Middle East tensions

Concerns over a wider conflict in the Middle East have prompted international airlines to suspend flights

Blinken ends Mideast visit without cease-fire, warning 'time is of essence'

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken ended his ninth visit to the Middle East since the war in Gaza began without securing a cease-fire deal, warning on Tuesday that time is of the essence even as Hamas and Israel signalled that challenges remain. After meetings in fellow mediating countries Egypt and Qatar, Blinken said that because Israel has accepted a proposal to bridge gaps with the militant group, the focus turns to doing everything possible to get Hamas on board and ensure both sides agree to key details on implementation. Our message is simple. It's clear and it's urgent," he told reporters before leaving Qatar. "We need to get a cease-fire and hostage agreement over the finish line, and we need to do it now. Time is of the essence. There has been added urgency to reach a deal after the recent targeted killings of militant leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah in Iran and Lebanon, both attributed to Israel, and vows of retaliation that have sparked fears of a wider regional war. F

Diplomacy intensifies to halt Israel-Hamas war, prevent rise in conflict

International diplomacy to prevent the war in Gaza from spreading into a wider regional conflict intensified Friday, with the British and French foreign ministers making a joint trip to Israel while internationally mediated cease-fire talks in Qatar were expected to enter their second day. The new push for an end to the Israel-Hamas war came as the Palestinian death toll in Gaza climbed past 40,000, according to Gaza health authorities, and fears remained high that Iran and Hezbollah militants in Lebanon would attack Israel in retaliation for the killings of top militant leaders. This is a dangerous moment for the Middle East, British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said. The risk of the situation spiraling out of control is rising. Any Iranian attack would have devastating consequences for the region. Lammy and French Foreign Minister Stphane Sjourn were expected hold a joint meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer. It's never too

Brent oil broadly steady at $80 as fears over West Asia conflict ease

Brent crude futures slipped 10 cents, or 0.1 per cent, to $80.59 a barrel by 1057 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate crude futures were down 19 cents, or 0.2 per cent, to $78.16 per barrel

'Grim forecast for next 5 years': S Jaishankar on current global challenges

EAM S Jaishankar acknowledged that, despite his generally optimistic outlook, the world is currently facing an exceptionally challenging period

US beefs up naval, air forces in West Asia ahead of Gaza truce talks

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin ordered the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier group, equipped with F-35C fighters, to speed up its arrival in the region

Lloyd Austin orders submarine to Mideast, tells aircraft carrier to hasten

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has ordered a guided missile submarine to the Middle East and is telling the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group to sail more quickly to the area, the Defense Department said Sunday. The moves come as the US and other allies push for Israel and Hamas to achieve a cease-fire agreement that could help calm soaring tensions in the region following the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and a senior Hezbollah commander in Beirut. Officials have been on the lookout for retaliatory strikes by both Iran and Hezbollah for the killings, and the US has been beefing up its presence in the region. Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, Pentagon press secretary, said in a statement that Austin spoke with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant earlier in the day, and reiterated America's commitment to take every possible step to defend Israel and noted the strengthening of US military force posture and capabilities throughout the Middle .

Air India suspends Tel Aviv flights till further notice as tension soars

Air India on Friday announced suspension of flights to and from Tel Aviv till further notice amid escalating tensions between Israel and Iran. The Tata Group-owned carrier had suspended services from the national capital to Tel Aviv till August 8. "In view of the current situation in parts of the Middle East, scheduled operation of our flights to and from Tel Aviv are suspended with immediate effect until further notice. We are continuously monitoring the situation," the airline said in a post on X. The carrier is offering a full refund to its passengers with confirmed bookings for travel to and from Tel Aviv. Tensions continue to remain high in the Middle East amid conflict between Israel and various terror groups, including Hamas. Earlier this year also, Air India had briefly suspended flights to Tel Aviv at different points of time due to the Middle East tensions. After nearly five months, the carrier had recommenced the services to the Israeli city on March 3. Air India had

Bangladesh, Israel, Russia, & more: Avoid visiting these countries for now

Recent student-led protests in Bangladesh against government hiring rules have escalated into widespread violence, resulting in over 260 deaths

US General arrives in Middle East as Iran prepares for attack on Israel

Three US and Israeli officials said that they expect Iran to launch an attack on Israel as early as Monday

