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BEIRUT: European and Arab states have pressured Israel to stop targeting Beirut, a Western diplomat told AFP on Friday, two days after deadly Israeli strikes on Lebanon that left more than 300 people dead. On Thursday afternoon, the Israeli military issued a warning of incoming strikes for large, densely populated areas of southern Beirut, but had not carried out the threat as of midday on Friday. The Western diplomat, who asked to remain anonymous in order to discuss sensitive matters, said on Friday &quot;There is ongoing diplomatic pressure from European states, Gulf states and Egypt on Israel to prevent renewed Israeli airstrikes on Beirut after &#39;Black Wednesday&#39;&quot;. More than 300 people, mostly civilians according to a Lebanese military source, were killed in the wave of simultaneous Israeli strikes on Wednesday on Beirut and other areas of Lebanon. The strikes were launched despite the announcement hours earlier of a truce between the United States and Iran, with Israel and the US saying it did not apply to Lebanon. Thursday&#39;s Israeli warning included areas home to major hospitals and the road to the country&#39;s only international airport. Public Works and Transport Minister Fayez Rasamni said, in a statement carried by the state-run National News Agency (NNA) on Thursday, that he had &quot;received assurances&quot; from foreign diplomats that the airport and the road leading to it would be spared. Meanwhile, Mohammad Zaatari, director of the country&#39;s largest public medical facility, Rafic Hariri Hospital, told AFP: &quot;We have received assurances, including from the International Committee of the Red Cross that the hospital would not be targeted.&quot; The World Health Organization on Thursday called on Israel to cancel its evacuation warning for the Jnah district of Beirut because around 450 patients were in the Rafic Hariri and Al-Zahraa hospitals in the district, including 40 in intensive care. In southern Lebanon, Israeli strikes hit several villages during the night and on Friday, the NNA reported. An AFP photographer saw firefighters extinguishing a fire in a building blown apart by a nighttime strike in the village of Habbouch, near Nabatiyeh.

Lebanese rescuers clear the rubble at the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted a building the day before in the Lebanese Beirut on April 9, 2026. (AFP)

Middle East

European and Arab states pressure Israel to halt strikes on Beirut after attacks killed over 300 in Lebanon, as Israeli warnings continue and civilians and key infrastructure remain at risk.

European, Arab pressure on Israel to stop strikes on Lebanese capital: diplomat 

MOSCOW: Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev is in the United States for talks on the economy, Russia said Friday, stressing that he would not be holding discussions on the Ukraine war. &quot;Kirill Dmitriev is not conducting negotiations on a settlement of the Ukrainian issue. This does not constitute a resumption of negotiations,&quot; Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, including AFP. &quot;Kirill Dmitriev heads the economic affairs group and he continues his work within the framework of this group.&quot; Dmitriev, who heads a Russian state investment fund, has been one of Moscow&#39;s main conduits for talks with Washington since Donald Trump returned to the White House last year and has travelled to the US several times, including last month. He is pushing for the US to relax sanctions and boost business ties with Russia, though has made little progress. Talks on the Ukraine war have been stalled for weeks, with Moscow sticking to hard-line territorial and political demands that Ukraine has ruled out. Trump has flipped between putting pressure on Moscow and Kyiv to end the conflict, which he claimed he would resolve within hours of returning to office.

Americas

Asia

Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev is in Washington for economic talks, Russia said, stressing he is not discussing Ukraine, as broader negotiations remain stalled and Moscow continues pressing for sanctions relief.

