Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: As Pakistan prepares to host high-stakes Iran&ndash;US peace talks in Islamabad on Saturday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has received a wave of support and congratulatory messages from world leaders, praising Islamabad&rsquo;s role in facilitating a fragile ceasefire between Washington and Tehran. According to the Prime Minister&rsquo;s Office, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni held a telephone conversation with PM Shehbaz, commending Pakistan&rsquo;s diplomatic efforts that helped secure the ceasefire and restart dialogue between the two sides. The premier also welcomed a joint statement by key European leaders backing Pakistan&rsquo;s peace initiative.<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=2042296988616872107&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=28d51c4530a4a3dd943f3b868588ca3cbd04606b&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 749px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div> In Europe, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz expressed support for Pakistan&rsquo;s mediation, with PM Shehbaz appreciating Berlin&rsquo;s role in encouraging dialogue. Similarly, Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker reiterated strong endorsement of Pakistan&rsquo;s efforts during a &ldquo;warm and cordial&rdquo; exchange, with both leaders agreeing on the need to sustain the ceasefire for long-term stability.<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=2042289610408312945&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=28d51c4530a4a3dd943f3b868588ca3cbd04606b&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 576px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>British Prime Minister Keir Starmer also backed Pakistan&rsquo;s diplomatic push, as Islamabad reaffirmed its commitment to working closely with the United Kingdom and other partners to achieve lasting peace.<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-2" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-2&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2042149851014820169&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=28d51c4530a4a3dd943f3b868588ca3cbd04606b&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 1086px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div> Support also came from French President Emmanuel Macron, who lauded what he termed &ldquo;Islamabad Diplomacy.&rdquo;&nbsp; President Macron graciously congratulated Pakistan on its sincere efforts in facilitating the ceasefire between Iran and the United States, and for helping bring both sides to the negotiating table.&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=2042206163878699242&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=407a45cf1bd55927667ca9b480f2e24457dfda8e&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 369px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;"></iframe></div></div> Outreach extended across the Middle East as well. Qatar&rsquo;s Amir, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, congratulated PM Shehbaz on Pakistan&rsquo;s mediation role. The premier praised Qatar&rsquo;s &ldquo;wisdom and restraint&rdquo; during weeks of regional tensions and reaffirmed solidarity, emphasizing joint efforts toward peace.<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-3" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-3&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2042260725457113224&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=28d51c4530a4a3dd943f3b868588ca3cbd04606b&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 749px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div> In a separate development, PM Shehbaz spoke with Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, strongly condemning ongoing Israeli attacks in Lebanon and expressing condolences over civilian casualties. Both leaders stressed the importance of continued diplomatic engagement to end the violence. Bahrain&rsquo;s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan voiced strong backing for Pakistan&rsquo;s role in de-escalation efforts. The flurry of diplomatic engagement comes at a critical moment, as Pakistan positions itself at the center of international diplomacy, with US and Iranian delegations expected to arrive in Islamabad on Friday.

FILE: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif receiving the revered award Order of Bahrain (First Class) from King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of the Kingdom of Bahrain, in Manama, on November 26, 2025.

Foreign Affairs

Pakistan gains global support for its mediation efforts as a fragile Iran–US ceasefire holds, with delegations set to arrive in Islamabad for crucial talks aimed at advancing dialogue and securing regional stability.

