Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s Ambassador to China Khalil Hashmi on Monday held meetings with Pakistan&rsquo;s Honorary Investment Counsellors (HICs) in China to review their performance, strengthen coordination and set priorities for the coming year.&nbsp;According to a press release by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Ambassador Hashmi lauded the HICs&rsquo; efforts across key regions, including the Hong Kong-Macao-Greater Bay Area, Xinjiang, Shandong, and Henan, highlighting their role in promoting trade, investment, and people-to-people contacts, and urged them to align their work with Pakistan&rsquo;s national development priorities.&nbsp;&ldquo;He encouraged them to synergize their efforts with Pakistan&rsquo;s national development priorities and mobilize Chinese investments in export-oriented sectors of Pakistan,&ldquo; the statement added.&nbsp;The ambassador shared progress made over the last year, noting that two B2B investment conferences in Shenzhen and Beijing, along with six sectoral roadshows, have resulted in more than 300 Memoranda of Understanding and 25 joint ventures worth $11 billion.&nbsp;&nbsp;The ambassador ensured a high-level follow-up mechanism is in place in Pakistan to facilitate implementation of the agreements.&nbsp;Hashmi briefed the HICs on preparations made for the first China-focused Agriculture Investment Conference, scheduled to be held in Islamabad on January 19, 2026.&nbsp;The HICs welcomed the initiative for regular reviews and expressed commitment to supporting Pakistan&rsquo;s economic diplomacy, boosting Chinese investment, increasing Pakistani exports to China, and strengthening bilateral cooperation.

Foreign Affairs

Pakistan’s Ambassador to China, Khalil Hashmi, met investment counsellors to review their work, discuss over 300 MoUs and 25 joint ventures worth $11 billion, and plan the January 2026 Agriculture Conference, which aims to boost China-Pakistan economic cooperation.

Pakistan envoy in China reviews investment cooperation, sets 2026 priorities

WASHINGTON: The Trump administration is removing dozens of ambassadors appointed under the Biden administration as part of a broad reshuffle to align the diplomatic corps with its foreign policy priorities.&nbsp;The heads of mission, mostly career diplomats, have been notified they must leave their posts by mid-January, according to the American Foreign Service Association, which represents State Department employees.&nbsp;Press reports said ambassadors from 30 countries will be affected, particularly in Africa.&nbsp;The recalls were first reported by Politico.&nbsp;While it is customary for an administration to reshuffle ambassadors appointed to strategic posts or capitals and to appoint donors or supporters, such a sweeping change targeting career diplomats is unusual before their term ends or their successor is appointed.&nbsp;The American Foreign Service Association said it had received &quot;credible reports from our members in diplomatic posts around the world that multiple career ambassadors, appointed during the Biden administration, have been directed by phone call to vacate their posts by January 15 or 16.&quot;&nbsp;&quot;No explanation was given for these recalls,&quot; the association added in its post on Facebook.&nbsp;&quot;Removing senior diplomats without cause undermines US credibility abroad and sends a chilling signal to the professional Foreign Service: experience and an oath to the Constitution take a backseat to political loyalty,&quot; it said.&nbsp;A senior State Department official said Monday that changing ambassadors was &quot;a standard process in any administration.&quot;&nbsp;&quot;An ambassador is a personal representative of the President, and it is the President&#39;s right to ensure that he has individuals in these countries who advance the America First agenda,&quot; the official said on condition of anonymity.&nbsp;The official did not confirm the details of the dismissals, or which countries were affected.&nbsp;In his second term, President Donald Trump and his Secretary of State Marco Rubio have overhauled American diplomacy to focus priorities such as combating illegal immigration, cutting foreign aid and diversity policies.&nbsp;Rubio has overseen the dismissal of hundreds of personnel within the State Department, and Trump has placed loyalists as key ambassadors.

Americas

The Trump administration is removing many Biden-appointed ambassadors by mid-January to align diplomacy with its priorities, mostly affecting career diplomats, raising concerns that political loyalty is being valued over experience and harming US credibility abroad.

