western sahara

India's unwavering commitment to UN peacekeeping is highlighted as two brave soldiers, Lance Havildar Harbhajan Singh and Naib Subedar Sujit Kumar Pradhan, will be posthumously honored with the Dag Hammarskjold Medal. Major Abhilasha Barak, a pioneering combat helicopter pilot, also receives the Military Gender Advocate of the Year award for her exceptional work.

Pakistan has firmly rejected joining the Abraham Accords, with Defence Minister Khawaja Asif stating it contradicts fundamental ideologies. Islamabad's long-standing stance is clear: no recognition of Israel without a Palestinian state. This comes as former US President Donald Trump urged several Muslim-majority nations to normalize ties with Israel, linking it to Iran negotiations.

France has shifted its decades long position on the status of western sahara. The Polisario Front, which claims to represent the Saharawi people, has vowed to push back against Morocco and France.

Christopher Nolan faces criticism for filming "The Odyssey" in Dakhla, western sahara, a disputed territory largely occupied by Morocco. The western sahara International Film Festival urges Nolan to halt production, citing the repression of Indigenous Sahrawi people. Meanwhile, the Moroccan Cinematographic Centre hails the filming as a significant opportunity for the region.

In a significant shift, Britain now views Morocco's autonomy plan for western sahara as the "most credible" solution, according to Foreign Minister David Lammy. This reverses London's previous stance supporting self-determination for the disputed territory. Lammy urged all parties to engage with the UN-led process, aiming for a resolution before the dispute's 50th anniversary in November.

Up to 1 million Moroccans marched through the country's capital to protest the UN secretary-general's remarks about the contested western sahara territory. It was an unusually massive show of public anger for Morocco on Sunday, and was encouraged by leading political parties.

King Mohammad VI of Morocco has made it clear that Morocco is not going to allow any further concessions in its sovereign rights over western sahara. Speaking from Laayoune at the 40th anniversary of the Green March when about 3.5 lakh Moroccans marched into the Spanish occupied territory to lay claim to the land, the King said that autonomy for Moroccan Sahara was the best deal that he was willing to offer.

Four explosions in the city of Smara in Morocco-controlled western sahara resulted in one fatality and three injuries. The blasts caused damage to two houses, with no further details provided. Morocco claims western sahara as its own territory, while the Polisario Front seeks an independent state with the backing of Algeria. The conflict has mostly been of low intensity, occurring in the uninhabited eastern part of the security wall built by Morocco. Israel and the US have recognized Morocco's sovereignty over the territory, with other countries also showing support.

Up to 47 people including three minors are missing and suspected to have died after their boat encountered engine trouble on the passage from western sahara to Spain's Canary Islands, the United Nations migration agency said on Tuesday.

Israel and Morocco have agreed to normalise relations, President Donald Trump announced on Thursday, marking the fourth Arab-Israel agreement in four months.

Some 42 migrants, including 30 women and eight children, are believed to have died when their boat capsized in rough seas shortly after setting sail from the coastal town of Dakhla, in western sahara, a Spanish migrants rights activist said.

The United Nations, with 193 member states, excludes entities like Taiwan, Kosovo, and western sahara due to geopolitical reasons and historical conflicts. These regions have self-governance and legal structures but lack official UN status, affecting their international legitimacy. The article highlights the complex issues surrounding their recognition and the broader implications on global diplomacy.

A spokesperson for the Spanish government's office in Melilla said about 400 people attempted to enter the North African city but many were stopped by Spanish Civil Guard police and Moroccan forces on the other side of a border fence.

Protests have erupted in various Arab countries, including the occupied West Bank and Jordan, following a blast at a Gaza hospital. Leaders such as President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi of Egypt, King Abdullah II of Jordan, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas have called off a summit with US President Joe Biden.

General manager of Western Railway (WR) G C Agarwal is learnt to have directed his officials to cover the roof of railway underpass at Sahara Darwaja with roofing sheets to prevent leakage of filthy water flushed from the toilets of moving trains.