The Hindu Businessline

The approval by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichis Cabinet of the new guideline clears a final set of hurdles for many arms sales, including Japanese-developed warships, combat drones and other weapons

The war in West Asia has choked up maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, which is a conduit for a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas flows

The successful transit comes amid heightened monitoring of Iranian maritime activities and commercial shipping lanes in the region

Fake messages ask for payments in cryptocurrency for safe passage through the strait as ships continue to remain stranded amid tensions

Rehabilitation of Gaza, where two years of Israeli bombardment have destroyed four-fifths of buildings, has been projected by global institutions to cost around $70 billion

The Iranian official, speaking to Reuters, said Tehran was positively reviewing its participation in talks, despite earlier ruling them out, but stressed no decision had been made

The approval by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's Cabinet of the new guideline clears a final set of hurdles for Japan's postwar arms sales

His remarks, made on Truth Social, also included sharp criticism of sections of the American media

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