Latest news with #militaryconfrontation
Reuters
2 days ago
- Politics
- Reuters
Top Cuban official accuses US of escalating tensions, raises concerns of conflict
WASHINGTON, June 3 (Reuters) - A visiting senior Cuban official on Tuesday accused the Trump administration of ratcheting up tensions between Washington and Havana and expressed concerns that the U.S. was trying to provoke a military confrontation. Speaking to reporters at the Cuban Embassy in Washington, Johana Tablada, deputy director for U.S. affairs in Cuba's foreign ministry, said an armed clash between the two old Cold War rivals was "not a good idea" and that the Cuban government was trying to ease the situation but that the U.S. appeared determined to further damage relations. Tablada said new Trump administration measures targeting Communist-ruled Cuba intend to "dynamite our relation(ship) to really provoke a rupture of relation, and even to create conditions, in my opinion, for, if necessary, a military confrontation." Republican U.S. President Donald Trump and his top officials have taken a hardline approach to Cuba since he took office in January, returning longtime foe Cuba to a U.S. list of State Sponsors of Terrorism, tightening rules on remittances, and shutting off migration programs that allowed some Cubans to work in the U.S. legally. Trump officials have not publicly threatened any military action. The U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. U.S. Chief of Mission Mike Hammer - the top U.S. diplomat in Havana - has traveled the island widely in recent months to meet with political dissidents, raising the ire of the Cuban government, which accuses him of seeking to foment unrest. Cuba's foreign ministry last week issued a verbal warning to Hammer, saying he had incited "Cuban citizens to commit serious criminal acts, attack the constitutional order, or encourage them to act against the authorities," calling his actions a violation of the Vienna Convention norms on diplomatic relations. Tablada accused Hammer of channeling U.S. humanitarian funds to undermine the Cuban government and said Cuban diplomats would not be allowed to engage in similar behavior in the U.S. 'To push both countries into scenarios of confrontation and collision is not a good idea,' she said. Just days before Trump took office in January former President Joe Biden's administration removed Cuba from its terrorism blacklist, effectively reversing sanctions from Trump's first term. After returning to office, Trump quickly returned Cuba to the blacklist and also reinstated many of the restrictions on trade and travel that Biden had eased.
Free Malaysia Today
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
India, Pakistan trade accusations of nuclear arsenal mismanagement
Pakistan showcased its 'Ghauri' long-range ballistic missile, capable of carrying nuclear weapons, during the 2005 national day parade in Islamabad. (Reuters pic) KASHMIR : India and Pakistan accused each other Thursday of failing to control their nuclear weapons, calling on the world to monitor their neighbour's arsenal just days after their most serious military confrontation in two decades. Indian defence minister Rajnath Singh said Pakistan's nuclear arsenal should be under the surveillance of the UN's atomic energy agency, while Islamabad said the international community should investigate a 'black market' in India. The latest conflict between India and Pakistan had sparked global concerns that it could spiral into a full-blown war before a ceasefire was brokered on Saturday. 'I wanted to raise this question for the world: are nuclear weapons safe in the hands of a rogue and irresponsible nation?' Singh told troops at a base in Indian-administered Kashmir. 'I believe that Pakistan's atomic weapons should be brought under the surveillance of the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency),' Singh added. Hours later, Pakistan's foreign ministry said the IAEA should instead probe 'the repeated theft and illicit trafficking incidents involving nuclear and radioactive material in India'. 'These incidents also suggest the existence of a black market for sensitive, dual-use materials inside India,' its statement added. But on Thursday, foreign minister Ishaq Dar announced there had been 'military to military communications' and both sides had agreed to extend a ceasefire until Sunday, May 18. Fighting began when India launched strikes on May 7 against what it called 'terrorist camps' in Pakistan following an April attack in Indian-administered Kashmir which killed 26 people. New Delhi blamed Islamabad for backing the militants it claimed were behind the attack – the deadliest on civilians in Kashmir in decades. Pakistan denies the charge. Four days of intense drone, missile and artillery exchanges ensued, leaving nearly 70 people, including dozens of civilians, dead on both sides. Both India and Pakistan are nuclear powers and members of the IAEA, which regulates the use of nuclear weapons. Pakistani ministers have repeatedly said the nuclear option was not on the table and that the country's nuclear governmental body was not summoned at any point during the recent conflict. Pakistani military spokesperson Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry told reporters on Sunday that escalating conflict between the nuclear rivals was 'inconceivable and sheer stupidity'. 'That conflict can lead to the peril of 1.6 billion people, so in reality there is no space for war between India and Pakistan,' Chaudhry said. Fearing further escalation, global leaders had urged restraint from the arch-enemies with US President Donald Trump announcing the surprise truce. The ceasefire has held since the weekend, following initial claims of violations from both sides. But Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in a call with UN chief Antonio Guterres on Wednesday, expressed 'concerns over the continued provocative and inflammatory remarks by Indian leadership, as a threat to the fragile regional peace'. India's foreign minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said on Thursday that a key water treaty, which governs river water critical to parched Pakistan for consumption and agriculture, would remain suspended until 'cross-border terrorism by Pakistan is credibly and irrevocably stopped'. His counterpart in Pakistan, Ishaq Dar, responded calling the treaty 'a no-go area'. 'The treaty can't be amended, nor can it be terminated by any party unless both agree,' he told parliament. Militants have stepped up operations on the Indian side of Kashmir since 2019, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist government revoked the region's limited autonomy and imposed direct rule from New Delhi. Police in Indian-administered Kashmir meanwhile said they killed three suspected militants on Thursday in the town of Tral, in Pulwama district south of Srinagar, the region's main city. Police also said three other suspected militants died in a gun battle with soldiers on Tuesday in the southern Kashmir valley. Muslim-majority Kashmir is claimed in full by both India and Pakistan, which have fought several wars over the territory since their 1947 independence from British rule.
