Rezaul H Laskar is the Foreign Affairs Editor at Hindustan Times. His interests include movies and music.
Articles by Rezaul H Laskar
Uzbekistan votes in presidential polls; Afghanistan, economy key issues
As part of the campaign, meetings and roundtables were organised in Tashkent to discuss pressing issues such as economic recovery in the post-pandemic era and the situation in Afghanistan
Updated on Oct 24, 2021 12:22 PM IST
Islamic State, Al-Qaeda have increased online propaganda, warns FATF
“Since 2020, both ISIL and Al-Qaeda have increased their online propaganda, either to incite unaffiliated individuals to launch attacks, or to raise funds,” the statement said
Updated on Oct 22, 2021 10:51 AM IST
UK foreign secy begins India visit today; tech, infrastructure deals on cards
The tech and infrastructure deals to be finalised during Truss’ two-day visit are aimed at boosting jobs and increasing green growth
Updated on Oct 22, 2021 10:46 AM IST
FATF retains Pak on its ‘grey list’
The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) on Thursday retained Pakistan in its grey list and urged the country to do more to investigate and prosecute senior leaders and commanders of UN-designated terror groups involved in terror financing
Published on Oct 22, 2021 12:16 AM IST
Rezaul H Laskar, New Delhi
FATF keeps Imran Khan’s Pakistan in grey list, says now prosecute terror leaders
FATF wants Imran Khan government to demonstrate increase in money laundering investigations and prosecutions, and that proceeds of crime continue to be confiscated in line with Pakistan’s risk profile.
Updated on Oct 21, 2021 10:57 PM IST
India joins meet with Taliban; Afghan terror, aid discussed
The Taliban team held talks with a delegation of Indian diplomats on the margins of a regional conference on Afghanistan hosted by Russia
Published on Oct 21, 2021 12:03 AM IST
Taliban dy PM meets Indian diplomats; both sides discuss concerns
On talks with the Indian side, a Taliban spokesperson claimed “both sides considered it necessary to address each other’s concerns and improve diplomatic and economic relations”.
Updated on Oct 20, 2021 11:53 PM IST
India, UK to discuss advanced propulsion systems for warships on Friday
The first meeting of a working group to discuss cooperation on integrated full electric propulsion systems for warships will be held in Mumbai during the visit by the UK carrier strike group led by the HMS Queen Elizabeth.
Published on Oct 20, 2021 10:57 PM IST
India, Taliban to meet today at Moscow Format in Russia
The Moscow Format meeting, which will be attended by representatives from 10 countries of the region and the Taliban delegation, will be addressed by Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov
Updated on Oct 20, 2021 08:10 AM IST
Taliban ‘interior minister’ Sirajuddin Haqqani lauds suicide bombers, hands out aid to kin
The Haqqani Network was blamed by Indian and US officials for the July 2008 suicide attack on the Indian embassy in Kabul that killed 58 people and injured nearly 150. Among the dead were the Indian defence attaché, Brig Ravi Datt Mehta, diplomat V Venkateswara Rao and two Indo-Tibetan Border Police personnel.
Published on Oct 19, 2021 10:52 PM IST
Infra projects in transport, tech in focus at first meeting of ‘new Quad’
India has robust defence, security and trade cooperation with Israel and the US, while the UAE is a key energy partner
Updated on Oct 19, 2021 11:25 PM IST
Rezaul H Laskar, New delhi
India is key to a safe and secure Afghanistan: Italy
G20 president Italy believes India has a key role as an important regional actor in ensuring a stable and secure environment in Afghanistan, and both countries are of the view that the Afghan people need immediate and unhindered access to humanitarian aid
Published on Oct 19, 2021 12:10 AM IST
India, Israel agree to conclude free trade pact by June 2022
The two countries held their first round of negotiations on an FTA in May 2010 but a deal has proved elusive
Published on Oct 18, 2021 10:04 PM IST
Foreign ministers of India, Israel, US and UAE to hold virtual meeting
India, Israel, the US and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are set to build on the momentum created by the Abraham Accords by holding the first virtual meeting of their foreign ministers on Monday
Updated on Oct 18, 2021 07:39 PM IST
‘India’s role key in ensuring stable and secure environment in Afghanistan’
Being an important regional actor, India’s involvement in consultation and coordination activities is key to ensure a stable and secure environment and effective initiatives aimed at humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people, Italian ambassador Vincenzo de Luca said
Updated on Oct 18, 2021 04:07 PM IST
High-level Indian visits bridged trust deficit: Sri Lankan envoy
Bilateral ties were buffeted in February when Sri Lanka scrapped a trilateral agreement with India and Japan to build a shipping container terminal in Colombo port.
