GAZA: Hamas said on Tuesday that US President Donald Trump&#39;s newly formed &quot;Board of Peace&quot; should pressure&nbsp;Israel&nbsp;to halt its ongoing&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/israel-approves-west-bank-land-as-state-property-continues-gaza-bombardment-report" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">violations</a>&nbsp;of the Gaza ceasefire. &quot;We urge the board&#39;s members to take serious action to compel the Israeli occupation to stop its violations in Gaza, as the war of genocide against the Strip is still ongoing,&quot; Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem told AFP ahead of the body&#39;s inaugural meeting this week in Washington. Meanwhile, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar will represent the country at the inaugural meeting of Trump&#39;s &quot;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/trump-announces-5b-for-gaza-thousands-for-stabilization-force" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Board of Peace</a>&quot; later this week in Washington, his office said on Tuesday. Saar will first attend a ministerial level UN Security Council meeting in New York on Wednesday, and on Thursday he &quot;will represent Israel at the inaugural session of the Board of Peace, chaired by President Trump in Washington DC, where he will present Israel&#39;s position&quot;, Saar&#39;s office said in a statement.

Palestinian children play next to the rubble of a destroyed building in Gaza City, on February 16, 2026. (AFP)

Middle East

Meanwhile, Israel said Foreign Minister Gideon Saar will represent the country at the inaugural meeting of US President Donald Trump's "Board of Peace" later this week in Washington.

DELETE: Hamas says Trump's 'Board of Peace' must compel Israel to stop Gaza truce violations

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Austrian Federal Chancellor Christian Stocker reaffirmed the long-standing historical ties between their countries and expressed their commitment to further strengthening bilateral relations, especially in economic cooperation, trade, and investment, the Foreign Office said in a statement released after the PM&#39;s visit to Austria.&nbsp;&ldquo;Both the leaders noted the potential between the two countries to enhance cooperation in the areas of trade and investment, tourism, hospitality, education, IT, healthcare and human resource development and mobility and in this regard they agreed to work for the early finalization of various Memoranda of Understanding under consideration related to these areas,&rdquo; the statement said.&nbsp;During the meeting, both sides took stock of developments at the global level and agreed on the central role of the United Nations in addressing the challenges of peace and security, sustainable development and promotion of human rights.&nbsp;The visit marked 70 years of diplomatic relations between Austria and Pakistan, with both countries expressing their unwavering support for multilateralism and a rule-based global order, underpinned by the principles and purposes of the Charter of the United Nations, and further enhancing their collaboration to strengthen the UN system. <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2023733818126164383&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=3cf33467196594088ea070effbcfeb5a82e85041&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 898px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>&nbsp;&ldquo;The Federal Chancellor of Austria and the Prime Minister of Pakistan also co-chaired a forum of leading Austrian and Pakistani companies. It was agreed to further enhance bilateral exchanges and cooperation through existing and future frameworks, building on the established mechanisms of dialogue,&rdquo; the statement said.&nbsp;PM Sharif invited Austrian businesses to participate in the upcoming EU-Pakistan Business Forum, to be held in Islamabad in April, and also invited Federal Chancellor Stocker to visit Pakistan.

Foreign Affairs

PM Shehbaz Sharif met with the Federal Chancellor of Austria, Christian Stocker, to mark 70 years of diplomatic relations, reaffirm historic ties, and pledge enhanced bilateral cooperation in trade, investment, education, healthcare, IT, tourism, and UN-led global initiatives.

Pakistan-Austria leaders reaffirm bilateral ties, vow to expand economic cooperation: Foreign Office

