ABU DHABI: The United Arab Emirates is not planning to join the international stabilization force for Gaza because it lacks a clear framework, a senior official said on Monday. &quot;The UAE does not yet see a clear framework for the stability force, and under such circumstances will probably not participate in such a force,&quot; Emirati presidential advisor Anwar Gargash told the Abu Dhabi Strategic Debate forum. The US-coordinated international force has been seen as likely to include troops from Egypt, Qatar and Turkey, as well as the UAE. Last week, US President Donald Trump said he expected the force to be in Gaza &quot;very soon&quot;, as a fragile ceasefire holds following two years of war. The oil-rich UAE is one of the few Arab nations with official ties to Israel after signing the Abraham Accords during Trump&#39;s first term in 2020.

Middle East

Emirati presidential advisor Anwar Gargash says the UAE does not yet see a clear framework for the stability force, and under such circumstances will probably not participate in such a force.

UAE 'probably' won't join Gaza stabilization force: senior official

Web Desk/AFP

ISLAMABAD: Former US President Donald Trump said Sunday that he plans to give most Americans $2,000 each, funded by tariff revenues collected under his administration. &ldquo;A dividend of at least $2,000 a person (not including high-income people!) will be paid to everyone,&rdquo; Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, criticizing opponents of tariffs as &ldquo;fools.&rdquo; <div class="fr-embed" style="line-height: 2;"><iframe src="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/115519726463094783/embed" class="truthsocial-embed" style="max-width: 100%; border: 0;" width="600" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div> Any such payments would need authorization from Congress, which remains locked in budget negotiations following a partial government shutdown that has stretched beyond 40 days, halting funding for key federal programs and disrupting air travel and other industries. The US Senate on Sunday took a major step toward ending the shutdown, clearing the way for a formal debate on a motion to resume funding for federal agencies. Trump has previously floated similar ideas, referring to the proposed payment as a &ldquo;dividend&rdquo; or &ldquo;rebate.&rdquo; Last month, he said his administration was &ldquo;thinking about a little rebate,&rdquo; but emphasized paying down national debt as a priority. &ldquo;We have so much money coming in,&rdquo; Trump said at the time. &ldquo;The big thing we want to do is pay down debt.&rdquo; Earlier this year, Republican Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri introduced a bill to provide $600 tariff rebates to most Americans, arguing that citizens should benefit directly from trade revenue. Since returning to the White House, Trump has expanded tariffs on major trading partners including China, Canada and Mexico. Under his &ldquo;Liberation Day&rdquo; announcement in April, the United States extended higher tariffs to most foreign nations, though some were later eased. Trump has claimed the United States is collecting &ldquo;trillions of dollars&rdquo; through tariffs imposed on foreign nations, though the Treasury Department reported $195 billion in tariff revenue for fiscal year 2025. His latest proposal comes as the US Supreme Court considers challenges to his authority to impose broad tariffs without congressional approval.

File Photo - US President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, DC on November 7, 2025. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP)

Americas

Former US President Donald Trump said Sunday that he plans to give most Americans $2,000 each, funded by tariff revenues collected under his administration.

Trump vows $2,000 tariff dividend to all except 'high-income people'

