SOUTH ASIA

Tel Aviv, Jan 19 (IANS) Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and his party submitted their resignation to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition government on Sunday, citing opposition to the Gaza ceasefire deal. The move leaves Netanyahu with a razor-thin majority in parliament, Xinhua news agency reported.In his resignation letter, Ben-Gvir described the ceasefire as "dangerous" and "a surrender deal to terrorism."Ben-Gvir said that he opposes halting the war, withdrawing forces, and releasing Palestinian prisoners convicted of attacks against Israelis. He also opposes another term of the deal, under which Israel agrees to allow displaced Palestinians to return to their homes in northern Gaza.However, he said that his party might return to the government if the war...

Tehran, Jan 14 (IANS) Iran and three European powers -- France, Britain and Germany -- have agreed to restart discussions on lifting sanctions and Tehran's nuclear program, a senior Iranian diplomat said.Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran's deputy Foreign Minister, announced this on social media platform X as a new round of talks began in Geneva between Iran, the three countries, and the European Union. The talks are expected to cover a range of issues, including how the countries relate to each other, as well as problems in the region and the world, Xinhua news agency reported.Gharibabadi said the talks were "serious, frank, and constructive," adding they went into detail about removing sanctions and the nuclear issues needed for a deal."Everyone agreed on the need to restart talks on removing sanct...

Seoul, Jan 12 (IANS) South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol will not attend the first formal hearing in his impeachment trial this week out of concerns for his safety, his lawyer said on Sunday.Yun Gap-geun, Yoon's defence attorney, made the announcement as the Constitutional Court will hold the first oral arguments on Yoon's impeachment trial on Tuesday, while investigators are seeking to detain the impeached president for questioning in a separate case related to his short-lived martial law imposition, reports Yonhap news agency."As attempts to unlawfully execute an illegal and invalid arrest warrant are underway, there are concerns of personal safety and mishap," Yun said. "In order for the president to appear for the trial, the issue of personal safety and security must be resolved."Yun ...

Jerusalem, Jan 12 (IANS) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed a senior delegation to depart to the Qatari capital, Doha, to continue advancing a deal with Hamas to release the Israeli hostages held in the Gaza Strip.A statement from the Prime Minister's Office on Saturday said the directive followed a situation assessment Netanyahu held Saturday evening with Defence Minister Israel Katz and US negotiators from "both the outgoing and incoming administrations."The Israeli delegation includes David Barnea, head of the Israeli Mossad intelligence agency, and Ronen Bar, chief of the Shin Bet internal security service, reports Xinhua news agency.Meanwhile, Israel Katz, on January 10, has instructed the military to prepare a plan for the "total defeat" of Hamas if a hostage releas...

Seoul, Jan 12 (IANS) Lotte Duty Free, a major South Korean duty-free retailer, has suspended sales to Chinese resellers starting this year, becoming the first to do so in the local industry facing worsening profitability due to high commission fees, industry sources said on Sunday.The company informed major Chinese resellers late last year that it would stop selling duty-free items to the merchants starting this month, according to the sources.The Chinese merchants are a major player in the local duty-free market, purchasing large quantities of duty-free items at a relatively cheap price to resell them in China and Southeast Asia.Lotte Duty Free's move appears to be aimed at improving its profitability despite possibly risking a sharp decline in sales after mounting losses in its business....

Kampala, Jan 12 (IANS) African nations have adopted a new strategy to advance agricultural development and food systems, a key source of livelihood for the continent's population.The 10-year strategy and action plan to implement the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP), along with a consensus document titled the Kampala Declaration, were announced on Saturday at the conclusion of the African Union Extraordinary Summit on CAADP in Kampala, the capital of Uganda, on Saturday.Under the new framework, African countries committed to intensify sustainable food production by increasing agri-food output by 45 per cent by 2035 and reducing post-harvest losses by 50 per cent, reports Xinhua news agency.They also agreed to boost investment and financing in the agricultural sec...

Tehran, Jan 12 (IANS) Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has unveiled a new underground missile base, local media reported.Footage broadcast by state-run IRIB TV on Friday night showed the facility, described as a "missile city," being unveiled in the presence of IRGC Commander Hossein Salami and Amir-Ali Hajizadeh, head of the IRGC's Aerospace Force.The base houses advanced Iranian missiles, including the "Emad, Qadr and Qiam," all liquid-fueled, the state TV narrator said. The subterranean facility is one of hundreds of such bases belonging to the IRGC's Aerospace Force, reports Xinhua news agency, quoting IRIB.The footage indicated missiles from the base were used in Iran's second retaliatory military operation against Israel in October last year.Salami, during a visit to the...

New Delhi, Jan 11 (IANS) The future of regional cooperation in South Asia is currently at a pivotal juncture, shaped by its historical context. While initiatives such as the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) have largely failed to achieve the anticipated pan-regional free trade, another important forum, the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), risks facing a similar fate unless significant intervention occurs from its largest member states, namely India and Bangladesh.These concerns have been exacerbated by the recent political upheaval in Bangladesh in August 2024, which followed a prolonged student-led mass movement that resulted in the removal of long-serving Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.This development has bee...

Jakarta, Jan 11 (IANS) Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto met with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Saturday, with the two leaders agreeing to enhance cooperation in various sectors. Subianto told a press conference that Indonesia opened up to the possibility of Japanese companies participating in Indonesia's future economic development, including in the downstream programs of natural resources.The Indonesian president invited the Japanese government to contribute to Indonesia's economic development, particularly in achieving food and energy self-sufficiency, industrializing natural resources and eliminating hunger for under-nourished communities.Ishiba expressed Japan's commitment to foster cooperation in resource development and infrastructure to maintain energy security and...