JERUSALEM: Israeli NGOs have raised the alarm over a settlement plan signed by the government which they say would mark the first expansion of Jerusalem&#39;s borders into the <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/israels-west-bank-mega-land-grab-draws-international-outrage" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">occupied West Bank</a> since 1967. Israel has occupied east Jerusalem since 1967 and later annexed it in a move not recognized by the international community. Palestinians view east Jerusalem as the capital of their future state. The proposal, published in early February but reported by Israeli media only on Monday, comes as international outrage mounts over <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pakistan-condemns-israeli-west-bank-land-seizures-demands-international-action" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">creeping measures</a> aimed at strengthening Israeli control over the West Bank. Critics say these actions by the Israeli authorities are aimed at the de facto annexation of the Palestinian territory. The planned development, announced by Israel&#39;s Ministry of Construction and Housing, is formally a westward expansion of the Geva Binyamin, or Adam, settlement situated north-east of Jerusalem in the West Bank. In a statement, the ministry said the development agreement included the construction of around 2,780 housing units for the settlement, with an investment of roughly 120 million Israeli shekels (around $38.7 million). But the area to be developed lies on the Jerusalem side of the separation barrier built by Israel in the early 2000s, while Geva Binyamin sits on the West Bank side of the barrier, and the two are separated by a road. In a statement, Israeli settlement watchdog Peace Now said there would be no &quot;territorial or functional connection&quot; between the area to be developed and the settlement. &quot;The new neighborhood will be integral to the city of Jerusalem,&quot; Lior Amihai, Peace Now&#39;s executive director, told AFP. &quot;What is unique about that one is that it will be connected directly to Jerusalem, but it will be beyond the annexed municipal border. So, it will be in complete West Bank territory, but just adjacent to Jerusalem,&quot; he said. &#39;Living there as Jerusalemites&#39; The move comes days after Israel&#39;s government approved a process to register land in the West Bank as &quot;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/israel-approves-west-bank-land-as-state-property-continues-gaza-bombardment-report" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">state property</a>&quot;, drawing widespread international condemnation and fears among critics that it would accelerate annexation of the Palestinian territory. Days earlier, Israel&#39;s security cabinet approved a series of measures to tighten control over areas of the West Bank administered by the Palestinian Authority under the Oslo accords. Those measures, which also sparked international backlash, include allowing Jewish Israelis to buy West Bank land directly and allowing Israeli authorities to administer certain religious sites in areas under the Palestinian Authority&#39;s control. Amihai said that the current government &ndash; one of the most right-wing in Israel&#39;s history &ndash; was &quot;systematically working to annex the occupied territories and to prevent Palestinian statehood&quot;.&nbsp;The case of Jerusalem, he said, was particularly symbolic. &quot;Every change to Jerusalem is sensitive to both the Israeli public, but also to the Palestinians,&quot; he told AFP. Aviv Tatarsky, a researcher at Ir Amim, an Israeli NGO&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/palestinian-ngo-condemns-israeli-act-of-revenge-after-prisoner-abuse-video" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">focusing</a>&nbsp;on Jerusalem within the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, said the latest planned development amounted to a de facto expansion of the city of Jerusalem. &quot;If it is built, and people live there, the people who will live there, they will be living there as Jerusalemites,&quot; he told AFP. &quot;In all practical terms, it&#39;s basically not the settlement that will be expanded, but Jerusalem.&quot; &#39;Facts on the ground&#39; The development agreement was signed by Israel&#39;s Construction and Housing Ministry, the Finance Ministry and the Binyamin Regional Council, which represents settlements north of Ramallah in the central West Bank. It has yet to be reviewed by the Civil Administration&#39;s Higher Planning Committee, in a process which could take several months or years. Tatarsky said that international pressure had so far made it difficult for recent Israeli governments to make formal declarations on annexation. &quot;It&#39;s much easier to create facts on the ground, which, altogether... actually add up to annexation,&quot; the researcher said. The West Bank, occupied since 1967, would form the largest part of any future Palestinian state but is seen by many on the religious right as Israeli land. Some 200,000 Israelis live in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem, while more than 500,000 others live in West Bank&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/new-israeli-west-bank-measures-draw-palestinian-regional-backlash" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">settlements</a>&nbsp;and outposts, which are illegal under international law. Around three million Palestinians live in the territory. The current Israeli government has fast-tracked settlement expansion, approving a record 52 settlements in 2025.

This picture taken from Umm Safa village, north of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, shows a Palestinian flag (foreground) and Israeli flag fluttering on a hilltop overlooking the village on February 16, 2026. (AFP)

The proposal, published in early February but reported by Israeli media only on Monday, comes as international outrage mounts over creeping measures aimed at strengthening Israeli control over the West Bank.

