EU will expand sanctions against Belarus, says German foreign minister

India on Thursday highlighted a high-level diplomatic push to protect Indian interests, emphasising the twin priorities of citizen safety and the stability of energy supply chains.

India on Thursday rejected Pakistan's allegations of aggravating skirmishes with Afghanistan, calling them "baseless" and accusing Pakistan of blaming others for its own misdeeds.

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova condemned a drone strike on the commercial vessel Arctic Metagaz in the Mediterranean. Calling it "a terrorist attack & a war crime," she detailed the crew's rescue after a gas explosion, criticised Malta's refusal to assist the injured, and denounced the European silence.

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.

Indian students studying in Iran have begun making arrangements to leave the country amid growing safety concerns, with the first batch expected to depart for the Armenia border on Thursday as evacuation plans gradually take shape.

Amid the developing security situation in West Asia, the Indian Embassy in Qatar provided an update, where it mentioned that about 1000 Indian passengers have travelled back to New Delhi, Mumbai and Kochi. It further said that temporary transit visas of 96 hours' validity had been issued for Indian nationals through the Salwa border to Saudi Arabia and underlined that the Embassy's 24/7 control room remains functional.

Baghaei's remarks came in response to statements by President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and Vice-President of the European Commission Kaja Kallas regarding the regional situation.

According to Dr Mohammad Momin Khan, President of the All India Medical Students Association (AIMSA) J-K, nearly all students from Urmia University of Medical Sciences are planning to return. A group of over 30 students has already booked tickets and is expected to reach New Delhi on March 15 via Dubai, while others are scheduled to arrive on March 16.

India's UN Ambassador, Harish Parvathaneni, has condemned Pakistan's "hypocritical" airstrikes in Afghanistan during Ramadan, which killed 185 civilians. Speaking at the UNSC, he denounced the strikes as flagrant violations of sovereignty and international law, while also slamming "trade and transit terrorism" targeting the landlocked nation.

This diesel will enter Bangladesh via the Parbatipur border. The chairman of Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC), Muhammad Rezanur Rahman, informed this.