Japanese Foreign Minister to visit Saudi Arabia

Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya will visit Saudi Arabia on April 30 and May 1 on a trip that will also take him to the United Nations in New York and Senegal in Africa. (Supplied)
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Updated 26 April 2025
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Japanese Foreign Minister to visit Saudi Arabia

  • Iwaya Takeshi to visit Kingdom on April 30 and May 1

TOKYO: Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya will visit Saudi Arabia on April 30 and May 1 on a trip that will also take him to the United Nations in New York and Senegal in Africa.

Following on from the Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue in February, Iwaya will exchange views closely with Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud to discuss issues such as the situation in Gaza, Syria, Iran and the Red Sea, as well as strengthening coordination between Japan and Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries, a high-ranking Foreign Ministry official told Arab News Japan.

The official stated that Japan considers Saudi Arabia to be the leader of the Arab-Islamic world, as it is home to two of Islam’s holiest sites, Makkah and Madinah. Additionally, Saudi Arabia is the only Arab nation that is a member of the G20. With its abundant oil resources, the country plays a significant role in OPEC. “Given the current instability in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia serves as a crucial stabilizing force in the region and maintains a strong relationship with the United States,” he said.

Japan aims to strengthen its diverse economic relationship with Saudi Arabia, extending beyond their existing energy partnership. This visit is expected to speed up the efforts to finalize the Japan-GCC Economic Partnership Agreement negotiations that resumed last year. Additionally, Japan is committed to supporting Saudi Arabia’s goals for decarbonization and industrial diversification as part of “Saudi Vision 2030.”

Japan also acknowledges the role of Saudi Arabia in the international community, which seems to have strong connections with the Trump administration and Russia.

In February, the second Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue was held in Tokyo between Minister Iwaya and Minister Faisal. The most recent visit by a Japanese Foreign Minister to Saudi Arabia occurred in September 2023.




In February, the second Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue was held in Tokyo between Minister Iwaya (R) and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan (L). (ANJ)

Japan’s relationship with Saudi Arabia has a long history, with Japan importing approximately 40 percent of its crude oil from Saudi Arabia. This makes Saudi Arabia Japan’s most important partner for energy security. As we approach the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 2025, this visit is particularly significant, the Japanese official said.

In February, during Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal’s visit to Japan, the two countries signed an agreement to establish the “Strategic Partnership Council (SPC),” which will be co-chaired by the leaders of both nations.

“As we prepare for the SPC, the visit aims to reinforce cooperation in various areas, including politics, economy, security, and culture. The two countries will also solidify their collaboration for the upcoming Expo in Riyadh in 2030, which is a promising sign for the future of Japan-Saudi relations.”

Iwaya’s visit to the United Nations coincides with the final session of the Preparatory Committee for the 2026 Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), which takes place every five years. This event marks the first time in seven years that a Foreign Minister has attended such a meeting.

To ensure that next year’s NPT Review Conference produces positive results, Japan aims to take a leading role in nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. The country will advocate for dialogue and collaboration among states and parties to work towards creating a world without nuclear weapons, according to the Foreign Ministry.

Japan is actively engaging in discussions with UN officials to enhance collaboration with the United Nations, focusing on strengthening its functions and addressing global challenges.

Regarding its relationship with Senegal, Japan’s Foreign Ministry highlights that Japan and Senegal are strategically important partners. Japan is dedicated to contributing to the “Senegal 2050” initiative, emphasizing human resource development.

Senegal serves as a key base for Japanese companies in French-speaking West Africa. In 2024, oil and natural gas production began, resulting in an increase in the number of Japanese companies operating in Senegal.


Air India plane with 242 on board crashes at India’s Ahmedabad airport

Updated 47 min 43 sec ago
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Air India plane with 242 on board crashes at India’s Ahmedabad airport

  • The plane was reportedly a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, one of the most modern passenger aircraft
  • It was headed to Gatwick airport in the United Kingdom when it crashed in a civilian area near the airport

NEW DELHI: An Air India plane headed to London with 242 people on board crashed minutes after taking off from India’s western city of Ahmedabad on Thursday, the airline and police said, without specifying whether there were any fatalities.

The plane was headed to Gatwick airport in the UK, Air India said, while police officers said it crashed in a civilian area near the airport.

Aviation tracking site Flightradar24 said the plane was a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, one of the most modern passenger aircraft in service.