Israel accused of move expanding Jerusalem borders for first time since 1967

TEHRAN: Iran&#39;s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tuesday the latest&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/iran-us-hold-new-geneva-talks-as-khamenei-warns-of-sinking-us-warship" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">talks</a>&nbsp;with the United States saw them agree on &quot;a set of guiding principles&quot; that would pave the way for a deal. &quot;Ultimately, we were able to reach broad agreement on a set of guiding principles, based on which we will move forward and begin working on the text of a potential agreement,&quot; Araghchi told state TV. &quot;I can say that, compared with the previous round, fully serious discussions were raised and the atmosphere was more constructive,&quot; he added. Tehran and Washington held on Tuesday a second round of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/trump-warns-iran-of-consequences-of-not-making-a-deal" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">negotiations</a>&nbsp;&ndash; which began earlier this month &ndash; after talks last year collapsed following Israel&#39;s attack on Iran in June, which triggered a 12-day war. That war saw the United States briefly join Israel with strikes on key Iranian nuclear sites. The latest talks were held after Washington deployed an <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/us-aircraft-carrier-located-near-iran-as-washington-increases-military-pressure" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">aircraft carrier</a> group to the Middle East following Iran&#39;s deadly crackdown last month on anti-government protests, first sparked by economic hardships. During the interview with state TV, Araghchi said the two sides have begun a path towards an agreement, but noted that &quot;this does not mean we can reach a deal quickly&quot;. &quot;We hope this process can be completed as soon as possible and we are ready to devote sufficient time to it,&quot; he added. He acknowledged that it &quot;will take time to narrow&quot; the gap between the positions of both sides, &quot;but at least we now have a set of guiding principles and a clearer path to move forward on&quot;.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi delivers a speech during a session of the United Nations Conference on Disarmament, on the sideline of a second round of US-Iranian talks on February 17, 2026. (AFP)

Tehran and Washington held on Tuesday a second round of negotiations – which began earlier this month – after talks last year collapsed following Israel's attack on Iran in June.

Iran FM says agreed with US 'on guiding principles' for deal

Pakistan TV Satellite

VIENNA: Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Mariano Grossi has said that newly signed agreements with Pakistan reflect continued and expanding cooperation across nuclear medicine, agriculture, and environmental recovery, calling the partnership productive and forward-looking. Speaking exclusively to Pakistan TV in Vienna, he said the latest engagements build on years of joint technical work between the agency and Pakistani institutions. Grossi said cooperation is being strengthened particularly in radiotherapy and oncology through collaboration with a leading institute in Lahore, alongside ongoing joint programs in food, nutrition, water management, and nuclear energy. He noted that IAEA-supported initiatives in Pakistan have achieved extraordinary progress in crop development, especially in cotton production, helping improve both quality and yield, and contributing directly to the country&rsquo;s economy. <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=2023754401845047514&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=3cf33467196594088ea070effbcfeb5a82e85041&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 849px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" data-tweet-id="2023754401845047514"></iframe></div></div> He added that further efforts are underway to expand cooperation in water management and soil recovery following the devastating floods in 2022 and again in 2025, with international and Pakistani technical teams working closely together. Referring to his meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Vienna, Grossi said the premier&rsquo;s personal engagement with international organizations reflects a strong belief in multilateral solutions to pressing global challenges and demonstrates active leadership in advancing Pakistan&rsquo;s international partnerships

SAT News Desk

IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said newly signed agreements with Pakistan expand cooperation in nuclear medicine, agriculture, water management and environmental recovery. He highlighted progress in crop development and praised Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s engagement in strengthening international partnerships.

DG IAEA Says New Agreements Show Expanding Cooperation With Pakistan Across Multiple Fields 

