POLITICAL ISSUES
IRAN
1. Operations of Irano-Hind Shipping Company to be wrapped up in view of US sanctions
New Delhi, Friday, 24 July 2012
US sanctions against Iran have sounded the death knell for a 37-year-old India-Iran shipping company, started by Ex-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and the Shah of Iran as a mark of friendship between the two nations.
Source: The Economic Times, New Delhi; See Also: The Hindu, Chennai

2. PM likely to visit Iran for NAM meet
New Delhi, Wednesday, 25 July 2012
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is said to have decided to travel to Tehran for the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit in August. If so, he will be the first Indian prime minister to visit Iran since Atal Behari Vajpayee in 2001.
Source: Indian Express, New Delhi

3. India bans U.S.-sanctioned Iranian ships from its waters
New Delhi, Friday, 27 July 2012
In a development that is likely to affect crude oil supplies to the country, India has banned U.S.-sanctioned Iranian ships from entering its waters. After the European Union’s sanctions came into effect on 1 July the Centre allowed MRPL and other companies to import crude from Iran in ships arranged by Tehran and on a CIF basis. It was left to Tehran to arrange for ships and insurance. However, permission was revoked within days.
Source: The Hindu, Chennai

4. Iranian president congratulates new Indian president
Tehran, Monday, 30 July 2012
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sent a message to Pranab Mukherjee congratulating him on his election as Indian president.  In his message, Ahmadinejad expressed hope that relations between Iran and India would further increase during Mukherjee’s term in office.  
Source: Tehran Times

ISRAEL
5. Israeli diplomat attack case: Kazmi moves HC
New Delhi, Wednesday, 11 July 2012
Syed Mohammad Kazmi, a journalist who is an accused in the 13 February terror attack on an Israeli diplomat, moved the Delhi high Court seeking a direction to resume hearing before a sessions judge on his plea against extension of probe period in the case.
Source: Zee News, New Delhi

6. ‘Israel inducts armed personnel disguised as tourists in Kashmir'
Islamabad, Saturday, 14 July 2012
The head of a parliamentary committee in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK), Maulana Fazlur Rehman, has accused Israel of inducting armed personnel disguised as tourists in Indian Kashmir.
Source: Zee News, New Delhi

7. Police allowed more time to probe attack on Israeli diplomat
New Delhi, Friday, 20 July 2012
The city police plea, seeking an extension of the period for probe into the 13 February terror attack on an Israeli diplomat involving journalist Syed Mohammad Kazmi, was allowed by a Delhi court.
Source: Business Standard, New Delhi

8. IRGC plotted attack on Israeli envoy with Kazmi: charge sheet
New Delhi, Tuesday, 31 July 2012
The Delhi police probe into the 13 February terror bombing on Israeli envoy Tal Yehoshua's car here has revealed that journalist Syed Mohammad Kazmi had plotted it in collusion with members of Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps, including one Syed Ali Mahdiansadr.
Source: Business Standard, New Delhi

SAUDI ARABIA
9. India wins another gulf war, gets Fasih
New Delhi, Wednesday, 1 July 2012
After the arrest of 26/11 handler Abu Jundal, India is on the verge of another success in Saudi Arabia having convinced the authorities there to deport Bihar engineer Fasih Mehmood, accused of carrying out terror strikes in India and recruiting youths for terror-related activities.
Source: Times of India, New Delhi

10. Saudi Arabia may deport Bangalore blast accused too
New Delhi, Sunday, 1 July 2012
Fasih Mehmood, an engineer who was reported missing by his family over a month ago, is now in the custody of Saudi Arabian authorities. Expected to be deported to India soon, he is wanted in connection with the 2010 Chinnaswamy stadium blasts in Bangalore.
Source: The Hindu, Chennai

11. Jundal lived in Saudi Arabia on Pakistani passport and a pseudonym
New Delhi, Saturday, 4 July 2012
Syed Zabiuddin Ansari alias Abu Jundal, the suspected Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist who was recently deported for alleged involvement in terror strikes, had been living in Saudi Arabia on a Pakistani passport issued under a pseudonym.
Source: The Hindu, Chennai

12. Saudi Arabia honours Indian envoy
Dubai, Monday, 13 July 2012
India's Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Talmiz Ahmad has become the first Indian diplomat to be conferred the King Abdul-Aziz Medal of First Class for his contribution towards elevating Indo-Saudi ties.
Source: The Hindu, Chennai

13. Indian workers stranded in Saudi
Dubai, Monday, 16 July 2012
Eleven Indian workers, who were duped by a construction firm in Saudi Arabia, are stranded in Riyadh with their cases pending in labour courts for over a year.
Source: The Hindu, Chennai

