On Saturday, Donald Trump announced, with his characteristic fanfare and his characteristic imprecision, that a peace deal with Iran had been “largely negotiated.” The Strait of Hormuz would reopen. A memorandum of understanding was being finalised. Details would come “shortly.” The president, it appeared, was on the cusp of something historic.
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Pakistan poised to host next round of US-Iran talks as Trump signals breakthrough near
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Sunday that Pakistan hopes to host the next round of direct negotiations between the United States and Iran “very soon,” positioning Islamabad as a central broker in a high-stakes diplomatic push to lock in a fragile ceasefire and ease months of regional conflict.
Pakistan and 13 other nations condemn Somaliland embassy in Jerusalem as violation of international law
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan joined Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Indonesia, Djibouti, Somalia, Palestine, Oman, Sudan, and Yemen on Sunday in a sharply worded joint condemnation of Somaliland’s opening of a “purported embassy” in occupied Jerusalem.
PM Sharif urges Chinese firms to invest in agriculture, tech, and mining as economic ties deepen
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan on Sunday pressed Chinese companies to pour money and expertise into his country’s farms, factories, and mineral riches, framing the push as a practical next step in the two nations’ long alliance and the second phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
Security forces kill 11 militants in North Waziristan raid as counterterrorism campaign widens
ISLAMABAD: Security forces killed 11 militants in the Datta Khel area of North Waziristan district during intelligence-based operations over the past 48 hours, the military’s media wing announced on Sunday, the latest strike in a widening counterterrorism push across the country’s volatile northwest and southwest.
At least 14 killed in Quetta train blast as Baloch militants claim responsibility
QUETTA: At least 14 people were killed and several others injured on Sunday morning when a powerful blast tore through a shuttle train in this southwestern Pakistani city, authorities said, in an attack that officials immediately attributed to militants and that the Balochistan Liberation Army later claimed responsibility for.
Trump says US-Iran peace deal largely negotiated; Pakistan to host next round of talks
ISLAMABAD: President Donald Trump said on Saturday that a memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the three-month-old war with Iran has been “largely negotiated,” with final details expected to be announced within days and the critical Strait of Hormuz reopened as part of the agreement.
Aid worker Saad Edhi returns to Karachi after Israeli detention on Gaza flotilla
KARACHI: Saad Edhi, a Pakistani humanitarian worker and grandson of the late philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi, arrived home Saturday at Jinnah International Airport after Israeli forces detained him during the interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla in international waters earlier this week.
Prime Minister Sharif begins four-day China visit seeking deeper economic ties, new phase of CPEC
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived on Saturday in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou to begin a four-day official visit to China, the first stop in a trip timed to the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Islamabad and Beijing and aimed at advancing the second phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
22 militants killed in Bannu shootout, nine more in Quetta raid, as Islamabad battles resurgent militancy near Afghan border
ISLAMABAD: At least 22 militants and two police officers were killed Saturday in a fierce gunbattle in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, authorities said, one of two significant counterterrorism operations conducted the same day as the country struggles with a sharp increase in attacks linked to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and other extremist groups.