Global leaders back Pakistan as Islamabad hosts Iran–US peace talks

HONG KONG: Oil prices plunged Wednesday while stocks rallied after the United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire that will see Tehran temporarily reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz. With Donald Trump&#39;s deadline approaching for the Islamic republic to reopen the waterway or face obliteration, he announced a halt to attacks for two weeks and said he had received a &quot;workable&quot; 10-point proposal. Iran later said it had agreed to safe passage in the Strait, through which a fifth of global oil and gas passes. The news pushed down crude prices, with West Texas Intermediate losing almost 20% and Brent as much as 16% as investors heaved a huge sigh of relief after more than five weeks of war that has hammered supplies. The euphoria sent equities rocketing on hopes that the crisis that had shocked the global economy for more than a month would end. Seoul jumped more than 6% and Tokyo more than 5%, while Taipei added 4.2%, and Sydney and Hong Kong advanced more than 2%. Shanghai, Mumbai, Bangkok, Manila, Jakarta, Singapore and Wellington were also sharply higher. Trump had threatened on Tuesday that if Hormuz was not reopened, &quot;a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again.&quot; That came after he vowed to bomb bridges, power plants and other civilian infrastructure in Iran. Iran warned it would deprive the United States and its allies of oil and gas &quot;for years&quot; if Washington crossed Tehran&#39;s &quot;red lines.&quot; However, as the world counted down to the cutoff, the US president took to social media to say: &quot;Subject to the Islamic Republic of Iran agreeing to the COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz, I agree to suspend the bombing and attack of Iran for a period of two weeks.&quot; He added that it &quot;will be a double sided CEASEFIRE!&quot; and that &quot;we have already met and exceeded all Military objectives, and are very far along with a definitive Agreement concerning Longterm PEACE with Iran, and PEACE in the Middle East&quot;. Relief for AsiaPrime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan, who has played a key mediator role, said the ceasefire would start immediately. He said the United States &quot;along with their allies&quot; had agreed to a ceasefire everywhere, including Lebanon, implying that Israel had agreed to halt its invasion of its northern neighbor. However, Tel Aviv said it supported the suspension of the bombing of Iran, but maintained the ceasefire did not include Lebanon. Iran claimed victory, with the Iranian Supreme National Security Council saying: &quot;The enemy has suffered an undeniable, historic and crushing defeat in its cowardly, illegal and criminal war against the Iranian nation.&quot; The ceasefire also led to a sharp drop in the dollar, which had become the safe-haven while the war raged, with the yen, euro and pound all strengthening. Gold rallied after concerns about a sharp rise in inflation that will keep interest rates elevated, while bitcoin rose. &quot;Unsurprisingly, the initial market reaction has been a positive one, albeit perhaps not as sizeable as one might&#39;ve expected, largely owing to the grind higher in risk assets seen since the tail end of Tuesday&#39;s cash session,&quot; said Michael Brown at Pepperstone. &quot;Participants have been desperate for anything resembling good news for some weeks now, and even more desperate to see concrete steps being taken towards de-escalation. &quot;Now that we seem able to put a tick in both of those boxes, participants are unsurprisingly willing to significantly take up risk levels once more.&quot; Stephen Innes of SPI Asset Management added that the deal &quot;matters enormously for Asia&quot;, where several governments have been forced to introduce measures to combat rising energy costs. &quot;Lower oil prices remove the chokehold that has weighed on regional risk sentiment, especially in markets that feel imported energy shocks first and hardest,&quot; he said. &quot;With crude backing off, the pressure on inflation expectations and front-end yields eases at the margin, and that is enough to let capital rotate back toward risk, at least for now.&quot; Key figures at around 0400 GMT&nbsp;West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 15.4% at $95.59 a barrelBrent North Sea Crude: DOWN 13.3% at $94.71 a barrelTokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 5.1% at 56,177.81Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: UP 2.8% at 25,821.88 (break)Shanghai - Composite: UP 1.9% at 3,964.72 (break)Euro/dollar: UP at $1.1670 from $1.1585 on TuesdayPound/dollar: UP at $1.3396 from $1.3274Dollar/yen: DOWN at 158.40 yen from 159.70 yenEuro/pound: DOWN at 87.12 pence from 87.28 penceNew York - Dow: DOWN 0.2% at 46,584.46 (close)London - FTSE 100: DOWN 0.8% at 10,348.79 (close)

Prices for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) are displayed next to canisters at a store in Manila on April 7, 2026. (Photo by Jam STA ROSA / AFP)

Business

With Donald Trump's deadline approaching for the Islamic republic to reopen the waterway or face obliteration, he announced a halt to attacks for two weeks and said he had received a 'workable' 10-point proposal.

