Latest news with #TheDiplomat
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First Post
11 hours ago
- Politics
- First Post
Who is JP Singh, India's envoy to Israel, MEA's ‘go-to' diplomat in times of crisis?
Jitendra Pal (JP) Singh took over the post of India's Ambassador to Israel in January during a ceasefire between the Jewish country and Hamas in Gaza. Just months down the line, he is overseeing New Delhi's efforts to evacuate its citizens from Israel as tensions mount between the West Asian country and Iran. Recently, Singh came to the limelight after Netflix's movie, The Diplomat, portrayed the high-profile rescue mission of Uzma Ahmed in Pakistan. The case was handled by Singh read more JP Singh is India's Ambassador to Israel as New Delhi begins evacuation of its nationals from the West Asian country. X/@IsraelinIndia India's Ambassador to Israel is in the spotlight again. As military tensions escalate between Israel and Iran, New Delhi has launched Operation Sindhu to evacuate its nationals from the two warring countries in West Asia. As India rescues its citizens from Israel, India's envoy in Tel Aviv – Jitendra Pal (JP) Singh – is at the centre of it all. Under him, India is navigating the Iran-Israel conflict, which has caused turmoil in West Asia. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Singh was recently the subject of Netflix's The Diplomat starring John Abraham. The movie is based on the high-profile Uzma Ahmed rescue case in Pakistan, which was handled by him. Who is the Indian diplomat? We take a look. Who is JP Singh? JP Singh, a 2002 batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, is currently serving as India's Ambassador to Israel. His appointment came in January this year at a crucial time, during Israel and Hamas' ceasefire in Gaza. Singh replaced Sanjeev Singla, who is the Indian Ambassador to Paris. His tenure as Indian Ambassador in Tel Aviv is significant for bilateral defence and trade ties between the two countries. Singh was sent to Israel at a time when Indian workers are increasingly going to work in Israel. The West Asian country is home to more than 32,000 Indian nationals. As Iran and Israel's conflict intensifies, Singh is again India's point-person for managing a crisis on foreign soil. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD MEA's top pick for Iran, Afghanistan JP Singh has held several big posts at the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). He has served in Russia, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Turkey. The diplomat was the joint secretary in the key Pakistan-Afghanistan-Iran (PAI) division of the MEA. Last year, Singh was responsible for maintaining a balance between India's relationship with Iran and its regional rival, Israel, as they traded missiles. He also steered high-level engagements between India and Iran when Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Amir Abdollahian died, reported The Hindu. Singh was posted in Kabul as the first secretary between 2008 and 2012. During his tenure, he dealt with the aftermath of two suicide attacks by the Taliban on the Indian Embassy in 2008 and 2009. After the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021, Singh went to Kabul to meet Taliban Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani, leader of the Haqqani network behind the attacks on the Indian Embassy and consulates in Afghanistan. Last November, he held talks with the Taliban's Acting Defence Minister, Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob, to expand ties between India and Afghanistan. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The Administrator of National Defense Ministry met with a Delegation from India. The defense ministry's administrator, Mawlawi Mohammad Yaqoob 'Mujahid' at his office today, met with an Indian delegation, headed by... — د ملي دفاع وزارت - وزارت دفاع ملی (@MoDAfghanistan2) November 6, 2024 His meeting is seen to have cleared the path for Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri's talks with the Taliban regime's Acting Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi in Dubai in January. JP Singh's hard talk with Pakistan Singh was India's deputy high commissioner to Pakistan between 2014 and 2019. He managed tensions between the two countries for a decade, including seeing a brief thaw in October 2024 when Jaishankar travelled to Islamabad for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Heads of Government meeting. After India launched Operation Sindoor in May to avenge the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, Singh told Pakistan to hand over the dreaded terrorists operating from its soil. In an interview with Israel's i24NEWS last month, Singh said that the 'new normal' is India's offensive strategy against terrorism. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'The ceasefire is still holding on but we have made it very clear that Operation Sindoor is paused. It's not yet over,' the Indian Ambassador to Israel said, adding that the fight against terrorism will continue. He pointed out that India has taken a new stance. 