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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held a telephonic conversation with his Egyptian counterpart on Wednesday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported. In a post on X (Twitter), the Foreign Office said Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty discussed the scheduled signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the United States and Iran in B&uuml;rgenstock, Switzerland, on Friday. <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" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 770px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" 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=2067148497368084554&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=a91852a8fe2cf9319af25dc40bb5fa94f4d63943&theme=light&widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&width=550px"></iframe></div></div> The two ministers also reviewed recent understandings reached between Washington and Tehran, which helped bring an end to the Middle East War. They further exchanged views on the Regional Four (R-4) Foreign Ministers&rsquo; Meeting, which is set to be held later this month. The Regional Four (R-4) is a high-level diplomatic forum comprising Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and T&uuml;rkiye. It was established to help address geopolitical tensions in the Middle East through dialogue and de-escalation efforts. Both ministers agreed to remain in close contact.

Foreign Affairs

The talks focused on regional stability, diplomatic engagement and efforts to strengthen coordination on issues of mutual interest.

 Pakistan, Egypt foreign ministers discuss US-Iran agreement, regional issues

SAN FRANCISCO: SpaceX shares surged again Tuesday, lifting <a href="https://pakistantv.com/article/newly-minted-trillionaire-musk-under-fire-over-belfast-riots" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Elon Musk</a>&#39;s rocket company into the world&#39;s top five in market value for most of the session as a record-breaking IPO gives way to a torrid buying frenzy. Shares of SpaceX, formally Space Exploration Technologies Corp, finished up nearly 5% at $201.80, giving it a market value of $2.64 trillion. That placed the company a hair below Amazon&#39;s $2.65 trillion at the end of Tuesday&#39;s session after leading the online shopping platform most of the day. SpaceX also briefly eclipsed <a href="https://pakistantv.com/article/microsoft-openai-loosen-ties-as-rivalry-simmers" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Microsoft</a>, which is fourth on the list. The latest rise came as SpaceX announced it will acquire <a href="https://pakistantv.com/article/elon-musks-ai-tool-grok-was-used-in-strikes-against-iran-us-govt" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">artificial intelligence</a> (AI) coding startup Cursor for $60 billion, a deal designed to further cement the Texas-based company near the nexus of the AI boom. The SpaceX fever partly stems from enthusiasm over its growth potential, including AI. But at least as important are dynamics that have nothing to do with the company&#39;s operations or profit outlook. &quot;There is no valuation support for this market cap as it&#39;s all retail excitement meeting a very small float and no institutional sellers,&quot; said Eric Clark, a portfolio manager and chief investment officer at Accuvest Global Advisors. &quot;It&#39;s just a momentum trade and retail excitement plus active growth managers wanting exposure,&quot; Clark said in an email that described SpaceX&#39;s growth potential as a &quot;five-to-10-year game.&quot; Shares of SpaceX have soared more than a third in three sessions since last week&#39;s IPO, which raised a record-breaking $85.7 billion. &quot;There&#39;s a bit of a mania involving AI and anything that could be one of the beneficiaries of the spending on AI,&quot; said Steve Sosnick of Interactive Brokers. Co-founded by Musk in 2002, the rocket startup has expanded into a major satellite operator and has also folded in Musk&#39;s artificial intelligence company xAI, which includes social media platform X. Cursor SpaceX&#39;s acquisition of Cursor marks its latest big AI investment. Founded in 2022, San Francisco-based Cursor specializes in AI for software development, particularly for business uses. An acquisition had looked possible after the two companies had announced a partnership in April that included a clause for Cursor to be potentially bought by SpaceX for $60 billion. Cursor&#39;s emergence has coincided with the growth of &quot;vibe coding,&quot; whereby online users build applications with AI-generated code. At its last funding round in November, Cursor was valued at $29 billion. Tuesday&#39;s deal more than doubles that sum. In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, SpaceX said the all-stock deal was expected to close in the third quarter and that Cursor would become a wholly owned subsidiary. In May, SpaceX announced plans to invest $55 billion to build a &quot;Terafab&quot; semiconductor factory in Texas, producing chips for AI and robotics. Also last month, AI startup Anthropic announced a partnership with SpaceX under which it would pay for use of the compute capacity at SpaceX&#39;s Colossus 1 data center in Tennessee. Bubble? These ventures have cemented investor belief that SpaceX resides at the nexus of key AI developments. Investor consensus also continues to propel Musk, already the world&#39;s wealthiest person, whose role as Tesla CEO also brings exposure to new developments in autonomous driving and robotics. SpaceX&#39;s lofty ambitions for AI are expected to consume capital for at least the next few years. It reported a loss of $4.3 billion last year. The company&#39;s valuation puts it within striking range of Microsoft, currently worth $2.92 trillion, according to Yahoo Finance.&nbsp;<a href="https://pakistantv.com/article/nvidia-launches-windows-laptop-chip-in-consumer-pc-push" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Nvidia</a>&nbsp;is first with nearly a $5.1 trillion valuation. But portfolio manager Clark expects SpaceX&#39;s &quot;bubbliscious&quot; valuation to ebb once additional shares hit the market. IPOs historically see &quot;big&quot; drawdowns during the first year, Clark said. &quot;That should happen when the float expands and people get a chance to match the fundamentals via the first quarterly report with the valuation and market cap.&quot; Clark said SpaceX may one day justify such a valuation but &quot;momentum, euphoria, and hype is a fickle beast, and this market is out of line across many stocks for now.&quot;