Crude prices plunge, stocks surge as US and Iran agree ceasefire

Web Desk/AFP

ISLAMABAD: Russia and China have called for a diplomatic resolution to the fighting between Afghanistan and Pakistan, urging both nations to cease hostilities and seek a peaceful solution. China said Friday it was &quot;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/iran-offers-to-help-facilitate-dialogue-between-afghanistan-pakistan-foreign-minister" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">deeply concerned</a>&quot; by fighting between Afghanistan and Pakistan, adding Beijing was talking to the two sides as it called for a ceasefire, AFP reported. China &quot;calls on both sides to remain calm and exercise restraint... achieve a ceasefire as soon as possible, and avoid further bloodshed&quot;, foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a regular press briefing. The ministry and China&#39;s embassies in Pakistan and Afghanistan were &quot;working with relevant parties in both countries on this matter&quot;, she added.&nbsp;&lsquo;Diplomatic resolution&rsquo; &nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Russia advocates for a swift end to mutual attacks between Afghanistan and Pakistan and a diplomatic resolution to the countries&#39; differences,&rdquo; Zamir Kabulov, the Russian President&#39;s Special Representative for Afghanistan and Adviser to the Russian Foreign Minister, told Russia&rsquo;s state-run RIA Novosti news agency. &quot;We are in favor of a swift end to mutual attacks and a diplomatic resolution of differences,&quot; he said.

Asia

China 'calls on both sides to remain calm and exercise restraint... achieve a ceasefire as soon as possible, and avoid further bloodshed', foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a regular press briefing.

China expresses ‘deep concern,’ Russia urges diplomatic resolution of Afghanistan-Pakistan fighting

MIAMI: The United States was joined Saturday by Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey in urging parties in the Gaza ceasefire to uphold their obligations and exercise restraint, the chief US envoy said after talks in Miami. Top officials from each nation met with Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump&#39;s special envoy, to review the first stage of the ceasefire that came into effect on October 10. &quot;We reaffirm our full commitment to the entirety of the President&rsquo;s 20-point peace plan and call on all parties to uphold their obligations, exercise restraint, and cooperate with monitoring arrangements,&quot; said a statement posted by Witkoff on X. Their meeting came amid continuing strains on the agreement. Gaza&#39;s civil defense said six people were killed Friday in Israeli shelling of a shelter. That brought to 400 the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli fire since the deal took effect. Israel has also repeatedly accused Hamas of violating the truce, with the military reporting three of its soldiers killed in the territory since October. Saturday&#39;s statement cited progress yielded in the first stage of the peace agreement, including expanded humanitarian assistance, return of hostage bodies, partial force withdrawals, and a reduction in hostilities. It called for &quot;the near-term establishment and operationalization&quot; of a transitional administration, which is due to happen in the second phase of the agreement, and said consultations would continue in the coming weeks over its implementation. Under the deal&#39;s terms, Israel is supposed to withdraw from its positions in Gaza, an interim authority is to govern the Palestinian territory instead of Hamas, and an international stabilization force is to be deployed. On Friday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed hope that countries would contribute troops for the stabilization force, but also urged the disarmament of Hamas, warning the process would unravel unless that happened.

Middle East

The US, Qatar, Egypt and Turkey urged restraint in Gaza after Miami talks, reaffirming commitment to the ceasefire, citing progress but warning of ongoing violations and rising casualties.

