Pakistan TV

ISLAMABAD: Kazakh ambassador Yerzhan Kistafin says Kazakhstan is keen to expand cooperation with Pakistan across trade, education and tourism sectors, stressing that stronger collaboration between the two countries&rsquo; media communities can play a decisive role in achieving these goals.&nbsp; He shared these remarks in an exclusive interview with Pakistan TV. The ambassador underlined that media platforms are often underestimated but have the power to shape national conversations and public perceptions at scale. He said closer ties between media organizations, journalists, and broadcasters of both countries can help introduce new opportunities to wider audiences, encourage tourism flows, and build academic and cultural linkages. Referring to the recent visit of President of Kazakhstan &nbsp;to Pakistan, Kistafin noted that the Kazakh leader was accompanied by the largest-ever delegation to visit the country, including a 50-member media team from state and private outlets. He said the extensive coverage that followed made Pakistan a central topic across Kazakh TV channels, newspapers, and radio, with widespread discussion on investment and partnership prospects. He said that sustained media engagement and content exchange can further deepen bilateral understanding and ensure that cooperation in commerce, education and tourism is supported by strong public awareness in both nations.

World This Morning

Kazakh ambassador Yerzhan Kistafin says Kazakhstan is keen to expand cooperation with Pakistan across trade, education and tourism sectors, stressing that stronger collaboration between the two countries’ media communities can play a decisive role in achieving these goals. 

Kazakhstan Seeks Broader Partnership with Pakistan in Trade, Education and Tourism: Kazakh Envoy

ISLAMABAD: The Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, Dr. Musadik Malik said Islamabad was ready and willing to play a constructive role in defusing tensions between Iran and the United States, stressing that Pakistan does not seek instability in the region and will make every possible effort to help lower tensions. In an exclusive interview with Pakistan TV, Dr. Musadik Malik said Pakistan enjoyed strong relations with both Iran and the United States and believed dialogue and diplomacy remained the only viable path to preventing further escalation in the region. He said, &quot;The growing instability is being fueled by Israel&rsquo;s continued actions across Palestine, Syria and Lebanon.&quot; &quot;This is a vulgar display of atrocities,&quot; he said. He said Israel committed the genocide in Gaza. Malik questioned Israel&rsquo;s right to occupy land, seize water resources and carry out repeated military aggression across the region. He warned that such actions carry serious repercussions. The minister emphasized that Pakistan wants peace and stability across the Middle East and South Asia, adding that unchecked unilateral actions weaken the global rule-based order and threaten international peace. He said no country had the right to kill civilians, including women and children, under any pretext. Turning to South Asia, Malik strongly criticized India&rsquo;s approach to the Indus Waters Treaty, calling any attempt to control or delay Pakistan&rsquo;s water supply illegal and irrational. He said the Indus river system was the backbone of Pakistan&rsquo;s economy and livelihoods, supporting nearly half of the population and a significant share of the country&rsquo;s GDP. Malik warned that any effort by India to disrupt water flows, particularly during critical agricultural seasons, would be viewed as an act of war and met with a commensurate response. He said India was attempting to manipulate water flows through a cascade of hydropower projects in violation of the treaty. He also questioned India&rsquo;s reluctance to approach international arbitration mechanisms, saying that refusal to engage neutral forums suggests the wrongdoing. Addressing regional security concerns, Malik said Pakistan would continue to combat terrorism and urged Afghanistan to prevent militant groups from using its soil to attack Pakistan. He noted that Pakistan has hosted millions of Afghan refugees for decades and expects Kabul to act as a responsible neighbour. Malik concluded by warning that weakening multilateralism and international treaties could push the world toward greater instability, calling for renewed commitment to diplomacy, dialogue and international law.