Web Desk

MOGADISHU: Thousands of Somalis have been forced to leave their homes in recent years as drought, conflict and limited assistance made life in rural areas increasingly difficult, a report by Amnesty International said. The report, &ldquo;No Rain, No Food, No Animals: The Human Rights Impact of Drought and Displacement in Somalia,&rdquo; said that between 2020 and 2023, people from southern Somalia moved to a refugee camp in Kenya after prolonged drought and economic strain left them without food, water or income. Communities facing worsening conditions Amnesty said drought linked to human-induced climate change had intensified since 2022, destroying crops and livestock and drying up water sources. Food prices rose by as much as 160% above pre-2020 levels, reducing access to basic goods and forcing displacement. Somalia declared the drought a national disaster in 2021. The report said government spending on health remains below 5% of the national budget, lower than the 15% target set under the Abuja Declaration adopted by African Union countries. Repeated displacement Many people displaced by drought have moved several times, initially to camps in southern Somalia and later across the border. Amnesty said services along migration routes were limited, leaving people to travel long distances without food, clean water or health care. Call for stronger response The Amnesty International&rsquo;s regional director for East and Southern Africa, Tigere Chagutah, said Somalia&rsquo;s contribution to global warming was small but its people were among the worst affected. &ldquo;Somalia&rsquo;s contribution to global warming is negligible, yet its people are bearing the brunt of the climate crisis,&rdquo; Chagutah said. &ldquo;Limited resources and ongoing conflict are not an excuse to neglect international obligations.&rdquo; Somalia ranks as the seventh most climate-vulnerable country in the world, according to the report. It mentioned that the government needed to develop climate-resilience policies and early-warning systems to reduce the impact of future droughts and floods. Appeal for international assistance Amnesty said Somali authorities should raise health and emergency spending and that high-income countries should meet financial and technical commitments to help Somalia adapt to the effects of climate change. &ldquo;The Somali authorities must urgently come up with climate-resilience policies that also address loss and damage,&rdquo; Chagutah said. &ldquo;The international community must step in to help Somalia adapt &mdash; not abandon it.&rdquo;

Africa

Amnesty International says prolonged drought, conflict and limited aid displaced thousands in southern Somalia between 2020 and 2023, leaving families struggling with hunger, disease and water shortages.

Somali drought drives mass displacement as aid and support remain limited

BANGKOK: Thailand announced on Monday it was suspending the implementation of a peace agreement with neighboring Cambodia after a landmine blast injured two Thai soldiers near the border. The deal, overseen by US President Donald Trump, was meant to secure a lasting end to hostilities following border clashes in July that killed at least 43 people and displaced more than 300,000 civilians on both sides. The Royal Thai Army said in a statement that the mine explosion in Sisaket province left one soldier with a severe leg injury, while pressure from the blast caused another to withstand chest pains. Thai government spokesman Siripong Angkasakulkiat said that Bangkok will cease &quot;the follow-up to the joint declaration&quot;, meaning the accord with Cambodia inked in Kuala Lumpur in late October, months after the two sides had agreed a ceasefire. The next steps planned as part of the agreement&#39;s implementation included the release of 18 Cambodian soldiers detained in Thailand. &lsquo;Unwavering commitment&rsquo;Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul told a press conference that &quot;we thought that the security threat had eased, but it has not actually decreased.&quot; Cambodian authorities did not immediately comment on the incident, but have in the past denied Thai accusations of planting new landmines along the border. Cambodia&#39;s defense ministry pledged in a statement on Monday an &quot;unwavering commitment&quot; to peace. The Southeast Asian neighbors have a dispute over parts of their border dating back more than a century, but July&#39;s fighting was sparked by Thailand&#39;s claims that Cambodia planted landmines that wounded its troops.

Asia

The Royal Thai Army said in a statement that the mine explosion in Sisaket province left one soldier with a severe leg injury, while pressure from the blast caused another to withstand chest pains.

