Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired a meeting on Monday with the country&#39;s ambassadors to Iran and the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, during which discussions focused on the regional and international situation, according to a statement from the Prime Minister&#39;s Office. &nbsp; Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar also attended,&nbsp;accompanied by other senior officials. During the meeting, the ambassadors briefed the prime minister on the current state of bilateral relations, emerging opportunities, and challenges in their respective countries.&nbsp; &ldquo;Issues relating to the strengthening economic diplomacy, enhancing trade and investment ties, remittances, and the Pakistani diaspora, were discussed, &ldquo;the statement added. PM Sharif emphasized the historic, economic and strategic importance of the GCC countries and Iran in Pakistan&#39;s foreign policy, it added.&nbsp; Bilateral cooperationThe prime minister directed the ambassadors to work proactively on enhancing bilateral cooperation in trade, investment, energy, and people-to-people contacts. The meeting also included discussions on the regional and international situation, with particular focus on promoting peace, stability, and economic cooperation in the broader region.&nbsp;Regional Envoys&rsquo; ConferenceLast Thursday, Pakistan welcomed ambassadors from across the Gulf and the region to a high-level diplomatic conference in Islamabad as the country steps up its regional engagement amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East and efforts to sustain dialogue among regional powers.&nbsp;FM Dar received the Pakistani envoys attending the conference in Islamabad from May 14 to 18, as Islamabad continues to position itself as an active diplomatic player amid a fragile US-Iran ceasefire and ongoing negotiations related to the conflict in the Middle East.&nbsp;&ldquo;At a time of evolving regional and global dynamics, Pakistan remains committed to proactive diplomacy, stronger strategic partnerships, enhanced economic cooperation with our brotherly countries, and continued efforts for regional peace and stability,&rdquo; Dar said in a statement posted on X. PM reaffirms commitment to dialogue, diplomacy Separately, in a conversation with Qatar&#39;s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, PM Sharif reaffirmed Islamabad&#39;s steadfast commitment to &quot;dialogue and diplomacy as the only path to lasting peace and stability.&quot; In a post on his X account, the premier said that, during his call with his Qatari counterpart, the pair &quot;exchanged views on our bilateral cooperation and the evolving situation in the Middle East, particularly the ongoing Pakistan-led peace efforts.&quot; &quot;I also conveyed my warm regards and best wishes to His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Amir of the State of Qatar,&quot; he said.

Foreign Affairs

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired a meeting that included discussions on the regional and international situation.

Pakistan PM chairs meeting with envoys to Iran, GCC amid regional situation

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has emphasized the need for sustained &ldquo;confidence-building measures&rdquo; and expedited &ldquo;resumption of negotiations,&rdquo; reiterating Islamabad&rsquo;s deep concern over the ongoing war in Ukraine.&nbsp; Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, with the ensuing conflict resulting in a tidal wave of destruction that has left entire cities in ruins. Speaking at the UNSC, Acting UN Permanent Representative of Pakistan Ambassador Usman Jadoon, the ambassador said, &ldquo;The conflict has persisted for over four years, resulting in widespread devastation that has severely impacted human lives and livelihoods.&rdquo; He said that Islamabad was concerned about the prolongation of the war, condemning reports of increased attacks. Such actions prolong the conflict, erode trust, and obstruct meaningful progress toward peace, he said, stressing that civilians remained the primary victims.&nbsp; The ambassador reiterated that protection of civilians, humanitarian workers, and civilian infrastructure was a fundamental legal obligation under international humanitarian law, which all parties must uphold under all circumstances. Welcoming the recent ceasefire announcements, the ambassador said these measures can help build confidence and should be sustained to create an enabling environment for a complete ceasefire and lasting peace. He also urged both parties to &ldquo;prioritize diplomacy, demonstrate genuine political will, and move forward constructively toward a just and enduring solution.&rdquo;

Acting UN Permanent Representative of Pakistan says Islamabad is concerned about the prolongation of the war, condemns reports of increased attacks.