Trump removes dozens of career ambassadors appointed under Biden

STOCKHOLM: Music streaming service Spotify said Monday it had disabled accounts from a piracy activist hacker group that claimed to have &quot;backed up&quot; millions of Spotify&#39;s music files and metadata.&nbsp;The group Anna&#39;s Archives said in a blog post it had backed up 86 million Spotify tracks and the metadata for 256 million tracks -- a process known as &quot;scraping&quot; -- in order to start an open &quot;preservation archive&quot; for music.&nbsp;Anna&#39;s Archives said the 86 million music files represented more than 99.6 percent of Spotify &quot;listens&quot;, while the metadata copies represented 99.9 percent of all tracks on Spotify.&nbsp;The breach, which has no impact on Spotify users, means that in theory anyone could use the information to build their own free music archive, though in practice they would be swiftly pursued by rights holders.&nbsp;&quot;Spotify has identified and disabled the nefarious user accounts that engaged in unlawful scraping,&quot; the company said in a statement sent to AFP.&nbsp;&quot;We&#39;ve implemented new safeguards for these types of anti-copyright attacks and are actively monitoring for suspicious behaviour,&quot; it said.&nbsp;&quot;Since day one, we have stood with the artist community against piracy, and we are actively working with our industry partners to protect creators and defend their rights.&quot;

Artificial Intelligence

Spotify disabled accounts linked to hacker group Anna’s Archives, which claimed to have scraped 86 million tracks and metadata. The breach had no user impact, and Spotify strengthened safeguards to protect music creators’ rights.

Spotify says piracy activists hacked its music catalogue

TEHRAN: Iran insisted on Monday that its missile program was defensive in nature and designed to dissuade attack, while adding that the existence of its arsenal was not up for debate.&nbsp;Israel had presented Iran&#39;s ballistic missiles, along with its nuclear program, as the two main threats it sought to neutralize during the 12-day war the foes fought in June.&nbsp;&quot;Iran&#39;s missile program was developed to defend Iran&#39;s territory, not for negotiation,&quot; foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said at a weekly press conference.&nbsp;&quot;Therefore, Iran&#39;s defense capabilities, designed to deter aggressors from any thought of attacking Iran, are not a matter that could be talked about.&quot;&nbsp;Iran&#39;s ballistic capabilities put Israel within striking distance. After Israel&#39;s unprecedented attacks that sparked the war in June, Tehran responded with waves of missiles and drones launched at Israeli cities.&nbsp;According to US broadcaster NBC, Israel is growing increasingly concerned that Iran is seeking to rebuild and expand its missile production following the war. It may seek to attack it again to curtail those efforts.&nbsp;Over the course of the recent war, Israel struck military sites, nuclear facilities, and residential areas, killing more than 1,000 people.&nbsp;Israel reported more than 50 Iranian missile strikes inside its territory that killed 28 people.&nbsp;The US briefly joined its ally in striking Iran&#39;s nuclear facilities before declaring a ceasefire.&nbsp;Iran once procured much of its weaponry from the United States, but following the break in diplomatic relations after its 1979 Islamic revolution, it had to develop its own domestic arms industry.

Asia

Iran says its missile program is defensive and not open to talks. It rejected Israeli claims after June’s war, which saw missile exchanges, heavy casualties, and brief US strikes before a ceasefire.

Iran says missile program defensive, non-negotiable

BEIJING: Brussels hit back Monday at China slapping duties of up to 42.7% on some dairy products from the European Union, calling the move &quot;unjustified.&quot;&nbsp;China&#39;s salvo on Monday is the latest in a trade spat with the EU that spans from food to electric vehicles.&nbsp;The &quot;duty deposits&quot;, which range from 21.9% to 42.7%, come into effect on Tuesday.&nbsp;They hit a range of items, including fresh and processed cheese, curd, blue cheese, and some milk and cream, the commerce ministry in Beijing said in a statement.&nbsp;Officials launched an anti-subsidy probe in August 2024 at the request of the Dairy Association of China. The probe will conclude in February.&nbsp;China&#39;s commerce ministry said Monday that preliminary findings showed a link between EU subsidies and &quot;substantial damage&quot; to its domestic dairy industry.&nbsp;European officials contested such conclusions.&nbsp;&quot;Our assessment is that the investigation is based on questionable allegations and insufficient evidence, and that the measures are therefore unjustified and unwarranted,&quot; a European Commission trade spokesman said.&nbsp;&quot;Right now, the Commission is examining the preliminary determination and will provide comments to the Chinese authorities,&quot; he added.&nbsp;The fees on EU dairy come a week after Beijing said it would impose anti-dumping levies on EU pork imports for five years.&nbsp;Those duties kicked in on Dec. 17 and range from 4.9% to 19.8%, down from temporary levies of 15.6% to 62.4% that had been in place since September.&nbsp;The two economic powerhouses have been locked in a trade spat fuelled by what many European countries view as an unbalanced economic relationship with China. Escalating spatThe current trade spat erupted in 2024 when the EU began moving towards imposing hefty tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, arguing that Beijing&#39;s subsidies were unfairly undercutting European competitors.&nbsp;Beijing denied that claim and announced what were widely seen as retaliatory probes into imported European pork, brandy, and dairy products.&nbsp;After the EU imposed tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, Beijing forced EU brandy manufacturers to raise prices or face anti-dumping taxes of up to 34.9%.&nbsp;The EU ran a trade deficit of more than $350 billion with China in 2024.&nbsp;French President Emmanuel Macron said this month that Europe would consider adopting strong measures against China, including tariffs, if the trade imbalance was not addressed.&nbsp;Alongside trade frictions, China and the EU are at odds on issues such as Russia&#39;s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.&nbsp;The EU has urged China to exert pressure on Moscow to end the war, but Beijing has shown no sign of acceding.

