Latest news with #MinistryofForeignAffairs
See - Sada Elbalad
25 minutes ago
- Politics
- See - Sada Elbalad
Slovakia Temporarily Closes Embassy in Tehran
Israa Farhan Slovakia has announced the temporary closure of its embassy in Tehran and the full evacuation of its diplomatic staff from Iran, citing rising military tensions in the region. The Slovak Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the decision on Friday, citing escalating hostilities between Iran and Israel as a major security concern. Meanwhile, South Korea has successfully evacuated dozens of its nationals from both Iran and Israel as fears grow over the intensifying conflict between the two countries. According to South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, around 60 South Korean citizens and their family members departed the region via land routes and arrived safely in neighboring countries. The ministry stated that 30 South Koreans and four family members left Iran and crossed into Turkmenistan using transport arranged by the South Korean government. They arrived in the capital, Ashgabat, on 18 and 19 June, according to South Korea's Yonhap News Agency. A foreign ministry official explained that the eastern land route used for evacuation spanned roughly 1,200 kilometers and took around 30 hours to complete by bus, including rest stops along the way. read more Gold prices rise, 21 Karat at EGP 3685 NATO's Role in Israeli-Palestinian Conflict US Expresses 'Strong Opposition' to New Turkish Military Operation in Syria Shoukry Meets Director-General of FAO Lavrov: confrontation bet. nuclear powers must be avoided News Iran Summons French Ambassador over Foreign Minister Remarks News Aboul Gheit Condemns Israeli Escalation in West Bank News Greek PM: Athens Plays Key Role in Improving Energy Security in Region News One Person Injured in Explosion at Ukrainian Embassy in Madrid News China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier Sports Former Al Zamalek Player Ibrahim Shika Passes away after Long Battle with Cancer Lifestyle Get to Know 2025 Eid Al Adha Prayer Times in Egypt Business Fear & Greed Index Plummets to Lowest Level Ever Recorded amid Global Trade War Arts & Culture Zahi Hawass: Claims of Columns Beneath the Pyramid of Khafre Are Lies News Flights suspended at Port Sudan Airport after Drone Attacks Videos & Features Video: Trending Lifestyle TikToker Valeria Márquez Shot Dead during Live Stream News Shell Unveils Cost-Cutting, LNG Growth Plan Technology 50-Year Soviet Spacecraft 'Kosmos 482' Crashes into Indian Ocean News 3 Killed in Shooting Attack in Thailand
Euronews
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Euronews
China sends dozens of planes across central line in Taiwan Strait
China dispatched 74 military aircraft towards the Taiwan Strait between late Thursday and early Friday, with 61 of them crossing its median line, the Taiwanese defence ministry has said. The incursion, which represents one of the largest in recent months, began a day after the UK sailed a navy ship across the strait, in a move welcomed by Taipei but condemned by Beijing. The Chinese planes were sent in two separate waves, with six naval vessels also accompanying the manoeuvres, according to Taiwan. Beijing regards the democratically governed island as part of its own territory and has stepped up such deployments to demonstrate its readiness to encircle and potentially invade Taiwan. Analysts say the moves are also aimed at intimidating Taiwan's population and exhausting its military resources and morale. Taiwan responded by scrambling its own fighter jets, deploying naval ships and activating land-based missile systems to monitor the incursion. The incident came after the British patrol vessel HMS Spey passed through the Taiwan Strait on Wednesday. Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcome the patrol, saying it 'once again (reaffirmed the Strait's) status as international waters". 'Such transits by the UK and other like-minded countries are encouraged to safeguard peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, and to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific,' it added. Britain's de facto embassy in Taipei said the HMS Spey was legally within its rights to sail through the strait. 