Business

Shares of SpaceX finished up nearly 5% at $201.80, giving it a market value of $2.64 trillion and placing the company a hair below Amazon's $2.65 trillion at the end of Tuesday's session.

After three sessions, SpaceX already among world's most valuable companies

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s technology exports have hit a historic milestone, crossing the $4 billion-mark for the first time during the first 11 months of the outgoing fiscal year. According to data reported by the State Bank of Pakistan and market analysts, IT and IT-enabled services exports reached $4.184 billion during July-May FY2025-26, compared with $3.475 billion in the same period last year.&nbsp; Adviser to the country&#39;s finance minister, Khurram Schehzad, in a post on X, confirmed a record increase in tech exports and shared the same numbers.<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" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 899px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" 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=2067184752789258646&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=ae699fc3ab56ad6e8273ed5e5544def4e34cfb25&theme=light&widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&width=550px">&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>The latest numbers show an increase of $709 million, or 20%, highlighting the growing role of software houses, IT firms, and freelancers in bringing foreign exchange into the country. In May 2026 alone, Pakistan recorded IT export receipts of $373 million.&nbsp; The figure was 13% higher than May last year, although it fell from $423 million in April.&nbsp; Analysts attributed the month-on-month decline to fewer working days due to the Eid holidays. Despite the monthly dip, the sector has remained one of Pakistan&rsquo;s strongest export performers at a time when traditional exports continue to face pressure from global demand, energy costs, and competitiveness challenges.&nbsp; Industry stakeholders say export-friendly policies, continuity of incentives, international marketing, and improved facilitation of foreign exchange inflows have helped maintain the growth momentum.<img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/8e824d8d-9407-4b3b-9779-98bb12774c4e.jpg" style="width: 704px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"> Officials expect the country&rsquo;s IT exports to close the fiscal year near $4.5 billion, setting a new annual record. The government has also linked the sector&rsquo;s expansion with its broader digital economy agenda, including higher-value services, startup growth, freelancing, connectivity, and foreign investment.&#39;&#39; However, experts say sustaining the pace will require stable internet access, smoother payment channels, skills development, and consistent taxation policies. Pakistan has set an ambitious long-term target of taking annual IT exports to $10 billion by FY2028-29, which would require much faster growth over the next three years. For now, the latest figures mark a confidence boost for Pakistan&rsquo;s digital economy and its tech workforce overall.

Economy

Pakistan’s IT exports crossed the $4 billion mark for the first time, reaching $4.184 billion in 11 months of FY26, with May receipts standing at $373 million despite the Eid slowdown.