Thailand suspends Cambodia deal after landmine injures troops

LONDON: The BBC was on Monday expected to apologize for editing a speech that suggested Donald Trump had directly instigated an attack on the US Capitol, resulting in the dramatic resignations of the broadcaster&#39;s top brass. Director General Tim Davie and BBC News CEO Deborah Turness stepped down on Sunday after accusations that a documentary by its flagship Panorama program had used a misleading edit of Trump&rsquo;s speech. The outgoing CEO of BBC News on Monday said the broadcaster &nbsp;was &quot;not institutionally biased&quot;, after she resigned over accusations that it had misleadingly edited a speech by Donald Trump. &quot;I&#39;d like to make one thing very clear, BBC News is not institutionally biased. That&#39;s why it&#39;s the world&#39;s most trusted news provider,&quot; Deborah Turness told reporters outside the BBC&#39;s London headquarters, after she and BBC director general Tim Davie stepped down on Sunday. BBC Chair Samir Shah, who said it was a &ldquo;sad day for the BBC,&rdquo; was due to give an explanation on Monday to Parliament&rsquo;s Culture, Media and Sport Committee. The state-funded broadcaster has been accused of biased coverage by different ideological camps in recent years, including over its coverage of the war in Gaza. While Trump celebrated the resignations, accusing BBC journalists of being &ldquo;corrupt&rdquo; and &ldquo;dishonest,&rdquo; Turness insisted in her leaving note that &ldquo;allegations that BBC News is institutionally biased are wrong.&rdquo; The shake-up also comes as the UK government is set to begin reviewing the BBC&rsquo;s Royal Charter, which outlines the corporation&rsquo;s governance and public mission. The current charter ends in 2027 and will need to be renewed, with Davie adding he hoped a new chief would &ldquo;positively shape&rdquo; the next iteration, which will need to secure substantial funding to guarantee the BBC&rsquo;s long-term future. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, who previously called the allegations of bias &ldquo;incredibly serious,&rdquo; said a review of the charter by the UK government will help the BBC &ldquo;adapt to this new era.&rdquo; While some critics see the resignations as a timely reckoning for the once-beloved state institution, others have suggested they are a result of duress from right-wing detractors and the United States. Former Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson threatened to stop paying his BBC license fee, while current Tory Party leader Kemi Badenoch welcomed the resignations following a &ldquo;catalogue of serious failures.&rdquo; But Liberal Democrats Party leader Ed Davey urged Prime Minister Keir Starmer to tell Trump to &ldquo;keep his hands off&rdquo; the BBC. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s easy to see why Trump wants to destroy the world&rsquo;s number one news source,&rdquo; said Davey. &ldquo;We can&rsquo;t let him.&rdquo; ControversiesIt could take several months to find a replacement for Davie, who earned the moniker &ldquo;Teflon Tim&rdquo; for his ability to bounce back from scandals. But he was unable to ride out the latest controversy, which follows a Daily Telegraph report last week that several concerns were raised on impartiality in an internal memo by Michael Prescott, a former external adviser to the BBC&rsquo;s editorial standards committee. Among them was criticism over clips spliced together from sections of a Trump speech on Jan. 6, 2021, when he was accused of fomenting the mob attack on the US Capitol seeking to keep him in power despite losing his re-election bid. The edit made it appear he had told supporters he was going to walk to the US Capitol with them and &ldquo;fight like hell.&rdquo; In the undoctored clip, however, the president urged the audience to walk with him &ldquo;and we&rsquo;re going to cheer on our brave senators and congressmen and women.&rdquo; Earlier this year, the BBC issued several apologies for &ldquo;serious flaws&rdquo; in the making of another documentary entitled Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone, broadcast in February. In October, it accepted a sanction from the UK media watchdog for what was deemed a &ldquo;materially misleading&rdquo; program, whose child narrator was later revealed to be linked to the organization accused of bias in its coverage of Israel. Pro-Palestinian protesters have also targeted the BBC&rsquo;s London headquarters over its coverage of the Israel-Hamas war.<figure class="fr-media"> </figure><figure class="fr-media"> </figure>

United Kingdom

BBC was on Monday expected to apologize for editing a speech that suggested Donald Trump had directly instigated an attack on the U.S. Capitol, resulting in the dramatic resignations of the broadcaster's top brass.