'Wherever the Royal Navy operates, it does so in full compliance with international law and exercises its right to Freedom of Navigation and overflight,' it stated. However, Beijing condemned the Royal Navy's actions, with the Chinese army saying the British vessel had 'deliberately disturbed the situation and undermined the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait". While the timing raised speculation, it remains unclear whether China's large-scale aerial deployment was a direct response to the British naval transit. The Taiwan Strait is an important international waterway, but Beijing routinely objects to the presence of foreign military vessels in the area. On Thursday, Jimmy, a volunteer paramedic and one of the first respondents on site during the 7 October Hamas attack, rushed to action when a series of sirens sounded across Holon, a city south of Tel Aviv. "When the sirens sound, first respondents have to get into their vehicles and wait for the calls from the control hub to start coming in," Jimmy, a 36-year-old Arab-Israeli, who grew up in Jordan and East Jerusalem, told Euronews. "As we headed to the impacted site, I realised that we were nearing my building. When we got there, I discovered that yes — it was my building which had been destroyed by a missile." "I had only moved in the day before, because the apartment I had been living in for four years in Revohot — south of Tel Aviv — was destroyed by an Iranian missile earlier this week," explained Jimmy. "All the remaining clothes I own are ruined, as is the few bits of furniture I had left." "I've been through — and seen — a lot in the last few years, but with time I have learned to disconnect my feelings, because otherwise I would just sit and cry at this never-ending war," said Jimmy, who runs a delivery business, alongside his volunteering activities. "The hardest part for me is that I have an eight-month-old son who I haven't seen for months now, because my wife and he are in Eilat, in the south of Israel, where it's much safer than here." "The thing is, I have to keep working when I can, and I also feel that I am needed as a volunteer," added Jimmy. Although the country has been on standby since Wednesday — the sixth day of Israel and Iran's open conflict — restrictions on civilians were eased, and workplace activities, as well as small gatherings, were allowed to resume. Despite this, schools remain shut and the streets are empty. For many in Israel, raising children in this climate is tough. "I wouldn't be so worried if I didn't have her", 30-year-old Emma from the US told Euronews. She lives in Jaffa in southern Tel Aviv, with her husband and their 10-month-old son. "We don't have a bomb shelter in our building because we live in an Arab neighbourhood, my husband is an Arab Israeli. Many of the affordable apartments in Israel are not equipped, so at night we take our baby and go sleep at my mother-in-law's house," Emma told Euronews. For Emma, there is a clear reason that Israel finds itself in this situation. "I think my morale is better than most Israelis' and that's because I don't believe that what the government is doing is right — so I understand why we are in this position." Nitzan, 34, is a tech entrepreneur and father-to-be who usually resides in Tel Aviv. But since Israel's escalating conflict with Iran, he and his wife have relocated to Haifa, in the north of the country, to stay with her family. 'The noises we are hearing from the shelter are very different to those we hear when there are missiles fired from Hamas or by Hezbollah. Even with the Iron Dome, it sounds like a truck is going through a tunnel right over your head," Nitzan told Euronews. Many in Israel fear being caught out by a missile when they are out doing essential things like heading to the shops or driving to pick up supplies, as the conflict remains particularly hard on civilians. According to health officials, some 24 Israelis were killed by Iranian rocket salvos in the first week of the conflict, while more than 2,400 have received medical treatment for injuries. All were civilians. Meanwhile, Iranian rights groups based abroad have reported that at least 657 people were killed in Iran by Thursday. "If you are out, the instructions are to just lay on the ground with your hands above your head — but I don't think that really does much. On the evening of Iran's first attack, we were driving to Haifa and we saw the sky light up with so many missiles." "We weren't sure whether to stop because there are alarms all over the country, and you don't know if it's for the area. If it's safer to go on, or to stop on the side of the road," added Nitzan. As a business owner, Nitzan manages his team remotely, despite workplace restrictions having been lifted. "I run a business of 12 people. Every morning I get worried calls from my colleagues, who