Beyond Borders

Minister For Climate Change Talks Exclusively to Pakistan TV

Malik Says Pakistan Ready to Help Defuse Iran–US Tensions

ISLAMABAD: Minister of State for Finance, Revenue and Railways Bilal Azhar Kayani said on Thursday that, following the successful privatisation of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), the next phase would focus on electricity distribution companies, including IESCO, GEPCO, and FESCO, as the government remains firmly committed to sustainable and inclusive growth.&nbsp;Speaking in an exclusive interview with Pakistan TV, Kayani described the successful privatisation of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) as a landmark achievement after decades of failed attempts, saying it would reduce the burden of loss-making state-owned enterprises on the national exchequer and help transform PIA into a profitable, world-class airline.&nbsp;&ldquo;The momentum created by the PIA deal will help generate greater investor and advisory interest going forward for the privatization program,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;&ldquo;The next phase of privatisation is focused on electricity distribution companies, including IESCO, GEPCO and FESCO,&rdquo; Kayani added.&nbsp;The minister said Pakistan&rsquo;s economy has undergone a significant turnaround over the past two years, shifting from crisis management to macroeconomic stabilisation.&nbsp;He added that the government assumed office in February 2024, at a time when inflation was hovering between 20 and 25 percent and Pakistan had just entered a new IMF programme.&nbsp;&ldquo;Today, less than two years on, we have not only successfully completed IMF reviews but also restored economic confidence,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;The minister highlighted key achievements, including an increase in the tax-to-GDP ratio from 8.8 percent to 10.2 percent within a year, a notable rise in foreign exchange reserves, and a significant jump in workers&rsquo; remittances. &ldquo;Pakistan&rsquo;s improving outlook has been recognised globally, with all three major rating agencies, Standard &amp; Poor&rsquo;s, Moody&rsquo;s and Fitch, upgrading the country&rsquo;s ratings outlook,&rdquo; he added.&nbsp;Kayani credited Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif&rsquo;s direct oversight of reforms at the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) for improved tax collection.&nbsp;&ldquo;Initiatives such as Faceless Customs, digitisation of tax systems, and enforcement measures have reduced leakages and enhanced efficiency, earning recognition from the IMF, which showcased Pakistan&rsquo;s reforms as a case study during its annual meetings.&rdquo;&nbsp;Looking ahead, Kayani said the government&rsquo;s priority is shifting from stabilisation to quality GDP growth driven by exports and private-sector investment. He stressed the importance of inclusive growth that benefits lower-income groups and expands employment opportunities.&nbsp;&ldquo;To this end, the government is engaging closely with the private sector through working groups and policy consultations,&rdquo; he added.&nbsp;He also pointed to record-breaking performance at the Pakistan Stock Exchange as a reflection of growing investor confidence, while acknowledging it as one of several indicators of economic health. Additionally, Kayani praised the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) for improving ease of doing business by providing a one-window platform for domestic and foreign investors.&nbsp;The minister said reduced inflation, lower policy rates and a focus on export diversification, including IT and value-added agriculture, would help ensure sustainable economic growth in the years ahead.

The Experts Corner

After PIA’s privatization, Pakistan plans to privatize power DISCOs, citing economic stabilisation, IMF-backed reforms, improved ratings, and rising revenues.

After PIA success, government to privatise electricity distribution companies: Bilal Kiyani   

Islamabad: Pakistan&rsquo;s Ambassador to China Khalil Hashmi has said Islamabad and Beijing have jointly called on the Afghan authorities not to allow its soil to be used against any third country and verifiably act against terrorist organisations present on their soil.&nbsp;Speaking in Pakistan TV&rsquo;s show &lsquo;Beyond Borders&rsquo;, Ambassador Hashmi said the situation was serious due to Afghan authorities&rsquo; inability or unwillingness to act against the TTP and other terrorist organisations based in Afghanistan.&nbsp;Both Pakistan and China want the authorities in Afghanistan to act decisively against them [terror groups] and prevent them from undertaking terrorist activities in any country, he added.&nbsp;The ambassador said Pakistan-China collaboration in the security realm was very robust and &ldquo;we have several mechanisms to promote it and further enhance it&rdquo;.&nbsp;He said on counterterrorism, Pakistan and China had dialogue mechanisms, signed MOUs and agreements to deepen cooperation, conduct joint exercises, exchange views, and also collaborate and cooperate on multilateral platforms.&nbsp;On bilateral relations, Ambassador Hashmi said the joint communique issued after the recent meeting between Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi speaks about the enduring nature of the relationship between the two countries, which is based on mutual strategic trust, respect and support.&nbsp;&ldquo;This meeting was very significant in the sense that it came after less than five months of the previous round of strategic dialogue,&rdquo; he said, adding that it was also the first meeting between the Chinese foreign minister and Pakistani deputy prime minister within the first week of the new year.&nbsp;The ambassador further said the meeting was also significant as Pakistan and China were going to celebrate 75th anniversary of their diplomatic relations this year, and in this context, both sides had started joint celebratory activities, such as inauguration of a logo and holding of a joint exhibition of historic photographs.&nbsp;&ldquo;But more specifically, I think both sides have agreed to inject fresh momentum into trade, economic and other practical cooperation, including the Karakoram Highway realignment project and many others,&rdquo; he added.&nbsp;Ambassador Hashmi said both countries had also agreed to work on the implementation of the action plan that was signed last year during the visit of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to China.&nbsp;&ldquo;So all in all, we are committed to taking our relationship and our friendship forward and take it to new heights in the New Year,&rdquo; he added.&nbsp;Ambassador Hashmi said Pakistan and China attached great importance to respect for international law, the UN Charter and opposition to unilateral actions, adding that these principles applied equally to Pakistan&rsquo;s core issues, including Jammu and Kashmir.&nbsp;He also criticised India&rsquo;s unilateral move to hold the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance, calling it illegal and contrary to international law.&nbsp;The envoy went on to say that Pakistan had consistently expressed firm support for China&rsquo;s core interests, including Taiwan, Tibet, Xinjiang, Hong Kong and the South China Sea, saying this mutual backing reflected a high degree of strategic trust and support between the two countries.&nbsp;&ldquo;And that kind of mutual trust, mutual support will continue for all times to come,&rdquo; he added.&nbsp;Ambassador Hashmi said Pakistan and China were committed to building the second phase of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor with high priority areas being mining, agriculture, industry, ICT and human resource development.&nbsp;He said both sides had decided to align phase two of CPEC with Pakistan&#39;s Uraan programme.