14. India-Saudi ties poised for upsurge after Jundal handover
New Delhi, Sunday, 29 July 2012
Building upon the positive momentum generated by the handover of 26/11 handler Abu Jundal by Riyadh last month, India and Saudi Arabia are set to intensify their security and economic cooperation as India cuts down on Iranian oil and hikes its oil supply from the most powerful economy in the Middle East.
Source: The Siasat Daily

SYRIA
15. UK wants India to support new UN resolution on Syria
New Delhi, Tuesday, 17 July 2012
The United Kingdom has sent one of its top diplomats to convince New Delhi to support a “tougher” UN Security Council resolution on Syria due to come up later this week and, if possible, to co-sponsor it.
Source: Indian Express, New Delhi

16. India pruning mission in unsafe Syria
New Delhi, Wednesday, 25 July 2012
With violence reaching Damascus, India is thinning down its mission in Syria and evacuating family members of those who will remain. A few Indians and those who have remained are being asked to leave by available flights.
Source: The Hindu, Chennai

UAE
17. Indian fisherman killed in U.S. firing
Dubai, Tuesday, 17 July 2012
An Indian fisherman has been killed and three seriously injured after an American naval ship fired on the small motorized boat in which they were travelling off the coast of Dubai. The incident took place about 48 kilometres off the Jebel Ali port, southwest of Dubai.
Source: The Hindu, Chennai

18. U.S. firing was a mistake, says UAE official
Dubai/ New Delhi, Wednesday, 18 July 2012
A day after a U.S warship fired on a fishing boat, killing an Indian and injuring three more, a top official of the UAE appeared to be contradicting the American version that the smaller vessel was off course and approached the navy ship in a dangerous way.
Source: The Hindu, Chennai

19. Jayalalithaa seeks probe by US, UAE into firing incident
Chennai, Wednesday, 18 July 2012
Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to seek a detailed enquiry by the governments of the US and UAE into the killing of a Tamil Nadu fisherman in the sea off Dubai by an American naval ship.
Source: The Hindu, Chennai

ECONOMIC ISSUES
IRAN
20. Iran keen on opening bank branch in Mumbai
New Delhi, Monday, 02 July 2012
Seeking to enhance trade and economic cooperation with New Delhi and make the financial transaction system stable for importers and exporters, Tehran has proposed the opening of local bank branches in each other’s soil.
Source: The Hindu, Chennai

21. India cuts June Iran oil imports 18 pct y/y –trade
New Delhi, Friday, 06 July 2012
India's oil imports from Iran fell 18.2 percent in June from a year earlier in a third straight monthly decline, although the pace slowed as refiners built stocks ahead of Western sanctions against Tehran's nuclear programme that took effect by July.
Source: Reuters, India

22. India's top buyer of Iran oil turns to Azeri, Saudi
New Delhi, Monday, 16 July 2012
India's biggest buyer of Iranian oil, MRPL, has bought Azeri, Saudi and Emirati crude to replace imports from Iran in July and it may halt purchases from Tehran altogether as sanctions make shipments more difficult, industry sources said.
Source: Reuters, India

MISCELLANEOUS ISSUES
23. Cochin port offers sops to direct Middle East sails
New Delhi, Monday, 9 July 2012
The Cochin Port Trust is offering a 50 per cent concession in vessel-related charges to ships on direct sails to the Middle Eastern destinations with a view to attracting more container cargo from places such as Bangalore, Coimbatore, Pollachi, and Tirupur.
Source: The Hindu, Chennai

24. HC seeks clarity on Gulf War compensation
Kochi, Friday, 27 July 2012
The Kerala high court directed the central government to contact the United Nations Compensation Commission (UNCC) and clarify on the measures to be adopted for granting compensation for those who fled the Gulf region during the Gulf War of 1990.
Source: Times of India, New Delhi

PALESTINE
25. Muslims divided over Palestine
Jaipur, Sunday, 15 July 2012
Sectarian discord among Muslims, allegedly created by the Congress-led Government in Rajasthan, was discernible at a convention in support of Palestine organized by outfits subscribing to the Barelvi school of thought here. The event completely ignored the groups owing allegiance to Darul Uloom Deoband.
Source: The Hindu, Chennai

SAUDI ARABIA
26. From Riyadh to New Delhi without passport, travel documents
New Delhi, Saturday, 28 July 2012
In a serious breach of security, a passenger landed at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) here on board an Air India AI-925 flight from Riyadh on Wednesday without any travel documents, passport or a boarding card, sending the airport officials and security agencies into a tizzy.
Source: The Hindu, Chennai

Compiled by Manjari Singh

Manjari Singh is pursuing her M Phil degree in School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.  Email

As part of its editorial policy, the MEI@ND standardizes spelling and date formats to make the text uniformly accessible and stylistically consistent. The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views/positions of the MEI@ND. Editor, MEI@ND: P R Kumaraswamy