BBC expected to apologise over Trump row after chief resignation

ISLAMABAD:&nbsp;Parliamentary representatives from over a dozen countries have arrived in Islamabad to participate in the Inter-Parliamentary Speakers&rsquo; Conference scheduled from November 11&ndash;12, 2025. This conference will serve as a significant milestone in promoting global peace, mutual cooperation, parliamentary diplomacy, democratic values, and dialogue, and will further strengthen relations among the parliamentary institutions of different countries, said a press release issued by Pakistan&rsquo;s Senate Secretariat on Monday. Parliamentary delegations from Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Kenya, Palestine, Morocco, Rwanda, the Maldives, Malaysia, the Philippines, Serbia, Nepal, Liberia, and Saudi Arabia, and other friendly countries have arrived in Islamabad to participate in the conference. From Jordan, a delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister Taufiq Kreishan arrived in Islamabad. The delegation includes Rakan Hammadeh Al-Fawaz, Member of the Upper House of Jordan, along with other officials. From Azerbaijan, a parliamentary delegation led by Deputy Speaker of Milli Majlis, Ali Ahmadov, arrived in Pakistan&#39;s capital. From Uzbekistan, Deputy Chairman of the Senate of the Supreme Assembly, Sodiq Safoev, headed the delegation, while from Cameroon, the delegation was led by Member of Parliament Kamasse Simon Pouhe. Former President of Guatemala Jimmy Morales, Deputy Speaker of Kenya Farah Maalim Mohammed, and Speaker of the Palestinian National Council Rawhi Ahmad Mohammad Fattouh, also arrived in Islamabad along with their respective delegations. From Saudi Arabia, a delegation led by Vice Chairman of the Shura Council Abdullah bin Adam Falaatah arrived in Pakistan&#39;s capital. The delegation includes Dr Usman Haqqamani, Abdullah Atlas, and Dr Moeen Al-Madani. From Morocco, Speaker of the House of Councillors Mohamed Ould Rachid, from Rwanda, President of the Senate Francois Xavier, from the Maldives, Speaker Abdul Raheem Abdullah, from Malaysia, Deputy President of the Upper House Nur Jazlan bin Mohamed, and senior officials and accompanying staff from the Philippines have also arrived in Islamabad. From Algeria, a delegation led by Member of Parliament Saad Arous, from Barbados, Speaker of the Parliament Arthur Eugene Holder, and from Serbia, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Edin Đerlek, have also arrived in Pakistan&#39;s capital with their parliamentary delegations. Similarly, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives of Tajikistan, Aziz Giyozoda, and Dr Nurul Alam Mozumder, Officer of the international organization GCPR Global, have also arrived in Islamabad. Harka Raj Rai, Secretary of the House of Representatives of Nepal, has also arrived in Pakistan&#39;s capital to participate in the conference. From Liberia, Speaker of the House of Representatives Richard Nagbe Koon, and Sam P Jallah, Chairman of the Hydrocarbon Committee and Member of the Peace and Reconciliation Committee of the House of Representatives, have also arrived in Islamabad to participate in the conference, the press release said.

Foreign Affairs

Parliamentary delegations from around the world arrive at Islamabad International Airport to participate in the Inter-Parliamentary Speakers’ Conference to be held in Islamabad; the conference aims to promote global peace, cooperation, parliamentary diplomacy, democratic values, and dialogue.

Islamabad set to host multinational parliamentary conference promoting global peace cooperation

TEHRAN: Iran on Monday dismissed accusations by the United States that Tehran had attempted to kill the Israeli ambassador in Mexico, describing the claim as &quot;absurd.&quot;&nbsp;&quot;We found this claim very ridiculous and absurd,&quot; said Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei during a weekly press briefing, adding that it was part of an attempt &quot;to destroy Iran&#39;s friendly relations with other countries.&quot;&nbsp;Following Washington&#39;s accusation on Friday of the assassination attempt, Israel&#39;s foreign ministry thanked Mexican authorities &quot;for thwarting a terrorist network directed by Iran.&quot;&nbsp;But Mexico&#39;s foreign ministry later said it had &quot;received no information&quot; on the alleged plot, and Iran&#39;s embassy in Mexico called it &quot;a great big lie.&quot;&nbsp;A US official said Iran&#39;s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps&#39; elite Quds Force initiated the plot in late 2024 and that it was disrupted earlier this year.&nbsp;The alleged plot involved recruiting operatives through Iran&#39;s embassy in Venezuela, whose leftist president, Nicolas Maduro, maintains a tactical alliance with Tehran.&nbsp;&quot;The entire matter was fabricated,&quot; Baqaei said on Monday.&nbsp;In mid-June, Israel launched an unprecedented bombing campaign against Iran, triggering a 12-day war during which the US briefly joined with strikes on Iranian nuclear sites.&nbsp;A ceasefire between Iran and Israel has been in place since June 24.

Foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei says allegation part of an attempt "to destroy Iran's friendly relations with other countries."