Russian envoy in US for economy talks: Kremlin

ISLAMABAD: As Pakistan prepares to host high-stakes Iran&ndash;US peace talks in Islamabad on Saturday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has received a wave of support and congratulatory messages from world leaders, praising Islamabad&rsquo;s role in facilitating a fragile ceasefire between Washington and Tehran. According to the Prime Minister&rsquo;s Office, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni held a telephone conversation with PM Shehbaz, commending Pakistan&rsquo;s diplomatic efforts that helped secure the ceasefire and restart dialogue between the two sides. The premier also welcomed a joint statement by key European leaders backing Pakistan&rsquo;s peace initiative.<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-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=2042296988616872107&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=28d51c4530a4a3dd943f3b868588ca3cbd04606b&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 749px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div> In Europe, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz expressed support for Pakistan&rsquo;s mediation, with PM Shehbaz appreciating Berlin&rsquo;s role in encouraging dialogue. Similarly, Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker reiterated strong endorsement of Pakistan&rsquo;s efforts during a &ldquo;warm and cordial&rdquo; exchange, with both leaders agreeing on the need to sustain the ceasefire for long-term stability.<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-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2042289610408312945&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=28d51c4530a4a3dd943f3b868588ca3cbd04606b&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 576px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>British Prime Minister Keir Starmer also backed Pakistan&rsquo;s diplomatic push, as Islamabad reaffirmed its commitment to working closely with the United Kingdom and other partners to achieve lasting peace.<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-2" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-2&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2042149851014820169&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=28d51c4530a4a3dd943f3b868588ca3cbd04606b&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 1086px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div> Support also came from French President Emmanuel Macron, who lauded what he termed &ldquo;Islamabad Diplomacy.&rdquo;&nbsp; President Macron graciously congratulated Pakistan on its sincere efforts in facilitating the ceasefire between Iran and the United States, and for helping bring both sides to the negotiating table.&nbsp;<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-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=2042206163878699242&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=407a45cf1bd55927667ca9b480f2e24457dfda8e&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 369px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;"></iframe></div></div> Outreach extended across the Middle East as well. Qatar&rsquo;s Amir, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, congratulated PM Shehbaz on Pakistan&rsquo;s mediation role. The premier praised Qatar&rsquo;s &ldquo;wisdom and restraint&rdquo; during weeks of regional tensions and reaffirmed solidarity, emphasizing joint efforts toward peace.<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-3" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-3&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2042260725457113224&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=28d51c4530a4a3dd943f3b868588ca3cbd04606b&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 749px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div> In a separate development, PM Shehbaz spoke with Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, strongly condemning ongoing Israeli attacks in Lebanon and expressing condolences over civilian casualties. Both leaders stressed the importance of continued diplomatic engagement to end the violence. Bahrain&rsquo;s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan voiced strong backing for Pakistan&rsquo;s role in de-escalation efforts. The flurry of diplomatic engagement comes at a critical moment, as Pakistan positions itself at the center of international diplomacy, with US and Iranian delegations expected to arrive in Islamabad on Friday.

FILE: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif receiving the revered award Order of Bahrain (First Class) from King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of the Kingdom of Bahrain, in Manama, on November 26, 2025.

Pakistan gains global support for its mediation efforts as a fragile Iran–US ceasefire holds, with delegations set to arrive in Islamabad for crucial talks aimed at advancing dialogue and securing regional stability.