KANDY: The 2021 champions Australia were knocked out of the T20 World Cup on Tuesday, with Zimbabwe qualifying for the Super Eights after their match against Ireland was washed out without a ball being bowled in Kandy.&nbsp;Zimbabwe joined Sri Lanka as qualifiers from Group B and will move on to face the West Indies, India and South Africa in the next phase. Ireland were also eliminated.&nbsp;Persistent drizzle all day at the Pallekelle stadium kept the covers on and the umpires finally called it off at 5:30 pm local time (1200 GMT) with no prospect of beginning the minimum five-over match before the 6:10 pm cut-off time.&nbsp;Australia, who had been beaten by Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe, needed an Ireland victory to keep their hopes alive.&nbsp;Zimbabwe are now on an unassailable five points with a game to still to come, while Ireland are third on three points.&nbsp;Australia, on two points, have one game remaining against Oman on Friday, but cannot overtake Zimbabwe.&nbsp;Australia had a shambolic build-up to the tournament&nbsp;They lost leading pace bowlers Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood to injury, while captain Mitchell Marsh missed the first two games after being hit in the groin in training and suffering testicular bleeding&nbsp;Test great Steve Smith was left out despite being in terrific form top of the order in the Big Bash League and his expertise in playing against spin bowling.&nbsp;Colourful fansHe flew in as cover last week and was formally added to the Australia squad at the weekend.&nbsp;But then he was left out for the must-win game against Sri Lanka on Monday which saw an Australia middle-order collapse as they lost by eight wickets.&nbsp;Zimbabwe captain Skiander Raza hailed his side&#39;s achievement in reaching the last eight, but warned there were tougher battles to come.&nbsp;&quot;We have come this far. We will celebrate but we have a game against Sri Lanka to come,&quot; said Raza.&nbsp;&quot;This is only a tick in the box and this is not the only thing that we set out for. Everyone loves an underdog story.&quot;&nbsp;Ireland skipper Lorcan Tucker was downcast after his side did not get to play.&nbsp;&quot;Obviously very disappointed to go out in this fashion, but completely uncontrollable,&quot; said Tucker.&nbsp;&quot;Our batting failed. There were big moments in the tournament particularly against Sri Lanka when we dropped so many catches.&nbsp;&quot;Hopefully, we will handle these tough situations differently moving forward.&quot;&nbsp;The rain did not dampen the spirits of a hearty and colourful band of about two dozen Zimbabwe fans, who danced and sang throughout the damp afternoon to serenade their team&#39;s qualification.&nbsp;&quot;I can tell you, whichever corner they&#39;re sitting at, at any ground, they&#39;ll be the loudest, and they have the songs,&quot; said Raza of the fans.&nbsp;&quot;They just keep the vibe. They keep lifting us up when their energies are down -- and in this weather, it can be sometimes.&nbsp;&quot;But when we hear them to push us on and we know the songs as well, it gives us that energy as well.&quot;

Cricket

Australia, champions in 2021, were eliminated from the T20 World Cup after Zimbabwe advanced when their rain-abandoned match against Ireland in Kandy handed them qualification. Zimbabwe joined Sri Lanka in the Super Eights, while Ireland and Australia exited the tournament.

Australia, Ireland out of T20 World Cup as Zimbabwe qualify after washout

JERUSALEN: A senior imam of the Al Aqsa Mosque in east Jerusalem said Tuesday that Israeli authorities have barred him from entering the compound, just days before the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. &quot;I have been barred from the mosque for a week, and the order can be renewed,&quot; Sheikh Muhammad al Abbasi told AFP. He said he was not informed of the reason for the ban, which came into effect from Monday. &quot;I had only returned to Al Aqsa a month ago after spending a year in the hospital following a serious car accident,&quot; Abbasi said. &quot;This ban is a grave matter for us, as our soul is tied to Al Aqsa. Al Aqsa is our life.&quot; The month of Ramadan, during which Muslims observe a fast from dawn to dusk, is expected to begin this week. During the holy month, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians traditionally attend prayers at Al Aqsa &ndash; Islam&#39;s third holiest site, located in east Jerusalem, which Israel captured in 1967 and later annexed. On Monday, Israeli police said they had recommended issuing 10,000 permits for Palestinians from the occupied West Bank, who require special permission to enter Jerusalem. Police did not specify whether age restrictions would apply. The Palestinian Jerusalem Governorate however said it had been informed that permits would again be limited to men over 55 and women over 50, mirroring last year&#39;s criteria. It added that Israeli authorities had prevented the Islamic Waqf &ndash; the Jordanian run body that administers the site &ndash; from carrying out routine preparations, including installing shade structures and setting up temporary medical clinics. A Waqf source said 33 of its employees had been barred from entering the compound in the week leading up to Ramadan. Under long standing arrangements, Jews may visit the Al Aqsa compound &ndash; &nbsp;which they revere as the site of the first and second Jewish temples &ndash; but they are not permitted to pray there. Israel says it is committed to upholding this status quo, though Palestinians fear it is being eroded. In recent years, a growing number of Jewish ultranationalists have challenged the prayer ban, including far right politician Itamar Ben Gvir, who prayed at the site while serving as national security minister in 2024 and 2025.

