New Delhi, May 3: India has banned all imports – direct and indirect – from Pakistan amid rising tensions with the neighbouring country over the barbaric Pahalgam terror attack.

According to a notification by the Commerce Ministry, “Direct or indirect import or transit of all goods originating in or exported from Pakistan, whether or not freely importable or otherwise permitted, shall be prohibited with immediate effect, until further orders.”

“This restriction is imposed in the interest of national security and public policy. Any exception to this prohibition shall require prior approval of the Government of India,” said the notification.

A provision in this regard has been added in the Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) 2023 “to prohibit direct or indirect import or transit of all goods originating in or exported from Pakistan,” it said in the notification dated May 2.

As per official data, India’s exports to Pakistan fell 56.91 per cent year-on-year between April 2024 and February 2025 to $491 million, while there were no imports. Top exports to Pakistan in FY25 included drug formulations, sugar, bulk drugs, residual chemicals and auto components.

The Attari-Wagah border, the sole trade route between India and Pakistan, had already been closed in the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack.

At least 26 civilians, including a Nepalese tourist and a local pony guide operator, were massacred by terrorists in the scenic Baisaran meadow in Jammu and Kashmir on April 22. The relations between the two nations soured as terror links to Pakistan emerged.

As per official data, India’s exports to Pakistan fell 56.91 per cent year-on-year between April 2024 and February 2025 to $491 million, while there were no imports.

Top exports to Pakistan in FY25 included drug formulations, sugar, bulk drugs, residual chemicals and auto components.

Meanwhile, the ongoing tension with India has shaken the confidence of investors in Pakistan badly, setting the country on course to record its worst performance in dollar bonds and stocks since 2023.

The investors have lost at least four per cent during April, while equities are down by three per cent. In comparison, India’s assets have largely been invulnerable.

Global powers, including the United States, have called on both parties to show restraint and de-escalate tensions.

New Delhi, May 3: Angola’s President Joao Manuel Goncalves Lourenco on Saturday was accorded a ceremonial welcome at the forecourt of the Rashtrapati Bhavan, following which, he expressed hope in strengthening the bilateral ties between the two nations.

President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed the Angolan President as he arrived at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

The Angolan President arrived in New Delhi on Friday for the first official state visit by a President from that country to India in 38 years. The four-day visit aims to boost diplomatic, economic, and strategic ties between the two nations.

Speaking to the reporters following the ceremonial welcome, President Lourenco said, “We have arrived in New Delhi, the capital of India, to hold this state visit, which is taking place after 38 years.”

“We see this visit as an important one for Angola in order to strengthen the bonds of friendship and cooperation between the two countries. We are very thankful for the friendly and hospitable manner in which we were received yesterday by the people of India,” he added.

Upon his arrival in India on Friday, President Lourenco was warmly received at the airport by Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh. He is accompanied by a high-level delegation that includes several ministers, senior officials, and representatives from prominent business houses.

“Warm welcome to President Joao Manuel Goncalves Lourenco of Angola as he lands in New Delhi on a State Visit. President is accompanied by a high-level delegation, including several ministers, senior officials, and business houses. On arrival, the President was accorded a special welcome and received by MoS Kirti Vardhan Singh at the airport,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) posted on X.

Minister Kirti Vardhan Singh also shared the welcome message on his social media handle on X, saying, “Pleased to welcome President Joao Manuel Goncalves Lourenco of Angola on a State Visit to India.”

This significant visit coincides with the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and Angola. According to the MEA, it marks the first visit by an Angolan President to India since 1986.

During his stay, President Lourenco is scheduled to hold separate meetings with Prime Minister Modi and President Murmu. He will also engage in delegation-level discussions with Prime Minister Modi, who is expected to host a luncheon in his honour.

“A number of MoUs and agreements are expected to be signed during the visit, which will give a boost to bilateral relations,” the MEA said in an official statement.

On May 4, President Lourenco will participate in a business event in New Delhi, which aims to promote trade, investment, and commercial linkages between the two countries. The event is expected to bring together key stakeholders from sectors such as oil and gas, infrastructure, agriculture, and mining.

India and Angola enjoy strong and expanding ties, particularly in the energy sector. Bilateral trade reached $4.192 billion in the financial year 2023–24. Both nations also maintain close cooperation on international platforms and frequently support each other in forums such as the United Nations.

In October 2015, the Vice President of Angola, Manuel Vicente, visited India to participate in the 3rd India-Africa Summit, during which he met with Prime Minister Modi. During his visit to Johannesburg to attend the BRICS Summit, President Lourenco met PM Modi on July 26, 2018.

President Lourenco’s visit is anticipated to be a milestone in bilateral engagement, setting the stage for a more dynamic and mutually beneficial partnership. Both nations are looking to deepen collaboration and align their shared interests for long-term strategic growth.

Washington, May 2: US Vice-President J.D. Vance has sought to cast the ousting of National Security Adviser Mike Waltz as a “promotion” to be US Ambassador to the United Nations, blaming the media for framing his departure from the top national security post as a firing.

“He wasn’t let go. He is being made Ambassador to the United Nations, which, of course, is a Senate-confirmed position. I think you can make a good argument that it’s a promotion,” Vance told Fox News’ Bret Baier on Thursday in an interview from Charleston, South Carolina.

He continued, “The media wants to frame this as a firing. Donald Trump has fired a lot of people. He doesn’t give them Senate-confirmed appointments afterwards. What he thinks is that Mike Waltz is going to better serve the administration — most importantly, the American people — in that role.”

Vance said that Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth’s job is “safe” when asked if there are further changes coming to the President’s senior echelon of officials, and in particular if Hegseth’s job is secure.

“We’ve got total faith in Pete,” he added.

And pressed on whether the move was a direct result of Waltz’s actions in a Signal chat with top Trump administration national security officials, Vance said, “No, it’s not.”

He broadly characterised the situation as Waltz going into the National Security Council at the beginning of the administration, firing people they felt were disloyal, and bringing in “the right collection of people to actually make the National Security Council function”.

Vance went on to say, “Of course. Yeah. We fight for all our nominees,” when asked whether Trump plans to fight for Waltz during a Senate confirmation process.

He also denied the possibility that the recent move against Waltz could be connected to his involvement in Signal-gate, when the former NSA added the editor of The Atlantic magazine to a chat group of high-ranking officials discussing the Trump administration’s attack plans on the Houthi rebels in Yemen.

Waltz has been under scrutiny after the Signal-gate reveled finer details of US attack on Yemen and embarrassed the administration which has made several key appointments seen as unconventional.

The former NSA had said he takes full responsibility for the episode.

The White House described the episode as a “mistake” but defended him saying the reveal caused Americans no harm.

The Pentagon inspector general is investigating the use of Signal, and he has faced criticism from Democrats and even some Republicans.

Announcing a new role for Waltz, Trump said Secretary of State Marco Rubio would take over Waltz’s duties on an interim role and vowed to “fight tirelessly to Make America, and the World, SAFE AGAIN”.

“I am pleased to announce that I will be nominating Mike Waltz to be the next United States Ambassador to the United Nations. From his time in uniform on the battlefield, in Congress and, as my National Security Advisor, Mike Waltz has worked hard to put our Nation’s Interests first,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, his own social media platform.

Rubio will be holding two crucial positions at a time when the administration is facing multiple foreign policy challenges – grinding talks to end the Ukraine war, talks with Iran over its nuclear ambitions and global economic uncertainty after Trump’s provoked a tariff war with major trade partners.