Updated on Oct 17, 2021 05:02 AM IST
Rezaul H Laskar, Hindustan Times, New Delhi
New Hyderabad facility to help boost Quad nations’ vaccine supply
US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) chief operating officer David Marchick will travel to South Africa and India during October 18-26 to take forward investment proposals to boost global health and expand Covid-19 vaccine production across the developing world.
Updated on Oct 17, 2021 05:28 AM IST
Rezaul H Laskar, Hindustan Times, New Delhi
Sri Lanka, India to enhance cooperation in defence, trade and energy: Envoy
An “integrated country strategy” document prepared by Moragoda before he assumed office in India acknowledged that bilateral ties were dominated by a “transactional approach” because of geo-political changes that had resulted in a “growing trust deficit”.
Published on Oct 16, 2021 08:04 PM IST
New agreement to boost vaccine production under Quad partnership for Indo-Pacific in the offing
An agreement on a new vaccine manufacturing facility in Hyderabad to support the Quad’s plan of delivering one billion doses of Covid-19 shots will be signed during an upcoming visit to India by the US development bank’s chief
Published on Oct 16, 2021 03:04 PM IST
India backs fresh WHO probe into Covid origin
Responding to WHO’s announcement, China warned against any “political manipulation” of the renewed probe into the origins of Covid
Updated on Oct 15, 2021 01:37 AM IST
Rezaul H LaskarSutirtho Patranobis, Hindustan Times, New Delhi
India cautious as Bhutan, China sign pact
Bhutan’s foreign minister Tandi Dorji and China’s assistant foreign minister Wu Jianghao signed the MoU during a virtual ceremony.
Updated on Oct 15, 2021 04:29 AM IST
Rezaul H Laskar, Hindustan Times, New Delhi
India backs WHO move for new expert group to probe origins of Covid-19 pandemic
Responding to WHO’s announcement, China warned against any “political manipulation” of the renewed probe into the origins of Covid-19 but said it would support the investigation. The Coronavirus first emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019, triggering the worst pandemic in a century.
Updated on Oct 14, 2021 07:55 PM IST
Rezaul H Laskar and Sutirtho Patranobis
UK foreign secy’s visit: Boosting trade, Indo-Pacific security to top agenda
Truss is expected to review bilateral ties with her Indian counterpart S Jaishankar and meet top business leaders in New Delhi and Mumbai during her three-day visit.
Updated on Oct 14, 2021 10:42 AM IST
Rezaul H LaskarRajeev Jayaswal, Hindustan Times, New Delhi
Growing realisation in US on India’s compulsions for S-400 air defence deal
Recent contacts between the Indian and American sides had indicated that India couldn’t be put in the same category as Turkey, which has been slapped with secondary sanctions for buying the S-400 under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).
Published on Oct 13, 2021 08:14 PM IST
India rejects China stand on V-P’s Arunachal tour
India’s demand for China to speed up the resolution of the standoff in eastern Ladakh was reiterated by Bagchi, who again accused the Chinese side of causing tensions along the LAC
Updated on Oct 14, 2021 12:12 AM IST
Rezaul H Laskar, Hindustan Times, New Delhi
‘It will return to haunt you’: India attacks Pak over terror
External affairs minister S Jaishankar described terrorism as the “biggest enemy” of the common goal of peace and development for members of CICA, a multinational forum for cooperation to promote security and stability in Asia that was established under Kazakhstan’s leadership in 1999.
Published on Oct 13, 2021 01:43 AM IST
Rezaul H Laskar, Hindustan Times, New Delhi
PM Narendra Modi calls for unified effort on Afghanistan at G 20 summit
In his virtual address to a G20 extraordinary summit on Afghanistan, Modi emphasised the need to ensure that Afghan soil doesn’t become a source of terrorism. He also called for an inclusive administration in Kabul to preserve the socioeconomic gains of the past two decades.
Updated on Oct 13, 2021 01:47 AM IST
At G20 special summit on Afghanistan, PM Modi calls for inclusive administration in Kabul
In his virtual address, Modi emphasised the need to ensure that Afghan soil doesn’t become a source of terrorism
Published on Oct 12, 2021 09:32 PM IST
‘It returns to haunt’: Jaishankar’s veiled message to Pakistan
The remarks came against the backdrop of mounting concerns in New Delhi over Pakistan’s role in Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover of Kabul on August 15
Published on Oct 12, 2021 03:05 PM IST
India set to ink key trade deals by next year
The government has set aggressive timelines for the agreements as part of its ambitious target of $500 billion exports by the financial year to March 2023 – formalisation of a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with the UAE by early 2022, a free trade agreement (FTA) with the UK by next year, and an interim trade deal with Australia by December.
Updated on Oct 12, 2021 04:59 AM IST
Rajeev Jayaswal and Rezaul H Laskar, New Delhi