US to boost military presence in W Asia; to send fighter jets, keep carrier

The US Defense Department will move a fighter jet squadron to the Middle East and maintain an aircraft carrier in the region, the Pentagon said as President Joe Biden made good on his promise to beef up the American military presence to help defend Israel from possible attacks by Iran and its proxies and safeguard US troops. In a statement, the department said Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin also ordered additional ballistic missile defence-capable cruisers and destroyers to the European and Middle East regions and is taking steps to send more land-based ballistic missile defence weapons there. The shifts come as US leaders worry about escalating violence in the Middle East in response to recent attacks by Israel on Hamas and Hezbollah leaders, which triggered threats of retaliation. Biden in a call Thursday afternoon with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed new US military deployments to protect against possible attacks from ballistic missiles and drones, according t

Air India suspends Tel Aviv flights until Aug 8 amid Middle East tensions

Air India said that it is continuously monitoring the situation and extending support to passengers with confirmed bookings

Power Grid planning Rs 40,000 cr undersea interconnection with Middle East

State-run Power Grid is planning an undersea interconnection worth up to Rs 40,000 crore with countries in the Middle East, a top official said on Monday. After the soft June quarter, which witnessed revenues being almost flat, the company sees the topline inching by only 4-5 per cent in FY25, its chairman and managing director R K Tyagi told reporters here after the earnings announcement on Friday. The company plans to invest Rs 18,000 crore this fiscal year, which will help accelerate the growth rate going forward, Tyagi said, explaining that as projects become older, the earnings from transmission projects go down and the company has to keep commissioning new projects to have higher revenue growths. On the interconnected projects front, it is looking at companies beyond the immediate neighbourhood and will be looking at countries in the Middle East, Tyagi said. He specified that discussions are ongoing with Oman, Saudi Arabia and the UAE for the interconnection. The company has

EAM S Jaishankar discusses bilateral ties with Turkey counterpart

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday held a meeting with his Turkiye counterpart Hakan Fidan during which the two leaders discussed bilateral ties and exchanged views on regional and global issues. Jaishankar is in the capital of the Laos People's Democratic Republic to participate in the meetings of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The two leaders met on the sidelines of the meetings. "Met with FM @HakanFidan of Turkiye on the sidelines of ASEAN meetings in Vientiane. Discussed our bilateral ties and exchanged views on regional and global issues," Jaishankar posted on X. Jaishankar on Friday met leaders from Russia, the European Union, South Korea, Singapore, Laos, Brunei, and New Zealand and discussed various aspects of bilateral collaboration. "Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Foreign Minister of India Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar met on the sidelines of #ASEAN events Vientiane, July 26, 2024 #RussiaIndia #DruzhbaDosti," the Russian ...

Sanctioned Iranian crude oil finds new markets in city of Dalian in China

Analysts estimate China imported 1.2-1.4 million bpd of Iranian crude during the period. Vortexa said the imports hit a record 1.52 million bpd last October

2nd India-Japan consultations on Middle East discuss developments in region

The second India-Japan consultation on the Middle East was held in the national capital on Thursday, and both sides discussed the challenges and political developments happening in the Middle East and West Asia region.The delegation was led by Suresh Kumar, Joint Secretary, West Asia & North Africa (WANA) Division, and the Japanese delegation was led by Ando Toshihide, Director General, Middle Eastern and African Affairs Bureau."The consultations covered a wide range of topics, including political developments, economic opportunities and challenges in the Middle East/West Asia region," the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.Moreover, participants engaged in constructive discussions, sharing their perspectives and insights on the situation in the Middle East, including Gaza.Both sides agreed to remain in touch and continue their consultation on issues concerning the Middle East region.MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal posted on X, stating that the discussions were ...

Jordan safe to visit, West's perception a problem: Tourism Minister Queisi

Jordan is facing the brunt of the West's perception of the Middle East being one unit, says Tourism and Antiquities Minister Makram Mustafa A Queisi while stressing that his strong and resilient country is safe to visit notwithstanding the Israel-Hamas conflict. The number of tourists to the country has been steadily declining since the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel last year and the subsequent Israeli invasion of Gaza. The sector contributes 14.6 per cent to Jordan's gross domestic product (GDP) by generating USD 7.3 billion and employs 55,000 people directly, The dip in the number of tourists is what Queisi hopes to address. "Jordan has always been strong and resilient... It is the problem of perception in the West, especially in Europe and the US -- maybe Canada and Australia as well. They look at the Middle East as one unit, Queisi told PTI. If a bullet is fired in the southern part of the Middle East, the eastern part, the western part and the northern part are affected and