The Independent
21-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Pakistan's army chief Asim Munir promoted to field marshal after recent skirmishes with India
Pakistan's powerful army chief, Gen. Asim Munir, has been promoted to the rank of field marshal days after a U.S.-brokered ceasefire between nuclear-armed rivals Pakistan and India following one of their most serious military confrontations in decades. In a statement, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had also approved the extension of Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu's tenure in recognition of his service. Sharif has praised Munir and other military leaders for what he described as a 'befitting response' to an Indian airstrike on Pakistani air bases in the early hours of May 7. Munir becomes only the second military officer in Pakistan's history to hold the title of field marshal. The first was Gen. Ayub Khan, who led the country during the 1965 war with India. 'I am deeply thankful to Allah Almighty for this honour,' Munir said in a statement. The ceasefire was aimed at ending weeks of escalating clashes, including missile and drone strikes, triggered by the mass shooting of tourists last month that India blamed on Pakistan, which denies the charge. Nearly 7,500 people from Pakistan and India have since signed a petition calling for dialogue between the two sides. The online appeal, titled 'India, Pakistan: Stop the Hostilities,' was launched on May 7 by the South Asia Peace Action Network, a coalition of peace advocates, journalists and citizens.
Russia Today
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
‘They told me to leave the only home I know': How the India-Pakistan crisis has torn families apart
In the shadow of snow-capped Himalayan peaks, the picturesque valley of Pahalgam in Kashmir became the site of bloodshed and horror last month when terrorists struck a group of tourists, killing 26 people in one of the deadliest attacks in the region in recent years. The incident sent shockwaves through the already fragile India-Pakistan relations, leading to a military confrontation within weeks of the attacks. Thousands of Pakistani nationals residing in India, however, felt the consequences immediately, and continue to face uncertainty. Within 48 hours of the attack, the Indian government announced sweeping measures, including revoking valid visas of Pakistanis and ordering them to leave by April 27 (the duration of medical visas was extended till April 29, 2025). All visas, except for diplomatic, official, and long-term visas, stand cancelled since April 27. New Delhi also "strongly advised" Indian nationals to avoid travelling to Pakistan. "Those Indian nationals currently in Pakistan are also advised to return to India at the earliest,' the foreign ministry said. The exact number of people that had to leave both countries due to the latest tensions is not clear – but is estimated to be in the hundreds. Beyond the diplomatic posturing and a four-day military standoff that sent shockwaves through the region, a humanitarian crisis unfolded in real time, as hundreds of Pakistani citizens took to the Attari border in Amritsar to leave India as soon as possible. Naoamana Jarreen Farooqui's story epitomizes this predicament. Three decades ago, she married Jameel Ahmad from Bahraich district in Uttar Pradesh, bringing with her dreams of love and a shared future. Now 52, she is the mother of four daughters and two sons, and grandmother to several children. Despite living in India for 30 years, she has been unable to secure citizenship. 'I have applied three times,' she told RT in a phone interview, her voice trembling. 'Each time, the paperwork was returned after the one-month processing period.' Now, she lives on a Long-Term Visa (LTV), which must be regularly renewed. The new citizenship processes introduced under the BJP government have allowed her to apply online, but crucial documents remain unprocessed through the Additional District Magistrate's office. 'Where will I go now?' she asks. 'My entire family is here. My children and grandchildren are Indian citizens. Pakistan is no longer home to me.' Similarly, Razia Khatoon, 70, faces a dire situation. Born in Bahraich to Indian parents, she was originally an Indian citizen. After marrying a Pakistani man from Lahore, she surrendered her Indian citizenship. When that marriage ended in divorce, she returned to India in 1978 and married Fayyaz Ali Khan from Bahraich. However, her previous surrender of Indian citizenship means she remains a Pakistani national living on an LTV. Now widowed and childless, Razia lives with her sister near a local dargah (shrine) in Bahraich. She survives by doing odd jobs at a madrasa and relies on charity for her medical expenses. When informed about the potential requirement to return to Pakistan, she could only respond with tears: 'I have no one left in Pakistan. India is the only home I know.' Under Indian rules, all long-term visa holders are allowed to visit their home country after obtaining a second permit, called the No Objection to Return to India (NORI) visa. But in the days following the attack, there have been reports of NORI visa holders also being stopped from crossing the border into India, as officials waited for clarity. The