tell me they have children who are scared because of a nearby missile or something, it's hard for them to focus", explained Nitzan. "I feel misunderstood by people living in Europe. Israel escalated the conflict because Iran has repeatedly stated they want to wipe Israel off the face of the Earth." "However, the success of this open conflict will of course be measured by whether this fighting between Israel and Iran continues long-term", concluded Nitzan. Oriella, a teacher who lives in Tel Aviv, told Euronews that she feels "exhausted." "There are no nights, your head is filled with worries and insecurities, because you are mentally exhausted, because we have been at war for years," she said. "In my apartment block we have a shelter, people share small talk, but they don't really want to speak — they are tired of having to converse in the middle of the night. They want to sleep. The children in the shelter are either chatting or crying", said Oriella, 59. "I don't like wars, I believe in diplomatic solutions — I think that is what we should be working towards with Iran. People are experiencing so much suffering and for what? To have wars again, and again, and again," sighed Oriella. 35-year-old Zohran lives in Tel Aviv and works in the nightlife industry. However, his work has been placed on hold, and he is now waiting to see whether he will receive any financial compensation from the government, he explained. "I would say I am used to having my life on hold", Zohran told Euronews. Not having a shelter in his building is a major worry, he added. "Two minutes away from my flat there is an underground parking lot. So I run there, with many other people." "Although I am a strong opponent of Netanyahu, with this war against Iran's regime, most of us are with the government. This is a war with a country, where the leaders say they want to destroy us", concluded Zohran.
2 hours ago
- Politics
China sends scores of planes across central line in Taiwan Strait
TAIPEI, Taiwan -- China sent 74 warplanes toward Taiwan between late Thursday and early Friday, 61 of which crossed the central line in the Taiwan Strait that unofficially divides the sides, an unusually large number as tensions remained heightened in the region. It wasn't clear why so many planes were scrambled between late Thursday and early Friday, as tabulated by Taiwan's Defense Ministry. The planes were sent in two separate tranches, it added. China considers Taiwan its own territory and uses such deployments to advertise its threat to encircle and possibly invade the self-governing island. China also hopes to intimidate Taiwan's population of 23 million and wear down its equipment and the morale of its armed forces. On Thursday, Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs 'confirmed and welcomed' the transit of the British Royal Navy's off-shore patrol craft HMS Spey through the Taiwan Strait a day earlier. The ship's transit, the ministry said, 'once again (reaffirmed the Strait's) status as international waters.' 'Such transits by the U.K. and other like-minded countries are encouraged to safeguard peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, and to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific,' the Foreign Ministry said. Britain's representative office in Taipei said in a statement that the Spey had conducted a navigation of the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law and rights provided under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. 'Wherever the Royal Navy operates, it does so in full compliance with international law and exercises its right to Freedom of Navigation and overflight,' the statement added. China responded angrily, saying the Eastern Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army 'organized troops to monitor and guard the entire process and effectively responded and dealt with it." The British ship's action "deliberately disturbed the situation and undermined the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait,' the Eastern Theater Command said in a statement. The bustling Taiwan Strait lies in international waters, but China objects to any transit or activity within it by foreign military vessels. It wasn't clear if the large number of Chinese warplanes sent on Thursday and Friday were related to the earlier sailing of the British ship. Six military ships accompanied the Chinese planes, which ranged from drones to fighter jets and early warning and other support aircraft. Taiwan deployed ships, fighter interceptors and land-based missile systems in response.
