LONDON: A second junior minister resigned from embattled UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer&#39;s government on Tuesday as a growing number of lawmakers from his Labour party urged him to quit. Earlier, Miatta Fahnbulleh became the first UK junior minister to resign and call for Prime Minister Keir Starmer to plan for his departure.&nbsp;Jess Phillips wrote in a letter to Starmer, reported by Sky News and others, that she &quot;cannot continue to serve as a minister under the current leadership&quot; adding she was &quot;not seeing the change I need&quot;. She told Starmer in her resignation letter to &quot;do the right thing for the country and the party and set a timetable for an orderly transition&quot;.&nbsp;

Miatta Fahnbulleh - (Miatta's Twitter account)

United Kingdom

A second junior minister resigned from embattled UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer's government as a growing number of lawmakers from his Labour party urged him to quit.

Second UK junior minister resigns from Starmer govt: media

NEW DELHI: BRICS foreign ministers, including from Iran and Russia, met in New Delhi on Thursday, where India warned of &quot;considerable flux&quot; with conflict driving economic uncertainty and energy insecurity. War in Iran and the related fuel crisis are dominating discussions in the two-day gathering. India, which holds the BRICS chair this year, was hosting the foreign ministers from the expanded bloc, which now includes Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates -- countries at odds over the conflict launched by the United States and Israel on February 28. &quot;We meet at a time of considerable flux in international relations,&quot; India&#39;s Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said, in his opening speech, before closed meetings began. Among the foreign ministers attending were Iran&#39;s Abbas Araghchi and Russia&#39;s Sergei Lavrov. &quot;Ongoing conflicts, economic uncertainties, and challenges in trade, technology, and climate are shaping the global landscape,&quot; Jaishankar added. &quot;There is a growing expectation, particularly from emerging markets and developing countries, that BRICS will play a constructive and stabilising role.&quot; Disruptions around Gulf shipping routes and the Strait of Hormuz continue to drive volatility in oil and gas markets, increasing pressure on energy-importing economies, including India. &quot;Development issues remain central,&quot; Jaishankar added. &quot;Many countries continue to face challenges on energy, food, fertiliser and health security, as well as also access to finance.&quot; &#39;Volatile global environment&#39;&nbsp;The conflict involving Iran has added strain to India&#39;s economy, heavily reliant on Middle Eastern energy supplies and fertiliser imports, and has cast uncertainty over New Delhi&#39;s growth outlook. India, the world&#39;s third-largest oil buyer, normally sources about half of its crude through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway that has been repeatedly blocked since war began. Ship‑tracking and import data show that India has partially plugged the gap by turning to old allies, expanding promising ties and reviving suppliers it had not tapped in years. The biggest backstop has been Russian crude -- a fuel source New Delhi spent much of the past year trying to pivot away from under stiff US tariffs. Jaishankar met with Lavrov on Wednesday evening. &quot;Our political cooperation is even more valuable in an uncertain and volatile global environment,&quot; Jaishankar said in remarks at the meeting, adding that discussions included &quot;trade and investment, energy and connectivity&quot;. BRICS was created in 2009 as a forum for major emerging economies seeking greater influence in institutions dominated by Western powers. The grouping, originally comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, has since expanded, as members sought to boost the bloc&#39;s global political and economic influence. It now includes Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates. China&#39;s Foreign Minister Wang Yi was not attending -- with US President Donald Trump in Beijing on Thursday. India will hold a leaders&#39; summit later this year, and the foreign ministers will also meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the foreign ministry said. With deep divisions among some members, including over the Middle East war and criticism of Western powers, it was not clear whether a joint statement would be released at the meeting&#39;s end. &quot;We will let you know as things progress,&quot; India&#39;s foreign ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal told reporters.

China

Americas

Africa

Middle East

Asia

BRICS ministers met amid widening geopolitical tensions, energy shocks and trade uncertainty, with the Iran war exposing divisions inside the expanded bloc and raising doubts over a joint statement.