Iran says US claim on plot to kill Israeli ambassador in Mexico 'absurd'

ISLAMABAD: Indian politicians have raised questions over special trains that were allegedly run from the state of Haryana to Bihar just before polling on November 3rd.&nbsp;&nbsp;Polling for Legislative Assembly elections in the Indian state of Bihar began on November 6 and will continue till November 11. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In a press conference, independent lawmaker Kapil Sibal and politician AD Singh asked the Indian Railways Minister&nbsp;Ashwini Vaishnaw why special trains from Haryana to Bihar were run on November 3rd just before the polling.&nbsp;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-7" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 602px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-7&features=e30%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1987449043908432014&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fsections%2F&sessionId=7811d5ec620e040f4fb02ffe0323edb3a44922d3&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px">&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>Sibal said, &ldquo;We know that the Election Commission will not do anything, &hellip; because they are supporters of the BJP.&rdquo;They claimed that &ldquo;on 3rd November 2025, a train left at 10am. That train left from Karnal and left for Baroni via Panipat.&rdquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;There were 1,500 people in that train. This is what we know.&rdquo;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-8" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 626px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-8&features=e30%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1987824504978936081&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fsections%2F&sessionId=7811d5ec620e040f4fb02ffe0323edb3a44922d3&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" data-tweet-id="1987824504978936081"></iframe></div></div>He alleged, &ldquo;Another train left at 11am on the same day, 3rd November.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;&lsquo;Four trains&rsquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;That too left from Karnal and went via Patna to Bhagalpur. There were 1500 people in that train. This is what we know,&rdquo; Sibal added.&nbsp;He said, &ldquo;A third train left at 3pm. And a fourth train left at 4pm. And both those trains, third and fourth, left from Gurugram and went via Patna to Bhagalpur.&rdquo;&nbsp;Sibal said, &quot;So, there were about 3,000 people in these two trains.&quot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;I would like to ask the Railway Minister, Vaishnaw, whether this special train really left or not.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;He asked, &ldquo;So, tell me publicly, did this special train leave? And as I have said, it left at 10am, 11am, 3pm, 3pm, 4pm. It reached there. And if it left, then why did the government use the special train from Haryana?&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;Sibal asked the Railways minister to reply, &ldquo;If they are genuine voters, then they do not need a special train. If they are not genuine voters, then why did you make them use the special train?&rdquo;&nbsp;

India

Sibal asked the Indian Railways minister to reply, ‘If they are genuine voters, then they do not need a special train. If they are not genuine voters, then why did you make them use the special train?’ 

Indian politicians question 'special trains' from Haryana to Bihar just before polls 