“At this moment, we are ascertaining the details and will share further updates,” Air India said on X.

The crash occurred when the aircraft was taking off, television channels reported. One channel showed the plane taking off over a residential area and then disappearing from the screen before a huge cloud of fire rising into the sky from beyond the houses.

Visuals also showed debris on fire, with thick black smoke rising up into the sky near the airport.

They also showed visuals of people being moved in stretchers and being taken away in ambulances.

According to air traffic control at Ahmedabad airport, the aircraft departed at 1.39 p.m. (0809 GMT) from runway 23. It gave a “Mayday” call, signalling an emergency, but thereafter there was no response from the aircraft.

Flightradar24 also said that it received the last signal from the aircraft seconds after it took off.

“The aircraft involved is a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner with registration VT-ANB,” it said.

Boeing did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The last fatal plane crash in India involved Air India Express, the airline’s low-cost arm.

The airline’s Boeing-737 overshot a “table-top” runway at Kozhikode International Airport in southern India in 2020. The plane skidded off the runway, plunging into a valley and crashing nose-first into the ground.
Twenty-one people were killed in that crash.


London-bound Air India flight with more than 240 aboard crashes after takeoff from Ahmedabad, India

Updated 6 min 24 sec ago
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London-bound Air India flight with more than 240 aboard crashes after takeoff from Ahmedabad, India

AHMEDABAD, India: An Air India passenger plane bound for London with more than 240 people on board crashed Thursday in India’s northwestern city of Ahmedabad, the airline said.

Visuals on local television channels showed smoke billowing from the crash site in what appeared to be a populated area near the airport in Ahmedabad, a city with a population of more than 5 million.

Firefighters doused the smoking wreckage of the plane, which would have been fully loaded with fuel shortly after takeoff, and an adjacent multi-story building with water. Charred bodies lay on the ground.

“The scenes emerging of a London-bound plane carrying many British nationals crashing in the Indian city of Ahmedabad are devastating,” British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a statement.

The airline said the Gatwick Airport-bound flight was carrying 242 passengers and crew. Of those, Air India said there were 169 Indians, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese and one Canadian.

Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, the director general of the directorate of civil aviation, told The Associated Press that Air India flight AI 171, a Boeing 787-8, crashed into a residential area called Meghani Nagar five minutes after taking off at 1:38 p.m. local time. He said 244 people were on board and it was not immediately possible to reconcile the discrepancy with Air India’s numbers.

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All efforts were being made to ensure medical aid and relief support at the site, India’s Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu posted on X.

The 787 Dreamliner is a widebody, twin-engine plane. This is the first crash ever of a Boeing 787 aircraft, according to the Aviation Safety Network database.

Boeing said it was aware of the reports of the crash and was “working to gather more information.”

The aircraft was introduced in 2009 and more than 1,000 have been delivered to dozens of airlines, according to the flightradar24 website.

Air India’s chairman, Natarajan Chandrasekaran, said at the moment “our primary focus is on supporting all the affected people and their families.”

He said on X that the airline had set up an emergency center and support team for families seeking information about those who were on the flight.

“Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the families and loved ones of all those affected by this devastating event,” he said.

British Cabinet minister Lucy Powell said the government will provide “all the support that it can” to those affected by the crash.

“This is an unfolding story, and it will undoubtedly be causing a huge amount of worry and concern to the many, many families and communities here and those waiting for the arrival of their loved ones,” she told lawmakers in the House of Commons.

“We send our deepest sympathy and thoughts to all those families, and the government will provide all the support that it can with those in India and those in this country as well,” she added.

Britain has very close ties with India. There were nearly 1.9 million people in the country of Indian descent, according to the 2021 UK census.

The last major passenger plane crash in India was in 2020 when an Air India Express Boeing-737 skidded off a hilltop runway in southern India, killing 21 people.

The worst air disaster in India was on Nov. 12, 1996, when a Saudi Arabian Airlines flight collided midair with a Kazakhastan Airlines Flight near Charki Dadri in Haryana state, killing all 349 on board the two planes.


Beijing hails improving Vatican ties after Pope Leo names first Chinese bishop

Updated 12 June 2025
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Beijing hails improving Vatican ties after Pope Leo names first Chinese bishop

  • China recognizes appointment of Joseph Lin Yuntuan as auxiliary bishop of Fuzhou, capital of eastern Fujian province
  • The Vatican and China do not have formal diplomatic relations because the Holy See recognizes Taiwan

BEIJING: Beijing hailed on Thursday improving ties with the Vatican after the first appointment of a Chinese bishop under Pope Leo XIV, signaling the new pontiff’s support for a controversial accord on nominations struck by his predecessor.

