Plea to rescue fishermen stranded in Iran
In a memorandum to the Minister, Mr. Robert Bruce said 33 fishermen from Idinthakarai were working in the mechanised boats of Iran for the past several months. After the Iran – Israel war, the families of these fishermen cannot contact their breadwinners and hence the families were worried.
Hence, the Ministry of External Affairs should take immediate steps for ensuring their safe return to their native place, Mr. Robert Bruce said.
The MP has also sent a similar appeal to the Ambassador of India to Iran at Tehran seeking his intervention in rescuing the stranded Idinthakarai fishermen.
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The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
Trump administration wants to end U.N. peacekeeping in Lebanon; Europe pushing back
The future of U.N. peacekeepers in Lebanon has split the United States and its European allies, raising implications for security in the Middle East and becoming the latest snag to vex relations between the U.S. and key partners like France, Britain and Italy. At issue is the peacekeeping operation known as UNIFIL, whose mandate expires at the end of August and will need to be renewed by the U.N. Security Council to continue. It was created to oversee the withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon after Israel's 1978 invasion, and its mission was expanded following the month-long 2006 war between Israel and the militant group Hezbollah. The multinational force has played a significant role in monitoring the security situation in southern Lebanon for decades, including during the Israel-Hezbollah war last year, but has drawn criticism from both sides and numerous U.S. lawmakers, some of whom now hold prominent roles in President Donald Trump's administration or wield new influence with the White House. Trump administration political appointees came into office this year with the aim of shutting down UNIFIL as soon as possible. They regard the operation as an ineffectual waste of money that is merely delaying the goal of eliminating Hezbollah's influence and restoring full security control to the Lebanese Armed Forces that the government says it is not yet capable of doing. After securing major cuts in U.S. funding to the peacekeeping force, Secretary of State Marco Rubio signed off early last week on a plan that would wind down and end UNIFIL in the next six months, according to Trump administration officials and congressional aides familiar with the discussions. It's another step as the Trump administration drastically pares back its foreign affairs priorities and budget, including expressing scepticism of international alliances and cutting funding to U.N. agencies and missions. The transatlantic divide also has been apparent on issues ranging from Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza and the Russia-Ukraine conflict to trade, technology and free speech issues. Europeans push back against a quick end to U.N. peacekeeping in Lebanon Israel has for years sought an end to UNIFIL's mandate, and renewal votes have often come after weeks of political wrangling. Now, the stakes are particularly high after last year's war and more vigorous opposition in Washington. European nations, notably France and Italy, have objected to winding down UNIFIL. With the support of Tom Barrack, U.S. ambassador to Turkiye and envoy to Lebanon, they successfully lobbied Rubio and others to support a one-year extension of the peacekeeping mandate followed by a time-certain wind-down period of six months, according to the administration officials and congressional aides, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private diplomatic negotiations. Israel also reluctantly agreed to an extension, they said. The European argument was that prematurely ending UNIFIL before the Lebanese army is able to fully secure the border area would create a vacuum that Hezbollah could easily exploit. The French noted that when a U.N. peacekeeping mission in Mali was terminated before government troops were ready to deal with security threats, Islamic extremists moved in. With the U.S. easing off, the issue ahead of the U.N. vote expected at the end of August now appears to be resistance by France and others to setting a firm deadline for the operation to end after the one-year extension, according to the officials and congressional aides. French officials did not respond to requests for comment The final French draft resolution, obtained by The Associated Press, does not include a date for UNIFIL's withdrawal, which U.S. officials say is required for their support. Instead, it would extend the peacekeeping mission for one year and indicates the U.N. Security Council's 'intention to work on a withdrawal.' But even if the mandate is renewed, the peacekeeping mission might be scaled down for financial reasons, with the U.N. system likely facing drastic budget cuts, said a U.N. official, who was not authorised to comment to the media and spoke on condition of anonymity. One of the U.S. officials said an option being considered was reducing UNIFIL's numbers while boosting its technological means to monitor the situation on the ground. The peacekeeping force has faced criticism There are about 10,000 