Diplomat News Network – Somalia & Global News

Jalajed Aden

Jalajed Aden – Senior Political Reporter
Covers political, security, and economic developments across South, East, Central, and Southeast Asia. Provides in-depth reporting and analysis on major events. Based in New Delhi.
Journalists at Diplomat News Network adhere to the Editorial Code of Ethics.
Senior White House officials Jared Kushner, presidential advisor, and Steve Witkoff, special envoy.

Trump Cancels US Envoys' Pakistan Trip Over Iran Talks

25/04/2026 - 15:42:44
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Jalajed Aden
Washington, D.C. (Diplomat.so) – The U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Saturday, April 26, 2026, that he canceled a planned trip by American envoys to Islamabad aimed at reviving negotiations with Iran, citing lack of progress and internal confusion in Tehran's leadership.
US forces operate near the Strait of Hormuz as maritime security tensions remain elevated amid ongoing regional instability.

Oil Prices Ease as US-Iran Truce Talks Extended

22/04/2026 - 13:15:40
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Jalajed Aden
Singapore (Diplomat.so) – Global oil markets on Wednesday, April 22, reacted to extended US-Iran ceasefire talks and Strait of Hormuz shipping disruptions, with prices easing after early Asian-session gains driven geopolitical uncertainty.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif

Pakistan Welcomes US Move to Extend Iran Ceasefire Talks

22/04/2026 - 13:02:05
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Jalajed Aden
Islamabad (Diplomat.so) – Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday, April 22, in Islamabad said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif welcomed United States President Donald Trump's approval of Pakistan's request to extend a ceasefire between the United States and Iran amid ongoing diplomatic…
Sanae Takaichi, Prime Minister of Japan.

Japan Moves to Relax Arms Export Ban in Major Policy Shift

22/04/2026 - 00:53:53
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Jalajed Aden
Tokyo (Diplomat.so) – Government of Japan (Cabinet Office) announced on Tuesday, a partial revision of long-standing defense export rules allowing, in principle, the transfer of domestically produced defense equipment, including lethal finished weapons, to overseas partners for the first time since…
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif (R) meets with Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, ahead of U.S.-Iran peace talks, Islamabad, Pakistan, April 11, 2026. (Reuters Photo)

Pakistan says US-Iran talks date not set

16/04/2026 - 18:39:21
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Jalajed Aden
Islamabad (Diplomat.so) – Pakistan Foreign Ministry said on Thursday, April 16, in Islamabad, that no date has been set for the next round of US-Iran talks. It also confirmed that the venue for the second round remains undecided, with diplomatic channels still active between Washington and Tehran,…
U.S. Army soldiers.

US, Philippines Launch Largest-Ever Balikatan Drills

15/04/2026 - 01:56:33
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Jalajed Aden
Manila (Diplomat.so) – The United States Marine Corps and Armed Forces of the Philippines will lead the Balikatan 2026 military exercises beginning April 20 and running until May 8, 2026, across Philippine land, sea, air, and cyber domains with allied participation.
Ma Xingrui

China Investigates Ex-Xinjiang Leader Ma Xingrui

04/04/2026 - 04:34:08
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Jalajed Aden
Beijing (Diplomat.so) – The Communist Party of China (CPC) announced on Friday, that Ma Xingrui, former Party Secretary of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and member of the Politburo, is under investigation for suspected serious violations of party discipline and state law.
One of the world's most critical energy chokepoints, the Strait of Hormuz carries a large share of global oil and gas trade. (EPA Images pic).

Malaysia Ships Granted Free Passage Through Hormuz Strait

01/04/2026 - 15:42:49
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Jalajed Aden
Kuala Lumpur (Diplomat.so) - The Government of Malaysia confirmed on Wednesday, April 1, that Malaysian vessels awaiting passage through the Strait of Hormuz will transit without paying fees to Iranian authorities, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil, who also serves as government spokesperson, said…
Reserve Bank of India (RBI)

Indian Rupee Rebounds After RBI Limits Bank Trading

31/03/2026 - 21:57:41
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Jalajed Aden
New Delhi (Diplomat.so) – The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) triggered a sharp rebound in the Indian rupee on Tuesday, by capping banks' net open foreign-exchange positions at $100 million per day, marking its most decisive currency intervention in over a decade.
North Korea Tests Solid-Fuel Missile Engine.