Iran war and oil dominate BRICS meet in India

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: In southern Afghanistan, Taliban morality police have detained two doctors in Kandahar for treating female patients who were not accompanied by a male guardian, according to local medical sources and a report from the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan. The doctors were arrested over the past four days in private clinics in the Hazrat Ji Baba area of Kandahar after continuing to treat women despite repeated warnings from officials of the Taliban&#39;s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, the sources said. Medical workers said morality officers regularly visit clinics, hospitals and pharmacies across Kandahar and instruct doctors not to examine or treat women unless they are accompanied by a mahram or male guardian. Under the policy, women arriving alone must either be turned away or wait until a male relative arrives, according to healthcare workers. &ldquo;The morality officers come almost every day asking about women&rsquo;s examinations, male doctors&rsquo; work, and even our beards and clothing,&rdquo; one doctor said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of security concerns. &ldquo;We are under immense pressure and do not know what to do.&rdquo; Healthcare workers said inspections also focus on personal appearance, including beard length, hairstyles and clothing considered by Taliban authorities to be Western in style. &ldquo;The morality officers tell doctors they must grow beards,&rdquo; said one healthcare worker, identified by the pseudonym Ahmad. &ldquo;If someone&rsquo;s beard is trimmed or shaved, they are treated harshly, insulted and threatened.&rdquo; Clinic managers said morality officers patrol different parts of the city daily to inspect private and public health facilities. &#39;Where should they go?&#39;Doctors warned the restrictions could have severe consequences for women&rsquo;s health in Kandahar, where female specialists are in short supply, and many women rely on male doctors for treatment. &ldquo;Many women do not have a male guardian, so where should they go?&rdquo; one doctor said. &ldquo;There are very few female doctors in Kandahar, and most women rely on male doctors. If this is stopped, health problems will increase seriously.&rdquo; In its latest quarterly report released Tuesday, UNAMA said Taliban morality officers in Kandahar, Uruzgan and Paktia had instructed health centers not to treat women without a male guardian. The report also documented detentions and mistreatment linked to clothing, beard trimming and listening to music and said female healthcare workers had been ordered to travel only with a male guardian.

Medical care in Afghanistan - (Photo: Wikimedia commons)

Afghanistan

Action highlights growing restrictions on women’s access to healthcare in southern Afghanistan.

Afghan Taliban detain two doctors for treating women without male guardians

ISLAMABAD: A high-level panel led by Indian PM Modi met to select the next director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), but the process drew sharp criticism from the opposition, according to The Hindu on Tuesday. Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, who is part of the selection committee, reportedly described the meeting as a &ldquo;mockery&rdquo; of the process and submitted a formal dissent note. The committee, which also includes the Chief Justice of India or a nominee, is meant to ensure transparency and bipartisan consultation in the appointment of the head of India&rsquo;s premier investigative agency. However, Gandhi objected to the way the meeting was conducted, saying the discussion lasted only a few minutes and did not allow for meaningful deliberation. He also questioned the shortlist of candidates, arguing that the process appeared predetermined rather than consultative. Gandhi complained that despite repeated written requests, he was not provided with the self-appraisal reports or 360-degree reports of the eligible candidates.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; line-height: 2;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2054240346893385872&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Flogin%2F&sessionId=8de341bf7e2a56d8b239a5841a00bad3ebaa3e61&theme=light&widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 672px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div> Accusations of &#39;institutional capture&#39;The criticism has reignited allegations of the opposition that the BJP-led government is tightening its control over key institutions. Opposition parties have repeatedly accused the government of &ldquo;institutional capture,&rdquo; claiming that agencies like the CBI are being influenced to serve political interests. They argue that central investigative bodies are increasingly used to target opposition leaders while cases involving ruling party figures are handled differently. The BJP has consistently rejected such accusations, maintaining that agencies operate independently and that investigations are based on evidence. The selection of the CBI director is particularly sensitive because the agency handles major corruption cases and politically high-profile investigations. Process lacks transparency, says criticsConcerns over the appointment process have raised broader questions about the credibility and autonomy of institutions tasked with upholding the rule of law. Critics say that if the selection process lacks transparency, it risks undermining public trust in the agency&rsquo;s impartiality. The meeting comes at a time when the role of central agencies in India has been under intense scrutiny from both political actors and civil society. The current CBI director, Praveen Sood, who was already serving on an extension, was given another one-year extension amid the political row.