At UN, Pakistan calls for confidence-building measures, revival of talks on Ukraine

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump will attend next month&#39;s G7 summit in France, a White House official told AFP Tuesday, despite tensions between Washington and its allies over a host of issues, from Iran to tariffs. Trump&#39;s attendance had not previously been confirmed at the meeting of the Group of Seven leading economies in the French Alpine lakeside resort of Evian, June 15-17. The White House said in January that France had changed the dates to accommodate Trump&#39;s schedule. Trump is holding a cage fight at the White House on June 14, his 80th birthday. The US president wants to discuss topics including artificial intelligence, trade and crime-fighting at the leaders&#39; summit, Axios reported. But the summit takes place against a backdrop of frictions between the United States and other G7 members, particularly over the war Trump launched on Iran in February. Trump has lashed out at US allies for failing to help open up the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic waterway that Iran has effectively shut down, causing global oil prices to spike. Western allies, including the G7, have in return expressed concerns about the impact of the US-Israeli war on their economies, particularly at a time when they are dealing with tariffs imposed by Trump. Trump&#39;s attendance at a NATO summit in Turkey in early July has still not yet been confirmed. The Group of Seven countries are Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States. Each country assumes the group&#39;s rotating leadership, organizing annual summits and ministerial meetings.

Americas

Trump has lashed out at US allies for failing to help open up the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic waterway that Iran has effectively shut down, causing global oil prices to spike.