Global leaders back Pakistan as Islamabad hosts Iran–US peace talks

BEIJING: China&#39;s President Xi Jinping met Taiwan&#39;s opposition party leader Cheng Li-wun in Beijing on Friday, telling the visiting delegation he had &quot;full confidence&quot; that Taiwanese and Chinese people would be united. Kuomintang (KMT) chairwoman Cheng is the party&#39;s first leader to visit China in a decade, but her trip has sparked debate in Taiwan with critics accusing her of being too pro-Beijing. China severed high-level contact with Taiwan in 2016 after Tsai Ing-wen of the Democratic Progressive Party won the presidency and rejected Beijing&#39;s claims that the self-ruled island is part of its territory. Xi told Cheng as the two met on Friday that &quot;the general trend of compatriots on both sides of the Strait getting closer, edging nearer and becoming united will not change&quot;. &quot;This is an inevitable part of history. We have full confidence in this,&quot; Xi said during the talks carried by Taiwanese media. He also said China was willing to strengthen dialogue with groups in Taiwan, including the KMT, on the &quot;common political foundation of... opposing Taiwan independence&quot;. The KMT supports closer relations with China, which claims Taiwan is part of its territory and has threatened to use force to seize it. Cheng echoed Xi&#39;s stance, telling a press conference after their meeting that by &quot;opposing Taiwan independence, we can avoid war&quot;. She also told Xi earlier that the Taiwan Strait would &quot;no longer be a focal point of potential conflict&quot; and &quot;both sides should transcend political confrontation&quot;. Beijing has sworn to take Taiwan and has not ruled out using force, ramping up military pressure around the self-ruled island in recent years. China conducts near-daily deployments of fighter jets and warships near the island and regular large-scale military drills. Taiwanese lawmakers have been at loggerheads over the government&#39;s plan to spend NT$1.25 trillion ($39 billion) on defence, which has been stalled for months in parliament, controlled by Cheng&#39;s KMT party. - Defence spending - Cheng&#39;s trip comes a month before US President Donald Trump is scheduled to visit Beijing for a summit with Xi. The United States has been piling pressure on Taiwanese opposition lawmakers to back a proposal for defence purchases, including US weapons, to deter a potential Chinese attack. Cheng has railed against the government&#39;s proposal, insisting &quot;Taiwan isn&#39;t an ATM&quot; and instead backed a KMT plan to allocate NT$380 billion ($12 billion) for US weapons with the option for more acquisitions. While KMT party members regularly fly to China for exchanges with officials, its last leader to visit was Hung Hsiu-chu in 2016. Cross-strait relations have worsened in particular since the election of Tsai&#39;s successor, Lai Ching-te, who Beijing considers a separatist. Lai said in a Facebook post on Friday that &quot;China&#39;s... military threats in and around the Taiwan Strait and the island chain have severely undermined regional peace and stability&quot;. Cheng landed in Shanghai on Tuesday evening, saying shortly after her arrival that &quot;the two sides of the Taiwan Strait are not doomed to war, as the international community has feared&quot;. The KMT leader also travelled to the eastern city of Nanjing, where she visited the mausoleum of revolutionary leader Sun Yat-sen, one of the few Chinese historical figures revered in both Beijing and Taipei.

China

Xi Jinping met Taiwanese Opposition Leader Cheng Li-wun in Beijing, voicing confidence in eventual cross-strait unity, while the visit stirred controversy in Taiwan amid rising military tensions and disputes over defence spending.

Chinese, Taiwanese will unite, Xi tells Taiwan opposition leader

ISLAMABAD: A court in London has ordered India&rsquo;s low-cost carrier SpiceJet to pay close to $8 million to an overseas aircraft engine lessor, in a ruling that underscores the airline&rsquo;s deepening financial troubles and raises uncomfortable questions about corporate discipline in India&rsquo;s aviation industry. According to the draft report, London&rsquo;s Commercial Court granted summary judgment in favour of Sunbird France 02 SAS over unpaid lease rentals and maintenance charges linked to three aircraft engines. The court found that SpiceJet &ldquo;had no viable defence&rdquo; in the case. The dispute relates to engine lease payments overdue since January 2022 and maintenance charges dating back to November 2020. Default notices were issued in July 2022, with the engines subsequently repossessed between late 2022 and mid-2023. Industry estimates cited in the draft place the award at $7,959,235, excluding interest and legal costs, meaning the final liability could increase further. The ruling represents another setback for the cash-strapped airline, which has been grappling with mounting financial pressure. It also risks denting India&rsquo;s efforts to position itself as a reliable destination for global investment. While formally a commercial dispute, the optics of a prominent Indian airline being ordered by a foreign court to settle unpaid obligations are difficult to ignore. The episode sharpens concerns about &ldquo;financial discipline and contractual reliability&rdquo; within segments of India&rsquo;s corporate sector, as noted in the draft. The case is further complicated by the airline&rsquo;s conduct during proceedings.&nbsp; According to the report, SpiceJet did not file a defense despite initially appointing legal representatives and did not respond to requests for comment following the judgment. The airline remains under sustained strain from the long-term fallout of the Boeing 737 MAX grounding, the COVID-19 pandemic, and intensifying competition from newer entrants such as Akasa Air. The ruling also revives broader concerns about SpiceJet&rsquo;s solvency. Auditors have previously flagged doubts about the airline&rsquo;s ability to continue as a going concern, citing persistent losses and a widening gap between liabilities and assets. Taken together, the case adds to growing scrutiny of India&rsquo;s private aviation sector&mdash;particularly around financial stability, debt obligations, and the enforcement of international contracts.