North Korea Tests Solid-Fuel Missile Engine

29/03/2026 - 22:09:34
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Jalajed Aden
Pyongyang (Diplomat.so) – North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw a new solid-fuel rocket engine test on Sunday, as part of efforts to advance the country's strategic weapons program, according to state media.
The Sierra Leone-flagged Sara Sky, which is carrying crude oil from Russia, is seen anchored at Limay port, Bataan province on March 26, 2026. A ship carrying more than 700,000 barrels of Russian crude oil has arrived in the Philippines, a source with knowledge of the matter told AFP on March 26, days after the country declared a national energy emergency over the Middle East war. TED ALJIBE / AFP

Philippines Receives First Russian Oil in Five Years

27/03/2026 - 06:22:37
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Jalajed Aden
Manila (Diplomat.so) – Petron Corporation received a shipment of over 700,000 barrels of Russian crude oil at the Limay port near Manila, marking the first direct import from Russia to the Philippines in five years, sources told AFP on Thursday.
Kim Jong Un, Supreme Leader of North Korea.

Kim Jong Un Reaffirms Support for Russia in Ukraine War

25/03/2026 - 20:31:37
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Jalajed Aden
Pyongyang (Diplomat.so) – Diplomat News Network reports that Kim Jong Un, the leader of North Korea, declared on Tuesday, that Pyongyang will "always stand" with Russia, amid ongoing war in Ukraine and expanding bilateral cooperation.
Silent on Pak military bombing in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but PM Shehbaz Sharif wants to discuss terrorism with India Photograph: (Credit: AFP)

Pakistan Proposes Venue for U.S.-Iran Dialogue

25/03/2026 - 12:41:02
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Jalajed Aden
Islamabad (Diplomat.so) - Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday, publicly offered to host talks between the United States and Iran in Islamabad as regional tensions continue to escalate across the Middle East.
US Vice President JD Vance speaks to members of the media next to US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Kiryat Gat, Israel, October 21, 2025.

Backchannel Efforts Push Iran–U.S. Meeting in Pakistan

24/03/2026 - 05:38:16
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Jalajed Aden
Islamabad (Diplomat.so) - Axios reported that intermediary countries are working to arrange a high-level meeting in Islamabad later this week between Iranian and United States officials, amid ongoing diplomatic contacts.
Singapore's Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan arrives to attend the 57th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Vientiane, Laos on July 27, 2024. (PHOTO / AFP)

Singapore Flags Iran War Risk to Asia Economy

24/03/2026 - 05:02:14
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Jalajed Aden
Singapore (Diplomat.so) – Singapore's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Vivian Balakrishnan, warned on Monday, that escalating conflict involving Iran could trigger a severe economic crisis across Asia by disrupting critical energy supplies through the Strait of Hormuz.
Strait of Hormuz

Iran Clears Indian Tanker After Checks in Strait of Hormuz

21/03/2026 - 23:45:57
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Jalajed Aden
New Delhi (Diplomat.so) - A senior officer aboard an Indian liquefied petroleum gas tanker reported that the Iranian Navy escorted the vessel through the Strait of Hormuz in early March, guiding it along a designated route following diplomatic communication between India and Iran while conducting verification…
Anura Kumara Dissanayake, President of Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka Denies Both US and Iran Military Requests

21/03/2026 - 04:48:03
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Jalajed Aden
Colombo (Diplomat.so) - Anura Kumara Dissanayake, President of Sri Lanka, informed parliament that the government rejected a request from the United States to allow two military aircraft to land at Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport, citing concerns over maintaining the country's neutrality.
At its narrowest point, Strait of Hormuz is only about 21 miles (34 kilometres) wide.

Japan Rejects Trump Request on Hormuz Naval Deployment

20/03/2026 - 18:58:03
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Jalajed Aden
Tokyo (Diplomat.so) - Japan on Friday rejected a request from U.S. President Donald Trump to deploy naval vessels to secure the Strait of Hormuz amid heightened regional tensions and disruptions to maritime traffic linked to Iran.
North Korea fires 10 ballistic missiles into the East Sea, continuing its missile activity amid joint South Korea-U.S. military drills.

North Korea Conducts Large-Scale Missile Launch

14/03/2026 - 16:18:40
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Jalajed Aden
Seoul (Diplomat.so) - North Korea launched approximately ten ballistic missiles toward the East Sea on Saturday, the South Korean military reported, in a move coinciding with the ongoing springtime "Freedom Shield" joint exercises conducted by South Korea and the United States. The launches,…
Dr. Abdulla Khaleel, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Maldives.

Maldives Condemns Iran Attacks on Gulf States

11/03/2026 - 12:09:24
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Jalajed Aden
Malé (Diplomat.so) - The Government of Maldives on Wednesday condemned missile and drone attacks attributed to Iran against several Gulf states, warning that strikes on civilian infrastructure risk escalating tensions across the wider Middle East.