US, Qatar, Egypt, Turkey urge restraint in Gaza after Miami talks

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s Foreign Office on Thursday said the ceasefire understanding with Afghanistan is no longer intact, citing continued cross-border terrorist activity involving Afghan nationals. Foreign Office Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi, responding to a question at the weekly media briefing in Islamabad, said the arrangement was always premised on an end to attacks inside Pakistan. &ldquo;The ceasefire between Pakistan and Afghanistan does not imply a traditional ceasefire implemented after two belligerent states engage in war or conflict,&rdquo; Andrabi said. &ldquo;The Pakistan&ndash;Afghanistan ceasefire implied that there would be no terrorist attacks by Afghan-sponsored terrorist proxies inside Pakistan.&rdquo; He added that &ldquo;major terrorist attacks&rdquo; had occurred since the understanding was reached. &ldquo;Interpreting it in that sense, the ceasefire is not holding because it was about ceasing terrorist attacks inside Pakistan by TTP [Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan], FAK [Fitna Al-Khawarij], and Afghan nationals using Afghan soil,&rdquo; he said. Andrabi noted that assaults involving Afghan nationals, including an attack in Islamabad, leave Pakistan unable to remain &ldquo;very optimistic about the ceasefire.&rdquo; Pakistan rejects Indian minister&rsquo;s &lsquo;delusional&rsquo; Sindh remarksThe spokesperson also condemned recent comments by Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh regarding Sindh province, calling them &ldquo;delusional and dangerously revisionist&rdquo; and a &ldquo;clear violation of international law.&rdquo; Singh was quoted by Indian media as saying, &ldquo;Today, the land of Sindh may not be a part of India, but civilizational, Sindh will always be a part of India&hellip; borders can change. Who knows, tomorrow Sindh may return to India again.&rdquo;He also reportedly claimed that Hindus from Sindh of his generation had &ldquo;never fully accepted the province&rsquo;s accession to Pakistan.&rdquo; Andrabi said the remarks disregarded the &ldquo;inviolability of recognized borders and the sovereignty of states.&rdquo; He added that &ldquo;such provocative rhetoric cannot divert attention from the plight of Indian citizens, particularly vulnerable minority communities suffering discrimination rooted in faith-based prejudice and historical distortions.&rdquo; Pakistan also urged India to address longstanding grievances in its northeast, where communities face &ldquo;systematic marginalization, identity-based persecution, and cycles of state-enabled violence.&rdquo; UN concerns on Kashmir highlightedAndrabi said Pakistan &ldquo;noted with grave concern&rdquo; observations from UN experts regarding &ldquo;illegal measures in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).&rdquo; &ldquo;The United Nations report, once again, underscores the severe and systematic human rights violations endured by the Kashmiri people under Indian occupation,&rdquo; he said, citing alarms over the arbitrary arrest and detention of nearly 2,800 Kashmiris, including journalists, students, and rights defenders. He added that laws such as the Public Safety Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act enabled &ldquo;indefinite and unjustifiable detentions.&rdquo; Reaffirming Pakistan&rsquo;s position, Andrabi said the country remains committed to a peaceful settlement of disputes with India based on &ldquo;justice, equity, and established international legal norms.&rdquo; He also urged New Delhi to end coercive measures and halt persecution of religious minorities.

Security

Pakistan says its ceasefire with Afghanistan is ineffective due to continued cross-border militant attacks with the involvement of Afghan nationals. Islamabad also condemned Indian minister’s remarks on Sindh and highlighted UN concerns over rights abuses in IIOJK and India


Pakistan says ceasefire with Kabul failing amid cross-border attacks

ISLAMABAD: US President Donald Trump and Indian Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi are taking Prime Minister Narendra Modi to task for their own reasons. Trump is doing it for Modi&rsquo;s refusal to acknowledge his role in ending the Pakistan-India conflict in May, while Gandhi heads an opposition that has been down for too long. US President Donald Trump claimed he used trade pressure to stop a May Pakistan-India clash, saying &ldquo;seven brand new&rdquo; planes were shot down. Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi has challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to publicly deny Trump&rsquo;s account and &ldquo;find the courage&rdquo; to respond. &lsquo;Seven brand new planes&rsquo;&nbsp;US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said that &ldquo;seven brand new, beautiful planes were shot down&rdquo; during the Pakistan-India conflict earlier this year. While referring to the aerial encounters between the two countries, the US president said the two countries were &ldquo;going at it&rdquo; in May, during which &ldquo;seven planes were shot down.&rdquo;&nbsp; &ldquo;Seven brand new, beautiful planes were shot down,&rdquo; Trump said in his speech, available on White House YouTube channel, to business leaders in Japan during a dinner. &nbsp; <div class="fr-embed youtube-embed"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eDOKTKbcJC4" title="President Trump Delivers Keynote Remarks at APEC CEOs Luncheon" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen="" style="width: 100%; height: auto; aspect-ratio: 16 / 9; max-width: 100%; display: block;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe>&nbsp;</div> India continues to deny that any of its aircraft were lost and rejects Trump&rsquo;s claim regarding the ceasefire. &nbsp; &lsquo;Great service to the world&rsquo;The US president said he told Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, &ldquo;We&#39;re not going to do any trade if you&#39;re going to be fighting.&rdquo; The same message was also sent to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif &mdash; whom he termed &ldquo;a very nice man, a very good man&rdquo; &mdash; and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir. &ldquo;And within about 24 hours, that was the end of that,&rdquo; Trump said. &ldquo;It was amazing, actually.&rdquo; &ldquo;A lot of the wars that I stopped were because of tariffs,&rdquo; he said, adding that he was able to do a &ldquo;great service to the world [&hellip;] because of tariffs, because of trade.&rdquo; &nbsp; &#39;Don&rsquo;t be scared Modi ji&rsquo;&nbsp;Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Indian parliament, in a post on X on Wednesday, while hitting out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said: &ldquo;Trump is insulting Modi in country after country. Latest is South Korea. 1. Repeated that he used trade to frighten Modi into stopping Operation Sindoor. 2. Said 7 planes were shot down.&rdquo; &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t be scared Modi ji, find the courage to respond,&rdquo; the opposition leader added, while throwing down the gauntlet.<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=1983482933160939544&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fsections%2F&sessionId=82a003937f4acc08242766ee2e8d1415521c90d7&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 416px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div> This is not the first time; the Indian opposition leader has challenged PM Modi on the issue. Back on July 29 during a debate in the Indian Parliament, Rahul Gandhi, in his speech available on his Youtube channel, said: &ldquo;Donald Trump has said 29 times, 29 times he said he got the ceasefire done, if he is lying than the prime minister should say it here, if he has the courage should say it here that he is lying.&rdquo; &ldquo;If he has the courage, if he has the courage, if he has the courage, if he has the courage of Indira Gandhi, let him say here, that &lsquo;Donald Trump you are a liar, you did not make a ceasefire, and that we did not lose any planes&rsquo;, let him say if he has the courage.&rdquo; &ldquo;If he has even 50% of the courage of Indira Gandhi than say it here, if he has the courage, if he really has the courage, than this evening the prime minister should say it here Donald Trump is a liar, don&rsquo;t have President Trump tell you that I have stopped the war 29 times, have the courage to tell him that no, to hell with you, you cannot stop any war, we are going to fight,&rdquo; Gandhi challenged Modi to loud applause from the opposition benches. <div class="fr-embed youtube-embed"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TFmq0kSb9OU" title="Does Modi Have Courage to Call Trump a Liar? | Operation Sindoor Debate in Parliament | Rahul Gandhi" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen="" style="width: 100%; height: auto; aspect-ratio: 16 / 9; max-width: 100%; display: block;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe>&nbsp;</div>

India

Donald Trump claims credit for stopping the Pakistan-India conflict in May; Rahul Gandhi has challenged Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to show courage and deny Trump’s statements.