India

A UK court has ordered India’s SpiceJet to pay nearly $8 million over unpaid engine rent and maintenance charges, intensifying scrutiny of the financially strained airline and raising broader concerns about accountability in India’s aviation sector.


India’s SpiceJet faces fresh blow in UK court

HONG KONG: Stocks rose Friday with investors still optimistic about the shaky ceasefire in the US-Iran war ahead of planned weekend talks, though oil prices extended gains over worries Israel&#39;s continued attacks on Lebanon could shatter the peace process. Washington and Tehran&#39;s announcement Tuesday of a two-week truce that would see the Strait of Hormuz reopened, having been closed since the start of the war, sparked a wave of euphoria across markets. But hopes for an end to the crisis have been hit by squabbles between the two sides over the agreement and the future of the key waterway, through which a fifth of the world&#39;s oil and gas passes. US and Iranian delegations are due in Pakistan for peace talks, but they come as Tehran says Israel has already broken terms of the ceasefire by continuing to hit Lebanese targets, where Israel says Iran-backed Hezbollah is located. The United States and Israel deny an end to attacks on Lebanon was in the deal. Meanwhile, Trump warned on Thursday against Iran&#39;s plan to charge a toll for ships passing through Hormuz, saying on social media: &quot;They better not be and, if they are, they better stop now!&quot; In a second message just a few minutes later, he added that &quot;very quickly, you&#39;ll see Oil start flowing, with or without the help of Iran.&quot; He also said Tehran was &quot;doing a very poor job, dishonorable some would say, of allowing Oil to go through the Strait of Hormuz&quot;. Just 10 vessels have passed through the waterway since the Middle East war ceasefire took effect, according to maritime tracking data. Only one of those tankers is not Iranian. Equity markets, which have been hammered since the war broke out on February 28, extended the week&#39;s gains. Tokyo, Hong Kong, Seoul, Shanghai and Taipei all rose at least one percent, while Singapore and Manila were also well up, though Sydney slipped. The gains followed a second healthy run-up on Wall Street. Oil prices climbed around one percent but sat just below $100 a barrel. West Texas Intermediate briefly jumped above the key level on Thursday. Analysts said the equity gains were helped by news that Israel and Lebanon will hold talks next week in Washington. That comes after NBC reported that Trump had asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a scale-back in strikes on its northern neighbour to ensure the success of negotiations with Iran. With stocks rising, IG market analyst Fabien Yip said those &quot;that suffered the deepest drawdowns during the conflict are likely candidates for the sharpest near-term recovery&quot;. But she warned: &quot;The ceasefire is temporary and the details remain sparse. Iran&#39;s 10-point proposal and Washington&#39;s stated positions retain substantial differences, and the Islamabad talks carry no guarantee of success. &quot;Even the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz -- subject to Iran&#39;s &#39;technical limitations&#39; -- will take weeks, if not months, before shipping backlogs are cleared and supply chains normalise. &quot;Crude oil prices are therefore unlikely to revert to pre-war levels in the near term.&quot; Investors are also keeping tabs on the release later Friday of US inflation data, which observers say could provide an idea about the impact of the surge in crude on consumers. Prices are expected to have spiked 3.4 percent last month, from 2.4 percent in February, according to a Bloomberg survey. In company news, shares in Japanese retail titan Fast Retailing soared 10 percent to a record high after it hiked its full-year operating profit outlook, helped by healthy demand for its Uniqlo brand in the United States and Europe. Key figures at around 0230 GMTWest Texas Intermediate: UP 0.8 percent at $98.67 a barrel Brent North Sea Crude: UP 0.6 percent at $96.51 a barrel Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 1.5 percent at 56,728.95 (break) Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: UP 1.1 percent at 26,029.69 Shanghai - Composite: UP 1.0 percent at 4,006.68 Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.1692 from $1.1707 on Thursday Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.3428 from $1.3441 Dollar/yen: UP at 159.08 yen from 159.06 yen Euro/pound: DOWN at 87.07 pence from 87.09 pence New York - Dow Jones: UP 0.6 percent at 48,185.80 (close) London - FTSE 100: DOWN 0.1 percent at 10,603.48 (close)

Business

Global markets rebound as investors bet on US-Iran talks in Islamabad, but rising oil prices and continued Israeli strikes on Lebanon highlight risks to the fragile ceasefire and uncertainty over Strait of Hormuz access.