Pakistan and China jointly press Afghanistan to act against terror groups as Ambassador Khalil Hashmi highlights robust security cooperation, strategic trust, expanding trade ties and renewed momentum for CPEC phase two.

Pakistan, China jointly call on Afghan authorities to act against terrorist organisations: Pak envoy

ISLAMABAD: Russia stands ready to &ldquo;lend a helping hand whenever needed,&rdquo; said the Russian Energy Minister Sergei Tsivilev, adding that he arrived in Islamabad on the direct instructions of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who believes that bilateral ties continued to grow stronger each year. In an exclusive interview with Pakistan TV on Thursday, during his visit to Islamabad, Tsivilev called the 10th meeting of the Pakistan-Russia Intergovernmental Commission (IGC) a &ldquo;turning point&rdquo; in bilateral ties.&nbsp; He reaffirmed Moscow&rsquo;s commitment to expanding long-term cooperation with Pakistan across energy, pharmaceuticals, education, tourism, and space technology. &ldquo;I have arrived in Islamabad on the direct instructions of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who conveyed respect to the Pakistani nation and believes that bilateral ties continue to grow stronger with each passing year,&rdquo; the Russian minister said, adding that President Putin wishes every success to the IGC and hopes for the launch of maximum joint projects for the development of both nations. Russia, Pakistan to develop joint space programTsivilev highlighted a series of initiatives aimed at deepening collaboration, one of which is the joint space program. He said, &ldquo;Russia and Pakistan are developing a joint program in the outer space, and it&#39;s very important that young people see these cosmonauts.&rdquo;He said perhaps, it will inspire the youth to pursue their dream of joining this research and with enough determination, it is attainable for anyone, &ldquo;including women.&rdquo; &ldquo;Russia will always stand by Pakistan&rdquo;The minister said Russia values its friendship with Pakistan and remains ready to assist whenever needed.&nbsp;&ldquo;We are always prepared to lend a helping hand to the friendly nation of Pakistan,&rdquo; he said&nbsp;Insulin production in Pakistan priority for &lsquo;pharmaceutical security&rsquo;One of the most concrete proposals discussed was localized insulin production in Pakistan. Tsivilyov said Moscow wants Pakistan to achieve &ldquo;pharmaceutical security&rdquo; by manufacturing essential medicines domestically rather than relying on imports.&nbsp;He confirmed that the final pricing model, aligned with the cost of American-made insulin currently imported by Pakistan, will be discussed during the IGC meeting. He added that Russia is open to jointly producing additional medicines and vaccines, including veterinary vaccines crucial for livestock protection.&nbsp;Energy Justice: A shared vision for developmentThe minister reiterated Russia&rsquo;s global call for &ldquo;energy justice,&rdquo; pointing to the urgent need for equal access to reliable electricity in developing regions.&nbsp;&ldquo;Energy today defines competitiveness, transport systems, AI infrastructure, even finance through cryptocurrencies,&rdquo; he said, adding that Russia has raised the issue at BRICS and SCO forums.&nbsp;Tsivilev said Pakistan-Russia cooperation in the energy sector will expand as new technologies and investments are explored.&nbsp;Engineering Education: Russia proposes joint schools and trainingA major long-term initiative Tsivilev announced is the potential rollout of Russia&rsquo;s Engineering Schools Program in Pakistan.The model begins at the secondary-school level with specialized physics, chemistry, and mathematics tracks, followed by university training and industrial internships.&nbsp;He said Russia aims to train 300,000 engineers by 2030 and is ready to include Pakistani students in a similar pipeline.&nbsp;&ldquo;It&rsquo;s time to invest in children. In five to seven years, the payback will be far greater than any money spent today,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;Tourism and direct flights on the agendaTourism emerged as another expanding avenue, with both sides seeing strong interest from travelers. Tsivilyov said Pakistan and Russia must &ldquo;remove existing restrictions&rdquo; and simplify travel, adding that increased tourism flows could justify regular direct flights between the two countries. This issue remained a key focus of working-group meetings ahead of the IGC sessions, he confirmed.

Foreign Affairs

Russia’s energy minister called the Pakistan–Russia IGC a turning point, outlining deeper cooperation in energy, pharma, education, tourism, and space while reaffirming Putin’s message that Moscow stands ready to support Pakistan whenever needed.