Trump, Rahul Gandhi gibe about Modi 

KIRYAT GAT: US Vice President JD Vance on Tuesday called progress in Gaza&rsquo;s fragile ceasefire better than anticipated but acknowledged during an Israel visit the challenges that remain, from disarming Hamas to rebuilding a land devastated by two years of war. Vance noted flareups of violence in recent days but said the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that began on Oct. 10 is going &ldquo;better than I expected.&rdquo; The Trump administration&#39;s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, added that &ldquo;we are exceeding where we thought we would be at this time.&rdquo; They visited a new center in Israel for civilian and military cooperation as questions remain over the long-term plan for peace, including when and how an international security force will deploy to Gaza and who will govern the territory after the war. Vance tried to downplay any idea that his visit &mdash; his first as vice president &mdash; was urgently arranged to keep the ceasefire in place. He said he feels &ldquo;confident that we&rsquo;re going to be in a place where this peace lasts,&rdquo; but warned that if Hamas doesn&rsquo;t cooperate, it will be &ldquo;obliterated.&rdquo; Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump&rsquo;s son-in-law and one of the architects of the ceasefire agreement, noted its complexity: &ldquo;Both sides are transitioning from two years of very intense warfare to now a peacetime posture.&quot; Vance is expected to stay in the region until Thursday and meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other officials. On Tuesday, Netanyahu fired his national security adviser, Tzachi Hanegbi, but gave no reason for the decision. Israeli media said Hanegbi had opposed the renewal of Israel&rsquo;s Gaza offensive in March, and Israel&rsquo;s failed attempt to assassinate Hamas&rsquo; leadership in an airstrike in Qatar in September. In a statement, Hanegbi noted &ldquo;times of disagreement&rdquo; with Netanyahu. Hamas hands over remains of 2 more hostagesLate Tuesday, Israel&rsquo;s military said the remains of two more Gaza hostages had been returned to Israel, where they would be identified. Since the ceasefire began on Oct. 10, the remains of 15 hostages have been returned to Israel. Another 13 still need to be recovered in Gaza and handed over. On his visit to Israel on Tuesday, Vance urged a &ldquo;little bit of patience&rdquo; amid Israeli frustration with Hamas&rsquo; pace of returning the hostages. &ldquo;Some of these hostages are buried under thousands of pounds of rubble. Some of the hostages, nobody even knows where they are,&rdquo; Vance said. Israel is releasing 15 Palestinian bodies for the remains of each dead hostage, according to Gaza&rsquo;s Health Ministry. It said on Tuesday that Israel had so far transferred 165 bodies since earlier this month. As he faced journalists&#39; questions over the ceasefire&#39;s next steps, he said &ldquo;a lot of this work is very hard&quot; and urged flexibility. &ldquo;Once we&rsquo;ve got to a point where both the Gazans and our Israeli friends can have some measure of security, then we&rsquo;ll worry about what the long-term governance of Gaza is,&quot; he said. &quot;Let&rsquo;s focus on security, rebuilding, giving people some food and medicine.