Trump to attend G7 summit in France: White House

Web Desk/AFP

This live blog follows the latest developments across the Middle East crisis, including regional diplomacy, maritime security, ceasefire negotiations, and economic fallout.<hr style="line-height: 2;">Catch up: Yesterday&rsquo;s top developments<ul style="list-style-type: square;"><li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 2;">US resident released from Iranian prison, returns home: rights group</li><li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 2;">Israeli strike in Lebanon kill at least 10 people, including women, children</li><li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 2;">Palestinian foreign ministry slams Israel&rsquo;s flotilla interception as war crime</li><li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 2;">Vance says Iran talks making &#39;good progress&#39;</li><li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 2;">Qatar says US-Iran negotiations need &#39;more time&#39;&nbsp;</li></ul><hr style="line-height: 2;"> Israel says 430 Gaza flotilla activists being transferred to IsraelPublished: May 20, 2026 | 03:42 GMT | by AFP Israeli authorities said late Tuesday that 430 activists aboard a Gaza-bound aid flotilla were en route to Israel, after their vessels were intercepted at sea the day before. &quot;Another PR flotilla has come to an end. All 430 activists have been transferred to Israeli vessels and are making their way to Israel, where they will be able to meet with their consular representatives,&quot; a spokesman from Israel&#39;s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. <hr> UN expert accuses EU of enabling Israel&rsquo;s kidnapping of flotilla activistsPublished: May 20, 2026 | 03:05 GMT | by Web Desk Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territory, has expressed alarm amid reports Israeli forces had fired on activists aboard the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla in international waters, Al Jazeera reported.&nbsp; &ldquo;Maximum alert on the Flotilla! Israel has been given license to threaten, kidnap, and shoot at civilians ALSO in international waters!&quot; Albanese wrote in a post on X. &ldquo;Shame on the EU, [Israel&rsquo;s] main enabler in this part of the world,&rdquo; she added. <hr style="line-height: 2;"> Araghchi says returning to war will feature &#39;many more surprises&#39;Published: May 20, 2026 | 00:33 GMT | by Web Desk Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said that if the war were to return in the region, it would feature &quot;many more surprises&quot; due to the &quot;lessons learned and knowledge&quot; Iran gained during the conflict.&nbsp; &quot;Months after initiation of war on Iran, US Congress acknowledges loss of dozens of aircraft worth billions,&quot; Araghchi said in a post on X. &quot;Our powerful armed forces are confirmed as first to strike down a touted F-35,&quot; he added.<hr style="line-height: 2;"> Iran says US trying to &lsquo;whitewash&rsquo; its crimes at UNPublished: May 20, 2026 | 01:25 GMT | by Web Desk Iran&rsquo;s UN mission has accused Washington of &ldquo;spreading lies, false accusations, and disinformation against Iran and its peaceful nuclear programme&rdquo; at the Security Council. The US &ldquo;continues to violate international law through unlawful maritime blockades, and unwavering support for the Israeli regime&rsquo;s crimes and atrocities across the region,&rdquo; the Iranian mission said in a post on X. &ldquo;In fact, the culprit and the thief are now playing the role of prosecutor and judge, trying to whitewash his own crimes.&rdquo; The criticism from Tehran comes as a resolution drafted by the US and Gulf countries on the Strait of Hormuz has reportedly gained support from about two-thirds of UN member states, ahead of a possible vote. <hr style="line-height: 2;"> Pakistan at UN strongly condemns drone attacks on UAE, Saudi ArabiaPublished: May 20, 2026 | 01:25 GMT | by Web Desk Pakistan&rsquo;s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, strongly condemned the drone attacks on the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. While speaking to the UN, he said that Pakistan stood in &ldquo;complete solidarity&rdquo; with the Middle Eastern country, reiterating its full support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all friendly countries of the region. He also said that the attack on Saudi Arabia constituted a serious violation of the Kingdom&rsquo;s sovereignty and territorial integrity. <hr style="line-height: 2;"> Trump says to get done with Iran war &lsquo;in a very nice manner&rsquo;Published: May 20, 2026 | 00:43 GMT | by Web Desk US President Donald Trump has said that Washington had done a good job in its war with Iran, stating that it was going to be finished &quot;very quickly.