Pakistan’s IT exports hit $4B-mark for first time

SAN FRANCISCO: Elon Musk&#39;s artificial intelligence tool Grok was used in strikes against Iran, the United States government revealed in a legal briefing seen Tuesday by AFP. The June 15 brief defends the gas turbines used by a giant data center belonging to the trillionaire&#39;s company xAI, which are the target of an environmental lawsuit. In the brief, the US Department of Justice argued that the lawsuit &quot;threatens American national, economic, and energy security by seeking to shut off the power supply for artificial intelligence innovation that supports the Department of War&#39;s military operations.&quot; To support the argument, federal prosecutors presented testimony from Pentagon AI chief Cameron Stanley in which he states, under oath, that Grok is already in use within Project Maven, the US military&#39;s AI-assisted targeting program that was initially powered by Anthropic&#39;s Claude model. The project&#39;s Maven Smart Systems (MSS) &quot;enabled US forces to deploy over 2,000 munitions to 2,000 distinct targets within 96 hours during Operation Epic Fury,&quot; Stanley&#39;s statement said. Stanley praised Musk&#39;s technology and &quot;the greatly increased operational efficiency made possible by the Grok Gov Model.&quot; The NAACP, a civil rights organization defending Black Americans&#39; rights, is suing xAI and accusing it of operating dozens of turbines without permits in violation of the Clean Air Act. The rights group says they pollute majority Black neighborhoods, but xAI says the turbines are temporary and mobile, and therefore not subject to regulation. At the end of February, the government terminated its contracts with Anthropic after it refused to allow its tools to be used for fully automated strikes or the mass surveillance of Americans. The Pentagon then turned to Anthropic&#39;s competitors, like Google, OpenAI and xAI, to continue its pursuit of AI. At Google, more than 600 employees demanded the company not provide AI to the military for classified operations. Others have raised broad concerns about AI&#39;s threats. The US military&#39;s transition to AI is taking time, and in March the government had to acknowledge that Claude was still being used for the war in Iran. A close ally of President Donald Trump, Musk folded xAI into his space exploration company SpaceX in February, which carried out the largest IPO in history on June 12

SpaceX, Twitter and electric car maker Tesla CEO Elon Musk looks on as he speaks during his visit at the Vivatech technology startups and innovation fair at the Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris, on June 16, 2023. (File photo: AFP)

Middle East

The US Department of Justice argued that the lawsuit "threatens American national, economic, and energy security by seeking to shut off the power supply for artificial intelligence innovation that supports the Department of War's military operations."

Elon Musk's AI tool Grok was used in strikes against Iran: US govt

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will facilitate the repatriation of 30 Iranian nationals through the southern port city of Karachi in coordination with the Iranian, U.S., and British authorities, the country&rsquo;s Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar said on Wednesday.&nbsp;In a statement on X, Dar said the group comprises eight Iranian fishermen rescued at sea by the British vessel MMA Valour after their boat ran aground, and 22 Iranian crew members from the vessel Lenore/Davina, which was recently interdicted by U.S. authorities.<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" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 369px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" 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=2067135632691089688&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=0c0cbb969b7ce8dc8409c99981867c55bdeec4dc&theme=light&widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&width=550px"></iframe></div></div>Both groups are expected to transit through Karachi in the coming days before returning to Iran, the foreign minister said.&nbsp;He said Pakistan is working closely with the authorities of Iran, the United States and Britain to ensure the safe transit and early repatriation of the Iranian nationals.&nbsp;&ldquo;Pakistan remains committed to humanitarian cooperation and to extending every possible assistance to our Iranian brothers,&rdquo; he added.

Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar briefs the Diplomatic Corps at the Foreign Office in Islamabad on the first anniversary of Marka-e-Haq, the Pakistan–India May 2025 conflict, on May 5, 2026. (Handout/MoFA/File)

Says Pakistan is working closely with the authorities of Iran, the United States and Britain to ensure the safe transit and early repatriation of the Iranian nationals.