The Holy See expressed “satisfaction” on Wednesday at the recognition by China of the appointment of Joseph Lin Yuntuan as auxiliary bishop of Fuzhou, capital of eastern Fujian province. The pope made the nomination on June 5.

Beijing’s foreign ministry said the naming of the first Chinese bishop under the new pope had “enhanced understanding and mutual trust through constructive dialogue” with the Vatican.

“China is willing to work together with the Vatican to promote the continuous improvement of China-Vatican relations,” foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said at a regular news briefing.

The Vatican and China do not have formal diplomatic relations because the Holy See recognizes Taiwan, the self-ruled island that Beijing claims as its own territory.

However, they agreed in a historic deal in 2018 to let both sides have a say in the naming of bishops in China, home to about 12 million Catholics.

The deal – the text of which has never been made public – has drawn criticism within the Church, with some seeing it as allowing the Communist Party government a stranglehold over China’s Catholics.

The deal was renewed several times as Pope Francis sought to make inroads for the Church in China, most recently in October 2024 for four years.

“With the joint efforts of both sides, the provisional agreement on the appointment of bishops has been smoothly implemented,” Lin Jian said.


Rescuers in South Africa search for the missing after floods leave at least 49 dead

Updated 27 min 18 sec ago
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Rescuers in South Africa search for the missing after floods leave at least 49 dead

  • The missing included four high school students who were swept away when their bus was caught up in the floods near a river on Tuesday
  • The floods hit early Tuesday after an extreme cold front brought heavy rain, strong winds and snow to parts of eastern and southern South Africa

CAPE TOWN, South Africa: Rescue teams began a third day searching for missing people Thursday after floods devastated parts of South Africa’s rural Eastern Cape province and left at least 49 dead.

Authorities said they expected the death toll to rise.

The missing included four high school students who were swept away when their bus was caught up in the floods near a river on Tuesday. Six students on the bus were confirmed dead, while three were rescued after clinging onto trees and calling out for help, according to the provincial government.

The floods hit the province early Tuesday after an extreme cold front brought heavy rain, strong winds and snow to parts of eastern and southern South Africa. Forecasters had warned about the damaging weather last week.

Eastern Cape provincial government officials said they believed people were still missing but did not give an exact number. They were working with families to find out who was still unaccounted for, they said.

On Wednesday, rescue teams brought bodies out of the water in blue body bags, while witnesses said many people had taken refuge on the top of buildings or in trees.

The floods centered on the town of Mthatha and its surrounding district, which is around 430 kilometers (267 miles) south of the east coast city of Durban.

Officials said at least 58 schools and 20 hospitals were damaged, while hundreds of families were left homeless after their houses were submerged under water or washed away by the floods. Critical infrastructure including roads and bridges has been badly damaged, Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane said.

He said it was one of the worst weather-related disasters his province had experienced.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced he had activated the National Disaster Management Center to help local authorities in the Eastern Cape, while national officials were expected to visit the province on Thursday.


Ukrainian pea prices may rise amid expected exports to China, producers say

Updated 12 June 2025
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Ukrainian pea prices may rise amid expected exports to China, producers say

  • UAC said an increase in demand could push pea prices up to as much as 16,000 hryvnias ($385.33) per metric ton

KYIV: Prices for Ukrainian peas may rise significantly by mid-summer on the back of expected significant supplies to China, which opened its market to Ukrainian peas this spring, Ukrainian producers union UAC said on Thursday.

Farmers sowed 250,000 hectares of peas in 2025 compared with 212,000 hectares in 2024, farm ministry data shows.

“China has opened its market, and a significant part of the peas will probably go there,” UAC said in a statement.

UAC said an increase in demand could push pea prices up to as much as 16,000 hryvnias ($385.33) per metric ton ex works (EXW) in late summer against the current 14,000 hryvnias.

The farm ministry has said pea production in Ukraine could increase to 476,000 metric tons in the 2025/26 July-June season from 409,000 tons in 2024/25.

Ukraine exports its peas mostly to Turkiye, India, Italy, Malaysia, the ministry said.