Muslim worshippers walk next to the Dome of the Rock mosque at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem's Old City on October 17, 2025. (AFP)

On Monday, Israeli police said they had recommended issuing 10,000 permits for Palestinians from the occupied West Bank, who require special permission to enter Jerusalem.

Al-Aqsa imam says Israel barring him from entering mosque ahead of Ramadan

WASHINGTON: Veteran US civil rights activist Reverend Jesse Jackson, one of the nation&#39;s most influential Black voices, died peacefully Tuesday morning, his family said in a statement. He was 84.&nbsp;Jackson, a Baptist minister, had been a civil rights leader since the 1960s, when he marched with Martin Luther King Jr. and helped fundraise for the cause.&nbsp;&quot;Our father was a servant leader -- not only to our family, but to the oppressed, the voiceless, and the overlooked around the world,&quot; Jackson&#39;s family said.&nbsp;&quot;His unwavering belief in justice, equality, and love uplifted millions, and we ask you to honor his memory by continuing the fight for the values he lived by.&quot;&nbsp;The family did not release a cause of death, but Jackson revealed in 2017 that he had the degenerative neurological disease Parkinson&#39;s.&nbsp;He was hospitalized for observation in November in connection to another neurodegenerative condition, according to media reports.&nbsp;A dynamic orator and a successful mediator in international disputes, the long-time Baptist minister expanded the space for African Americans on the national stage for more than six decades.&nbsp;He was the most prominent Black person to run for the US presidency -- with two unsuccessful attempts to capture the Democratic Party nomination in the 1980s -- until Barack Obama took the office in 2009.&nbsp;&nbsp;Long BattleHe was present for many consequential moments in the long battle for racial justice in the United States, including with King in Memphis in 1968 when the civil rights leader was slain.&nbsp;He openly wept in the crowd as Obama celebrated his 2008 presidential election, and he stood with George Floyd&#39;s family in 2021 after a court convicted an ex-police officer of the unarmed Black man&#39;s murder.&nbsp;Jackson was born Jesse Louis Burns on October 8, 1941, in Greenville, South Carolina, to an unwed teen mother and a former professional boxer.&nbsp;He later adopted the last name of his stepfather, Charles Jackson.&nbsp;&quot;I was not born with a silver spoon in my mouth. I had a shovel programmed for my hands,&quot; he once said.&nbsp;He excelled in his segregated high school and earned a football scholarship to the University of Illinois, but later transferred to the predominantly Black Agricultural and Technical College of North Carolina, where he received a degree in sociology.&nbsp;In 1960, he participated in his first sit-in, in Greenville, and then joined the Selma-to-Montgomery civil rights marches in 1965, where he caught King&#39;s attention.&nbsp;Jackson later emerged as a mediator and envoy on several notable international fronts.&nbsp;He became a prominent advocate for ending apartheid in South Africa, and in the 1990s served as presidential special envoy for Africa for Bill Clinton.&nbsp;Missions to free US prisoners took him to Syria, Iraq and Serbia.&nbsp;He founded the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, a Chicago-based nonprofit organization focused on social justice and political activizim, in 1996&nbsp;He is survived by his wife and six children.

Americas

Jesse Jackson, veteran US civil rights leader , died at 84. A longtime activist alongside Martin Luther King Jr., he championed racial justice, ran twice for president, and expanded Black political influence nationwide.

