logo
Pakistan shuts border with Iran as Tehran trades strikes with Israel

Pakistan shuts border with Iran as Tehran trades strikes with Israel

The Hindu16-06-2025
Pakistan has closed all its border crossings with neighbouring Iran for an indefinite period, provincial officials said on Monday, as Israel and Iran trade intense strikes and threaten further attacks.
"Border facilities in all five districts -- Chaghi, Washuk, Panjgur, Kech and Gwadar -- have been suspended," Qadir Bakhsh Pirkani, a senior official in Balochistan province, which borders Iran, told AFP.
Crossing into Iran "has been suspended until further notice", said Atta ul Munim, an official at one of the crossings in Chaghi district.
However, there was "no ban on trade" activities at the border and Pakistani nationals needing to return to their the country from Iran can cross, he added.
"We're expecting around 200 Pakistani students coming today," Atta said.
On Sunday, Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said 450 Pakistani pilgrims were evacuated from Iran, with more to follow, as well as from Iraq -- the two countries hosting the holiest sites in Shiite Islam.
Pakistan, the only Muslim-majority country with nuclear weapons, said on Friday it "stands in solidarity with the Government and the people of Iran" against strikes by Israel, which both Islamabad and Tehran do not recognise.
Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Monday warned that the world "should be wary and apprehensive about Israel's nuclear prowess" and accused it of lacking "any international nuclear discipline".
Israel is the Middle East's only nuclear power, although undeclared.
Media reports have said Pakistan may support Tehran if the conflict was to widen, but officials in Islamabad have reiterated that their country is only showing "moral and diplomatic solidarity".
Predominantly Sunni Pakistan shares a more than 900-kilometre (560-mile) border with Shiite-majority Iran.
The relationship between the two neighbours has been complex, with Pakistan often wary of US-led sanctions on Tehran and also mindful of its ties with Riyadh, which has repeatedly helped rescue its economy by rolling over overdue debts.
Bilateral trade between the two countries stands at around $3 billion, and officials have vowed to boost it to $10 billion in the coming years.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

France's Culture Minister Rachida Dati to stand trial for corruption and lobbying
France's Culture Minister Rachida Dati to stand trial for corruption and lobbying

First Post

timean hour ago

  • First Post

France's Culture Minister Rachida Dati to stand trial for corruption and lobbying

Dati, a high-profile minister who hopes to become mayor of Paris next year, was investigated in 2019 on suspicion of lobbying for the Renault-Nissan auto firm while working at the European Union agency read more France's Culture Minister Rachida Dati is to go on trial accused of receiving payments from Renault-Nissan while she was a member of European Parliament. File image/AFP Rachida Dati, France's Culture Minister, will face trial on charges of corruption and abuse of authority as a member of the European Parliament, a court source told AFP on Tuesday. Dati, a high-profile minister who hopes to become mayor of Paris next year, was investigated in 2019 on suspicion of lobbying for the Renault-Nissan auto firm while working at the European Union agency. Dati, aged 59, denies the allegations. She did not return an AFP request for comment. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'We will appeal this decision today,' Dati's lawyers, Olivier Baratelli and Olivier Pardo, told AFP. Dati, a daughter of working-class North African immigrants, was defiant. 'I will lead you to victory. Some people are trying to attack me over my private life, over many aspects that are collateral to my candidacy,' said Dati, who is mayor of the French capital's 7th district that is home to most French ministries, the country's parliament and many foreign embassies. 'I am not afraid of anything or anyone.' Dati, who served as justice minister under right-wing leader Nicolas Sarkozy from 2007 to 2009, will continue in office, according to a Macron colleague. 'The president has taken note of the decision to refer Rachida Dati to the criminal court. As a referral is not a conviction, she will continue her work,' said the associate, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Dati is suspected of taking 900,000 euros in lawyer's fees from a Renault-Nissan company in the Netherlands between 2010 and 2012 while not working for them throughout her tenure as an MEP from 2009 to 2019. 'Until the end' Investigations have sought to determine whether she carried out banned lobbying for the carmaker at the European Parliament. In their order signed on Tuesday, a copy of which was seen by AFP, the investigating magistrates said that Dati's activities in parliament 'amounts to lobbying', which 'appears incompatible with both her mandate and the profession of lawyer.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Initially placed under the more favourable status of assisted witness – a step before being indicted – in 2019, Dati was charged in 2021. She has since repeatedly sought to have the charges quashed. French investigating magistrates also ordered that Carlos Ghosn, the former Renault-Nissan chairman and chief executive, be tried, the judicial source said. The 71-year-old, who has been living in Lebanon for years after escaping arrest in Japan, has also rejected the charges against him. A hearing on September 29 will decide on the date of the trial, the source said. According to another source following the case, the trial could be held after the Paris municipal elections in March next year. 'She will go until the end,' Jean-Pierre Lecoq, mayor of the French capital's 6th district and one of Dati's close associates, said on Tuesday. Ghosn, who headed the Renault-Nissan alliance, was arrested in Japan in November 2018 on suspicion of financial misconduct, before being sacked by Nissan's board. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD He jumped bail the following year and made a dramatic escape from Japan hidden in an audio-equipment box, landing in Beirut, where he remains as an international fugitive. Japan and France have sought his arrest. Ghosn's lawyers did not respond to a request for comment.