Stocks rally on optimism over Iran war ceasefire, oil extends gains

WASHINGTON: Israel and Lebanon will hold talks in Washington next week, a State Department official said on Thursday, amid mounting international concerns that Israel&#39;s bombing campaign could shatter an already fragile US-Iran ceasefire. Israel&#39;s heaviest strikes on Lebanon since Hezbollah entered the Middle East war in early March killed hundreds on Wednesday, rattling the uneasy truce between Washington and Tehran less than 48 hours after it came into force. &quot;We can confirm that the Department will host a meeting next week to discuss ongoing ceasefire negotiations with Israel and Lebanon,&quot; the US official said. The announcement came as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered his ministers to seek direct talks with Lebanon focused on disarming Iran-backed Hezbollah. But a Lebanese government official told AFP that Beirut required a truce before entering any negotiations with Israel. Neither Israel nor Lebanon have publicly confirmed the US talks for next week, and Israel&#39;s latest strikes drew sharp rebuke from Iranian and Pakistani officials ahead of talks in Islamabad that are expected to focus on a key US demand: reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Hezbollah said it was engaged in close quarters combat against Israeli forces on the ground in southern Lebanon on Thursday, a day after Lebanese authorities said Israeli strikes killed at least 303 people and wounded 1,150. Israel&#39;s army Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir visited ground troops inside Lebanon on Thursday, telling them Hezbollah had suffered a &quot;heavy blow&quot; from the strikes a day earlier. In a sign that the violence could continue, Israel&#39;s military on Thursday issued a new evacuation order for Beirut&#39;s southern suburbs and said it was striking Hezbollah launch sites in Lebanon. &#39;They&#39;re wrong&#39; Israel&#39;s refusal to halt operations in Lebanon has cast a shadow over expected peace talks in Pakistan. The two-week truce was agreed to allow negotiations between US and Iranian officials aimed at ending a conflict that has already killed thousands and plunged the global economy into turmoil. Iranian officials said Israel&#39;s strikes had rendered the Pakistan talks &quot;meaningless&quot; and that Lebanon was an &quot;inseparable part of the ceasefire.&quot; Tehran&#39;s ambassador to Pakistan meanwhile deleted a social media post saying an Iranian delegation would arrive in the country on Thursday, and an official at the Iranian embassy in Islamabad told AFP the post was removed &quot;because of some issues,&quot; refusing to say whether the delegation was still expected. Still, Vice President JD Vance is due to lead the US delegation on Saturday, joined by special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump&#39;s son-in-law Jared Kushner. Pakistan&#39;s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif posted a sharp criticism of Israel&#39;s strikes on Lebanon Thursday evening. &quot;Israel is evil and a curse for humanity &mdash; while peace talks are underway in Islamabad, genocide is being committed in Lebanon,&quot; he wrote on X, adding that he hoped &quot;people who created this cancerous state on Palestinian land&quot; would &quot;burn in hell.&quot; Pakistan does not formally recognize Israel and has insisted the ceasefire includes Lebanon, which Israel disputes. Fearing the truce may be in jeopardy, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz &mdash; echoing worries in other capitals &mdash; warned that the destruction in Lebanon could cause &quot;the peace process as a whole to fail.&quot; &quot;Let&#39;s be really clear about it, they&#39;re wrong,&quot; British Prime Minister Keir Starmer told ITV News when asked about Israel&#39;s insistence that Lebanon was not covered by the ceasefire. Netanyahu, who claims Lebanon is not covered by the ceasefire, said his message was clear, anyone who acts against Israel, &ldquo;we will strike them. We will continue to hit Hezbollah wherever necessary.&quot; Trump told NBC News that Israel was &quot;scaling back&quot; strikes in Lebanon and that Netanyahu had assured him its attacks would become more &quot;low-key.&quot;