&rdquo; &ldquo;We are going to get it done in a very nice manner,&quot; he said.&nbsp; The US president also said that the deal would be reached without Tehran acquiring a nuclear weapon. Separately, while speaking to reporters in the White House, he said that if an agreement is not reached within the next &quot;two or three ⁠days,&quot; a new US attack would happen.<div style='box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 0px; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 1.25rem; line-height: 2; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;' id="isPasted"> </div><div style='box-sizing: border-box; position: relative; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;'><div style="box-sizing: border-box; align-self: end; position: absolute; top: 1px; right: 0px;"><div style="box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; align-items: flex-start;"><div style="box-sizing: border-box; position: relative; display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center; width: 38px; height: 38px; line-height: 2;"> </div></div></div></div><hr style="line-height: 2;"> Russia ready to &lsquo;extend helping hand&rsquo; to resolve US-Iran conflictPublished: May 20, 2026 | 00:25 GMT | by Web Desk Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabko says his country is ready to extend a helping hand to negotiations between Iran and the US, if necessary, but does not intend to impose its services, Al Jazeera reported. &ldquo;Russia is ready to provide all possible assistance in resolving this conflict, which is well known to its parties. At the same time, we have never imposed and do not intend to impose our services. But in the event of an appropriate request, we will extend a helping hand,&rdquo; he said during an interview with the country&rsquo;s TASS state news agency. Ryabkov emphasized that Moscow has always been and remains &ldquo;committed to finding solutions exclusively through political and diplomatic channels&rdquo;.&nbsp; He said Moscow welcomes attempts by Washington and Tehran to resume the negotiation process and notes the &ldquo;active role of the Pakistani side in stabilizing the situation and creating conditions for moving toward a lasting peace.&rdquo; <hr style="line-height: 2;"> Developing countries bearing brunt of war on Iran, UN warnsPublished: May 20, 2026 | 00:12 GMT | by Web Desk The UN has cut global growth forecasts to 2.5% this year, compared with an estimated 3 percent last year, citing higher energy costs and weaker trade due to the US-Israel war on Iran. In the latest World Economic Situation and Prospects Report, the global body warned that low-income families in developing countries bear the heaviest burden &ldquo;as higher food and energy prices take up a larger share of their spending and rising costs outpace wages&rdquo;. Sharply declining aid flows and increased debt levels in low-income countries mean that those governments have less funding available to respond to the crisis, through &ldquo;spending on health, education, and social protection&rdquo;, it said. The biggest economic shocks are being felt in Western Asia, it added, &ldquo;driven not only by the energy shock but also by direct infrastructure damage and severe disruptions to oil production, trade, and tourism&rdquo;. <hr style="line-height: 2;"> &lsquo;Appalling lie&rsquo;: Iran rejects US claim over missile strike on schoolPublished: May 19, 2026 | 23:18 GMT | by Web Desk Iran&rsquo;s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Esmaeil Baghaei, has written on X that a US claim about the elementary school in Minab that was hit by a missile is a &ldquo;baseless fabrication and an appalling lie.&rdquo; Baghaei said that US Central Command chief Admiral Brad Cooper&rsquo;s earlier statement that the Shajareh Tayyebeh school was located on an active Iranian cruise missile site was &ldquo;a clear attempt to obscure the severe reality of the 28 February missile attacks, which resulted in the tragic slaughtering of over 170 school children and their teachers.&rdquo; The spokesman added that &ldquo;targeting an active educational institution during school hours constitutes a grave violation of international humanitarian law and is a clear war crime&rdquo;. &ldquo;The civilian nature of the site cannot be obscured by technical misrepresentations,&rdquo; he said, adding that the US authorities &ldquo;responsible for ordering and executing this catastrophic assault must be held fully accountable under international law.&rdquo; <hr>