President Putin believes Russia’s relationship with Pakistan strengthening every year: Russian minister

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: The Bangladesh government will pilot the distribution of 500,000 Krishak Smart Cards to farmers in 15 upazilas (sub-districts) within 180 days as part of a 2023-28 development program.&nbsp; If successful, the initiative will expand nationwide,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/bangladesh-signals-push-to-revitalize-saarc" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bangladeshi</a>&nbsp;media reported on Thursday. The program aims to register 22.7 million&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/govt-aims-to-launch-family-card-scheme-before-eid-bangladeshi-relief-minister" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">farmers</a>&nbsp;nationwide by 2028.&nbsp;Digital card system&nbsp;A meeting chaired by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/bangladesh-vows-to-reform-policies-attract-foreign-investment-in-jute-sector" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">Prime Minister Tarique Rahman</a>&nbsp;in Dhaka on Monday directed authorities to roll out the digital card system as part of a technology-driven support framework for farmers. Abul Kalam Azad, coordinator of the PARTNER programme, said the Food and Agriculture Organization is collecting data to prepare the beneficiary list.&nbsp; Once the FAO submits the data and the feasibility study is complete, the Department of Agricultural Extension will finalize the beneficiary list and select the upazilas.&nbsp;Financial, logistical incentives&nbsp;The card will initially register 500,000 farmers, including landless peasants, small and medium farmers, lessees, and landowners.&nbsp; Cardholders will be able to access financial and logistical incentives, agricultural advisories, weather information and other services. If the pilot proves successful, nationwide registration will follow.&nbsp; The PARTNER project, launched in 2023, has a total budget of $1.343 billion, funded by the World Bank, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, and the Bangladesh government.

Bangladesh

The program aims to register 22.7 million farmers across the country by 2028; a meeting chaired by PM Rahman in Dhaka directed authorities to roll out the digital card system for farmers. Cardholders will be able to access financial and logistical incentives, agricultural advisories, weather information and other services.

Bangladesh to distribute 0.5M farmer cards in 180 days

TEHRAN: Iran&#39;s President Masoud Pezeshkian reiterated on Thursday that Tehran was not seeking a nuclear weapon, in a speech ahead of talks with the United States in Switzerland. The talks follow a massive military build-up by the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/us-presses-missile-issue-as-new-iran-talks-to-open-in-geneva" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">United States</a>&nbsp;in the region not seen in decades, and with President Donald Trump repeatedly threatening strikes should talks fail. &quot;Our&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/iran-rejects-us-claims-on-missile-programme-as-big-lies" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Supreme Leader</a>&nbsp;has already stated that we will not have nuclear weapons at all,&quot;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/irans-top-diplomat-leaves-for-geneva-for-talks-with-us" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Pezeshkian</a>&nbsp;said, in a reference to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. &quot;Even if I wanted to move in that direction, I could not -- from a doctrinal standpoint, I would not be permitted.&quot; &quot;If they (the US) strike us, a hundred more like us will rise and run the country. If we stand together and join hands, no power will be able to bring us to a standstill,&quot; said Pezeshkian.

Middle East

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian reiterates on Thursday that Tehran is not seeking nuclear weapons in line with the policy set by the country’s Supreme Leader.

Iran president says ahead of US talks not seeking nuclear weapon 'at all'

ISLAMABAD: The US has levied a preliminary countervailing duty (CVD) of 126% on specific Indian solar products, citing unfair subsidies, according to an Indian media report.&nbsp;This move is expected to disrupt the growing momentum of solar exports from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/global-ai-summit-in-india-still-without-final-statement" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">India&nbsp;</a>to the US and raise concerns about increasing domestic competition and regulatory uncertainty. On Feb. 24, the US Department of Commerce announced its preliminary affirmative determination in investigations into imports of crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/potholes-killed-over-9400-from-2020-to-2024-in-india" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">India</a>.&nbsp; The investigation also includes parallel anti-dumping probes into solar cells from these countries.&nbsp;&nbsp;Final determination&nbsp;A final determination in the countervailing duty investigations is scheduled for July 6. The new duties come at a time when the US already imposed a 10% across-the-board tariff under the Trump administration, further complicating trade relations. Despite the steep tariff, many leading Indian solar manufacturers have downplayed the immediate impact.&nbsp;&nbsp;Impact on market dynamics&nbsp;However, analysts warn that the duties could disrupt trade flows, put downward pressure on domestic prices, and affect overall profitability.&nbsp; Rating agency Icra highlighted that increased regulatory uncertainty could dampen export volumes, which stood at 3 GW in 2025.&nbsp;&nbsp;Solar stocks&nbsp;Crisil Intelligence added that Indian modules could become at least 30% more expensive than US-made ones, potentially impacting market dynamics. Following the announcement, solar stocks in India dropped sharply, with Waaree Energies falling 10.47%, Premier Energies 6.27%, and Vikram Solar 5.45%, the Indian media report said.

India

On Feb. 24, the US Department of Commerce announced its preliminary affirmative determination in investigations into imports of crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells from India; final determination in countervailing duty investigations is scheduled for July 6.