Neither Israel nor Lebanon have publicly confirmed the US talks for next week; Israel's latest strikes drew sharp rebuke from Iranian and Pakistani officials ahead of talks in Islamabad that are expected to focus on a key US demand: reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

US to host Israel-Lebanon talks as strikes threaten Iran ceasefire

WASHINGTON: It was a war JD Vance never wanted. Now the US vice president has been tasked with ending it. Vance heads to Pakistan this week with orders from President Donald Trump to turn the Iran ceasefire into a lasting peace deal. For the 41-year-old Vance, who has kept a notably low profile during the Middle East conflict, it will be one of the biggest moments of his career. But the man widely regarded as a leading contender in the 2028 US presidential election will face huge challenges too when talks begin Saturday in Islamabad. &quot;I cannot think of a case where the vice president ran formal negotiations like this,&quot; Aaron Wolf Mannes, a lecturer at the University of Maryland School of Public Policy and an expert on the American vice presidency&#39;s role in foreign policy, told AFP. &quot;This is high risk, high reward.&quot; Vance built his political brand as an avowed anti-interventionist who wanted to keep America out of any more foreign wars, like in Iraq, where he served as a US Marine. That has made for a difficult balancing act after Trump launched the Iran war on February 28. Vance has publicly backed the conflict but has kept out of the limelight. When the ceasefire was announced, Vance happened to be far away in Hungary, supporting Prime Minister Viktor Orban&#39;s electoral campaign. The New York Times reported this week that in discussions behind closed doors in the weeks before the war, Vance argued against military action, saying it could cause regional chaos and split Trump&#39;s MAGA coalition. But Vance now suddenly finds himself as Trump&#39;s diplomatic closer for an Iran deal. &quot;My key role was, I sat on the phone a lot,&quot; Vance told reporters as he left Hungary this week. &quot;I answered a lot of phone calls. I made a lot of phone calls. And again, I&#39;m happy about where we are.&quot; Announcing the Islamabad talks this week, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Vance played a &quot;very significant and a key role in this since the very beginning.&quot; Not always diplomatic&nbsp;Vance will be accompanied by special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump&#39;s son-in-law Jared Kushner as he becomes the first US vice president to visit Pakistan since Joe Biden in 2011. The White House said Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Witkoff and Kushner &quot;have always been collaborating on these issues.&quot; &quot;The President is optimistic that a deal can be reached that can lead to lasting peace in the Middle East,&quot; Principal Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly said in a statement to AFP. One theory is that the Iranians may view Vance as a more likely partner for diplomacy given his widely reported opposition to the war, and general doubts about US interventionism. After Tehran expressed fury over Israel&#39;s continued attacks on Lebanese cities despite the ceasefire deal, Vance appeared to take a softer tone, saying there may have been a &quot;legitimate misunderstanding&quot; from Iran that Lebanon would be included. He hasn&#39;t always been so diplomatic. A long-term skeptic of support for Ukraine, Vance notoriously kicked off the Oval Office row between Trump and President Volodymyr Zelensky in February 2025. And for the ambitious Vance, a soon-to-be father of four and Catholic convert, politics is always in the background. Since Trump&#39;s return to power, Vance has been unusually prominent in a tough job that is simultaneously one heartbeat away from the presidency yet also, in the words of one former veep, &quot;not worth a bucket of warm spit.&quot; His crucial role in the Iran talks comes against the backdrop of a looming potential battle with Rubio to be the Republican heir to Trump in two years&#39; time. &quot;If he can get something that papers it over without dealing with real issues, that&#39;s probably enough,&quot; said Mannes. &quot;But if nothing good comes of this, it raises questions about his competence, which is not going to help him electorally. And of course Rubio&#39;s right there as a potential rival for 2028.&quot;

US Vice President JD Vance, once an outspoken critic of foreign wars, now leads Washington’s high-stakes diplomacy with Iran, marking a defining test of his political career and role in shaping a potential peace deal.