&rdquo; Although some 200 US troops were recently sent to Israel, Vance emphasized that they would not be on the ground in Gaza. But he said officials are beginning to &quot;conceptualize what that international security force would look like&quot; for the territory. He mentioned Turkey and Indonesia as countries expected to participate. The flags of Jordan, Germany, Britain and Denmark were on the stage where he spoke. Britain said late Tuesday it would send a small contingent of military officers to Israel to assist in monitoring the ceasefire. While the ceasefire has been tested by fighting and mutual accusations of violations, both Israel and Hamas have said they are committed to the deal. Aid into Gaza increases, while prices riseInternational organizations said they were scaling up humanitarian aid entering Gaza, while Hamas-led security forces cracked down against what it called price gouging by private merchants. The World Food Program said it had sent more than 530 trucks into Gaza in the past 10 days, enough to feed nearly half a million people for two weeks. That&#39;s well under the 500 to 600 that entered daily before the war. The WFP also said it had reinstated 26 distribution points across Gaza and hopes to scale up to its previous 145 points as soon as possible. Residents said prices for essential goods soared on Sunday after militants killed two Israeli soldiers and Israel responded with strikes that killed dozens of Palestinians. Israel also threatened to halt humanitarian aid. At a market in the central city of Deir al-Balah, a 25-kilogram (55-pound) package of flour was selling for more than $70 on Sunday, up from about $12 shortly after the ceasefire. By Tuesday, the price was around $30. Mohamed al-Faqawi, a Khan Younis resident, accused merchants of taking advantage of the perilous security situation. &ldquo;They are exploiting us,&rdquo; he said. On Monday, Hamas said its security forces raided shops across Gaza, closing some and forcing merchants to lower prices. Hamas also has allowed aid trucks to move safely and halted looting of deliveries. Nahed Sheheiber, head of Gaza&rsquo;s private truckers&rsquo; union, said there was no stealing aid since the ceasefire started. But other significant challenges remain as Gaza&#39;s financial system is in tatters. With nearly every bank branch and ATM inoperable, people pay exorbitant commissions to a network of cash brokers to get money for daily expenses. On Tuesday, dozens of people in Deir al-Balah spent hours in line at the Bank of Palestine hoping to access their money but were turned away. &ldquo;Without having the bank open and without money, it does not matter that the prices (in the market) have dropped,&rdquo; said Kamilia Al-Ajez. Gaza doctors say bodies returned with signs of tortureA senior health official in Gaza said some bodies of Palestinians returned by Israel bore &ldquo;evidence of torture&rdquo; and called for a United Nations investigation. Dr. Muneer al-Boursh, the health ministry&#39;s general director, said on social media late Monday that some had evidence of being bound with ropes and metal shackles, and had deep wounds and crushed limbs. It was not immediately clear if any of the bodies had been prisoners; they are returned without identification or details on how they died. The bodies could include Palestinian detainees who died in Israeli custody or bodies taken out of Gaza by Israeli troops during the war. The Israel Prisons Service denied that prisoners had been mistreated, saying it had followed legal procedures and provided medical care and &ldquo;adequate living conditions.&rdquo; Israeli hostages released from Gaza have also reported metal shackles and harsh conditions, including frequent beatings and starvation. In the 2023 attack on Israel that started the war, Hamas-led militants killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted 251 people as hostages. The Israel-Hamas war has killed more than 68,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza&rsquo;s Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count. The ministry maintains detailed casualty records that are seen as generally reliable by UN agencies and independent experts. Israel has disputed them without providing its own toll.