'We have set a new normal and the new normal is that we will follow an offensive strategy. Wherever terrorists are we have to kill those terrorists and we have to destroy their terrorist infrastructure.' Singh said that 'ceasefire is intact' for now. He also called on Pakistan to hand over high-profile terrorists, including Hafiz Saeed, Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, and Sajid Mir. Singh talks from experience as he has overseen the fallout of the Pathankot and Uri terror attacks. When he was the Joint Secretary (IPA), India and Pakistan clashed over the 2019 Pulwama attacks. They suspended trade ties and recalled High Commissioners after the abrogation of Article 370. Singh also supervised discussions to build the Kartarpur corridor for Sikh pilgrims, as per The Hindu. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In Pakistan, Singh led the diplomatic rescue mission of Indian national Uzma Ahmed in 2017 after she was forced into a marriage at gunpoint. Netflix's movie The Diplomat revolves around the case, capturing Singh's skills while taking on a high-stakes mission. With inputs from agencies
News18
a day ago
- Politics
- News18
Handled The Taliban, Survived Bombings, Rescued Uzma: JP Singh, 'The Diplomat', Is In Tel Aviv
Under IFS officer JP Singh's command in Israel, India is evacuating students and citizens while continuing with diplomatic and strategic decisions in the middle of missile fire Bombs in Kabul, missiles in Tel Aviv, and complexities in Islamabad – when diplomacy demands nerves of steel, India turns to one man. JP Singh, a 2002-batch IFS officer currently at the helm in Tel Aviv, is navigating the ongoing conflict as India's Ambassador to Israel. Under his command in Israel, India is steering evacuations of its students and citizens while also continuing with diplomatic and strategic decisions in the middle of all the missile fire. While the US is reportedly preparing to evacuate some of its embassy personnel as the conflict escalates, the Indian mission is actively working to assist all citizens in leaving the area. Known for his skills and composure while operating in high-risk zones, JP Singh has now become India's go-to crisis manager on foreign soil. His calm under fire first came into public view during the high-profile Uzma Ahmed rescue case in Pakistan, a mission so gripping that it inspired the recent OTT release – 'The Diplomat' – in which John Abraham plays a character based on him. Singh has been appointed the 10th ambassador of India to Israel, a position that was held by Shivshankar Menon, who later became the national security adviser (NSA) for then prime minister Manmohan Singh. He was appointed Indian ambassador in Tel Aviv earlier this year after serving as the chief of staff to the external affairs minister (EAM) for a year. NO STRANGER TO CONFLICT According to a senior IFS officer, Singh is among the senior diplomats who initiated dialogue with the Taliban and met their foreign minister after they took over Kabul. This was the first official interaction between India and the government led by the Taliban in Kabul. A GLORIOUS CINEMATIC INTERPRETATION Some of Singh's diplomatic manoeuvring became the subject of a gripping cinematic interpretation – The Diplomat (2025), a movie that offers a slick yet intense look into the life of an officer who often operates in the eye of the storm and on foreign soil. The film does not only glorify him, but also attempts to decode the method behind his composure, the mind behind the missions, and also the meaning of modern-day Indian diplomacy. In Kabul, he played another crucial behind-the-scenes role in cementing India's outreach to key stakeholders during the fragile phase before and after the Taliban's return. In Islamabad, too, his tenure was marked by astute negotiation, deep intelligence and strategic liaison, while focusing on careful diplomatic messaging during a particularly tense phase in Indo-Pakistan relations. Now, as tensions flare in Israel, Singh has once again stepped up. However, it is more of a field job for him and about ensuring the safety and evacuation of Indian citizens and students caught in the crossfire. First Published: June 19, 2025, 20:22 IST
Cosmopolitan
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Cosmopolitan
The Bodyguard meets The Diplomat: Inside Suranne Jones's new gripping Netflix thriller series Hostage
Following the release of Department Q and our subsequent binge-watching of the cold case series, we're in a major thriller series drought right now, but thankfully our prayers are about to answered as Netflix has just confirmed their next show set to have us on the edge of our seat is Hostage starring Suranne Jones. Announced earlier today [18 June] Netflix revealed Hostage will be coming to our screens in August later this year and will star Suranne Jones as the British Prime Minister whose husband is kidnapped. We don't know about you but it's giving us major The Diplomat and The Bodyguard energy. Curious to know more? Here's everything to possibly know about the new series Hostage. Hostage stars Suranne Jones as the British Prime Minister, whose husband is kidnapped and taken hostage. As if this wasn't enough to deal with already, the visiting French President is being blackmailed while on English soil. The two powerhouses are forced into an unlikely pairing where they must work together, despite their history