India

Rahul Gandhi criticizes selection process, terming it a “mockery” and accusing the government of weakening transparency amid opposition concerns over institutional capture and political targeting by central agencies.

Indian opposition leader calls CBI chief selection a ‘mockery’

TOKYO: Honda announced Thursday its first operational loss since 1957 after a major overhaul of its electric vehicle strategy in the United States. Japan&#39;s number two automaker after Toyota said that its operating loss last year of 414.3 billion yen ($2.6 billion) came after huge accounting charges in its EV operations. Honda also reported a net loss of 423.9 billion yen, which according to Bloomberg News was the first since it began disclosing consolidated results in 1977. Honda announced in March that it was cancelling the launch and development of certain EV models in the United States, resulting in impairment and other charges of 2.5 trillion yen ($16 billion). Honda blamed a &quot;government policy shift&quot; by US President Donald Trump&#39;s administration, including import tariffs and the scrapping of tax incentives for EV buyers. It also said that there was a &quot;decline in competitiveness&quot; of Honda products in China and other Asian countries. Other Japanese automakers are also suffering, squeezed by US tariffs, the Middle East war and fierce competition from Chinese rivals. Toyota, the world&#39;s largest carmaker by unit sales, forecast last week a 22% drop in net income this fiscal year, albeit from $25 billion last. Nissan which is closing factories and cutting thousands of jobs on Wednesday reported a net loss of $3.4 billion for last year, but forecast a return to profit. &quot;The major difference with Nissan is that while Nissan&#39;s product strength and brand power are significantly weak and recovery is not foreseeable, Honda&#39;s loss is a one-time, massive loss due to a change in strategy,&quot; said Tatsuo Yoshida, analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence. &quot;Its ICE (internal combustion engine) and HEV (hybrid electric) products are strong, and its brand power is high. Profitability in motorcycles and finance is good,&quot; Yoshida said before the announcement of Honda&#39;s earnings. Japan agreed to invest $550 billion in the United States by 2029 in return for slashing threatened tariffs of 25% to 15%. The promises remain valid even after the US Supreme Court struck down US President Donald Trump&#39;s global tariffs in February and he imposed a new blanket 10% duty.

Business

Honda posted its first operating loss since 1957 after a major $16 billion write-down tied to its US EV strategy overhaul, citing policy changes under President Donald Trump and intensifying competition in China.