Middle East

Trump says will resume strikes on Iran if deal not reached within "two or three ⁠days"; Araghchi says Iran will benefit from the lessons learned and the knowledge gained; Moscow notes active role of the Pakistani side in stabilizing the situation, creating conditions for lasting peace.

Iran’s FM Araghchi says return to war will ‘feature many more surprises’

WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday that the World Health Organization, the UN body which President Donald Trump stopped funding, was late in identifying a deadly outbreak of Ebola. Asked by reporters how the United States would respond to the virus outbreak, Rubio said: &quot;The lead is obviously going to be CDC (the Centers for Disease Control) and the World Health Organization, which was a little late to identify this thing, unfortunately.&quot; Trump in one of his first acts on returning to office last year, set in motion a US withdrawal from the WHO, which he attacked bitterly over its response to Covid. The global pandemic heavily affected his first administration in the months before he lost the 2020 election to Joe Biden. The WHO has been forced to cut back due to the end of funding by the United States, which had been the most generous contributor with more than $1 billion allocated annually under Biden. Asked to explain why Rubio believed that the WHO was late, another senior State Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said it took the UN body 10 days to confirm the Ebola outbreak. &quot;We are now four days into our response; we could have been 14,&quot; the official said. The WHO &quot;failed now numerous times. Obviously, everyone is well familiar with what they did, covering up the Covid-19 pandemic for the Chinese Communist Party,&quot; the official said. The WHO contests US charges that it went too easy on China or allowed it to hide the Covid outbreak, saying that it needs to cooperate with all countries. Trump has drastically slashed US foreign assistance, dismantling the US Agency for International Development, which was the world&#39;s largest governmental aid provider, saying that the United States should more narrowly pursue its own interests. The State Department announced Tuesday that it would fund up to 50 Ebola treatment centers in the Democratic Republic of Congo or Uganda through some $13 million in initial US funding. Rubio said that it was difficult to reach affected areas as they were in a &quot;hard-to-get-to place in a war-torn country, unfortunately.&quot; The State Department, in a statement, said that the United States &quot;has an ironclad commitment to ensuring this response is fully resourced, rapid, and cooperative between key global health and humanitarian partners.&quot; The WHO earlier Tuesday said that it was concerned about the &quot;scale and speed&quot; of the Ebola outbreak that DR Congo authorities say has caused 136 suspected deaths.

Africa

Trump in one of his first acts on returning to office last year set in motion a US withdrawal from the WHO, which he attacked bitterly over its response to Covid.

