logo
Operation Sindhu: Another flight arrives with 272 Indians, three Nepalese evacuated from Iran

Operation Sindhu: Another flight arrives with 272 Indians, three Nepalese evacuated from Iran

New Delhi, June 26 (UNI) As part of Operation Sindhu, another flight carrying 272 Indians and three Nepalese nationals evacuated from Iran arrived in New Delhi in the early hours today.
The MEA spokesperson, giving an update on the special operation, posted on X that with this flight 3,426 Indian nationals have so far been brought back from Iran, amidst the Middle East tensions.
'#OperationSindhu update
'272 Indian and 3 Nepalese nationals were evacuated from Iran on a special flight that arrived in New Delhi from Mashhad at 00:01 hrs on 26th June.
'3426 Indian nationals have been brought home from Iran as part of #OperationSindhu'.
UNI RN

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Interim govt's responsibility to protect Hindus: India on Dhaka temple destruction
Interim govt's responsibility to protect Hindus: India on Dhaka temple destruction

Indian Express

time23 minutes ago

  • Indian Express

Interim govt's responsibility to protect Hindus: India on Dhaka temple destruction

India on Thursday expressed 'dismay' at the 'destruction' of a temple in Dhaka, and underlined that 'it is the responsibility of the interim government of Bangladesh to protect Hindus, their properties, and religious institutions'. According to MEA official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, 'We understand that extremists were clamoring for demolishing the Durga temple in Khilkhet, Dhaka.' 'The interim government, instead of providing security to the temple, projected the episode as illegal land use … and they allowed the destruction of the temple today. This has resulted in damage to the deity before it was shifted,' he said. 'We are dismayed that such incidents continue to recur in Bangladesh. Let me underline that it is the responsibility of the interim government of Bangladesh to protect Hindus, their properties, and religious institutions,' Jaiswal said. On trade issues with Bangladesh, he said, 'the trade-related amendments announced by India in respect of Bangladesh were based on Bangladesh's own quest for fairness, equal treatment, and reciprocity. We await resolution of the underlying issues pending with the Bangladeshi side for a long time. These issues have been raised by India at several structured meetings earlier, including at the Commerce Secretary-level talks.' In May this year, India decided to put restrictions on Bangladesh products to be exported to north-east India and overseas, in what is being seen as a reciprocal move after Dhaka has been imposing non-tariff barriers on Indian exports to Bangladesh. This also comes a month and half after Bangladesh interim government's chief advisor Prof Muhammad Yunus had called north-east India as 'landlocked' and that they have 'no way to reach' the Bay of Bengal. India has imposed port restrictions on specified Bangladesh exports to India across all land customs stations (LCSs) or integrated check posts (ICPs) in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram; and through Changrabandha and Fulbari in northern Bengal. The products include readymade garments, wooden furniture, plastics, juice, bakery and confectionery items, and cotton yarn among others. Separately, in respect of readymade garments port restrictions are to apply to Bangladesh exports to India across all landports, permitting imports through Kolkata and Nhava Sheva seaports only. On the negotiations for renewal of the Ganges water treaty with Bangladesh, which is going to expire in 2026, the MEA spokesperson said, 'Both India and Bangladesh, we share 54 rivers, which also includes the Ganga. To discuss all relevant issues that form part of this cooperation, the two countries have a bilateral mechanism in place, which is the Joint Rivers Commission. We also have consultations of concerned state governments, representatives in our own internal consultations on such issues to frame our approach. We are prepared to engage with Bangladesh on all matters in an environment that is conducive for mutually beneficial dialogue.'

Rajnath refuses to sign SCO communique over exclusion of Pahalgam attack
Rajnath refuses to sign SCO communique over exclusion of Pahalgam attack

