In a late night development, S Jaishankar, India's Ambassador to the United States, was appointed foreign secretary on Wednesday, replacing Sujatha Singh whose tenure has been abruptly 'curtailed" by nearly 8 months.
Top government sources in India have dismissed claims that the Indian Navy provided intelligence to the US regarding an Iranian frigate that was sunk by a US submarine.
The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has proposed a 20-point policy agenda to the finance ministry, including a conflict-linked emergency credit line guarantee scheme and tax rationalisation on energy inputs, to support MSMEs, exporters, and energy-intensive industries affected by the ongoing West Asia war.
India joined Russia, China, and other nations in opposing the deployment of foreign military infrastructure in Afghanistan during 'Moscow Format' talks. The discussions focused on bringing prosperity and development to Afghanistan, with participants emphasizing the need to eliminate terrorism and integrate Afghanistan into regional connectivity.
'Pakistan's is the only military-controlled nuclear weapons programme in the world.' 'As people get radicalised, the risk of a brigadier or pilot taking matters into their own hands is a real concern.'
PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf on Monday met Foreign Secretary Syrus Sajjad Qazi to discuss the delay in visa issuance to Pakistani fans and journalists for the ongoing World Cup in India.
Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi is expected to visit India next week, marking the first high-level trip from Kabul since the Taliban's rise to power. The visit follows a temporary exemption to a UN travel ban and is expected to enhance India's relations with the Taliban government.
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor discusses India's role in the US-Iran peace talks taking place in Islamabad, emphasising the importance of peace over competition with Pakistan and highlighting India's regional interests.
Pakistan High Commissioner Shahid Malik on Wednesday met Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao and discussed issues related to the India-Pakistan meeting scheduled to be held in New Delhi on February 25. Malik met Rao after his return from Islamabad, where he held consultations with the Pakistan government on the forthcoming meeting between the foreign secretaries of the two countries, sources said. After a 14-month hiatus, India on January 28 offered to hold talks with Pakistan.
He also warned the Gulf countries, which are allowing the US to launch an attack from their soil, vowing to "punish" the regional partners.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah asserts the BJP will form a government in West Bengal and address the issue of infiltration, accusing Mamata Banerjee of allowing it for vote-bank politics.
Acting tough, India on Monday called off foreign secretary-level talks with Pakistan next week and conveyed a blunt message that it was interfering in India's internal affairs by holding talks with Kashmiri separatists which was "unacceptable".
Rao is only the second woman to be named for the post of foreign secretary after Chokila Iyer.
He added that opposition parties were assured that their concerns regarding the impact of the West Asia situation on India and the safety of Indian citizens were addressed in detail.
Seven months after cancelling talks, Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar arrived in Islamabad on Tuesday.
The Congress party has criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's diplomatic efforts following the ceasefire agreement between the US and Iran, facilitated in part by Pakistan. The party claims this development undermines Modi's strategy and exposes his perceived failures in foreign policy.
Foreign secretaries of India and Pakistan would meet on June 29 in New Delhi to prepare the ground for the crucial meeting of the foreign ministers planned for the middle of July in Islamabad, Pakistan Foreign Secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani said in Beijing on Wednesday.
'I suspect that Bangladesh being given permission stuck in India's official craw, and this story was an attempt to balance the scales by giving the impression that a similar waiver had been given to India as well.'
'To suddenly give the impression of taking a position that is hostile to Iran, or, at least, not friendly to Iran, is not a good thing.'
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar discussed the West Asia conflict's impact on the global economy, particularly energy security, with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. He also engaged with GCC ambassadors and his Sri Lankan and German counterparts on the same issue.
A simultaneous announcement about the meeting was made from New Delhi and Islamabad on Wednesday after Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh and her Pakistani counterpart Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry had a telephonic conversation.
The turning point in his career was undoubtedly Nepal where he was sent as ambassador and acted with a cool head.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri attended the swearing-in ceremony.
But selectively, with regulatory scrutiny and special approval, points out Tamal Bandyopadhyay.
Though there was no official announcement to this effect, sources said that Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar will travel to Islamabad to hold talks with his counterpart Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry.
China and Bhutan held the 15th Expert Group Meeting to discuss boundary alignment, focusing on areas where there are no disputes, and agreed to maintain the momentum of negotiations.
The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) has reviewed the evolving situation in West Asia, directing departments to assist Indian nationals affected by recent developments and emphasizing the need for dialogue and diplomacy.
Bashir, who served as foreign secretary from May 2008 to March 2012, has been named Pakistan's new high commissioner to India and is expected to take up the post next month.
Sujata Singh, currently envoy to Germany, will be India's next foreign secretary following an approval of her appointment by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, sending months of speculation on who will head the foreign services.
Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon arrived in Beijing on Sunday to attend a meeting of G-8 'outreach countries', becoming the first top Indian diplomat to visit China since the outbreak of the Tibet unrest. The G-5 meeting in Bejing is a multilateral consultation exercise on economic and trade issues and climate change, among others, that major developing nations wish to take up with G-8. Menon is expected to meet Chinese officials and discuss the of bilateral issues.
Egypt, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey met in Islamabad in what analysts say is the formal opening of a new diplomatic formation that could reshape the post-war regional order. Their immediate goal is a ceasefire; their larger ambition is to ensure that neither Iran nor Israel emerges from this war in a dominant position. Pakistan's foreign minister then flew directly to Beijing and mooted a Chinese role as guarantor of any eventual agreement. Prem Panicker continues his must read daily blog on the Gulf War.
The Congress party has criticised the Indian government's diplomatic strategy, claiming a 'severe setback' if reports of Pakistan mediating between the US-Israel and Iran are accurate. The party alleges Pakistan's diplomatic engagement has surpassed India's, despite military successes.
Indian carriers have cancelled over 10,000 flights since the onset of the West Asia conflict, as escalating tensions and airspace restrictions disrupted international operations, a senior government official said.
Vijay Keshav Gokhale's tenure as foreign secretary promises to guide India's external affairs along paths never taken before, says K P Nayar.
Kerala's 2026 assembly election will see a three-cornered contest where religion and communalism have emerged as central themes for the first time, challenging the state's long-celebrated secular fabric.
The LPG squeeze on India's restaurant sector is the quotidian face of a deeper crisis.
'The entire US ecosystem built over decades at the bases in the Gulf region, especially the UAE, costing trillions of dollars have been decimated, dealing a mortal blow to the US Central Command's war capability,' points out Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
S Jaishankar took charge as foreign secretary, replacing Sujatha Singh, on Thursday.
Janjua will replace incumbent foreign secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, who will be taking charge as Pakistan's new ambassador to the US, Foreign Office said on Monday night.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances