Web Desk/AFP

&nbsp;This live blog follows updates for Day 64 of the US-Israel war on Iran. For a recap of Day 63, go<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/us-israel-war-on-iran-day-63" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">&nbsp;here.</a><hr><ul style="list-style-type: square;"><li id="isPasted">Iranian embassy rejects being linked to &lsquo;violent activities, incidents&rsquo; in the UK</li><li>US military says navy ships are being replenished in Middle East</li><li>Trump says Iran &#39;dying to make a deal&#39;</li><li>Iran &lsquo;not coming through with the kind of deal&rsquo; US wants: Trump</li><li>Lebanon says six killed in Israeli strikes on southern town</li></ul><hr>&nbsp;US approves $4 bn Patriot missile sale to Qatar&nbsp;Published: May 2, 2026 | 16:45 GMT | by AFP The United States said Friday it had approved a $4 billion sale of Patriot missiles to Gulf ally Qatar, as well as the sale of precision weapons systems to Israel for nearly $1 billion.&nbsp;Both sales were deemed to support US &quot;foreign policy and national security&quot; objectives, the State Department said in a series of notices to Congress, amid ongoing conflict in the Middle East. <hr> Trump says &#39;great respect for Pakistan&#39;, not satisfied with Iran&#39;s proposals&nbsp;Published: May 1, 2026 | 16:45 GMT | by Web Desk&nbsp;US President Donald Trump told reporters outside the White House on Friday that he has &lsquo;great respect for Pakistan&rsquo; when asked about the latest developments in negotiations with Iran through Islamabad.&nbsp;&quot;We have great respect for Pakistan, Islamabad and tremendous respect for the prime minister and the field marshal,&rdquo; he further stated that negotiations are still taking place, but via telephone.&nbsp;&quot;Iran wants to make a deal, but I&rsquo;m not satisfied with it, so we&rsquo;ll see what happens,&rdquo; Trump added.

Middle East

US President Donald Trump says negotiations are taking place via telephone calls with Islamabad; Iran judiciary chief says Tehran open to US talks but against policy 'imposition'; Israeli forces continue to destroy towns across southern Lebanon.

Trump says 'great respect for Pakistan,' not satisfied with Iran's proposals

MIAMI: World champion Lando Norris beamed in the Florida sunshine Friday after steering his upgraded McLaren to pole position for Saturday&#39;s sprint race at the Miami Grand Prix.&nbsp;The 26-year-old Briton made the most of the extensive upgrades on his car to outpace Mercedes&#39; Italian teenager Kimi Antonelli, at 19 the youngest man to lead the drivers&#39; championship in F1 history, and end Mercedes&#39; early season domination.&nbsp;&quot;I&#39;ve always loved Miami, both on and off the track,&quot; said Norris, who claimed his maiden F1 triumph at the compact circuit built around the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens in 2024. &quot;And this is a good result for us, but still only at the beginning of the weekend.&nbsp;&quot;There&#39;s still a long way to go, but it&#39;s nice to kick off by doing this. We&#39;ve got a lot of new upgrades on the car and it is nice to feel some grip again -- and nice to reward the guys and girls who have put a lot of work into this.&quot;&nbsp;Asked if he felt this indicated that the defending constructors&#39; champions had regained the initiative from McLaren, Norris was cautious.&nbsp;&quot;It&#39;s so tough to know because every track is different. We&#39;ve known that this track has always been good to us, but we knew that what we were bringing was hopefully going to be a good step so it&#39;s nice that our estimations have proved to be correct.&nbsp;&quot;The team deserve that... Since the first lap today, I felt very comfortable and I thought I had a bit of rear grip, so it is good to start with pole.&quot;&nbsp;McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri, who won last year&#39;s race, was a close third ahead of Ferrari&#39;s Charles Leclerc, four-time Max Verstappen of Red Bull and early season leader George Russell of Mercedes.&nbsp;Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton was seventh in the second Ferrari, the Italian team along with Red Bull having brought major upgrade packages to the Miami race.&nbsp;It was the first time this year that Mercedes had been outpaced in a qualifying session, after three races run before the five-week hiatus due to the conflict in the Middle East.&nbsp;A disappointed Russell said: &quot;I think it is pretty surprising how big a jump McLaren and Ferrari have made. It&#39;s much bigger than we expected, even if this has never been a favorite circuit for me.&quot;&nbsp;He added that he had struggled with overheating tyres and other problems throughout Friday.&nbsp;Verstappen was also disappointed, but realistic and said he could see the positives in Red Bull&#39;s improved performance thanks to their upgrades, but added that the team were still &quot;very weak&quot; in the high-speed section of the track.&nbsp;&quot;We need to work on that,&quot; he said, a comment repeated by Ferrari&#39;s Hamilton, who said he had hoped Ferrari&#39;s extensive upgrade package would have delivered greater rewards.

Racing

Lando Norris takes pole for the Miami Grand Prix sprint, using McLaren upgrades to beat Kimi Antonelli and end Mercedes’ dominance. Oscar Piastri is third, while rivals Ferrari and Red Bull show improvement but face performance challenges.

Joy for Norris in Miami as McLaren end Mercedes run

WASHINGTON: A Boeing 747 that Qatar gave to President Donald Trump has completed flight testing and is expected to make its debut this summer, the US Air Force said Friday.&nbsp;The aircraft &quot;has officially completed modification and flight testing and is being painted. The aircraft is on schedule to roll out in a new red, white and blue livery this summer,&quot; the Air Force said in a statement.&nbsp;A spokesperson for L3Harris Technologies said it had completed &quot;extensive modifications and mission systems integration&quot; for the aircraft, which will serve as the Air Force One presidential plane.&nbsp;&quot;The Office of the President will receive a safe and secure aircraft equipped with a new communications system that provides resilient and secure connectivity to respond to events anywhere in the world without disruption,&quot; the spokesperson said.&nbsp;The Gulf emirate&#39;s gift of the jet which is valued in the hundreds of millions of dollars -- raised major constitutional and ethical questions, as well as security concerns about using a plane donated by a foreign power for use as the ultra-sensitive presidential aircraft.&nbsp;Qatar offered the jet in May 2025 and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth accepted it &quot;in accordance with all federal rules and regulations&quot; later in the month, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said at the time.&nbsp;The Defense Department &quot;will work to ensure proper security measures and functional-mission requirements are considered for an aircraft used to transport the president of the United States,&quot; Parnell said.

Americas

A Boeing 747 given by Qatar to President Trump has completed flight testing and modifications and is being painted. It is expected to roll out in a new red, white, and blue livery this summer to serve as Air Force One.

Presidential jet gifted to Trump by Qatar completes testing

LOS ANGELES: Actors created with artificial intelligence will not be eligible for an Oscar, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said Friday as it launched a crackdown on the use of AI.&nbsp;New rules include a requirement that only real, live human performers not their AI avatars are eligible for the film world&#39;s biggest prizes, and screenplays must have been penned by a person, rather than a chatbot.&nbsp;&quot;In the Acting category, only roles credited in the film&#39;s legal billing and demonstrably performed by humans with their consent will be considered eligible,&quot; the Academy said.&nbsp;&quot;In the Writing categories, the rules codify that screenplays must be human-authored to be eligible.&quot;&nbsp;The ruling comes days after an AI version of the late Val Kilmer was unveiled to an audience of cinema owners, a year after the &quot;Top Gun&quot; star&#39;s death.&nbsp;A youthful, digital version of Kilmer appeared in the trailer for archeological action pic &quot;As Deep as the Grave,&quot; telling another character: &quot;Don&#39;t fear the dead and don&#39;t fear me.&quot;&nbsp;The project was created with the enthusiastic support of the actor&#39;s family, who granted access to Kilmer&#39;s video archives, which were used to recreate the actor at multiple stages of his life.&nbsp;The use of artificial intelligence remains one of the most sensitive issues in the entertainment industry and was central to the 2023 strikes that shut down Hollywood, as actors and writers warned that unchecked technology threatened their livelihoods.&nbsp;Other updates to the Academy&#39;s rules include a change in the way that films can be nominated for best international feature.&nbsp;Until this year, only a film selected by an official national grouping could be entered -- a problem for any critical movie made in an authoritarian state.&nbsp;For example, Iranian director Jafar Panahi&#39;s &quot;It Was Just an Accident&quot; was nominated earlier this year as a submission from France.&nbsp;Under the new rules, a non-English language film also can be submitted in the category if it wins a qualifying award at a major international film festival, including Cannes, Berlin, Busan, Venice or Toronto.&nbsp;In that same category, the film will be deemed the nominee and not the country, and its director will be &quot;listed on the statuette plaque after the film title&quot; along with the country if applicable, the Academy announced.

Film & TV

The Academy said AI actors and writers will not be eligible for Oscars, requiring human performers and human-written screenplays, and also updated international film rules to allow festival winners and change nomination procedures.

AI actors and writers not eligible for Oscars: Academy

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Friday confirmed the release of former senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan, who had been &ldquo;unlawfully detained&rdquo; by Israeli forces after the interception of the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla in international waters.&nbsp;Dar announced the development in a post on X, thanking Greek authorities for facilitating Khan&rsquo;s transfer after his release.&nbsp;&ldquo;I thank the Hellenic authorities for facilitating former Senator Mushtaq Khan at Crete, Greece,&rdquo; Dar said.&nbsp;Khan was among 211 international activists aboard the flotilla, a 58-vessel humanitarian mission aimed at challenging Israel&rsquo;s blockade on Gaza and delivering aid to the besieged Palestinian territory, according to organizers.&nbsp;The interception of the flotilla has drawn condemnation from several governments, including Pakistan, which described the detentions as unlawful and part of broader restrictions on humanitarian access to Gaza amid Israel&rsquo;s ongoing military aggression.&nbsp;Dar renewed Islamabad&rsquo;s criticism of Israel&rsquo;s actions, calling the detention of activists and disruption of aid deliveries unacceptable.&nbsp;&ldquo;I reiterate my strongest possible condemnation of the illegal detention of humanitarian workers aboard the flotilla as well as obstruction of humanitarian aid destined for the besieged people of Gaza,&rdquo; Dar said. <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" 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=2050264384463897080&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=582eb4be31dbd78f180e4d4c1abd3dd8761700d7&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 369px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" data-tweet-id="2050264384463897080"></iframe></div></div>&nbsp;He also thanked the government of T&uuml;rkiye for assisting Khan&rsquo;s onward travel from Greece to Istanbul before his return to Pakistan.&nbsp;In a video message posted on X after his release, Khan said activists had been &ldquo;kidnapped&rdquo; by Israel&rsquo;s &ldquo;terrorist and Zionist army&rdquo; while sailing in international waters, describing the interception as a &ldquo;grave violation of international law.&rdquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;We were held hostage for around 48 hours, and now we have been handed over to Greek authorities,&rdquo; Khan said.&nbsp;He added that the flotilla campaign would continue as long as Gaza remained under blockade.&nbsp;&ldquo;We will continue this flotilla as long as there is a blockade and siege, as long as there is genocide,&rdquo; Khan said. &ldquo;Until Palestine is free, until the right to self-determination is granted, we will continue this struggle.&rdquo;&nbsp;Pakistan, which does not recognize Israel, has repeatedly called for unrestricted humanitarian access to Gaza and supports the establishment of an independent Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.&nbsp;Human rights groups say Israel has violated the 2025 ceasefire more than 2,400 times, with the reported breaches leaving at least 766 people dead and 2,147 injured over the past five months.

Foreign Affairs

FM Ishaq Dar condemns the interception as illegal. Mushtaq Khan slams Israel’s “terrorist and Zionist army” for “kidnapping” activists and vows the flotilla campaign will continue.

Pakistan confirms Mushtaq Khan released after Israeli flotilla detention

Faraz Saeed

LAHORE: In eastern Pakistani city of Lahore, construction is the sound of a city becoming itself.&nbsp;Before sunrise, the streets begin to stir, tea stalls hiss awake, trucks rattle through narrow roads, and half-built homes stand like unfinished promises against the skyline. By midmorning, the rhythm takes over: steel striking steel, wet cement turning to walls, bricks passing hand to hand in practiced motion.&nbsp;Lahore, Pakistan&rsquo;s cultural heart and one of South Asia&rsquo;s fastest-growing cities, is expanding upward and outward.&nbsp;New housing blocks, roads, schools and commercial centers continue to reshape its edges, powered by the hands of construction workers. The labor force behind the city&rsquo;s transformation.&nbsp;On International Labor Day, their work comes into sharper focus.&nbsp;&ldquo;Laborer is everywhere,&rdquo; Muhammad Sardar, 35, a daily-wage construction worker in Lahore told Pakistan TV Digital earlier this week. &ldquo;Wherever you see buildings, colleges, homes&hellip; laborer built them.&rdquo;&nbsp;It is a simple truth, often overlooked.&nbsp;Pakistan&rsquo;s construction sector employs millions and remains one of the country&rsquo;s largest engines of economic activity, linking more than 40 allied industries, from cement and steel to transport and engineering.&nbsp;In Punjab alone, where Lahore sits, the provincial minimum wage for unskilled workers stands at Rs40,000 ($143.48) a month, or roughly Rs1,538 ($5.52) a day under current wage notifications.&nbsp;The province&rsquo;s labor framework also guarantees overtime protections, workplace safety standards, and social security registration for eligible workers.&nbsp;But for workers like Sardar, every rupee has a destination before it is earned. Rent, school fees, electricity bills, medicine.&nbsp;By dawn, he is at a construction site. By dusk, he has helped build walls he may never live inside.&nbsp;That is the quiet paradox of labor: building shelter for others while chasing stability for your own family.&nbsp;In Lahore&rsquo;s fast-changing neighborhoods, where old brick homes meet new concrete towers, workers carry entire futures on their backs. A bag of cement weighs 50 kilograms. A stack of bricks, even more. But the heavier burden is often the one waiting at home.&nbsp;For 55-year-old Ghulam Muhammad, construction work has been life&rsquo;s only profession. For nearly four decades, he has helped build roads, homes and public buildings across Lahore.&nbsp;&ldquo;I have spent my life building,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;When you see these roads and structures, there is a laborer behind them.&rdquo;&nbsp;His hands are weathered now, his pace slower. But like thousands of others, he still reports for work each morning.&nbsp;For many workers, Labor Day is less about celebration than reflection. And in a city known for its history, from the Mughal walls of the Lahore Fort to its expanding modern neighborhoods, labor remains the thread connecting past and future.

Economy

In Lahore, construction workers power the city’s growth, building homes, roads and schools daily, as Labour Day highlights their essential yet often overlooked role, marked by hard labor, low wages, and the ongoing struggle to support families

Lahore rises brick by brick on workers’ shoulders and dreams

ISLAMABAD: At least three civilians were injured in a quadcopter attack in Bajaur on Friday, as Pakistan Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the Afghan Taliban authorities had targeted civilians in the latest cross-border incident.&nbsp;According to Tarar, the attack took place while the civilians were playing cricket in the northwestern district near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.&nbsp;&ldquo;The inhuman violent spate of deliberate targeting of innocent civilians by Afghan Taliban regime&hellip; is unacceptable, insidious and reflective of their barbaric nature towards human life,&rdquo; Tarar said in a statement posted on X.&nbsp;The latest incident comes a day after Pakistani officials reported that nine civilians, including women and children, were killed and 12 others injured in separate cross-border attacks in the same region.&nbsp;The attack adds to growing tensions along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, where Pakistan has carried out Operation Ghazab lil Haq in response to sustained terrorist activity and cross-border attacks.&nbsp;Pakistani officials say the operation, now in its 10th week, targets terrorist camps, logistics hubs and infrastructure used to support attacks inside Pakistan.&nbsp;Tarar said the latest civilian targeting followed recent battlefield setbacks for terrorist groups and their support networks.&nbsp;He said the targeting of civilians showed an unwillingness to confront Pakistan&rsquo;s armed forces directly.&nbsp;&ldquo;Their targeting of civilians&hellip; speaks volumes,&rdquo; Tarar said.&nbsp;Tarar said Pakistan&rsquo;s operations remain focused exclusively on terrorist infrastructure and are based on verified intelligence.&nbsp;&ldquo;Pakistan targets only terrorist infrastructure and information has been always promptly and transparently shared with the public,&rdquo; he said.

Security

Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said Afghan Taliban quadcopter strike in Bajaur injured three civilians playing cricket, following deadly cross-border attacks, escalating tensions.

Afghan quadcopter strike targets civilians in Pakistan’s northwest: Information minister

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump said Friday that he will hike US tariffs on cars and trucks from the European Union next week, charging that the bloc is not complying with an earlier trade deal. The pact, which was struck last summer, had capped the US tariff on EU autos and parts at 15 percent, which is lower than the 25-percent duty that Trump imposed on many other trading partners. These sector-specific duties were not affected by a Supreme Court ruling earlier in the year that struck down a swath of Trump&#39;s global levies. But the US leader said Friday: &quot;Based on the fact the European Union is not complying with our fully agreed to Trade Deal, next week I will be increasing Tariffs charged to the European Union for Cars and Trucks coming into the United States.&quot; &quot;The Tariff will be increased to 25%,&quot; he wrote on his Truth Social platform. Trump did not say how believed the EU is failing to live up the trade deal or give a further reason for the planned hike. But the announcement came a day after his renewed criticism of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Trump told Merz to focus on ending the Ukraine war instead of &quot;interfering&quot; on Iran. Germany would likely be hit hard by a sharp tariff on cars and parts, as it is responsible for a significant amount of EU auto exports. In late March, EU lawmakers gave their green light to the bloc&#39;s tariff deal with Trump, but with conditions. While many EU lawmakers agreed to cut EU tariffs on some US imports, as a first step towards implementing the 2025 deal, they also sought additional safeguards. While the European Parliament has given its conditional approval to the EU-US trade pact, before the deal is implemented by the bloc, it still needs to be negotiated with EU states. In April, EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic was in Washington to meet with counterparts including US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and trade envoy Jamieson Greer. At the time, he said that the EU was also seeking more progress in easing the effects of still-steep US steel tariffs, adding that talks were going in a positive direction. The United States is the second largest market for new EU vehicle exports, after the United Kingdom, according to a 2025 fact sheet by the European Automobile Manufacturers&#39; Association. Over a fifth of EU vehicle exports went to the United States. Germany alone exported some 450,000 vehicles to the United States in 2024, according to the VDA industry group. But that figure has since slipped.

Taxation

Business

Donald Trump says the United States will raise tariffs on cars and trucks from the European Union to 25 percent, citing non-compliance with a trade deal.

Trump says will raise US tariffs on EU cars, trucks to 25%

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan recorded a second consecutive month of improving security indicators in April, with terrorist attacks and related casualties falling sharply, according to new figures released by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies. The Islamabad-based research and monitoring organization, which tracks conflict and terrorism trends across Pakistan, reported 85 verified terrorist attacks in April, down from 146 in March, marking a 42% decline. Fatalities from terrorist attacks also dropped significantly, from 106 in March to 60 in April, extending a downward trend that began in March, when overall violence-related deaths had already fallen by 35%. The report comes as Pakistan continues to assess the impact of Operation Ghazab lil Haq, its cross-border military campaign launched in late February against terrorist infrastructure and support networks operating from Afghan territory. Pakistani officials have repeatedly said the operation, combined with intensified domestic security measures, has reduced the operational capacity of terrorist groups and contributed to a broader decline in violence. According to PICSS, total combat-related deaths in April stood at 291, including those killed in terrorist attacks and security operations. The report said 224 terrorists were killed in security operations during the month, accounting for 77% of all combat-related deaths. That figure remains close to March&rsquo;s total of 228 terrorists killed, reflecting what PICSS described as sustained operational pressure by security forces. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday praised Pakistan&rsquo;s security forces for foiling two recent infiltration attempts along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in Mohmand and North Waziristan, where the military said 13 terrorists linked to &ldquo;Fitna al-Khawarij&rdquo; were killed. Sharif said the operations reflected the professionalism of the armed forces in preventing cross-border infiltration and protecting national security. &ldquo;We will continue the fight against the scourge of terrorism until it is completely eradicated from the country,&rdquo; Sharif said in a statement, referring to the military operations that thwarted the infiltration attempts. &ldquo;The entire nation, including myself, stands shoulder to shoulder with our brave armed forces in the unwavering resolve to defend our homeland,&rdquo; he added. In total, according to the PICSS report, security forces have killed 988 terrorists in the first four months of 2026. Losses among security forces also declined sharply, dropping from 59 in March to 28 in April. A 53% reduction. Civilian deaths remained largely stable at 37, compared to 39 in March. The report said overall injuries fell from 210 in March to 131 in April, a 38% decline. Civilian injuries dropped from 98 to 54, while injuries among terrorists declined from 57 to 31. Injuries among security personnel fell slightly from 48 to 46. The highest concentration of terrorist activity remained in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces, though both regions recorded improvements. In northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa&rsquo;s tribal districts, attacks fell by 40%, while deaths linked to those attacks dropped by 82%, according to the report. At the same time, security forces intensified operations there, killing 120 terrorists, up sharply from 24 in March. Southwestern Balochistan province also recorded a 69% decline in attacks, falling from 59 to 18. Security forces killed 66 terrorists in the province during April. PICSS reported no terrorist attacks in Punjab, Sindh, Azad Jammu and Kashmir or Islamabad during the month. However, intelligence-based operations in those regions led to multiple arrests. The report noted that while terrorist groups continue to carry out attacks, their operational effectiveness appears to be declining under sustained military and law enforcement pressure.

