Dismayed by developments over a Syria peace conference slated for Montreux, Switzerland later this week, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon decided Monday the meet would proceed without Iran despite his earlier invitation to Tehran, Xinhua reported. A turmoil erupted after Iran, a major backer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, was invited Sunday to the Montreux meeting, […]
The US Monday started to ease some of the economic sanctions on Iran after the Islamic republic took “concrete actions” in curbing its controversial nuclear programme. US Secretary of State John Kerry has approved waivers, offering limited sanction relief on Iran’s oil exports, financial transactions and trade in gold and precious metals, among others, Xinhua […]
Maldives President will Tuesday begin a three-day visit to Sri Lanka, his first tour to that country since assuming office, in an effort to strengthen bilateral relations and enhance business and investment ties between the two countries. Yameen, along with his wife Fathimath Ibrahim, will visit Sri Lanka Jan 21-23 on the invitation of Sri […]
Iran Monday commenced suspension of its 20 percent uranium enrichment programme, based on its nuclear deal reached with the six world powers, said an official. Ali Akbar Salehi, head of the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI), said Iran would Monday start voluntary suspension of its uranium enrichment programme based on the nuclear deal reached […]
Afghanistan’s President Hamid Karzai has once again called on the US-led coalition forces to end air strikes on residential areas and urged the US to take necessary steps for ensuring durable peace and security in the country. The president issued a statement in this regard Sunday night in the wake of the reported deaths of […]
Syria’s main opposition bloc announced here it would attend the Geneva II peace conference after it held a secret vote on its participation Saturday. The Syrian National Coalition (SNC) said that 58 out of the 75 members voted in favour of the bloc’s presence at the peace talks, 14 voted against it, two abstained and […]
Unidentified gunmen killed an Iranian diplomat in a drive-by shooting in Yemen’s capital city Saturday. “The Iranian diplomat was killed on the spot in a terrorist attack on Saturday,” reported Xinhua citing Yemen’s news agency of Saba. Yemeni Foreign Minister Abu Bakr al-Qirbi condemned the attack, saying it targeted the Yemen-Iran relationship. Meanwhile, the country’s […]
The US condemned the Taliban’s attack on a restaurant in Kabul which left 21 people, including Americans, killed and many injured, White House said Saturday. “There is no possible justification for this attack, which has killed innocent civilians, including Americans, working every day to help the Afghan people achieve a better future,” Xinhua quoted the […]
US President Barack Obama has ordered the establishment of a temporary office to be known as Afghanistan and Pakistan Strategic Partnership Office (APSPO). The new office would help promote further security and stabilisation and transitioning to a normal US diplomatic presence in the two countries, the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported Saturday. The office […]
The American Embassy School, located within the US embassy compound in New Delhi, is under the scanner for alleged violation of India’s tax and visa laws – a fallout of the reciprocal measures taken by New Delhi to pare down the privileges of US diplomats in India over the Devyani Khobragade episode. As the US […]