Honda posts operating loss, first since 1957

WASHINGTON: Lebanon and Israel are to hold new peace talks in Washington starting Thursday, as their latest ceasefire is still considered to be in place despite hundreds of deaths in Israeli strikes nearing their end. On the eve of the negotiations, Lebanon&#39;s health ministry said that 22 people, including eight children, were killed on Wednesday as Israel intensified airstrikes. The attacks pounded about 40 locations in Lebanon&#39;s south and east, according to the country&#39;s state-run National News Agency (NNA). The two nations last met on April 23 at the White House, where US President Donald Trump announced a three-week extension of the ceasefire and expressed optimism about a historic agreement. Trump at the time made the bold prediction that, within the latest ceasefire period, he would welcome Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun to Washington for a historic first summit between the countries. The summit did not happen, with Aoun saying a security deal needed to be in place and Israeli attacks needed to end before such a landmark meeting. The ceasefire, which went into effect on April 17, had been extended through Sunday. Still, Israeli strikes have killed more than 400 people during the truce, according to an AFP tally based on figures from Lebanese authorities. Israel has vowed to keep pursuing attacks against Hezbollah, the Shia armed group and political movement backed by Iran&#39;s ruling clerics, despite the ceasefire. Hezbollah began a campaign of firing into Israel in retaliation for the killing of Iran&#39;s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, at the start of the US-Israeli war on February 28. &quot;Anyone who threatens the State of Israel will die because of his actions,&quot; Netanyahu said last week after an Israeli strike in the heart of Beirut killed a senior Hezbollah commander. A Lebanese official told AFP that the country would seek &quot;the consolidation of the ceasefire&quot; during the talks in Washington. &quot;The first thing is to put an end to the death and destruction,&quot; the official told AFP on condition of anonymity. Iran has demanded a lasting ceasefire in Lebanon before any agreement to end the wider war, as it has frustrated Trump by refusing his appeals for an accord on his terms. The Middle East war has spread throughout the region, roiling the global economy and impacting hundreds of millions worldwide. Netanyahu&#39;s office said on Wednesday the Israeli leader &quot;paid a secret visit to the United Arab Emirates&quot; during the conflict and met with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The UAE, which has been frequently targeted by Iran during the war, subsequently said it &quot;denies reports circulating regarding an alleged visit&quot; by Netanyahu. It also denied &quot;receiving any Israeli military delegation in the country&quot;. Pressure on Hezbollah&nbsp;More than 2,800 people have died in Lebanon since Israel launched the strikes in early March, including at least 200 children, according to Lebanese authorities. Hezbollah said that the toll includes its fighters. Israel has pounded areas of Lebanon with large Shia populations, including Beirut&#39;s southern suburbs, and has invaded the border region, seizing control in an area it occupied from its 1982 Lebanon war until withdrawing in 2000. The United States has backed Lebanon&#39;s calls to maintain sovereignty over all its territory but also repeatedly pressed it to take action against Hezbollah. The United States &quot;recognizes that comprehensive peace is contingent on the full restoration of Lebanese state authority and the complete disarmament of Hezbollah,&quot; a State Department statement said. &quot;These talks aim to break decisively from the failed approach of the past two decades, which allowed terrorist groups to entrench and enrich themselves, undermine the authority of the Lebanese state, and endanger Israel&#39;s northern border,&quot; it said. It will be the third round of talks between the two countries, which have no diplomatic relations. Unlike the last round, which Trump brought to the White House, or the first round, neither Secretary of State Marco Rubio nor Trump will participate, as the president is on a state visit to China. The US mediators for the two-day meeting at the State Department will include the ambassadors to Israel and Lebanon -- respectively Mike Huckabee, an evangelical pastor and staunch supporter of Israel&#39;s regional ambitions, and Michel Issa, a Lebanese-born businessman and golf partner of Trump, as well as Mike Needham, a close aide to Rubio. Lebanon will be represented by special envoy Simon Karam, a veteran lawyer and diplomat who has fiercely defended Lebanon&#39;s sovereignty, as well as its ambassador in Washington. Israel&#39;s team will include its ambassador in Washington, Yechiel Leiter, a Netanyahu ally who is close with the Israeli settler movement in the occupied West Bank.

Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted the southern Lebanese village of Jarjouaa on May 13, 2026.

New US-mediated peace talks set to begin in Washington as fragile ceasefire nears expiration amid continued Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon.