PM Sharif commends security forces for foiling cross-border infiltration attempts as a new PICSS report shows terrorist attacks and casualties declined for a second straight month, reflecting sustained operational pressure across Pakistan.

Pakistan records second straight drop in terrorist violence: Report

LONDON: Britain&#39;s King Charles III and wife Queen Camilla wrapped up their diplomatically sensitive state visit to the United States on Thursday. Here are five takeaways from their four days in America. Opposites attractDespite being polar opposites in character, Charles and President Donald Trump appeared to share a genuine bonhomie. Charles laughed, albeit slightly embarrassingly, when Trump said in a speech at the White House that his Scottish-born mother had had a crush on the then-prince. The monarch was also photographed laughing in the Oval Office when Trump reached out and patted his knee. Protocol dictates that it is unconventional to touch a member of the royal family. &quot;There&#39;s a personal rapport, because I think Charles is a very skilled diplomat,&quot; royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told AFP. The jokerCharles showed off his cheeky side when he cracked a number of jokes during the state dinner, which landed well with a receptive audience. He likened Trump&#39;s demolition of the East Wing to British troops setting fire to the White House in 1814 and ahead of this summer&#39;s FIFA World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada, quipped that he and Trump were &quot;joint hosts&quot;. The British monarch is also Canada&#39;s head of state, and the remark could be seen as a subtle reminder to Trump, who has soured relations with his neighbour to the north after last year threatening to make it the &quot;51st state&quot;. Charles also referenced how Trump has said if it was not for the United States, then European countries would be speaking German, adding: &quot;Dare I say that, if it wasn&#39;t for us, you&#39;d be speaking French.&quot; Points scoredDuring a separate speech to Congress, the king politely delivered several pointed messages from the UK government amid tensions with Trump over the wars in Ukraine and Iran. Charles urged the United States to stand firm with its Western allies, adding that &quot;unyielding resolve&quot; was needed to secure a &quot;just and lasting peace&quot; in Ukraine. Trump has berated European leaders in recent weeks for their failure to back his and Israel&#39;s war against Iran and has threatened to pull the United States out of NATO. Charles -- the commander-in-chief of the UK armed forces -- also spoke of his pride at Britain&#39;s Royal Navy in which he served, which was recently mocked by Trump, and stressed the importance of protecting the environment. Awkward momentsTrump set a cat among the pigeons when he claimed that Charles &quot;would have probably helped&quot; the United States in its military offensive against Iran. The president has repeatedly lambasted the UK for failing to join the initial strikes and has branded Prime Minister Keir Starmer as weak and indecisive. Trump also claimed that Charles had agreed with him on the need to prevent Tehran from getting a nuclear bomb. Conversations with the monarch are usually kept private. Before meeting in New York, the city&#39;s leftist mayor, Zohran Mamdani, called on Charles to &quot;return&quot; the prized Koh-i-Noor diamond, which the British Empire took from the Indian subcontinent in the 1800s. Rift repaired?While the Times newspaper hailed Charles&#39;s performance as a &quot;masterclass in effective diplomacy&quot;, it remains to be seen whether the trip will help repair relations between Trump and Starmer, as British officials hope. In an initial sign of improved US-UK ties, Trump announced Thursday he was removing tariffs on Scottish whisky in honour of the departing royals and the state visit. Evie Aspinall, director of the British Foreign Policy Group think-tank, told AFP the four-day trip &quot;may buy the UK some temporary reprieve from Trump&quot;. But she predicted it &quot;will not fundamentally change what remains a very fractured so-called special relationship&quot;. While the visit highlighted that &quot;Trump feels warmly towards the royals, he remains &quot;deeply frustrated at the UK government&quot;, Aspinall noted. Fitzwilliams agreed. &quot;It would have put a positive spin on matters... (but) there&#39;s so many different points of disagreement,&quot; he said.

United Kingdom

King Charles III and Queen Camilla conclude a US visit marked by warm exchanges with Donald Trump, amid underlying tensions over foreign policy and bilateral ties.

Trump says 'great respect for Pakistan,' not satisfied with Iran's proposals

Latest News

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Pakistan confirms Mushtaq Khan released after Israeli flotilla detention