US imposes 126% duty on Indian solar exports, raising trade concerns

HAVANA: Cuba said Wednesday it thwarted an attempted armed infiltration from the United States, after its coast guard opened fire on a Florida-registered speedboat near the island&rsquo;s northern coast, killing four people and wounding six. In a statement, Cuba&rsquo;s Interior Ministry said the vessel was intercepted about one nautical mile from Cayo Falcones island. As Cuban authorities approached, &ldquo;shots were fired from the illegal speedboat,&rdquo; injuring the commander of the Cuban patrol craft. &ldquo;As a result of the clash, at the time of this report, on the foreign side, four aggressors were killed and six others were wounded,&rdquo; the ministry said, adding that the injured were evacuated and provided medical assistance. The ministry said assault rifles, handguns, Molotov cocktails and other military-style equipment were recovered from the vessel, registered in Florida under the number FL7726SH. The 10 occupants were identified as Cubans living in the United States. Those arrested after the exchange of gunfire claimed they &ldquo;intended to carry out an infiltration for the purposes of terrorism,&rdquo; according to Cuban authorities. In a subsequent statement, the ministry released the names of seven of the individuals and said most had prior records in Cuba for &ldquo;criminal and violent activity.&rdquo; &nbsp;A man allegedly sent from the United States to participate in the operation was arrested on Cuban soil and confessed, it added. The incident marks a fresh source of tension between Havana and Washington. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States was seeking its own account of events and would &ldquo;respond accordingly.&rdquo; &ldquo;We&rsquo;re not going to base our conclusions on what they&rsquo;ve (Cuba) told us, and I&rsquo;m very, very confident that we will know the full story of what happened here,&rdquo; Rubio told reporters during a visit to St. Kitts and Nevis. &ldquo;As we gather more information, then we&rsquo;ll be prepared to respond accordingly.&rdquo; Florida&rsquo;s attorney general ordered an investigation into the killings. The state lies just 100 miles (160 kilometers) from Cuba across the Florida Straits and has long been a focal point for Cuban migration. Cuban authorities frequently report incursions by speedboats from the United States into their territorial waters. Such incidents are often linked to people-smuggling or drug trafficking and have at times involved chases and armed confrontations with border guards. The shootings come amid broader strains between the two countries. President Donald Trump in January imposed a sweeping oil blockade on Cuba following the US ouster of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, a key ally of Havana. Before Maduro&rsquo;s removal on Jan. 3, Cuba relied on Venezuela for roughly half of its fuel needs. Facing pressure from Caribbean leaders concerned that severe fuel shortages could destabilize the island&rsquo;s economy, Washington later said it would allow limited shipments of Venezuelan oil for &ldquo;commercial and humanitarian use,&rdquo; provided they went through private entities rather than the Cuban government or military-controlled businesses. Cuba&rsquo;s economy, already weakened by decades of US trade restrictions dating back to the 1959 revolution led by Fidel Castro, has been pushed to the brink in recent months. Chronic shortages of food and medicine and daily blackouts have fueled an exodus of Cubans, many heading to southern Florida. Mexico this week dispatched two military vessels carrying nearly 2,200 tons of aid to the island, its second shipment in under a month, while Canada announced Can$8 million ($5.8 million) in additional assistance on Wednesday.

Cuban coast guard ships docked at the port of Havana on February 25, 2026.(AFP)

Americas

Cuba says it killed four and wounded six people aboard a Florida-registered speedboat, describing it as armed and planning a terrorist infiltration after an exchange of gunfire near its northern coast, escalating tensions with the United States.

Cuba kills four on US-registered speedboat trying to 'infiltrate'

KYIV: US President Donald Trump spoke with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky ahead of a fresh round of talks Thursday aimed at ending Russia&#39;s invasion, both sides said on Wednesday. A White House official gave AFP no further details about the call, which came a day before Ukrainian and US envoys were to meet, and ahead of new trilateral talks with Russia expected in early March. But Zelensky wrote on social media that he had spoken with Trump, and that his envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were on the call. &quot;Our teams work intensively and I thanked them for all their work and for their active involvement in the negotiations and the efforts to end the war,&quot; he added. According to Ukrainian presidential adviser Dmytro Lytvyn, the conversation &quot;lasted about 30 minutes.&quot; Ukraine&#39;s lead negotiator Rustem Umerov will meet Witkoff and Kushner in Geneva on Thursday, Kyiv announced. Russian state news agency Tass later said that the Kremlin&#39;s economic affairs envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, also plans to be in the city. &quot;Dmitriev plans to arrive in Geneva on Thursday to pursue negotiations with the Americans on economic issues,&quot; it cited an unnamed source as saying. The meetings are the latest round of negotiations spearheaded by Trump that so far have failed to make meaningful progress on ending Europe&#39;s deadliest conflict since World War II. Washington is pushing to bring an end to the war triggered by Russia&#39;s full-scale invasion of Ukraine four years ago, which has left hundreds of thousands of dead and destroyed swathes of territory, particularly in eastern and southern Ukraine. Preparatory talks&nbsp;Zelensky said his call with Trump &quot;discussed the issues that our representatives will address tomorrow in Geneva during the bilateral meeting, as well as preparations for the next meeting of the full negotiating teams in a trilateral format at the very beginning of March.&quot; &quot;We expect this meeting to create an opportunity to move talks to the leaders&#39; level. President Trump supports this sequence of steps. This is the only way to resolve all the complex and sensitive issues and finally end the war,&quot; he added. The Ukrainian leader has already said that a meeting with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, should take place to resolve the most difficult issues in the talks. The talks, based on an American plan unveiled at the end of last year, are deadlocked primarily on the fate of the Donbas, the industrial region in eastern Ukraine that has been the epicenter of the fighting. Russia is pushing for full control of Ukraine&#39;s eastern Donetsk region, and has threatened to take it by force if Kyiv does not cave at the negotiating table. But Ukraine has rejected the demand and signaled it would not sign a deal without security guarantees that deter Russia from invading again.