ISLAMABAD: In the recent round of developments in defense cooperation between the two countries, the naval chiefs of Pakistan and Bangladesh have reaffirmed &ldquo;joint commitment to peace and stability in the Indian Ocean.&rdquo; Pakistan&rsquo;s defense ties with Bangladesh have seen steady progress since the ouster of former Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina, bringing an end to Indian influence in Dhaka. Stability in Indian Ocean&nbsp;A post on X on Sunday by Pakistan Navy&rsquo;s Director General Public Relations (DGPR) stated: &ldquo;Pakistan and Bangladesh Naval Chiefs reaffirm enduring cooperation and joint commitment to peace and stability in the Indian Ocean.&rdquo;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 719px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=e30%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1987516345513296120&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fsections%2F&sessionId=7811d5ec620e040f4fb02ffe0323edb3a44922d3&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>According to a Bangladesh Navy&rsquo;s post on X, &ldquo;Admiral Naveed Ashraf, Chief of Naval Staff, Pakistan paid homage at Shikha Anirban&rdquo; &ndash; a Dhaka memorial.&nbsp;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-6" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 744px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-6&features=e30%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1987439583597101553&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fsections%2F&sessionId=7811d5ec620e040f4fb02ffe0323edb3a44922d3&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" data-tweet-id="1987439583597101553"></iframe></div></div>Pakistan Navy ship arrives in Bangladesh&nbsp;Pakistan Navy Ship &quot;PNS SAIF&quot; arrived in Bangladesh on a four-day goodwill visit on November 8, according to a Bangladesh Navy&#39;s post on X. Pakistan Navy Ship PNS SAIF, commanded by Captain Shujaat Abbas Raja, arrived at Chattogram Port, it said.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-5" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 696px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-5&features=e30%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1987087001699647716&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fsections%2F&sessionId=7811d5ec620e040f4fb02ffe0323edb3a44922d3&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px"></iframe></div></div>Not &lsquo;India&rsquo;s Ocean&rsquo;&nbsp;At a conference organized by an Islamabad-based think tank, CISS last year, former Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee of Pakistan, General (retired) Zubair Mehmood Hayat, famously, said that as far as Indian Ocean Region (IOR) is concerned, India is the &ldquo;elephant in the room&rdquo;, adding that Pakistan has always maintained that this is &quot;Indian Ocean&quot; and not &quot;India&rsquo;s Ocean&quot;. A report published by Islamabad-based think tank, ISSI, titled &quot;Indian Initiatives for Maritime Dominance: Pakistan&#39;s Options and Response&quot;, states that &quot;as the growing power of Asia, India is determined to establish itself as a regional hegemonic player. For that, it requires a greater role in the Indian Ocean Region.&quot;&nbsp; &quot;In this regard, India has not only made investments in key areas across the Indian Ocean, but is also making alliances in the Pacific region.&quot; &quot;In this scenario, Pakistan has to explore new options to maintain its presence in the Indian Ocean. The alliance with Chinese is one such step, but the scope needs to be broadened,&quot; the report says. India-Pakistan conflict&nbsp;During the conflict with India in May this year, the Pakistan Navy monitored the movement of INS Vikrant, which had been deployed to a location 400 nautical miles from Karachi. However, it later retreated closer to Mumbai, according to state-run Radio Pakistan.&nbsp;Pakistan Navy&rsquo;s Coastal Command units were also deployed to safeguard the creek areas. Meeting with Bangladesh army chief&nbsp;Pakistan&rsquo;s naval chief also held a meeting with the chief of army staff of Bangladesh on Sunday. According to a post on social media platform X by Bangladesh Army: &ldquo;A delegation led by Chief of Naval Staff, Pakistan Navy Admiral Naveed Ashraf paid a courtesy call on with the Chief of Army Staff at the Army Headquarters today.&rdquo; &ldquo;In addition to exchanging mutual greetings, they discussed about strengthening defence cooperation between two countries and enhancing military capabilities of both forces. They also exchanged views on the prospects of expanding military cooperations through bilateral military training, seminars, and visits.&rdquo; &ldquo;Admiral Naveed Ashraf highly praised the professionalism of the Bangladeshi participants in the joint exercise AMAN, held in Karachi and North Arabian Sea in February 2025,&rdquo; the post stated.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-2" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 672px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-2&features=e30%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1987461320048771472&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fsections%2F&sessionId=7811d5ec620e040f4fb02ffe0323edb3a44922d3&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>&lsquo;Positive trajectory&rsquo;&nbsp;Pakistan-Bangladesh defense ties are on a &ldquo;positive trajectory&rdquo;, especially this year. Pakistan&rsquo;s Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza, called on Bangladesh&rsquo;s Chief of Army Staff General Waker-Uz-Zaman at Army Headquarters, Dhaka, in October, according to Pakistan military&rsquo;s media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). &ldquo;During the meeting, both sides appreciated the positive trajectory of expanding defence cooperation between the two countries and agreed to maintain regular exchange visits at various tiers of military leadership,&rdquo; the ISPR said. MoUs signed&nbsp;Pakistan and Bangladesh have signed a number of MoUs during a recent visit of Pakistan&#39;s foreign minister to Dhaka. Pakistan&#39;s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, in an August 25 post on X, announced at the conclusion of a 36-hour visit to Bangladesh the signing of the following: &ldquo;i) Agreement on Visa Abolition for Diplomatic &amp; Official Passport Holders of both countries;ii) MoU between Foreign Service Academies of the two countries; &nbsp;iii) MoU between Associated Press of Pakistan Corporation &amp; Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha;iv) MoU between Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad &amp; Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies;v) MoU on Establishment of Joint Working Group on Trade; andvi) Cultural Exchange Programme (2025&ndash;2028).&rdquo;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-3" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 344px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-3&features=e30%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1959693443162394753&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fsections%2F&sessionId=7811d5ec620e040f4fb02ffe0323edb3a44922d3&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px">&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>AMAN Dialogue&nbsp;Earlier, in February this year, the Bangladeshi chief of naval staff visited Pakistan to participate in the AMAN Dialogue. A DGPR&rsquo;s post on X on February 7, 2025, stated: &ldquo;CNS of Bangladesh Admiral Mohammad Nazmul Hassan called on CNS Admiral Naveed Ashraf at NHQ. Visiting dignitary will participate in AMAN Dialogue, being conducted alongside multinational maritime exercise AMAN-25. Visiting CNS was presented guard of honour.&rdquo; &ldquo;Afterwards; matters of mutual interest, regional maritime security environment &amp; prospects for enhanced bilateral naval collaboration were discussed. Avenues of cooperation, training, exchange of visits &amp; bilateral naval exercises were also discussed.&rdquo;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-4" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 648px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-4&features=e30%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1887864837767635222&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fsections%2F&sessionId=7811d5ec620e040f4fb02ffe0323edb3a44922d3&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px"></iframe></div></div>Moreover, according to a January 19, 2025, post on X by the DGPR, &ldquo;Lt Gen SM Kamrul Hassan, PSO of the Armed Forces Division of Bangladesh, visited PN units in Khi.&rdquo; &ldquo;He called on Cdr Pak Fleet R/Adm Abdul Munib, Cdr Coast R/Adm Faisal Amin &amp; MD KS&amp;EW R/Adm Salman Ilyas. Matters of mutual interest &amp; enhanced bilateral naval collab were discussed,&rdquo; it said.