Who is JD Vance and why he matters in Iran talks

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb convened senior business leaders nationwide to help shape budget priorities and reinforce economic recovery, according to an official statement. The virtual meeting, chaired by Aurangzeb and attended by Minister of State for Finance Bilal Azhar Kayani alongside senior officials from the Finance Division, Revenue Division and Tax Policy Office, focused on &ldquo;the prevailing economic situation, upcoming budget priorities, and avenues for strengthening economic recovery and growth.&rdquo; Opening the session, Aurangzeb emphasized Pakistan&rsquo;s evolving economic position, stating the country&rsquo;s &ldquo;growing prominence on the global stage amid evolving regional dynamics&rdquo; and underscoring the need for &ldquo;regular and structured dialogue with the business community.&rdquo; He described the consultation as timely ahead of engagements with international financial institutions, noting the importance of &ldquo;gather[ing] first-hand insights from key economic stakeholders.&rdquo; The minister clarified that discussions extended beyond fiscal measures, saying the engagement aimed at &ldquo;identifying practical and forward-looking ideas to leverage current opportunities for enhancing trade, attracting investment, and promoting sustainable economic growth.&rdquo; Highlighting macroeconomic conditions, Aurangzeb said Pakistan entered recent challenges &ldquo;from a position of relative macroeconomic stability, supported by fiscal discipline and strengthened external buffers,&rdquo; reaffirming the government&rsquo;s commitment to &ldquo;maintaining economic resilience while ensuring inclusive and durable recovery.&rdquo; He pointed to improvements in fiscal management and external obligations, adding that recovery efforts are &ldquo;grounded in strengthening fundamental economic indicators and institutional discipline, achieved in partnership with the private sector.&rdquo; Participants from chambers of commerce and industry presented proposals focused on improving the business environment, boosting exports, and enhancing productivity. According to the statement, discussions emphasized reducing inefficiencies, improving infrastructure utilization, and aligning policies with regional benchmarks. Business representatives also called for improved liquidity flows, support for export-oriented sectors, and diversification of markets to expand Pakistan&rsquo;s global trade footprint. They stressed the importance of &ldquo;policy predictability&rdquo; and continued consultation in the budget process. In closing remarks, Kayani said the proposals were &ldquo;aligned with the government&rsquo;s reform agenda&rdquo; and stressed prioritizing measures that deliver &ldquo;maximum economic impact within available fiscal space, while ensuring practical and implementable solutions.&rdquo; Officials from the Tax Policy Office and Federal Board of Revenue assured participants that submissions were &ldquo;being carefully evaluated to formulate balanced and effective policy measures,&rdquo; adding that &ldquo;continuous stakeholder engagement would remain central to shaping a responsive and growth-oriented budget.&rdquo; Concluding the meeting, Aurangzeb reiterated the government&rsquo;s commitment to collaboration, stating that &ldquo;sustained collaboration between the public and private sectors will be essential&rdquo; to achieve &ldquo;stability, resilience, and sustainable growth.&rdquo;

Economy

Finance minister emphasized Pakistan’s evolving economic position, stating the country’s “growing prominence on the global stage amid evolving regional dynamics” and underscoring the need for “regular and structured dialogue with the business community.”



Budget 2026: Pakistan pushes private sector role in economic recovery drive

Shizza Jasmin

ISLAMABAD: As Pakistan prepares to host high-stakes talks between the United States and Iran, the spotlight has turned to Islamabad, a city now central to efforts aimed at preventing a wider regional conflict. The upcoming negotiations follow a fragile two-week ceasefire, brokered through Pakistan&rsquo;s diplomatic engagement, positioning the country as a neutral facilitator between two long-standing adversaries. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has emphasized Islamabad&rsquo;s role in advancing dialogue, urging all sides to sustain the truce and give diplomacy a chance. &ldquo;I earnestly and sincerely urge all parties to exercise restraint&hellip; so that diplomacy can take a lead role,&rdquo; he said. Pakistan&rsquo;s position, maintaining ties with both Washington and Tehran, has allowed it to emerge as a credible intermediary at a time when tensions have disrupted global energy flows, shaken markets, and raised fears of a broader Middle East war. With delegations from both sides expected in Islamabad, officials say the talks represent a critical window to transform a temporary ceasefire into a more durable peace framework.

Shorts

Upcoming negotiations follow a fragile two-week ceasefire, brokered through Pakistan’s diplomatic engagement, positioning the country as a neutral facilitator between two long-standing adversaries.



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