Europe

Ukraine's lead negotiator Rustem Umerov will meet Witkoff and Kushner in Geneva on Thursday; Russian state news agency says Kremlin's economic affairs envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, also plans to be in the city.

Trump, Zelensky speak before Ukraine-US talks in Geneva

GENEVA: The United States and Iran are set to hold indirect talks in Switzerland on Thursday, aiming to strike a deal to avert a fresh conflict and end weeks of threats. The new round of negotiations in Geneva comes after the US carried out a massive military build-up in the region and President Donald Trump repeatedly threatened to strike Iran if a deal is not reached. In his State of the Union address on Tuesday, Trump accused Iran of &quot;pursuing sinister nuclear ambitions.&quot; He also claimed Tehran had &quot;already developed missiles that can threaten Europe and our bases overseas, and they&#39;re working to build missiles that will soon reach the United States of America.&quot; The Iranian foreign ministry called these claims &quot;big lies.&quot; The maximum range of Iran&#39;s missiles is 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) according to what Tehran has publicly disclosed. However, the US Congressional Research Service estimates they top out at about 3,000 kilometers &mdash; less than a third of the distance to the continental United States. The dispute between the countries mostly revolves around Iran&#39;s nuclear program, which the West believes is aimed at building an atomic bomb but Tehran insists is peaceful. However, the US has also been pushing to discuss Iran&#39;s ballistic missile program, as well as Tehran&#39;s support for armed groups hostile towards Israel. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that Iran must also negotiate on its missile program, calling Tehran&#39;s refusal to discuss ballistic weapons &quot;a big, big problem&quot; on the eve of the talks. He followed up by saying, &quot;the president wants diplomatic solutions.&quot; Iran has taken anything beyond the nuclear issue off the negotiating table and has demanded that the US sanctions crippling its economy be part of any agreement. &#39;Neither war nor peace&#39;&nbsp;Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Wednesday he had a &quot;favorable outlook for the negotiations&quot; that could finally &quot;move beyond this &#39;neither war nor peace&#39; situation.&quot; Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who is leading the Iranian delegation at the talks, has called them &quot;a historic opportunity,&quot; adding that a deal was &quot;within reach.&quot; The US will be represented by envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who is married to Trump&#39;s daughter Ivanka. The two countries held talks earlier this month in Oman, which is mediating the negotiations, then gathered for a second round in Geneva last week. A previous attempt at negotiations collapsed when Israel launched surprise strikes on Iran last June, beginning a 12-day war that Washington briefly joined to bomb Iranian nuclear sites. In January, fresh tensions between the US and Iran emerged after Tehran engaged in a crackdown on widespread protests that have posed one of the greatest challenges to the Islamic republic since its inception. Trump has threatened several times to intervene to &quot;help&quot; the Iranian people. Emile Hokayem, a senior fellow for Middle East security at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said, &quot;The region seems to expect a war at this point.&quot; In January, there was &quot;a big push by a number of Middle Eastern states to convince the US not to&quot; strike Iran. &quot;But there&#39;s a lot of apprehension at this point, because the expectation is that this time, a war would be &quot;bigger&quot; than the one in June.

The new round of negotiations in Geneva comes after the US carried out a massive military build-up in the region; President Trump has threatened to strike Iran if a deal is not reached, accuses Iran of 'pursuing sinister nuclear ambitions.'

US presses missile issue as new Iran talks to open in Geneva

SEOUL: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has suggested his country could &quot;get along&quot; with the United States but declared that South Korea &mdash; Washington&#39;s security ally &mdash; remained its &quot;most hostile&quot; enemy, state media reported Thursday. Kim made the remarks at the end of a landmark party congress, urging Washington to respect Pyongyang&#39;s status as a nuclear power. His words came as speculation grows that US President Donald Trump may seek some kind of meeting with Kim on the sidelines of a visit to China in April. If Washington &quot;respects our country&#39;s current status as stipulated in the Constitution ... and withdraws its hostile policy ... there is no reason why we cannot get along well with the United States,&quot; Kim said, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). But he appeared to close the door on any notion of building closer ties with South Korea, saying he would &quot;permanently exclude&quot; Seoul as one of his nation&#39;s &quot;compatriots.&quot; North Korea has &quot;absolutely no business dealing with South Korea, its most hostile entity,&quot; Kim said, calling Seoul&#39;s recent dovish efforts &quot;deceptive.&quot; Pyongyang amended its constitution in 2024 to define South Korea as a &quot;hostile state&quot; for the first time. A &quot;grand&quot; military parade marked the end of the Workers&#39; Party congress, a once-in-five-years event that directs state efforts on everything from foreign policy to war planning. North Korea has used such parades in the past to show off its newest weapons, offering a rare source of insight into the strength of its armed forces. Trump overtures&nbsp;US President Donald Trump stepped up his courtship of Kim during a tour of Asia last year, saying he was &quot;100%&quot; open to a meeting. Trump even bucked decades of US policy by conceding that North Korea was &quot;sort of a nuclear power.&quot; A Trump-Kim meeting in April would mark a major breakthrough after years of deadlocked diplomacy following the collapse of their 2019 summit in Hanoi over sanctions relief and what Pyongyang would be willing to give up from its nuclear arsenal in return. Kim appeared alongside China&#39;s Xi Jinping and Russia&#39;s Vladimir Putin at a grand military parade in Beijing last year &mdash; a striking display of his powerful friends and elevated status in global politics. Pyongyang has particularly drawn much closer to Moscow, sending thousands of troops to aid Russia&#39;s war against Ukraine. Analysts say Russia is giving North Korea military technology, food, and energy supplies in return, allowing it to sidestep tough international sanctions. &quot;With Moscow now providing a substantial economic lifeline &mdash; effectively neutralizing the bite of UN sanctions &mdash; Kim Jong Un no longer feels the same urgency to respond&quot; to Washington&#39;s dialogue gestures, Seong-Hyon Lee, a visiting scholar at the Harvard University Asia Center, told AFP.