Lebanon, Israel to hold new talks in US as ceasefire nears end 

BEIJING: US President Donald Trump on Thursday told China&#39;s Xi Jinping their countries would have &quot;a fantastic future together,&quot; as they began a superpower summit in Beijing on thorny issues including Iran, trade and energy. Heaping praise on his host, Trump told Xi it was &quot;an honor to be your friend&quot;, as the Chinese leader, in less effusive tones, said the two sides &quot;should be partners and not rivals.&quot; Xi had greeted Trump with a red-carpet welcome at the opulent Great Hall of the People, with military band fanfare, a gun salute and a host of schoolchildren jumping and chanting &quot;Welcome!&quot; The trip to Beijing is the first by a US president in nearly a decade, with the grand reception belying a host of unresolved trade and geopolitical tensions between the two countries. Xi questioned if China and the US could build cooperation rather than head for confrontation, as he underlined that &quot;a stable China-US relationship is a boon for the world. &quot;Cooperation benefits both sides, while confrontation harms both,&quot; Xi said. China &#39;will open wider&#39; doors to world: Xi to US business leaders &nbsp;Xi told a delegation of US business executives that China would &quot;open wider&quot; to the world during US-China talks in Beijing on Thursday. &quot;China&#39;s doors to the outside world will open wider and wider... American companies will enjoy even brighter prospects in China,&quot; Xi said, Chinese state media reported. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Tesla boss Elon Musk were among the business leaders who traveled to China with US President Donald Trump. US, China could &#39;come into conflict&#39; if Taiwan issue mishandled: State mediaXi Jinping told Donald Trump that their countries could come into conflict if the issue of self-ruled Taiwan, claimed by Beijing, is mishandled, Chinese state media reported. &quot;The Taiwan question is the most important issue in China-US relations,&quot; Xi said, according to state broadcaster CCTV. &quot;If mishandled, the two nations could collide or even come into conflict, pushing the entire China-US relationship into a highly perilous situation&quot;. I don&#39;t think we need any help with Iran: TrumpThe two countries have spent much of 2025 embroiled in a dizzying trade war and at odds on many major global issues. A new addition to that list, the Iran war, threatens to weaken Trump&#39;s position in the talks, having already forced him to postpone his trip from March. The US president said he expected a &quot;long talk&quot; with Xi about Iran, which sells most of its US-sanctioned oil to China, but insisted that &quot;I don&#39;t think we need any help with Iran&quot; from Beijing. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, known throughout his career as a fierce opponent of Beijing, struck a somewhat different tone. &quot;We hope to convince them to play a more active role in getting Iran to walk away from what they are doing now, and trying to do now in the Persian Gulf,&quot; Rubio told broadcaster Fox News in an interview aired Wednesday. Trade and tariffsTop of Trump&#39;s wish list for the summit will be business deals on agriculture, aircraft and other topics. Elite businessmen in the US leader&#39;s delegation, including Nvidia&#39;s Jensen Huang and Tesla&#39;s Elon Musk, were on the stairs of the Great Hall of the People on Thursday for the welcome ceremony. Musk told reporters afterward the meeting had been &quot;wonderful,&quot; while Huang said the two presidents &quot;were incredible.&quot; Aboard Air Force One en route to Beijing, Trump vowed on social media to push Xi to &quot;open up&quot; China to US firms &quot;so that these brilliant people can work their magic.&quot; The long-simmering trade war between the two countries will also be top of the agenda, after Trump&#39;s sweeping tariffs last year triggered tit-for-tat levies that exceeded 100%. Trump and Xi are set to discuss extending a one-year tariff truce that the two leaders reached during their last meeting in South Korea in October, though a deal remains far from certain. China&#39;s controls on rare-earth exports and the AI rivalry are among the topics expected to be taken up by the two heads of state. Trump will be treated to a state banquet in the evening with Xi, and will also visit the historic Temple of Heaven, a World Heritage site where China&#39;s emperors once prayed for a good harvest. Both sides will be looking to come out of the summit with whatever wins they can secure, while also stabilizing an often tense bilateral relationship with global implications. Trump will also be hoping to leave with a firm date for a reciprocal visit by Xi to the United States later in 2026, to prove his rapport with his Chinese counterpart.

US president tells Xi it is 'an honor to be your friend'; Chinese leader says the two sides 'should be partners and not rivals' but adds that the two countries could 'come into conflict' if the Taiwan issue is mishandled.

Trump heralds 'fantastic future' for US-China as talks with Xi begin

BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping welcomed US President Donald Trump with a handshake in Beijing on Thursday for a superpower summit. Xi greeted Trump at the Great Hall of the People at just past 10:00 a.m. (0200 GMT). Accompanied by Trump, Xi shook hands with several US officials, including Pentagon Peter Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Trump and Xi stood in the center as a Chinese military band played The Star-Spangled Banner, then the Chinese national anthem, as cannons fired. Jumping schoolchildren in brightly colored outfits waving US and Chinese flags chanted &quot;welcome, welcome&quot; as Trump and Xi walked past them in the square. The two leaders will also enjoy a state banquet at the hall in the evening, and Trump will visit the historic Temple of Heaven, a World Heritage site where China&#39;s emperors once prayed for a good harvest. The US president arrived for the two-day summit on Air Force One late Wednesday, accompanied by top CEOs, including Nvidia&#39;s Jensen Huang and Tesla&#39;s Elon Musk -- symbols of business deals Trump hopes to reach. The trip to Beijing marks the first by a US president in nearly a decade, following Trump&#39;s visit in 2017. &#39;Big hug&#39;&nbsp;At the top of Trump&#39;s wish list will be business deals in agriculture, aircraft and other areas, with a host of top US businessmen in the US leader&#39;s delegation. Aboard Air Force One en route to Beijing, Trump vowed on social media to push Xi to &quot;open up&quot; China to US firms &quot;so that these brilliant people can work their magic.&quot; The US president said he expected a &quot;long talk&quot; with Xi about Iran, which sells most of its US-sanctioned oil to China, but insisted that &quot;I don&#39;t think we need any help with Iran&quot; from Beijing. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio struck a somewhat different tone. &quot;We hope to convince them to play a more active role in getting Iran to walk away from what they are doing now, and trying to do now in the Persian Gulf,&quot; US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told broadcaster Fox News in an interview aired Wednesday. Tariff truce?&nbsp;The long-simmering trade war between the two countries will also be top of the agenda, after Trump&#39;s sweeping tariffs last year triggered tit-for-tat levies that exceeded 100%. Trump and Xi are set to discuss extending a one-year tariff truce that the two leaders reached during their last meeting in South Korea in October, though a deal remains far from certain. China&#39;s controls on rare earth exports, AI rivalry and the countries&#39; trade relationship are also among the topics expected to be taken up by the two heads of state. Trump will also hope to leave with a firm date for Xi&#39;s reciprocal visit to the United States later in 2026.