peacekeepers in southern Lebanon, while the Lebanese army has around 6,000 soldiers, a number that is supposed to increase to 10,000. Hezbollah supporters in Lebanon have frequently accused the U.N. mission of collusion with Israel and sometimes attacked peacekeepers on patrol. Israel, meanwhile, has accused the peacekeepers of turning a blind eye to Hezbollah's military activities in southern Lebanon and lobbied for its mandate to end. Sarit Zehavi, a former Israeli military intelligence analyst and founder of the Israeli think tank Alma Research and Education Center, said UNIFIL has played a 'damaging role with regard to the mission of disarming Hezbollah in south Lebanon.' She pointed to the discovery of Hezbollah tunnels and weapons caches close to UNIFIL facilities during and after last year's Israel-Hezbollah war, when much of the militant group's senior leadership was killed and much of its arsenal destroyed. Hezbollah is now under increasing pressure to give up the rest of its weapons. U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said UNIFIL continues to discover unauthorised weapons, including rocket launchers, mortar rounds and bomb fuses, this week, which it reported to the Lebanese army. Under the U.S.- and France-brokered ceasefire, Israel and Hezbollah were to withdraw from southern Lebanon, with the Lebanese army taking control in conjunction with UNIFIL. Israel has continued to occupy five strategic points on the Lebanese side and carry out near-daily airstrikes that it says aim to stop Hezbollah from regrouping. Lebanon supports keeping U.N. peacekeepers Lebanese officials have called for UNIFIL to remain, saying the country's cash-strapped and overstretched army is not yet able to patrol the full area on its own until it. Retired Lebanese Army Gen. Khalil Helou said that if UNIFIL's mandate were to abruptly end, soldiers would need to be pulled away from the porous border with Syria, where smuggling is rife, or from other areas inside of Lebanon — 'and this could have consequences for the stability' of the country. UNIFIL 'is maybe not fulfilling 100% what the Western powers or Israel desire. But for Lebanon, their presence is important,' he said. The United Nations also calls the peacekeepers critical to regional stability, Mr. Dujarric said. UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti said deciding on the renewal of the mandate is the prerogative of the U.N. Security Council. 'We are here to assist the parties in implementation of the mission's mandate and we're waiting for the final decision,' he said.
Hindustan Times
2 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Foreign secretary Vikram Misri begins two-day Nepal visit to strengthen bilateral ties
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri arrived in Kathmandu on Sunday morning for a two-day official visit aimed at strengthening bilateral relations between India and Nepal. Misri landed in the Nepali capital at 9 am (local time) on a special Indian Air Force flight. (@MofaNepal/X) Misri landed in the Nepali capital at 9 am (local time) on a special Indian Air Force flight. He was received at the airport by Nepal's Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai and the Indian Ambassador to Nepal. In a statement issued on Saturday, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) described the visit as part of the "tradition of regular high-level exchanges between the two countries." "India attaches high priority to its relations with Nepal under its Neighborhood First policy. Foreign Secretary's upcoming visit continues the tradition of regular high level exchanges between the two countries and will be an opportunity to further advance our bilateral ties," the MEA said. Nepal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said discussions during the visit will focus on enhancing the Nepal-India partnership, with special attention to connectivity, development cooperation, and other issues of mutual interest. Soon after his arrival, Misri paid a courtesy call on Nepali Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli at Baluwatar. He is also scheduled to meet President Ram Chandra Paudel. In addition, the Foreign Secretary will hold separate meetings with senior leaders, including former Prime Minister and Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba and CPN-UML Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal. Misri's engagements are expected to provide an opportunity to review recent developments in bilateral ties and discuss ways to deepen cooperation. He will conclude his two-day visit on August 18.
Hans India
3 hours ago
- Hans India
India welcomes progress in peace talks
New Delhi: The world wants to see an early end to the conflict in Ukraine, India said on Saturday, welcoming the summit talks in Alaska between US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. The two Presidents had held extensive talks on Friday but couldn't reach an agreement for a ceasefire in Ukraine. "India welcomes the Summit meeting in Alaska between US President Donald Trump and President Vladimir Putin of Russia," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said. "Their leadership in the pursuit of peace is highly commendable," it said in a statement.
