Spain’s Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares on Thursday accused Israel of violating international law and a newly brokered two-week ceasefire in the Middle East by carrying out airstrikes on Lebanon on Wednesday. Spain has emerged as one of the most vocal critics among Western nations of US and Israeli actions in Iran and Lebanon, closing […]
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan held a phone conversation with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi, the Saudi foreign ministry said Thursday, in the first official contact between the countries since Tehran launched strikes against its Gulf neighbours in retaliation for Israeli-American attacks. “The call focused on reviewing developments in the situation and ways […]
Gold prices in Pakistan declined on Thursday, reflecting losses in the international market, impacting both investors and consumers. According to the All-Pakistan Gems and Jewellers Sarafa Association (APGJSA), the price of gold per tola decreased by Rs9,500, reaching Rs494,662. Similarly, the price of 10-gram gold dropped by Rs8,415, settling at Rs424,092. The international gold price […]
Nearly six weeks of war in Iran have ended, for now, with US President Donald Trump claiming victory, but the US-Iran ceasefire locks in a harsh reality: an entrenched, radical government with control over the Strait of Hormuz and a powerful lever over global energy markets and Gulf rivals, analysts say. The shockwaves have rippled […]
Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States Rizwan Saeed Sheikh said that Pakistan had been working diplomatically for weeks, and the successful announcement of the ceasefire between US and Iran, and the opening of negotiations was a direct result of these efforts. In an exclusive interview with CNN, Sheikh discussed the country’s diplomatic efforts in facilitating the ceasefire […]
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia expressed deep concern over ceasefire violations in Lebanon on Thursday, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA). The concern was raised during a telephone conversation between Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, the statement said. Dar appreciated Saudi Arabia’s continued […]
Examinations scheduled for April 9 and 10 at three centres in Islamabad have been postponed following official directions issued in view of ongoing diplomatic activities in the federal capital, according to a notification. According to a notification issued by the Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (FBISE), “In view of ongoing diplomatic activities in […]
Even as the US and Iran seek to cement a ceasefire, Israel is seizing more territory from its neighbours in preparation for a long, drawn-out conflict across the Middle East. Israel’s creation of “buffer zones” in Gaza, Syria and now Lebanon reflects a strategic shift after the attacks of October 7, 2023, one that puts […]
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi assured US Ambassador to Pakistan Natalie Baker on Thursday of foolproof security ahead of the arrival of high-level foreign delegations in Islamabad on Friday for the US-Iran ceasefire talks. The meeting came a day after Pakistan brokered a US‑Iran two‑week ceasefire. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced that Iran and the US, along […]
Oil prices rose on Thursday as doubts over a fragile two-week Middle East ceasefire raised concerns that energy flows through the crucial Strait of Hormuz will remain restricted. Brent crude futures were up $1.96, or 2.07%, at $96.71 a barrel at 0325 GMT, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rose $2.60, or 2.75%, to […]