Europe

China

China imposes 22–43% duties on EU dairy amid trade dispute. EU calls it unfair. Tensions rise over pork, brandy, electric vehicles, and differences on Russia, worsening China-EU economic and political relations. 

EU slams China dairy duties as 'unjustified'

ROME: Italy&#39;s competition authority said Monday it had fined US tech giant Apple 98 million euros ($115 million) for allegedly abusing its dominant position in the mobile app market.&nbsp;The AGCM said in a statement that Apple had violated privacy regulations for third-party developers in a market where it &quot;holds a super-dominant position through its App Store&quot;.&nbsp;The body said its investigation had established the &quot;restrictive nature&quot; of the &quot;privacy rules imposed by Apple... on third-party developers of apps distributed through the App Store&quot;.&nbsp;The rules of Apple&#39;s App Tracking Transparency (ATT) &quot;are imposed unilaterally and harm the interests of Apple&#39;s commercial partners&quot;, according to the AGCM statement.&nbsp;French antitrust authorities earlier this year handed Apple a 150-million euro fine over its app tracking privacy feature.&nbsp;Authorities elsewhere in Europe have also opened similar probes over ATT, which Apple promotes as a privacy safeguard.&nbsp;The feature, introduced by Apple in 2021, requires apps to obtain user consent through a pop-up window before tracking their activity across other apps and websites.&nbsp;If they decline, the app loses access to information on that user which enables ad targeting.&nbsp;Critics have accused Apple of using the system to promote its own advertising services while restricting competitors.

Gadgets

Italy fined Apple €98 million for allegedly abusing its App Store dominance, imposing restrictive privacy rules on third-party developers via App Tracking Transparency, which critics say favors Apple’s own advertising while harming competitors.

