ISLAMABAD: The United States has repatriated 22 crew members from an Iranian container ship seized last month, transferring them to Pakistan as a confidence-building measure even as President Donald Trump announced the start of a military-backed operation to free hundreds of vessels stranded in the Strait of Hormuz, Pakistani and American officials said Monday.
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ADB launches $70 billion push to link Asia’s power grids and digital networks, eyes cross-border trade boost
ISLAMABAD: The Asian Development Bank announced a $70 billion initiative on Sunday to accelerate cross-border electricity trade and digital connectivity across Asia and the Pacific, deploying artificial intelligence to integrate power systems and potentially help resolve chronic shortages in countries such as Pakistan that sit on surplus generation capacity.
Hardie’s all-round masterclass seals Peshawar Zalmi’s second PSL crown
LAHORE: Aaron Hardie produced a match-winning all-round performance as Peshawar Zalmi beat debutants Hyderabad Kingsmen by five wickets to claim their second HBL Pakistan Super League title at Gaddafi Stadium on Sunday.
Trump launches ‘Project Freedom’ to free ships trapped in Hormuz as Iran weighs US reply to peace plan
ISLAMABAD: President Donald Trump said on Sunday that the United States will begin an operation Monday to guide hundreds of commercial vessels and their crews out of the Strait of Hormuz, where they have been trapped for weeks by Iran’s effective closure of the vital waterway at the mouth of the Persian Gulf.
Pakistan rebukes British envoy, says Afghan cross-border attacks have killed 52 civilians since temporary ceasefire
ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office on Saturday sharply criticized a social media post by Britain’s special representative for Afghanistan, Richard Lindsay, describing his remarks on border violence as “one-sided” and lacking “a deeper understanding of the situation.”
PM Sharif orders tariff stabilization, theft crackdown in power overhaul
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed authorities on Saturday to draw up a comprehensive strategy to stabilize electricity tariffs and deliver relief to both industrial and domestic users, as his government presses ahead with long-stalled reforms in Pakistan’s troubled power sector.
US awards Northrop Grumman $488 million deal for F-16 radar support, including Pakistan’s fleet
ISLAMABAD: The United States has moved to extend the operational life of F-16 fighters flown by more than 20 partner nations, including Pakistan, with a $488 million engineering and technical support contract awarded to Northrop Grumman this week.
Iran signals openness to US talks on nuclear program and Strait of Hormuz but says next move is Washington’s
ISLAMABAD: Iran told the United States on Saturday that the path forward rests with Washington, offering a revised proposal that shows limited new flexibility on reopening the Strait of Hormuz while insisting it remains prepared for either diplomacy or continued confrontation.
Trump dismisses Iran’s latest peace proposal as ‘not satisfactory’
ISLAMABAD: President Donald Trump on Friday rejected Iran’s newest proposal for ending the US-Israeli war with Tehran, telling reporters he was “not satisfied” with the offer even as he formally notified Congress that hostilities had “terminated” and the 60-day clock under the War Powers Resolution had run out.
PM Sharif orders swift launch of virtual-asset regulator to lift digital economy
LAHORE: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed authorities on Friday to move as quickly as possible to make a new regulatory system for virtual assets fully operational, saying the framework must meet international standards to help expand Pakistan’s digital economy and bolster investor confidence.