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Ishaq Dar has reaffirmed Pakistan’s principled stance on the Palestinian issue, stating that the country will not show any flexibility regarding the Abraham Accords until an independent Palestinian state is recognised. Speaking to journalists in Washington, the deputy prime minister dismissed speculation surrounding Pakistan’s possible participation in the Abraham Accords, saying rumours were circulating but Pakistan’s position remained clear and unchanged. Ishaq Dar said Pakistan firmly believes that a Palestinian state must be recognised on the basis of pre-1967 borders, with Jerusalem as its capital, before any consideration can be given to the Abraham Accords. He stressed that until the…

Pakistan Railways has decided to resume train services to and from Balochistan today under the existing timetable, ending a three-day suspension period, railway officials confirmed on Friday. The Jaffar Express is scheduled to depart from Quetta to Peshawar today (Saturday) at its designated time, according to railway officials, who confirmed the latest operational update. The return service from Peshawar to Quetta will also operate on Saturday morning, restoring connectivity after the temporary disruption. Earlier, train services to and from Quetta and across parts of Balochistan remained suspended for another day on Friday due to what officials described as “unavoidable circumstances”.…

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth on Saturday said the United States stands ready to resume strikes on Iran if diplomacy fails, as negotiators from Washington and Tehran work to bridge major differences blocking a deal. “Our ability to recommence if necessary…we are more than capable,” Hegseth said. He added that Trump ​remains “patient” and is seeking a “strong deal” to ​ensure Iran does not obtain a ⁠nuclear weapon. Trump said on Friday he would convene advisers in a secure White House setting to make a “final determination” on a proposal to end the Iran war. Hegseth also pushed back on concerns…

The federal government has announced a significant reduction in petrol and diesel prices, offering relief to the public on the third day of Eid. In a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, it was said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had promised the nation that relief would be provided as soon as fiscal space became available, and the government has now fulfilled that commitment. The statement confirmed that petrol prices have been reduced by Rs22 per litre, while diesel prices have also been cut by Rs22 per litre. With the reduction of Rs22, the new rate of petrol is…

WASHINGTON: The United Nations on Friday added Israel and Russia to a UN blacklist of countries suspected of committing sexual violence in conflict zones, a move that prompted Israel’s foreign ministry to say it would sever all ties with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Guterres’ annual report to the UN Security Council on conflict-related sexual violence goes a step further than last year, when he put Israel and Russia “on notice” that they could be added to the list of parties “credibly suspected of committing or being responsible for patterns of rape or other forms of sexual violence.” The latest report…

China on Friday delivered a 174,000-cubic-meter liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier that is the country’s first to use a fully domestic set of cryogenic valves in its cargo containment system – a milestone that completes a full domestic supply chain for large LNG carriers, from materials and design to equipment, according to China Media Group (CMG). The vessel, named Puteri Johor, was built by Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding, a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC). It is 299 meters long and 46.4 meters wide, with a deck area equivalent to three football fields. Its four cargo tanks can carry 174,000 cubic…

The China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) on Friday voiced its firm opposition to the European Union’s (EU) draft revision to its Cybersecurity Act, citing that the draft contains obviously unreasonable content. The draft introduces “non-technical risk” factors, and directly links cybersecurity risks to companies from specific countries or specific national backgrounds, seeking to exclude them from relevant EU supply chains, said Wang Yifei, spokesperson for the CCPIT, at a press conference. Wang expressed resolute opposition to these practices, adding that the China Chamber of International Commerce has formally submitted comments to the European side on behalf…

Government officials and business leaders from China and Germany gathered in Guangzhou, capital of south China’s Guangdong Province, on Thursday for an economic roundtable. Germany’s economy and energy minister Katherina Reiche said China has shown strong momentum in growth, investment, innovation and global market expansion, and Germany hopes to attract more Chinese companies to invest and deepen cooperation in digitalization and decarbonization. As one of China’s most open and economically vibrant regions, Guangdong is emerging as a key platform for economic and trade cooperation between China and Germany. Guangdong Vice Governor Zhang Guozhi said trade between Guangdong and Germany rose…

The return capsule of China’s Shenzhou-22 crewed spaceship, carrying the three Shenzhou-21 astronauts, touched down at the Dongfeng landing site in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region at 8:11 p.m. on Friday, according to the China Manned Space Agency. On-site medical personnel confirmed that astronauts Zhang Lu, Wu Fei and Zhang Hongzhang were all in good health. The mission was a complete success. At 7:20 p.m., the Beijing Aerospace Control Center sent the return command from the ground. The return capsule of the Shenzhou-22 spaceship then separated from the orbital capsule and later touched down successfully. The search and recovery…

US President Donald Trump will only make a peace deal with Iran if it meets all of his conditions, a White House official told AFP , as questions swirled about the state of negotiations to end the war. The White House had indicated Trump was close to a decision on a potential deal, even as Tehran insisted there was still “no final agreement” on ending the Middle East conflict. An Iranian state media report also rebutted several key elements of Trump’s characterisation of the deal, with sources calling his remarks a “mixture of truth and lies.” US sources had told AFP the deal was…