Italy fines Apple nearly 100m euros over app privacy feature

COPENHAGEN: Denmark said Monday it would summon the US ambassador after President Donald Trump appointed a special envoy to Greenland, the Danish autonomous territory he has threatened to annex.&nbsp;Since returning to the White House in January 2025, Trump has repeatedly said the US needs the resource-rich island for security reasons, and has refused to rule out the use of force to secure it.&nbsp;On Sunday, Trump appointed the governor of Louisiana, Jeff Landry, as special envoy to Greenland.&nbsp;Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said Monday he was &quot;deeply angered&quot; the move and warned Washington to respect Denmark&#39;s sovereignty.&nbsp;In a post on his social media platform Truth Social early on Monday, Trump said Landry &quot;understands how essential Greenland is to our National Security, and will strongly advance our Country&#39;s Interests for the Safety, Security, and Survival of our Allies, and indeed, the World.&quot;&nbsp;Landry responded directly to Trump in a post on X: &quot;It&#39;s an honour to serve you in this volunteer position to make Greenland a part of the US.&quot;&nbsp;The Danish foreign minister told television TV2 the appointment and statements were &quot;totally unacceptable&quot; and said his ministry would call in the US ambassador in the coming days &quot;to get an explanation&quot;.&nbsp;&quot;As long as we have a kingdom in Denmark that consists of Denmark, the Faroe Islands, and Greenland, we cannot accept that there are those who undermine our sovereignty,&quot; he said.&nbsp;Greenland&#39;s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen meanwhile, said the appointment &quot;doesn&#39;t change anything for us here at home&quot;.&nbsp;&quot;We will determine our future ourselves. Greenland is our country,&quot; he wrote on Facebook, adding: &quot;Greenland belongs to Greenlanders, and territorial integrity must be respected&quot;. European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa stressed on social media that territorial integrity and sovereignty were &quot;fundamental principles of international law&quot;. &quot;These principles are essential not only for the European Union, but for nations around the world. We stand in full solidarity with Denmark and the people of Greenland,&quot; they wrote on X. Strategic locationThe vast majority of Greenland&#39;s 57,000 people want to become independent from Denmark, but do not wish to become part of the United States, according to a January opinion poll.&nbsp;Leaders of both Denmark and Greenland have repeatedly insisted that the huge Arctic island is not for sale and that it will decide its future itself.&nbsp;&quot;The appointment confirms the continued American interest in Greenland,&quot; Lokke Rasmussen said in a statement emailed to AFP.&nbsp;&quot;However, we insist that everyone, including the US must show respect for the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark.&quot;&nbsp;Greenland is strategically located between North America and Europe at a time of rising US, Chinese and Russian interest in the Arctic, where sea lanes have opened up because of climate change.&nbsp;Greenland&#39;s location also puts it on the shortest route for missiles between Russia and the United States. In August, Denmark summoned the US charge d&#39;affaires after reports of attempted interference in Greenland.&nbsp;Trump&#39;s determination to take over Greenland has stunned Denmark, a fellow member of NATO that has fought alongside America in its wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.&nbsp;In January, Copenhagen announced a $2-billion plan to boost its military presence in the Arctic region.

Denmark will summon the US ambassador after Trump appointed Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry as special envoy to Greenland. Denmark and Greenland insist on sovereignty, rejecting US claims, amid the island’s strategic Arctic significance.

Fuming Denmark summons US ambassador over Greenland envoy

ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary panel in New Delhi has warned that India faces its &ldquo;greatest strategic challenge since 1971&rdquo; from developments in neighboring Bangladesh, pointing to the growing influence of Pakistan and China in Dhaka&rsquo;s political and security landscape, according to Indian media.&nbsp;The report, based on the 9th report of India&rsquo;s parliamentary standing committee on external affairs, says Bangladesh&rsquo;s evolving politics, weakening institutional structures, and resurgence of Islamist forces are reshaping the country&rsquo;s foreign alignment. It identifies the expanding footprints of China and Pakistan as core concerns for India&rsquo;s regional interests.&nbsp;The panel described the situation as a deeper, long-term strategic test with implications for India&rsquo;s national security and its policy in South Asia. It said the combination of internal shifts in Bangladesh and external influence could dilute India&rsquo;s traditional role in Dhaka and &ldquo;risk losing strategic space &hellip; not to war, but to irrelevance.&rdquo;&nbsp;According to the report, youth-led nationalist sentiment and &ldquo;renewed Islamist activity&rdquo; in Bangladesh, coupled with stronger ties with China and Pakistan, are among the factors causing concern for Indian policymakers.&nbsp;Indian authorities acknowledged to the committee that they are monitoring developments in Bangladesh &ldquo;on a priority basis&rdquo; and have continued diplomatic engagement with Dhaka&rsquo;s interim government amid the ongoing transition.&nbsp;The committee urged New Delhi to bolster cultural, economic, and political outreach to Bangladesh to counterbalance the influence of rival powers and maintain regional stability. It also recommended enhanced engagement through platforms such as the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and BIMSTEC, the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation. However, it noted obstacles to renewed cooperation unless broader security concerns are addressed.&nbsp;The report&rsquo;s release comes amid debates over Bangladesh&rsquo;s geopolitical orientation, with some Indian commentators warning of shifting public sentiment in Dhaka and increased strategic cooperation with Islamabad and Beijing.

Bangladesh

India

The report says Bangladesh’s evolving politics, weakening institutional structures, and resurgence of Islamist forces are reshaping the country’s foreign alignment.