Pakistan facilitating repatriation of 30 Iranian nationals, says FM Dar

ISLAMABAD: Members of the Naga community held a candlelight vigil in Guwahati on Tuesday to honor six Naga civilians who were found dead in Manipur last week amid violence, as protesters demanded justice and stronger action to restore law and order in the troubled northeastern state. The victims, belonging to the Christian Naga community, are believed to be among those taken hostage from Leilon Vaiphei village on May 13, according to Manipur Police.&nbsp; Police said the bodies were recovered after more than 24 hours of search operations involving around 450 personnel, sniffer dogs, and forensic teams. At the vigil, participants lit candles, offered prayers, and expressed solidarity with the bereaved families. They called on the authorities to ensure a transparent investigation and hold those responsible accountable.&nbsp; They also urged the government to take urgent steps to prevent further ethnic violence in Manipur, where tensions have remained high for more than three years. The latest killings have deepened fears of a further deterioration in the security situation.&nbsp; Manipur has been gripped by unrest since May 2023, when clashes erupted between the state&rsquo;s dominant, mostly Hindu Meitei community and the mainly Christian Kuki tribes over access to economic benefits, land rights, and government job quotas. The Naga community, Manipur&rsquo;s third major ethnic group, had largely remained outside the core of the Meitei-Kuki conflict.&nbsp; However, tensions involving Naga groups escalated earlier this year after a Naga man was allegedly assaulted by Kuki men, drawing the community into the wider unrest. Rights groups and local organizations have repeatedly urged authorities to protect civilians and pursue dialogue among the communities.&nbsp; Police said legal formalities were being completed and an investigation into the deaths was underway.&nbsp; However, media reports say that no group has been officially named by police as responsible for the killings.

Asia

Members of the community gather in Guwahati to mourn those killed, demanding justice, accountability, and stronger government action to urgently restore peace in the violence-hit state.

India's Naga community holds candlelight vigil after six civilians killed in Manipur

Muhammad Usman Amin

PESHAWAR: The All-Pakistan Inter-University Women&#39;s Football Championship kicked off at the historic Islamia College Peshawar on Monday, bringing together teams from across the country in a major boost for women&#39;s football. Organized by Islamia College Peshawar in collaboration with the Higher Education Commission (HEC), the tournament features some of Pakistan&#39;s leading university teams, including Lahore College for Women University, Superior University, the University of Agriculture Faisalabad, the University of Management and Technology Lahore, the University of Lahore, Garrison University, Government College University Lahore, and the University of the Punjab. HEC Executive Director Dr Zia-ul-Haq attended the opening ceremony as chief guest. Also present were HEC Director General Sports Rizwan Shaukat, Assistant Director Sports Muhammad Asif, noted poet and writer Prof Dr Abaseen Yousafzai, and Islamia College Peshawar Director Sports Ali Hoti. The championship comes at a time of growing interest in women&#39;s football in Pakistan, with the FIFA World Cup underway in North America and the Pakistan women&#39;s national team having made its historic FIFA-recognised international debut earlier this year. For many participants, the tournament offers an important platform to progress from university-level competition to the international stage. &quot;I have been participating in this competition for five years, and I have seen tremendous improvement. Girls are moving forward,&quot; said Aina Mirza of the University of Lahore. She expressed hope that Pakistan&#39;s women&#39;s team would continue its rise and compete regularly at the international level. Maria Ghazanfar of the University of Management and Technology said such competitions are vital for identifying and developing talent. &quot;Our youth are talented and energetic. They just need opportunities,&quot; she said. &quot;If Pakistan can manufacture footballs for the FIFA World Cup, our players can also compete in it.&quot; The event is also helping reshape perceptions of Peshawar and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with visiting players praising the city&#39;s welcoming atmosphere and hospitality. Organizers said hosting athletes from across the country demonstrates that Peshawar is increasingly becoming a venue for national sporting events and youth engagement. Addressing the ceremony, Dr Zia-ul-Haq reaffirmed HEC&#39;s commitment to promoting sports among students, describing athletics as an important tool for improving physical and mental well-being. He also announced a nationwide talent identification program for future FIFA competitions, saying outstanding players would receive HEC scholarships and advanced coaching. &quot;We will provide selected players with one-year scholarships and further develop their abilities to help them compete at the international level,&quot; he said. The championship is expected to provide young female footballers with greater exposure while strengthening the growth of women&#39;s football in Pakistan.

HEC Female Football Championship Peshawar

Football

The All-Pakistan Inter-University Women’s Football Championship began in Peshawar, bringing together top university teams to promote women’s football, identify talent, and create pathways to international competition. 