Bosch Layoffs: German autoparts maker to cut 1,100 jobs; assembly line and back-office roles at risk
Bosch Layoffs: German autoparts maker to cut 1,100 jobs; assembly line and back-office roles at risk

Mint

timean hour ago

  • Mint

Bosch Layoffs: German autoparts maker to cut 1,100 jobs; assembly line and back-office roles at risk

Bosch Layoffs: German automotive components makerBosch announced its plans to cut 1,100 jobs at its Southern Germany-based plant on Tuesday, 22 July 2025, and disclosed that this move will affect one-tenth of the workers at the site, reported the news agency AFP. Advertisement This layoff will affect people who are involved in the site's assembly line as well as in back-office roles, reported the news agency, citing the German autoparts maker. 'The European market for steering systems is driven by price and hard fought with new suppliers,' said Bosch's electronics chief, Dirk Kress, amid the rising competition from the Chinese manufacturers in recent years. German car manufacturers have been struggling with this issue in recent times as the Asian nation contests for market share. 'The required cuts are not easy, but they are essential to secure the future of the site,' he said, according to the news agency's report. Losing the 'competitive' edge According to the agency report citing the autoparts maker, steering system sales were declining partly due to the sluggish uptake of electric vehicles. Advertisement Also Read | Stocks to buy under ₹100: Experts recommend two shares to buy tomorrow 'Manufacturing steering systems at the Reutlingen site is no longer competitive,' said Bosch, highlighting that the plant would now focus on manufacturing semiconductors. However, the company did not say whether the job cuts would involve compulsory redundancies or rely on voluntary measures such as early retirement. Other automotive suppliers like Schaeffler and Continental have made layoffs in the past year, while sports car maker Porsche last Friday warned workers of a 'serious situation' amid collapsing demand in China. In November 2024, Bosch also announced a 5,500-employee layoff across the company, according to the agency report. Bosch is a listed company in the Indian stock market, and the shares closed 1.37% lower at ₹37,750 after Tuesday's stock market session, compared to ₹38,320 at the previous market close. Advertisement Disclaimer: This story is for educational purposes only. The views and recommendations made above are those of Mint. We advise investors to check with certified experts before making any investment decisions.

Ghislaine Maxwell to testify about Jeffrey Epstein, US Congress to subpoena her: What we know
Ghislaine Maxwell to testify about Jeffrey Epstein, US Congress to subpoena her: What we know

Hindustan Times

time2 hours ago

  • Hindustan Times

Ghislaine Maxwell to testify about Jeffrey Epstein, US Congress to subpoena her: What we know

US Congress is set to subpoena Ghislaine Maxwell to testify about the Jeffrey Epstein case. Republican Tim Burchett introduced a motion to compel Maxwell to testify before the House Oversight Committee, The Guardian reported. Ghislaine Maxwell to testify about Jeffrey Epstein (Photo by Handout / US District Court for the Southern District of New York / AFP)(AFP) 'We've just got to get to the bottom of this thing, folks,' Burchett said in a statement posted on X. 'It's four years and we don't need to tolerate this stuff any more.' Burchett explained that he had introduced the motion directing James Comer, chairman of the committee, to authorize and issue a subpoena for Maxwell. Comer was 'down with it,' Burchett said, adding, 'I believe he's going to issue the subpoena. He's a stand-up guy.' Burchett said he knows he would receive 'blow back, and folks up here are going to be mad at me, but ultimately and with all sincerity, I'm gonna answer my creator on this issue.' Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison sentence at present. 'She's the last one standing' Burchett confirmed to Axios that he did not consult President Donald Trump before calling on the committee to subpoena Maxwell. However, he had written to Comer in the past, urging him to make Maxwell testify. 'She's the last one standing,' Burchett said of Maxwell. 'There's nobody else alive that can tell us anything.' Burchett added that he believes Maxwell could 'tell us the operation, how it went down, who were the supporters of it ... ultimately I'd like to see justice.' Meanwhile, a spokesperson also confirmed to the New York Post that the GOP-led House Oversight Committee will 'seek to subpoena' Maxwell for testimony 'as expeditiously as possible. 'Since Ms. Maxwell is in federal prison, the Committee will work with the Department of Justice and Bureau of Prisons to identify a date when Committee can depose her,' a committee rep said. This announcement comes hours after the justice department revealed its plan to send Todd Blanche, the US deputy attorney general, to Florida to meet with Maxwell. Meanwhile, Trump asked attorney general Pam Bondi last week to ask a court to release all relevant grand jury testimony in the Epstein case. Maxwell attorney David Oscar Markus later confirmed on social media that 'we are in discussions with the government and that Ghislaine will always testify truthfully.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store