Business Standard

time26 minutes ago

  • Business Standard

Rajnath refuses to sign SCO communique over exclusion of Pahalgam attack

Defence Minister Rajanth Singh on Thursday refused to sign a joint communique of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) at a meeting of its defence ministers in Qingdao, China, because it had omitted the Pahalgam terror attack and had not explicitly addressed India's concern over Pakistan-backed cross-border terrorism. While Singh demanded including the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, in which terrorists killed 26 people, in the communique, the Pakistani delegation insisted on the document having a paragraph on militant activities in Balochistan. Pakistan had in the past accused India of fomenting militancy in Balochistan. 'The SCO Defence Ministers' meeting took place in China. We understand that the member countries could not reach a consensus on certain issues and hence the document could not be finalised,' Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said here. The SCO operates under the framework of consensus, and Singh's refusal to endorse the document resulted in the SCO defence ministers' conclave in this Chinese port city ending without a joint communique. India became a full member of the SCO in 2017. Its other members include Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, and Belarus. Singh is on a two-day visit to China, the first by an Indian defence minister since the Galwan River valley clash in 2020. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had skipped the previous SCO summit in 2024, in Astana. China will host this year's SCO summit in Tianjin. Expectations are that Modi will attend it, given India and China's recent efforts at improving their ties after he and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in Russia in October. National Security Adviser Ajit Doval met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing on June 23 on the sidelines of a meeting of the security-council secretaries of the SCO. Singh separately met Russian Defence Minister Andrey Belousov in Qingdao, and said in a social media post that the talks would boost Russia-India ties. In his address at the conclave, Singh took a swipe at Pakistan for its relentless support to cross-border terrorism and underlined the need to bring 'perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors of terrorism to justice'. 'Some countries use cross-border terrorism as an instrument of policy and provide shelter to terrorists. There should be no place for such double standards. The SCO should not hesitate to criticise such nations,' he said. The defence minister, who arrived in Qingdao on Wednesday, laid down the broad contours of India's 'transitional shift' in its policy against terrorism and urged the SCO member nations to unite in combating and shun 'double standards'. 'Dealing with these challenges requires decisive action. It is imperative that those who sponsor, nurture, and utilise terrorism for their narrow and selfish ends must bear the consequences,' he said. Singh also said that the pattern of the Pahalgam terror attack matched Lashkar-e-Taiba's previous terror attacks in India. 'During the Pahalgam terror attack, victims were shot after they were profiled on religious identity. The Resistance Front, a proxy of United Nations-designated terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba claimed responsibility for the attack,' he said. 'The joint statement of the Council of SCO Heads of State on 'Countering Radicalisation leading to Terrorism, Separatism and Extremism' issued during India's chairmanship symbolises our shared commitment,' he stated.

India in touch with China on rare earth supply issue: MEA
India in touch with China on rare earth supply issue: MEA

Indian Express

time33 minutes ago

  • Indian Express

India in touch with China on rare earth supply issue: MEA

India on Thursday said it has been in touch with China on the issue of rare earth magnet supply, as Beijing has imposed restrictions on their exports. This is the first time that the Indian government has officially acknowledged raising the matter with China, at a time when Delhi and Beijing are working towards normalising the relationship after six years of border standoff. Responding to questions, MEA official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, 'On rare earths, yes, we have been in touch with the Chinese side both in Delhi as also in Beijing and we are talking to them as to how we can streamline the supply chain issue on rare earths.' 'We are in touch with the Chinese side on several economic issues and trade issues as and when anything is required to be done,' he said. China, which controls over 90% of global processing capacity for the magnets used for automobiles, clean energy and home appliances, enacted restrictions in April requiring companies to obtain import permits from Beijing. China's export curbs — meant as a response to US President Donald Trump's tariffs — is likely to impact car manufacturers worldwide. The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), an industry group, has sought the Indian government's intervention. While rare earth magnets are a crucial component in electric vehicle motors, they are also required for parts like power windows and audio speakers used in petrol or diesel-run cars. And though the measures imposed by Beijing are meant to focus on high-performance exports, shipments of low-end magnets are also being held up at ports due to confusion around implementing the restrictions. India's auto sector imported 460 tons of rare earth magnets, mostly from China, in the fiscal year ending March 31 and expects to import 700 tons worth $30 million this year, according to industry estimates. Sources said that the industry bodies and companies had raised the issue with the commerce ministry, and that had been escalated to the Chinese. On April 2, Trump unveiled his policy of reciprocal tariffs, targeting most of America's trading partners. Two days later, China responded by announcing a 34% tariff on all US imports, while also placing export restrictions on rare earths. Following the restrictions in April, China's exports of rare earth magnets fell sharply in May. The framework agreed to by the US and China also involves the easing of rare earth supplies. Critical minerals and rare earth elements, which are used across several key sectors, ranging from electronics to renewables, automobiles and defence, are increasingly playing a vital role in the economy. For instance, lithium, nickel and cobalt are used in lithium-ion batteries. Dysprosium and neodymium, and tellurium, indium, and gallium are used in wind turbines and photovoltaic cells respectively. As per the International Energy Agency, China accounts for a 35% share in the refining of nickel, 50-70% of lithium and cobalt and around 90% for rare earth elements. China not only dominates the production of rare earths, but also has the most reserves. As per data from the US Geological Survey, the country's reserves have been estimated at 44 million metric tons. Brazil's reserves have been pegged at 21 million metric tons, India's at 6.9 million, Australia's at 5.7, Russia's at 3.8 million and Vietnam's at 3.5 million. Shubhajit Roy, Diplomatic Editor at The Indian Express, has been a journalist for more than 25 years now. Roy joined The Indian Express in October 2003 and has been reporting on foreign affairs for more than 17 years now. Based in Delhi, he has also led the National government and political bureau at The Indian Express in Delhi — a team of reporters who cover the national government and politics for the newspaper. He has got the Ramnath Goenka Journalism award for Excellence in Journalism '2016. He got this award for his coverage of the Holey Bakery attack in Dhaka and its aftermath. He also got the IIMCAA Award for the Journalist of the Year, 2022, (Jury's special mention) for his coverage of the fall of Kabul in August 2021 — he was one of the few Indian journalists in Kabul and the only mainstream newspaper to have covered the Taliban's capture of power in mid-August, 2021. ... Read More

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store