Israel to host top Arab diplomats during Blinken’s visit
India Today
Israel’s Foreign Ministry said it would host top Arab diplomats during US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit.
Israel said Friday it would host the foreign ministers of the United Arab Emirates, Morocco and Bahrain during US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit early next week, in what would be the latest in a flurry of high-level meetings held across the Middle East.
The three Arab countries normalized relations with Israel in 2020 in the so-called Abraham Accords. The Biden administration welcomed those agreements, which were concluded under then-President Donald Trump, and has expressed interest in negotiating additional ones.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry said it would host the four top diplomats on Sunday and Monday, with additional details to be provided later.
In a separate development, Jordan’s King Abdullah II hosted Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, Iraq’s Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi and Abu Dhabi’s powerful crown prince, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in the southern Jordanian city of Aqaba.
The palace said Friday’s meeting, which was also attended by a senior Saudi official, “covered means to advance ties between Jordan and these countries,” without elaborating. A statement from the Iraqi leader’s office said they discussed the global economic crisis and ways to confront food security challenges.
Sheikh Mohammed, the de facto ruler of the UAE, met with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and el-Sissi in Egypt earlier this week.
Blinken will visit Israel, the occupied West Bank, Morocco and Algeria starting this weekend, as US diplomacy faces serious tests related to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as well as Middle Eastern regional issues.
Legal immigration to the US in 2025 has seen one of its sharpest declines since the pandemic. About 2,50,000 fewer visas in total were issued compared to 2024, reported The Washington Post. The drop has been global, but India stands out as one of the worst affected, alongside China. Visa approvals for the two countries fell by a combined 84,000.
Shradha Saini from Bengaluru has gone viral after sharing a detailed breakdown of her monthly expenses, calling it her "Gen Z lifestyle".
As reports suggest Saudi Arabia is pushing for a tougher stance on Iran, Trump's public praise of Gulf allies reveals shifting dynamics, and raises questions over how far the conflict could escalate.
Yogesh Yadav, climbed nearly 40 feet up the tower on Tuesday morning and refused to come down for several hours. He was later taken into custody.
Snubs, sarcasm and shifting power play - Iran's choice of JD Vance over Trump's trusted aides reveals a deeper mistrust, raising questions over who really controls the path to ending the war.
The video, originally shared on Rakesh Kumar's Facebook profile, shows him dragging a snake-like object tied to a rope across a platform that triggered fear and confusion among passengers present at the station.
From shutting US bases to controlling a key global oil route, Iran's demands in response to Trump's proposal set a steep stage for talks, but hints of flexibility quietly emerge behind the scenes.
Shantanu Deshpande recorded the moment from inside the workplace, spotlighting Akash Sharma, a supply chain intern, who casually broke into a set of pull-ups in the middle of a regular workday.
Oil and gas refineries and hubs are up in flames not just in the Middle East, but also in Russia and the US. Crude oil prices have surged over $100 a barrel. With the energy infrastructure in the Middle East likely to take years to be rebuilt, the world could be set for the biggest oil disruption in history.
The US has sent a 15-point proposal to Iran aimed at ending the Middle East conflict, including strict restrictions on its nuclear programme, halting support for proxy groups and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump says the war is already "won", but then points to his own defence chief as the man who did not want peace. Behind the victory claim lies a growing split inside Washington's war room.