COVID-19: Sri Lanka approves Chinese Sinovac vaccine for emergency use

He highlighted India's role as a "first responder" for the Maldives, emphasising that India's support during critical periods has been fundamental to the stability and security of the island nation.

"India is a major exporter of petroleum products, especially to our neighbourhood. We have been supplying diesel to Bangladesh through waterways, rail and the India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline in partnership with Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation. Diesel exports to Bangladesh have continued since then," he said.

Pakistan faces a severe shortage of life-saving medicines, including cancer drugs and vaccines, due to government delays in notifying official prices. While global supply remains stable, regulatory hurdles have stalled legal imports, raising concerns over patient survival and the potential rise of unregulated, counterfeit medicines.

The European Union on Wednesday moved to intensify pressure on Tehran amid the conflict in West Asia by approving new sanctions targeting 19 Iranian regime officials and entities accused of serious human rights violations.

Esmaeil Baqaei, the Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran, on Tuesday paid tributes to the sailors of IRIS Dena who were killed after the frigate was torpedoed and sunk by a US submarine approximately 40 nautical miles off the coast of Galle, Sri Lanka.