The two leaders shook hands after Trump arrived in a motorcade to the steps, where a US delegation including State Secretary Marco Rubio, War Secretary Pete Hegseth and business CEOs including Elon Musk awaited him.

Trump and Xi meet for high-stakes talks in Beijing

ISLAMABAD: At least seven terrorists were killed during a military operation in Pakistan&#39;s Balochistan province. Pakistan Army and Frontier Corps Balochistan commenced an area sanitization operation at general area Nosham of Barkhan District to eliminate terrorists of Indian backed Fitna Al Hindustan, according to the military&#39;s media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). &ldquo;During fire exchange seven terrorists of Indian backed Fitna Al Hindustan were sent to hell. Weapons, ammunition and explosives were also recovered from the killed terrorists,&rdquo; the ISPR said in a statement.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-6" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-6&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2054622448784757119&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fdashboard%2F&sessionId=9727868c3f739df78ae119345ce33d4e9b0e90d0&theme=light&widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 369px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>The ISPR said that during intense fire exchange, five brave sons of soil including a field officer met the ultimate sacrifice and embraced martyrdom.&nbsp; Five soldiers embrace martyrdom&nbsp; During the sanitization operation, Major Tauseef Ahmed Bhatti, Naik Fida Hussain, Sepoy Zakir Hussain, Sepoy Suhail Ahmed and Sepoy Muhammad Ayaz embraced martyrdom. &nbsp; &ldquo;Sanitization operation in the surroundings continue to eliminate any other Indian sponsored terrorists present in the area,&rdquo; it added.&nbsp; Relentless counter terrorism campaign under the vision &quot;Azm e Istehkam&quot; by security forces and law enforcement agencies of Pakistan will continue at full pace to wipe out the menace of foreign sponsored and supported terrorism from the country, the statement said.

Security

'During fire exchange seven terrorists of Indian backed Fitna Al Hindustan were sent to hell. Weapons, ammunition and explosives were also recovered from the killed terrorists,' the ISPR said in a statement.

Pakistan security forces kill seven Indian backed terrorists in Balochistan operation: Military