Rubio says WHO was 'a little late' on identifying Ebola outbreak

BOURNEMOUTH: Arsenal ended their 22-year wait to be crowned Premier League champions on Tuesday after Manchester City were held 1-1 by Bournemouth. City had to win to take the title fight to the final day, but the Cherries extended their unbeaten streak to 17 league games, a run which has secured European football for the first time in the club&#39;s history. After finishing second for the past three seasons, Mikel Arteta&#39;s Gunners have finally made it over the line to end a six-year trophy drought. Arsenal edged to the brink of the title with an unconvincing 1-0 win over already relegated Burnley on Monday, which took them five points clear of City. The Gunners, who have set the pace for most of the season, have bounced back impressively since losing to City last month, winning four straight league matches without conceding a goal. On Monday, just 48 hours after completing a domestic cup double with victory over Chelsea in the FA Cup final, City were rocked by widespread reports that manager Pep Guardiola will depart after a decade in charge at the end of the season. Victory at Wembley on Saturday secured a 20th trophy of Guardiola&#39;s glorious reign. But he cannot add to his six Premier League titles when Aston Villa visit the Etihad on Sunday for what is expected to be his final match in charge. Guardiola had warned that fatigue could cost City against a highly motivated Bournemouth, who still have Champions League qualification in their sights for next season. As it stands, Bournemouth will be in the Europa League after ensuring they will finish no lower than seventh. Sixth could be good enough for a place in the Champions League if Aston Villa finish fifth and win Wednesday&#39;s Europa League final. City fans forlornly chanted &quot;One more year, Guardiola&quot; in the early stages at the Vitality Stadium in a bid to convince their decorated coach to see out the final season of his contract. But if the travelling fans hoped City&#39;s players would be inspired to give Guardiola a glorious goodbye, they were left sorely disappointed. Antoine Semenyo had the ball in the net on his return to Bournemouth but was flagged offside in City&#39;s best moment of a flat first half. The home side suddenly sprang to life to open the scoring in the 39th minute. Eli Junior Kroupi curled a brilliant strike into the top corner to set a new record of 13 goals in a debut Premier League season for a teenager. Nico O&#39;Reilly wasted City&#39;s best chance of a lifeline when he was denied by Djordje Petrovic just seconds into the second half. Guardiola watched on pensively as his side&#39;s title challenge fizzled out with a whimper. After winning what was billed as a title decider against Arsenal last month, City put the destiny of the title back in their rivals&#39; hands by drawing 3-3 at Everton. Guardiola looks set to depart, having failed to win the league for two consecutive seasons for the first time in his coaching career. Rayan and David Brooks hit the post as Bournemouth should have secured victory in Andoni Iraola&#39;s final home game in charge. Erling Haaland&#39;s equaliser deep into stoppage time came too little, too late to save City&#39;s title challenge. But it was a big goal for Liverpool, who now have a three-point cushion over Bournemouth and a goal difference advantage of six heading into the final day battle to secure a top-five finish and Champions League football.

Football

After finishing second for the past three seasons, Mikel Arteta's Gunners have finally made it over the line to end a six-year trophy drought.

Arsenal win Premier League after Man City held by Bournemouth

Malik Waqar Ahmed

ISLAMABAD: The US Embassy in Islamabad, in collaboration with the Pakistan Football Federation, hosted a special kick‑off event at the embassy to mark the countdown to the FIFA World Cup 2026 and to spotlight the cultural and economic ties the global tournament creates.&nbsp;The highlight of the launch ceremony was the unveiling of an oversized football produced by a manufacturing company based in Sialkot, according to a statement from the US embassy in Islamabad.&nbsp;&nbsp;Charg&eacute; d&rsquo;Affaires Natalie Baker and PFF President Syed Mohsen Gilani welcomed chief guest Minister of Railways Hanif Abbasi and Chairman of the Prime Minister&rsquo;s Youth Programme Rana Mashood Ahmad Khan, according to the statement. <figure id="isPasted"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/2d947498-c9fb-476a-a5f4-b95acad2b6da-55279548397_f8fe624062_c.jpg" alt="55279548397_f8fe624062_c.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dii"><figcaption>(L-R) Pakistan Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi, US Embassy Charg&eacute; d&rsquo;Affaires Natalie Baker, PM Youth Programme Chairman</figcaption><figcaption>Rana Mashood Ahmad Khan, and Pakistan Football Federation President Syed Mohsen Gilani during the FIFA World Cup 2026</figcaption><figcaption>countdown launch at the US Embassy in Islamabad, May 19, 2026. (Photo: US Embassy in Pakistan)</figcaption></figure> PFF President Gilani said that the Pakistan national team might not have qualified for the World Cup, but there is a wave of excitement in the country for the first-ever 48-team event in North America. <figure id="isPasted"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/f34e7af5-064d-4e32-877e-3574b8cc740d-55280693544_1792732c49_c.jpg" alt="55280693544_1792732c49_c.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dii"><figcaption>(L-R) Pakistan Football Federation President Syed Mohsen Gilani, Pakistan Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi, US Embassy</figcaption><figcaption>Charg&eacute; d&rsquo;Affaires Natalie Baker, and PM Youth Programme Chairman Rana Mashood Ahmad Khan unveil the giant football at the</figcaption><figcaption>US Embassy in Islamabad, May 19, 2026. (Photo: US Embassy in Pakistan)</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;Gilani told Pakistan TV Digital that the event sent a message about the strong partnership between the Pakistan Football Federation and the US Embassy, highlighting the close relationship with the United States.&nbsp;He said that as the US prepares to co-host the 2026 FIFA World Cup with Canada and Mexico, Pakistan is very excited to be part of the tournament, reflecting the strong collaboration between the two nations.&nbsp;Natalie Baker said that such events will leave a legacy of stronger economies and deeper cultural connections. She added that the embassy looks forward to sharing those experiences with friends and partners in Pakistan. <figure id="isPasted"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/f42ae142-259a-47cb-bda1-4704da5248ee-55280866545_5d89bf3c3e_c.jpg" alt="55280866545_5d89bf3c3e_c.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dii"><figcaption>US Charg&eacute; d&rsquo;Affaires Natalie Baker addressing the FIFA World Cup 2026 countdown launch at the US Embassy in Islamabad,&nbsp;</figcaption><figcaption>May 19, 2026. (Photo: US Embassy in Pakistan)</figcaption></figure> &ldquo;It&#39;s the first World Cup launch event to happen in Pakistan, and it kicks off our 250th anniversary celebrations for the United States. In 23 days, we&#39;re going to celebrate the World Cup across 16 cities,&rdquo; Baker told Pakistan TV Digital.&nbsp; While speaking with Pakistan TV Digital, she said this will be the biggest World Cup ever. She added that it was very exciting that, right here in Pakistan, at the US Embassy, they&#39;re able to partner with the Pakistan Football Federation to launch the event. Mohsen Gilani expressed his best wishes to the United States in its bid to co-host the 2031 FIFA Women&rsquo;s World Cup in partnership with Mexico, Jamaica, and Costa Rica. The program concluded with a ceremonial gift exchange and recognition of two female Pakistan national football players, after which guests were invited to participate in an informal penalty-kick challenge on the field.