to work against this shared threat. The series is written by Matt Charman, who has previously written Treason and Bridge of Spies, said Suranne's performance in Hostage is "going to blow the Netflix audience away" and describes her character as "An embattled British PM in the middle of a fight for her country and her family – she's fierce, ruthless and you can't take your eyes off of her." The series will be five episodes long. Leading the series as the British Prime Minister is Suranne Jones, whom you'll likely know from her roles in Doctor Foster, Vigil and Gentleman Jack, amongst many others. Speaking about joining the Netflix series, Suranne said: "I'm thrilled to be on Netflix, in something I'm really proud of. It's been something I've wanted to do for a long time. We'd talked about projects previously, but for me it was about finding the right thing. Hostage was perfect - me and Matt together backed up by this brilliant, supportive team. I loved it." From the first look photos Julie Delpy appears to be portraying the French President in Hostage. Also joining the cast are Lucian Msamati, James Cosmo, Ashley Thomas, Martin McCann, Jehnny Beth and Queen Charlotte's Corey Mylchreest. There's not too long to wait as Hostage will be released in just over two months on 21 August, with all episodes dropping on the same day. There sure are! Take a scroll through the below images to get your first feel of the show: Hostage will be available on Netflix from 21 August
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
‘A true gentleman': John Abraham wins hearts as he accepts bouquet from fan but gives it to airport staff instead
Actor John Abraham is winning hearts on social media with his sweet gesture towards a female airport staff member. The actor was spotted exiting the Mumbai airport on Thursday morning, when he gave a flower bouquet to the staff member, who seemed surprised to receive the unexpected gift from him. (Also read: 'We aren't opposing release of Kamal Haasan's Thug Life in Karnataka, we'll accept SC order': Pro-Kannada organisation) In the video shared by a paparazzo account on Instagram, John was seen walking towards the exit gate of the airport, surrounded by his other crew members. An eager male fan gifted John a bouquet of roses upon arrival, which he accepted with a smile. However, he went ahead and asked the fan's permission and then gifted the same bouquet to a female airport staff member. She looked surprised with the gift and thanked John. Check out the video here: A post shared by Instant Bollywood (@instantbollywood) Reacting to the sweet gesture, a fan commented, 'He asked him first ... He is a true gentleman.' Another fan said, 'Ye banda puri Bollywood industry se alag hain (This man is different from the entire industry).' A comment read, 'Aww, the fan was so happy.' 'He's a talented actor and an even better person!' said another fan. Fans saw John last in The Diplomat. Released in theatres with minimum promotion and buzz, the film put up a decent box office performance after it opened on March 14. The Diplomat is produced by John's JA Entertainment along with T-Series, Vipul D Shah, Ashwin Varde, Rajesh Bahl of Wakaoo Films, Sameer Dixit and Jatish Varma of Fortune Pictures and Rakesh Dang of Seeta Films. Set against the backdrop of India–Pakistan relations, the film explores themes of diplomacy and the personal conflicts faced by diplomats. It is directed by Shivam Nair. It is now available to watch on Netflix.
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First Post
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- First Post
Do you know 'The Diplomat' star John Abraham earns this staggering amount with his leased properties? The amount will shock you
The rent will increase by 8% annually for the first two years and then by 5% for the next two. read more John Abraham, fresh off the success of his film 'The Diplomat', has leased out three apartments in Mumbai's Bandra West for a combined monthly rent of Rs 6.30 lakh. The deal was officially registered on May 29. It was registered with a stamp duty of Rs 1.12 lacs and registration fee of Rs 1000. The rent will increase by 8% annually for the first two years and then by 5% for the next two. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Why the actor said no to OTT To do OTT, you need a very big office setup. You need a lot of people working towards something, where you don't even own the IP of. You make a commission from the series and that goes into your overheads. Anybody who's doing OTT today, they'll tell you absolutely the same thing. So, I don't see sense in breaking sweat on doing these series. I would love to [produce a show if he comes across a good series that appeals to him] because I want to tell that story, not because I want to make a business model out of it. So, that's one reason why I'm not doing this as a producer yet. The actor added, 'Never say never, but at this point of time, I do not want to come on OTT as an actor for a series or an original film. I want to come on the big screen. In my head, I believe I was made for the big screen. I have a lot of respect for OTT channels because most of the content is outstanding. I have so much of respect for the space, but I don't see myself yet in it.'