US civil rights leader Jesse Jackson dies at 84

GENEVA: Iran and the United States began fresh talks in Geneva on Tuesday, as President Donald Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/trump-warns-iran-of-consequences-of-not-making-a-deal" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">warned of consequences</a>&nbsp;should Tehran fail to strike a deal. Mediated by Oman, the discussions are aimed at averting the possibility of US military action, with Tehran expressing cautious optimism at Washington&#39;s &quot;more realistic&quot; position on its nuclear program. Trump has repeatedly threatened to intervene militarily against Iran, first over a reported crackdown on protesters last month and then more recently over its nuclear program. &quot;I don&#39;t think they want the consequences of not making a deal,&quot; he told reporters aboard Air Force One ahead of the talks. A previous attempt at diplomacy collapsed when Israel launched surprise strikes on Iran in June, beginning a 12-day war that Washington briefly joined to bomb Iranian nuclear sites. &quot;A cautious assessment is that, from the discussions that have taken place in Muscat to date, at least what we have been told is that the US position on the Iranian nuclear issue has moved towards a more realistic one,&quot; foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said Monday, according to the official IRNA news agency. Iranian state TV reported on Tuesday that the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/iranian-fm-araghchi-in-geneva-for-second-round-of-us-talks" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">indirect talks</a>&nbsp;had begun with the two sides exchanging messages through Omani mediators. On Monday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with his Omani counterpart Badr Albusaidi in Geneva to discuss his country&#39;s position &quot;regarding nuclear issues and sanctions relief&quot;. He also stressed Tehran&#39;s &quot;seriousness in using result-oriented diplomacy to secure the legitimate interests and rights of the Iranian people&quot; and preserve peace in the region, according to a ministry statement. Iran has insisted that the discussions be limited to the nuclear issue, though Washington has previously pushed for other topics to be discussed, including Tehran&#39;s ballistic missiles program and support for armed groups in the region. War games Iran&#39;s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps began a series of war games on Monday in the Strait of Hormuz to prepare for &quot;potential security and military threats&quot;, Iranian state TV said. Iranian politicians have repeatedly threatened to block the strait, a strategic route for oil and liquefied natural gas, as both sides ramp up&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/iran-says-ready-for-nuclear-compromise-if-us-lifts-sanctions" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">pressure</a>. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters on Monday: &quot;We&#39;re hopeful there&#39;s a deal.&quot; &quot;The president always prefers peaceful outcomes and negotiated outcomes to things.&quot; Araghchi, meanwhile, said on X that he too had come to &quot;Geneva with real ideas to achieve a fair and equitable deal&quot;, but added there would be no &quot;submission before threats&quot;. The foreign minister also met in Geneva on Monday with the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, &quot;for deep technical discussion&quot;. The West fears Iran&#39;s nuclear program is aimed at making a bomb, which Tehran denies. Regime change? Washington has dispatched Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump&#39;s son-in-law Jared Kushner, the White House confirmed on Sunday. On Friday, Trump said a change of government in Iran would be the &quot;best thing that could happen&quot;, as he sent a second aircraft carrier to the Middle East to ratchet up military pressure. The first carrier dispatched to the region, the USS Abraham Lincoln, was positioned about 700 kilometers from the Iranian coast as of Sunday, new satellite images showed. Iran&#39;s deputy foreign minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi told the BBC that Tehran would consider compromises on its uranium stockpile if Washington lifted sanctions that have crippled the country&#39;s economy. The purchasing power of Iranians has been steadily eroded in recent months amid rising prices and a sharp depreciation in the currency. &quot;If we see the sincerity on their (American) part, I am sure we will be on a road to have an agreement,&quot; Takht-Ravanchi said. Meanwhile, Iran&#39;s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned on Tuesday that the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/us-aircraft-carrier-located-near-iran-as-washington-increases-military-pressure" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">US warship</a>&nbsp;deployed in the Gulf could be sunk. &quot;We constantly hear that they (the United States) have sent a warship toward Iran. A warship is certainly a dangerous weapon, but even more dangerous is the weapon capable of sinking it,&quot; said Khamenei in a speech.

The discussions are aimed at averting the possibility of US military action, with Tehran expressing cautious optimism at Washington's "more realistic" position on its nuclear program.