(L-R) Pakistan Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi, US Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Natalie Baker, PM Youth Programme Chairman Rana Mashood Ahmad Khan, and Pakistan Football Federation President Syed Mohsen Gilani during the FIFA World Cup 2026 countdown launch a

The US Embassy and Pakistan Football Federation launched Pakistan’s first FIFA World Cup 2026 countdown event in Islamabad, unveiling a Sialkot-made football and highlighting stronger US-Pakistan cultural ties, economic cooperation, and excitement for football’s biggest-ever tournament.

US Embassy, Pakistan Football Federation kick off countdown to FIFA World Cup 2026

BEIJING: Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Wednesday in Beijing&#39;s Great Hall of the People, Russian media reported. Putin is in Beijing seeking to underscore their unshakeable alliance, days after US President Donald Trump visited the Chinese capital. Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Beijing late on Tuesday for talks with his Chinese counterpart and &quot;long-time good friend&quot; Xi Jinping, intending to show their ties are unshakeable days after a visit by Donald Trump. The confirmation of Putin&#39;s trip came just hours after Trump wrapped up his visit on Friday, the first by a US president to China in nearly a decade and one aimed at stabilizing their turbulent relations. Putin arrived at Beijing Capital International Airport around 11:15 p.m. (1515 GMT) on Tuesday, where he was greeted by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and a military band. It was a near-mirror image of Trump&#39;s arrival days earlier, with both leaders stepping out of their planes onto a red carpet as Chinese youths chanted &quot;welcome, welcome&quot; - &nbsp;this time, waving Russian flags instead of American. Putin and Xi are set to discuss how to strengthen Russia and China&#39;s strategic partnership and &quot;exchange views on key international and regional issues&quot;, according to a Kremlin statement. Their ties have deepened since Russia&#39;s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with Putin visiting Beijing every year since as his country is cut off diplomatically on the world stage. However, their relationship is far from equal, with Moscow heavily dependent economically on Beijing, the main buyer of sanctioned Russian oil. Among topics Xi and Putin could discuss is the construction of the major &quot;Power of Siberia 2&quot; natural gas pipeline from Russia to China through Mongolia - a land alternative to crude imported by sea from the Middle East - which Moscow is keen to get underway. Setting a warm tone for the visit, Xi and Putin exchanged &quot;congratulatory letters&quot; on Sunday to mark 30 years of their countries&#39; strategic partnership. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun lauded &quot;the enduring friendship between China and Russia&quot; on Tuesday. And in a video message to the Chinese people released on Tuesday, Putin said relations have reached &quot;a truly unprecedented level&quot;, and that &quot;trade between Russia and China continues to grow&quot;. &quot;The close strategic relationship between Russia and China plays a major, stabilizing role globally. Without allying against anyone, we seek peace and universal prosperity,&quot; Putin said, without mentioning any third country. The two leaders are also expected to sign a joint declaration after their talks. &#39;Dear, old friends&#39;Xi welcomed Putin with open arms as an &quot;old friend&quot; when he last visited Beijing in September 2025 - language the Chinese leader did not extend to Trump last week. Putin, who in turn called Xi his &quot;dear friend&quot;, will be keen to show the world that their relations are unaffected by Trump&#39;s visit. While Putin&#39;s visit is not expected to receive the same pomp as Trump&#39;s, &quot;the Xi-Putin relationship does not require that kind of performative reassurance&quot;, said Patricia Kim from the Brookings Institution in Washington. Both sides view ties as &quot;structurally stronger and more stable&quot; than those between China and the United States, she said. Beijing has regularly called for talks to end the war in Ukraine but has never condemned Russia for sending in troops, presenting itself instead as a neutral party. Trump and Xi discussed Ukraine last week, but the US president left China without a breakthrough. &quot;Xi will almost certainly brief Putin on his summit with Trump,&quot; Kim said. The lack of clear outcomes from the Xi-Trump meeting, though, &quot;likely reassures Moscow that Xi did not strike any understanding with Trump that would materially undercut Russian interests&quot;. Appetite for oilPutin will be hoping that China deepens its commitment to Moscow, after Trump told Fox News during his visit that Beijing had agreed to buy US oil to feed its &quot;insatiable&quot; appetite for energy. With Russia reliant on sales to China to sustain its war effort, &quot;Putin does not want to lose that support&quot;, Asia Society&#39;s Lyle Morris told AFP. &quot;Putin will likely be keen to hear from Xi about China&#39;s next step in the Middle East,&quot; Morris said, after &quot;Trump signaled clearly that he hopes Beijing will play a leading role&quot;. When it comes to the US-Israeli war on Iran, though, China and Russia may have different priorities. &quot;(China) relies on the freedom of the world&#39;s major waterways to sustain its economic activities, and would prefer that the standoff in the Strait of Hormuz end sooner rather than later,&quot; James Char of Singapore&#39;s Nanyang Technological University told AFP. On the other hand, Moscow has &quot;been benefitting economically from the fighting in Iran due to the relaxation of sanctions against Russian energy supplies, so may have a different view&quot;, he said. Russia&#39;s top diplomat, Sergei Lavrov, said after meeting Xi in April that Russia could &quot;compensate&quot; for China&#39;s energy shortages as the Middle East war hits global supplies. &quot;Expanded energy ties may feature prominently at the meeting (as) Beijing seeks more Russian energy,&quot; said Joseph Webster from the Atlantic Council. &quot;From Moscow&#39;s perspective, shipping more oil east may be more attractive in the wake of Ukraine&#39;s relentless campaign targeting Russian energy infrastructure.&quot;

China

Asia

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Beijing late on Tuesday for talks with his Chinese counterpart and "long-time good friend" Xi Jinping, intending to show their ties are unshakeable days after a visit by Donald Trump

Russian media says Putin, Xi begin talks in Beijing

PARIS: Massively popular online shooter &quot;Fortnite&quot; was again available on Apple&#39;s online App Store, developer Epic Games said Tuesday, adding that it was &quot;confident&quot; of prevailing in a court battle with the iPhone maker.&nbsp;Epic has been battling in court against both Apple and Google -- which develops the Android operating system -- over the sizeable fees they charge to allow software makers to sell to users.&nbsp;&quot;Fortnite is back on the App Store around the world,&quot; the company posted on X Tuesday.&nbsp;&quot;We are confident that once Apple is forced to show its costs, governments around the world will not allow Apple junk fees to stand,&quot; it added.&nbsp;&quot;Fortnite&quot; was removed from both the Apple and Google stores in 2020 when Epic Games attempted to circumvent their payment systems.&nbsp;Its return last year to Apple&#39;s US App Store followed a first favourable court ruling.&nbsp;It also returned to the American Google store after Epic struck a deal with the web giant.&nbsp;&quot;We see this as the beginning of the end of the Apple Tax worldwide,&quot; Epic chief Tim Sweeney posted on X.&nbsp;&quot;Fortnite&quot; is nevertheless unavailable for Australian users to download -- despite a victory last summer in courts there, where Epic had accused Apple and Google of abusing their market position.&nbsp;Epic said in March that it was laying off more than 1,000 people, blaming a fall in the flagship game&#39;s popularity as well as the financial impact of its various legal cases.