Pakistan’s Peshawar hosts National Women's Football Championship amid FIFA World Cup fever

ISLAMABAD: More than three of four children in Afghanistan are exposed to drought, with more than half confronting longer and more frequent heatwaves, according to UNICEF&#39;s Children&rsquo;s Climate Risk Report 2026. The report, released on Tuesday, found that drought is among the most widespread climate hazards affecting children globally, with around 1.8 billion children, more than three-quarters of the world&rsquo;s child population, exposed to agricultural or meteorological droughts. &quot;Almost all children are now exposed to at least one&quot; climate hazard, including droughts, floods, heatwaves, and tropical storms, the report said. According to UNICEF, 8.8 million out of 21 million children living in Afghanistan (41%) and over 1 billion children worldwide are exposed to at least three overlapping climate hazards. These include floods, droughts, heatwaves, extreme heat, sand and dust storms. Almost all children, some 2.3 billion, are exposed to at least one risk; 2 billion are exposed to at least two, while 364 million face at least four. Lasting effectsUNICEF warned that droughts can devastate harvests, disrupt livelihoods, and worsen malnutrition, with children bearing a disproportionate share of the burden because &quot;their developing bodies make it harder for them to cope with the physical and psychological stresses.&quot; &quot;Droughts cause food and nutritional insecurity,&quot; the report said, with Dr Tajudeen Oyewale, UNICEF Representative in Afghanistan, adding that &ldquo;children in Afghanistan are already living on the frontlines of the climate crisis.&rdquo; &ldquo;What makes this especially dangerous is that climate hazards are overlapping with high child vulnerability. Strengthening climate-resilient health, nutrition, WASH, education, child protection, as well as social protection systems and services is critical to protect children today and safeguard their future,&quot; Oyewale said. Unprepared public services&nbsp;The report analyzes children&#39;s exposure to risks and the quality of six public services that determine a child&#39;s ability to adapt to or recover from a climate shock. These include health, nutrition, water and sanitation, education, child protection, and social protection. UNICEF said climate hazards are increasingly straining health, education, water, and sanitation systems, particularly in low-income and fragile countries. For millions of children, the climate crisis is not experienced as a single event but as &quot;a complex and dangerous cascade of multiple, overlapping hazards,&quot; UNICEF said. &quot;This compounding of threats overwhelms the capacity of unprepared social services and undermines the resilience of families and communities.&quot; UNICEF estimates that without urgent intervention, climate change could cause an additional 28 million children to suffer acute wasting and 40 million to be stunted globally by 2050. Between 2016 and 2023, climate hazards caused 62.1 million internal displacements of children worldwide, the equivalent of more than 21,000 per day. In 2024, 634 million children globally lacked access to drinking water, 1 billion lacked safely managed sanitation, and 489 million lacked basic hygiene. &quot;The impact on children&#39;s physical and mental health and wellbeing and their access to education and protection is huge, yet barely quantified,&quot; the report said. Call to actionUNICEF called on governments and international partners to strengthen climate adaptation measures, invest in resilient social services and place children at the center of climate policies and disaster preparedness efforts. &quot;Upholding every child&#39;s right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment requires urgent, coordinated and child-responsive climate policies, action and investment,&quot; the report concluded. It urged governments to prioritize the &quot;urgent phasing-out of fossil fuels and a just transition towards renewable energy and energy efficiency in line with 1.5&deg;C pathways, ensuring the best interests of the child are a primary consideration.&quot;

Afghan girls wash a carpet along a canal in a village in the 9th district of Kandahar on June 16, 2026. (Photo by Sanaullah SEIAM / AFP)

Afghanistan

Over three-quarters of children in Afghanistan face drought exposure, UNICEF says, as a new report warns that climate-related hazards are placing growing pressure on food security, public services, and the well-being of vulnerable children.