path to Indian citizenship for Pakistani nationals is fraught with bureaucratic hurdles. Under current regulations, Pakistani citizens must maintain continuous residence in India for at least seven years before applying. Additionally, a first-class Indian officer must certify their photographs and signatures. Legal experts say the process became more complicated following the introduction of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in 2019, which specifically excludes Muslims from its expedited citizenship provisions for persecuted minorities from neighboring countries. Advocate M Khalil (name changed on request), who has represented several Pakistani nationals in citizenship cases, told RT: 'Even those who qualify under the existing framework face years of bureaucratic delays. The current geopolitical climate only worsens their situation.' Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police Prashant Kumar, in an exclusive interview with RT, said, 'All the residents under the given criterias from government of India have been asked to leave the state and they adhered to our orders. There are some people living in the state but their visa does not fall under the one who have been asked to leave.'For people like Naoamana and Razia, the geopolitical shifts translate into immediate personal crises. Their experiences mirror those of thousands trapped between two nuclear-armed nations burdened by decades of mutual suspicion and hostility. In Bahraich, the local authorities have offered a sliver of reassurance, noting that holders of LTVs have yet to receive formal deportation orders. Still, for many, uncertainty has become a daily affliction. 'I've spent more years in India than in Pakistan,' Naoamana says. 'My children know no other home. If I am forced to leave, where will I go? Who will I be?' Nearly a month after tensions flared, and with both countries now observing a fragile ceasefire, Pakistani nationals residing in India continue to grapple with a profound crisis of identity and belonging. They remain unintended casualties of a geopolitical conflict far beyond their control – caught in a struggle they neither started nor shaped. Meanwhile, Kashmir once again finds itself at the center of a storm that threatens to wash away the lives and dreams of thousands whose only crime was to be born on the wrong side of a contentious border.
BreakingNews.ie
11-05-2025
- Politics
- BreakingNews.ie
India and Pakistan blame each other as ceasefire violated hours after agreement
India and Pakistan have accused each other of violating a ceasefire just hours after it was agreed following talks to end the most serious military confrontation between the nuclear-armed rivals in decades. The ceasefire had been expected to bring a swift end to weeks of escalating clashes, including missile and drone strikes, triggered by the mass shooting of tourists last month that India blames on Pakistan – which denies the charge. Advertisement But multiple explosions were heard in two large cities of Indian-controlled Kashmir hours after the countries agreed to the deal. Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said late on Saturday 'there had been repeated violations of the understanding arrived between the two countries' and accused Pakistan of breaching the agreement. Red projectiles are seen on the horizon in Srinagar, in Indian-controlled Kashmir, on Saturday (Mukhtar Khan/AP) 'We call upon Pakistan to take appropriate steps to address these violations and deal with the situation with seriousness and responsibility,' he said at a news conference in New Delhi. Mr Misri said the Indian army was 'retaliating' for what he called a 'border intrusion'. Advertisement In Islamabad, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry blamed Indian forces for initiating the ceasefire violation. The ministry said Pakistan remains committed to the agreement and that its forces are handling the situation with responsibility and restraint. 'We believe that any issues in the smooth implementation of the ceasefire should be addressed through communication at appropriate levels,' the ministry said. Residents had earlier celebrated following news that India and Pakistan had reached a ceasefire deal (Pervez Masih/AP) The first word of the truce came from US President Donald Trump, who posted on his Truth Social platform that India and Pakistan had agreed to a full and immediate ceasefire: 'Congratulations to both Countries on using Common Sense and Great Intelligence. Thank you for your attention to this matter!' Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said in a speech on Saturday that his country agreed to the ceasefire in the larger interest of peace in the region and hoped all the outstanding issues with India, including the long-running dispute over the Kashmir region, would be resolved through peaceful dialogue. Advertisement Mr Misri said the head of military operations from both countries spoke on Saturday afternoon and agreed 'that both sides would stop all firing and military action on land, and in the air and sea'. However, hours after the agreement, explosions heard by residents in Srinagar and Jammu in Indian-controlled Kashmir were followed by blackouts in the two cities. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