Iran, US hold new Geneva talks as Khamenei warns of sinking US warship

GENEVA: Russian and Ukrainian negotiators will meet Tuesday in Geneva for fresh US-brokered talks seeking to end the four-year war, hours after both sides launched a fresh wave of long-range strikes. US President Donald Trump is seeking to position himself as peacemaker of the conflict unleashed when Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, but previous rounds of talks mediated by the White House have yielded no breakthroughs. Before the meetings began Ukraine accused Russia of undermining peace efforts by launching 29 missiles and 396 drones in attacks that authorities said killed one, wounded others and cut power to tens of thousands. &quot;The extent to which Russia disregards peace efforts: a massive missile and drone strike against Ukraine right before the next round of talks in Geneva,&quot; Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga wrote on social media. He repeated Ukraine&#39;s call for allies to exert greater pressure on Russia to negotiate in good faith by applying more sanctions on Moscow. The talks, which the Kremlin said will be held behind closed doors and with no media present, come after two earlier rounds held this year in Abu Dhabi. &quot;Ukraine better come to the table, fast,&quot; Trump told reporters ahead of the negotiations. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his team had already arrived in Geneva on Monday, while a source with the Russian delegation confirmed Tuesday that their team had touched down in the Swiss city in the early hours. Russia meanwhile claimed to have repelled more than 150 Ukrainian drones mainly over southern regions and Crimean peninsula, occupied by the Kremlin in 2014. Officials said an oil depot in southern Russia caught fire. &nbsp;Sticking points&nbsp; The war has spiralled into Europe&#39;s deadliest conflict since World War II, with hundreds of thousands killed, millions forced to flee their homes in Ukraine and much of the eastern and southern part of the country scarred by war. Russia occupies around one-fifth of Ukraine -- including the Crimean peninsula it seized in 2014 -- and areas that Moscow-backed separatists had taken prior to the 2022 invasion. It wants Ukrainian troops to withdraw from swathes of heavily fortified and strategic territory as part of any peace deal. Kyiv has rejected this deeply unpopular demand, which would be politically and militarily fraught, and has instead demanded robust security guarantees from the west before agreeing to any proposals with Russia. Russia&#39;s better-resourced army has been making steady gains across the sprawling front line in the eastern and southern Ukraine in recent months. But Ukrainian forces have recently made significant battlefield gains, recapturing 201 square kilometres (78 square miles) last week, according to an AFP analysis of data from the Institute for the Study of War. The counterattacks likely leveraged Russian forces&#39; lack of access to Starlink, which has disrupted communications, the ISW said. The territorial gain is concentrated mainly around 80 kilometres east of the city of Zaporizhzhia, a region that Moscow claims is part of Russia, and where its troops have made significant progress since last summer. The centrally located region hosts Europe&#39;s largest nuclear power plant, which Russia currently controls -- another sticking point in negotiations. For the talks in Geneva, the Kremlin has reinstated nationalist hawk and former culture minister Vladimir Medinsky as its lead negotiator. &quot;This time, we plan to discuss a broader set of issues, focusing on key ones related to the territories and other demands,&quot; a spokesperson for President Vladimir Putin told reporters, including AFP, explaining the personnel change. Kyiv&#39;s team will be led by national security chief Rustem Umerov, while the White House is expected to dispatch Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump&#39;s son-in-law Jared Kushner.

Europe

Negotiating teams from Russia and Ukraine are set to meet in Geneva, Switzerland, in an effort to bring an end to the four-year long war between their countries.