Asia

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un says if Washington 'respects our country's current status as stipulated in the Constitution ... and withdraws its hostile policy ... there is no reason why we cannot get along well with the United States'.

North Korea says willing to 'get along' with US if acknowledged as nuclear power

Web Desk/AFP

JERUSALEM: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that his country stood &quot;firmly&quot; with Israel following the war in Gaza, which resulted in the death of more than 70,000 Palestinians.&nbsp; Modi also met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/indias-modi-heads-to-israel-to-strengthen-cooperation" style="color:#0073e6;">two-day visit</a> aimed at deepening trade and defense ties that have drawn criticism at home. &quot;India stands with Israel firmly with full conviction in this moment and beyond.&quot; In his speech, Modi did not explicitly mention the tens of thousands of Palestinians killed in Gaza during the more than two-year bombardment of Gaza. Speaking to the Knesset, Modi also told Israeli lawmakers that his country&#39;s economic growth and Israel&#39;s leadership in technological innovation formed a &quot;natural foundation for our forward-looking partnership.&quot; &quot;I see a lot of synergies in areas such as quantum technologies, semiconductors and artificial intelligence,&quot; he added. Netanyahu told Modi that &quot;India supports Israel because it understands that Israel serves as a defensive wall,&quot; adding that his visit will allow them to &quot;further reinforce our ties.&quot; It is Modi&#39;s second visit to Israel as prime minister since he took office in 2014. &#39;A real friendship&#39; Earlier on Wednesday, a red carpet was rolled out at Israel&#39;s Ben Gurion airport and Modi was greeted with a hug by Netanyahu as he disembarked the plane. &quot;The two leaders share a special and a personal relationship,&quot; Shosh Bedrosian, spokeswoman for Netanyahu&#39;s office, said in a video posted on X. &quot;The bond between Israel and India is a powerful alliance as we are partners in innovation, security and a shared strategic vision,&quot; she added. Netanyahu&#39;s office said the two right-wing leaders held a private meeting after the welcoming ceremony, with the Israeli premier hailing &quot;a real friendship.&quot; In a post on X, Modi described the meeting as &quot;excellent.&quot; &quot;We discussed a wide range of topics aimed at deepening and strengthening the bilateral relations between our two countries,&quot; he said. The pair &quot;held an in-depth conversation about major developments in the region,&quot; he added. Modi is also scheduled to meet Israeli President Isaac Herzog during the visit. New Delhi has steadily expanded cooperation with Israel across the defense, agriculture, technology, and cybersecurity sectors, while balancing diplomatic interests in the Middle East. Full diplomatic relations between the two countries were established in 1992. Ties deepened after Hindu-nationalist leader Modi took office in 2014. Criticism at home Modi first visited Israel as prime minister in 2017, before Netanyahu made a reciprocal visit to India the following year. In 2023, grand plans were unveiled in New Delhi for an India&ndash;Middle East&ndash;Europe Economic Corridor to link railways, ports, electricity, data networks, and pipelines, including through Saudi Arabia and Israel. Those plans were stalled by Israel&rsquo;s devastating war in the Gaza Strip. Months after his 2017 visit to Israel, Modi travelled to Ramallah, the seat of the Palestinian Authority. His current visit has sparked criticism at home. Senior Congress party figure Priyanka Gandhi &mdash; sister of opposition leader Rahul &mdash; posted on social media on Wednesday that she hoped Modi would mention the killing of &quot;thousands of innocent men, women and children in Gaza&quot; during his address to the Israeli parliament. India, the world&#39;s most populous nation with 1.4 billion people, is majority Hindu, but an estimated 220 million Indians are Muslim. One of India&#39;s largest conglomerates, Adani Group, operates the Israeli port of Haifa, while Israeli military drone technology was used during India&#39;s May 2025 attack on Pakistan.

Senior Congress party figure Priyanka Gandhi says she hoped Modi would mention the killing of "thousands of innocent men, women and children in Gaza" during his address to the Israeli parliament; the Indian prime minister is also scheduled to meet Israeli President Herzog during visit.