Over 75% of Afghan children exposed to drought: UNICEF  

WARSAW: After signing defense pacts with France and the UK, Warsaw is signing one with Germany on Wednesday, but its scope was trimmed due to fears of right-wing opposition and a potential presidential veto. Poland, the only NATO member to border both Russia and Ukraine, has sought to bolster its defense in more than four years of Moscow&#39;s invasion next door. It has doubled down on treaties with European allies as the future of US troops on the continent has come under question. The Polish and German defense ministers are due to sign agreements in Warsaw to mark 35 years since the 1991 Treaty of Good Neighborship, which opened a new chapter in ties after the Cold War. Warsaw-Berlin ties have improved since pro-EU Donald Tusk returned to power, after years of tense relations during hard-right governments in Warsaw. But according to Warsaw, Wednesday&#39;s agreements will build on an existing 2011 framework, mainly covering cooperation in the Baltic Sea, infrastructure and cybersecurity. They will stop short of including mutual security clauses outside existing NATO and EU commitments. Polish media reports said there were plans for a more ambitious pact, but Tusk&#39;s government opted for a reduced version, expecting opposition from nationalist president Karol Nawrocki and the conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party. &quot;We all know Law and Justice&#39;s and the president&#39;s obsession with anything to do with Germany, so of course he would veto it,&quot; Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski told Polish media this month, referring to Nawrocki. Poland&#39;s nationalist parties have for years built on deeply ingrained suspicions of Germany in the country, vastly destroyed during WWII. Baltic Sea cooperationNawrocki, a conservative ally of US leader Donald Trump, has yet to ratify the treaty signed with the UK. The pacts with London and Paris were deemed historic by Warsaw and signed by heads of state, while the German agreements will be signed at the ministerial level. Still, the agreement provides for stepped-up military coordination between the neighbors to work more closely in the Baltic Sea, in space cooperation, critical infrastructure and cyber-security. It could also pave the way for German soldiers to help Poland strengthen its eastern borders. Piotr Szymanski, a researcher at Warsaw&#39;s Centre for Eastern Studies, said the pacts will be important given &quot;NATO&#39;s increased vigilance, including efforts to protect critical underwater infrastructure and monitor the so-called &#39;shadow fleet&#39;.&quot; &#39;Political consultations&#39;While the agreements will be signed in Warsaw, Foreign Minister Sikorski will be in Berlin for talks with his German counterpart, Johann Wadephul. The pair will hold &quot;political consultations focused on bilateral, security and defence policy, which will reaffirm their commitment to continuing support for Ukraine&quot;, Warsaw&#39;s foreign ministry said. The meeting comes days after Tusk criticised allies for not involving Poland in recent talks on Ukraine in London. &quot;I told him that, from the Polish point of view, any agreements in which Poland was not involved will not be respected by us, they will not bind us,&quot; Tusk said he told German Chancellor Friedrich Merz by phone after the London talks. Warsaw has also been critical of proposals floated by some EU countries -- including Germany -- on restarting a dialogue with the Kremlin to end the Ukraine war. The Polish-German agreements come ahead of a NATO summit in Ankara next month, when the Europeans aim to act in unison, with the US presence on their continent expected to be a central point of talks. A reduction in US capabilities would mean a greater role for Poland and Germany, Poland&#39;s deputy defense minister, Pawel Zalewski, has said.

Germany-Poland border (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

Europe

Defense cooperation agreement focuses on Baltic security, infrastructure and cybersecurity, as Warsaw strengthens European alliances amid concerns over future US military commitments and domestic political opposition.

Poland and Germany to sign scaled down defense deals

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s current account returned to surplus in May 2026, recording a $459 million surplus, compared with a revised deficit of $276 million in April, according to State Bank of Pakistan data, marking a sharp monthly improvement in the country&rsquo;s external position. The rebound was largely driven by stronger secondary income inflows, led by workers&rsquo; remittances, which rose to $4.25 billion in May from $3.54 billion a month earlier. The improvement helped offset a still-wide trade gap, as goods imports remained elevated at $5.69 billion while goods exports slipped to $2.37 billion.<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" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 648px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" 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=2067104300246188332&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=39708624663c4b93894fa7249b4b9cd3e2c74294&theme=light&widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&width=550px"></iframe></div></div> The goods trade deficit stood at $3.32 billion in May, slightly narrower than April&rsquo;s $3.37 billion but wider than the $3.06 billion deficit recorded in May 2025. Services trade provided limited support, posting a $28 million surplus during the month.<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" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 899px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" 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=2067127214043525440&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=d5e5a1581e566fba5e49ab7c4f655bbf7a1387c8&theme=light&widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&width=550px" data-tweet-id="2067127214043525440"></iframe></div></div> On a cumulative basis, the current account recorded a surplus of $255 million in July-May FY26, compared with $1.62 billion in the same period last year, indicating that external pressures have not fully eased. The May surplus provides short-term support for foreign-exchange stability, but sustained improvement would depend on export growth, import management, and continued remittance inflows, amid a fragile yet improving overall balance-of-payments outlook in the coming months.

The rebound was largely driven by stronger secondary income inflows, led by workers’ remittances, which rose to $4.25 billion in May from $3.54 billion a month earlier.

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