The Hindu Businessline

The earthquake was centred off the northeast coast of Japan and had a magnitude estimated at 7.4, according to the US Geological Survey

Vice President JD Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff and the presidents son-in-law Jared Kushner will head to Islamabad Monday night for talks on Tuesday, a White House official said.

The two sides also resolved to work together to ensure peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region

Over the weekend, the US attacked and seized an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel that it said had tried to evade its blockade of Iranian ports

Transits through the waterway have reduced to a trickle over seven weeks of war in the Persian Gulf, as Iran tightens control in retaliation for US and Israeli strikes

We could make all public transport free nationwide for three months and boost peak-hour frequencies where systems are already at capacity

The standoff has intensified around the Strait of Hormuz, with both sides trading accusations over ceasefire violations, naval blockades and control of key shipping route

However, tensions remain high as the standoff over the Strait of Hormuz escalates, with reports of firing on vessels and renewed US threats

The renewed standoff has disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil route, raising fears of another spike in crude prices

Trump tells Fox News there is an ongoing fight between moderates and crazies in Iran amid negotiations with the US while confirming that Kushner and Witkoff were departing for Islamabad for talks

The Phalaborwa project aims to start extracting rare earths from the two huge dunes in 2028

More than 10,000 police personnel and over 600 checkpoints have been deployed across Rawalpindi, near Islamabad, the Express Tribune newspaper reported

US military is preparing to board Iran-linked oil tankers and seize commercial ships in international waters in coming days to pressure Iran into reopening the waterway

In a statement late Saturday carried by Iran's state media, the navy warned that any violating vessel would be targeted

The short-lived opening had allowed several commercial tankers, including sanctioned vessels, to pass through before maritime conditions deteriorated again

The country's joint military command said on Saturday that it control of the Strait of Hormuz has returned to its previous state ... under strict management and control of the armed forces

Enriched uranium is as sacred to us as Iranian soil and will not be transferred anywhere under any circumstances, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei

US President Donald Trump, meanwhile, said the American blockade will remain in full force until Tehran reaches a deal with the US, including on its nuclear programme

Trump made his remarks in a post on Truth Social, adding that he is also looking forward to his meeting with the Chinese President, which was rescheduled to May due to the war with Iran

The US Department of Treasury issued an order late Friday extending the waiver from sanctions on Russian oil that is already at sea on or before April 17 through May 16

The announcement of the reopening of the vital waterway by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi comes a day after President Trump announced a 10-day ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel

Sri Lankas Energy Minister resigns amid corruption allegations in coal procurement, as a commission investigates potential irregularities.

Washington unveiled 30-day waivers on US sanctions for the purchase of Russian and Iranian oil at sea in an attempt to ease prices that were driven up by the US-Israeli war on Iran

The move signals the US governments continued interest in Anthropics tools despite a public spat and ongoing legal fight between the company and top Trump administration officials

The US and Iran held rare direct talks in Pakistan over the weekend aimed at ending their conflict, but the talks ended early Sunday without any agreement

The US is not part of the planning for what has been branded the Strait of Hormuz Maritime Freedom of Navigation Initiative

Sri Lanka is highly exposed, as 80.2% of migrant-worker departures from the island nation in 2025 were to the West Asia

The market is underestimating the consequences of a prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz: Birol

A senior Iranian official told Reuters that Pakistan army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munirs trip to Tehran had led to greater hopes for a second round of talks and an extension of the two-week ceasefire

The remarks come amid diplomatic engagements between Tehran and Washington in order to achieve a complete halt to the hostilities in West Asia, as the fragileceasefire continues between the two sides

A note to invited nations states that the meeting is intended to reaffirm full diplomatic support for unfettered freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and the need to respect international law

The external affairs minister will visit Abbaye des-Vaux-de-Cernay in France on March 26 and 27 to participate in the G7 foreign ministers meeting with partner countries