Foreign Affairs Archives - Defence Monitor

09 Sep

US, Colombia seal critical minerals, nuclear pacts

Washington, Sep 9 (IANS) The United States and Colombia have signed two arrangements aimed at strengthening critical-minerals supply chains and expanding civil nuclear cooperation. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Colombian Foreign Minister Omar Bula signed the arrangements in Barranquilla on Tuesday during Rubio’s visit to Colombia, according to the US State Department. The State Department said the initiatives were intended to reinvigorate the more than 200-year partnership between the two countries and restore it as a central pillar of hemispheric security and economic cooperation. Under the critical-minerals framework, the two governments will work to build secure, diversified and…

09 Sep

Israel orders closure of British Consulate in Jerusalem in response to UK sanctions

Jerusalem, Sep 9 (IANS) Israel has ordered the closure of the British consulate in East Jerusalem in retaliation for sweeping sanctions imposed by the UK on goods originating from "illegal" Israeli settlements, further deepening an already bitter diplomatic dispute between the two countries. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar announced the retaliatory measures after UK Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary Ed Miliband described violent activity by Jewish settlers in the West Bank as "ethnic cleansing". The measures announced by Israel include the closure of the British consulate in East Jerusalem and entry bans on several British MPs. The British consulate,…

25 Aug

Taiwanese visiting China could face arrest for involvement in sensitive technology or working in ‘hostile’ company: Report

Taipei, Aug 25 (IANS) People from Taiwan travelling to China could be arrested for engaging in sensitive technology or working in a company deemed "hostile" under Beijing's new border rules, local media reported on Tuesday, citing a national security source. China is scheduled to enforce revised entry and exit rules in September that, along with the Ethnic Unity and Progress Promotion Law and proposed changes to the Administrative Measures for Internet Information Services, would give more powers to Chinese authorities, Taiwan's Taipei Times reported, citing a source who spoke on condition of anonymity. People could be arrested for engaging in…

20 Aug

Iran’s President says negotiation with US does not mean surrender

Tehran, Aug 20 (IANS) Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said that negotiating with the United States did not mean surrender. At a conference in Tehran on Wednesday (local time), Pezeshkian stressed the need to defend Iran's territorial integrity, according to a statement posted on his office's website. "In the process of negotiations, we are moving forward step by step at the height of our power and while maintaining wisdom, dignity and expediency," Pezeshkian said. "Our goals have been to end the war, lift the (anti-Iran naval) blockade, release the country's frozen assets and, then, (hold) nuclear talks," he noted. US…

14 Aug

Two UAE tankers attacked while transiting Hormuz Strait: Report

Abu Dhabi, Aug 14 (IANS) Two vessels belonging to Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) were attacked while transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday evening, local authorities and media said early Friday. In a statement posted on social media, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the Iranian attacks, stressing the necessity for Iran to cease attacks. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) underscored that this attack constitutes a flagrant violation of UN Security Council resolution 2817, which affirmed the importance of freedom of navigation, and rejected the targeting of commercial vessels or…

14 Aug

15 months of zero border releases: Trump administration

Washington, Aug 14 (IANS) The Trump administration on Thursday reported a 15th consecutive month without releases of undocumented migrants at the US border, citing tighter enforcement and historically low crossings. The Department of Homeland Security and US Customs and Border Protection said Border Patrol agents apprehended 9,295 people along the southwest border in July. That was 6 per cent fewer than in June. Nationwide, Border Patrol apprehensions fell 1 per cent from the previous month to 11,298, the agencies said. “Again this month, the results are clear: President Trump’s border security agenda is restoring order and putting the safety of…

10 Aug

US launches $201 million Trans-Caspian fund

Washington, Aug 10 (IANS) The United States has launched a $201 million fund to promote private investment along the Trans-Caspian Trade Route as it moves to turn a US-brokered Armenia-Azerbaijan peace initiative into a regional transport and economic corridor. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the Trans-Caspian Enterprise Fund was operational with a newly elected board of directors and capital provided by the US government. “Today, I am pleased to announce that the Trans-Caspian Enterprise Fund is up and running, led by a newly elected board of directors and capitalized with $201 million in U.S. government funding to spur…

10 Aug

Nepal govt intervention forces Tibetan seminar to go online

Kathmandu, Aug 10 (IANS) The International Association for Tibetan Studies (IATS) has said a planned international conference on Tibetan studies in Kathmandu will be held online following the Nepal government’s instruction to Kathmandu University not to host the event. Local media reports have linked the Nepal government’s decision to concerns raised by China, although the university says it is unaware of any such pressure. The 17th Seminar of the International Association for Tibetan Studies (IATS) — the premier global gathering for Tibetan scholarship — was scheduled to be held in Kathmandu from August 23 to 29, 2026. The Himalaya Centre…

08 Aug

India-Israel partnership evolves into wider regional strategic network: Report

Athens, Aug 8 (IANS) India-Israel defence ties have evolved beyond a robust bilateral partnership into a broader, interest-driven strategic architecture linking geographically distant but complementary partners. While political will and regional dynamics will determine whether it becomes a formal grouping or remains a flexible network, the trajectory is already clear, a report has stated. The partnership extends beyond defence, intersecting with initiatives such as the India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), which seeks to strengthen connectivity in trade, energy, digital infrastructure and supply chains. Shared concerns over Iran's regional activities, threats to maritime routes and the need to build greater resilience…

07 Aug

Internal matter, several nations regulate flow of foreign funds: MEA rejects US lawmaker’s remarks on FCRA Bill

New Delhi, Aug 7 (IANS) India on Friday rejected comments made by a section of the international community, including a US lawmaker, on the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act Amendment (FCRA) Bill, stressing that legislative matters concerning India are internal affairs of the country on which decisions are taken by the Parliament. Addressing a bi-weekly media briefing in New Delhi on Friday, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal noted that several nations, including the United States (US), regulate the flow of foreign funds. "We have seen the comments; legislative matters concerning India are our internal affairs on which decisions…