Moscow, Kyiv meet for US-brokered talks after fresh attacks

Muhammad Ibrahim

Ayesha Mir

DHAKA: Pakistan signaled important meetings and an intent to deepen political, economic and regional cooperation with Bangladesh as Islamabad&rsquo;s senior leadership attends the oath-taking of Dhaka&rsquo;s incoming government, following a landslide election that reset the country&rsquo;s power balance and endorsed sweeping constitutional reforms.&nbsp;Speaking to Pakistan TV Digital in Dhaka on Tuesday, Pakistan Planning and Development Minister Ahsan Iqbal said he was representing Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at what he described as a &ldquo;historic democratic transition&rdquo; in Bangladesh, adding that the Pakistani leader was keen to visit at the earliest opportunity. He also extended an invitation to Tarique Rahman to plan a visit to Pakistan at his earliest convenience.&nbsp;&ldquo;I am here to represent the Prime Minister of Pakistan and the people of Pakistan at a very historic moment when Bangladesh is making a democratic transition and a new government is being sworn in,&rdquo; Iqbal said. &ldquo;Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif would very much like to visit Bangladesh as early as possible.&rdquo;&nbsp;Iqbal said he would meet Bangladesh&rsquo;s interim Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus, Prime Minister-elect Tarique Rahman, and the leader of the opposition, conveying Islamabad&rsquo;s message of partnership and support.&nbsp;&ldquo;We look forward to a new journey between Pakistan and Bangladesh, towards prosperity and stability, not only for our region but for our people,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;Bangladesh&rsquo;s new government takes office after the 13th National Parliamentary Election, the first competitive vote since the 2024 uprising that ended Sheikh Hasina&rsquo;s 15-year rule. Final results show the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) securing 209 of 297 declared seats, rising to 212 seats with allies, giving it a commanding parliamentary majority. Voter turnout stood at 59.44%.&nbsp;&lsquo;Twin brothers&rsquo; and a regional resetFraming Pakistan-Bangladesh ties as historically deep and forward-looking, Iqbal described the two countries as &ldquo;twin brothers,&rdquo; citing shared civilizational links, similar demographic profiles and parallel development challenges.&nbsp;&ldquo;Both Pakistan and Bangladesh are young countries with very similar economic characteristics,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;This gives us a great opportunity to build bridges between our youth and work together to create opportunities.&rdquo;&nbsp;Iqbal said Islamabad sees Dhaka as a key partner in reviving regional cooperation, particularly through South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, which he said has long been stalled.&nbsp;&ldquo;South Asia is the least regionally integrated region in the world,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Both Pakistan and Bangladesh can play a very important role in reviving and reactivating SAARC, because regional cooperation is now key to economic progress.&rdquo;&nbsp;Founded in 1985, SAARC brings together eight South Asian countries with the stated aim of promoting regional integration through trade, connectivity and people-to-people ties. Despite representing nearly a quarter of the world&rsquo;s population, intra-regional trade remains below 6%, with political tensions repeatedly stalling summits and initiatives.&nbsp;Trade, youth and investmentIqbal said economic ties between Pakistan and Bangladesh remain far below potential, with bilateral trade still under $1 billion, and called for an urgent push to expand commerce, investment and connectivity.&nbsp;&ldquo;There is tremendous opportunity to promote trade between Pakistan and Bangladesh,&rdquo; he said, adding that he would meet Bangladeshi business leaders during the visit and engage with students to strengthen youth-to-youth links.&nbsp;He highlighted Pakistan&rsquo;s announcement of 500 scholarships for Bangladeshi students, calling it the foundation of a &ldquo;Bangladesh-Pakistan Knowledge Corridor.&rdquo;&nbsp;Shared sovereignty, shared challengesOn foreign policy, Iqbal stressed strategic autonomy and equal sovereignty as guiding principles, drawing parallels between Pakistan&rsquo;s and Bangladesh&rsquo;s political trajectories.&nbsp;&ldquo;Every country, no matter how small, has equal sovereignty,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We cannot accept hegemony on the basis of geography or power.&rdquo;&nbsp;He said both countries also share vulnerabilities to climate change, water security challenges and the need to build economic resilience, arguing that cooperation in climate adaptation, technology and skills development should be priorities. &quot;Both countries would like to see that international conventions for water should be respected. Recently, India has weaponized water from a controversial region. Which is not India, it occupied Jammu and Kashmir. And from there, it is weaponizing water. I think Bangladesh also would be closely watching these developments&quot;&nbsp;Cultural bridges and Iqbal AcademyBeyond economics and diplomacy, Iqbal pointed to cultural and intellectual links, proposing the revival of an Iqbal Academy in Bangladesh ahead of the 150th birth anniversary of philosopher-poet Allama Muhammad Iqbal next year.&nbsp;&ldquo;Iqbal is a common bridge between our people,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;He gave South Asian Muslims a sense of identity and hope during colonial rule.&rdquo;&nbsp;With Bangladesh&rsquo;s new government taking office on the back of a strong electoral mandate and a voter-endorsed reform charter, both sides framed the moment as an opportunity to reset ties on pragmatic, forward-looking lines.&nbsp;&ldquo;We are not authors of the bitter past,&rdquo; Iqbal said. &ldquo;We are custodians of the future. History will judge us by the path we choose now.&rdquo;

Pakistan Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives, Ahsan Iqbal, speaks to Pakistan TV Digital in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on February 17, 2026.

Pakistan Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal in Dhaka says the country aims to expand trade, revive regional cooperation, and build stronger youth and cultural links with Bangladesh following its election and formation of the new government.

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