E-Sports

Epic Games said Fortnite has returned to Apple’s App Store worldwide after years of legal battles over app store fees, calling it the “beginning of the end” of Apple’s “junk fees” and restrictive payment policies.

'Fortnite' game returns to Apple App Store

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&#39;s security forces killed 23&nbsp;terrorists during a sanitization operation in the Shewa area of North Waziristan district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the military&#39;s media wing said in a statement on Monday. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the operation began on May 17, following credible intelligence regarding the presence of terrorists in the area. Security forces killed the terrorists affiliated with what the military described as &quot;Indian-sponsored Fitna al-Khwarij&quot; after an intense exchange of fire over 24 hours. Pakistan officially refers to the proscribed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan as &quot;Fitna al-Khwarij,&quot; a term used by the state to underscore the group&#39;s extremist ideology and delegitimize its actions. The ISPR said weapons and ammunition were recovered from the slain terrorists, who it said had been actively involved in numerous terrorist activities in the region. The military said the sanitization operation remains underway, with the area cordoned off by security forces. It added that the evidence indicated that the terrorists had coerced and intimidated local residents, forcing them to provide safe passage and using them as human shields. &quot;Such deplorable acts are highly condemnable, and no justification can rationalize the endangerment of civilian lives,&quot; the ISPR said. The military said the operation is continuing to eliminate terrorists hiding in the area as part of Pakistan&#39;s ongoing counterterrorism campaign under &quot;Azm-e-Istehkam,&quot; approved by the Federal Apex Committee under the National Action Plan. It said the campaign by security forces and law enforcement agencies would continue at full pace to eliminate what it described as foreign-sponsored terrorism from the country. Pakistan has intensified its counter-terrorism operations against terrorist outfits.&nbsp; &nbsp; Last week, at least seven terrorists were killed during a military operation in Pakistan&#39;s Balochistan province.&nbsp;Pakistan Army and Frontier Corps Balochistan commenced an area sanitization operation at general area Nosham of Barkhan District to eliminate terrorists of &quot;Indian-backed Fitna al-Hindustan,&quot; according to the ISPR.

Security

The operation, which began on May 17, followed credible intelligence regarding the presence of terrorists in the area.

 Pakistan forces kill 23 terrorists in sanitization operation in North Waziristan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&#39;s petroleum minister and Japan&#39;s ambassador pledged deeper collaboration in geoscience research during a meeting on Tuesday in Islamabad. Federal Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik received Ambassador Akamatsu Shuichi at the Geoscience Advanced Research Laboratories of the Geological Survey of Pakistan. The two discussed scientific partnerships between their countries in geosciences and mineral research, according to a press release. Malik credited Japan&#39;s government and the Japan International Cooperation Agency for supporting the establishment and development of the research facility, calling it a significant scientific initiative, the press release said. Pakistan is modernizing its mineral sector by adopting advanced technologies for exploration and extraction, Malik said. The upgrades are designed to enhance sustainability, productivity, and value creation in the mining industry, according to the statement. A documentary covering the laboratory&#39;s history and current capabilities was shown during the visit. The ambassador toured various laboratory sections and met with Geological Survey scientists, the press release said. The Japanese ambassador noted Pakistan&#39;s work to develop scientific infrastructure and stated Japan&#39;s commitment to technical cooperation and scientific exchange in geosciences, according to the statement. Both countries expressed satisfaction with ongoing technical engagement between the Geological Survey and JICA, the press release said. Officials committed to future cooperation on advanced analytical sciences, laboratory methods, scientific workflows, and technical training in the petroleum sector and geosciences. Senior officials from Pakistan&#39;s Petroleum Division, the Geological Survey, Japan&#39;s embassy, and JICA attended the meeting.

Economy

Pakistan is adopting advanced technologies to modernize its mineral exploration and extraction with Japan, reaffirming its commitment to technical cooperation and agreeing to collaborate on analytical sciences, laboratory methods, and scientific training.