India risks losing 'strategic space' in Bangladesh amid growing Pakistan, China influence: Report

<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar held telephone conversations with his counterparts from Turkiye and Iran on Sunday, discussing bilateral ties and regional developments.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In his call with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Senator Dar reviewed the strong Pakistan-Turkiye bilateral relationship and exchanged views on evolving regional and international issues. The discussion gave particular attention to the developments related to the genocide in Palestine.&nbsp;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2002710754668273881&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=8bddf03cc1b023505c669dbf9362ed468e8eba7d&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 768px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div><span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Both ministers emphasized the need to enhance collaboration in trade, investment, connectivity and people-to-people exchanges, while reaffirming their shared commitment to promoting regional peace, stability and development.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In a separate conversation, Dar spoke with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi, reviewing bilateral cooperation across multiple sectors and discussing regional developments.<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=2002635696172109928&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=8bddf03cc1b023505c669dbf9362ed468e8eba7d&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 774px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div><span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The two leaders expressed their commitment to strengthening cooperation in trade, connectivity and people-to-people ties. They also reiterated their resolve to work closely for regional peace and development.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The diplomatic engagements reflect Pakistan&#39;s continued focus on strengthening ties with key regional partners and playing a constructive role in addressing regional challenges.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Chairs a high-level meeting on issues relating to the welfare of Overseas Pakistanis (ForeignOfficePk/File)

The talks focused on the Gaza crisis, enhancing bilateral cooperation in trade, investment and connectivity, exchanging views on regional developments, and reaffirming commitment to promoting peace, stability and development in the region.

Pakistan's foreign minister holds talks with Turkiye, Iran on regional developments

ISLAMABAD: US President Donald Trump has overseen a sharp recalibration of Washington&rsquo;s South Asia policy, with Pakistan emerging as a renewed strategic partner and India&rsquo;s long-favored position showing signs of strain, according to an opinion piece published by The Washington Times.&nbsp;The article, written by retired Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt, a former US deputy assistant secretary of defense for Near East and South Asia, says Pakistan has moved &ldquo;from pariah to partner&rdquo; within a year, becoming a pillar of Trump&rsquo;s evolving regional strategy after years of mistrust, diplomatic isolation, and doubts over its counterterrorism commitments.&nbsp;At the start of Trump&rsquo;s second term, US-Pakistan ties were described as cold, with Washington viewing Islamabad as unreliable and overly close to China. The prevailing expectation among Trump advisers was to double down on India, strengthen the Quad, and sideline Pakistan.&nbsp;However, the article argues that concerns about India&rsquo;s domestic politics, civil liberties record, military performance, and diplomatic rigidity gradually undermined confidence in New Delhi as a regional stabilizer. At the same time, discreet counterterrorism cooperation with Pakistan began to thaw relations.&nbsp;A turning point came when Trump publicly praised Pakistan&rsquo;s cooperation earlier this year, surprising Washington&rsquo;s policy establishment. According to the article, a &ldquo;virtuous cycle&rdquo; followed, with incremental cooperation leading to deeper engagement and growing trust.&nbsp;The opinion piece highlights Pakistan&rsquo;s military performance during its brief May clash with India as another decisive moment, saying it reshaped perceptions in Washington and restored Pakistan&rsquo;s image as a serious regional actor.&nbsp;The article notes that Trump&rsquo;s role in brokering a ceasefire following the May clash between India and Pakistan further shaped Washington&rsquo;s reassessment. While India was described as dismissive of Trump&rsquo;s involvement, Pakistan publicly welcomed and credited his intervention &mdash; a contrast the piece says resonated strongly with the US president.&nbsp;It also notes the rise of Pakistan&rsquo;s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, as a key interlocutor for the Trump administration. Munir&rsquo;s White House lunch meeting &mdash; the first for a Pakistani military chief &mdash; and subsequent high-level engagements with US military leadership are cited as symbols of the shift.&nbsp;As 2026 approaches, the article says, Pakistan has become central to Trump&rsquo;s broader strategy, offering Washington channels on Iran, the Middle East, and a counterbalance to China&rsquo;s regional influence.&nbsp;&ldquo;The era of India first in Washington has come to an end,&rdquo; the article concludes, while cautioning that the shift may not be permanent and will depend on future choices by both Islamabad and New Delhi.

A Washington Times article highlights Pakistan’s military performance during its brief May clash with India, saying it reshaped perceptions in Washington and restored Pakistan’s image as a serious regional actor.

Pakistan envoy in China reviews investment cooperation, sets 2026 priorities

Latest News

Trump removes dozens of career ambassadors appointed under Biden

Spotify says piracy activists hacked its music catalogue

Pakistan envoy in China reviews investment cooperation, sets 2026 priorities

Iran says missile program defensive, non-negotiable

EU slams China dairy duties as 'unjustified'