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ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari has approved the award of Sitara-e-Shujaat for Liaqat Shaheed, the civilian who sacrificed his life while stopping a suicide bomber near Kohat, in recognition of his bravery and sacrifice at the national level. The approval was granted by the president on the recommendation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, according to an official statement issued on Wednesday. Paying tribute to Liaqat Shaheed, President Zardari said the brave citizen had averted a major loss of life by sacrificing himself while confronting the suicide attacker. “Liaqat Shaheed’s courage, sense of duty and sacrifice are a shining example for…

Senior US and Chinese officials agree that no country can ​be allowed to exact shipping tolls in the Strait of Hormuz, the State Department told Reuters on Tuesday, in a sign that ‌the two countries are trying to find common ground on efforts to pressure Iran to give up control of the vital waterway. The statement by the State Department comes ahead of a high-stakes summit between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping later this week, where Iran’s chokehold on the strait will be on the agenda. Iran’s near-complete closure of the ​vital trade artery since the joint…

China reiterated its strong opposition to US arms sales to Taiwan ‌on Wednesday, calling on Washington to honour its commitments ahead of US President Donald Trump’s arrival for a summit in Beijing. The issue of democratically governed Taiwan, which China views as its own territory, and weapons sales to Taipei is certain to be discussed during two days of meetings this week between Trump and ​Chinese President Xi Jinping. The US is bound by law to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself, despite ​a lack of formal diplomatic ties. In December, the Trump administration announced an $11 billion…

US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that Americans’ financial struggles are not a factor in his decision-making as he seeks to negotiate an end to the Iran war, saying ​that preventing Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon is his top priority. Asked by a reporter ‌to what extent Americans’ financial situations were motivating him to strike a deal, Trump said: “Not even a little bit.” “The only thing that matters, when I’m talking about Iran, they can’t have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said before departing the White ​House for a trip to China. “I don’t think about Americans’ financial…

Saudi Arabia launched numerous, unpublicized strikes on Iran in retaliation for attacks carried out in the kingdom during the Middle East war, two Western officials briefed on the matter and two Iranian officials said. The Saudi attacks, not previously reported, mark the first time that the ​kingdom is known to have directly carried out military action on Iranian soil and show it is becoming much bolder in defending itself against its main regional rival. The attacks, launched by the Saudi Air ‌Force, were assessed to have been carried out in late March, the two Western officials said. One said only…

Pakistan has received a fresh $1.3 billion tranche from the International Monetary Fund under the EFF and RSF programs, providing support to foreign exchange reserves as budget talks for the new fiscal year officially begin. The amount was received by the State Bank of Pakistan and will be included in the country’s foreign exchange reserves for the week ending May 15. The $1.3 billion received from the IMF includes funds under two separate programs. According to details, $1.1 billion has been received under the Extended Fund Facility loan program, while $200 million has been received under the climate financing program.…

Pakistan’s pharmaceutical companies have signed 10 MoUs with Chinese firms to promote local manufacturing of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), vaccine production, technology transfer, and investment inflows. A major Rs10 billion partnership between Unichem Pharmaceuticals Pakistan and China’s Xinxu Group will begin local production of key raw materials like Omeprazole API, which is largely imported, helping reduce import dependence and strengthen supply security. Another agreement involving Lucky Core Group also expands industrial cooperation. Officials said the initiative marks a major step toward self-reliance in healthcare, with plans to develop domestic vaccine production capacity ahead of expected global subsidy reductions by 2030,…

As global economic headwinds continue to weigh on South Asian economies, Pakistan is stepping onto a steadier growth trajectory – largely supported by the steady advancement of high-quality bilateral cooperation under upgraded frameworks. At the core of this positive turnaround lies the accelerated implementation of CPEC 2.0, which has emerged as the most reliable anchor for the country’s economic stability and long-term industrial upgrading amid complex regional uncertainties. This was stated by Prof Cheng Xizhong, Senior Research Fellow at the Charhar Institute, a non-governmental Chinese think-tank on diplomacy and international studies based in Beijing. He remarked that as of April…

Preparations for the federal budget 2026-27 have officially begun as an International Monetary Fund (IMF) delegation arrived in Pakistan for more than a week of talks with the country’s economic team. The IMF mission will remain in Pakistan until May 20, with key meetings planned with the Ministry of Finance, the Federal Board of Revenue, the State Bank of Pakistan and other government departments. Negotiations between Pakistan’s economic team and IMF officials have started, with the upcoming federal budget at the center of discussions. The two sides are expected to review new budget targets, tax revenue plans and financial reforms…

A cultural exchange event highlighting shared heritage and integrated development across the Taiwan Strait kicked off on Tuesday in Pingtan Comprehensive Experimental Area of east China’s Fujian Province. People from all ethnic groups, including Taiwan compatriots, jointly shaped the rich and vast homeland throughout the Chinese nation’s thousands of years of history, said Su Hui, vice chairperson of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, at the opening ceremony. Su, also chairperson of the Central Committee of the Taiwan Democratic Self-Government League, urged efforts to uphold firm historical confidence, continuously reinforce the sense of identity with the…