This live blog follows updates for Day 76 of the US-Israel war on Iran. For a recap of Day 75, go <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/us-israel-war-on-iran-day-75" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a>.<hr style="line-height: 2;"><ul style="list-style-type: disc;"><li id="isPasted" style="line-height: 2; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Brazil announces new measures to stave off rising fuel costs</li><li style="line-height: 2; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Saudi defense minister, UK NSA discuss joint efforts to address regional challenges</li><li style="line-height: 2; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">10 including women, children killed by Israeli strikes in south Lebanon</li><li style="line-height: 2; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Death toll from Israeli aggression in Lebanon rises to 2,896: State media&nbsp;</li><li style="line-height: 2; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">UAE denies reports regarding visit by Israeli PM</li></ul><hr style="line-height: 2;"> Vessel off UAE coast &#39;taken&#39;, now bound for Iran waters: UK maritime agencyPublished: May 14, 2026 | 00:45 GMT | by AFP Unknown people have taken a ship off the UAE coast near the Strait of Hormuz and are now headed towards Iranian territorial waters, a UK maritime agency said on Thursday. The vessel was &quot;taken by unauthorized personnel whilst at anchor&quot; 38 nautical miles northeast of Fujairah, and &quot;is now bound for Iranian territorial waters&quot;, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre. <hr> Global Sumud Flotilla announces new effort to break Gaza siege&nbsp;Published: May 14, 2026 | 00:45 GMT | by Web Desk The Global Sumud Flotilla has announced its new effort to break the Gaza siege. The announcement was made in a couple of posts on X on Thursday.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; line-height: 2;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-4" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-4&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2054658405252698410&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fdashboard%2F&sessionId=9727868c3f739df78ae119345ce33d4e9b0e90d0&theme=light&widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 921px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>One of the posts stated: &quot;By land &amp; by sea, we will break the siege! In the next days, the Global Sumud Land Convoy hits the road again towards Rafah with aid, experts, mobile homes, and determination.&quot; &quot;The ongoing illegal siege on Gaza has been in place since 2007, and it needs to be broken NOW!,&quot; the post added.&nbsp; <hr style="line-height: 2;"> US &lsquo;making progress&rsquo; in Iran talks, says VP Vance&nbsp;Published: May 13, 2026 | 20:19 GMT | by Web Desk US Vice President JD Vance says he believes progress is being made in negotiations with Iran after President Donald Trump rejected Iran&rsquo;s latest proposal as unacceptable. &ldquo;I think that we are making progress. The fundamental question is do we make enough progress that we satisfy the president&rsquo;s red line?&rdquo; Vance told reporters at the White House. &ldquo;And the red line is very simple. He needs to feel confident that we put a number of protections in place such that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon.&rdquo;

'I think that we are making progress. The fundamental question is do we make enough progress that we satisfy the president’s red line?' Vance tells reporters at the White House.


LIVE: US ‘making progress’ in Iran talks, says Vice President Vance 

DAMASCUS: Amnesty International said on Thursday that the Israeli army&#39;s destruction of civilian homes in southern Syria since the fall of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad should be investigated as &quot;war crimes&quot;. Israel moved its forces into a UN-patrolled demilitarized zone on the Israeli-occupied <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/syria-says-israeli-tank-fire-kills-man-in-countrys-south" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Syrian Golan Heights</a> after Assad&#39;s December 2024 toppling. It has also launched hundreds of strikes on Syria and carries out regular incursions into the country&#39;s south where it demands a demilitarized zone. Call for probe&quot;The Israeli military&#39;s deliberate destruction of civilian homes&quot; in southern Syria&#39;s Quneitra province since December 2024 &quot;with no absolute military necessity, should be investigated as war crimes&quot;, Amnesty said in a statement. &quot;Israel has an obligation to make reparations for these serious violations of international humanitarian law,&quot; the rights group added. Amnesty said that the day Assad fell, Israeli forces entered three villages and towns in the UN-demilitarized zone in Quneitra province, &quot;conducting home raids and ordering residents to leave&quot;. &quot;Over the following six months, the Israeli military destroyed or damaged at least 23 civilian structures in three villages,&quot; Amnesty said, adding that witnesses described the buildings as &quot;their and their neighbors&#39; homes&quot;. Satellite imageryThe rights group said it used satellite imagery to verify damage and destruction to 23 structures in the villages. &quot;Securing Israel&#39;s border cannot be used to justify bulldozing and blowing up people&#39;s homes and villages on the territory of another country,&quot; Kristine Beckerle, Amnesty&#39;s deputy regional director for the Middle East and North Africa said in the statement. Israeli operations in south Syria have continued even as the new authorities in Damascus have held talks with Israeli officials in recent months as they edge towards a security agreement after decades of hostilities. Israel has occupied most of Syria&#39;s Golan Heights since 1967, annexing it in 1981 in a move not recognized by most of the international community.

Israel moved its forces into a UN-patrolled demilitarized zone on the Israeli-occupied Syrian Golan Heights after Assad's December 2024 toppling; it has also launched hundreds of strikes on Syria and carries out regular incursions into the country's south where it demands a demilitarized zone.