Modi says India stands 'firmly' with Israel post Gaza bombardment 

WASHINGTON: Bill Gates has admitted making a &quot;huge mistake&quot; in associating with Jeffrey Epstein, telling staff at his charity foundation that he had affairs with two Russian women but denying involvement in the disgraced financier&#39;s crimes. The Microsoft co-founder is among the prominent names appearing in documents released by the US Justice Department that revealed close friendships, illicit financial dealings and private photos with convicted sex offender Epstein. In a town hall on Tuesday with staff at the Gates Foundation, a recording of which was reviewed by The Wall Street Journal, Gates expressed regret that his relationship with Epstein had affected the work of his philanthropic organization. &quot;It was a huge mistake to spend time with Epstein,&quot; and to also bring Gates Foundation executives into meetings with Epstein, he said. &quot;I apologize to other people who are drawn into this because of the mistake that I made.&quot; In a draft email among the documents released by the Justice Department, Epstein alleged Gates engaged in extramarital affairs, writing that his relationship with Gates ranged from &quot;helping Bill to get drugs, in order to deal with consequences of sex with Russian girls, to facilitating his illicit trysts, with married women.&quot; &#39;I saw nothing illicit&#39; Gates, 70, admitted at the town hall to two affairs. &quot;I did have affairs, one with a Russian bridge player who met me at bridge events, and one with a Russian nuclear physicist who I met through business activities,&quot; he said. But he denied any involvement with victims of Epstein, who died in a New York jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial for sex trafficking underage girls. &quot;I did nothing illicit. I saw nothing illicit,&quot; Gates told the town hall. The tech titan said his relationship with Epstein began in 2011, three years after the financier pleaded guilty to soliciting a minor for prostitution. Gates said he knew of an &quot;18-month thing&quot; restricting Epstein&#39;s travel but didn&#39;t check his background. He said his then-wife Melinda expressed concerns about Epstein in 2013, but that he continued the relationship for at least another year. &quot;Knowing what I know now makes it, you know, a hundred times worse in terms of not only his crimes in the past, but now it&#39;s clear there was ongoing bad behavior,&quot; Gates told staff. The Gates Foundation said Gates addressed the Epstein case and other issues at its scheduled twice-yearly town hall event. &quot;Bill spoke candidly, addressing several questions in detail, and took responsibility for his actions,&quot; it said in a statement to AFP.

In a draft email among the documents released by the Justice Department, Epstein alleges Gates engaged in extramarital affairs, writing that his relationship with Gates ranged from "helping Bill to get drugs […] to facilitating his illicit trysts, with married women."

Bill Gates admits affairs but denies involvement in Epstein crimes

NEW YORK:&nbsp;A record 129 journalists and media workers were killed worldwide in 2025, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday, blaming Israel for two-thirds of the deaths. It was the second consecutive annual record for press deaths and the deadliest year since the CPJ began collecting data more than three decades ago. &quot;Journalists are being killed in record numbers at a time when access to information is more important than ever,&quot; CEO Jodie Ginsberg said in a statement. &quot;We are all at risk when journalists are killed for reporting the news.&quot; Over three-quarters of all the fatalities in 2025 were in conflict settings, the CPJ said in its report. More than 60 percent of the 86 members of the press killed by Israeli fire in 2025 were Palestinians reporting from Gaza, it added. The Israeli military maintains that it never deliberately targets journalists, and said the CPJ report was &quot;based on general allegations, data of unknown origin, and predetermined conclusions.&quot; &quot;Throughout the war there have been numerous cases in which terrorists operated under a civilian guise, including posing as journalists to advance terror activities,&quot; an Israeli military spokesperson told AFP. &quot;In these cases, any action taken by the IDF (military) against them was due to their involvement in terror activity and for no other reason.&quot; &quot;Any claim of intentional harm to civilians, including family members of journalists due to their professional activity, is completely false,&quot; the spokesperson said. The CPJ said the number of journalists killed in Ukraine and Sudan also increased in 2025 compared to a year earlier. The CPJ highlighted a rise in drones being used, with 39 cases documented, including 28 killings by Israel in Gaza and five by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in Sudan. In Ukraine, four journalists were killed by Russian military drones, the highest annual number of journalist deaths in the war since 15 were killed in 2022. Journalists are increasingly vulnerable due to a persistent culture of impunity, the CPJ said, noting a lack of transparent investigations into killings. In Mexico, six journalists were killed in 2025 and all the cases remain unsolved. The Philippines saw three journalists shot dead. Others were killed following their reporting on corruption, such as a Bangladeshi reporter hacked to death by suspects linked to a fraud ring, according to the CPJ report. Similar organized crime-related deaths were recorded in India and Peru. In Saudi Arabia, prominent columnist Turki al-Jasser was executed by the state after being convicted on several charges that the CPJ likened to &quot;spurious national security and financial crime allegations&quot; used to punish reporters. It was the Gulf state&#39;s first documented killing of a journalist since the 2018 death of Jamal Khashoggi.

Over three-quarters of all the fatalities in 2025 were in conflict settings, the CPJ said

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