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Business
- Straits Times
Vietnam's top leader plans US trip as tariff deadline looms
Vietnam's Communist Party chief To Lam is expected to lead a delegation of officials and business executives. PHOTO: AFP HANOI – Vietnam's Communist Party chief To Lam is preparing to travel to the US in coming weeks as the two sides look to clinch a trade deal before US President Donald Trump's higher tariffs kick in, according to people familiar with the matter. Mr Lam aims to meet Mr Trump to help finalise an agreement, the people said, asking not to be identified as the trip isn't finalised yet. It's unclear what date the party chief will travel, although preparations are being made for him to be there in the next few weeks, they said. He is expected to lead a delegation of Vietnamese officials and business executives, they said, as the nation looks to seal more deals to buy additional American goods to reduce its trade surplus with the US. Ms Pham Thu Hang, a spokeswoman for Vietnam's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said she hadn't received any information about the visit when asked about it at a regular press briefing on June 19. The White House declined to comment. Negotiators are close to a framework agreement under which Vietnam is pushing for tariffs in the range of 20 per cent to 25 per cent, Bloomberg News previously reported. The US is demanding stricter enforcement against the transshipment of Chinese products and the removal of non-tariff barriers. The two sides held more talks in a virtual meeting on June 19, attended by US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, Vietnam's trade ministry said in a statement. Trade Minister Nguyen Hong Dien told the officials Vietnam seeks 'to develop practical and harmonious' rules with the US to deter fraudulent exports. He also welcomed the proposals from Mr Lutnick and Mr Greer 'to advance the negotiation process,' according to the statement. Vietnam has engaged in weeks of intense trade diplomacy since Mr Trump imposed a so-called reciprocal tariff rate of 46 per cent on imports from the country. He then postponed the duties until July 9, temporarily setting a 10 per cent import tax on trading partners to allow time for talks. In recent weeks, top officials from Vietnam have gone to the US to rally support. The agriculture minister secured US$3 billion (S$3.85 billion) worth of provisional deals during a tour of US states. The trade minister met with executives from Nike Inc, Gap Inc and Walmart Inc to encourage key industry players to get behind negotiation efforts. Vietnam is a critical industrial base for these companies, which count on the nation's factories to manufacture goods ranging from T-shirts and jeans to basketball shoes. Brands raced to move manufacturing to Vietnam over the past decade as US-China tensions escalated, helping turn the country into one of the world's biggest production hubs. The South-east Asian nation's trade connections with China, its largest bilateral trade partner, have been a major sticking point in negotiations. During Mr Trump's economic battle with Beijing in his first term, the manufacturing shift to Vietnam helped build the kind of massive trade surplus that has drawn the ire of the US president. BLOOMBERG Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
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Business Standard
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Business Standard
China sends scores of warplanes across central line in Taiwan Strait
China sent 74 warplanes toward Taiwan between late Thursday and early Friday, 61 of which crossed the central line in the Taiwan Strait that unofficially divides the sides, an unusually large number as tensions remained heightened in the region. It wasn't clear why so many planes were scrambled between late Thursday and early Friday, as tabulated by Taiwan's Defence Ministry. The planes were sent in two separate tranches, it added. China considers Taiwan its own territory and uses such deployments to advertise its threat to encircle and possibly invade the self-governing island. China also hopes to intimidate Taiwan's population of 23 million and wear down its equipment and the morale of its armed forces. On Thursday, Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed and welcomed the transit of the British Royal Navy's off-shore patrol craft HMS Spey through the Taiwan Strait a day earlier. The ship's transit, the ministry said, once again (reaffirmed the Strait's) status as international waters. Such transits by the UK and other like-minded countries are encouraged to safeguard peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, and to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific, the Foreign Ministry said. Britain's representative office in Taipei said in a statement that the Spey had conducted a navigation of the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law and rights provided under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Wherever the Royal Navy operates, it does so in full compliance with international law and exercises its right to Freedom of Navigation and overflight, the statement added. China responded angrily, saying the Eastern Theatre Command of the People's Liberation Army organised troops to monitor and guard the entire process and effectively responded and dealt with it". The British ship's action "deliberately disturbed the situation and undermined the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait, the Eastern Theatre Command said in a statement. The bustling Taiwan Strait lies in international waters, but China objects to any transit or activity within it by foreign military vessels. It wasn't clear if the large number of Chinese warplanes sent on Thursday and Friday were related to the earlier sailing of the British ship. Six military ships accompanied the Chinese planes, which ranged from drones to fighter jets and early warning and other support aircraft. Taiwan deployed ships, fighter interceptors and land-based missile systems in response. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
