Latest news with #IslamistRebels
LBCI
27-05-2025
- General
- LBCI
Syria and Israel in direct talks focused on security: Sources tell Reuters
Israel and Syria are in direct contact and have in recent weeks held face-to-face meetings aimed at calming tensions and preventing conflict in the border region between the two longtime foes, five people familiar with the matter told Reuters. The contacts mark a significant development in ties between states that have been on opposite sides of conflict in the Middle East for decades, as the U.S. encourages the new Islamist rulers in Damascus to establish relations with Israel and Israel eases its bombardment of Syria. They also build on back-channel talks via intermediaries since Islamist rebels Hayat Tahrir al-Sham toppled Syrian strongman Bashar al-Assad in December, said two Syrian and two Western sources, as well as a regional intelligence source familiar with the matter. The sources spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject for two nations with no official ties and a history of enmity. The direct talks and their scope have not been previously reported.
Free Malaysia Today
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
G7 nations urge India and Pakistan to have direct dialogue
India blames Pakistan for a rebel attack that killed 26 people in Kashmir last month. (EPA Images pic) WASHINGTON : The Group of Seven (G7) major countries urged maximum restraint from both India and Pakistan yesterday and called on them to engage in direct dialogue amid rising hostilities between the two nuclear-armed Asian neighbours. World powers have raised the alarm over the latest escalation in the decades-old India-Pakistan rivalry. India hit Pakistan with air strikes and missiles on Wednesday and since then, both countries have been clashing daily. Dozens have been killed. Among the G7 powers, the US has held regular talks with both India and Pakistan in recent days and urged them to de-escalate, but vice-president JD Vance said on Thursday a war between the two countries would be 'none of our business'. In recent years, India has been seen as an important partner by western powers as a counter-balance to China's rising influence. Pakistan is a US ally, although its importance has diminished since Washington's 2021 withdrawal from neighbouring Afghanistan. In a statement released by Canada, the foreign ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the US, Britain and the European Union said they 'strongly condemn' an April 22 Islamist rebel attack in which 26 people were killed in India-administered Kashmir. India blamed Pakistan, which denied the accusations and called for a neutral probe. 'We call for immediate de-escalation and encourage both countries to engage in direct dialogue towards a peaceful outcome,' the G7 statement said. The Muslim-majority Himalayan region of Kashmir is claimed in full but ruled only in part by both Hindu-majority India and Islamic Pakistan. It has been the site of wars, insurgency and diplomatic stand-offs over the decades. Pakistan said this week that New Delhi and Islamabad have had contacts at the level of their respective national security councils.