Americas

US Vice President JD Vance said Gaza’s ceasefire is progressing better than expected but warned of “very hard” work ahead, including disarming Hamas, rebuilding Gaza, and forming an international security force to maintain peace.

US vice president optimistic about Gaza ceasefire, notes 'very hard' work to come

ISLAMABAD: The situation in Gaza remains tense as Israeli military operations continue amid mounting challenges on the ground. While US President Donald Trump says that the truce is holding, the ceasefire appears to be faltering, with disruptions to humanitarian aid and continued strikes raising questions about whether a lasting agreement can hold. Trump, who brokered the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, has insisted that the truce &ldquo;was still in place,&rdquo; adding that Hamas leadership &ldquo;may not be involved&rdquo; in the latest violations. But he acknowledges uncertainty over whether Israel&rsquo;s strikes were justified, saying he would &ldquo;have to get back&rdquo; on that when questioned by reporters. The exchange of attacks and counterattacks in Gaza has left the truce fragile. Israeli airstrikes have hit several areas in Gaza, including a former school sheltering displaced civilians in Nuseirat, killing at least 26 people, according to local health authorities, Reuters reported.&nbsp; A month after the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect, violence and uncertainty have continued to shadow the truce, with reports of repeated violations, suspended aid deliveries, and warnings that Palestinians remain without real guarantees for safety or relief. According to a statement issued by the Gaza Government Media Office (Press Release No. 1009), Israel has violated the ceasefire 80 times since October 10, killing 97 Palestinians and injuring 230 others in renewed attacks across the enclave. The statement said the violations included &ldquo;direct gunfire at civilians, deliberate bombardment, the execution of fire belts, and arrests of civilian citizens,&rdquo; describing them as &ldquo;grave and repeated breaches&rdquo; of international humanitarian law.<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; line-height: 2;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 641px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=eyJ0ZndfdGltZWxpbmVfbGlzdCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOltdLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2ZvbGxvd2VyX2NvdW50X3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9iYWNrZW5kIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19yZWZzcmNfc2Vzc2lvbiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZm9zbnJfc29mdF9pbnRlcnZlbnRpb25zX2VuYWJsZWQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib24iLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X21peGVkX21lZGlhXzE1ODk3Ijp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRyZWF0bWVudCIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3Nob3dfYmlyZHdhdGNoX3Bpdm90c19lbmFibGVkIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19kdXBsaWNhdGVfc2NyaWJlc190b19zZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdXNlX3Byb2ZpbGVfaW1hZ2Vfc2hhcGVfZW5hYmxlZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdmlkZW9faGxzX2R5bmFtaWNfbWFuaWZlc3RzXzE1MDgyIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRydWVfYml0cmF0ZSIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfbGVnYWN5X3RpbWVsaW5lX3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9mcm9udGVuZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9fQ%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1980006715698335850&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2Fnew%2F&sessionId=36be07a670230f94c3110bd939a39b581fc278f3&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div> The office said Israeli forces used tanks, drones, and combat aircraft to target residential neighborhoods in all governorates of Gaza. It called on the United Nations and guarantor states to intervene and &ldquo;compel the occupation to cease its continuous aggression and protect the defenseless civilian population.&rdquo; The Israeli military said its airstrikes were in response to a ceasefire violation by Hamas that killed two soldiers, though Hamas denied involvement. Aid deliveries falter againOn Sunday, Israel briefly halted all supplies to Gaza following what it called a &ldquo;blatant&rdquo; violation of the agreement. The decision came despite US pressure to resume deliveries, which an Israeli security source said could restart on Monday. The Rafah border crossing with Egypt remains closed. Israel said its reopening depends on Hamas completing the handover of hostages&rsquo; bodies, while Hamas said many of the deceased remain trapped beneath rubble and require specialized recovery equipment, Reuters reported. No real guarantees for PalestiniansThe ceasefire had raised expectations that the flow of aid would increase and that reconstruction could begin after two years of war. But the United Nations says that, despite some progress, the amount of food, fuel, and medicine entering Gaza remains far below what is required. Meanwhile, the US State Department has warned that it received &ldquo;credible reports&rdquo; that Hamas may be planning an attack on Palestinian civilians in Gaza, an act it said would represent a &ldquo;grave violation&rdquo; of the ceasefire, AP reported. Fragile truce, fading hopeHuman rights advocate and former United Nations Relief and Works Agency spokesperson Chris Gunness told a Middle-East-based digital news outlet that Palestinians &ldquo;don&rsquo;t have the means to prevent the resumption of genocide.&rdquo; He said the ceasefire&rsquo;s terms made it &ldquo;bound to collapse,&rdquo; as Gaza&rsquo;s devastation has left authorities unable to recover hostages&rsquo; remains or oversee large-scale reconstruction. The ceasefire agreement, which was intended to end two years of bloodshed, is now faltering both in letter and in spirit. With Israeli strikes continuing, aid flows disrupted, and both sides accusing each other of violations, the path to peace remains uncertain.

The ceasefire, brokered to end two years of war, has unraveled under repeated violations, deadly airstrikes, and stalled aid. With 97 Palestinians killed and humanitarian relief blocked, the truce offers little protection, leaving Gaza civilians trapped between diplomatic ambiguity and escalating violence.

Articles tagged with "Ceasefire,"

Global leaders back Pakistan as Islamabad hosts Iran–US peace talks

Crude prices plunge, stocks surge as US and Iran agree ceasefire

China expresses ‘deep concern,’ Russia urges diplomatic resolution of Afghanistan-Pakistan fighting

US, Qatar, Egypt, Turkey urge restraint in Gaza after Miami talks

Pakistan says ceasefire with Kabul failing amid cross-border attacks

Trump, Rahul Gandhi gibe about Modi

US vice president optimistic about Gaza ceasefire, notes 'very hard' work to come

97 killed in Gaza since ceasefire, Trump says it is 'still in place'

Global leaders back Pakistan as Islamabad hosts Iran–US peace talks