Security

Pakistan and Bangladesh have strengthened defense ties in 2025 through naval visits, military meetings, and the signing of MoUs; the two countries have reaffirmed their commitment to peace and stability in the Indian Ocean. 

Pakistan, Bangladesh reaffirm commitment to peace in Indian Ocean

ISLAMABAD: Israel announced on Sunday that Turkish forces would not take part in the multinational mission being discussed to assume control of Gaza once Israeli troops pull out, Israeli media reported. &ldquo;There will be no Turkish boots on the ground,&rdquo; government spokesperson Shosh Bedrosian told reporters, dismissing speculation about Ankara&rsquo;s involvement in the proposed International Stabilization Force (ISF), according to Times of Israel. The statement follows reports that the United States is in talks with Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Indonesia, T&uuml;rkiye, and Azerbaijan to contribute to an international stabilization mission under US President Donald Trump&rsquo;s peace plan. The initiative aims to gradually transfer security responsibilities in Gaza from Israeli forces to an interim international presence. The force has yet to be formed, and discussions continue over whether it would operate under a United Nations Security Council mandate. Earlier, US Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack said at a security forum in Manama that T&uuml;rkiye could play a role in the effort, despite Israeli objections. US Vice President JD Vance also noted that Ankara might have a &ldquo;constructive role,&rdquo; but stressed Washington would not pressure Israel to accept any foreign troops.&nbsp;Tensions between the two countries have escalated after T&uuml;rkiye&rsquo;s Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor&rsquo;s Office on Friday issued arrest warrants for 37 Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing them of &ldquo;genocide&rdquo; and &ldquo;crimes against humanity&rdquo; in Gaza.&nbsp;The list reportedly includes Defense Minister Israel Katz, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, and army chief Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir. The prosecutor&rsquo;s statement also cited the bombing of the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital in Gaza earlier this year.&nbsp;Israel rejected the move, with Foreign Minister Gideon Sa&rsquo;ar calling it a &ldquo;PR stunt&rdquo; by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.&nbsp;A fragile ceasefire has been in place in Gaza since Oct. 10 as part of Trump&rsquo;s regional peace initiative.

The statement follows reports that the US is in talks with Egypt, the UAE, Qatar, Indonesia, Türkiye, and Azerbaijan to contribute to an international stabilization mission under US President Donald Trump’s peace plan.

UAE 'probably' won't join Gaza stabilization force: senior official

Related Articles

Migrant shipwreck off Malaysia kills at least seven

BBC chief resigns after row over Trump documentary

Lebanon fighting 'terror financing,' president tells US

Israel says Turkish troops will not join Gaza stabilization mission

Latest News

Trump vows $2,000 tariff dividend to all except 'high-income people'

Somali drought drives mass displacement as aid and support remain limited

Thailand suspends Cambodia deal after landmine injures troops

BBC expected to apologise over Trump row after chief resignation

Islamabad set to host multinational parliamentary conference promoting global peace cooperation